The next morning Donghae got up earlier to prevent his probable lateness. He casted a glance at the house next to his and saw the lights all off. He had a hunch about what was going to happen the previous night, and he knew that Krystal must’ve come clean about everything to Jessica.

He waved to their house, hoping it would serve enough as a farewell for the two sleeping girls. Then he turned and went down the road to walk to school.

Five minutes later, his freely-hanging right hand was grabbed onto by another hand, and the touch made him jump and stop in his tracks. But he recognized the warmth of the hand, and he turned to see a familiar smile staring at him. “Jessica?”

She squeezed his hand. “Good morning,” she greeted.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m sending you to school!”

He chuckled. “Isn’t that the guy’s job?”

“Well, yes, but I start school later, so I guessed that I might as well send you to school.”

“Isn’t this awkward?”

“Anything goes so long as I get to spend time with you,” she answered, a blush suddenly surfacing on her cheeks.

His insides turned to goo. He used his other hand to grab onto her other hand, and they stood like this, facing each other in the middle of the street. “You are an amazing girl.”

“I know!”

He grinned. “But I don’t want you to waste your time just for me.”

“I’m not wasting my time…”

“But you would much rather be sleeping, isn’t it? So this is the only one time I would allow such a thing to be done by you.”

She pouted, and then squeezed the world’s cutest puppy face out. “Alright, you got me. But this isn’t going to be the only time I wake up and realize that I want to see your face in the morning.”

He nodded. “I got it.”

“Besides, I have something to tell you.”

The slight shift in expression incurred his curiosity. “What’s up?”

She tugged on his hands to signal for them to start walking. So they did, at the same time unwillingly letting go of one of the two pairs of hands they had joined together.

“I wanted to thank you.”

“Oh?”

“I wanted to thank you… For being there for my sister when I wasn’t around.”

Donghae inclined his head to look up a bit, then he beamed. “You mean for yesterday?”

“Not just yesterday, actually. Just… For the whole time, since she’s been home until today.”

“You know, you don’t have to thank me for that.”

“Rest assured, it’ll be the last time I’m thanking you for anything,” she teased, winking at him. It got him chuckling. “But this time, I just felt like I have to.”

“I get it.”

“And if it wasn’t for you, I don’t know if she would’ve found the ability to come clean about what happened over there.”

“I had a feeling she would, you know. You are her sister, after all.”

“Oh, no, you’re overestimating her. She told me that you were the one who convinced her to say something. She’s different around you. She’s not as rebellious, and she doesn’t put up all those unbreakable walls around her when she’s with you.”

Donghae wanted to hug Jessica now, just by listening to her talk in the capacity of a jaded older sister, who realized that there were a lot of things she could’ve done but didn’t do, and who just regained a connection to her baby sister the night before.

“So… She’s lucky to have met me, huh?”

She smiled at his statement. Nodding, she leaned in, as if about to kiss him, but she didn’t. “And I’m lucky to have met you, too.”

He leaned in as well, further closing up the distance between them. “I think you’re lucky to have gotten to know me.”

She giggled. “That, too.”

After a while more of walking, they reached Donghae’s school, and he sighed. “That could’ve been longer.”

Jessica stretched a bit. Donghae only noticed now, with her arms outstretched, that she was wearing his jacket. “Hey, isn’t that…”

She grinned and snuggled tightly inside his jacket. “Yep, it’s yours.”

“It’s yours now, isn’t it?” he joked, poking her in the arms.

“It’s ours, I guess,” she replied.

He patted her head, almost a bit protectively. “Good to know that I’m always around you, then.” They shared a look, that might’ve turned into something more had Donghae not patted her head again.  “You should head back home now. Catch some sleep if you can. Don’t tire yourself out, okay?”

She nodded and stuck out her pinky finger. He hooked his own with hers, and patted her head for the third time. “There. Be careful while heading home.”

As their pinky fingers separated, he bit his lower lip. “And, uh… I’ll see you tonight.”

=

Taeyeon walked into school, a complete hundred-and-eighty-degree-ly different from who she was the day before. She greeted almost everyone who saw her, and she also passed by Siwon, Kyuhyun and Hyukjae.

“Hey, there, you guys!”

All three turned to see her skipping into their faces. Siwon smiled at the sight while Kyuhyun had a deep and thoughtful look in his eyes. “Hey, you,” he greeted, voice low.

Taeyeon smirked and poked him in the shoulder. “Today, I’m joining the special math class, and I’m going to become your best competitor and worst nightmare.”

