“I’d like to give a toast to Im Dohyun for successfully doing what I told her to do and being a man about it. Congratulations, Dohyun. You make me proud.”

Sora toasts her cup of coffee with Jiyoug’s can of soda. The two take a sip from their respective drinks and let out a sound of satisfaction. I scowl at the sound they made.

“You guys do know that you moaned in public right?”

“No one cares, Dohyun,” Sora replies, taking another sip from her drink. “Right Jiyoung?”

“Shouldn’t you guys be in bio class right now?” Jiyoung looks up from her laptop and gives us a pointed look. “Just because Ms. Oh’s busy making rounds in the cafeteria doesn’t mean you should cut her class.”

Sora shrugs while I chew my bottom lip. I clutch the strap of my bag and sigh.

“I just got here and you’re already lecturing me?”

“I’m bringing some sense into this conversation.” She pauses then turns to Sora. “Sora, stop staring at that guy near the benches. You’re making me look bad.”

Sora winces and pouts at her. “But he looks cute.”

“And you’re making me look bad.”

“Guys,” I start, breaking off their conversation. “Maybe we should all head to our respective classes now, yeah? I mean, now that we’re all here let’s get going.”

Sora fixes her gaze at me clucks her tongue. “Dohyun, stop taking her side and let me have some eye-candy for a while. Please?”

I narrow my eyes at her and shake my head. “Uh, no.”

“At least someone’s listening to me,” Jiyoung mutters as she continues to type.

“Come on Sora,” I say as I loop my arm around hers. She’s still looking at the said guy near the benches, practically drooling at the sight of him.

“See you around guys,” Jiyoung says as she waves us farewell.

“You don’t have classes?”

“Yeah. My next class is at 10:30. Anyway, good luck guys.”

I send her a small smile before dragging Sora away from our usual spot—the math building. I know, right? Who hangs out in the math building? No one. And that’s exactly the reason why the three of us decided to meet up there whenever we have free-cuts or no classes. I glance at Jiyoung’s figure one last time before descending down the gray steps of the building.

Once the two of us hit the pavement, we stumble for abit. We even manage to catch the attention of a few students. Sora huffs and detaches herself from me. She brushes of the “dirt” from her arms and her jeans before throwing me a glare.

“I was enjoying myself back there.”

“Just because you managed to get an extra ten minutes doesn’t mean we can fool around,” I reason as I check the time on my phone. I let out a long whistle before looping my arm around Sora’s again.

“Okay we have around five minutes to get to bio class. Let’s go!” I pull her towards the direction of the science building, grunting as I do so. Sora rolls her eyes but follows me. She throws what’s left of her coffee in one of the trashcans before keeping up with my pace.

There aren’t a lot of students walking around since classes have already started but there are still a few who’re sitting on the benches hunched over their laptops. Sora’s still grumbling at my aggressiveness but I ignore her. I take one quick sweep of my environment which brings a content smile to my face.

In my three months stay, I guess I already got accustomed to the college life.

At first it was a shock. I mean who doesn’t get a culture shock when they get to college? I certainly did. I heard stories from my upperclassmen that college was totally different from high school. For example, you don’t stay in one room. You have to be all over the place in order to go to your next class. Also, your social circle will definitely expand since everyone is mixed up. To be honest, I found it a bit hard to fit in and find friends who I can hang out with during breaks but thankfully, I met Jiyoung and Sora who happened to be in my Math classes as well as some of my Literature classes.

I take a peek at Sora who now gave up pestering me. She’s scrolling through her phone, probably checking if she has any new messages. Her dyed blonde hair is pulled up into a messy bun thus making her look like she didn’t take a shower. Her plaid shirt is wrapped around her waist, giving her the tough-girl look. Pair up that style with black eyeliner and red lipstick, you get AhnSora’s signature look.

Sometimes I wonder how I managed to get a friend like her. From our appearances, no one can guess that we’re actually good friends. I mean, she looks as if she just stepped out of a fashion magazine while I look like I just stepped out of an 80’s TV show—a bad, out of fashion, TV show. I shove my hands in my coat’s pockets and continue to stare at her until she turns her head and raises an eyebrow.

“Why do you look as if you’re checking me out?”

I snort. “I’m just thinking that your hair looks dry.”

Her eyes widen. She immediately touches her hair and frowns.

“God, you’re right. Hey, do you still have some of that conditioner you always gloat about? I think I need that.”

“Sorry, but I think I ran out.”

Sora glares at me before tapping furiously on her phone.

