Key’s hands trembled as he held onto the piece of lined paper. Her, in his class... this was probably just a bad dream. He bit his lip until it hurt.

Ow. It was real after all.  

Of all places, what is she doing here?! He stood up, slamming his hands on the desk.

“Kim Ki Bum!” The female teacher exclaimed. “What on earth are you doing?! I'm trying to teach a lesson!”

Caught up in his thoughts, he seemed to have forgotten that he was sitting in a classroom of twenty-five students. He looked around awkwardly at the curious students with shocked expressions plastered onto their faces.

“Oh, sorry.” He lowered his head and sat down quietly.

“Key!” Ji Yeon whispered. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

-------

Class was over. All the students grabbed their stuff and were making their way out the door for lunch.

“Ji Yeon,” said Key firmly, “come with me.”

“Huh?” He grabbed her wrist and made for the door.

“You have to stay with me.”

They were just leaving the room when their math teacher called out Key's name.

“Ki Bum!” He hollered. “Your new classmate would like a tour of the school. Would you mind accompanying her?”

“She’ll get used to it after a while,” Key retorted. And tightening his grip on Ji Yeon's hand, he attempted to leave again.

“Kim Kibum! That was very rude of you; come back here this instant!" The teacher folded his arms and glared at Key. "As a KBS Academy student and a member of the SHINee council it is part of your duty to welcome new students!” 

Key took a deep breath, and clenching his jaws, he gave in. He slowly let go of Ji Yeon’s hand and walked over to the new student.

“Sure.” He smiled at Jessica. “I’ll take you.”

---------

Ji Yeon and Annie grabbed their lunches from their lockers.

“Can you believe her? She just enrolled and she’s passing notes to Key AND forcing him to give her a tour around the school. Also, did you see the way she stared at him?—Just—“ Annie scoffed and shook her head.

“Well maybe she just thinks he’s... handsome...?"

“Okay, she wasn’t just looking--she was piercing a freaking hole in his head!”

They began making their way to the cafeteria with Annie spazzing non-stop. Ji Yeon didn't share the same raging passion towards the new girl as Annie did--Ji Yeon barely even knew the girl, who was she to judge?

Though at the same time, she felt a bit better when Annie was raving-- it was a good distraction from the pestering thoughts and ideas concerning Jessica that clogged her mind.

 “She’s acting all innocent and ‘oh, I just want a tour of the school—as long as that ridiculously handsome guy is willing to be my guide.’ Man, If I could just let my hand meet her face; I’d gladly give her a tour she’ll never forget!” Annie shook her fist in the air.

They reached the busy cafeteria and looked around for any signs of a tall athlete.

“Over here!” A cheerful voice called out. The two girls looked to see Minho waving his arms at them. Ji Yeon waved back, grinning, and made her way with Annie to the far table.

Jonghyun was also sitting there, stuffing his face with stir fried noodles.

“Oh, Ji Yeonnie!” He waved and shoved the last bunch of noodles in his mouth--quickly trying to get into a decent-looking posture before flashing a smile.

“He calls you ‘Ji Yeonnie’ too?” Annie questioned Ji Yeon as they sat down. Ji Yeon shrugged.

Minho smiled at Ji Yeon as she sat down, unable to take his eyes off her.

She whispered something to Annie and they started giggling like little school girls. The tall athlete chuckled softly to himself.

“So Ji Yeonnie, who’s this?” Jonghyun asked loudly, breaking the little rapture that Minho was in.

“Oh, this is... my best-friend-who-can-be-a-brat-sometimes-but-I’m-just-too-nice-to-ditch-her-Annie Song." ji Yeon said with a grin.

“Nice to meet you. You have a long name...”

Annie grinned. “He’s funny!” She nudged Ji Yeon.

Jonghyun introduced himself and they somehow got carried into a discussion concerning the evolution of dinosaurs.

Onew walked over to their table with his Key-made-lunch and sat down. Onew was right there and Annie didn't even notice.

“I swear, if that crazy woman makes me write another lab report—I’m going to wring her fat neck with a test tube!”

“Woah, hyung, calm…” Minho pat him on the back.  “Though, anyone who makes you this angry probably deserves the worst.”

