Lucas has always been fond of you. How could he not? You’re intelligent, witty and pleasant to be around. Back then, you didn't snicker behind his back because of the obvious accent he has, and the problems he still has with the language. Instead, you treated him warmly.

He shakes his head as he looks at his phone, the background a picture of you two. You’re both smiling and you are leaning your head against his shoulder. He can still remember the moment, recall every single second.

*

It hasn’t been long since Jaemin became captain of the school’s soccer team. He was second before, but now it is an entirely new responsibility. 

He likes it. 

Jaemin rubs his hair with a towel and then sits down on the bench. He is the last player in the room, having stayed for some extra exercise. Since he’s hoping to get a sports scholarship, he spends most of his free time on the field.

Just as he is about to get out his clothes, his phone rings. He takes it out of his bag, looking at the caller id. It’s Jaehyun, a senior who frequents the same circles as him. They’re not really friends, not close enough to be called that anyways, but Jaemin likes him.

He picks up the call.

”Hey Jaemin”, Jaehyun greets from the other side of the line. “What’s up?” 

“Hey Jaehyun”, he answers, holding the phone a bit away from his still damp hair.

”I’m actually calling you to congratulate you", Jaehyun says from the other side of the line. "I heard you made it to team captain. Congrats!”

Jaemin can’t help the proud smile appearing on his face as he thanks the older boy. “Yeah, I did. Thank you.”

”Anyways, I’m having a party this Saturday and I want you to come. If you've got time that is.”

”Sounds good.”

”Ok.” Jaehyun lets out a breath. “I’ll text you the details.”

*

Haechan’s expression darkens as he sees the journalism club’s two presidents a few steps away. You are standing in front of your locker, while Mark Lee is leaning next to it, trying to look suave. Emphasis on trying.

It is painfully obvious to everyone, Haechan included, that Mark Lee likes you. He is practically the embodiment of the heart eyes emoji when he’s looking at you. Haechan doesn’t know whether it’s pitiful or just plain stupid how Mark’s eyes stay locked on your face, absorbing every single of your words like everything you're saying is some sort of divine revelation. It that help that you seem to be painfully dense, always seeming to ignore Mark's advances.

”You’re standing in front of my locker”, Haechan says, giving Mark a dark look. The younger boy sees you throwing your locker shut just a Mark is about to bristle like some kind of blow fish. 

But before the president can say anything, you lightly touch his arm, giving Haechan a short glance. “Good that we were just about to leave then", you quickly say, smiling politely.

Haechan stares down at your fingers, the hand that is touching Mark and feels himself getting annoyed.

”Yeah, that’s good", he lets out dryly, looking away to open his locker.

You disappear into the hallway, getting lost in the throng of students while dragging a huffing Mark behind you.

Haechan stares after you until your head disappears in the crowd and then leans his head against the cold metal of his locker. “Am I going crazy?”, he whispers to himself, hitting his cheek with one hand.

*

”Senior”, Jisung greets warmly and you smile at him, immediately comforted by the presence of the cute boy.

”How many times do I have to tell you? Just use my name.” You get out your textbook and pencil case, rambling on about how you dont care about formalities while Jisung stays seated, already prepared for the lesson. “It’s not like we’re that far apart in age", you finish, throwing him a glance.

Despite you insisting that he drop the formalities, Jisung still treats you respectfully as if you weren't one, but twenty years older than him. It makes you feel like an old lady. This year, he is taking advanced mathematics together with the other seniors and when you met him on the first day of class, it was kind of strange. You were too used to seeing him in the photography club, sitting behind a computer with his big glasses on that actually having him sit next to you felt weird.

”Thanks for the photos again", you say. "Mark and I looked at them today and they are all very good.”

Jisung blushes a little at your compliment. “It’s mostly Renjun and Haechan”, he admits, not surprised that you like them. Even Jisung himself noticed that the two seem to have an eye for it. For taking good photos. While Renjun’s pictures are always simple but very expressive, Haechan’s include lots of details and tend to get more technical. Because Jisung is doing the editing, Haechan sometimes wishes for small changes, going on and on until he is satisfied. Lowering the exposure, cropping the picture, touching up the color and he only stops when he is really one hundred percent satisfied.

”Nonsense”, you counter quickly but with a friendly voice, nudging his shoulder in a friendly way. “I know that you do the editing. A picture without editing is like a cake without icing. It’s only through your work that the pictures turn into masterpieces.” You grin a little at him and Jisung finds himself speechless at your words, feeling his cheeks getting even warmer. Although you usually speak in a quiet voice, you had gotten a bit louder while defending him and it surprised him that you felt this way.

But it made him feel good.

*

When Renjun sees you the next time, you are sitting in the cafeteria, eating your meal while playing on your phone. For a second, he considers claiming the seat next to you, the table is empty, but as soon as he thinks about this ridiculous idea, he presses his eyes shut and lines up for food instead. It's not like you two are actually friends.

After getting his meal, he scans the cafeteria and then spots another empty table. Since neither Haechan nor Jisung have afternoon classes, he is on his own today.

That’s when you look up. Your eyes meet and Renjun freezes when he sees the bright brown color. The color of the eyes he finds himself staring at quite so often. You are beaming at him with a sweet smile and then quickly glance around to realize that Renjun, just like you, is alone. You wave him closer with a friendly smile and he is taken aback by it for a second, almost tripping over his own feet.

”Sit down”, you offer politely. “I’m feeling very lonely today. Sicheng is busy with soccer and Mark has already finished class.” You pout a little and Renjun straightens up at the mention of your friends, remembering the good-looking Chinese star striker. Not that he could compete with that guy. Not in a million years. But still, and not knowing why or how, he manages to sit down in the seat across from you.