Chapter 2

“Why do we have to eat this stupid cafeteria stuff?” Changmin got a smack on his bicep for his answer.

“stop asking that every five minutes. You know well that Junsu can’t cook so early in the morning.” Jaejoong took her tray from the lunch lady and pulled Changmin, who had three trays of his own.

“why can’t you make it?”

“neither I nor Su have the time in morning. Don’t be such a prick, min. the cafeteria food isn’t bad.”

“I want food made with love.” Changmin said petulantly. Jaejoong leaned up and pecked his cheek, “there’s your love.” Jaejoong walked away.

“it’s not the same~!” Changmin whined and went after her, both were ignorant of the whispers around them.

“did she just kiss him?”

“I knew they were dating.”

“another handsome lost.” The group of girls sighed dejectedly, “all we have is Kaichou. Why can’t all the good-looking guys be approachable like him?”

“Will you people shut up!” the girls were startled by a hand slamming on the table. They all faced a pretty girl who was scowling at them.

“Jeez! No need to get angry Ara. Not everyone can be like you and love a man who’s not even interested.” One the girls said.

“Shut up. He likes me, he just doesn’t realise it.” Ara asserted

“whatever floats your boat.” The girls snickered.

“Why does this cafeteria have no chairs?” Jaejoong scanned the large hall in search for at least two seats for the both of them, but the entire student body appears to have gathered in the hall.

“Hey Joongie, the wide-forehead dude has saved a seat.” Changmin pointed with his chin to a place. Jaejoong glanced at Yoochun waving madly while pointing to the chair beside him. “there’s just one.” Jaejoong and Changmin rolled their eyes.

Jaejoong checked again and this time succeeded. A familiar face sat in the cornermost table with his head buried in a book and his tray of food lying untouched. “how did I miss that? There’s and entire bench vacant in the corner. My partner’s there.” Jaejoong and Changmin walked to the vacant bench and without so much as a ‘by your leave’ sat there.

The whole cafeteria was silent.

Changmin arranged his trays and dug into the rice. Jaejoong put an egg roll in and scanned the silent crowd.

“why ish hevrywum quiet?” Jaejoong asked with a mouth full.

“why ish he….” Changmin gulped his food, “sorry, why is he looking like that?” he pointed to the irritated face looking at them.

“I think he’s angry because we didn’t say hello.” Jaejoong whispered and then straightened up, “Hi, Yunho.”

“did I say or do something to make you think this was okay?” Yunho said making it clear he didn’t appreciate the uninvited guests.

“NO.” Jaejoong said cutely. They heard someone call their names and they turned around to find Kyuhyun on her knees behind them, “you lost something kyuhyunie?”

Kyuhyun shook her head, “Jaejoong don’t sit here. This place is only for him.” Kyuhyun pointed at Yunho.

“well, he can share.” Jaejoong brushed it off. “get off the floor Kyu.” Kyuhyun defeatedly crawled from the table, but not before accidently kicking Changmin’s chair, “sorry.”

The scowl on Changmin’s face was enough to make her scurry off, “I’m allergic to her apologies.” Changmin said to no one in particular.

The two returned to their lunch but still felt Yunho glaring daggers at them.

“Yunho, aren’t you going to eat?” Jaejoong asked him.

“did you not hear that mouse?” Yunho pointed at Kyuhyun who was now back to her table. Realising he said her name, Kyuhyun ducked behind her friend.

“this is your table, she said.” Changmin repeated. Jaejoong smiled charmingly, “so be a good boy and share.”

Yunho couldn’t say or do anything to get rid of them, so he gave up. He gave a glare to the others and they returned to whatever they were doing before staring at the two newbies who sat on the scary outcast’s table.

“So Mr Jung Yunho-“ Changmin began.

“I don’t intend to hold a conversation.” Yunho cut him off.

“Too bad I’m persistent and talkative.” Changmin retorted.

“he’ll chew your ears off. Let him say what he wants and we’ll all live.” Jaejoong advised.

Yunho groaned, “alight! Please Speak Mr Kim.”

“Shim, Shim Changmin.” He corrected.

“I thought you were siblings.” Yunho looked between the two.

“we are.” Jaejoong said.

“Technically we’re cousins, but I was adopted by her parents.” Changmin gave the details and Yunho nodded in understanding, “So as I was saying, did you really punch the wide-forehead dude?”

Yunho really didn’t want to talk with anyone. So he kept his face blank, but the tell-tale twitch of his lips made Jaejoong smile. Yunho just couldn’t resist at the name the new students gave to Park Yoochun.

“I didn’t.” he said with a small smile and returned to the book. But his book was snatched from under him.

“Come on! You can tell us.” Jaejoong insisted.

“I didn’t. On my first week here, he got upset because I became the Judo captain instead of him. So he got drunk off his -”

“and he fought with you and you went all judo on him?” Changmin said like a child who was guessing his Christmas gift.

“I didn’t even lay a finger on him. He found me and came to hit me but the drunk idiot couldn’t walk straight. Walked right into a pole.”

“then how did those rumours spread?” Jaejoong felt stupid for asking that question because the minute she said ‘rumours’ there ws a flash of displeasure in Yunho’s eyes but that went as soon as it came.  

“I took him to his house. He didn’t remember anything besides seeing my face. God knows what tale he spun about his bruise but the end result was what you’ve heard.”

“Aw Man! Here I thought someone actually made the forehead bigger. So bad the guy’s forehead is naturally large.” Changmin said emphatically…not.

“True. Poor him.” Jaejoong shook her head.

Yunho couldn’t help it. It bubbled and these two made it happen. Before anyone knew it, loud guffawing laughter was echoing in the cafeteria.

The student body couldn’t absorb that the stoic, apathetic, Jung Yunho was full on tearing up on laughing so much.

He was joined by Jaejoong and Changmin in laughing and everyone gaped. No one had ever succeeded in bringing out a reaction of any sort from the ice prince that was Jung Yunho. And yet, this pair does that on their first day.

While the three finally settled down and returned to their meals, Yunho took his first bite of the lunch. Actually this was the first time he has eaten the school food. The atmosphere kills his appetite but he gets a tray to avoid any conversation. It happened for his first week here and the persistent Ara always insisted that they share a lunch as ‘friends’. So he would get his own tray and scare off any one who came near him. Ofcourse two intrepid getting-under-your-skin idiots broke his record today. Today, Yunho ate lunch at his school instead of just breakfast and dinner at his home and surprisingly, he finds the meals good. Well, anything is better than his limited cooking.

“hey! If you don’t want your salad, can I have it?” Yunho passed his salad to Changmin who ignored the eyebrow quirked at him.

“you shouldn’t give him or you’ll be stuck in the endless cycle of giving him food.” Jaejoong advised and Changmin agreed. “I eat a lot.” He said seriously.

Yunho returned to his book and Jaejoong got curious. “what’re you reading?” to Yunho’s horror Jaejoong actually climbed over the wide table and was practically on all fours in front of Yunho. She was too into reading the book upside down to notice Yun