Chapter 2

“Okay, so here’s the game plan.” Donghae said as he paced in front of a sitting Hyukjae. It was the end of the school day and they were sitting outside at the park opposite the school grounds, Hyukjae leaning against a tree as he enjoyed the shade it provided him on such a sunny day, while Donghae move up and down before him, making him feel slightly dizzy with his dizzy.

“We’ll tackle this one subject at a time. How about we start with Math?” the pacing boy paused to ask the one sitting down. Hyukjae could see that Donghae hadn’t taken their teacher’s earlier comments too well and was currently wracking his brain to try and figure out a way to prove the man wrong.
  Hyukjae honestly couldn’t see what the big deal was. Wasn’t it a teacher’s job not to have any faith in their students? From his experience, that was always the case.  Nobody ever had any faith in his capabilities. Nobody ever asked him if he needed any help with his school work, hell, nobody ever even though he could offer them any help when they needed to understand something school related.
  Everybody always assumed the same thing about him; Lee Hyukjae is a dumb failure who can’t even pass a class test.

But they were wrong, and Hyukjae didn’t care. All he knew was that he wasn’t going to kill himself over an assignment that he knew he would pass any way.
Hyukjae stood up from his spot and dusted himself off, walking away as Donghae stood the trying to figure himself out.

“Hey where are you going?!” asked Donghae while following behind. Hyukjae chose to ignore him and put his earphone that he’d dug out of his bag in his ears. He wasn’t about to bother himself listening to someone as stuck up as Donghae. He hadn’t even apologised for slapping him earlier, which is something that made Hyukjae dislike him even more.

Why on earth did anyone think he would bother himself sticking to someone who felt as entitled as Donghae did to his grades? Kid like him who always had the brains never knew how tough it was for kids like Hyukjae to make it through the year to find that they’d passed at the end of the day. Based on this theory, Hyukjae told himself that he wouldn’t let Donghae have any say on how he passed this assignment. He always managed to come up with the grades he needed to pass I previous years so what was different this year, the fact that he had a partner? No, nothing was different and as far as he was concerned, nobody dictated to him how he would pass the year; not his class, not his teacher, and sure as hell not Lee Donghae.

Donghae was annoyed. He couldn’t find it in himself to contain his annoyance as he chased after Hyukjae as he walked away.

If this is how he handles everything then Donghae couldn’t help but think how difficult a term this was going to be.

“Hyukjae!” He said, grabbing the other boys arm as he managed to catch up to him and stop him in his step. “Look, I’m not in the mood for resistance okay. Just say so if you don’t want to do this and I’ll do it for us both. Either way, I won’t let you ruin my grades with your bad attitude and incompetence!”

Donghae’s tone was harsh with irritation and impatience while Hyukjae’s brows knitted in anger. Hyukjae roughly pulled his arm out of Donghae’s grip and scowled at the other, not really caring for his tone of voice.

“Do whatever the hell you want, just don’t touch me!” Hyukjae snapped and his heels, heading home while Donghae stayed where he left him; fuming at the nerve of him.

“Why you…” Donghae said, already formulating the different ways in which he could strangle Hyukjae.

He definitely wouldn’t be partnering with that brat. He’d find a way around this forced commitment.

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Donghae spent entire night looking through the stack of study sheets he and Hyukjae had to fill out. They were all assessment meant to be filled out based on class interactions and lessons during each school day. Donghae had looked through all subjects to find that he was like a baby elephant tied to a tree with a giant chain in this matter. There was no escape, no matter the size or strength of his determination, though Donghae wouldn’t let that deter him.

The next morning in class Donghae arrived eerier that usual. He knew that his form teacher was an early bird and he could therefore try to coax his will on the on the man. Perhaps he could persuade the man into giving him another partner, someone like Lee Sungmin maybe. Donghae could only hope that his request would be fulfilled as he watched Mr Kwon walking towards his class with key in hand.
  Upon spotting him, Donghae couldn’t help but notice how the man snickered to himself in a knowing manner. Had he been expecting him to come asking for a partner change from the start?

“Mr Kwon-” Donghae said only to be interrupted when the man was only a few feet away from him next to the classroom door.

“I know what you want and the answer is no Donghae. You’re not having a partner change and that’s it.” Mr Kwon said with an amused smile on his face that irked Donghae to the core. How could he smile like that when Donghae was the one having to face the possibility of failing the term?

“But Sir-”

“Look Donghae, I’ve already had Lee Sungmin on my case the entire afternoon yesterday about his partner and I honestly don’t care that both of you aren’t happy about your partners. I’ll tell you the same thing I told him several times yesterday.” Said Mr Kwon said as Donghae stood before him looking to contest his every word. Donghae could tell that the man wasn’t about to give him the chance to dispute his response. He already knew before the words were said that he was screwed.

 “Lee Hyukjae is your partner as a result of a random selection process performed in class and in front of the eyes of many students. If you would like to dispute this partner selection then I can only advise you to take the matter elsewhere as I, as your teacher, am within my right to put you with whomever I wish so long as it is in your own best interest.” Mr Kwon finished and turned to unlock his classroom door, letting himself in wit Donghae following behind him like a kicked puppy.

“But how is it in my own best interest to have someone who doesn’t care about much else but himself as my partner. If I have to complete this thing then I’d rather it do it alone. Can’t I just do it alone?” Donghae pleaded, using his best puppy expression as a final resort of persuasion.

