Kim Jongin:

"Three... Boxes... Gold, Silver and Bronze... What did the dude say?" I muttered to myself, tapping the pen lightly on my chin. The Merchant of Venice was flipped open on the wooden table and my worksheets lay messily around it. "Dang. this ." I relented, leaning back on my chair. The library is an awesome place to study, but not a good place to be in peace because there were girls staring at me from the other table. 

I ignored them and continued scanning the book, hoping answers would pop out magically. Seriously? Portia sounded like some melo-dramatic princess and Bassanio is like some retard who borrowed money to woo her. At least it's better than Romeo and Juliet, I thought. When I was flipping the next page, a voice asked me, "Oppa! Can you sign this for me?" 

Staring at her, I nodded slowly and received the small piece of paper. I then signed on it carelessly before returning it to the girl. She squealed madly and dashed off, causing many people to stare at her. I sighed and returned my attention to my book, attempting to find the answer. However, that little of a book didn't show me the slightest evidence. Throwing my arms in the air, I sighed once again and placed my head on the cold table.

"Yah," a voice said coldly. I then felt someone hitting my head with a piece of paper. "What the heck are you-" I said as I looked up. Then I realised those familiar owl eyes glaring at me. I muttered, "Do Kyungsoo." "You dropped your paper," he told me stiffly before passing me a piece of paper.

Looking between the paper and him, I took the paper grudgingly. "Thanks."

"What did you say?"

"Thanks."

"Still didn't hear you."

"Thank you!"

At my word, the entire library fell into a deathly silence as of it were falling into another dimension. Kyungsoo tutted sarcastically, "Thought you'd say never it." I gnashed my teeth furiously, "But I said it." He gave me a judging look and snorted, "Hmf. Why would a dog say sorry to a cat he's bitten?" I could feel the anger rising inside me. Who the does he think he is?

I placed my pen on the table before asking in a calmer tone, "Why do you say so?" Kyungsoo had the nerve to glare at me with annoyance. But I watched him pull up his sleeve and I saw an ugly raw scar running down his left arm for the first time. He was literally trembling with anger, "How do you explain this?" Usually, I didn't give a damn, but seeing at how deep the wound was, I was stunned.

Shocked momentarily, I looked at Kyungsoo and asked, "How the heck did you get that?!" By any rate, he seemed to get more pissed with every second. "Still denying it?" he asked me with a sharp accusatory voice. What the heck? I didn't even get into a fight lately, why would I go and cut Kyungsoo? Plus he's a son of a . Trying for a way out, I said, "Hey look. I didn't do it."

Kyungsoo emotionlessly took out something from his pocket before throwing it onto the table. Casting an uncomfortable look at Kyungsoo, I picked the small card up. If I were not in the library, I would have jumped in shock right away when I saw what was written on the card. I started panicking right away and stood up to face Kyungsoo, "I didn't do it. My father planned it."

"Yeah. Everything your father wants you'd probably do it as well," Kyungsoo laughed bitterly, "Are you going to admit it now?" Sometimes, that just gets me cornered with his words. Everything your father wants you'd probably do it as well. Shaking that thought aside, I in a deep breath and told Kyungsoo, "It really wasn't me. Plus, I will never, ever attack anyone with a.. knife. That's too much." We stared at each other for a moment.

Kyungsoo blinked his eyes and looked away, as if trying to wrap that thought around his mind. I noticed that his freakish owl eyes were more fractured than usual. Once again, I felt that weird painful tugging somewhere in my heart. "Okay... I'll believe what you said," Kyungsoo muttered. I sighed in relief internally but I was wondering at the same time if Dad was really trying to... get rid of Kyungsoo.

Suddenly, his eyes darted towards the worksheets on the table. Before I could protest, Kyungsoo reached out for the worksheet I was working on and began reading through it. "Give that back," I ordered, stretching out my hand to take back the worksheet. However, Kyungsoo just turned in another direction before I could snatch the worksheet away. , now he's going to make fun of me, I scowled mentally, looking at his back figure.