“Okay, fine then. That’s going in my favor list, just so you know.”

I chuckle and pat her back. “Now, all you have to do is find someone who’d actually grant you a favor.”

She glares at me again while I laugh.

We continue walking down the path while mindlessly talking about our classes. She starts ranting about her math homework that’s, and I quote, “So ing hard” which I then proceed by commenting that it sounds a bit erted.Our morning walks to our classes are usually like this—Sora ranting or telling me her stories while I listen and comment on them. She already moved on to another story when I start to debate on whether I should tell her about my morning and how I managed to ruin it in the span of five minutes. I stare blankly at the road in front of me, thinking about how to start the conversation when I see a human figure jump right in my line of vision. Startled, I jump back in surprise while clinging onto Sora’s arm.

“What the—“

“Morning!”

I’m still clinging onto Sora when I hear bursts of laughter coming out from . I tighten my grip on her arm which makes her gasp. She throws me a glare and I return it full force. I hear someone clear their throat and that’s when I realize that we’re not the only ones here. I swivel around to face the perpetrator and almost scream.

“Oh my god, Kim Jongdae I am going to kill you!” I screech as I pry myself from Sora. I lunge at him while he smoothly evades my attacks. He chuckles at my reaction then glances at Sora who only shrugs.

“What the actual hell,” I start, slapping his shoulder while glaring at him. “You do not jump into a person’s face and scare the out of them. That’s rude.”

“So is coming to class late,” he counters, sticking his tongue out while I gasp.

“We’re not late!” I reason. I turn back to Sora who’s checking the time on her phone. Her face pales and that’s when I realize this guy isn’t lying. The time Sora bought for us wasn’t enough and now we had to suffer the wrath of Ms. Oh.

“Well, if we are late, why are you here?”

He flashes me a toothy grin. “That’s a secret.”

I stare blankly at him, trying to figure out what’s going on inside that big head of his. However, I’m getting nothing. The only things that are going through my mind as I stare at him are that his hair looks good today and that his outfit looks eerily good on him as well. It actually makes me want to blush. I have the sudden urge to touch his hair, wondering how much hair gel he used to obtain that desired look. I also have the urge to just check what kind of brand his clothes are because damn, I want those clothes. I continue to stare at him thus causing the corners of his lips to twitch upward.

“Dohyun,” he begins, giving me a side-eye and a curious glance. “Are you by any chance checking me out?”

I snort and shook my head. “I was just thinking how many hair products you used to achieve that look.”

“Five.”

I scowl. “Nice to know.”

“Okay guys stop bickering because we ought to get to class,” Sora says, squeezing herself between. She gives the two of us a once over before rolling her eyes and placing her arms around our shoulders. “Now, shall we?” She flashes Jongdae a wink while she sends me a knowing look.

Jongdae scoffs before gently taking off her arm around his shoulders.

“I’d rather not walk in with the two of you together.”

“Why?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.

He raises his palms up in defense and gives the two of us a pointed look. “I don’t want the girls to think that I’m a player.”

Sora and I stay silent. A cool breeze engulfs the three of us causing Jongdae to shiver. Sora and I stay still. We share this look and immediately break out into laughter. I have to cover to my mouth while laughing because whenever I laugh, my mouth decides to be as big as the Pacific Ocean. Sora clutches her stomach, tears forming in her eyes. Jongdae lets out a sigh before shaking his head.

“I swear guys, it’s tough having two gorgeous ladies with me when I walk into a room. It gives the wrong impression.”

Sora nudges my arms and gives me a look that screams Kim Jongdae acknowledged our beauty, oh my god. I roll my eyes and nudge her back giving her the look that says so what? I clear my throat and turn to Jongdae who’s giving us this amused look. I raise an eyebrow but he simply shrugs it off with a grin.

“Okay, Jongdae,” Sora starts, breaking the eye-contact I had with him. “We’ll let you walk ahead of us.”

“Wait I’m not—“

“Right, Dohyun?”

I glance back at Jongdae who’s sending me all sorts of signals. The most obvious one is the please don’t let me go to class with you guys. I pretend to think over it, letting him get his hopes up before nodding my head. I see his face fall at my response which only brings a smile to my face.

“I hate you, Dohyun.”

My smile grows at his remark. “I hate you too, Jongdae.”

“Oh god,” Sora cries as she rubs her arms. “You guys are giving me the goose bumps. Do me a favor and stop.”

“Stop what?” I ask, giving her a confused look. She grunts and places a hand on her forehead.

