21

The next day, Jaemi was walking towards the hall, where she bumped into Chanyeol.

She couldn’t say whether God was finally answering her call, or whether he was playing a trick on her.

Maybe it was answering her call, at the wrong point of time.

After what happened yesterday with that surprise kiss, Jaemi could say that she didn’t dare to face Chanyeol. It was embarrassing.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she was approaching Chanyeol and he was slowly approaching her. Chanyeol walked towards her, with a lollipop in his mouth and he grinned.

Jaemi quickly increased her pace, looking down at the ground and tried walking past him.

But did it work? Of course, not.

Silly.

When Jaemi walked to her left, he blocked her way and moved to his right.

When Jaemi walked to her right, he moved to his left.

This repeated for a few times before Jaemi bit her lip and her teeth, looking up at Chanyeol and groaned. “What do you want now, Park Chanyeol. You’ve embarrassed me enough,” she said with gritted teeth, crossing her arms and bringing it to her chest.

Chanyeol bowed and greeted her. “Jaemi ah,” he cooed and she immediately placed her hand in between their faces. “Don’t, call or coo my name,” she hissed, walking past him.

Chanyeol pouted and walked along with her. “There’s this transferred student that is coming either tomorrow, or today, and I don’t really like that student,” he sighed.

Jaemi smiled. “What’s the matter? A male student?”

He sadly nodded.

“Is he in the same year as you?”

He sadly nodded.

“Same class?”

He nodded again, his head drooping downwards.

“Is he hot?”

He sadly nodded but his ear perked up, and he immediately shook his head. “Of course not! He can’t be as handsome as the student president,” he said, doing a pose for Jaemi and she laughed.

“I get it. You’re jealous because you have a competitor,” she concluded and Chanyeol lowered himself to Jaemi’s height and rested his head on her shoulder. “You really understand me Jaemi,” he whispered sadly.

She smiled and pushed his head away, walking faster than him. “I don’t get it. Why are you even jealous of him?”

“Because..”

“Because he’s cool,” she said and Chanyeol frowned. “Of course not! Because he’s in debates, in the same team as you!” he blurted out and quickly covered his mouth, smacking his lips.

Jaemi cracked a smile and shook her head. “Don’t you think you’re a bit too childish?” she asked, stretching her arms.

Chanyeol pouted. “Fine fine fine. I’ll tell you the truth. He’s called Kim Minseok, but he calls himself Xiumin. Chinese wannabe,” he snorted. “And, he’s a straight A student, just like me.”

“You, a straight A student? Unbelievable,” she commented and Chanyeol ignored her words. “In his previous school, he’s also a student president. He’s exactly like me, just that I’m in basketball and he’s in debates, and, he’s quite handsome I got to say.”

“So, you’re feeling threatened.”

“Wh-what threatened? He’s here only for three months, just three months of popularity and he can kiss goodbye to his fame in this school,” he snickered. “One more thing that made me feel extremely angry is that he will be taking up my lunch break and my free time after school! We’re going on a mini tour around the school, telling him the historical background since 1905.. It’s a waste of our time.” He yawned and Jaemi stifled a laugh..

Jaemi looked around the auditorium, no signs of Baekhyun and class was about to begin.

A male student stopped and looked down at her. “Excuse me, may I take this seat?” he asked politely. Jaemi nodded her head without looking up. “Sure.”

The male student looked at her and smiled warmly. “Hey, you look-“

“Where is Byun Baekhyun?!” the teacher hollered and Jaemi immediately stood up. “He’s on the way here! Let’s just wait for a few more minutes,” she pleaded.

At that point, Baekhyun came running in, panting heavily as he bowed and quickly walked towards Jaemi. “Jaemi, do you know where’s Minseok? Chanyeol told me that you know him and he’s now missing! He’s supposed to be here but once class ended he’s nowhere to be seen! He’s-“

Baekhyun’s eyes slowly travelled to the seat beside Jaemi that was occupied by the male student and his eyes rounded. “Minseok! How did you find your way here?” he asked and the teacher immediately hollered at him. “Baekhyun! Are you done chatting? Get a seat!”

Baekhyun nodded his head and sat beside Jaemi, scowling at him, while Minseok just smirked.

Minseok turned to look at Jaemi. “Do you still remember me, Jaemi?” he asked.

Her eyes rounded in surprise at him, and she quickly nodded, smiling. “Of course.”

“What?! Jaemi, you know him?” Baekhyun squeezed into the conversation. Jaemi smiled. “We went into the same school in America and were neighbours,” she explained.

“I didn’t know I was able to meet you again.” He smiled and Baekhyun gawked.

Baekhyun tugged on her sleeve and she turned. “He’s such a troublemaker on the first day of school. He made Chanyeol and me run around the school to look for him and yet he’s in the auditorium? He almost caused trouble for Chanyeol too!”

