Presents, Perhaps and Probably Not (ii)
(double update, 33 & 34)

Daehyun and I choose to take the last row seats so the balloons don’t block anyone’s view. Zitao is dragged over by Jiyoung to sit with her so it’s just Daehyun and me here. Park-songsaengnim comes in promptly, setting down his books with that stern look of his. I shrink back, afraid he may scold us for sitting so far back, but he simply glances at me and turns away.

Lesson starts, Park-songsaengnim lecturing on the love across famous literary works. I can barely concentrate, however. Daehyun’s crush has a best friend who is one of Daehyun’s good friends. He told me he’s close to the basketball team, so he could be referring to one of them. But there’s way too many to even come close to make a deduction.

Still jittery over the gifts Daehyun got, I occasionally peek behind to check on the teddy bear and the balloons, whirring my head back to hear Daehyun chuckle.

Feeling playful, I whip out my pencil and doodle a smiley face on Daehyun’s notebook.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

He muffles back a chuckle and I reach for my eraser, stopping when Daehyun extends his hand. He draws one to accompany it, smiling blindingly at me.

✧ ヽ(・‿・)ヽ

Below, he writes: Are you bored?

I rest my chin in my palm, sighing. Kind of. (ノಠ益ಠ)ノ彡┻━┻

Daehyun writes back, Don’t think Park-songsaengnim will be happy if you did that. ┬──┬◡ﾉ(・_・ﾉ)

I scoff amusedly, scribbling, Then I’ll do it to you! (ノಠ ∩ಠ)ノ彡( o°o)

Daehyun laughs into his fist. I’m scared now. ┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴

I poke Daehyun with the end of my pencil, glancing to the front to see Park-songsaengnim now talking about The Great Gatsby.

I write another line, I want to hug Dae. He’s lonely in the back. (/ _ ; )

Daehyun flexes his hand, deliberating on what to write.

(*´・‿・) ...Which Dae?

I scribble back jokingly, The cute one, definitely not the one beside me. (✿◡‿◡ )

( ´＿｀ ) That hurt. I’ll have to take away bear Dae then. Daehyun conclusively taps his pencil, angling his chin towards the innocent bear sitting at the back.

I chuckle, answering,ヽ(ಠ - ಠメ)ノ NEVER. You already got a hug, idiot.

Daehyun stares at the paper, smiling to me before mulling over what to say. He takes a long while before he brings up his pencil slowly and writes, One’s not enough.

Ugh, sleazy, I answer, inwardly laughing. Is this why so many girls like you?

Daehyun responds, I don’t do this to them. ( ´･ ᴗ ･` )

<(｀^´)> Psh… yeah, right. I glimpse up at this moment and instantly find Park-songsaengnim staring sternly up at Daehyun and me. I straighten up and place a hand over Daehyun’s wandering arm. Daehyun looks up and retracts his arm immediately. We spend the next fifteen minutes with our heads hung low, stealing glances at one another like punished kids. Yeah, that’s how scary Park-songsaengnim is.

Finally, literature ends, and I pace over to carry up my bear and the balloons. Daehyun again takes the box before I can stop him.

“I still have your lunchbox left,” Daehyun hums. “I can’t wait to eat it.”

“You just ate cake,” I point out with a laugh.

“I love your cooking,” Daehyun simply answers. We patter down the stairs as students glance over at the array of balloons in my hand. As we head for the door, a voice calls out for us.

“Daehyun, Youngjae.”

We freeze and turn around nervously, Park-songsaengnim standing by his desk with his arms crossed. This feeling of deja vu is not welcomed at all, knowing what happened the last time.

“Can I have a word with you two in private?”

I swear, if I could say no, I would have. Oh no, I got Daehyun into trouble…

We nod gingerly and wait for the few students left to file out, leaving just Park-songsaengnim and Kim-songsaengnim.

“Sorry,” I whisper to Daehyun, lowering my head. Daehyun attempts to reply when Park-songsaengnim’s cough interrupts him. Silence fills the hall and I step forward.

“Songsaengnim,” I squeak, voice breaking the quietness, “it’s my fault. I’m so sorry. I doodled on Daehyun’s notebook and distracted him.”

Park-songsaengnim furrows his eyebrows and Kim-songsaengnim, watching from the side, blinks at us. Daehyun steps in front of me suddenly.

