Key's POV

"Hey Kibum!" I heard yet another person greet me as I entered the school, senior year. This voice was different though.

I turned around and a smile broke across my face as I saw Minho waving and running towards me. As soon as he was close enough I grabbed him by the neck and put him into a headlock.

"Yah!" He yelled and pushed me off, straightening his shirt. "Is that anyway to greet your best friend?"

"Yeah." I continued walking through the narrow hallway and nudged him in the side. "A best friend who didn't contact me all summer."

"Really?" He looked at me and another group of people greeted us, we nodded in their general direction. "You knew I was in the States."

"Don't you know how bored I was?" I complained. No one was really close to me except Minho. I mean, I had friends. It's just that no one was exactly that comfortable around me.

"I doubt that." Then he leaned in, "Hey, what about that girl?"

"Aish." I said and pushed him away, then continued as soon as he joined me after apologizing to the couple he bumped in to.

"What? Didn't go so well?"

"Minho, I got to tell you..." I shook my head and looked at him. "Your cousin sure isn't the brightest girl out there."

"What?" Minho stopped walking for a second, shock on his face. Then he caught up to me, grabbing my shoulder. "My cousin? That's why you wouldn't tell me her name?"

"Hey, I didn't know either until she told me." I shrugged him off.

"You are such a player, Key." Minho said under his breath.

"No, I'm just-" I started to argue until a girl who lacked in height appeared right in front of me.

"Key..." She said shyly and then looked at the floor. "I was wondering if you were doing anything after school..."

"Ah... Sorry. I have plans." I made up an excuse.

"Oh, maybe some other time." Her voice faded out as I pushed her aside.

"Play-er." Minho accentuated the syllables.

"No, I would be a player if I said yes." I corrected him. Now that I thought about it, "I don't even know that girl."

"You don't know her?" Minho said, clearly not that surprised. "Proves my point."

"I don't even-"

"Sorry man. I got to head to my class. Other side of the school." Minho tapped my shoulder and waved.

"Yeah. See you bro." I said and continued walking.

Alone again. It's a weird feeling, but I experienced it quite often. It's a feeling between loneliness and being around so many people you're at the point of claustrophobia. I'm always walking alone but so many people are watching.

"Hi Key." I heard a girl say as I passed her. She may or may not have been in my English class last year.

"Hey." I said flatly and resumed my in between state, walking past student eyes.

Taemin's POV

"Woah, sorry." A tall guy with big eyes said after he bumped into me, he seemed to be in a rush.

I heard him yell "Kibum!" as he sprinted towards some guy who was waiting for him. Who was this Kibum guy? I'd heard nothing but stuff about him ever since I got on the bus this morning.

I blew my bangs from my eyes and watched them. Kibum, I also heard him being called Key, seemed like a popular guy. His apparel sure made him stand out, he was the only one not wearing a uniform.

"Baek Rae is asking out Key again today." A girl from a group passing me said.

I started walking again to keep up with the conversation.

"Really? She better hurry. I heard Mi Young was thinking about it too." Another girl informed them.

"It's not like he'll say yes to any of them."

"Yeah, Key doesn't date."

"Why do you think?"

"No one here is in his league, it's pretty obvious."

Ouch! I had walked into the door while eavesdropping on their conversation. I pressed my palm to my forehead as I felt the head ache begin.

"Hey, are you okay?" I looked over to see a guy standing next to me with a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said as I rubbed my forehead. "Thanks."

"Oh, no problem." Then he stuck out his hand towards me, "I'm Lee Jinki, but call me Onew."

I took my hand from my head and reached out to shake his hand, a faint smile playing on my lips.

"Taemin." I said, not bothering with my last name.

Onew laughed and opened the door I had just rammed into. Gesturing for me to go in first, my first steps into Seoul High. I took a deep breath as I entered the large school.

"So..." Onew said as he walked in behind me, "Are you new here?"

"Yeah. I'm a Senior this year, I'm supposed to be a Sophomore but I started school early and it's a bit different from where I'm from." I explained as best as I could.

"Where are you from?" He asked with interest.

"Canada and the US. My Mom lived in Canada and my Dad lived in the US, I switched every year."

"So why are you here?"

"Well I've been pratically begging to come back to Korea, where I was born, and my parents finally said yes. So they just sent me here and I got an apartment to myself." I bragged a bit, proud that my efforts had paid off.

"Really? Nice. Well you'll love this school." Onew promised. "The people here are great..."

"Why did you say it like that?" He had said the last sentence almost as a question.

"There's just one person..." Onew just shook his hand and waved it off. "Don't worry about it."

"Kim Kibum?" I asked before I realized it.

"So you've heard of the guy already?" He laughed. "Of course. Just don't listen to what people say about him, he's really not all that great."

"Do you know him well?" This only made me more curious about the guy.

"He's...." I looked over at Onew who was deep in thought. He opened his mouth again to speak but the first bell rang, blocking out his words.

"Sorry Taemin." Onew apologized for the bell. "I have to go to the office about my schedule, I'll see you soon."

He left waving with a huge smile on his face. My first friend. God, that was faster than I thought it would be. I reached into my pocket to find my schedule. Where was it? I checked all of my pockets trying not to panic.

How could I lose it already? Lee Taemin, your so stupid. I hit myself in the head as self punishment.

Whatever, I knew my first class. I'd just drop by the office afterwards.

I started running towards what I estimated to be the direction of my math class.

Onew's POV

Would this trouble him too much?

I unfolded the crumpled schedule in my hands. I'd noticed it in Taemin's jacket pocket and slipped it out, he hadn't noticed.

I stopped walking. No, I should go return it to him. I looked at the almost vacant hallway behind me, a few late students taking their time. It was too late anyway.

I felt like I needed to protect this clueless boy.

Right, I began to memorize his schedule.

I could switch to all of these, right?

Even if the math was a level higher than mine.