Zelo tugged on my two plaits. “Why?” he groaned disappointed with my high school uniform. The skirt reached my knees and I had my blouse tucked in since it was about two sizes too large.

“What’s wrong with it?” I asked bluntly. Zelo gesture around us at the other girls that had either trimmed or rolled up their skirts (either way they were much shorter than mine), all the girls had their hair done in pretty loops or were silky straight and just about all of them had some degree of makeup on. He gave me a questioning look. I shrugged back. “So??” Zelo sighed at me and pinched my makeup-free cheek.

“At least I can do this without getting foundation on my hands,” he smirked. I rubbed my cheek, pouting at Zelo who just grinned innocently at me.

“Sit down!” called the teacher as she strutted into the classroom with her ten inch heels and pencil skirt. “I’m Jeon Hyosung, Miss Jeon.” The boys in the class slapped their hands together like seals and hooted at her.

“MISS?!” hooted the boys, enthusiastically throwing their arms up in the air. Miss Jeon sighed, seeming rather familiar with the situation.

“ALL YOU BOYS SHUT UP OR YOU’LL GET DETENTION ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!” she barked and they all obediently sat back down. “Well,” the teacher said flicking her short brown hair behind her shoulders, “shall we get started?” Hyosung said with a seductive smile.

Zelo slung a dead arm around my shoulders. “What did you think of the teacher?” he teased. I looked up at the tall boy with a disgusted look.

“What did YOU think of her?” I shot back at him, emphasising ‘you’ for some reason. He laughed at my scorning and steered me into the courtyard.

The courtyard was streaming with sunlight and decked with trees bearing their little green summer leaves. We sat down under a tree and bathed in the sunlight. “We have that club introducing thing after this, don’t we?” My eyes closed, I could smell the scent of different perfumes from female students looming in the air.

“Yeah,” Zelo replied hazily. 

We watched the different club captains introduce their club and give a demonstration or show an example on stage. A group of boys with snapback hats and baggy clothing then jumped up on stage. “Annyeong haseo!” they all bowed. “We are the school’s hip hop group. This year we hope that we’ll have more girls—” the senior announced as the other boys grinned at each other “—join this year.” They then spread themselves out on stage and let the music fill every nook and cranny of the hall. I looked at Zelo who was sitting beside me. He was in complete awe, his mouth had already begun to gape open. I giggled at his childish expression as he shot up from his seat and clap at the end of their performance. Without noticing the following introductions, I knew he had already decided which club he would join.

“Have you picked?” Zelo asked as we walked back to class. I shrugged.

“Mmh… maybe I’ll just focus on studying?” I replied with uncertainty. He gave me a disapproving glare that sent a flash of lightning through my whole body. “Ahahaha I’m just kidding!!!” I laughed a little too fakely and knocked his shoulder. “Ahem—let’s go!”

The next day I followed Zelo to the dance studio since I hadn’t signed up for anything yet and didn’t want to be alone during break.

“Yo!” a senior greeted us, the one that did the speaking yesterday. He grinned down at me and then turned to his group mates, “WE’VE GOT A GIRL!!” he howled and the bunch of high school guys came flocking forward.

“What’s your name?!” one gleamed. His face was tanned but handsome and his voice had a tang of dialect in it.

“Sohee, Lee Sohee,” I answered shyly hiding behind Zelo for protection. Zelo peeked down at me from under his arm then smiled at the other boys.

“I’m Choi Junhong, a.k.a Zelo!” he said in his rapper voice, “Sohee’s just following me for the day.” He explained a pitch too cheerful for the other boys’ taste. Their excitement washed off and was replaced with disappointment. It was oddly easy to pity them.

 “ Well—This is Yoo Youngjae, Jung Daehyun, Bang Yongguk,” the one that greeted us gestured to his peers one by one. “And back there—” he turned around and pointed out a boy busy practicing a routine in front of the large mirrors, “is Jongup, he’s our lead dancer.” He beamed at us. We stared at him awkwardly. Zelo tilted his head down and gestured to the senior.

“…And you are…??” he asked with a confused smile.

“Oh me? I’m Kim Himchan!” He laughed triumphantly and then faced me, “but you can just call me ‘oppa!’ ” I narrowed my eyes in disgust and stared hard at his beaming face, mental note: stay away from this guy, he’s a creep. Himchan peeped down at me as if I was a cat.

“Hyung.” whispered Youngjae tilting his head to the side. Himchan stared at him for a moment before Yongguk reached out and open the door a bit wider to let us in.

We sat down at the far corner of the room and watched our own reflections in the large mirror that filled up a whole wall as the group began to take their positions. The performance started with Yongguk’s charismatic underground tunnel rap and ended with Daehyun’s strong belted out notes. They seemed to be completely different people when they were performing. We automatically clapped our hands and got back up.

“Well, I’m a bit disappointed with the lack of newbies,” frowned Youngjae. They flocked around us for the second time and questioned what they had done wrong.

“Nothing! It was great!!” insisted Zelo. He turned to face Jongup who was still perfecting his moves in the mirror. “I want to learn to dance,” Zelo announced to him. Jongup paid no attention to the younger boy. Zelo let out a sigh from the cold ignorance then turned to the older boys. “I can rap! I’ll work hard!!” he exclaimed and bowed down 90°. I stayed standing and just bobbed my head down as we left.

“I’m hungry!” I heard Daehyun complain as we stepped outside.

“Excited?” I assumed. Zelo turned to me from his day dreaming and nodded brightly.

“Thought so,” I laughed.

“They practice every lunch… what are you going to do while I’m gone?” he said with a concerned face. I shrugged, not really think much about it. We continued strolling towards the tranquillity of the courtyard. We found ourselves sitting under the same tree. Zelo gave out a sigh.

“Why are you sighing so much today?” I giggled as I tucked my legs towards myself. Zelo looked at me with a distant expression. His eyes are always hazy whenever he’s in deep thought, it always made me feel as if half of him wasn’t with me. He stretched his arms behind his head and lied down on the grass. His eyes were half shut as he continued chatting to me.

“I wonder if I’ll be as cool as them,” Zelo whispered, most likely to himself, he couldn’t help smiling with just the thought. “I wonder if I’ll become popular… what do you think Sohee?” He turned to me and suddenly I was in a dilemma. What would happen if he did become popular? Would he leave me? Would he ignore me and maybe come to hate me? I shook the thoughts out of my head and looked at Zelo. His blonde hair was a mess behind his head and his eyes were waiting for my answer. I smiled at him.

“You’re already pretty cool to me,” I replied softly. Zelo gave me a gentle weary smile as he began to drift back into his thoughts. He stretched out his hand and glided it through my over grown bangs. Looking up at me he just continued to smile as both sweet and horribly sad thoughts crossed my mind. The loudest of them all being…

“I don’t want to lose him.”

it's SK! Yessir!!! (shared account.) I wanna get exo in asap but... orz i couldnt bring them up.... comment comment! how was it?