Pretty Eyes
Project: Luhan
I surveyed the library with weary eyes for the tenth time that afternoon. Impatient and drumming my fingers against the table with my bottom lip between my teeth, I waited for Junmyeon's arrival. Other than the usual crowd of cramming university students, a group of boys came to flock over the DVD section of the library. A thud that sounded off my table made me flinch and distracted my moment of thought. Junmyeon sat himself in front of me, a neat stack of papers dropped in front of him.
"You missed a lab that we did today," Junmyeon picked off a piece of paper and presented it in front of me to look over. On top of the page, Molar Enthalpy was scribbled in his writing. "It's due soon."
I read over the details. "How am I supposed to do a lab report if I didn’t do the actual lab?”
Oh, the problems of a student who didn't show up to university classes. I prided myself to be an independent learner and counted on people who were in my class—like Junmyeon—to lend me notes and mention what I had missed.
Junmyeon looked behind his shoulder at the shelves. "Just borrow a data booklet on Enthalpy Change."
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a girl who had tripped and sent books scattered across the floor. Or rather she purposely tripped because her legs folded underneath her too prettily to be an accident. She even let out a dramatic gasp that alerted the boy who worked in the library. After the boy had bent to help her to her feet, I figured she had done it for the his attention. Whether he knew that was obviously on purpose or not, he helped anyway and took the courtesy of picking up her books as well.
"Thank you so much," she had breathlessly said.
Bringing back my attention to the lab that I had missed, I had only noticed then that Junmyeon was in the middle of explaining something. "...and calculate it to see if the value is positive or negative. You can tell after that."
I folded my arms on the table, staring at the paper. "Then what?"
Junmyeon held his arms up. "I'm here to give you my notes, not tutor you."
"I prefer to call them 'class reports.'"
"Class reports, whatever. Just... get the book and I'll show you the pages." He encouraged me to stand with a smile.
Glaring at my classmate playfully, I pushed my chair away from the table before stalking off to find the data booklet as he instructed. Wandering to the Resources area of the library and coming across science related books that were of no help to me at the moment, I sighed inwardly and asked myself why I hadn't just gone to the school's library instead of the public one.
"Can I help you with anything?"
I looked up from a book of anatomy to see where the question had come from. The boy from earlier who helped the ditz to her feet was speaking to me. I had recognized his bright and white t-shirt with the library’s name written across his back that announced he was part of the staff in the library. For a moment, I was thrown off track because wow, his eyes. It was obvious to see why that girl decided to pull her little stunt.
"Data booklet? With Enthalpy Change," I muttered, straightening myself out from placing the book of anatomy back into its space between the other books.
"You're in the biology section.”
I wondered if I was supposed to feel stupid that I was looking in the wrong area but followed behind him as he scanned through the books in the other shelves. I watched him pick through the selections. Already I had categorized him as the "Nice Guy" type—the kind that would sacrifice his last and favorite lead pencil to you if you asked for a spare.
"Chemistry major?" he asked.
It took me a moment to realize that he was talking to me. "Yeah, I kinda need great marks in Chemistry. It's in my future career name after all." Stupid. I wanted to smack myself. He asked a yes-or-no kind of question. Not my life story. I noted to myself that I talked too much sometimes.
The boy I had nicknamed as Pretty Eyes eventually found my booklet and pulled it out of the self to hold out to me. I muttered a thank you and I might have figured he had wanted to say more if he didn't find my book so quickly.
Returning to Junmyeon who was occupying himself with his phone, I tossed the book to him who automatically flipped through it until he landed on a page.
Junmyeon's finger ran down a list of numbers. "Remember: products minus reactants.”
I blinked and he chuckled at my clueless expression.
"Like I said, I'm not your tutor. But you'll figure it out. You're smart for someone who skips classes."
"Hey, I don't skip classes! I'm in an independent course plan with the councilor," I defended myself. I mentally took note of the page number and shut the book. "But I'll figure it out. Thanks."
Junmyeon stood to gather the rest of his things and turned to leave—though not before holding his hand palm-up out to me with an expectant expression.
I rolled my eyes and fished out my wallet from my bag to dig out some bills. Placing them on Junmyeon's hand, he smiled contentedly. Getting someone to share their notes and outlines from class wasn't free, after all. I counted on someone smart from my class—Junmyeon—to share a bit of his note-taking skills. I had gotten plenty of people from my class to do several tasks. That Zhang Yixing guy was my personal teacher-tracker.
"So..." Junmyeon pocketed his money. "Do you mention me to Hyejung?"
Jung Hyejung was my roommate and closest friend. We met at the beginning of university and since then agreed to split the bill for an apartment room. I got hint a long time ago that Junmyeon had a crush on Hyejung, though decided to play dumb.
"Why?"
"I don't know." Flustered, he scratched his nape. "Just mention me. Bye!"
"See you."
Waving, Junmyeon turned to the exit. Just before he completely disappeared though, Junmyeon ran into Pretty Eyes and took his attention with a hand to his shoulder. They were obviously friends because they both broke into laughter after Pretty Eyes probably said something funny. He nudged Junmyeon with his elbow to which he scowled at and said something else. Of course. Leave it to Junmyeon to be friends with the library staff.
Punching in the four-numbered pass code to my apartment's room, I let myself in as soon as it unlocked. I shut the door with my hip and wandered into the kitchen first to drop my book on the counter. Hearing one of the bedroom doors creak, I figured Hyejung was awake. Right on cue, the said girl appeared into the kitchen with a ha
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