*Bell ringing*

“Okay, class is dismissed,” the professor said as the bell rang loudly in the room.

Almost immediately, the students shot out from their seats, eager to get out and prepare for next day’s event. It was Friday. The next day would be the Welcoming Party, the first major event of the school.

“And remember, first research paper is due next Friday,” the middle-aged professor remarked, earning several groans from her students. With a satisfied smirk, she left the room.

“Aish,” Taeyeon sighed as she and the others packed up their stuff. “That scary old hag will be the death of me. Second meeting and she gives a major task with only a week‘s time to prepare!”

“Yuri oppa was right,” Yoona answered. “Professor Kang is a pain. We should expect a lot of paper works this semester.”

Taeyeon groaned for the nth time. “I’m doomed.”

Tiffany just rolled her eyes at the girl’s rant. After sticking with Taeyeon for just a few days, Tiffany has already gotten used to Taeyeon exaggerating stuff. The short girl even ranted about a homework given the first day, to the point that it took all her time and she had to cram in the evening to get it done.

Tiffany read her work, though, and she had to admit, Taeyeon’s essay was excellent. She concluded Taeyeon just needed the pressure to get herself ‘pumped up’; she unconsciously loved the rush, the thrill of meeting a deadline.

“With Student Council activities starting, I’ll be a walking zombie soon!”

Hyoyeon smacked Taeyeon at the backside of her head, pulling the dork back to reality. “You’re such a worrywart, Taeng.”

“Relax, unnie,” Seohyun piped in with a soft smile. “I’m sure it’ll be easy as 1,2,3.”

Tiffany slung her arm around Taeyeon’s shoulder, an eye smile popping out. “Easy as pie, Tae.”

“Easy for you to say, Miss Prodigy… And you,” Taeyeon turned to Tiffany, “You can’t even cook!”

The others burst out laughing, leaving Tiffany pouting like a child.

Indeed, Tiffany found her place in the group. Taeyeon was the leader/mother figure, Hyoyeon was the funny character, Seohyun was the smart kid, and Yoona was the cool/mischievous girl. Tiffany? Though she was smart and somewhat popular in her own way, Tiffany had this klutzy side to her. And for that, Tiffany was the one always teased. If Seohyun wasn’t the youngest, Tiffany would’ve been the girl always treated like a baby.

Tiffany wouldn’t have it any other way, though. She was surrounded with good, dependable people… and that was more than enough.

“Just kidding, Fany-ah,” Taeyeon grinned. “Anyway, I have to go. Student Council meeting in 15 minutes… I still have to submit your name to the Art Club head, Fany. See you guys later?”

The girls nodded and waved as Taeyeon hurriedly left the room.

“Yoona and I have to go, too. Last dance rehearsal,” Hyoyeon said.

And the two also left after a short goodbye.

Tiffany turned expectantly at Seohyun. “You, too?”

Seohyun chuckled. “The Music Club opted out from performing tomorrow since the people would be probably only interested in seeing Abyss perform. So, I’m free.”

The brunette smiled in relief. “Good. I was planning to tour our building… I don’t want to be late for Professor Kang’s class next time.”

~+~

Meanwhile…

Taeyeon was panting, trying to catch her breath. She had just gotten out of the club room hallway – which was pure chaos with freshmen here and there.

I should’ve texted the club head, instead.

The short girl mentally berated herself as she dragged her feet towards the Student Council room.

Maybe I should suggest online club registrations. That way, it wouldn’t be so –

“Ow!” a familiar voice yelped.

Taeyeon snapped back from her thoughts when she realized she accidentally bumped into a person. She looked up and her eyes instantly widened in shock. “Omona! I’m so sorry, Sonny sunbae! I w-wasn’t look–”

“No worries, Taeyeon-ah,” Sonny cut her off with a grin and he patted her head gently.

Taeyeon felt her face heating up at the contact and a lump got stuck on . Her heart pounded harder with every second of seeing Sonny’s ever-cute smile.

How the hell does a guy have so much aegyo?! He’s even cuter than me!

