That afternoon, once school ended, Krystal, Taemin, Seunghyun, and I were at our usual waiting place. As we continued to chatter about, the sounds of 'aw's and whistling erupted through the school. I rolled my eyes at the students that interrupted the slightly interesting story I was confessing. The looks on Taemin and Krystal, the ones who were actually across from us and facing the commotion, made it seem like they were annoyed. I sighed heavily before turning. A scoff escaped my throat as I watched Sekyung reveal herself through the crowd, showing off a dazzled leg cast with a countless amount of signatures and letters from friends. She hopped along using her crutches, accompanied by 2 snotty friends that were chewing gum like a couple of pigs. "Jonghyun!" She said as she approached his figure at the end of the narrow hallway. He was about ready to get on his motorbike, his helmet already placed on his head.

 

"Sekyung," he smiled while throwing his leg over his seat, "how does your leg feel?" He let his arms dangle over the handle bars as he awaited her reply, the smile still faintly noticeable from inside his helmet. 

 

"I'm fine." She assured him while limping over toward his direction. 

 

"That's good. Do you need a ride?" 

 

She waited a bit before answering. "Aniyo. My friend is taking me home." She smiled but the look in her eyes seemed to foreshadow something and I couldn't help but wonder what that would be. 

 

He smiled smugly at her before setting himself properly on his bike and driving off, waving back at her as he left the school parking lot. She smiled softly as Jonghyun disappeared from her sight. "Aish, this is so tiring!" My eyes widened as I witnessed her removing the crutches from her under arms and placing them on the floor. "Nicole! Come over here and help me take this brace off!" Her friend then rushed to Sekyung's side after watching the scene between she and Jonghyun. Nicole bent down to Sekyung's leg when she finally reached her and slipped her slim leg out of the cast. 

 

"It was all an act?" I gasped, followed by muttering coming from my friends. "She's just doing that so Jonghyun can feel bad for her!" I complained, turning toward my friends who were still watching Sekyung and Nicole attempt to get the brace off. I turned back around, still fuming as I thought about my competitor's plan. As I faced the scene again, I witnessed Sekyung strutting out of the school, perfectly fine and injury free with Nicole and her other friend by her sides, both of them struggling to carry each crutch. "That ." I snarled, glaring at the three snooty friends.  

 

"Do you want to do the next method?" I heard Krystal ask from behind me as she fumbled through her backpack, searching for the book. I nodded vigorously and turned back to her, a pout visible on my lips. "Alright, here you go." She found the book and shoved it toward me. I hastily snatched it from her small hands and scanned the table of contents for the page I was looking for. 

 

"Here it is!" Just as I was about to read what was displayed on the page, an announcement blared through our school speakers. 

 

"Tomorrow, you students will be given a list of clubs that is manditory for you to join. Fortunately, you guys have a choice. I will place the list on the school website and paste flyers around the school so you can find out what you're up against. Thank you and have a nice day."  

 

Upon hearing this, I stuffed the book into my backpack. "Let's do it tomorrow. I have to meet with my mother. See you guys tomorrow at school. Tell me which club you want to join, okay? Bye!" I waved to them as I hopped along the stone trail to the school parking lot where my motorbike was placed. I turned the engine on and gripped the handle bars tightly before heading off to my home. 

 

---

 

"Have you guys seen the list of clubs yet?" Taemin smiled up at us, his eyes showing his excited facade. "I wanted to join drama!" Without waiting for our reply, he instantly grabbed our hands and dragged us toward the drama poster, pointing out different details about it and continued to persuade us to join.

 

Krystal in, making Taemin stop talking. "I wanted to join drama too, but Key and Seunghyun want to go for photography." Taemin looked at us sadly, his puppy dog eyes automatically coming out. 

 

"Umma! I wanted to join the same club as you!" As he continued to complain, the teachers finished setting up the tables for each club. A cup of pencils and a sign up sheet were set on every table with a poster with the name of the club written in big colorful letters. 

 

"Why don't you guys just join photograph with us?" I asked the two, already starting to walk away with Seunghyun trailing behind. Taemin and Krystal looked at each other, contemplating whether or not they should. 

 

Krystal sighed, feeling defeated. "Fine." When we reached the table for the photography club, my excitement died down when I noticed the abhorred slim figure waiting in line in front of us.  

 

"Sekyung..." I smiled sweetly, although I could tell she sensed that I was faking. She took once quick glance at me before scoffing and turning back around to face Nicole. "." I spat, earning a soft gasp escape her plump lips. 

 

Instead of turning around and insulting me like I expected, she raised her hand, sending curiosity run through my veins. "What are you --" I couldn't even finished my question because then, our teacher walked over in our direction after noticing Sekyung's hand. 

