Taemin was feeling a bit worn out as he half-heartedly listened to the secretary share any special announcements. His eyes kept rolling over to the student council's vice president, who was sitting across from him. Taemin nervously his lips and forced himself to look down at the papers.

"…Any questions?" the secretary asked. Soojung raised his hands, startling Taemin for a brief moment. "Yes?"

"I don't think it's a good idea to let the third years get the first choice regarding on what their class is going to do," Soojung said. "Rather, I think we should give everyone the chance to put in their ideas. You know, first come, first serve."

"But the third years always get the first say. It's how we work around here," the treasurer said.

"It shouldn't be our responsibility to have the second and first years to wait on the third years," Soojung said.

"But it's our tradition."

"Then let's just change the tradition."

"It's unfair to get rid of such a tradition. The third years waited two years for this opportunity."

"I find it more unfair that the third years have the first say when a first year could've had the same opportunity and do a better job of whatever event they wanted to do."

"What do you think, Taemin?" the secretary asked, letting out a small sigh.

Taemin paused. He looked at Soojung for a brief moment, noticing the fierce glint in her eyes. He let out a small sigh.

"Continue the tradition," Taemin said, scribbling something down on his paper. "Let the third years decide first."

The secretary and the treasurer smiled, but Soojung frowned.

"You're only siding with them because we broke up, huh?" she accused.

Taemin looked at her. "Excuse me?"

"If we were still dating, you'd side with me," Soojung said.

"I wouldn't," Taemin said with a firm tone. "Breaking up with you has nothing to do with what I just decided. I know some third years who might be looking forward to such an event."

"Then you must be looking down at me for being a first year," Soojung stated.

Taemin only continued to look at her. "What's up with you? You're normally not like this."

The secretary and the treasurer glanced at the time. They could tell that there were tensions rising between the two. What used to be a perfectly couple was now showing their true color: an incompatible mess.

"I'm always like this," she quickly defended.

"I'm dropping this topic," Taemin said, letting out a heavy sigh. "I don't see the point in us continuing this conversation."

"I still think we should let the decision stand for everyone…"

"Soojung, enough," Taemin told her, giving her a sharp look. Soojung frowned.

"U-Um, Taemin? We're going to leave now," the secretary said.

"Oh? Yeah, it's about time that you guys leave. Go ahead," Taemin told them. The treasurer and the secretary thanked him before leaving the room.

As Taemin got up from his seat to clean up the area, he noticed from the corner of his eyes that Soojung wouldn't budge from her seat. However, her eyes were still on Taemin. The boy let out another sigh and rubbed the back of his neck.

"What's wrong?" he asked her tiredly. "We broke up, yeah, but I would like it if you didn't mix our relationship with work."

"What do you think of Hyeri?" Soojung suddenly asked him.

"What?"

"Hyeri. You know, my friend."

Did Hyeri say anything to Soojung? he wondered. "I don't have much of a thought on her."

"You're lying," she said. "You must think of something. She's cute."

Where is this going? Taemin gave her a careless shrug. "I've seen better girls than her."

"Have you ever considered Hyeri in a romantic aspect?" she asked him curiously.

"No," Taemin said a bit too quickly. "She…gives me a headache, I guess."

"Are you saying that my best friend is annoying?" Soojung gave him a glare.

"I'm just saying that she's not the best person to be friends with or to get along with." Taemin looked at her. "You should think twice before declaring her your 'best friend.' Trust me, I know what friendship should look like."

Soojung widened her eyes, shocked at his statement. A part of her was curious over the possibility that Taemin might know that Hyeri was into him. However, another part of her wondered if he was just saying that because he was being a jerk.

But when is Taemin a jerk? Soojung wondered. She was about to say something until she heard the door knock. The two looked at the door.

"Come in," Taemin said.

The door opened. Junhee and Jieun stepped inside the room, surprising Taemin. Soojung looked at the two, but looked away with envious eyes.

"Taemin! We're here to pick you up!" Jieun happily announced.