“You know what? Just walk ahead of us Jongdae.”

“But—“

“Now.”

Like a puppy whose ball got stolen, he silently turns back around and walks towards the science buildings—back hunched and shoulders slumped. I giggle at the sight before looking back at Sora who’s smirking like an evil villain. She places her arm around my waist and whispers something in my ear.

“He totally likes you.”

My cheeks flame and I immediately pull away from her. She laughs at my reaction while I simply frown. I turn my back on her and run up the steps of the science building, ignoring her calls as well as her laughter.

I never gave it much thought—the possibility of Kim Jongdae having some sort of affection towards me. Maybe it’s because I’ve known him since high school that I’ve lost all regard for that possibility. We always stuck to simple greetings and small talks back in high school and now that we’re course mates, we’ve upgraded to greetings and lunch meet ups because he’s one of the few people I know since my foot first stepped into college. He’s one of those few people who helped me adjust into the college life and I don’t think I could have made it this far without him. He’s that guy who can instantly make my day better despite the endless teasing he gives. He’s that guy who annoys the hell out of me and yet he brings me the biggest smiles.

I watch the back of his head as he walks up the stairs and silently wonder why he decided to talk to me on the first day of Bio class. I mean, I didn’t even know we passed the same college let alone the same course. Yet there he was, greeting me again with that same smile he used to give me back in high school.  I tuck a few strands of hair behind my ear and smile faintly at the thought. 

I hear Sora’s footsteps behind me, trying to catch up with my pace. I look at the sky overview and marvel at the weather. When Sora finally catches up to me, she pants and throws me a look as sharp as knives. She presses a hand on her chest and takes a deep breath.

“Don’t you ever run like that ever again,” she says in between breaths. Once she calms down she places a hand on my shoulder and leans on me. I stumble slightly but I somehow manage to stand still.

“You know,” I begin, watching Sora fix her hair. I know she’s listening because her head’s slightly turned towards me. I wring my fingers together before speaking.

“I don’t think Jongdae likes me that way.” I don’t know why I have the need to say this but it just feels right if I clear things up right from the start. I don’t want Sora to keep bothering me about the big what if? What if Kim Jongdae likes me? After that, another ‘what if’ follows: What if this causes us to drift apart? The thought of those questions make my insides crumble. I don’t want that to happen—losing a friend who I consider so important. I wait patiently for Sora’s reaction but when I glance at her, she only has her lips pursed into a thin line. When I ask her why the reaction she only shakes her head, giving me a small smile.

“It’s nothing,” she replies. I’m about to pry some more into that reply but decides against it since we’re pressed for time.

“Okay.”

“Come on, let’s hurry up or else Ms. Oh will kill us.” She pauses and then drops open. “Yeah, we should that before she finds out I lied about the baked goods.”

“Oh my god.”

She tugs on my arm and we run up the stairs, ignoring our bated breaths. We pass by Jongdae who gives us this weird look. He’s about to ask us a question—probably about us running—but shrugs it off. He gives us a salute while I nod my head in reply.

The only thing on our mind is that we have to get there on time. Or else suffer the wrath of Ms. Oh Yoomi.

&&

It was plain obvious that Ms. Oh looked extremely annoyed at the class today.

The moment Sora, Jongdae and I came in, she gave us this look that sent chills down our spine. She didn’t say anything about our tardiness but I felt that she’d have something to say later on. She looked at us with piercing eyes before starting the lesson. The three of us managed to snag some seats near the back since all of us agreed that we were by no means ready to sit in front and have her glare at us all day long.

The class started on an okay note and for a moment, the whole class thought that her foul mood finally went away. Well, we thought wrong.

“When will this ever end?” Sora groans. She frowns at the sight of Ms. Oh eyeing the students in front. Sora clucks her tongue and shakes her head. “I have to sit in her class for three times a week and witness her glare at the students in front. Man, I feel bad for them.”

 I only hum in response. I have to quickly jot down everything she’s saying because she doesn’t use visual aids or anything. She rarely does and when she does use them, it’s only pictures of animals or plants. Today is one of those days where in she uses a visual aid—a detailed picture of a plant whose name escapes me.

Ms. Oh continues to teach the lesson, giving us pointers here and there while I studiously write down notes. Sora gave up listening so now she’s busy tapping away on her phone while Jongdae’s staring blankly at the board. To others he might look as if he’s listening but to me, it’s obvious that he’s bored and out of his mind. I slump down further on my seat and watch as the clock tick away.

