|eleven;drenched|

The week went by faster than you thought it would. It was fairly normal, with a bit of N's usual nagging here and there.

Not once have you seen or heard about Hongbin, except for once when N had asked you about your relationship with him.

"I just know him," you had replied with a shrug. "He goes to our school."

And after that, his name had never been mentioned-- not even in those rumors among the girls in school. The students had completely moved on from one target to the next, like birds looking for better worms to catch.

"Jinhee!" N said excitingly as he threw an arm around your shoulders in the middle of the hallway. "We're going to a famous BBQ place after school. You're coming, right?"

You imagined in your head the sizzling sound of the grilling meat with the juices dripping off the sides. Your mouth started to water, before you had to quickly stop yourself from completely drooling all over the floor.

"Why would you even ask me?" you finally asked. "Whenever there's free food, expect me to be the first one there."

N grinned. "I'm gonna make you pay though~"

"Oh, then scratch that, I have plans tonight."

"Hey!" N jokingly scolded while laughing loudly. You looked up at his laughing face and couldn't help but to start laughing as well. What could you say? N's laughing was contagious. His laugh was always pleasant to you although the other boys found it annoying most of the time.

"Oh wait," you said, cutting off your laughter as you halted in the middle of the hallway. N stopped as well, right beside you. "Damn it, I have to study tonight. For that huge chem test tomorrow. My grades are really dangerous right now."

N clicked his tongue a few times. "You should have listened when I told you to take biology with the boys and me."

"Too late to regret that now," you mumbled as you resumed to walk to your next class.

"It's never too late to regret, though," N said as he caught up to your speed. You sent him a glare and noticed that he was holding back his smile. "Too soon?"

"Kinda."

"Okay, how about this: we go together tomorrow and cancel today's plan?"

You scrunched up your nose. "I have to work on my project tomorrow."

"The day after?"

"I know Ravi has to finish his free composition piece..."

N frowned, thinking of other ways for all of you to have fun without school getting in the way.

"Just go without me today. It's not like I'll die if I don't go." You chuckled before your next statement, "Plus, ramen tastes great when you're alone."

N furrowed his eyebrows. "You sure?"

"Definitely."

He opened his mouth to say something else, but that's when the bell started to ring with it's loud tune.

"Let's not be late!" you shouted over the noise, slipping away from N to make your next class.

You chuckled. They really went without me...