“Oh? Hyosung-ssi, you’re back,”

“Ah, yes,” replied Hyosung.

“But… that, Hyosung-ssi, I was under the impression that you had a flu yesterday,” Jaesuk said. “I didn’t know you were also practicing boxing at the same time,” continued Jaesuk, referring to the bandage around Hyosung’s hand.

The whole class laughed at his joke.

“I’m just joking Hyosung,” laughed Jaesuk. “Don’t take it seriously,”

“Ok-okay..”

“All right everyone, we’ll be having a pop quiz shortly,” resumed Jaesuk. The classroom was filled with moans. “I know, I know. But I also have to do my job you know..”

Everyone took out their stationeries and waited for the test papers to be handed out. As soon as everyone got their test papers, the pop quiz began. The classroom was filled with sounds of scribbling and clicking. Kikwang occasionally looked up at his classmates. It didn’t take long for students to start biting their pens, looking out of the window and pulling their hair out. Only three people looked really calm throughout the test, Hyosung, Seohyun, and, surprisingly, Joon.

Yoseob turned to his left and looked straight at Kikwang. “Psst.. Kiki, what’s the answer for number 12?” whispered Yoseob.

Kikwang took one glance at the question. “I don’t know either,” Kikwang whispered back.

“Then go and ask Hyosung!”

“What? No way! Y-you can’t cheat,”

“What?! You cheat all the time!”

“No!”

Yoseob mumbled in frustration then turned to his right and whispered something to Simon D. Simon D then leaned back and stared at Kikwang. “Kikwang! Just go and ask Hyosung!” mouthed Simon D silently.

Kikwang pretended he didn’t understand. “What?”

“Just go and ask Hyosung!” Simon D mouthed again.

“The answer’s ‘‘Archimedes’ principles’,” whispered Hyosung without even looking at Kikwang.

Kikwang looked at her with a surprised look on his face.

“Ya! Kiki! What did she say?”

“Huh? Oh, right. Archimedes’ principles,” Kikwang accidentally said it out loudly.

“Kikwang-ssi, even though I’m trying to turn a blind eye to help you guys out, screaming out the answer’s is a bit too much,” warned Jaesuk.

“Ah, so-sorry, Jaesuk-ssi,”

***

“Well, that was easy!” said Joon jovially.

Kikwang looked at him in awe. “Seriously?”

“You might not know this before, but there are actually two types of confident people,” interrupted Soyeon. “One is like Hyosung, who’s confident because she actually knows the answer, and the other one is like Joon here who’s confident because he ‘thinks’ he knows the answer, but doesn’t know that he got everything wrong,”

Kikwang laughed when he heard Soyeon’s explanation.

“Ya!” retorted Joon.

“Aish, I seriously wasted too much time on question 12,” Min thought out loud.

“That one? Isn’t the answer Archimedes’ principle?” Yoseob said.

“Oh? Is it? How did you know the answer?”

“Aish, that one? That was easy. Everybody knows Archimedes’ principles. Right Kiki?” Yoseob said with a straight face.

“Ah, yes~,”

“How did you do?” Min asked Kikwang.

“Hmm? Me? Okay, I guess,” Kikwang mused. “I’m a ‘brain’ you know,”

“Me too, I’m a ‘brain’ too,” interjected Joon.

“Hah, you’re a no ‘brain’!” replied Kikwang.

The group was laughing at the joke when the teacher, told them to sit down at their seats and announced the results.

“Okay! We’ll start with the highest, Hyosung-ssi with 20/20,” announced Jaesuk. “Congratulations,”

“Thank you teacher,” replied Hyosung.

“Oh? It seems someone else also got full mark,” Jaesuk said. “Seohyun-ssi, congratulations!”

The teacher proceeded to announce the results of the class members in a descending order.