“I just… gyah.” Onew grabbed his chopsticks and dug into his stir-fried noodles. “Who’s this?” He asked with his mouth full, pointing to the corner of the table where Jonghyun and Annie were conversing delicate issues.

“My friend,” Ji Yeon replied. She nudged her. “Annie…”

“No, don’t get me wrong—I love dinosaurs!” Annie exclaimed to Jonghyun, waving her hands in front of her face.

“ANNIE!”

“Oh, yeah?”

“This is Onew…”

Annie raised her eyebrows and turned her head slowly--as if in disbelief-- and locked wide eyes with her crown prince.

“O-Onew… nice… to… meet… you…”

“Nice to meet you too…” He replied, cracking an awkward smile. Why is she looking at me like she wants to eat me?

“I’m… Aaaaannie…” Annie said, her eyes glued to Onew's face. Onew’s eyes suddenly flickered as he noticed the chicken in Annie’s lunch box.

“What… a… beautiful… name…” he said as he gaped at the chicken displayed on the table.

“Th-thank… you…”

“You… are… most… welcome…”

“OH MY GOD YOU SLOW EARTHLINGS” Jonghyun droned loudly, adding in an elaborate eyeroll.

“Sorry you think we're incompetent with your walnut-sized dino brain,” Onew snapped back immediately.

“Why you little—“

“Hey, where’s Ki Bum?” Minho cut in.

“Oh, yeah… where is he?” Jonghyun cooled down a bit.

Ji Yeon explained to them that the math teacher got him to show the new girl around the school.

“You guys have a new student? Who’s the girl?” Minho asked.

“I don’t know her too well… but her name is Jessica, Jessica Kwang.”

Jonghyun, Minho, and Onew dropped whatever they were holding in their hands and gaped at Ji Yeon.

“…Jessica?” Jonghyun raised his eyebrows. Ji Yeon nodded.

“It can’t be her. No way, you can’t possibly…” Minho furrowed his eyebrows and turned to Jonghyun..

“Honestly Minho, how many Jessica’s are there in Korea?”

Ji Yeon was confused. These guys all knew her? She looked at Annie to see what she would have of this. She had about the same dazed expression on her face as Ji Yeon.

“Wait... you guys know her?” Annie asked.

“Oh yeah… we know her alright,” Jonghyun gave a short sarcastic laugh--similar to the one Key would give when he was mocking someone. “She was one of the popular girls in our middle school.”

“Should we just tell you a story?” Onew gracefully laid his chopsticks down.

“Yes please…” Ji Yeon said sheepishly, tapping her fingers lightly. Her face gave signs of nervousness, curiousity, and agitation at the same time. Minho watched as Ji Yeon slouched back into her chair looking a bit down. Could she possibly have feelings for Ki Bum?...

“I’ll tell you the short version.” Onew cleared his throat. “Once upon a time…”

“HOLD IT," Jonghyun broke in. "This isn’t a children’s story, maybe I should tell it.”

“No. I am. Don’t interrupt. Once upon a time… there was a loser, named Kim Ki Bum. He—“

“Loser… do you mean actual loser? Or... are you just playing?” Ji Yeon interjected.

“No, actual loser." Onew said with a straight face. "Wait one sec, maybe I still have it.” He dug his hands into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Oh, I do!” He pulled out a small photograph and placed it on the table for everyone to see.

It was a picture of a dark-haired boy with large spectacles, pale skin, and a bad case of acne. He had the same cat-like eyes and distinctive jaw line as the diva-like Kim Ki Bum in SHINee.

“You’ve got to be joking…” Jonghyun gaped.

“Nope.”

“No, I mean, why the hell do you carry around a picture of Key in yourpocket?!That’s creepy hyung! I didn’t know you had that side to you!”

“I’m not that kind of— UGH, GEEZ! I just take it around to piss him off. Plus, I look at it every now and then when I’m having a bad day—it’s good for laughs.”

"You snob." Jjong narrowed his eyes at Onew.

Ji Yeon and Annie stared at the picture. There was a resemblance but… it was just too hard to take in.

