Sehun’s friend are just as confusing as him to Kai. Chanyeol is cheerful, a constant smile on his lips, but with a glint in his eyes that makes Kai slightly uncomfortable. Baekhyun smiles a lot, and seems nice at first, but the more Kai hears him talk, the less he likes him. As they sit at their ‘reserved’ end at the table, they bombard him with questions.
“Which school did you go to before?”

“Why did you quit?”

“Why this hell hole?” one of them laughed.

All the questions jumbled up Kai’s mind, causing him to struggle for words.

“I, eh, what?” the three boys look at him disappointedly.

 Chanyeol chuckles.

“A bit slow isn’t he?”

“Sorry,” Kai mumbles, head hung low.  Sehun good-naturedly pats his back.

“It’s okay man, we can’t all be geniuses.” The boys return to a conversation Kai can’t join in on.

“Honestly, that is just so annoying. She’s been clinging to me non-stop since Kris’ party last weekend. Like come on, I slept with you, it’s not like I asked you to be my girlfriend,” Baekhyun complained earning laughs from Sehun and Chanyeol.

“That’s what you get if you screw someone like her,” Chanyeol guffaws. Kai can’t fully understand the importance of what they are talking about, but he feels out of place and uncomfortable. The three boys’ laughter  makes him shiver. As they start vividly discussing his seatmate, Hyewon, he grabs his tray with strained hands.

“Excuse me,” he says.

“What? Don’t tell me you actually like that nutcase.” As Sehun looks at him expectantly,  he spots Hyewon sitting alone, a few tables to their right. She looks up a split second too and notices his gaze. She gives him a small smile and a wave. Kai turns back to Sehun without returning it.

“No, why would I?” he says meekly, the boys’ stares pressuring him. “She’s crazy.” As soon as the words leave his mouth he is hit by guilt. He quickly glances back at Hyewon who has her eyes focused on her book. He sighs in relief, knowing that she is too far away to have heard him, yet the sense of guilt lingers. “Excuse me,” he says once again, this time leaving the table, tray in hands. He throws away the food he hardly touched and then hurries out of the room as if he can run the feeling away.

Hyorin is there to pick him up at the end of the day. As soon as he can see her bright smile and long hair carried by the wind, he starts running. He envelopes her into a warm embrace and she laughs.

“Glad to see you too,” she chuckles and returns the hug. She grabs his book bag from him with one hand and holds his with the other. Kai grins, pleased, swinging their hands back and forth as they walk towards the bus station.

“So how was your first day of school,” Hyorin asks, peering up at him. Kai’s smile fades, but nonetheless he answers: “It was nice.”

Hyorin doesn’t see through his lie and squeezes his hand in response.

“I’m glad.”

The rest of the week passes by in a similar fashion. Wake up early, take the bus to school, get through a tiring day of work, take the bus home. At lunch he sits with Sehun and his friends, not knowing why. He doesn’t like them. When he’s with them, he can feel himself turning mean. When he’s with them, he doesn’t like himself.

The only enjoyable time during the school day is history with Hyewon. Sometimes they have long, but quiet, conversations about nothing, and sometimes they say nothing all hour. It isn’t her words that comfort Kai, but rather her calm aura, always surrounding her.

This particular history lesson, the teacher is giving them a special assignment.

“I am going to give you all a topic that I want you to work on with your desk mate. You’re going to write a paper for me. I’m giving you two classes. ” At the word paper most of the class groans. The teacher ignores the sounds of distress and rambles on. “I expect the basics, the time of the topic, the key people involved, significant events if applicable. I also want at least three explanatory factors. You have got to start asking why, people!” the teacher raises his voice and hits his desk with each word, unaware of all the sighs echoing through the classroom “Why did this happen? Get interested!”

As soon as he’s handed out all the topics, the teacher takes them to the library. The school library is huge, with mile high bookshelves. The bookshelves form separate little “booths” all over the room, and Hyewon and Kai quickly occupies a table. Hyewon looks at Kai expectantly, waiting for him to open his mouth. He doesn’t. She sighs.

“So…,” she begins, shooting him glances. “Our topic was the storming of the Bastille, so we should probably look for some books about the French revolution.” The tired Kai mindlessly nods earning yet another sigh. Feeling a bit of sympathy for the boy who looks like he’s going to faint any minute though, Hyewon leaves the table to find books herself. A couple of minutes later she returns, dumping a heap of books on the table, startling Kai. Hyewon can’t help but to smile at Kai’s wide-eyed expression. She pushes a thick book towards Kai.
“Get to work,” she says, a playful smile on her lips. Kai drowsily complies, beginning his reading.

“So,” Hyewon says after some time has passed. “Can we both agree that apart from the economical situation of the people compared to the nobles, the enlightenment is an important factor?” Kai nods, not really paying attention. Hyewon rolls her eyes.

“History really isn’t your forte huh?” Kai turns his eyes from the window and looks into hers.

“No,” he says with a shake of his head. “It’s boring.” Hyewon gasps as if his previous statement is completely incomprehensible. “Boring? But history is so important!” she smiles playfully once again, and leans in closer to whisper: “Everything  you say, as soon as it has left your mouth, is history.” She moves backwards with a proud smile on her face. Kai’s face contorts slightly in confusion. “But it is not of any importance.” He says. “If what I say doesn’t matter, how is it part of history? If no one remembers it, what’s the point?” Hyewon ponders his questions for a minute.

“But,” she retorts. “Some of your words will always be of importance, at least to someone. And does history really necessarily have to things that matter to everyone? I think that as long as it matters to someone, you’ve accomplished something, may it be bad or good.” Kai’s expression is still that of a doubtful one. Having come up with an idea, Hyewon grabs the pocket knife from her key chain. Kai looks at her questioningly as she turns away from him facing the bookshelf. Small scraping sounds can be heard for a good five minutes before Hyewon calls Kai over. “Come here,” she says. Kai slowly trudges out of his seat, slightly curious, but still tired. As he sits down next to her, Hyewon dramatically moves her hand from what she’s been hiding.

Hyewon and Kai have now made history

Those six words are messily engraved in the light wood.
“See,” Hyewon says. “When we’re gone, someone is going to stand by this bookshelf, looking for a book, and then find this. Some might not give it much thought, but I bet you that at least one person is going to stop and think. They’re going to wonder whether we were lovers or just friends, what happened during the day we wrote our note. Were we happy when we wrote it or bored? Did we write it down for other people to remember it or for the sake of our own perseverance? Things like that.” When she looks down at Kai, who is crouching next to her, there is a glint in her eyes that he can’t quite put his fingers on. As her words run through his head however, he can’t keep a wide smile off his face. He is painstakingly unaware of how Hyewon’s heart flutters at that very smile as he the engraving with gentle fingers And although Kai can't quite understand them, Hyewon's word are lovely nonetheless.