Kyuhyun’s straight face transformed into one of his trademark smirks. “You got it.”

Then it was Hyukjae’s turn to strike up a conversation. “Hey, Taeyeon, did you see Hyoyeon?”

“I just walked in, man.”

“Well, I can’t get her. If you see her, tell her that I’m looking for her, alright?”

“Alright.”

=

Stephanie was arranging her things in her locker for her Tuesday classes when Taeyeon came by and gave a good knock on her head. “Good morning!”

Stephanie straightened herself before she smashed her face into the myriad of books jutting out from the locker. “You almost killed me!”

“Don’t turn your back to me, then!”

“Good morning, anyway. Why are you so chirpy?”

“I just got over some bull in life and… The old me is back! Hey, did you see Hyo?”

Stephanie peered out from behind the locker door and scanned around. “Hey, wow, before you came, I totally didn’t realize that I was alone!”

Taeyeon narrowed her eyes. “Okay, I see your answer.”

Stephanie shut her locker door and leaned against it. “Why, though?”

“Hyukjae’s looking for her.”

“Isn’t she with him?”

“Nope.”

Stephanie bit her lower lip. “You don’t think… Something could’ve happened, right?”

Taeyeon smacked Stephanie’s head again. “Did you watch your horror movie again?”

“Tae, I’m serious. What if something happened?”

“You have to calm your non-existent , Fany. And remember that we should all abstain from Truth or Dare in future. Hyoyeon’s just suffering from indigestion from all the new info she has to digest.”

“But what if—“

“Fany, stop. I promise, when Hyo gets to school, I’ll be there, and I’ll clear this up for you, okay? Like how we did yesterday.”

“Okay, but—“

“Damn it, Fany! You best be glad that this is what it’s all come to. At least it’s not a scandal…”

“Tae!”

“I’m being realistic here! If it was a scandal, you’re on your own.”

“…okay, fine.”

=

Siwon and Stephanie had lab period the first thing on Tuesday mornings. Siwon had been the earlier one, unusually so because Stephanie usually waited for him. He sat at his table and told himself that lab period will pass quickly. He would act as if nothing had happened.

Then he caught sight of Stephanie padding in with heavy steps and he suppressed the urge to sigh. “Hey, Fany,” he greeted, blurted actually.

She looked up and saw Siwon staring at her, a bright and hopeful look on his face. For one, she was still caught up on the issue of Hyoyeon, not sure if her friend had actually showed up for school at all. But when saw Siwon, her mind drifted away instead. She recalled why and how she had fallen for Siwon at first, but reminded herself that she stood no chance with Siwon at all. She should forget, shouldn’t she?

“I’m trying to forget,” she muttered in response.

Siwon arched a brow. “…what?”

“I’m trying to forget… Everything. I’m trying my best.”

“Fany, I—“

“Siwon, I really am. Please don’t make this too hard for me.”

Lab period didn’t go as smoothly as Siwon wanted it to. Stephanie basically finished the whole experiment as Siwon watched, almost fearful of her having an outburst.

“Fany, I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Stephanie was pouring acid into a beaker when Siwon spoke up. She pretended not to hear anything, but she knew that her flinch had alerted Siwon. “You don’t have to apologize,” she answered.

Siwon put his hand out, grabbing the beaker and the acid from her hands. “Then let me do this.”

Stephanie stared as Siwon got to work wordlessly. She sat down, almost tired, and started doodling on her notepad. “Whatever.”

=

Halfway through math class, Taeyeon and Hyukjae were discussing the latest cartoons when Hyoyeon stumbled in, hair disheveled, outfit messy, scaring the front row of the class and the teacher himself.

“Good lord, sorry I’m late!”

Taeyeon smiled a bit and Hyukjae got up almost instinctively to help Hyoyeon with her things. Hyoyeon panted, clearly having ran her way to school. “Late, huh.”

Hyoyeon clucked her tongue. “My alarm betrayed me. Now shut up.”

“Sheesh, alright, I’ll shut up. You should calm your too.”

“What ?” Hyukjae piped up, suddenly interested.

Hyoyeon glared. Taeyeon laughed.

=

Kyuhyun had special science with Yuri again. Yuri poked him in the shoulder as a morning greeting. “Sup, you.”

Kyuhyun smiled. “You.”

“So did Jongwoon talk to you?”

“Yeah, he did.”

“Did it help?”