Jaemi turned to look behind her shoulder, seeing Xiumin listening attentively. “He looks like an ace student though,” she replied. “And apparently is one too.”

“Well that’s true. But look at his hair, he gelled it up,” he said and Jaemi rolled her eyes. “Chanyeol gels up his hair too.”

“Uhh, as for that..”

“Jaemi, what does the teacher mean by, politics and communist? How are both of them related?” he asked and Jaemi smiled, flipping through the pages of her notebook.

Baekhyun sighed and rested his chin on his palm, pouting.

After class ended, Baekhyun and Jaemi were about to leave but was held back by Xiumin. “Jaemi, do you mind studying with me for a while longer? I have some clarifications to settle.”

She looked at Baekhyun and shot him an apologizing look, and he sadly, nodded.

“S-sure,” she said. Jaemi sat back down in her seat and he smiled, continuing to discuss.

Just then, Chanyeol came rushing in, panting heavily as he bumped into Baekhyun. “Did you see Jaemi?” he asked, looking around the auditorium.

“Yeah, and she’s with the new kid, and apparently they knew each other,” he grumbled, pointing up at them and Chanyeol’s ears perked up. “WHAT?!”

He immediately ran up towards them, and looked at the both of them. “Chanyeol, why are you here?” Jaemi asked, looking up at him.

Chanyeol was fuming mad. He saw how close Jaemi was with Xiumin. He felt like puking.

“Chanyeol, your face is burning red, are you alright?” Jaemi stood up and touched his forehead, oblivious to the fact that his ears are blowing hot smoke.

“Jaemi, why are you with him?” He frowned and Jaemi looked back at Xiumin. “I’m just teaching him.”

“Teaching? He could have asked the teacher, or other students, why must he ask you?”

“Chanyeol,” Xiumin spoke up and he looked up at him. “Are you done? I’m trying to concentrate here while your presence here is the worst distraction in my life. I have no idea whether my previous statement was a compliment or an insult to you, but talking to you is like wasting my life,” he said coldly, flipping through the worksheets.

Chanyeol blinked, appalled. “EXCUSE ME?!”

“Shhh, Chanyeol, I’m teaching here, we’re almost done,” Jaemi whispered and pulled him away before he could even pounce on Xiumin and murder him. “Chanyeol, you’re the student president!” she reminded. “And sorry for Minseok’s attitude. He’s like this, always so blunt and straight forward. Don’t take it to heart.”

Baekhyun came running up towards them and Jaemi nudged him. He nodded his head and immediately dragged Chanyeol out of the auditorium.

Xiumin smirked and shook his head, before turning his attention to Jaemi and she sighed. “Sorry, this student president, he’s a bit high in the head, I’m sorry,” she apologized and sat back down.

Xiumin moved closer to her and smiled. “It’s alright,” he whispered and Jaemi consciously moved away. She forced out a smile and continued teaching him, but all Xiumin did was to steal glances at her and look at her.

Jaemi frowned. She could feel those pair of eyes piercing through her and she definitely felt uneasy and uncomfortable. She cleared , quickly teaching him and quickly deliberately not making eye contact with him.

“Do you understand now?” she asked, warily of him and his actions. “Yeah, I still don’t understand chapter five,” he said, slowly grabbing her hand and she retracted her hand, fast.

“Why are you so afraid, Jaemi?” he asked softly.

“I-I’m not. I’m just, cautious. We’re not that close after all,” she said, avoiding eye contact with him.

He tilted his head to one side. “Are you sure about that, Jaemi?”

Whenever Xiumin called Jaemi’s name, it always sent shivers down her spine.

“I’ll wring your neck off before you wring his. You’re a president, mind yourself. You can’t even hit or threaten him, not even murder him,” she said and Chanyeol sighed.

“But Jaemi..”

Jaemi and Chanyeol were walking back to the dormitory, and Chanyeol wanted to know what happened In the auditorium a few minutes ago.

Jaemi rolled her eyes and just explained everything to him. A tinge of her felt comforted and happy how protective Chanyeol was towards her even though they were just, ‘friends’. But part of her was thinking about Xiumin. His behavior.. it was perculiar.

His gaze, wasn’t as warm and loving as before.

It felt cold, and lustful.

“Come to think about it, you were more aggressive than him, He only touched my hand while you-“

“He touched your hand?!”

“Just my hand!”

“I don’t believe! Where else?”

“What do you mean by, where else?”

“Did he touched you, anywhere?”

“No! That’s all!”

“Are you lying to me?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Where else?”

“What do you mean by where else? It’s only the hand!”

“Did he touch your..”

“My what?”

“You know! That..”

“What ‘that’?”

“That ‘that’!”

Jaemi’s eyes widened in surprise and she immediately kicked his leg, diverting Chanyeol’s attention to his leg and not at her tomato face that was blushing madly. "Of course not! Don't spout nonsense!"

She quickly ran into her dormitory and locked the door, leaving Chanyeol stranded outside and groaning in pain.