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CHAPTER FIVE

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Lee Byunghun strolled down the aisle, relaxed and feeling more at ease than he had for the past few days. Ever since that little fiasco with Lee Chanhee the previous afternoon, he felt as though he had finally let out some emotion that had been clogging up his throat.

Sure enough, it felt ing good to give that a piece of his mind. Well...not all of his mind. He still had several ideas to act upon. Glancing to the left and right, he frowned. The students here were exceptionally quick in leaving the building once the final bell rang. He hardly ever saw a soul in these parts after lessons.

As he placed each foot in front of the other, he noticed a figure turning round the corner at the periphery of his vision. Byunghun blinked, and mentally shrugged to himself. It was probably a nobody.

"Aish..." he muttered to himself, running one hand through his ruffled hair. "How lonely I must be." At this, his thoughts drifted to the attractive brunette. He hadn't asked her out. Well, now that he thought about it...weren't there past scandals of her and one of the substitute teachers having an affair several months back?

He clicked his tongue, eyes narrowing. A group of giggling girls had told him that just yesterday. He probably thought they were just trying to hinder any chance of them dating. Byunghun wasn't too sure if it was just a rumour, or a fact.

"Oppa! Don't!" a familiar high-pitched voice squealed from the female restroom by his right. He raised an eyebrow, and cringed as more noises of and laughing entered his ears. Thank goodness for his silent manner of walking.

Yup... he was never going to ask her out.

Speeding past the door, just as a loud bump - the sound of someone ramming another person against a cubicle door - sounded, Lee Byunghun escaped.

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...~...

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The figure watched from several metres behind. His eyes fixed on the retreating back of Byunghun. He held back a sigh, and placed both hands into the pockets of his black hoodie. Abruptly, feelings of frustration overwhelmed his other senses, and he kicked the tiles angrily. His brown bangs flew into his eyes, protesting against the rough action.

At that junction, a door to his right flew open. A female student half-dressed came stumbling out, tittering and pulling her skirt down to adjust it. She looked up, and her rosy cheeks took on an even redder shade. She gaped, and he noticed her swallow. He raised a brow, and with a nanosecond, scanned her appearance.

Half of her blouse's buttons - from the top - were unfastened; he spotted a hint of lace undergarments beneath. Her tie hung loosely around her neck, and her hair looked to be blown by a violent gust of wind. At the corner of her lips, her lipstick had smudged. He held back a snort - it was pretty obvious what had gone on in the bathroom.

As expected, a well-muscled man then appeared at the entrance. His attire was just as dishevelled, and black hair ruffled. As he locked eyes with him, the man took on an alarmed look.

The youth studied his flabbergasted and guilty expression. Hadn't he seen him before? Wasn't he one of the relief teachers?

Gah, whatever. He didn't care.

Not about them, at least.

Glancing at where Byunghun had turned and disappeared, he hurriedly waved one hand that signalled 'I-didn't-see--so-just-continue-with-your-hankypanky'. He then pushed past the both of them, and quickly went on his way.

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...~...

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Ricky winced inwardly when he realised Lee Byunghun was walking towards his direction.

Crap, he knew he shouldn't have stayed back. Instead, he should have just gone with Teen Top to the arcade.

Stupid math homework, he thought.

"Changhyun-ssi," Byunghun called, just as he had turned to walk - maybe run - off. His voice, as clear as Ricky had remembered it, was like a red velvet cake. It sounded so sweet and silky. Yet, in contrast, it too sounded deep and charming. Like a voice that would only belong to hot Hollywood stars-

What are you doing? He's a bad-guy!

Biting his lip, he his heel.

Ever since...uh...his performance in the cafeteria...

Ricky shook his head.

It didn't matter what sort of beating he had received - not to mention, he went through such sessions for quite a bit. What mattered was what Teen Top had told him.

That Lee Byunghun was a Grade A jerk and self-proclaimed kingka. Yes, that was what he should be focussing on. Not on how dreamy he was...

Still, their encounter outside the bathroom had been so-

"Yoo Changhyun!" Ricky heard him call again, this time of a higher volume and slightly-more-stern tone.

Suddenly feeling guilty for ignoring his call, he stopped in his tracks and slowly turned to face a seemingly-troubled Byunghun. Or, rather, that was what his countenance told him.

Can I say that I think him calling me so informally, really makes me happy? his mind involuntarily sighed in contentment.

"Why did you disregard me?" Byunghun questioned, stopping in front of him. His height reached around Ricky's forehead, and his brown eyes appeared surprised and curious. "You gave me a wave, and now you're acting like a complete alien?"

, he looks even more godly up-close!

Ricky's lips went dry.

Forget that. He didn't know what to say.

Besides, what should he even say?

Sorry, Byunghun-seonbae, but it's because I've heard that you're actually really mean to people and had been a gangster in America?

Damn...if it was that easy to spit that particular sentence out, Ricky would have already done so decades ago.

"I...I..." he stammered, ducking his head and locking his gaze onto the floor.