“A lot. You guys read minds, you know.”

She giggled. “Not the first time I’ve heard that.”

“But whatever it is, I really should thank you.”

“You really should! Treat Jongwoon and I to a meal, how about that?”

“You have my word. By any chance, did Jongwoon tell you about what our conversation entailed?”

Yuri shook her head and grinned. “My boyfriend’s trustworthy. That’s one of the reasons why I like him.”

Kyuhyun grinned back. “Yeah, I see your point now.”

=

Donghae met Jungsoo while he was on his way to his next class. Jungsoo stopped him. “Hey, Donghae.”

“Yeah?”

“I heard you got yourself a girl…”

Donghae scratched his head. “I didn’t buy a girl…”

Jungsoo smacked Donghae’s head. “A girlfriend, you idiot. You got a girlfriend?”

“Oh, that. How did you know?”

“I’m Jungsoo, yo. I know everything.”

“Actually, Kyuhyun knows everything, but I’ll just let you have it this one time.”

“Sheesh. Anyway, I just wanted to know if you could introduce any girls to me.”

“Weren’t you hanging out with the girls from the school a street down or something?”

“They had a newbie in their school, some really hot guy, and they ditched me for him.”

“Well, I don’t suppose I can introduce anyone to you…”

“Your girlfriend’s friends!”

Donghae rubbed his chin. “You really want me to introduce them to you?”

“Hey, man, you’re making this sound so mysterious. Of course I want you to introduce them to me.”

“But… Don’t you know them already?”

“What?”

=

Donghae and Jungsoo were standing by the entrance of the cafeteria during lunchtime. Donghae had his index finger in the air, pointing towards a certain table. “It’s them.”

Jungsoo followed the direction of his finger and saw him pointing at the table where Hyoyeon and Yuri sat. “Woah, those are your girlfriend’s friends?”

“Yeah!”

“They’re taken, man! I’m not going to wreck others’ relationships.”

“No, no, not Hyoyeon and Yuri… See the two who are coming closer?”

“Is that Stephanie? And Taeyeon?”

“Yeah! Those two are single.”

Jungsoo scoffed. “You want me to lay my moves on them?”

Donghae cringed. “Your moves?”

“Yeah, man. The girl-getting moves. They work like a charm. But, really, your best choices are Fany and Taeyeon?”

“Jungsoo… If your moves work like a charm, I don’t think the girls from that other school would’ve ditched you.”

“Oh, shut up!”

“So, I’ve introduced them to you already.”

Jungsoo rolled his eyes. “But I already know them, Donghae.”

“Well, yeah, but you didn’t know that they were my girlfriend’s friends!” Donghae punched the air and made a victorious expression. “I got you!”

Jungsoo stared. “You got me where?”

“…Just… Take it or leave it!”

=

Taeyeon was sitting between Stephanie and Hyoyeon when she came by with their food. “Hey, you guys.”

Yuri beamed upon seeing a cheery Taeyeon. “You’re back!”

“Uh, yeah, I was gone for five minutes to pick up my lunch,” Taeyeon explained.

“No, I mean – the cheerful you! You’re back!”

“Oh, that,” Taeyeon responded. She grinned. “Yeah, I’m back.”

Stephanie coughed a bit and nudged Taeyeon in the ribs. Taeyeon choked on the apple slice she was biting into and the apple slice flew right into a passing Jungsoo’s face.

“Holy guacamole—“

Jungsoo let the apple slice fall from his face, and then he suppressed a grimace and turned to Taeyeon. “Hey there, Taeyeon.” He flicked his fringe up and they came back to hit his eye, causing him to cringe. “Ow, damn!”

Taeyeon chuckled. “What are you doing, Jung-loser-soo?”

Jungsoo leaned in until his face was a mere inch apart from Taeyeon’s. “You do not laugh at me. I was trying to sweep you off your feet! Until your apple slice hit me… Then I was trying to sweep the apple slice from my face.”

Stephanie, Hyoyeon and Yuri laughed. Taeyeon swatted Jungsoo’s face away. “Alright, you’ve swept enough for today, now go.”

“Hey, no—you’re supposed to listen to me!”

Taeyeon glanced at Stephanie. “Yeah, I’ll, uh, listen to you later. Bye.”

She ushered for Jungsoo to walk away, and Jungsoo met up with Donghae at their usual table.

“Didn’t go well?” Donghae asked.

“Oh, it went super well,” Jungsoo deadpanned.