“No, Songsaengnim, it’s my fault. I started it,” Daehyun firmly states. “I’m sorry.”

How in the world did he start it?

I blurt, “Songsaengnim, really, it’s my fault.”

Daehyun and I turn to look at each other, my confused eyes finding his. Suddenly, Kim-songsaengnim breaks out into raucous laughter, hurriedly covering his mouth and letting out a last ‘meep’ when Park-songsaengnim sends him a look.

“I did not call you both here for that,” Park-songsaengnim sighs. He glances back to Kim-songsaengnim and clears his throat.

“I want to speak to you both about your first semester’s essay report.”

His shoulders slump, stance becoming less stiff. We wait quietly for his response, my mind whirring with bad scenarios.

“I would like to apologise.”

I snap up my head in shock, blinking at Park-songsaengnim. His lips are pulled into a thin line but he does not avoid eye contact with us, veering his cutting gaze from Daehyun to me.

“I marked your report without being objective and allotted a grade that did not tally with the standard of your work.” He exhales lengthily. “It was my mistake.”

The hall sinks back into silence. Did a teacher just apologise to us?

I glance down to the floor, at a loss for words. The sole sound of the second hand ticking spells out the long minute we spent without speaking, tension in the air. I look back up to see Park-songsaengnim’s steely stare on me, scaring me a little.

“Come on, say something,” a singsong voice floats over and I turn to Kim-songsaengnim. “We’re waiting for a response.”

“O-Oh,” I stammer hastily upon realising I was supposed to reply. I bow and croak meekly, “It's... It’s nothing to worry about. Um, thank you, songsaengnim?”

Talk about incoherency. But what should I say!? I don't want to be disrespectful to a teacher. 

Daehyun bows too, murmuring out around the same reply. Kim-songsaengnim giggles suddenly and pats the table with a relieved sigh. Park-songsaengnim nods curtly and goes to gather his things while we bow repeatedly, pacing briskly out of the class.

“And,” Park-songaengnim’s voice instantly halts us in our steps.

We veer back and Park-songsaengnim glares at us. “Please do not doodle in my class.”

“S-Sorry,” we breathe in unison, hurrying out.

“Oh my god,” I blurt as we stroll away, glancing back with a thankful breath. “I thought we were going to be in such big trouble.”

Park-songsaengnim is actually really fair to apologise to us. I mean, he’s a teacher and there’s this whole hierarchy so ingrained into our education system.

“Me too,” Daehyun mutters.

I frown at Daehyun and say, “Hey, why did you say you started it? I was the one who drew on your book.”

Daehyun pauses and looks to me. “If I, uh, hadn’t put my book there, you would have no place to draw.”

“What are you saying?” I return, prodding Daehyun’s arm. “That makes no sense. Daehyun, you don’t have to protect me.”

I slip the box out of his arm and juggle it along with the bear, waddling down the hallway with Daehyun. He’s really sweet to jump in so quickly and take the blame.

“Where are you going?” I ask.

“Where are you going?” Daehyun echoes the question. I snivel my nose and bump his elbow lightly.

“I don’t know. I’m thinking of staying in school to study.”

“Me too,” Daehyun replies. “I’ve got basketball prac at five. Let’s study together.”

“Great,” I chime, the two of us wandering about campus. Since Daehyun still has that lunchbox to finish, we decide against the library and settle down by some benches at a quiet corner of the school. Daehyun merrily munches on his food while we shuffles through our worksheets, making a mess when the wind breezes them together. I neaten them out and place the teddy bear on Daehyun’s stack, putting the gift box on mine.

The afternoon sun streams into the courtyard where we are, the benches shield by the indoor roof and the air a perfect degree of warmth. As we toil through our work, Daehyun and I occasionally speaking and joking with one another, the hour passes easily and the brew of grey clouds mask the previous bright atmosphere. Soon, rain patters onto the concrete, the scent distinct in the chilly wind. I slip out my jacket, or more appropriately, the one I’d been given, and offer it to Daehyun first before putting it on. Daehyun vanishes into the canteen and comes back with some warm coffee for me, saying he’d already finished his drink while walking back.

After another half an hour, I collapse onto the desk in defeat, softly to myself. I'm so distracted that whenever I read, I misread it by jumping to the next by accident. I shut my eyes and bury my head into my arms, taking a short rest. There are so many worksheets to cover, sheesh. I look up to find meet Daehyun's eyes and he smiles, returning his focus back to his work.

