It had quite literally been a rough week for Jonghyun as he had to keep his cool, actually try to pay attention in class, and also try to follow the instructions he had been given from his love consultant. Jonghyun had thought back on his relationship with Ji Eun, and he kept his mouth miraculously shut when Key had scarily seemed to have a hunch that something was off with Jonghyun.

"Nowadays you seem like, I don't know, on edge all the time." Key squinted his eyes, almost making Jonghyun choke on his energy drink.

"What? No way."

"Yeah, he seems even dumber than before." Onew cackled, happily munching on his hotdog.

Jonghyun was so glad his friend was an idiot.

"No, you are definitely on edge." Key smacked Onew before continuing, "But it seems like a good kind of thing. You seem happier that's for sure."

"Whaat? No way." Jonghyun repeated, his brain panicking.

"Whatever, you'll talk to me sooner or later." Key huffed, slightly annoyed that he wasn't being included in the secret that Jonghyun had.

Jonghyun silently apologized, nevertheless not speaking a word about Ji Eun or his consulting sessions to either of his two best friends.

Speaking of his consulting sessions, he hadn't really visited the club room since that last time other than to drop by and refresh his memory with Ji Eun's scolds and have some warm tea. He had to admit, the room was comforting and cozy, not to add it was probably the quietest area of the entire school.

"Oh yeah, Key, lend me your homework so I can copy it later." Onew lazed back on his chair and with an outstretched palm he stretched out his arm.

"In your dreams." Key stared at it disgustingly and smacked it away as usual.

"Aw c'mon! If you don't give me your homework, Mr. Jung is going to kill me!" Onew whined, bolting upright.

"If you don't do your own freakin' homework, the test is going to kill you." Key retorted, dodging out of Onew's desperate reach.

...

......

.........

"Test...?"

Jonghyun and Onew echoed each other, sitting and standing still, staring blankly at Key, who in return was staring at the unexpected two in disbelief mixed with a restrained outburst of  annoyance.

"Don't tell me you forgot."

"What do you mean "forgot"? There wasn't even a mention about it." Onew's voice sounded unsteady, uncertain but in shock, and he turned to face his stupid comrade for assistance, "Right JJong?"

"RIGHT." Jonghyun took no second of hesitation in agreeing in the hopes of a non-existent test.

"Are you serious?" Key rolled his eyes and walked over to the papers posted next to the board, tapping them with his fingers.

Jonghyun and Onew stepped forward hesitantly, avoiding the eyes of the other students, peering at the white paper with bold type.

Test Monday

English - Chapters 4-10

Science - Biology

Social Studies - World War II

"MOTHER FU-"

"Three tests are you kidding me?!" Onew yelped over Jonghyun's outburst, kneeling over to clutch his hair in despair.

"What did you get last time?" Key squinted his eyes, now a bit concerned at his two friend's reactions.

"I got a 66, 85, and a.... 65." Onew said only the middle score loud with pride, while the others were whispered quietly, to which Key recoiled at.

"You barely even passed?!"

"I can't help it, the only subjects I'm good at is Math and Science!" Onew could already imagine the faces his mom and dad were going to give him... again.

"You?" Key turned to Jonghyun, with some expectations, "You did fine last time didn't you? Around 80s, I think. So you'll be fine, right?"

It seemed to Jonghyun, Key's questions were more for Key himself, rather than for Jonghyun's sake.

"Yeah but that was when I was paying attention and I studied super hard three nights before." Jonghyun groaned before realizing he didn't even remember half the classes he attended the past weeks, "And I haven't been paying attention in any of the classes soooo..."

"You guys are all fuc-"

"NOOOOOO DON'T SAY ITTT." Onew howled, covering Key's mouth before he could ruin the maniac's last remaining hopes.

Jonghyun had finished his stage of panic and was now in his state of giving up.

"I already gave up." Onew shrugged, tossing Cheetos into the air, missing quite a few before two of them fell into his mouth.

"You can't just give up, you have to at least study the main points." Key sighed with frustration.

"NO!" Onew twisted his head away from Key, furiously munching, ignoring the orange crumbs near his mouth.

"What would your dad say?"

Onew flinched, and then resumed his chewing again.

"What would your mom say?"

Onew turned around slowly with what seemed like tears in his eyes.

"Okay okay, I get it. Then you're teaching me." Onew wiped away the orange crumbs on his bag, and reached for Key's.

"I barely have enough time to perfect my own studying, no way! You'll only take up time for me." Key snatched his bag away, raising a brow.

"OH C'MON! Don't give me the motivation and ruin it right afterwards!"

"I would help you, but I need to study. It's not like I'm the smartest kid in the school." Key huffed, feeling slightly sorry for Onew's desperate situation.

Jonghyun groaned, his last hope gone now that even the smartest friend he had was now leaving him.

Wait.

Jonghyun blinked, pausing mid-despair.

Smartest kid in school...?

Jonghyun distinctively remembered how the clubroom looked like.

