A/N: HEY GUYS IM BACK!!!!!! Yes the last time I updated asianfanfics or any fanfic in general was right before the lawsuit even began (daehyun was showing signs of distress at some concert jfc… it was ages ago, time really flies wow) It’s been a year so I suggest you reread this fic again because you’ve probably forgotten a good bit of it. Those who are still here and reading, thank you so much! Please enjoy this update :)

Youngjae frowned as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Not that she would admit it to Himchan or any of her classmates (and also a certain idiotic student president), but she knew that she was way behind in class. Twirling her pen nimbly in her hand, she stared down gloomily at the worksheet before her. , if only she could just drop out of school.

“You’re actually studying after school?”

She glared up at the remark, to be greeted by Im Jaebum’s infamous smirk. The boy pulled out the seat in front of her table only to have it kicked away by Youngjae’s foot. “I didn’t say you could sit here.” She snapped back.

 Jaebum rolled his eyes and dragged the chair back and sitting down immediately so that she couldn’t kick it away again. “What a ,” he muttered under his breath, skilfully moving his legs away in time as Youngjae aimed a kick to his shin.

“Then off.” She sullenly said as she flipped to the back page of the textbook to check if her answers were correct. Jaebum stared at her for a moment before sighing. “I’m going to the club today, you coming?”

Youngjae chewed on her lower lip distractedly, humming in response as she circled her wrong answers in bright red ink. “I’m not that smart as you,” she paused as she counted the number of questions she got correct and scribbled it on the front page. “I only got a fifty-five percent.” She glanced up just in time to catch Jaebum staring at her in an oddly curious way.

“What.” She deadpanned.

Jaebum’s impish grin spread across his lips as he leaned closer to her. “I never realized this but you look really cute when you’re focusing on something,” His grin grew wider, and Youngjae narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you dare, Im Jaebum.”

“You would look way cuter when you’re focusing on my di-“

The door flung open, revealing a flustered-looking Kim Himchan. Youngjae took the chance while Jaebum was momentarily distracted to jam her foot into his chair, and watched in cruel delight as the said boy toppled not so gracefully onto the floor with a high-pitched yelp.

Himchan was glaring at Youngjae from the door. “And here I thought you were brooding over Jung Daehyun, but you’re here with this douchebag instead.” She accused, making her way in and perching herself on the table next to Youngjae.

Jaebum finally struggled to his feet, scowling sulkily. “I’m definitely the closest to Youngjae, who the is a Jung Daehyun?” His almond-shaped eyes widened incredulously. “No way, that annoying student head?”

With a grimace, Youngjae snapped her books shut and shoved them under her table. “No one that special that you should know of,” she said calmly watched as he looked considerably less offended and later shot a smug smirk in Himchan’s direction. The other girl glowered back at him, turning her nose up as Jaebum continued being the clingiest puppy that Youngjae never wanted.

It took way too long to get Jaebum to stop hanging around, even Youngjae agreed as Himchan stared daggers after his diminishing figure from afar. They were finally out of school (unsurprisingly, it was late enough that the street lamps were already lit). Himchan was going on about Jaebum being bad influence (as if Youngjae herself wasn’t one) and how golden boy Daehyun was obviously the better choice (as if Youngjae wanted to pick).

“Alright, I get it,” she irritably said as she cut the other girl off. “I’m not interested in either of them, nor are they interested in me,” she stated flatly. “And also, both of them are big s, why would I care?”

Himchan looked as if she wanted to rebut and stand up for Daehyun but decided to shut up, sensing Youngjae’s foul mood. She pursed her lips. “Alright, you win.”

“No, you win,” the younger laughed sarcastically. “Did you get yourself on Yongguk’s already?”

That earnt Youngjae several frantic smacks on her shoulder as Himchan blushed with the collective intensity of five suns. “You’re so crude!” the elder hissed as she viciously swiped at a cackling Youngjae again. “What, so the teddy bear finally confessed to you?”

Himchan shrugged, cheeks aflame. “I’m not even sure myself! Hee just held my hand for a few minutes before leaving...” she trailed off dreamily as she recalled how Yongguk’s long fingers had felt intertwined between hers, unsurprisingly sweaty and warm. She had always known that he almost always had sweaty palms, not like it made her grossed out. Well, Yongguk was gross (she had to admit) but she was somehow miraculously—and hopelessly—immune to seeing the negativity of his short-comings.

The younger girl swung her backpack and it smashed into Himchan’s side, causing her to yelp out several vulgarities and cover hastily. How lady-like, Youngjae thought darkly, smiling at her slyly. “When will you two idiots gather whatever speck of courage you have and confess, I really wonder,” she said distastefully. “By then, I would already have gained ownership of eight cats and white hair.”  Himchan harrumphed, totally unimpressed. “You’re kidding, right? More like by then, you and Daehyun would already have slept toget—OUCH!”

Youngjae had perfect aim, she realized. And also, strength that one would never have thought could exist in such a small stature.

--

The moment Yongguk stepped into his flat, he knew something was up. Yongnam was seated at the dining table, for once. As he peered around the corner, he felt his heart sink even more when he saw his father at the table as well. His mother was at the sink, doing the dishes. She looked up when he entered and smiled half-heartedly. “Son, you’re back,” she said.

“What’s the occasion?” he lightly said, nodding at her before sliding into the seat next to his twin brother. Yongnam scoffed under his breath, crossing his arms as he slouched down further in his chair. The air was thick with tension; Yongguk could compare this to back then when he had been caught for the second time wrecking school property and smoking in campus. His father looked up from his papers and eyed him down, seemingly impressed by how significantly tidy he looked in his uniform compared to during his rebellion days. Clearing his throat, the older man put down his papers and leaned forward. “This is no occasion, nothing much actually--”

“Yeah, nothing much,” Yongnam sneered. “We’re just being sent to the other side of town during the holidays to do volunteer work.” His twin seemed heavily disgruntled, despite acting as if he wasn’t that bothered by the change of plans. Yongguk felt his fists ball up under the table. “But I thought you wanted me to attend the last senior camp at school?” he asked irritably.

His father looked more uncomfortable with each passing second, and Yongguk almost see him shrinking under the suit he always wore. Deep inside, he already knew what his father was thinking, but he had the tiniest bit of hope in his heart, the same hope that 12-year old Yongguk had when he proudly showed his father his drawn artwork only to have it brushed aside by the adult as he carried on with his telephone call. His mother joined them at th