 

"Yes, Ms. Sekyung? Is there anything you need?" Our teacher asked politely, folding her arms across her chest. 

 

Sekyung immediately stood up straight and threw on a fake scowl. "Yes! Key, this boy," she added emphasis on boy and proceeded to point at me, "just randomly started to insult Nicole and I. He even hit me! So did his friends! We didn't do anything!" I furrowed my eyebrows as I stared at her in disbelief. 

 

Is she really going to do this? 

 

"Is this true, Mr. Kibum? Did you and your little friends do that to Ms. Sekyung and Nicole?" My teacher looked at me doubtfully and awaited my response. I wouldn't say she hated me, but she definitely didn't like me. 

 

I opened my mouth slightly and began to defend my friends before I was rudely interrupted by Sekyung. "Yes! It's definitely true!" I fought my urges to hit her by biting my lip and clenching my fists tightly. When Sekyung finished her sentence, her voice started to crack in between different words. Is she really going to pull this fake crying ?

 

"Kibum! Mr. Lee, Mr. Song, Ms. Jung! How dare you! You guys made her cry!" She held up her hand to stop us from protesting any more. "No, you're not allowed to join photography anymore." My jaw dropped open as I saw Sekyung smirk from the corner of my eye. She waved mockingly at my friends and I as she waited for us to leave. Nicole was by her side, mimicking her like a puppet.

 

"So we have to find a new club to join?" I whined, stomping my feet hard on the ground. The teacher nodded and without saying anything else, she walked back to the front and began to supervise. "Well, then which club do you want to join now?" I asked, turning back around to my disappointed friends. 

 

Seunghyun shrugged while Krystal and Taemin looked at each other with a silly grin plastered on both their features. "Drama!" They both exclaimed, grabbing onto each other's hands for support. "Please umma! Please Seunghyun!" They pleaded and begged, desperately wanting to join that club. 

 

Seunghyun and I looked each other, asking the other for an answer. In a matter of seconds, we both turned back to the anticipating 2 and nodded in unison. "Yay! You'll really join?!" Taemin squealed as he let go of Krystal's clammy hands and pulling me into a tight embrace. I nodded in his shoulder, smiling slightly at his excitement. 

 

"Yay! Let's get in line then." Krystal said, looking back at the line for drama, only to find the line expanding. Her eyes widened and ran behind us. I was just about to ask her what she was planning on doing, but I suddenly felt hands push me forward. My neck tilted and I found Krystal pushing the three of us, Seunghyun, Taemin, and I, to the drama line just before it got longer. "We made it!" She exclaimed when we finally pulled to a stop. She bent over, placing her hands sterdy on her legs and rested. I laughed slightly as I watched her huff and her face getting red from all the running.

 

Several hours passed and to our pleasure, we finally made it through the line. Taemin and Krystal smiled gleefully before jotting their names down at the end of the list. As they walked away to the side of the table to wait for us, Seunghyun and I both examined the list attentively. I sighed and looked at Seunghyun who was still scanning through the list. Seunghyun picked up the pen that Krystal dropped and started to scribble his name down. I followed his actions, noticing that we were filling in the last two spots on the list. I'm not disappointed that we're joining drama. In fact, I'm pretty excited. I'm just disappointed because Jonghyun was joining photography as well. Damn that Sekyung. Karma should get her good. 

 

As we turned our attention back to our other two friends, we heard our teacher grunt while scanning through the list. We pivoted back to her direction and watched her pick up the bullhorn while pulling out a chair to stand on. She cleared before switching the microphone on and began to speak. 

 

"Attention to anyone that wanted to join drama!" The kids in the line turned to look at her, their eyes showing complete boredom. "The list is now full! I suggest you hurry and find another club before that gets full too. I am sorry." She got off the chair with a smile while the kids in the drama line groaned and whined incessantly. The both of us turned away from the scene only to find Krystal and Taemin holding hands, skipping happily away to where our motorbikes were parked. Just as we reached it, the drama teacher made yet another announcement. "To all drama students, please make sure you come to class tomorrow. I have something important to tell you." 

 

The four of us looked at each other and shrugged, immediately getting on our motorbikes and riding away from the school. "Where do you want go?" I yelled through my helmet, hoping to get some response so I knew they heard me. They looked back at me and pointed forward. I narrowed my eyes and searched for what they were indicating. The only place I saw in the distance was my restaurant. I nodded and continued to drive, my. eyes glued to the road. 

 

I opened the door my restaurant and my eyes suddenly widened as I spotted an unpleasant surprise. "Sekyung..." I whispered. My friends walked in, pushing me aside. 

