The next day before school started, Eunmi was telling Sara about what had happened the previous day as they walked to school.

“Maybe you should have listened to what he wanted to say.” Sara suggested.

“He didn’t listen to us.” Eunmi said. “He didn’t believe umma when she told him that nothing was going on behind his back. But he didn’t listen, not one word.”

Sara nodded in understanding, “Trueeee. So are you planning on telling your little brother?”

“Well, he’s going to find out the truth about my ‘allergies.’” She made quotes in the air. “But Jongin was 8 when he left, he probably doesn’t remember much about our dad. I'm actually really surprised that he didn’t recognize him. His face has changed a bit though….. Whatever! I’m glad he didn’t recognize him.”

“Just leave it now, it’s over.” Sara advised as they entered the school gates.

Eunmi nodded, “Yeah.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At lunch, Sara and Eunmi were eating outside under a tree when a soccer ball hit Eunmi’s shoulder.

“Ouch!” she yelped, looking around to see who kicked it.

“Over here!” Taemin called.

Eunmi stuck her tongue out, “Get it yourself.” She rubbed her shoulder

Taemin sighed and jogged over, “Lazy meanie.”

“Aren’t you going to ask if I'm okay?” Eunmi looked up at him.

“Nope.” Taemin took the soccer ball and kicked it to Minho.

“Are you okay?” Onew smiled as he walked over.

Eunmi laughed, “Fine, thanks.”

“I'm not much of a soccer person. A little on the clumsy side.” Onew said sheepishly. “Mind if I join you?”

“No, go ahead.” Eunmi and Sara scooted over.

Onew sat down and his face lit up as he looked at his lunch, “Chicken!”

Eunmi blinked, “Ummm, didn’t you have fried chicken for lunch yesterday?”

“I have chicken for lunch every day.” Onew nodded, taking a huge bite.

“Really?!” Sara and Eunmi exclaimed.

“Nope.” Onew shook his head. “My mom only let’s me take it twice a week.” He pouted.

“That’s good. At least you’re not a big, fat blowfish.” Eunmi nodded.

Onew laughed, “Blowfish. Haha, that’s funny!”

“Ewwww, I hate avocado.” Sara wrinkled her nose as she took it out from her sandwich.

“Me too!” Onew exclaimed. “It tastes so weird!”

“I kinda like it.” Eunmi said sheepishly.

“Bleh!” Sara and Onew made faces. For the rest of lunch, the three of them talked and joked with each other.

“Hyung, you spent lunch with her?” Taemin snorted as he and Minho, Key and Jonghyun walked over to them.

“Yes, and it was very enjoyable.” Onew said poetically.

“Riiiight.” Taemin said as the bell rang.

“I wouldn’t want to spend lunch with you either!” Eunmi stood up and huffed. Sara and Onew did the same.

“Great!” Taemin grinned as they all walked to the school, Eunmi walking ahead of them.

“Meanie!” Eunmi turned around and yelled as she walked on.

“Ah!” she tripped and almost fell flat on the ground, had someone not caught her. Eunmi stopped and looked up at the face of Daehyun.

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Eunmi cleared and got out of his arms, fixing her uniform.

“Be careful.” He mumbled grumpily as he walked away with his friends.

“Eh, pretty boy! You should have let her fall!” Taemin called after him.

Eunmi squinted her eyes at Taemin and then walked away with Sara after saying bye to Onew.

Eunmi had physics after lunch. She grudgingly walked into class and sat down beside Miyeon.

When the bell rang and everyone came in, Ms. Choi cleared , “Okay, everyone! We’re changing the seating plan so pick your stuff up!”

“Awwww,” the class groaned and picked their books up. It was always like this, teacher’s would let you choose your seats the first day, then they’d change them the next.

Eunmi made a face, “Great, I don’t know anyone in this class except you!”

“Me too.” Miyeon said sadly. “I’ll visit often, though.”

Eunmi laughed, “Okay, me too.”

Taemin then came strolling in.

“Lee Taemin, one more late and its detention.” Ms. Choi warned, marking his late on the attendance sheet.

“Don’t be such a priss, miss.” Taemin said, then he noticed everyone putting their books away and standing at the back of the class. “We’re switching seats?!”

“Yes, and I have a special spot for you.” Ms. Choi said, smiling sneakily.

Then the next late student arrived; Daehyun.

“Jung Daehyun, another late and it’s a detention.” Ms. Choi repeated to him.

“Is detention all you teachers got?” Daehyun muttered, walking into class.

“I will not tolerate your rudeness this year, Daehyun.” Ms. Choi said firmly. “Now both of you join the others, I’m going to start at the front. Since this class is small, only two people will sit at a desk, not three.” Ms. Choi said. Then she began pointing to seats and calling out names.