“Soyeon-ssi, you got 17/20, good job,”

“Yes~”

“Min, you got 15/20, not bad,”

“Thank you,”

“Yoseob-ssi, you got 12/20,”

“Ah, yes,”

“Oh? This can’t be right,” Jaesuk suddenly said. “Wait, let me recheck this,”, Jaesuk looked up with a surprised look on his face. “Wow, Joon-ssi you got 12/20! Congratulations!”

Joon looked surprised when he heard the teacher, “Th-Thank you,”

“Kikwang, you got 11/20,” announced Jaesuk. “This, you barely passed you know?”

“Ye-yes, teacher. I’ll try harder next time,”

***

“What kind of brain are you?” joked Yoseob.

“Shut up, you’re just one point higher than me,” replied Kikwang.

“So? I still beat you!”

“Cut it out guys,” interrupted Min. “But Joon’s mark really surprised everyone, I think,”

“Yeah, Joon looked pretty surprised himself,” Kikwang thought out loud. “I wonder why he went over to the teacher,”

“Nah, he’s always surprised after a test,” Soyeon added. “That’s because in his head, he’s always thinking that he’ll get full marks for the test,”

“Which, I’m assuming never happened,” said Kikwang.

“Rite, he’s probably there insisting he got full marks to the teacher,” continued Soyeon.

After the teacher finally handled Joon, he stood up to leave the class. “Hyosung-ssi, could you please help me carry these test papers back to my office?”

“Ok, teacher,”

“Mmm, bring it to my office during recess, okay?”

***

*school bell rings*

“Kikwang, Hyosung, we’re gonna go grab a bite now, you guys wanna come?” invited Soyeon.

Kikwang took a quick glance at Hyosung who avoided his gaze. “Sure,” replied Kikwang.

“I can’t,” replied Hyosung. “I have to send these test papers over to Jaesuk-ssi,”

“Ah, on second thought, I still have some things I need to finish up here,” Kikwang hurriedly said. “You guys go on ahead, I’ll catch up,”

Hyosung eyed him suspiciously.

“Okay, suit yourself,” Joon said before going off to the canteen.

Once everyone had left for recess, Kikwang turned towards Hyosung who was busy sorting out the test papers.

“Hey, thanks for earlier,”

“It’s okay,” Hysosung responded coldly. “I wasn’t helping you, I was helping Yoseob,”

“Oh, okay,” Kikwang said slowly. “You need any help with that?”

“No thanks, I can handle this by myself.” Hyosung quickly stood up and brought the test papers out of the class.

The heavy papers kept pushing against the big cut on her palm, which made her really uncomfortable. Then, some students were running around the hallway and one of them rammed straight into Hyosung.

“Ouch!” Hyosung felt the cut on her hands opening up again.

“So-sorry..” the boy who rammed into him stuttered.

“Scram,” Hyosung heard someone said from her back. The boy then quickly stood up and ran away.

Kikwang then came forward and picked up the scattered test papers. Once all the papers were collected, he tucked the papers under one arm, and used his other arm to pull Hyosung up.

“Thanks,” Hyosung said while brushing her skirt. “Now give me back the test papers.”

Kikwang just ignored her and walked on with the test papers.

Hyosung walked quickly to catch up to him. “I told you, I don’t need your help,” while grabbing his shoulder with her bandaged hands..

Kikwang quickly grabbed the hand and faced Hyosung. He then stared straight into Hyosung’s eyes, which surprised Hyosung.

“Wh-What are you doing?” stuttered Hyosung. “Let me go!” Kikwang gave her hands a slight pressure. “Ah!” Hyosung let out slightly.

“A girl I met, once called me a thick-headed fool, because I can’t lower my pride,” Kikwang said. “So, what should we call you, who can’t lower your pride enough to ask someone for help?”

“I said, let me go!” insisted Hyosung.

“I’ll let you go, if you let me help you,”

Hyosung bit her lip. “Fine, just let me go first,”

“Good,” Kikwang smiled. “Because I have to ask you, where is the teacher’s office?”

“Hah,” Hyosung smiled in disbelief. “Follow me,”

Kikwang followed Hyosung to the teacher’s office. Neither of them said anything before Kikwang said, “What’s up with the bandage?”