"Where's Hyunwoo?" Taemin asked her.

"He has things to do and told me to go home first. He said that he's probably going to come home late," Jieun informed him.

"And you listened to him?"

"Well, of course, I protested in the beginning, but I eventually listened to him," Jieun said. She glanced up at the ceiling. "I was pretty surprised with myself. I didn't think that I'd listen so easily."

"Where's everyone else?" Taemin asked the two girls.

"Eunji's the basketball club's manager, so she's over there. Byunghun, of course, has practice. Dasom went on a date—"

"A date?" Taemin cried out.

"Yeah, a date. She was complaining that she hadn't been dating anyone, so she went one today," Jieun said. "Oh, don't worry about her. Myungsoo already left to spy on her."

"I don't know if I'm more worried over Dasom or Myungsoo," Taemin murmured. "So it's only the three of us going home?"

"Yep!" Jieun exclaimed excitedly. She glanced over his shoulder and noticed Soojung. "Oh? You were alone with her?"

"Speaking of girls, are you seeing anyone else?" Junhee asked him. Soojung stiffened her shoulders, and Junhee was the only one who noticed.

"No. Why?" Taemin asked her.

"I'm just wondering. Dasom was talking about hooking you up with someone else," Junhee said.

Taemin choked on his own spit while Soojung scrunched her eyebrows. He pointed at himself with incredible wide eyes.

"What? This is the first time that I'm hearing about this!" Taemin exclaimed.

"Congratulations, Taemin!" Jieun exclaimed. "I hope things work out better for your second love!"

These girls have no sense of respect, Taemin thought as he glanced at Soojung. He felt bad for her, mainly because his friends were talking about her right in front of her.

"I'll talk to Dasom about that," Taemin said, clearing his throat. "Why don't you guys wait for me at the gates? I'll be there soon."

"Oh, by the way, Junhee's little boyfriend is coming along," Jieun said as he pushed the two girls out of the room. Taemin stared at Junhee, who only rolled her eyes. 

"He's not my boyfriend," Junhee clarified. "He's just a first year who shares the same interest as me. We're just really good friends."

"Boo hoo. Chanyeol will get jealous," Jieun .

Junhee turned red. "C-Chanyeol has nothing to do with this, okay?"

"We'll you see at the gates, Taemin!" Jieun told him. She laughed and ran down the halls, while Junhee, still flustered, ran after her. Taemin poked his out out the door.

"No running in the halls!" Taemin yelled. He sighed and shook his head before closing the door. He looked at Soojung, who finally got up from her seat to clean up the area.

"You could go ahead," Soojung told him. "I'm going to clean up."

"No, I'll help," Taemin said, collecting the papers.

"Your friends are waiting."

"That's no excuse to leave you to do everything on your own."

"It's okay. I got a date later in the afternoon, so I still have time," Soojung blurted. She paused, then casually glanced at Taemin to see his reaction. There was a hint of shock on the look of his face.

"A-A date?" Taemin repeated. "I thought you weren't seeing anyone…?"

"Well, Hyeri introduced me to some guys. It's not official. It's like a blind date, I guess," Soojung said.

"Oh. Well, I hope you have a good time," Taemin said, "and possibly find a partner again."

"I can introduce you to some girls, too," Soojung told him. "In fact, I know a girl who's interested."

"Is it Hyeri?" he asked her. He noticed her shocked expression. "It's Hyeri, isn't it?"

"How'd you know?" she inquired.

Taemin opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. He grimaced a bit before looking at the table to stack the papers.

"It's just a lucky guess," he said with a small smile. "Let's hurry and clean up, okay?"

Under the presence of an awkward atmosphere, the two cleaned up the area, holding heavy hearts and burdened shoulders.

But in a blink of an eye, the summer leaves lost their green colors and turned to a rich coloration of red and brown. A chilly breeze swept into the city, stealing the leaves from the tree and giving them to the cold concrete. With busy preparations in between the summer and autumn season, the autumn festival came running into the scene, ready to stir up a little more trouble for some of the six friends.