Chapter THREE.

…and our candidates are

The next few days at school weren’t all that eventful other than the fact we were holding elections for the class president. Of course the same candidates offered themselves up again this year.

Park Jiyeon, Jung Eunji and Lee Sungyeol.

My vote went to Sungyeol for obvious reasons as I couldn’t possibly imagine what would happen if Park Jiyeon or Jung Eunji took reigns over 2-C.

Park Jiyeon was part of the group known as T-ara (pronounced like “tiara”) at Loen and you could say they were your resident “Mean Girls”. No, they didn’t cause massive catfights or anything like the movie. Loen High wasn’t that exciting. Although there have been a few cases…that I’d rather not discuss.

But they did storm around campus like they owned the place, invoking fear in all teenage girls (and boys) everywhere. If you were lucky enough, you could live off their radar and they wouldn’t bother you at all. The secret was to either worship the ground they walked on or become completely invisible to them.

Sadly I had the misfortune of doing something I really shouldn't have. Mind you, I don’t regret my actions one bit. But that in result meant that Park Jiyeon and myself did not get along.

Jung Eunji on the other hand, I had nothing against really. Then again the two of us hardly held a conversation together so I guess I couldn’t say much. And it didn't help that I couldn't understand her accent half the time.

All I know was that she was one of the biggest fangirls on campus in our year level. Like I’m talking massive fangirl. Eunji was a Kim Sunggyu fan (he was one of the “Leaders”) – wait actually, she was Kim Sunggyu’s Fanclub President to be exact.

The girl wasn’t obsessed, but she would constantly ask Sungyeol about the third year who in result would pass the questions to me and somehow we’d end up (well I nodded really) fangirling about what an amazing leader, Sunggyu-sunbaenim was and how he was oozing with charisma. Yeah, I’ve pretty much memorised Jung Eunji’s fangirl musings. Then again, I guess her job as Fanclub President required that.

I always wondered what it would be like to have a fangirl as our class president. She’d probably just make us do events for said leader and that would probably make Sungyeol and the rest of the males in our class want to jump off our floor. I wouldn’t blame them.

Whatever the higher powers were planning, Lee Sungyeol seemed to be the safe choice for 2-C. Maybe that was how he became president. His life goal may be reachable after all.

At the end of the week, to no surprises, Chance announced that 2-C’s class president this year would be Lee Sungyeol. The latter jumped for joy and did a whole lap around the classroom and outside the whole fourth floor before coming back in and doing it all over again.

Where he found that energy would always amaze me.

“Is he always like that?” a voice from behind me said.

The accent told me it was newbie and I turned around to see a very amused Lee Howon watching our class president prancing around like a mad man.

I nodded, “Yeah, but you get used to it.”

“Egumonina¹,” he gaped and I couldn’t help but chuckle at his interesting expression of shock.

“E-gu-mo-ni-na?” I chuckled under my breath, “That’s cute,”

“Well, you’re cuter,” he said almost immediately and my head snapped back at him.

“Huh?”

He must’ve heard me because he the corner of his mouth and bit down on his lip in what I could only guess as embarrassment. Howon scratched the back of his neck and did this small tilt as if trying to reply.

Not gonna lie, that was cute.

To save Howon and I any more awkward moments, Sungyeol came screaming back in and jumped on Min’s empty desk.

“Undec. After school. I’ll gather the crew and we’ll meet at the gates okay?”

I nodded dumbly, knowing I really had no choice in the matter when it came to anything Lee Sungyeol asked of me. It was quite sad but there really was no use in declining any of the male’s offers.

“Oi Busan,” Howon’s head snapped up and raised an eyebrow at the male. “That means you too.”

“Uh, I can’t--”

“Sweet. School gates. 4:30.”

And with that Sungyeol was off. Again. Probably to visit Myungsoo and convince him to join us and gather his other senior friends.

Howon was left with that confused look on his face again and Chansung moved himself over to the new kid, dragging me and a reluctant Junho along with him.

