Chanyeol POV

I have to sprint to my first period classroom dance practice room so I'm not late. 

When I arrive there, panting and sweating, Exo immediately surrounds me. 

“Why did you want to go talk to Kim Minah?” Baekhyun asks. I gulp nervously.

“Who said I wanted to talk to her?” I lie. “I just had to go to the bathroom.”

“If bathroom is another name for Minah, then he’s not lying,” Chen tells the other members of Exo. They all nod. 

“Okay, fine!” I snap. “I... I really needed her help in... um, English.”

“And she agreed to help you?” Sehun says, taken aback. “You're always so mean to her, though. And you know you could’ve asked Yuni anytime, right? She’s helped me in English.”

“Well, Yuni doesn’t go to our school,” I reply. “So I just asked Minah.”

Please buy it, please buy it…

Finally, Xiumin sighs. “Okay, Chanyeol, we understand.”

Thank god.

In truth, what Minah and I really talked about was a deal.

She doesn't reveal my secret.

I don't reveal her secret.

And we pretend that we don't know each other.

Simple as that.

Although I think she just agreed to my terms so she could get back to her book. But whatever.

“Settle down!” Mrs. Han claps her hands, strutting up to the front of the practice room.

Strange, I thought she's one of the teachers of the managerial department of our school. What is she doing in the performance department?

“Hey, kids, you can come on in!” Mrs. Han waves her hand in the direction of the door, and a stream of students my age slowly trickle in the classroom, holding thick textbooks and binders, glaring at us.

The room immediately fills with sharp intakes of breath and snarls.

It's the Management Department.

The biggest nerds and geeks of the school. They’re training to be managers of future idols.

I curl my lip.

The Performance Department and the Management Department has always hated each other.

Both of us think that the other is a total bunch of losers, even though the Performance Department is totally not.

They’re the losers.

We're training to be famous.

They're training to work for us. 

Suddenly, I realize that Minah’s standing at the back of the group of people, clutching her folders and looking down at her shoes.

I internally groan. Great. Do I seriously have to face her again today?

“Today we are starting a major project,” Mrs. Han says. “The kids from the management department of Seoul Performance Secondary are going to partner up with each of the performing kids. They will be your ‘manager’.”

“The two of you will complete a series of tasks throughout this month,” she continues. “Whoever has earned the most points wins.”

“What's the prize?” Choi Ayoung (tall and gawky but has a decent voice) pipes up from the back of the practice room.

“The manager of the team will win an internship with an entertainment agency,” Mrs. Han replies. “We’re leaning towards either SM or LOEN. And the performer of the team will win a solo at the Rose Concert this October.”

My eyes widen. The Rose Concert? That’s the biggest fine arts performance in Seoul. The best performers from all across South Korea- even some countries overseas, like China and Japan- come to the Rose Concert.

If I get a solo in the Rose Concert, that'll increase Exo's popularity... and my popularity. 

I gleefully rub my hands together.

I guess I can stand working with some dork from the Managerial Department for this opportunity.

Except for Minah.

Oh lord, please don’t let Minah be my partner.  

"Now, your partners are listed on this piece of paper.” Mrs. Han tacks a large pink piece of paper on the wall behind her. “Go look.”

Me and the rest of the Performing Department immediately sprint over to the paper, shoving each other aside to see our names.

The Managerial Department stays behind, however, not wanting to get caught up in the mob.

Wimps.

I scan the sheet until I find my name. Park Chanyeol.

Then I look to the right and see my partner’s name.

Kim Minah, it reads.

No.

No.

NO.