 

"Why are you just standing there?" Taemin poked my cheek, confused by my actions. Seunghyun and Krystal looked at me before following my gaze. Their mouths hung loose as they noticed her too, their faces automatically scrunching up in disgust. "Ew." Hearing this, Sekyung's eyes darted forward and searched for whomever said such words. I hid behind Seunghyun when her eyes finally roamed to us, but it was no use. 

 

"Key!" She smiled, getting up from her chair and walking over toward us. I sighed deeply and straightened up before revealing myself from behind Seunghyun's back. I looked at her straight in the eyes, her stare displaying hatred and pure animosity. "I have something for you." Her 'sweet' smile soon formed into a smirk as she motioned her friends forward. Nicole walked toward her side, holding a sandwich in our direction. I arched my eyebrow as I stared at the food in front of me. 

 

"Really? A sandwich?" I looked at it skeptically, my feelings filled with doubt. She nodded excitedly, the smirk still visible on her features. Nicole grabbed my hand and placed the sandwich on it. The bread was mushy and the disgusting aroma invaded my nose. "What kind of sandwich is this?" I sniffed it and automatically plugged my nose, pushing the sandwich away from me. 

 

"It's your favorite! Your sister told me what you liked. Just consider it as an apology gift. You know, for not letting you join photography." She pushed the food toward my mouth. I looked at her and hesitantly opened my mouth. As it touched the tip of my lips, I felt a hand grip mine. I turned my head to find a girl standing there with a stern look on her face. 

 

"I wouldn't eat that if I were you." She declared, pushing my hand lower. Her head turned toward Sekyung who now had an ashamed expression spread upon her face. She was about to open to speak when we heard the door open from behind us. My heart started to beat rapidly as Jonghyun walked in with his friends. The girl that helped me stopped what she was doing and smirked. "Hey Jonghyun." She said casually, walking toward him. 

 

He smiled as he watched her approach him. "Jessica, hey!" He pulled her in for a hug and squeezed her tight. She let out a small giggle before turning back toward us. Her eyes darted to the sandwich and snatched it away from me. She held it up and shoved it in Jonghyun's direction. "Ew, what's that?" He sniffed it briefly before pushing it away from his face. 

 

The girl, now known as Jessica, looked at Sekyung, waving the sandwich around. "That girl." was all that left . Jonghyun looked at Sekyung, suddenly happy by her appearance. 

 

"Hey, you're the one that broke your leg! What happened?" He questioned, noticing the cast had disappeared. Instead of letting her reply, Jessica interrupted her. 

 

"Oh, you didn't know? She lied about that." Noticing his confused expression, she continued to speak, "Yeah, the broken leg? That was a lie. She also lied about feeling sorry for Key. She made this sandwich, too! What a rotten girl, don't you think?" Her eyes stayed blank, but her lips twitched into a smirk. Jonghyun scoffed in disbelief as he looked at her. Jessica shook her head in disappointment and walked out, throwing the sandwich in the trash can on her way there.

 

Sekyung stood there, frozen and dumbfounded by the incident that had just occurred. It wasn't like her; this kind of deviousness. She was never like that. Deep in her gut, she felt truly sorry. Ever since she moved there from America, the first guy she laid her eyes on were Jonghyun. She never had such feelings for anyone before so she decided that it must have been fate. She wasn't just going to let it go because of a guy. She felt the need to ruin him. She wanted to destroy any kind of competitor, whether it be a boy or girl. She didn't care. A competitor is a competitor. To her, the gender doesn't matter. She was knocked out of her thoughts when she felt someone poke her side. Sekyung snapped out it and shook her head, desperate to get those haunting memories from her past out of her head. "S-Sekyung-ah?" Nicole uttered, obviously intimidated by her deceiteful 'friend'. 

 

"What?!" Sekyung yelled, causing Nicole to flinch and everyone in the restaurant to turn in her direction. She blushed furiously, realizing all the attention she drew onto herself. "Let's go." Nicole nodded shyly before trudging toward the door and opening it for Sekyung. The door silently closed behind them, leaving everyone in the restaurant shocked and exasperated. 

 

My back was facing Jonghyun, afraid to see the look on his face after the incident they just witnessed. A small smile appeared on my face as I overheard Jonghyun talking to his friends. "Can you believe that girl? Tch, faking a broken leg. And to think, I actually liked her!" I laughed silently to myself as I heard him gag jokingly. Seeing as all the commotion and tribulations were finished, I sauntered off to an empty table with my friends following behind. Right when I sat down, I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. My breathing hitched as I turned my head around, not anticipating who it was going to be. 

 

"Jonghyun," I squeaked. The palms of my hands started to get sweaty, my cheeks started to burn, and my heart continued to beat rapidly. He flashed his signature smile at my friends and I before speaking, "hi!" I rubbed my sweaty hands on my jeans, leaving several stains.  