The duo explained to them that as crazy as Sungyeol seemed, he wasn’t that crazy and that hanging out with him outside of campus wasn’t all that bad. And that most things Sungyeol said went. No didn’t exactly exist in the male’s vocabulary.

My name was called and I looked towards the back door of our class. The source of the voice was none other than Blondie Number 2, Jang Dongwoo. He whispered my name again and motioned me to come outside. He carried that contagious smile and was bouncing on the balls of his feet and it sometimes made me question how the male was my senior.

Grabbing my camera, I ducked under Chansung’s arm and easily made my way towards the exit. Elective classes were starting soon but knowing my photography teacher, he'd probably just give us a free period. How I loved my Friday classes.

We reached the greenhouse as Dongwoo swiped his wallet and held the door open. He closed the glass door behind us and it beeped and I wondered when they upgraded the greenhouse. Did plants need that much security?

The greenhouse wasn’t really a greenhouse. Well it was because of all the plants and functionality and glass exterior but it wasn’t your traditional, standard glass box. I don’t know if it was because Nichkhun’s grandparents donated the greenhouse but it really was of a royal calibre. The glass panels were held up by black, metal beams and the roof of the greenhouse was completely flat, allowing a perfect view of the sky. The floors were tiled in a marbled, light grey and the sides were framed with floating hedges throughout the whole house. There was a cute “hang out” corner that dipped down and was filled with coloured cushions and which made the perfect napping area (mostly Dongwoo’s though). There was a dining-like area on the opposite corner where a black, glass coffee table and a cream coloured sofa and cushioned bench were placed.

It was way too pretty from any greenhouse I had seen.

It was located near the back corner of Loen, behind the concert hall and was an extension to the newly revamped Infinity room as it had been recently dubbed. Originally it was the old music classroom but after Ok Taecyeon’s parents donated the new music wing, they kinda abandoned this site. Apparently Woohyun managed to convince the club coordinator to let his club (well he wasn’t the leader but Kim Sunggyu often handed over such responsibilities to him) take over the abandoned classroom and in result we got the Infinity.

Dongwoo fluttered around the hanging violet phloxes, pulling some of the unwanted weeds out and I knew I had to take a photo. I followed behind Dongwoo as he bounced around whistling to a tune that had been playing in the school halls.

The greenhouse to Jang Dongwoo was like what that third floor stairwell was to me. An escape from everything and everyone. A place to just let go and let your thoughts wander and let yourself to just breathe. And I had come to know this just before the summer of last year when I had the chance to meet Dongwoo.

I had actually met Dongwoo through Chansung one day when we were studying in the library. Apparently Blondie Number 2 was Chansung’s mentor. I still haven’t figured out what that meant but all I did know was that the two had known each other since middle school and they had very deep discussions. Even I couldn’t keep track of what they were talking about sometimes. Too philosophical for my liking.

Anyways, Dongwoo and I had bumped into each other on multiple occasions on campus and one day he brought me here, to his “home away from home.” He often brought me here when something was on his mind or to just simply accompany him as he tended to his plants.

The only thing was that Jang Dongwoo wasn’t one to skip class. At all. We’d only come here before or after class, never during. I looked up at the male again and it was then when I noticed something different about his movements. He seemed preoccupied with something as his hands couldn’t stop moving and he would mumble something to himself now and again. It was odd. Especially from someone who was always composed.

He disappeared into Infinity and came back with two cans of juice and handed one to me. I took it and followed him to the cushioned area. We moved the cushions to allow our feet to fit in the little hole and Dongwoo took a seat across from me.

“Dongwoo-sunbae,” I started slowly.

He was fiddling with one of the fluffy balls hanging on the end of one of the green pillows and I knew this probably wouldn’t be easy. I wasn’t one to pry (well actually being in the magazine committee it was kinda in the job description but I always did it from afar) okay maybe I was. But confronting somebody head on like this was not in my nature.

Before I could continue he said my name as he met my eye line.

“Can you help me?”

I tilted my head in confusion. Why would Jang Dongwoo ask me for help?

“As a girl?”

And yay for new banners!