Sunlight streamed through Hyunjung's open curtains, it was 7:42 AM. Uncle Hyunwoo went up to her room and seeing that his niece still wasn't up yet, stood at her doorway. "You left your bedroom door wide open again sleepyhead, wake up."

She slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room, wincing at the brightness of the light with her eyes only half-open. Seeing her uncle by the door, she grumbled and pulled her blanket around herself tighter. "Too tired," she murmured. "Five more minutes."

Her uncle rolled his eyes and strode over to her bed, yanking the blanket off. Hyunjung rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up, groaning in frustration. "Seriously?"

He went to her window and unlocked the latch, letting a gentle breeze into the room. "Young lady, get up and get ready for school."

She sighed inwardly and collapsed back onto her bed, shutting her eyelids. "It's too early."

He scoffed. "Too early? It's a ten minute walk for you to get to school."

"So?" she said without budging.

"You lazy rock, it’s 7:45 and you have to be in school by 8:00."

"SAY WHAT?!" She suddenly shot up, pushing her uncle out of her room, before abruptly shutting the door.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap..."

She looked at the clock while rushing to change into her school uniform and getting her school bag ready.

She brushed her teeth and did her hair hastily without looking in the mirror, then threw her bag onto her shoulders. She walked past her uncle in the kitchen, making her way out towards the house door.

Her uncle chuckled from amusement while watching her panicking state. "If you run, you might make it before 8:00!" he called out to her.

"See you later, uncle!" she shouted as she slammed the door behind her.

She picked up her pace and she looked at her watch. "7:53, I might make it in time." The wind blew strongly, her hair tangling as she continued to run while panting furiously.  Hyunjung saw the school gates, then checked her watch. "7:58. Made it, only just made it, " she said and sighed with over washing relief.

She trudged to her classroom, her legs still numb from exhaustion. Plodding to her desk, she flopped suddenly onto her chair, earning unappreciative looks from her classmates. Her dishevelled hair covered her flushed cheeks as she kept her head down.

"DID YOU JUST PUT GUM IN MY HAIR? HEY! JEON JUNGKOOK WAIT FOR ME." Jimin's voice could be heard echoing from the far ends of the corridor, as Jungkook burst through the doors of the classroom with a mischievous grin on his face. His sudden appearance stirred the attention of the class.

He smiled when his eyes landed on a mob of black, tousled hair. He called out to her, "Morning Hyunjung!"

Startled, she lifted her head and gave Jungkook a small wave. He raised his hand to wave back, but dropped it back to his side when Mr Jung entered the classroom, signalling everyone to go back to their seats.  "Good morning, you know what we do every Friday before your classes start…”

Everyone groaned.

“Please read page 132 in your textbooks, then turn to page 148.”

Hyunjung opened her bag to take her textbook out, "Ah, that textbook..."

She kept searching in her bag when a recollection of this morning hit her; she was in such a hurry to go to school on time, she had forgotten to pack her textbook before she left the house. She mentally slapped herself. "You've got to be kidding me, I'm so stupid."

She continued to scold herself, but from the corner of her eye, she noticed Taehyung slowly sliding his textbook to the edge of his desk, close enough to her so that she could see the page. His eyes faced the front and didn't turn to look at her at all.

"Park Jimin you're late," Teacher Jung said when Jimin entered the classroom.

"I was in the restroom trying to get gum from my hair, Jungkook -"

"This is the third time this week that you've been late. You can make up for it in detention today after school."

Jimin's mouth hung open, gaping at Mr Jung with a desperate expression. "Eh? But -"

"Please just go to your seat."

Jimin sulked and did as he was told, passing by Jungkook's desk and not hesitating to hit him on the back of the head.

"Thanks a lot for giving me a detention," he said. Jungkook rubbed the back of his head and grinned playfully at him.

 "Anytime."

*   *   *

Lunch had arrived and all the students went to the cafeteria to eat. Hyunjung placed her lunch on an empty table, taking a bite from a piece of bread.

"Hyunjung! Hey!"

She twisted her head and saw Jungkook coming towards her and he placed his lunch on the table, taking a seat opposite her. "Jimin ditched me, he's probably still mad at me for putting gum in his hair." He took a bite from an apple and looked around.

"Why don't you sit with other people from class?”

Because I have no friends here?

Hyunjung didn’t answer and continued to eat her sandwich. She wanted to try having a conversation with Jungkook, but her mind kept drifting back to her first class when Taehyung shared his textbook with her, she didn't get the chance to thank him. She worried that he might’ve thought she was rude. Her parents always told her to thank someone when they do something nice. Even though it was only a small deed Taehyung did, she was still thankful. Hyunjung threw her sandwich onto her lunch tray in frustration,

"How could I forget my text book?"

Jungkook laughed heartily. "Do you always talk to yourself like that? It's funny... If you talked a little more, I’m sure a lot of people would like you.”

Hyunjung clasped her hands together in her lap. Maybe talking to him would make her feel better. "Before I moved here, I never thought, making friends would be so difficult. Looking at everyone else, socializing happily. I never really realised, how lonely I actually am."

Jungkook looked at Hyunjung curiously. "Could it be you're the one making things complicated?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you don't have to be so nervous. Meeting new people should be something that makes you happy. Even saying "let's be friends", I suppose it does sound a little desperate, but it's better than not saying anything at all." He stood up from his seat and picked his tray up.

He sent her a grin. "And if that's not possible, I can still eat lunch with you, all you need to do is ask. I'm your friend now."

*   *   *

She walked along the hallway to her next class, when she saw Taehyung by his locker. I'll just walk past him quickly and hope he doesn't notice. But then her conversation with Jungkook at lunch flitted across her mind. She wasn't going to repeat her mistakes again. She made her way to Taehyung and called out to him, "Tae-Taehyung!"

He turned round to face in her direction. "T-thank you for letting me use your textbook," Hyunjung said nervously.

He shut his locker and began to walk away. "Is that so?" he replied mordantly. Hyunjung was surprised at how cold Taehyung was, but she wasn't going to give up now.

"Taehyung!"

Sighing, he halted and turned his head to glance at her, "What now?"

Doing this was so much easier said than done. Hyunjung took a deep breath. Now or never.

"Taehyung, let's be friends."

His eyes widened at her blunt declaration. But he shook his head and turned his back on her.  "Go away, you're annoying."

Hyunjung slung her bag off her shoulder and swung it, hearing a thump when it hit him hard on the back, causing him to stumble forward.

"What the hell? Seriously! What's your problem?" he said, rubbing his back.

"I just want some people to greet during the day and eat lunch with. I know I'm expressionless and don't talk much, but being told I'm annoying still hurts." Hyunjung looked up at Taehyung. "But sorry for hitting you just now."

He hesitated for a moment, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I get it! I shouldn't have said that." He scratched the back of his head irritably.

Hyunjung smiled at Taehyung and went to walk beside him. "Okay."

He slowed his walking pace so that she could catch up. "Clearly, I was the one that was hit. Why am I apologising?"