Kyungsoo asked as he turned around, "Seriously? This paper is freaking easy." His owl eyes flitted up to look at me in surprise. I gulped as my heart started beating quickly for some stupid reason. I stared awkwardly at him again and Kyungsoo stared back, his eyes opening slightly wider. Say something, you stupid prick. But I didn't. My tongue was tied much to my annoyance. His eyes are creepy. Actually, they're quite cute. No, Kim Jongin, please calm yourself down.

"Uh. Are you okay?" Kyungsoo asked in a weirded out tone before giving me a side look. Quickly finding my voice, I replied hastily, "I was thinking of something. What were you saying?" My heart still beating hard, I turned away and pretended to scan through the book. "Are you dumb or what?" I heard his voice over my shoulder and Kyungsoo picked up the book. I hoped Kyungsoo didn't notice that I froze.

Kyungsoo furrowed his brows and told me, pointing to a line in the book, "The answer is here." When I saw where he was pointing at, I stared at him in suspicion.

"Are you sure?"

"Duh. I finished this worksheet ages ago."

"But I've read this part thousands of times!"

"Just proves that, you Kim ing Jongin is as dumb as . Now, do you need my help?"

"Say that again?"

"You're as dumb as . Do you want my help?"

I stared at Kyungsoo unbelievably. Firstly, he calls me names and now he wants to help me? Talk about contradicting himself first. Kyungsoo clicked impatienty, "I don't have all day." He then set the book gently on the table. Still suspicious, I stayed silent, staring at him. "Ya," he said, turning around to face me, "I am serious about this. I'm not a joker like you." 

Hearing Kyungsoo's tone of voice, I felt convinced and slowly nodded while I sat down on my seat. I was aware of the many stares from the other tables when Kyungsoo sat down beside me. "Okay, so the answer for this question is right here because- Hey your answer to the first question is wrong."

During the time Kyungsoo was 'tutoring' me, I learnt a few more things about that owl. He absolutely dislikes people who interrupts him and he is very observerant. "You read this kind of stuff?" Kyungsoo asked me as he picked a book I had been reading before he came round. Noticing the book, I hurriedly snatched it out of his hands. "I-It's nothing," I stuttered, holding the book close to me.

Kyungsoo looked at me with genuine interest, "You read books about the wild." I could feel my face heating up. Oh my god... It was supposed to be a secret. Son of the fashion designer reading Nature books. Wow, I could imagine how it would look like on the papers. Grimacing, I leaned in closely to Kyungsoo and whispered, "Please don't tell anyone."

"Why would I tell anyone?" he asked in reply. I locked eyes with Kyungsoo for a moment before he turned away to look at the table. "I mean, it's nice that you read these kinds of books." I searched my mind for an answer. When I finally found one, I asked while gently placing the book on the table, "You seem interested in this book."

"... I, um, like the author."

"Oh. I see.." I replied emotionlessly, but my mind was racing. This Do Kyungsoo was more than what I thought. He also likes the author, I thought listlessly, Like me... Kyungsoo nodded silently, "It's getting late." "Oh right... You need to go?" I asked awkwardly, suddenly wishing I had more time with Kyungsoo. He nodded his head and slung his bag over his shoulder. Then I saw the scar peeking out of his sleeve by a few centimeters. A foreign sense of unjust came through me and I stopped Kyungsoo, "Ya. When did you get the cut?"

He slowly turned to look at me, his large eyes filled with mixed emotions which I couldn't identify.

"This morning."

"Does it still hurt?"

Kyungsoo bit his lip nervously before replying, "No." But his tense shoulder betrayed his answer. I decided not to press on for the truth but handed my blazer which was hanging on the chair to him. His eyes widened and he asked, "Why are you giving me your blazer?" Keeping my tone cool, I replied, "The scar looks ugly. It ruins your pretty face."