 

His hands stayed on my shoulder, leaving me breathless for a moment or two, "Key, right?" He flashed me a smile that illuminated the dreary, gloomy, fuzzy room. Looking into his deep brown orbs, I grew unresponsive. He chuckled awkwardly as he removed his hand from my shoulder, leaving me to feel slightly empty. "Well," he laughed again, "I'll see you at school." He raised his hand once more and saluted us, making myself show my pearly whites. I waved back, the smile difficult to be swept off my features. 

 

"Bye Jonghyun." I whispered to myself as he strolled away with his friends, all of them just chattering on and on about the Shin Sekyung episode that occurred just a few moments ago. I snapped out of my daze when numerous fingers roamed around my body. I yelped obnoxiously, swatting the hands away from me. "Don't touch me!" I bellowed, followed by my hearty laughter. I pulled the chair out for myself and sat down, discreetly glancing back at Jonghyun when none of my friends, or him for the most part, were looking. Am I creepy for stealing glances at someone? I would immediately turn to my friends and burst into laughter if his gaze ever wandered over to our table; I couldn't let him catch me staring.  

 

The next day, as expected, everyone who signed up for drama attended the class the next day. Our teacher smiled brightly as she watched the last person walk in. "Welcome class." She stood up and bowed before walking up to the front of the class. "I have important news to tell you." She waited and scanned throughout the entire room as she waited for everyone to get properly seated. 

 

"Great. Now that everybody's seated, let's get down to business." She strutted over to her desk and came back several seconds later with a poster for a play that was going to take place at our school. "We are going to have a play!" Anticipating everyone's excited slurs, she clapped her hands and jumped up and down incessantly. 

 

"Who cares?" An incompetent student yelled out from the back row. Our teacher glared down at him and pouted while folding her arms across her chest. She examined the looks on everyone's faces, hoping for at least 2 or 3 people that looked excited. 

 

She sighed and gave up knowing there was no use. "You guys don't care? You're the one that signed up for drama! You're going to do the play whether you like it or not!" She screamed at us from the top of lungs and stomped her foot on the ground, letting it echo throughout the, now, dead silent room. "Now that that's settled, let's talk about the play. The play we are planning on doing is Beauty & the Beast. I'm sure you've all heard of that right?" She asked the students and we all nodded reluctantly. 

 

I smiled to myself when I first watched that movie. I was with my dad in the U.S. and that was when I first learned how to speak English. I was snapped out of my trance when I noticed feet in front of me. I looked up, slightly frightened, and found our teacher standing there with a disappointed look on her face. "Key, since I'm sure you know the most English, you'll be Belle." I stood up to protest, but was interrupted when she placed her index finger in front of my face, signaling me to stop talking. "I don't care if Belle is a girl and you're a guy. You're doing Belle." She smiled deviously and returned back to her former spot in the front of the room. "You look like a girl anyway." She muttered silently to herself. I groaned throughout the whole period; through her lectures, her rules, her expectations, and even when she mentioned the photography club coming into our class to snap photos of us during rehearsals to place into the yearbook -- wait, what?!

 

"The photography club is coming to take pictures of us during rehearsal?" I uttered nervously, unconsciously looking around the room for any sign of them. Grr, where are they? I bit my bottom lip and sat back in my chair, anticipating their arrival.

 

Our teacher chuckled, disregarding my discernible enthusiasm. "Why are you looking around now? Everyone still has to audition for their parts and we need to rehearse." She waved her hands mockingly and rolled her eyes, "You're so stupid." She her heel and scoffed, flipping her hair arrogantly. Ignoring her abrupt comments and critical opinions, I continued that day with a smile never leaving my face as I watched all my classmates audition for the very limited parts. Fortunately, I didn't need to audition because I was unwillingly given a part that I didn't even want. As that day dreaded on, our teacher and some of the others that watched the auditions agreed on the parts. She posted it up on the front door and ran out of the way before jittery students trampled all over her.

 

The crowd surrounding the single sheet of paper soon dispersed and grabbed their scripts on the way out; some kids left with smiles, the rest had a frown. As I stayed behind, watching the room slowly empty out, I couldn't help but wonder who my love interest would be. I stood up from the chair I was sitting on when I suddenly felt a soft tap on my shoulder. I turned my head slightly to find a smirking Dongwoon standing there with both arms rested on his hips. "Key," I turned my body so we were now face-to-face, "did you see the sheet yet?" He motioned over his shoulder to where the sheet happened to be. I shook my head, causing him to chuckle. Why is he chuckling? Overlooking his constant snickering, I raised my left arm and pushed him aside, gaining an empty space for me to walk through. As I passed him, I could still sense his eyes following every move I made. 

