Jonghyun had probably sighed half of his happiness out of his chest and he didn't feel any better when Onew had offered him a part of his lunch.

"Dude, you okay? Maybe waking up early for you was too much for your body." Onew stared with concern at his depressed best friend, sliding over some fried chicken. Jonghyun stared emptily at the golden yellow legs and sighed again.

"You shouldn't have fried chicken for lunch every day." Jonghyun grumbled as he pushed back Onew's lunch across his desk, "Your brain is probably full of oil which is why you're so stupid."

"Ouch." Onew took his chicken back happily, "You sound like Key."

"In what way?!" Key snapped, glaring at Onew noisily munching on his lunch.

"The way you criticize me and nag me." Onew defended.

"I do not nag you," Key eyed the meat-only lunchbox before spouting with irritation again, "I told you to pack a lunchbox, not a happy meal. Where in the world are your vegetables?!" Key rolled his eyes and hastily placed some of his own lunchbox's veggies into Onew's.

"You know what we need with fried chicken," Onew scarfed down the veggies in a snap, "Beer."

"We're not even legal."

The diva and the food maniac both slightly flinched at Jonghyun's soulless voice.

"Even I must say that you are being creepy like this." Key made a face and scooted his chair towards Onew.

"He's been like that since morning." Onew shrugged, now giving up and even eating Key's lunch.

As Jonghyun sat there motionlessly picking at his own bibimbap while watching Key smack away Onew's devious hands, he was keeping careful alert of any signs of Taeyeon sunbae.

As if God had been playing tricks on him, Jonghyun had seen Taeyeon sunbae not once, not twice, but three times. Luckily, Jonghyun had the capability to actually fulfill Ji Eun's orders and was able to act naturally and avoid Taeyeon. Taeyeon had greeted him all times with a smile. Though some confusion was mixed in by the third time, when Jonghyun had asked for the permission to talk to Taeyeon sunbae from Ji Eun, the cold genius had completely rejected Jonghyun's idea.

Unless Taeyeon's reaction had met Ji Eun's expectations, it seemed like Jonghyun would never talk to Taeyeon sunbae again.

He knew he would see her again when she passed by his classroom during class changing and as the clock ticking in his head got louder, so did his heartbeat.

Ji Eun had transformed into a total stranger after the morning bell rang, so he couldn't rely on her to save her if he fumbled up. Even if he sent her pleading glances, she always turned away and she was back to being as cold as ice. It was as if they had never drunk tea together, talked, or even knew of each other's existence.

Honestly, Jonghyun was a bit offended that a girl as unsociable as her had the audacity to ignore The Kim Jonghyun.

Jonghyun's eyes slid to the left as he caught Ji Eun silently munching on a store bought sandwich.

Even Jonghyun and the crew had brought their own lunch bags (due to Key's influence), and when he examined the other female students they also had their own variety of homemade meals. Ji Eun was one of the few girls that had an "un-nutritious meal" (according to Key) and the only one who was reading a dictionary during her nom session.

Jonghyun couldn't help but stare.

"She's eating another one of those sandwiches." Key sighed with disgust, shaking his head.

"That looks good. I should eat that on the way home." Onew leaned back to burp, but caught Key's fire glare and stopped himself.

"She eats that every day?" Jonghyun questioned.

"Yeah. Or at least, that's the only thing I've ever seen her eat during lunch." Key shrugged, snapping his lunch shut and neatly putting it away into his bag.

"Hey anyone want juice?" Onew said, cutting the end to the topic.

"I want Pocari." Key raised his hand.

"I want apple juice." Onew stared at Key.

"Why are you looking at me."

"Aren't you going to buy it?"

"Why the heck would I buy it?! Wasn't it you who offered to get juice?"

"No, I was just asking."

Key almost threw his dirty wooden chopsticks straight at Onew's two eyes twinkling with mischief.

"I'll go." Jonghyun got up, interrupting the fiery feud with two words.

"Well, it's solved!" Onew sat back relaxing.

Jonghyun left Key and Onew bickering at each other, trudging out the door.

At the worst possible timing, the bell rang signaling the classroom changing. It sounded like a spoon being scraped against the bottom of a metal pot. If you haven't tried it, you should and you would fully understand the dread and the horror that electrocuted through Jonghyun's whole body.

Jonghyun panicked so bad he tripped over his own feet rushing towards the vending machine.

His brain wasn't working properly so of course the idea of simply turning back, entering the classroom, and hiding behind the desk with Key and Onew didn't cross his mind at all.

Instead, his brain said even simpler said:

OH HIDE

I guess you could say that Jonghyun's brain was a tad bit stressed.

His body pressed aggressively against the vending machine's screen and his hands practically fawned over the number keys pressing frantically. Two drinks clunked out and Jonghyun used those two cans to cover the sides of his face.

All he saw was the label of a drink and his pathetic reflection.

Footsteps started to echo in the hallway and the voices of students soon clamored the hallway.

Luckily, no one seemed to be interested in the weird unrecognized boy that was ????? with the vending machine who apparently was very affectionate with two cans of refreshments.