Sonny, totally unaware of Taeyeon’s thoughts, took the blushing as shyness. “Don’t be so shy around me, Taeyeon-ah. You can even call me oppa, okay?”

Taeyeon, who became even more speechless, just nodded in response – though her mind was screaming in elation.

The cute blond smiled wider at that. “Good. Anyway… Were you heading to the Student Council room? I saw some officers heading there.”

“Ah… yeah…” Taeyeon managed to answer after that little voice in her head screamed at her to speak. Talk, you idiotic dork! Say something! ANYTHING!

“M-Meeting… in 5 minutes…”

Sonny nodded. “I got nothing to do now… would you mind if I walk you to –”

“OPPA!”

A fleeting inexplicable look passed Sonny’s face. Taeyeon caught it, though, and it made her wonder what it meant.

But she didn’t have the time to think it over, as Hyomin appeared beside Sonny.

“There you are…”

The junior immediately clung to Sonny, arms looping through his and lips pressed to his cheek.

Taeyeon cast her eyes low and fought the urge to walk away from the intimate scene.

Sonny just smiled uneasily at her girlfriend and gently pulled away. “Hyomin-ah… I thought you went home because you have a family dinner…”

“Obviously, it got cancelled,” Hyomin smiled. “I asked my appa to move the dinner on Sunday. I told him you’d be coming with me.”

A frown transiently appeared before fading from Sonny’s face. “You never asked me.”

“But you’re gonna say yes, anyway, right?”

“Hyomin…” Sonny started, but then he remembered Taeyeon was standing a few feet away. And so, he decided to shrug off the topic for now.

He cleared his throat. “Um, Hyomin… you remember Taeyeon ssi, right?”

Hyomin finally spared a glance at Taeyeon before smiling at the younger girl. “Oh, yes… Student Council P.R.O., am I right?”

Taeyeon bowed slightly and forced a smile. “Ah yeah, sunbae.”

“Ah, so cute!!” Hyomin pinched Taeyeon’s cheek briefly before turning back to her boyfriend and kissing his cheek again. “Not as cute as my baby, though…”

Sonny chuckled awkwardly. He wasn’t really a fan of PDA, and he surely wasn’t starting now.

But before he could pull away from Hyomin to apologize to Taeyeon, Taeyeon was already bowing as a form of goodbye.

“Excuse me, sunbaes. I have to go to that meeting now.”

“Oh, of course,” Hyomin answered. “Nice meeting you, Taeyeon ssi!”

Taeyeon smiled politely and then her eyes met Sonny’s.

“Don’t stress yourself too much, Taeyeon-ah.”

Taeyeon nodded once and walked away from the two, her head cluttered with mixed emotions.

~+~

Tiffany and Seohyun, on the other hand, were still touring their enormous and elaborate school building.

“Why are there lots of students around here?” Tiffany asked as she and Seohyun squeezed into the crowd to get to the bridge connecting to the annex building.

“Aigoo, sorry unnie,” Seohyun said as she held on tight to Tiffany’s arm so they won’t be separated. “I forgot that it’s club registrations for freshmen!”

Tiffany slapped herself mentally. “Aish. I forgot, too. Let’s just get out of here fast. I feel like I’m being suffocated.”

Together, they veered through the buzzing crowd, trying to avoid getting run over and squashed by eager freshmen. They didn’t want to be like bugs.

Bugs, Tiffany shivered at the thought and walked on.

Out of the blue, a girl near them squealed, so loudly that Tiffany felt like her eardrums suddenly burst.

“OMONA! IT’S JUNG JESSE & KWON YURI!!!!”

Oh crap, what are those two doing here?? Tiffany’s eyes widened and she anticipated the worst.

Freshmen girls mean they’re new to the fan club… and their initial response to seeing Abyss is…

Uh oh.

“OMO!!!! IT IS!!!”

“JESHE OPPA~~!!”

“PRINCE YURI~!!! BE MINE!!”

“JESHEEEEE~!!! YOU’RE S