 

Focused on his gaze, I didn't realize I made it to the wall. I scanned through the list thoroughly and my eyes widened when I saw who was going to play my love interest. "The BEAST is going to be played by... Dongwoon?!" I turned around to protest, but as I looked around, I couldn't find any sign of him. "Where did that boy go?" I murmured silently to myself. The scripts to the right of me caught my eye as I continued to search for the infamous Dongwoon. I reached for it right when my teacher popped up out of no where, wondering why I had a the glum expression that supposedly didn't match my "happy disposition".

 

"Key, are you okay? You don't look too well." She placed the back of her hand on my forehead, checking for any fevers. "You seem fine. What's wrong?" She grabbed my free hand and dragged me over to the chair where I was seated moments before. I obediently followed her, although I just wanted to get out of that place at that instant. I nodded reluctantly at any question she threw at me. It went in one ear and out the other; I didn't feel like talking to anyone. The Dongwoon/Beast thing is still rattled up inside my brain. Ever since I was little, I've always had a disliking to him. I've grown to hate him. Why is he the love interest? Oh, how I wish it were Jonghyun...

 

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at the teacher sternly, causing her to jump and stop talking. "I'm gonna go... I'll see you at rehearsal tomorrow." Instead of questioning me, she nodded and watched me leave. I trudged out the door, dragging my feet along with me. I clutched the script tightly, predicting what rehearsal would be like tomorrow. "Aish." I groaned and shut my eyes tight. My eyes stayed closed as I tried to calm myself down and steady my breathing yet again. Repeating those actions, I clumsily bumped into someone, making us -- mostly me -- fall over. My eyes shot open as I apologized several times before looking up at the body I hit. "I'm sor--" I stopped in my tracks when my eyes examined the gorgeous face. Jonghyun. My breathing hitched when he smiled apologetically at my flushed face. 

 

"It's okay." He said, helping me scramble up from off the floor. I nodded nervously, trying my best to hide the smile that was threatening to form. He fidgeted uncomfortably in his spot, playing with the personals he kept in his pockets. I kept myself quiet, afraid of bursting out something embarrassing. I watched him closely, noticing the way he pursed his lips when he was deep in thought, and the way he kicked the ground every 5 seconds whenever he was in an awkward situation. I've known him for awhile. I know all his consistant habits that most people don't recognize. 

 

Noticing his flushed face, I spoke up, breaking through the dead air, "So, I hear you're coming to our drama class to take some pictures." I mentally hit myself on the head, feeling embarrassed by asking such a boring and monotonous question. He looked up from the floor and smiled weakly, still feeling slightly awkward. I sighed, knowing there was no use in trying to converse with him. He would probably just give one word answers; oh, how I hate those. Instead of continuing our lackadaisical conversation, I replied, "Well, I'm just going to go home now." He waved brightly at me before I pushed passed him, making my way down the sidewalk and into my street that was just around the corner. As I walked, I could feel his eyes penetrate my back like daggers, making me fiddle with my fingers. Fortunately, that nervous feeling soon faded away when I finally turned the corner, disappearing from Jonghyun's sight. I sighed in both relief and disappointment as I reached the door to my house. 

 

I dragged my feet up the stairs, ignoring my sister's complaints and my mom's nagging. I clutched the wrinkled script, running through some lines that were already fastened tightly in my brain. It didn't take long until I remembered the first couple of pages that contained my lines. If Jonghyun's going to be coming to take my picture tomorrow, I might as well show him what an amazing actor I truly am. But wait, I'm Belle! I'm dressed as a girl. . At least I have girl features. I won't look as stupid when I crossdress. In fact, I'm hot. Pushing those thoughts to the side, I continued to recall my lines, hoping to impress Jonghyun the next day. That night, I fell asleep with those lines running through my mind over and over again non-stop.

 

That next day, I woke up and immediately grabbed my script to review what I memorized the night before. School dreaded on and soon enough, drama rehearsal finally came. I was excited, yet unenthusiastic about attending the rehearsal. I didn't even want to participate in the play. I stepped through the doors and cautiously looked around, anticipating Jonghyun's smiling figure standing there, handling his professional camera with care. My eyes wandered about the room but there was no sign of him. "Where would he be?" I whispered silently to myself. My teacher spotted me from across the room and motioned me over to the group of students that were already surrounding her tiny frame. 

 

"Key, I'm glad you could make it. Are you ready to rehearse? Did you practice your lines?" I nodded abstractedly, blocking her squeaky voice out of my mind. I looked passed her and searched for Jonghyun several more times before my teacher started to yell at me. "Kibum, are you even listening to me?" I snapped out of my trance and looked at her, nodding frantically, confused as to why I was in trouble. She continued to list the rules and requirements when we all heard the front door open. My breathing hitched as I thought of who it could be. My teacher stopped talking and looked toward the same direction where the source of the commotion was coming from and smiled brightly. "Photography club! I'm glad you could make it." A smile appeared on my lips before I turned around to find a group of students standing by the front door, gripping their camera tightly. I scanned the clump and eventually found him leaning against the door frame, flipping through the pictures he took awhile back. His eyes shot up from his camera and looked around the room, examining the different types of kids that varied in this classroom. I stepped forward, about to walk toward him, when suddenly, a girl's slim hand wrapped around his bicep, making me tremble with anger. 