“Hmm? My mom kind of overreacted when she saw the cut yesterday,” explained Hyosung. “Says that I should wrap this around my hand,”

“So, I guess you took my band-aids off then,”

“N-No, it’s still there,” blushed Hyosung.

They reached the teacher’s office and left left the papers on Jaesuk’s desk. When they left, and Hyosung wanted to go to the canteen, Kikwang grabbed her hands and said, “Where do you think you’re going? You’re coming with me to the nurse’s office,”

“Wh-Why? My hand’s fine,”

“No it’s not, and we’re gonna get that checked,” insisted Kikwang.

***

“All right, now let’s unwrap that bandage now Hyosung-ssi,”

“Ah, yes,”

“Hmm? Why do you have band-aids under your bandage?” asked the nurse.

“Uhm.. A ‘friend’ gave it to me,” Hyosung said. Kikwang chuckled when he heard that.

“Well then, we’re gonna have to take that off now,”

“Ah, th-that..” stuttered Hyosung.

“Hmm? Do you need something Hyosung?” asked the nurse.

“Misun-ssi, those band-aids, can’t we reuse them?” asked Hyosung.

“What are you saying? Of course not!” replied Misun.

“Ah..” Hyosung sighed in disappointment.

“Now let’s apply some disinfectant and…”

***

“There, that should do it,” Misun said, putting the finishing touches on the wound. “Now, where did I put the big ‘band-aids’?”

“Uhm, Misun-ssi, can she use mine?” asked Kikwang, taking out a big band-aid with a cute ‘Pororo’ design.

“Oh, sure, that would work just fine,” answered Misun.

Kikwang went on and patched up the cut himself while smiling to himself when he saw Hyosung blush.

“Okay, all done,” said Misun, when Kikwang finished patching up the cut. “Now Hyosung-ssi, you should take care of your hand better next time,”

“Yes~, thank you, Misun-ssi,” thanked Hyosung.

“Well, recess’ almost over, ‘friend’,” teased Kikwang. “So I guess no food for you,”

“Ya, you think your band-aids are so great?” retorted Hyosung.

“Well, if you don’t like them, give em’ back,” Kikwang joked around.

“No, you gave it to me, so it’s mine now,”

“Wah, you sure don’t lack attitude, I’ll give you that,”

Hyosung was just about to say something to that, when they saw students crowding in front of one of the two notice board in the hallway.

“Let’s see what they’re looking at,” Hyosung said.

“What? With that hand of yours?” Kikwang scolded her. “No, I’ll take a look, you stay here,”

“Guys, where’ve you been? We’ve been looking everywhere for you,” interrupted Yoseob. “Over here,” Yoseob motioned for them to follow.

They went over to Soyeon’s seat, “What is it?” Kikwang asked.

“Read this,” Joon handed him a poster.

“’Oh my school!’ annual music festival?” read Kikwang. “So? What does that has to do with us?”

“It says here that participation is required for every student,” explained Joon. “So we were thinking whether you’d like to join us and make a trio; you, me, and Yoseob here,”

“Sounds fun,” answered Kikwang. “Okay, sign me in,”

“All rite!” exclaimed Joon.

Hyosung took the poster and read it. “But, where did you get this?” wondered Hyosung.

“Soyeon took it off the left notice board before anyone noticed it,” answered Min.

Soyeon just held out a ‘peace’ sign while continuing to read her magazine and chewing gum.

***

Two boys are seen leisurely cycling into the school. The few students who still haven’t went back to their classes are all whispering around when they saw them.

“Hyung, I don’t really get why we have to go to school today,” one of the boys asked. “I thought the teacher said we get the week off,”

“Minhyuk-ah, we’re resting from our studies,” answered the other boy. “It doesn’t mean we should slack off from our music,” continued the boy. “Now, let’s go meet our band mates, I’m sure they missed us,” smirked the boy.