“Lee Taemin, right here.” Ms. Choi smiled and pointed to a seat right at the front, and in the middle. The board was practically in his face.

“WHAT?!” Taemin yelped. “MISS! I CAN’T!” Eunmi rolled her eyes. Trust him to be loud, attention-seeking, and rowdy in class too.

“Sit.” Ms. Choi said briskly, calling out the other names. Taemin grudgingly sat down and threw his bag on the table.

“Daehyun over here, and Eunmi beside him.” Ms. Choi pointed to the table beside Taemin and the girl next to him. Eunmi was at the edge of the table, near Taemin and Daehyun was on her other side.

“Misssssss,” Taemin groaned and buried his face into his bag.

Daehyun rolled his eyes at the same time as Eunmi.

“Quiet, Taemin.” Ms. Choi hushed. “Let’s begin class now. And no funny business Taemin, you are right in front of me. I can see you very well.”

“I know. A little too well if you ask me.” Taemin muttered. Eunmi took paper out of her binder and began copying down notes, Daehyun was doing the same.

“Taemin oppa, do you have paper?” the girl next to Taemin asked in a high pitched voice. Her name was Yeonhee.

“Nope, I don’t do notes.” Taemin said bluntly.

“Oh, right. Me too.” The girl nodded.

At the end of the lesson, there were a few minutes left and Ms. Choi assigned desk work.

“Yah, Lee Taemin.” Eunmi called. Taemin looked at her, “Yes?”

“Why don’t you do some work?”

“Why don’t you shut up?”

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”  Yeonhee began laughing really loudly and clutched her stomach. “YOU’RE SO FUNNY, TAEMIN OPPA! HAHAHAHA!”

Taemin and Eunmi exchanged weird looks and Daehyun raised an eyebrow, trying not to laugh. She continued to laugh like a maniac, “HAHAHA! OH TAEMIN OPPA! YOU KILL ME! PUAHAHA!”

“Ummm, we’re the same age. There’s no need to call me ‘oppa’.”Taemin pointed out.

“Yeah, but you’re 1 day older than me! I'm July 19^th.” She beamed.

Taemin gave her a crazy look, “How do you know my birthday?”

“Everyone does!” she laughed.

“Uh, yeah.” Taemin gave her an odd look. Okay, I sit beside someone lamer than Eunmi. Creepy too.

Taemin scooted over closer to Eunmi and cleared his throat, “So, let’s do this.”

“Forget it.” Eunmi pushed his head away. “Go do it with your new seat mate.” She snickered. “I bet she’d love to work with you.”

Taemin glowered at her and went back to his seat. Obviously, he didn’t do his work; he made his textbook stand up and played on his phone behind it.

Eunmi shook her head, “Idiot face.” she flipped through her textbook and found the pages she was supposed to read.

Her elbow moved as she began to read and her pencil fell off the edge of the table.

Oops. Eunmi was about to pick it up but Daehyun beat her to it.

“Thanks.” She smiled.

Daehyun didn’t reply as Eunmi began her work.

Eunmi tapped his chin with her pencil, confused about the question. She turned to Daehyun, “Ummm, do you understand question 5?”

Daehyun blinked at her and then looked at the question, “Acceleration is a vector quantity, and you’re supposed to consider direction as well.” He said in a monotone voice. “Read it properly.”

“Oh yeahhh.” Eunmi nodded. “Thanks!”

Daehyun didn’t reply again and resumed zoning out with his hands in his pockets.  

“Aren’t you going to do it?” Eunmi asked him after a while.

Daehyun shook his head.

“Oh.” Eunmi blinked and went back to work for the rest of class. Guess he doesn’t do work……

“Jung Daehyun, take your books out and do your work.” Ms. Choi ordered. Even Taemin had taken his books out and pretended to work.

Daehyun didn’t move.

“Jung. Daehyun.” Ms. Choi got up from her desk and stood in front of Daehyun’s seat. He still didn’t move.

“Jung Daehyun, take your books out now or you are going to the principal’s office. I had enough of this last year.” She pointed to the door.

“Mm-mm.” Taemin made mock-strict faces and kissed his teeth.

Daehyun kicked his chair back and walked out of the classroom. Ms. Choi sighed and walked to the phone to call the office. Eunmi looked at his empty seat, confused. I thought he was a good kid…….

“I hate where I sit!” Miyeon groaned as they walked out together when the bell rang at the end of class.

“Me too.” Eunmi nodded. “I practically sit beside Taemin!”