 

I ripped my eyes off of his muscle and followed the pale arm all the way to the owner -- Sekyung. She smiled stupidly at him as she fumbled with her camera, using only her free hand to grip it. Can this girl be any more stupid? I can't even... I bursted into laughter as I watched Jonghyun yank his arm away from Sekyung and hurriedly walked away to a larger group of students. I watched his mouth move slowly. "Save me." I laughed slightly, earning a glare from the now fuming Sekyung. She stomped toward me, a pout visible on her pink plump lips. She pointed at me angrily and accused me of his "unusual" actions. I chuckled at her and pushed passed her, walking toward my group of friends; Krystal, Taemin, and Seunghyun.

 

"Where's the teacher?" Seunghyun asked as I finally reached them. The 4 of us looked aorund the classroom, but no one spotted her. I shrugged casually and looked out toward the window. I squinted due to the brightness of the sunlight and as the light lessened, I recognized my drama teacher talking to our soccer coach. "There she is." I called out to my friends who were lolling around, their scripts scrambled ontop of the table inside the class. They looked toward my direction, but quickly turned back around, not caring where the teacher was at the moment. 

 

I looked around the room and examined the students. I shook my head in disappointment as I noticed the majority of the students were just relaxing, leaving their scripts ripped to shreds and left on the floor. Students passed by and stepped on it, impressing their footprints onto the white paper. A moment later, our teacher finally walked in, looking angrier than ever. The kids glanced at her for only a second before turning back to what they were originally doing. I'm sure they only thought this class was going to be an easy A. The teacher marched toward the front of the classroom and made an impact with both her hands, having the sound echo throughout the room. "I want your attention!" She stated, almost yelling at the students. "You guys don't care about this, huh? Do you guys just assume this will get you an easy A?" She looked around the room, scoffing as some people nodded. 

 

She rolled her eyes and paced back and forth in front of her students, staring down at them. "You guys have to participate in the plays. If not, then you're just going to fail." I smirked slightly, pleased to hear the words coming out of my teacher's mouth. It was as if she read my mind. "Do you want something in exchange? All I want you to do is try your hardest in these plays." I sat there, letting her words slowly sink into my brain. Why does she seem so competitive? I studied the teacher who was no longer staring at the students. Her eyes were glued to the window, where the soccer coach and the newest teacher were holding hands. I looked back and spotted the same view, finally understanding why she seemed so upset. Ever since the new teacher appeared, the soccer coach seemed to grow fond of her, soon forgetting my teacher. 

 

Our teacher peeled her eyes off the painful picture and toward the students. "Are some people uncomfortable with the way you look? I mean, I love the way you all are, but would you guys participate more if I gave you guys a makeover?" I looked up, my eyes meeting the teachers. She smiled at me before talking, "Key, do you want a makeover?" My mouth was left slightly ajar and before I knew it, I was in front of the classroom, facing dozens of anticipating students. "Great!" She brought two fingers to her lips and blew, a strident sound invading our ears. I flinched upon hearing the loud reverberation, instantly shutting my eyes as a reflex. My eyes opened soon after, only to be greeted by a familiar face in front of mine. Her long orange hair and double eyelids were something I couldn't seem to forget. She smiled at me, obviously remembering my small figure too. 

 

"Have I... uhm, we," I corrected, pointing to the both of us awkwardly, "met before?" She giggled confidently and nodded before strutting toward an empty table and dropping several bags and kits on the surface. 

 

Krystal appeared from the curious crowd with a smile stretched across her face. "Jessica!" They ran toward each other, soon colliding bodies and wrapping their arms around the other. I looked closer at the two females' smiling face, noticing similar features that they both shared. They could pass as sisters! Ignoring they were in front of a classroom that consisted of mostly incompetent students, they made their way to the table and started to catch up. The way their eyes glistened in the sunlight as they smiled and how happy they both looked when they laughed told us that they surely knew each other for years. I watched as our teacher sweetly walked over to Jessica, tapping her shoulder as an attempt to get her attention. 

 

It was only when Jessica and my teacher were talking when the memory of Jessica popped into my head. "Oh yeah. She's the one that was at my restaurant. She practically saved me from Sekyung." I told myself, my fondness of her beginning to increase rapidly. Jessica pulled me out of my daze when she walked toward me and gripped my wrist tightly, pulling me in her direction. "Jessica, long time no see." I smirked at her as she sat me down on the chair, motioning me to wait patiently as she finished setting everything up.

