"Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Kim!"

The entire class directed their gaze at her but she took no notice of it. Her ragged breathing showed how much she was in a hurry. 

"It's alright, Soojung. Go and take your seat. We're just about to begin."

The whole class went back to their work as the teacher lectures on and on about something that has happened in the past. Some was paying attention while others are switching between texting on their phones and looking at the board. There was also some who have already drifted off to slumberland. Soojung took her time walking to her seat, not noticing a pair of eyes were following her from the moment she walked into the room. She was too occupied with the thoughts running through her mind to notice anything.

Jongin hesitated whether to strike up a conversation or not. Soojung looks kinda pissed off and he was sure she wouldn't give him the time of day even if he got down on both knees and begged for it. Not that she would at any day anyway. Soojung is the most sought after girl in the entire school and she hardly give him a glance, much less greetings in the morning, despite him sitting next to her at almost every class they have together and him being her lab partner. What made him think she would today?

The teacher's lecture and his classmates' chatters quickly became a distant sound as Jongin finds himself in a train of reverie.

He doesn't know how long this unrequited crush has been going on. For all he knows this girl has stolen his heart at the first glance and she still hasn't returned it to this day, not that he wants it back. He casts a sidelong glance to the ethereal presence beside him, quickly looking away before she noticed him. But she was too absorbed in her own head to notice him or the teacher droning on and on at the front of the class. It made him wonder what the celestial girl was thinking of.

Though his eyes were on the teacher, his mind was somewhere quite far from the small classroom. He imagined what it would be like to have Soojung in his arms, as his girl. He would do so many things just to put a smile on her beautiful features. To have her kiss him would be a bliss and every kiss would lead him to a heavenly feeling. Every day would be perfect and nothing could ever go wrong. If only.

He pictured them running in the meadows, holding hands, smiles graced upon their faces. Rolling around in the beds of flowers that have blossomed beautifully after a cold, harsh winter would be one of their meaningless activities. And everything would be just perfect. The way it will always be with her.

"Now class..."

The teacher whacked a piece of stick that she would always carry around with her on the table. The stick worked its purpose when every student in the class looked her way, earning her the attention she deserved.

"For your midterm, I am assigning you to work in duos to complete a report on the topics I have selected. And you don't have to stress yourself into picking your partners. Because I have done that for you!" 

Grunts and groans were heard all across the room. But the teacher acts like she didn't hear any noise coming from her class and proceeded to read aloud the partners she has assigned for her students along with their topics.

Jongin was quiet the whole time. He wasn't intended on hoping to be with Soojung for this assignment. He thought he wasn't that lucky. Fortunately, he was wrong.

"Kim Jongin and Jung Soojung. Your topic would be on the Division Of Korea and Its Reunification."

Jongin didn't blink. He was too shocked after hearing the teacher's words. He couldn't believe his luck. He thought he was lucky enough to be Soojung's lab partner but to be her partner in this assignment too? It was too hard to believe.

The teacher looked up to her students as she finishes the last two names. "Alright, this assignment is due 3 weeks from now and I hope you  will like your partners. You two will be working together very closely along this period and I hope to see the best from your works. Class dismissed!" As if right on cue, the school bell rings, signaling the end of first period.

Students immediately got up and packed their books and some confronting the teacher to ask questions on the assignments. Jongin was about to do the same as the majority of his classmate when he felt a slight tap on his shoulders. He turned around to see someone he never thought would even give him the time of the day.

"Jongin right? I'm Soojung." She smiled and extended her hand. Jongin was too surprised to react to anything and so he just stood there, his mouth agape as he stares at the stunningly beautiful girl, not knowing what to do next. Soojung chuckles.

"You do know how a handshake work, right?" Soojung boldly took his hand into his and shook it, all the while chuckling at Jongin who was still frozen. 

"I sure hope you're not mute. That would make this whole assignment thing a whole lot harder than it already is." Her words shocked him out of his frozen state.

"I…I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. So, Jongin right?"

"Yes, that's me."

"You're my lab partner in Biology too, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Well, Jongin, I hope I won't have to be the one with all the questions. We have a lot of work to do and I hope we can do it together. I don't expect to do it all alone."

"O-of course w-w-we'll do it t-t-together."

"Alright then, see you in Biology!" Soojung waved at him before leaving the already empty classroom.

Jongin was too stunned after what just happened. Did he really had a conversation with Soojung? Did it really happen? He pinched his cheeks several times and it hurts every time which meant he was not dreaming after all. He burst into a fit of enthusiastic screams and unintelligible mutters, unaware that a pair of eyes were watching his strange behavior. She giggled to herself as he continues to jump up and down out of pure excitement. 

The reason why she stayed on was not clear to her. It wasn't that she didn't notice this dashing teenager from the very start. She wasn't that ignorant to not notice a boy who has been sitting beside her and has been her lab partner for a few months. She just didn't have the courage to say hi to him because of his cold outer appearance. Soojung has yet to identify the feeling she gets when she sees him but she will use the period of 3 weeks to figure out. Right now, only one thing ran through her mind as she watches the overexcited boy.

Jongin is so handsome.

And she smiled unconsciously.