“The kid walks around alone without any friends or persona,” is how Jonghyun chooses to begin his observational explanation on the boy in school who is like a phantom. “It’s not that he can’t make friends, he just doesn’t want to.”
 

“But why?”   “I don’t know, he doesn’t speak.”   “Mute?”   “It’s through his own choice! Unless a teacher calls on him to read some fancy poetic in class or something the kid doesn’t utter a word! He just sits at the back of the classroom and reads.”   “He’s probably just shy. Making friends isn’t easy.” Not that Minho would know, because he’s popular—he imagines from the school teen dramas he’s caught, that's all.   Jonghyun sighs, “That’s not it, okay? The kid chooses to not have friends, like how he chooses to isolate himself. Trust me, you’re better off staying away from that kid.”   Minho can actually feel his confidence melting away. “But I thought--”   “What? You thought you’d talk to him and suddenly the two of you would be holding hands and skipping happily in to the sunset?”    “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be nice to someone.”   “Minho, leave it, you’ll only be wasting your time!” Jonghyun says over the bell that goes for third period goes. He gets up with his stuff from the bench he and his best friend spent their free period hanging out on. “I’d hate for you to come out all depressed and just because someone actually doesn’t want anything to do with you.”   “Do you even know what you’re saying?! Everyone likes me, I’m popular!” Minho can hear the way he sounds and how arrogance is unintentionally coming out in place of his uncertainty to befriend someone stubborn on being by themelves.   “I’m sure he’ll love that.” Jonghyun sarcasms. “You know this isn’t some normal kid you’re dealing with.”   “Did you not hear my plan or what?”   “For God’s sake...I know women say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach but—” . “It’s the best chance I’ve got!” Minho cuts in, fist clenched and eyes burning with determination. “I’ll make him a cake for his birthday, he’ll thank me for it and then we’ll become close as friends!”   “Are you an idiot? It’s not going to happen like that!”   “We’ll see.”   “You can’t honestly believe that cake will be the reason behind this friendship you’re after with the kid!”    “And if I do believe it?”   “Look, stop kidding yourself. It’s sad to listen to. Besides, what exactly are you hoping he’ll say? It’s not like the kid’s going to change just because you want him to!”   * * * *   “Wait here one moment, I’ll go change.”   Minho had to hear it himself, otherwise he wouldn't have believed that it's what was just said--the exact opposite of what Jonghyun jokingly assumed. “No, no, no, that’s okay!” He says, grabbing the boy’s arm to stop him. “You don’t have to change for this.”   The boy, Lee Taemin, who has just finished playing tennis on the outside court, thinks differently as he looks down at his P.E uniform, pulling on his shirt. “But…it’s all wrinkly and it smells bad. Sunbae, I’m dirty.”.   ‘Aaah, sunbae, I’m so dirty! Hurry up, clean me with your body—’ “Say, Taemin-ah, do you have any plans later?” Minho quickly aks, because who knows what that image was leading to.   “I don’t think so, Sunbae. Why are you asking?”   “It’s your birthday tomorrow, isn’t it?”   “….Who told you that?” Taemin's expression darkens a little. If anything, he doesn't feel touched that someone besides his parents and himself knows of this.   “So it is then.” Minho smiles, relieved. “And you’re turning seventeen, right?"   “What about it?” Taemin questions coldly with an uninterested look. “Ageing is a natural routine for everyone. Are you implying that it’s not in my case?”   “No, that isn’t what I meant! I was just saying, to make sure."   Taemin blinks, he's unconvinced. “Then is there anything else I can help you with? I’d really like to go and change now.” He doesn’t get a response straight away and figures the silence means no, but as he turns to head in to the locker room he’s grabbed by his arm again.   “Actually, Taemin” Minho calls, his nerves coming back. “Is there a certain type of cake you like to eat?”   “A certain type of cake I like to—” Taemin realises the intentions behind the questions just as he repeats it back to himself, and again, he isn’t touched by the kind nature of a man he doesn’t know. “Sunbae, thank you, but I don’t want a cake from you.”   “Oh, come on, they can’t be that hard to make.”   “You shouldn’t underestimate an area you’re unfamiliar with, that’s like walking in to a whale's mouth to estimate its size.” Taemin warns. “I don’t understand. Has someone put you up to this? Is this a dare? Is that why you’re talking to me?”   “No, I just thought—”   “You just thought: since I have no friends I’ll probably be alone on my birthday and it’s up to you to be the hero and save me by baking me a cake?”   “Sort of...”   “Why bother? You’ll only be wasting your time and mine.”    “Don’t be silly, I want to do this.”   “But why? You don’t even know me”   “Yeah, but—”   “The only reason you’re doing this is because you pity me and because it'll probably make you more popular, right?”   The pushing accusations are irritating Minho. However his random act of kindness may seem in some perspectives, his only intention by asking Taemin what kind of cake he likes is so he can go home and attempt to create it. “Exactly what’s wrong with me wanting to be nice enough to bake you a cake for your birthday?!” he snaps. “I know we don’t know each other but I might be able to change that!”   “I wouldn’t hold your breath on that.” Any normal person wouldn’t have even approached someone as quiet, isolated, uninterested and unwilling to fit in as Taemin, because his whole character puts dead-end thoughts in to their minds.   But here Minho is, fighting for a friendship that, at the moment, seems impossible to have. 