 

She giggled and looked at me with knowing eyes, "Oh, so you remember?" Although I just met her a couple days ago, it already seemed like we've been friends for awhile. "It's nice to see you, Key." 

 

I leaned back in the chair and looked around the classroom as I waited for her to finish setting up all her supplies that were requisite for this so-called "makeover". My eyes wandered over to Jonghyun who was too busy occupying himself by taking pictures of students that were rehearsing up on the limited stage. From time to time, he would put down his camera on his lap and watch the scenes, judging them silently. I took this as an opportunity to check him out without getting rude judgments from my friends, who constantly got sick of me mentioning even his name. My eyes roamed his body; like I was practically undressing him with my eyes. His hair was down and slightly gelled, shimmering under the sunlight that was shining upon him. His black vneck was tight, his muscle bulging out of its sleeves. It wrapped snugly around his body, complimenting his rugged figure. 

 

He looked away from the scene and met my eyes. , I'm caught. A smirk formed on his lips as he stood up from the chair and stretched before making his way over to where Jessica and I were. He reached us moments later and opened his mouth to speak, my palms getting sweaty -- a regular occurrance. He greeted me happily just as Jessica turned around, her eyes filled with shock as she acknowledged his presence. "Jonghyun, you're here?" She exclaimed, dropping the supplies she was holding onto. As she pulled him into a tight embrace, I looked behind him where a pair of eyes were watching them unknowingly. Sekyung leaned against the wall, anger sketched across her face. She grew red as balls of sweat dripped down the side of her face and onto the floor. A soft chuckle escaped my lips as I watched her fume with jealousy. Not to mention it was the same girl that dissed her a few days before. Although I'm not the one that's enveloping myself in his arms, I'm more than pleased that it's Jessica and not Sekyung. 

 

I removed my gaze off of Sekyung and back onto Jessica and Jonghyun who were still holding onto each other. I cleared my throat awkwardly as jealousy began to boil inside of me. They pulled away, both of their smiles reaching the corners of their eyes. "Jonghyun!" The three of us looked back to find the teacher standing there with several students, gripping the script tightly. "Come here!" She waved him over hurriedly, not wanting to waste any time. He bid the two of us a goodbye before following our teacher's orders. Jessica sighed before looking back at me, studying my features and examining me from head to toe. 

 

"What to do, what to do?" She tapped her chin with her index finger as she paced back and forth, her eyes still glued to my nervous frame. A sudden light bulb flashed in her head; her eyes widened and her confused expression soon turned into an excited one. She took a step toward me and touched my hair with her long fingers. I shut my eyes, trying to calm myself down. No one dares touch my hair. I sighed in relief when I felt her touch disappear, but that was replaced with worry as she grabbed a pair of scissors that were layed on the table. 

 

She advanced toward me, her steps making me cringe even more. "You're... you're going to cut my hair?" I couldn't stop myself from stuttering. I peeled my eyes away from her face and onto the scissors. The way she held it, the way she smiled menacingly, and the scissor's point seemed to mock me. Jessica chuckled lightly and nodded, reaching her left arm out to grab a hold of my soft hair. "Whoa, what are you doing?!" I yelled, some students turning their head to see what all the commotion was about. I shot them a fake smile before looking back at Jessica who was already pointing the scissors to my hair. 

 

"Just trust me on this!" She demanded, stomping her feet. At that moment, I felt defeated. I looked up at her as she pleaded with those cliche puppy dog eyes that everyone gave into. I reluctantly agreed to the makeover and shut my eyes closed, gripping on to the arm rest of the seat I was in. Am I really going to let her do this to my hair? I cursed myself mentally, but I couldn't stop her. It was too late. A couple of minutes passed after I agreed and she was already halfway done. I shouldn't have agreed to this. I gripped the arm rest tighter as I felt my hair brush against my cheekbones as they fell. I whimpered, opening one eye slightly and glancing down at all the hair that has been cut off. 

 

Although my thoughts were in a cloud, I couldn't help but wonder... why is she only cutting one side of my head? About half an hour passed and by that time, I could have sworn I felt a cool breeze on the right side of my head. My eyes shot open and I slowly raised my right hand to touch it, afraid of my appearance. Jessica stood there, a razor in one hand and scissors in the other. She had that goofy smile on her face as always, anicipating my reaction. I hesitated before petting it. "My hair!" I gasped, looking down at the floor. Around the chair was a puddle of brown hair that used to belong to me. "You." I turned my glare over to Jessica and instead of having that intimidated look, she continued to smile. 