If only Jonghyun could endure thirty more seconds like this then he would be safe from meeting-

"Jonghyun?"

Crap.

Speak of the devil.

"Jonghyun? Is that you?"

"...........No."

Jonghyun almost groaned audibly.

"Are you... okay?"

Jonghyun turned around, after making sure his face wasn't totally red with humiliation.

"Yeah, I'm fine why do you ask?" Jonghyun slowly lowered the two cans to his sides.

"It's just that... well; you were just doing that a few seconds ago." Taeyeon smiled awkwardly, pointing towards the foggy vending machine screen due to Jonghyun's desperate hot breathes.

"Oh, ha-ha that? That... That is... Just..." Jonghyun hesitated rolling the cans from hand to hand, "I was just trying to read the labels of the cans... I don't have my contacts today sooo I couldn't see the... words..." Jonghyun droned.

He stopped himself from messing up again and tried thinking of Ji Eun, his escape from reality and failure.

Jonghyun's eyes widened momentarily, remembering Ji Eun's words.

"Don't talk to her until she looks at you like she's mad at you or something similar."

Jonghyun stared at Taeyeon's face, which was miraculous considering his current state, but it was only working since he was thinking of Ji Eun's scary aftershock.

"Um........." Taeyeon's brows scrunched upwards and her lips curled down.

Jonghyun blinked and snapped away from Taeyeon.

She didn't look happy or her usual smiley self.

"Sorry, I was just thinking." Jonghyun vaguely said, not lying nor telling the truth.

"Okay." Taeyeon nodded, her head lowering down.

"Taeyeon! C'mon! We're going to be late!"

"You guys go first!" Taeyeon spun, her usual smile gone, replaced with a trouble one.

Jonghyun blinked, confused.

This hadn't ever happened before, and seeing this side of his Taeyeon sunbae was alerting.

"So... You are okay?" Taeyeon said her voice quiet and unsure.

"Y-Yes. I was just reading."

"No, I mean... Erm..." Taeyeon glanced up, biting her lip.

Jonghyun inwardly squirmed.

WHAT IS THAT!?!? THAT IS SO CUTE.

"I mean this morning." Jonghyun flinched, but Taeyeon didn't notice and continued, "You were exercising before I practically forced you to help our tennis club and even though you were sweating and was tired, I felt that it would be too much if I tried to help you with all those other girls helping you."

Taeyeon took a big gulp trying to prevent herself from over talking.

"So. My main point is... I was worried this whole time that you were avoiding me because you were annoyed with me that I made you help the club even though you're not even a member, and I thought that you were especially mad at me since like-....." Taeyeon's face grew adorably pink like a doll.

Jonghyun stared silently, amused, trying to hold back his usual grin.

"I'm... blabbing again aren't I?" Taeyeon lowered her head and stared upwards, giving her the puppy eye look.

Which had amazing affects by the way.

Jonghyun smothered his laugh and Taeyeon responded with a shy smile.

"Don't... laugh at me!" Taeyeon smiled fully this time and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to." Jonghyun tried his best to hold back his laugh but failed.

"You're not mad at me anymore?"

How could I possibly be?

"Of course not. I was never mad at you in the first place." Jonghyun smiled, "I didn't mind helping you for the morning practice."

"Then why did you leave and avoid me?" Taeyeon pouted.

"Sorry, I was suddenly busy. Bad timing, I know. I should've explained to you properly." Jonghyun hesitated before lying.

"Ha-ha, I guess that's okay." Taeyeon smiled, sending the same amount of happiness onto Jonghyun, "Though, I guess you liked morning practice huh?"

"Why do you say that?" Jonghyun laughed.

"Because of the girls, doi." Taeyeon giggled, her feet shuffling.

"Well..." Jonghyun glanced away and paused before letting his gaze rest on Taeyeon, "Not exactly..."

Taeyeon's smile faltered replaced with a very faint blush.

"H-Huh?"

Oh god I said something weird.

Jonghyun opened his mouth to explain his vague wording in panic when he spotted something very familiar.

His eyes inched behind Taeyeon sunbae to reveal Ji Eun.

Come. Back. Now.

Jonghyun hesitated, but Ji Eun's lips silently and firmly repeated the same three words, only with much more malice.

COME. BACK. NOW.

Jonghyun wanted to ignore the very obvious signs from his love consultant who suddenly appeared, but of course, he couldn't.

"What do you mean...? Not exactly...?" Taeyeon whispered, but it went unheard with Jonghyun in panic mode.

"Sorry, I- I have to go. You should go too. You'll be late." Jonghyun smiled awkwardly, and rushed past Taeyeon who spun around.

"Huh? Oh! Yea! Okay, see you later!" Taeyeon yipped at the sight of the near empty hallway and started running the other direction.

"Ok bye!" Jonghyun waved and back stepped nearer to his classroom, or in clearer motives, Ji Eun.

"What?" Jonghyun whispered at Ji Eun's still body at the classroom entrance.

When she didn't respond, Jonghyun neared her and repeated his "what" more exasperatedly.

Ji Eun stared silently before whispering with almost no sound at all.

"Club hours."