"You should take a rest if you're tired," Daehyun soothes. I heed his suggestion, cradling my head and squirming into a more comfy position. After a long while, I drift off into a short nap for just a moment, my half-awake state trying desperately to coax me back to my work.

“Youngjae?”

I blearily open my eyes to darkness, still ensconced in my pillow and groggy after waking from my doze. Daehyun shifts and tries again, “Youngjae?”

I blink sleepily, trying to conjure a response. Hah, maybe I should trick him into thinking I’m sleeping. Then, I’ll yell at him and scare him out of his wits.

“...Youngjae?” I keep silent, shutting my eyes again.

A warmth materialises against my head at this moment, gradually making full contact. Daehyun’s hand rests on my head and I knit my brows together, still motionless in the remnants of my stupor. His fingers begin to move and I feel him weave them through my hair, gently, tenderly, the action heating up my cheeks.

Daehyun does not cease his ministrations as I’d anticipated, going on for god knows how long. He tangles his hand through my hair, rough fingers brushing against strands.

This is a bit too affectionate, isn’t it? Should I be suspecting something like this? But I’m just being stupid; I just disproved the possibility that Daehyun would ever like me. He said it himself that he’d met the boy he likes on the train and he’d talked to Daehyun first. I met Daehyun this year for that project.

But I can’t deny how intimate this feels. Am I just distorting things? We are somewhat good friends.

Wait.

I did that to Daehyun.

That day, when he was sick, he had laid in my lap and I had done the exact same thing. If I’m suspecting him of more than friendly intentions, shouldn’t I be questioned too? Why did I thread my fingers through Daehyun’s hair? I don’t know; I just felt like it! Then, Daehyun can do this to me too because he feels like it, right!? What am I doing!?

This is giving me a headache. Biting down on my lip, I lift my head, instantaneously startling Daehyun’s hand back to his side. I look up at him to see he has his eyes focused on his work, as though he hadn’t been doing what he did.

I want to ask him, just so I can get rid of this bugging thought, but I’m too embarrassed to. When he answers ‘no’, what am I going to say?

A sudden bang startles me and Daehyun is abruptly caught in a headlock, a familiar face grinning evilly. “What the hell are you doing here? You know Hongbin organised a movie screening today before training, don't you? You’ve probably missed the whole of Furious 7.”

Daehyun untangles himself from Jongin quickly and punches him in the shoulder, the boy yelping and pouting. “What are you doing here?” Daehyun rolls his eyes with a scoff, ignoring Jongin’s soft moping.

“Come on! The match is this Friday! How can I play if I’m injured?” Jongin whines. “I told you I gotta handle this week’s choreo with Taemin." He hurriedly clasps his mouth and glances over his shoulder. "Damn, I gotta keep it down. If Coach knew, he'd murder me.”

Daehyun conveniently ignores him as I hold back a small laugh. Jongin turns his attention to me and cranes his neck curiously.

“Why you sitting with this loser?” I thought Jongin was talking about me for a moment till he points at Daehyun, making a face. “You can do much better. How about you join me and my friend?”

I laugh when Daehyun stands, intimidating aura effectively chasing Jongin to a corner. A new face joins us, the boy from my literature class walking up to us with two drinks in hand. Taemin smiles in amusement, shaking his head and tossing the can drink to Jongin.

Taemin waves to me and I smile back, his gaze turning to Daehyun. Daehyun glances up and I watch as the smile slowly droops from his face, his eyes looking towards me momentarily before for going back to Taemin. Taemin seems surprised, though not to Daehyun’s extent. He proffers a smile and Jongin hops over, wrapping an arm around Taemin.

Taemin is a really well-known student in my level. He’s a model for an official agency, and his Instagram is filled with posts with him donning varying brands of clothes and accessories and thanking them for the gifts. With his naturally large eyes and perpetually red lips, no one can deny how doll-like he looks.

He’s also known for his dancing; in fact, both Jongin and Taemin are. They were a dance duo for last year’s year-end ceremony. I heard they’ve been best friends since pre-school. Both of them create a buzz wherever they go, really, which is why even I know about them.

“Hey, Daehyun,” Taemin greets. Daehyun waves slightly, saying quietly, “Hey.”

“Apologise!” J