 

"Calm down. Here." She pushed me back on the chair and handed me a pink mirror. My eyes widened as I studied my reflection. Is this really me? The right side of my head was shaved off and dyed blonde while the other half was left alone, just gelled to the side. When did she have time to dye my hair blonde? I fiddled around with my hair, eventually accepting my new appearance. I was too occupied with myself that I didn't even realize Jessica called Jonghyun over from the stage. "So, what do you think?" I looked up, slightly confused, to see who she was talking to. My breathing became uneven as Jonghyun walked toward me, his eyes moving from right to left. 

 

He shrugged carelessly before speaking, "It's cool." His attitude made me shrink; it was as if I was just a speck of dust. I partially agreed to this because I wanted to impress Jonghyun, but seeing as that didn't work...

 

"Hey Key!" I heard someone yell my name, but I was too occupied with my thoughts that I didn't even realize Jonghyun left and someone new had arrived. I stared at the floor for what seemed like hours. I felt like giving up. No matter how hard I tried, nothing worked. Jonghyun has better people out there for him. I'm not even sure he's gay! I felt a soft tap on my shoulder, snapping me out of my trance. I stared at the feet in front of me, not feeling the need to look up. "Key!" He called my name again.

 

"What do you want Dongwoon?" I snarled, finally looking up to meet his eyes. My lips twitched; a natural habit that I developed. He stepped back, and languished on the chair that was set in front of me. "I'm not kidding. What do you want?" I ran my hand through my hair, sighing deeply and heavily. He raised both hands in front of him as a defense.

 

"Whoa, calm down. I just came by to see if you wanted to rehearse. Don't be such a ." He sat up from the chair and pushed it back under the table, waiting for me to reply back. Hearing no response, he spoke again, "I like your new haircut. You look hot." My eyes darted toward him, immediately sending him an intimidating glare. He winked at me, ignoring my constant scowls that were being thrown toward him. He eyed the script that was left on the table and slid it to me. "Let's rehearse." 

 

Before I could react, he grabbed it and tossed it on my lap before marching toward the stage. I looked around, noticing the emptiness of the room. Where did everybody go? I rubbed the back of my neck while clutching the script to my side and strutting toward Dongwoon who was already setting up our props needed for our certain scene. Dongwoon, looking more annoyed than I am, pointed to a line on the first page, signaling me to begin reading. I obediently did what I was told and, if I do say so myself, I was one of the best actors (or should I say actresses) there. I finished bellowing out a line, the emotion clearly visible on my features, when I suddenly heard a snap coming from behind me. I whipped my head around, feeling embarrassed that there was someone other than Dongwoon that was actually paying attention to our rehearsal. To make it even worse, as I turned around, I became face-to-face with the one and only Jonghyun, who was smirking and fiddling with his camera. "Did you take that picture?" I narrowed my eyes at him and watched as he smirked deviously. He nodded and raised his camera to his face, preparing to capture another shot of Dongwoon and I. "No!" I yelped, running behind my partner. Dongwoon chuckled and walked to the left, revealing my face that was as red as a tomato. 

 

"Fine, I won't take anymore pictures." I sighed in relief, a small smile beginning to form. "But you have to let me continue watching your rehearsal." The smile was swept off my face and I groaned, watching him stroll over to the seats laid out in front of the stage. He bowed his head, motioning us to begin where we left off before we were rudely interrupted. I took a deep breath, my face still flushed red, and began to recite my lines, trying my hardest to get it perfect (even if it was just a practice). I recited the last line flawlessy when a sudden ovation comes from beside us. Dongwoon and I both turned our heads, followed by a confused Jonghyun that mimicked our actions. My eyes widnened as I faced a excessive group of students, and some teachers, that witnessed our rehearsal. When did they get here? I smiled awkwardly and waved, blood rising to my cheeks. The crowd roared with enthusiasm and exhilaration. I rubbed the back of my neck nervously while my free hand was stuffed in my pocket. I bowed to the crowd and eyed Dongwoon, motioning him to do the same. He obeyed me and politely followed my actions. 

 

"Key, that was amazing! I didn't know you could act like that!" Jonghyun walked up to me while clapping his hands, a big grin plastered on his face. Shock spread throughout my features as I thanked him, attempting to hide my smile. He his camera and faced it toward the both of us, taking a selca. "Smile!" I agreed wholeheartedly and smiled, placing my arm around Jonghyun's shoulders. He s his arm around my waist and pulled my closer as he snapped the picture. We broke out of our pose, which left me empty as he left my side to examine the picture. I watched as he smiled and turned the camera toward me. My jaw became slightly ajar as I stared at the picture. I couldn't figure out what made me this way. Was it the fact that his arm was around my waist? Was it because he was the one that pulled me closer to him? Or was it because he wanted a picture with me in general? The smile on my face was something I couldn't wipe off.