“…Is that right? Well maybe that’s why you don’t have any friends and walk around with your head in a book all the time! You think everyone has an ulterior motive for wanting to get to know you when they actually just want to be your friend!”   “If that’s how you feel, Sunbae, then I'm sorry you feel obligated to talk to me just because I’m not as popular as you.”   . “Wait, I didn’t mean it like—”   “And if you can help it then I’d prefer if you didn’t try to talk to me again.”   . ! “Taemin—”   “Goodbye, Sunbae.”   * * * *   “Didn’t I tell you not to talk to him?” Jonghyun questions the moment class ends and lunch begins, a sandwich in hand that he can’t eat because he has to educate his stupid friend again.   Minho's just able to nod while his head is shamefully pressed down against the same bench they were sat at earlier.   “And didn’t I tell you that he wouldn’t want to be your friend?”   Minho nods again.   “Then why the didn’t you listen to me? Are you stupid, Choi Minho?! That kid doesn’t want anything to do with you now, let alone eat your cake! And instead of coming back looking alright, you’re all depressed and like I said you’d be!”   “Alright, yes! I heard you and yes you were right!” Minho almost screams as he lifts his head up from the table and glares at the boasting other.   “Say that again, please, for the world to hear.”   “You were right!” Minho repeats, out of sour mockery. “Kim Jonghyun was right, ladies and gentlemen! Everyone bow down to the wise teachings of the great Kim ing Jonghyun!”   “Don’t act so childish, man.”   “Shut up!”   “You’ll thank me for this one day, Minho.” Jonghyun assures, mouth full of sandwich and the apple juice he drinks after. “Trust me, the last thing you need is to suddenly be paired up with him for some y class like Science or Home Ec. just to talk to him again.”   * * * *   “Class, for today’s assignment, you’ll be in pairs.” The teacher announces as she stands at the front of the Home. Ec class, wearing a white apron and hat and looking quite merry.   Damn you, Jonghyun! And .   “Now, I took the liberty of pairing each of you up with someone who I believe is your complete opposite in characteristics and thoughts!”   . . !   It turns out that Minho isn’t completely crazy or paranoid. He can’t be because he thinks there aren't any other two students more opposite than Taemin and he, and then their names are called as the last pair   . . . . . . . Shi— “Oh, hi there, Taemin!” In all of his cursing, Minho nearly misses when the boy comes over to stand beside him.   Taemin gives him a brief side glance. “Hello again, Sunbae.”   “Listen, about earlier—”   “Do you think you can you tie me up?” Taemin doesn't realize how suggestive that sounds, or looks when he turns around. He points down to the two loose strings of his apron.   Minho catches on and sighs in relief, then begins to tie the strings in to a secure knot.trying them in to a secure knot. “Uh, so about earlier...I wasn’t trying to—”   “That’s too tight.”    “Sorry! What I’m trying to say is--”   “It’s too loose now.”   For crying out loud, Taemin! “Look, about earlier,” Minho repeats after he finally ties a decent knot and steps back from the boy so he can see his face. “I really wasn’t trying to make you feel bad, and I don’t pity you either. I’m sorry for shouting at you as well. I just want to do a nice thing and bake you a cake for your birthday. You understand, right?”   “It’s fine, I get it.” Taemin says but isn't looking at him. “Ah, do you think we can make a really cool design if we draw Spongebob on our cake?!”   'He’s not even listening to me!' Minho thinks dreadfully.   “Okay everyone, you have three hours to produce a perfect cake for my neph--I mean, for me to judge later on!” the teacher announces to the class, laughing to cover her slip up. “Try not to waste any ingredients or time, okay? And…start!   Thevarious teams get into a routine where one partner moves around to get the ingredients and the other waits at their table and turns the oven on and goes over the recipe.   “Sunbae, it might be easier if you gather the ingredients and leave everything else to me.” Taemin advises as he bends down to take out a mixing bowl and wooden spoon, then works their oven.   “Okay, I can do that!” Minho says, determined not to mess up his chance at getting in to Taemin’s good books this time. “What do we need?"   “Sugar, flour--self raising, softened butter, three eggs, vanilla essence and icing, but that’s for later when the cake is about to be decorated.”   “Okay! Then you wait righ