Miyeon sighed, “Whatever, I guess I’ll see you later.” She waved as she headed the other way.

“Byeee.” Eunmi walked the other way to grab her sketchbook from her locker.

“Heeeey.” Sara leaned against her locker.

“Hi.” Eunmi grumbled.

“What’s wrong with you? Do you sit beside Taemin in physics?” Sara joked.

“YES!” Eunmi exclaimed. Sara’s smile shrank, “Whaaat?”

“He sits beside me on the other table.” Eunmi explained. “AT THE FRONT!”

“Wow, your luck is really something.” Sara commented. “Who sits next to you?”

“Uhhh, I think his name is Daehun?” Eunmi scrunched her face.

“Daehyun?!” Sara yelped.

Eunmi nodded.

“Wow, now I feel really bad for you.” Sara said.

“Why? He’s not that bad. He’s quiet and pretty smart. Manners too, total opposite of Taemin.” Eunmi snorted, closing her locker.

“Yeah, but at least Taemin doesn’t do drugs! Didn’t you smell weed coming from him?” Sara asked as they walked to their art class.

Eunmi thought about it for a while, “Nope.” She shook her head. “But he did get kicked out of class. Well, technically he kicked himself out.”

“Exactly! And look at that!” Sara discreetly pointed at BAP. “Yongguk’s giving him a package of cigarettes! In school!”

Sure enough, the leader was giving Daehyun what looked like a cigarette pack from a distance. Eunmi blinked in surprise but didn’t want to assume things so left it at that.

“Don’t get too close to him.” Sara warned as they sat down in class and their teacher began talking.

Eunmi shrugged. To think, I thought he was okay. Maybe he’s those ‘quiet killers’?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Why do you keep humming Good Day?” Taemin groaned as entered the kitchen.

“Why do you care?” Eunmi shot back. “Maybe I like it.”

“Is it the song your doing for that nonsense audition?”

“Yeah-” Eunmi stopped and gave him a weird look, “Why?”

Taemin grinned, “Just wondering.”

“Don’t you dare try anything, Lee Taemin!” Eunmi warned. “This audition is really important to me! I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time.”

“Whatever.” After grabbing a cream soda form the fridge he went back to the living room to watch TV.

“Oh! Jongin!” Eunmi said when she got out of the kitchen, he was heading out somewhere.

“Where are you going?”

Jongin looked startled, “Oh, um, nowhere.” He quickly slipped his shoes on and left the house before Eunmi could question him further.

“That was weird.” Eunmi mumbled to herself. Where's he going? And why so secretly?

“What was?” Ms. Kim asked as she came into the kitchen. Ms. Kim only worked some days at the hospital, not every day. Today she was at home.

“Nothing.” Eunmi shook her head. “I’m going to the community centre, I have to sign up for the competition.”

“Okay, be back soon.” Ms, Kim said and began preparing dinner.  Eunmi put her shoes on and left the house.

Eunmi arrived at the centre in a couple of minutes and walked in. The sign-up sheets were posted at every single theatre arts place in the area.

“Umm, excuse me.” Eunmi looked at the lady at the front desk. “Where’s the sign-up sheet for this year’s Voice of a Star competition?”

“Oh, in the music room.” the lady told her. She gave her a series of directions then.

“Thank you.” Eunmi bowed and followed her directions. Well, tried to. The community centre was pretty big; there were many entrances and secret ways to get in and out. It also had a big auditorium and other things that weren’t in most community centres. Part of it was pretty old, the newer part had only been added a couple of years ago. No one really used the old building, it was mostly storage.

I think I'm lost…..How’d I get to the old part of this place? Eunmi wondered. Somehow, she had wound up from the new part of the centre, to the old part.

As she passed a partly opened room, she heard a beautiful voice singing 4men’s ‘Baby Baby’ and playing the piano.

She paused in front of it, his voice was beautiful. It was as if all the nice voices had been combined into one great voice. His. His voice was soft, angelic –yet powerful.

She peeked in and saw someone she would have never thought would be singing in an abandoned room in the old part of a community centre.

It was Daehyun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey hey heeeyyy

So, how ya'll doin'? Good? Gooood.

I love it when my teachers don't show up to class. No supply, no teachers. Then we all turn super rowdy and do stupidness in the classroom! :D

Anywaaayyysss, how'd ya like the chapter? I looovveeee Daehyun's voice, sooooo mucchhh, it's so beautiful!

Did you guys see EXO's teaser pictures? Well, it's about time.... after a billion years.

To be honest, the excitement for their comeback kind of died for me..... but I'm still gunna watch their teasers and stuff, maybe it'll come back after the mv.

That's it for now! Toodles~! ;D