There was nothing that shouted "Love Consultant Room of the Mysterious Legend" when he first saw it, and the only things that seemed mildly weird were the tea and the large amount of personal owned books, but those had no relations to anything that would arouse suspicion of Jonghyun or her. As for the post-its on the wall, Jonghyun could just say that the love consultant was just merely using it as a post board. So even if she didn't want to be seen with Jonghyun or his crew, they could study in the club room.

Was it mentioned that it was the quietest place in the school?

Or in other words, the best place to study???

Jonghyun could imagine himself rubbing his hands together like those cheesy movie villains, and he felt a grin sneaking onto his lips.

"Hey... How about we study after school all together?" Jonghyun raised his voice, in the midst of pleads of Onew and retorts of Key.

"And...?"

"So um. Basically, could you like..." Jonghyun twiddled his thumbs together, avoiding the icy glare that was bearing a hole in him, "Tutor us for the subjects on Monday's test after school?"

Jonghyun had been a lot braver, a lot more casual when he had imagined it, before talking to the smartest kid in school. When he didn't get a response, Jonghyun panicked and began making more excuses.

"You see, Onew and I are a bit on the dumb side, but Key is busy aiming for the top so he doesn't have the time to help us, but I was figuring that hey, the smartest genius in our school is someone I know and she probably has the time to you know, teach us!" Jonghyun babbled, his eyes darting left to right, ensuing awkwardness.

"...Alright then."

Jonghyun's head snapped up, in wonder at how his plan (or rather plea) actually worked, a grin easing into his face.

"Really?"

"I'm assuming you want to study with your friend and that other friend?" Ji Eun asked, her index finger rubbing at her temple.

"Yes ma’am!"

"And when is this study session going to start?"

"Whenever you want." Jonghyun could feel his imaginary tail wagging, and the horror lifting like a fog.

"Okay. Bring the material you want to review and bring it to the storage room after school ends and club activities start." Ji Eun nodded and left Jonghyun staring at her back as she turned into a corner.

Did Ji Eun just have angel wings on her back or was it just Jonghyun's eyes playing tricks on him?

"Where is this?"

"It looks spooky."

"Don't worry, don't worry. This is the storage room no one uses, so it's the best place to study." Jonghyun waved his hand, trying to ignore the suspicions of both of his friends.

"That is exactly why it's spooky. It's the perfect place to murder someone." Key hissed, shivering.

"Oh shut up. I guarantee you, she'll get you into the top five."

That got Key moving, but his face still showed reluctance and poorly hid fear as he shuffled his feet behind Onew who was terrified for a completely different reason.

"We're studying?!" Onew's breath hitched, eyes wide with disbelief, "After school?!"

"We have to pass dude."

"I gave up passing a long time ago."

"Again?" Jonghyun rolled his eyes and knocked on the storage room door, his eyes able to see the small details of removed post its, and one single paper taped to the front in bold red handwriting.

"Why does that paper say, 'Off Day, do not post or else.'?" Key raised an eyebrow, questioning the secret that Jonghyun knew so well of.

"I don't know. Probably nothing."

Jonghyun eyed the door knob, a bit nervous at the lack of immediate opening and welcome.

Although it was difficult to imagine Ji Eun smiling widely and smacking the boys on their backs, welcoming them for a study session, Jonghyun didn't think that Ji Eun would just leave Jonghyun after making a promise. 

She did seem like she had some kind of plan whatever that was.

"Why isn't she opening the door?" Onew said the question on everyone's minds, his forehead crinkling.

"And who is she? You never told us who she was, just said we could study here with her." Key huffed, his arms crossing his annoyance.

"You wouldn't have come if I had told you who she was." Jonghyun muttered, which caught Key's attention.

"What do you mean?" The diva's eyes squinted, as if examining Jonghyun through his super vision of fabulousness.

"You'll see."

The boys heard footsteps and the hurried clinking of cups 

"Sorry! We're coming!" The voice chimed.

Jonghyun blinked, confused.

We're?

Jonghyun turned to Onew and Key, the chicken maniac and diva getting confused at Jonghyun's reaction.

"Did you hear a girl voice?" Jonghyun asked, trying to confirm if he had just heard a happy, energy filled voice through the closed door.

"Yeesss...?" Key's brows wrinkled together with more confusion than annoyance as Onew raised them, nodding.

Jonghyun was very very confused.

He had only barely seen Ji Eun smile, let alone the closest thing he had seen from a laugh with Ji Eun was more like an irritating scoff or smirk. But he was definitely sure that he had heard a bubbly smile in the voice that chirped, and it sounded much higher than Ji Eun's usual snarky or emotionless voice.

When the door creaked open, Jonghyun took a step back.

His jaw almost, just almost fell to the floor in shock, but his eyes definitely widened like two huge marbles. He couldn't get the correct words, scratch that, he couldn't get any words at all when his poor brain registered the girl in front of him.

"Sorry for coming so late. Were you guys surprised?"

A smile and a soft giggle.

Oh yes.

Jonghyun was astonished.