“And so, Mr. Kim Jongdae,”

My head snaps up at her remark. I turn to Jongdae to gauge his reaction. His eyes are wide and his mouth even wider. Sora’s typing comes to a halt as her eyes turn from Ms. Oh to Jongdae.

“We’re dead,” she mouths to me. I don’t reply because I’m too engrossed on what Ms. Oh will say next.

“May you please name all the parts of this plant.”

Whispers start to fill the room, their anxious words filling my ears. I’m already getting stressed out over the fact that many pairs of eyes are looking in our direction. If I were Jongdae, I’ll probably mess up and stutter over my words which will then make the situation much worse. But since he’sJongdae, he’ll probably make it out alive.

Jongdae his lips before standing up carefully, making sure not to make any sudden movement because well, Ms. Oh’s quite perceptive. I grip the pen in my hand tighter and watch as he stands confidently in front of who I call a terror teacher. He clears his throat before answering.

The moment his mouth opens, a jumbled mess of words comes out. He points at the photo and recites all the parts without breaking a sweat. I stare at him wide-eyed and wonder if he actually listened during her lecture. Some of students have the same reaction as I do: wide mouths and owl-like eyes. Others are simply too amazed to even have a decent reaction. They only stare at him in admiration as he rattles off the parts of that plant.

Sora leans towards me and whispers something in my ear.

“Since when did he become smart?”

I shake my head. “I think he actually listened to her lecture.”

Sora nods her head in amazement before making herself comfortable in her seat once again. I peer at her and notice that she has this grim expression on her face as if she just ate something sour.

“What is it?”

She drums her fingers against the table and tilts her head to one side, fixing her gaze on Ms. Oh.

“I feel as if this isn’t really her punishment.”

I train my gaze on her as well and watch as her face morphs into something sinister. The smile she gives Jongdae once he finished reciting isn’t proud or friendly in the very least. In fact, I think it’s a smile that tells us there’s more to come. I shiver at the sight and slump even further down my seat. Half of my body is already under the table. Maybe if I can just vanish out of thin air, I won’t have to go through whatever’s next.

Jongdae takes his seat and looks straight ahead, unfazed by the look Ms. Oh gave him. I stare at him in awe from where I’m seated and silently applaud him for being so brave. I don’t know how long I’ve been staring at him but I guess he took notice of it because the next thing I knew, I was looking into a pair of brown orbs that were telling me what are you doing? I snap out of my daze and focus on the board in front.

“What’s up?”

I shrug.

“Too amazed to see that I actually got it right?”

I nod.

“Why are you being so quiet?”

I purse my lips and shrug. “I’m thinking.”

“Care to elaborate?”

I face him and inconspicuously point over at Ms. Oh. She’s lecturing again but the glaring doesn’t stop. Jongdae glances at her and then back to me. He an eyebrow and waits expectantly for me to add more.

“Sora mentioned that this might not be the end of her revenge.” His eyes tell me to continue and so I do.

“I’m guessing, we’ll find out by the end of the class. Her question for you, I think it’s just a small taste of what we’ll have later on.” I feel Sora shift in her seat and when I turn to look at her she nods her head, agreeing with what I just said. I almost forgot that she’s here with us.

“Interesting,” he muses. He leans back on his seat and crosses his arms. I purse my lips at his reaction before poking his arm.

“Is that it?”

“What ‘it’?”

I search his face for a look or sign before sighing and moving away. I cross my arms as well and stare at Ms. Oh. I thought that he’d be thinking about the many ways on how Ms. Oh will torture but I guess not. It doesn’t even look like he’s worried about it. I guess I’m the only one who’s bothered over what she’ll make us do later on. I know that Ms. Oh never lets off the people who’re tardy. And today isn’t going to be an exception.

As I sit in class dreading for what comes next, I can only help but marvel at how calm and collected Jongdae is. I marvel at how Sora handles the situation with ease by texting her worries away. I marvel at how the students in class deal with Ms. Oh’s teaching habits. I marvel at how relaxed they are—not having a care as to what might happen after her lecture.

As I sit in class, I can’t help but wonder what will happen next. I wonder what growing pains Ms. Oh will bring us. I wonder how I’ll deal with those pains. I wonder how I’ll deal with the future.

A/N:

Oh my gosh 3 subs!! Haha you guys don't know how insanely happy that makes me. Thanks for deciding to subscribe! Here's the second chapter and I'm sorry if Baekhyun hasn't appeared yet but hey at least there's Chen? Hope you enjoyed it.

xo