They could imagine Key saying that those glasses were so last century, and the get up with the hair looked like it went through a blender then through a paper-shredder.

But... this was Key? Diva? Almighty?

“Anyway, back to my story,” Onew said. “This loser, named Ki Bum, had a crush on a popular girl named Jessica. One fateful day he asked her out. And to everyone’s surprise, she accepted. They dated for about one week before Ki Bum walked in on her and her real boyfriend making out in the history department.”

Annie’s jaw dropped and she turned her head to Ji Yeon muttering something along the lines of, 'I knew she was a conniving twerp', 'that witch', and then something to do with 'If I get my hands on her…’

Onew continued… “Turns out, Miss. Jessica was just going out with Ki Bum as a joke and she was never actually serious-- while on the other hand, Key was totally ecstatic and poured his heart out into the 'relationship'. So, Key became really depressed and began picking up random hobbies, like shopping and cooking. He all of a sudden got really interested in fashion, skin-care products, clothes, and bought a ton of cook books. Yeah, I'm rambling; I’ll stop now—since it’s the short version.”

“That was a mouthful. No more stories from you after this.” Jonghyun pushed back into his chair as if dying from exhaustion.

Ji Yeon was stunned to the point she seemed paralyzed. She looked around uncertainly and said, "All of this, in middle school?"

Onew nodded. "And what's bothering us the most is that, after all of that, she's here again, and apparently taking a stroll around the  school with Ki Bum. He must be really frustrated and totally confused."

"She's probably a bit confused too--and surprised." Jonghyun added. "The loser she dated as joke turned out be one of the best looking and most popular guys at a high-class academy--that is, if you exclude me for a moment." 

“Mm..." Ji Yeon mumbled. "So… um, does he still… like her?” She tried to sound as casual as possible but her voice was shaking. Minho noticed, and sat back gazing at her with his finger to his lips. He could see right through her façade. Ji Yeon… don’t be like this… For some reason, he didn't like seeing Ji Yeon looking pensive and vexed.

“Well, we don’t really know…” Jonghyun pressed his lips. “Yeah, we don’t know.”

“So, you say he’s showing her around the school right now?” Minho inquired, his eyes still on her.

“Yeah…” Ji Yeon replied softly.

“So, they’re wandering around… and… then, where’s Taemin?”

-------

A blond-haired boy walked out of the dance room on the 3rd floor of the institution.

Balancing a 4-litre carton of banana milk, he closed the door shut with his free hand and traipsed down the hallway carrying the carton with both hands. His gold locks draped over the sides of his sharp yet adorable contenance.

Sweating and weary, Taemin filed down the dim-lit hallway, the sound of his breath and steps echoing rhythmically off its perimeter.

Reaching the end of the corridor, the sound of foot steps and voices not belonging to him could be heard. It came from the corridor across from the one he was standing in. 

"Go Away!" It said. Wait, this voice...

"Ki Bum-oppa, hold on! I know I was wrong, but it was so long ago! Can't you keep what's already done in the past?"

Umma?... and 'oppa'? Taemin quickly pressed himself against the wall. He turned his head slowly and peeked into the opposite corridor. Key's back was towards him, facing a girl at un unclear facet--who she was, he couldn't make it out.

"Please, Key! I really like you--take me back." The girl lurched towards Key and binded her arms around him. The girl's face was finally brought to the light and her identity was distinguished at once. Taemin's mouth fell open.

Jessica...? What... what is she doing here? --And with Key!

"Don't speak," Jessica said almost in a whisper. But her voice was augmented in the empty halls making it easy to hear. "Don't say anything; just be with me." She put a stronger hold on him, gripping onto Key's uniform, creating tight creases in the fabric.

Taemin had seen enough. He turned his head back and leaned against the wall, his mouth still slightly opened in bewilderment. Taemin held on firmly to his carton of banana milk. Umma... what are you doing with her...

Was this chapter too long? o__O'

Sorry for my sad explanation of how Key came to be how he is...

Note: Key was definitely born a diva-- it just wasn't triggered until that incident...(lol)

-What do you think? Leave comments~! :3 Don't be a silent reader! ♥