Chapter 2 

It was Wednesday and high hopes and random guessing obviously did not help Myungsoo pass the test. Yes, he did attempt to study, he really did. 

But the moment he opened the textbook, the page blurred before his eyes and he almost swore that the words were jumping out of the book and dancing around just to confuse him even more.

Ok, maybe that was a bit too exaggerating. 

To put it simply, Myungsoo doesn't know how to study. And without the knowledge on knowing how to read a damn textbook and take notes, he faced the consequences of failing.

His pride, his dignity, his brain.

Destroyed.

So that is why Myungsoo is standing inside the gym at this moment holding onto a broom with the other failures.

"Next time, I'm definitely going to study a week before a test!" Sungyeol grumbled, half-heartedly sweeping the floor with the broom.

"That's what you always say." 

"This time I'm serious! I will study and not spend any time playing games. I'm going to be a changed man."

Myungsoo rolled his eyes. "That's also what you always say."

"You know what." Sungyeol huffed "We're just not working out. We need to take a break. It's you not me." He over dramatically sobbed and dragged his feet elsewhere. 

Myungsoo chuckled at his idiot of a best friend and continued sweeping up the pieces of confetti from the last football game. 

Missing lunch to clean the gym was not what he had planned to do on a Wednesday afternoon. 

Sunggyu, Sungjong, Woohyun and Hoya skipped school to pick up Yejin up from the airport. Yejin and Myungsoo were both the same age, both 92'liner. She's Sunggyu's girlfriend and they've been in a long distance relationship for about 2 years as Yejin went to the US to study. Yejin and the others always got along and hung out after school ; eating ice cream in the summer, drinking hot chocolate in the cold winters, going to the arcade and playing until they barely had any money to catch a bus home. It was fun and Myungsoo cherished Yejin a lot as well as the others also. 

They were a bunch of great friends.

But 2 years ago, Yejin went to study abroad in the US when her father got promoted to another country. 

Myungsoo was happy she was coming back to visit because that meant they get to hang out again as six guys and one girl.

However, 2 years ago before Yejin moved,

She confessed to Myungsoo.

In some way, Myungsoo also saw that Yejin gave a little bit more attention towards him than others. But when she confessed, Myungsoo just smiled and told her to be safe. A some-what indirect rejection.

Then after a few months, she got together with Sunggyu and Myungsoo was happy for the both.

"Yo, Myungsoo. Did you bring the dust mop?" Dongwoo, his classmate yelled across the gym.

Myungsoo broke out of his thoughts, looked around at all the cleaning supplies then yelled back. "No. I must have forgot to get it. I'll go now."

He put his broom aside against the wall and walked out of the gym. 

Walking to the staff room, he borrowed the key for the janitors room that was located of the rooftop. Myungsoo, made his way up the roof and saw the door slightly opened.

Assuming someone forgot to shut it when they were getting the supplies, he pushed it slightly and widened the gap just so he could slip through.

The janitors room was just a few steps away from the entrance. He slipped the key inside and unlocked the door, opening it up and looked around for the dust mop.

After grabbing a few dust mops from the room, he closed the door and locked it. Just when he was about to leave, he noticed someone was sitting on the floor, her back against the low concrete wall that prevented her from falling off the edge and breaking every bone in her body. 

Usually, no one would come up the rooftop unless they needed something from the janitors room. Although, the view was beautiful it would either be too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter.

Myungsoo took one step forward and started to slowly approach her.

But he tripped.

The strands on his hair flew up as he flew down, the mop escaping out from his hands and he was body slamming the ground.

She looked up startled and sees him on the floor, just a few metres away from where she sat.

Myungsoo groaned in pain before he also looked up.

Eye to eye, they were staring at each other.

Embarassed. Myungsoo quickly got up and patted the dirt off his uniform, face red from humiliation.

"U-Uh." He nervously stuttered. "F-Female weasels are really during mating season, t-they'll die from exhaustion if they're not relieved."

"W-What?"

And then it turned really awkward.

Damn it Myungsoo, why are you like this.

"I-I mean.. The male porcupine showers the female with long streams of urine before mating"

"R-Really?"

"Yeah.." He gulped, wanting the ground to just swallow him up. "But an octopus's breaks off during mating, don't worry though because they grow back the following season."

Oh my god, Myungsoo. Just stop. Hajima. 

"Do you have an interest in aquatic animals' ual habits?" He finished. 

She stayed still, too still that Myungsoo thought they were in a freeze frame. 

"I-I mean" He tried to find an excuse.

"N-No it's ok." 

This couldn't get any more awkward. 

Shirah turned her attention back to her work and Myungsoo stared at her with envy, still standing at the same spot for a few minutes before he spoke.

"How do you do that?" He asked.

She looked up, confused. "Do what?"

"All that. It's such a brain sore. I can't get my head around it even if i wanted to."

"It's just- you just try not to get distracted."

"That's such a difficult task for me."

Her eyes glanced at the mops on the floor. "You didn't pass the test?"

"Huh? Oh!" He bent down and picked up the mops "Yeah. It was pretty hard."

"So, you're missing your lunch break to clean up?"

He nodded. "Yeah. We just need to finish mopping up and then we'll be done."

"That .."

"Yeah."

"Myungsoo god damn it. I was about to file a missing persons report!" Sungyeol stood by the entrance and screamed, his arms folded.

Myungsoo and Shirah both turned their attention to the taller male.

"Stop talking to other people just so you can find an excuse to not clean up!" Sungyeol shook his fist in the air. "Just because I'm ranking seven places lower than you does not give you the advantage!" 

Myungsoo rolled his eyes.

He looked back at Shirah. "I should go back to slavery." 

She silently nodded and Myungsoo lifted up his free hand, opening his palm he waved a goodbye before turning around to leave.

"Wait." 

He stopped and turned back around.

She held up her untouched sandwiches and offered it to him.

"You and your friend haven't had lunch."

Myungsoo took the sandwiches. "Thanks. I'll see you in class." He smiled and left with Sungyeol back to the gym.

"I-Is that for me?!" Sungyeol's eyes glimmered at the heavenly food sitting oh-so-beautifully in his friends embrace.

"Shirah gave it for us to share."

"There's no us in food, Myungsoo." 

"Then you're not having any."

"THERE IS US IN FOOD. THERE IS US IN FOOD." 

And so they had half a sandwich each and finished cleaning up the gym before heading back to class exhausted.