“Nope” Mr Kwon simply said as he sat down at his chair and took out a silver laptop, placing it flatly on his table.

“Look, Donghae,” he said as he saw the defeated look on Donghae’s face, “you’re a good student and I won’t lie and say that I’m not fond of you. But just because I’m fond of you it doesn’t mean that you can always get what you want. Team work is team work and we put  different students together for each pair and group related activity to help develop your social skills as well as your ability to work well with anyone, regardless of your feelings towards the.

If you want to pass this assignment with anything above a C then it would be in your best interest to work well with Hyukjae. What you did yesterday was punishable and uncalled for. I could have easily taken you down to the principal’s office for misconduct but I let that slide because I understand your frustration when it comes to Hyukjae; though even you couldn’t understand mine when it come to him. But that’s nothing for you to concern yourself with anyways.” Mr Kwon said waving the matter off like an irritating fly. Donghae bowed his head in defeat only to feel his teacher’s hand pat his elbow in understanding.

“The best you can do now, Donghae, is to work with him and try your hardest. You never know, maybe he might have a change of attitude, but only if you change your attitude first. ”Mr Kwon finished off and looked towards the door to notice that some students from his first class had already begun making their way into class.

“Now go on, before you become late for your first class.”  Mr Kwon shooed him off and Donghae could only turn and walk out, not really knowing what other options he had but to just go with it.

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“So today we look at organic matter and how it is composed, as well at the many components it is broken down into.” Ms Park said as the students sat in their first lesson of the day, already looking tired and bored with the exception of the few that actually enjoyed coming to school.

per earlier instruction they had all been placed according to their pairs, which meant that there were a lot of sour expressions on the faces that scattered the classroom. As much as she had felt that this entire terms structure had been a good idea for the exams that would follow in the coming term, she couldn’t help but to be doubtful as she observed the severe drop in attention level from the previous day. She felt like she was teaching a bunch of grumpy zombies.

“Look guys,” she said catching those who hadn’t been paying attention off guard. “I understand that you don’t quite realise the value of this new method of studying but you all need to be a bit more enthusiastic about it if any of you are going to learn anything from it. I mean…”

Hyukjae looked out the window as he let his Physics teachers words flow I and out of his words. He didn’t are regardless of what they had to say.
 

“Are you even paying attention?” He heard Donghae’s voice flow into his ears in combination with the blur of his teacher’s words.

“Why should I?” Hyukjae said in response, not really in the mood to speak to the other but forced to because of their present situation. Donghae was sitting beside him at the long lab desk that seated four. They sat near the big classroom windows and Hyukjae had pushed past Donghae to plunk himself in the chair closest to the window so he could look outside and  daze off whenever he wanted to.

“You’re right. She’s speaking nonsense in any case. Why should we have to listen to how great this term is going to be when we’re the ones stuck with each other and not them?” Donghae complained to Hyukjae’s annoyance. Hyukjae turned to look at Donghae with infuriation in his eyes.

“Look, if you don’t want to be my partner then ask for another partner, but stop complaining because it’s really pissing me off.” Hyukjae said in a voice just above a whisper. He was really struggling to contain his disdain for the other and found himself unable to lose focus and zone out like he usually was able to do.

“I already asked but Mr Kwon said no.”  Donghae said with pout on his face, not noticing the offence in Hyukjae’s expression.

“You’re really an aren’t you?” Hyukjae said, looking at Donghae’s profile with a newly found resentment in his heart.

What a prick, he thought to himself. How could anyone be so insensitive as to tell their partner that they tried to get out of their partnership but failed?

“You really are just a self-centred prick.” Hyukjae reiterated, ignoring the offended look on Donghae’s face. “When we’re done with this assignment I want nothing to do with you.” Hyukjae finished and turned his head to face the front of the classroom where his Physics teacher has gone back to explaining the day’s lesson.

“Well it’s not like I’m looking to be your best friend after this either.” Donghae said, looking to always have the last word. He too stubbornly turned to face the front of the class to listen to the lesson being presented to them. He wouldn’t let Hyukjae be the reason he loses his cool.

“So now that I’ve gone through the brief with you I expect that you will be able to answer all the questions on page one and two in class. Don’t forget that the analysis of this practical is due on Friday so that gives you two whole days to complete it. And just because its team work it doesn’t mean you can have the exact same answers as your partner. I expect to see in depth answers to each question. Pleased don’t let me down. This counts out of fifty marks. I expect you to all get more than thirty five out of fifty for this assignment. Now…”

Having their first assignment in hand and after the first on many long lectures for the day was done, Donghae and Hyukjae walked side by side out the school gates with nothing but silence trailing behind them. Donghae had avoided talking t the other as much as was possible during the day and Hyukjae had simply  stuck to using body language as his way of communicating with the other when he wasn’t forced to talk.

The day was hot and they had four different assignments due by Friday to complete. At first Donghae had found it weird that they were being assigned such basic work to complete in pairs but as the day progressed he realised that it wasn’t the level of difficulty that made the difference in this case, but the quantity.

They had a ton to do, much of which was very new to them, and Donghae was almost tempted to swallow his pride and ask if Hyukjae wanted to work on some of it together, even though technically they were supposed to be doing it together as it was. He kept his pride in tact though, and he and Hyukjae parted ways and headed in their own directions to where they respectively lived, neither of them saying anything about the pile of work looming over them for the coming Friday.