This is just me ruining a normal moment with my comment. Kyungsoo flared his nostrils, as if remembering that he hated me. "Jerk," he spat before leaving. After he left, I couldn't help but laugh to myself. Why can't I just accept him? Kyungsoo isn't that dislikable. Flipping through another worksheet and touching the notes Kyungsoo had written, I realised, I just couldn't accept Kyungsoo.

For one, it was Dad who was pushing me to finish him. For another, Kyungsoo's personality was too different from mine. Pushing that thought aside, I procceeded to stack the worksheets neatly into a pile when I noticed a blue lunchbox with a cartoon character on it. "Must be Kyungsoo's," I muttered as I picked it up and shook it. There was a sound of hard pieces of food hitting the sides of the lunch box.

Curiously, I pried it open and there were pieces of cookies inside. The fragrant smell hit my nose and my stomach growled involuntarily. my lips, I contemplated whether I should eat a piece. Finally, I popped one piece into my mouth, hoping Do Kyungsoo didn't poison them and put them there to assasinate me. A burst of butter, vanilla and chocolate filled my mouth.

Without realising it, the corner of my eyes began to blur. 

Do Kyungsoo:

That son of a biarch. Just when I thought everything was going well. I scoffed at my wishful thinking as I unlocked the front door of my house. The moment I opened the door, a large creature pounced on me and began yapping excitedly. I laughed, my anger dissipating for a moment. "Hey Kiran. Good to see you too." I said scratching the wolf roughly at the scruff.

The grey wolf made a soft howl and bounded off towards the yard where it opened up into the forest. Shutting the door, I made my way to the living room where Dad was busy tending to another wolf. "Stay still Nari," he said in a gruff tone as he tried flipping the female wolf on her side, but she only made a whimpering sound and shimmied away from Dad.

"How's she?" I asked as I slipped quietly up to Dad, observing Nari. There was an obvious hump in her stomach area. Dad seemed surprised to see me. He said while he sat up straight on the chair, "Kyungsoo. You're back." I nodded my head. He scratched his head before answering in a perplexed voice, "She's getting very aware of her surroundings. I can't check on her easily."

Nari then stood up and ran outside to join Kiran. I watched Kiran give Nari an affectionate nip on the ear before asking, "How many more months?" "One. Then the pups will be born," Dad replied, a smile obvious in his voice. The two of us sat at the edge of the yard, watching the couple play with each other in the trees. "Dad, I have a question for you." 

He smiled benignly to me, "What is it?" I plucked a dandelion from the grass and asked, "Why do we hate people?" Dad thought for a while before answering, "For me, I think it's because we don't have what other party has. We get jealous." Nari howled in annoyance when Kieran accidentally kicked her in the back legs, close to her stomach. I then thought of Jongin. Nope. There isn't anything that I envy of him.

Plucking another stalk of dandelion, I asked again, "Any other reasons?" Dad looked at me weird, as if I was getting a little bonkers. "Just this once," I pleaded. He relented and answered thoughtfully, "If not, I think the two parties like each other." "Why?!" I asked loudly, only realising my shocked tone a few seconds later. Dad seemed to ignore it (fortunately).

"Because, love and hate aren't that different. Both of them are very strong feelings, and they can easily turn into each other."

At that sentence, Kiran ran up to Nari with meat in his mouth. Nari seemed to judge her partner for a while before accepting the meat as an apology. After that, she nipped at Kiran's ear lovingly. As if Dad knew what I was looking at, he continued in a soft voice, "You see? They aren't that different."

When I didn't say anything, Dad patted me lightly on the back, "I hope you'll think over this, and try to forgive the person you're talking about. They may have problems that you don't know of." He stood up and left me alone at the yard. Blowing at the dandelions, I thought about Jongin and Dad's words. They did make sense. But unfortunately, I doubt that we would ever be on talking terms. My scar ached once again.

Then, I wondered if Jongin could be