Eighteen years of living with no real obstacles, Choi Youngjae used to think he’s pretty much a blessed kid. Although economically his family was nowhere near well off, but at least his parents still manage to give him everything he needed. Thanks to his brain, he didn’t need to attend any after class academy, therefore more time to enjoy life. To tell you the truth, actually he loved to think himself as a kid who’s actually wealthy but need to pretend as if he’s poor, so when the cafeteria accident happened that day, he didn’t really know how to react. It’s not like he had no 1000 won for paying laundry service.

         He brought the blazer to the first laundry shop he first saw on his way back home. He wondered if the owner recognized his uniform and charged him with the real price or not, but it’s freaking expensive. He waited for about half an hour before the old man eventually called and gave back the good as new blazer and tie to him. Exiting the shop, he then made a quick visit to nearby convenience store, brought a cup noodle and decided to call it a day.

       The night was short and full of abstract dreams he couldn’t remember. Youngjae woke up right five minutes before his alarm the next morning. Learning for experience, he chose to spare some time to make some simple dishes and put it in a lunch box. One hour later and he’s ready to go.

          That day started like the other day, only now with more staring and whispering directed at him. The giant clock at the front garden told him he still had half an hour before the class started and settled with the idea of returning the blazer first.

        The unfortunate thing was, he definitely had no idea to whom he should return the blazer to. He still remembered the face, but not sure with the name. Jaesuk? Jaehyung? Who?? He puffed his cheeks, burying his face into the blazer. Such a soapy, clean scent was his favorite.

       “ What are you doing?” He snapped his eyes open- heck, he didn’t even realized he’s sniffing a stranger blazer! He looked up and met with the Thai kid from yesterday. Heat started to burn his cheeks.

          “ Ah no, nothing.” He shook his head fast. “ Uh, and good morning!”

          The Thai kid didn’t replied his greeting, and instead laughed it off. “ What are you doing? It’s still early."

          “ It’s early? There’s only half an hour before the class starts.”

          The kid flashed him a grin. “ Whatever. I did everything quicker this morning so it’s still early. Why are you bringing another blazer?”

         “ Oh, this. Not mine,” Youngjae tried to iron the starting to wrinkle cover with his free hand to no avail. “ I want to return this to someone, but I don’t know his name, so.” He shrugged his shoulders.

          The Thai pursed his lips, “ ah, too bad! Can’t help you then!”

          “ It’s okay- someone’s calling you.” Youngjae told, pointing the blinking screen of the younger boy’s phone in his hand.

          “ Oh, right- Yugyeom-ah, wasssup?” The other’s face beamed in a second, “ me? I’m in front of first floor west wing toilet, okay I’ll wait here!”

       Youngjae didn’t know why he ended up staying with the Thai in front of the toilet, but he guessed it’s just a fate because the next thing he did was- “ KIM YUGYEOM???”

         The barely arrived familiar looking kid seemed so surprised he took some steps back. He squinted his eyes, “ who-? Oh. Oh. My. Hyung? Youngjae hyung??” His lips instantly broke into a wide smile and that’s how the beautiful reunion happened. They run into each other and hugged for so long until both could hear someone deliberately cleared his throat.

          Kim Yugyeom let go of his childhood hyung and turned to his best friend to do the same thing. “ Bammie!"

         Youngjae watched in horror seeing Yugyeom crushing Bambam- that’s his name right?- in his arms. The former has grown so much since the last time he saw him gazillion years ago. He’d become so tall and big, but at least his radiating smile still remained the same. Youngjae felt a lot better now he had someone he’s familiar with in such place.

          “ So you two had known each other??” Bambam asked, eyes looking back and forth between Youngjae and Yugyeom.

          “ Of course, of course. You know the hyung I often mentioned before? It’s him!”

          “ Heol, such a small world indeed! Good then, good!”

          The remaining minutes spent with Yugyeom made a quick interrogation about pretty much everything he missed for the past years. The chat eventually came to an end once the bell rang, they immediately ran to their perspective class but only after promising to meet again during lunch break.

         The classes was nothing but sleep inducing. Youngjae tried his best to keep awake and focus, only to be distracted by the blazer still laying at the corner of his desk. He wondered if he could meet the boy again, considering the school had so many students, and the gigantic building didn’t help at all. He slapped his own cheeks. Get your focus right, Youngjae.

          By the time he’s out of the class, both Yugyeom and Bambam had waited at the previous meeting place and Youngjae’s dragged into cafeteria without any notice. Turned out the two had already had their own special corner at the second floor near the staircase.

          “ We can observe everything from up here. And I felt so stupid for not noticing it this morning.” Bambam took a seat across Youngjae then raised his hand, calling a waiter. He didn’t even see the menu no more.

          “ Why?” Youngjae asked without looking up, busy unboxing his lunch.

         “ Well, Yugyeom wouldn’t know this as he’s not here yesterday, but me, I was here and I couldn’t miss such an important accident as someone spilled a bowl of soup onto Im Jaebum. And he donated his blazer to his attacker, who I assumed is you? The blazer you brought is his, right?”

          “ Whoa you sound like Conan, Bam.” Yugyeom laughed at his side. “ Is it true though, hyung? You spilled a soup onto Jaebum-sunbaenim??”

          “ Well, I guess? I don’t remember his name. But he’s the one who bumped into me??”

          Yugyeom squinted his eyes but didn’t say anything. Bambam leaned back, crossing his arms. “ So are you planning to return the blazer to him?”

          “ Uhm. I don’t know man, but I felt like he’s stomping on my dignity yesterday.”

          “ It won’t be easy.”

          “ Why?”

        “ Nothing, it’s just like that. The thing you need to know is, you’re lucky he’s in good mood yesterday, or else-“ Bambam made an act of slicing his neck with imaginary knife.

          “ Nah, stop exaggerating, Bam. But if this is true, then you’re indeed lucky hyung.” Yugyeom smiled, nodding his head. The older raised his brows, judging if both boys were being serious. No matter how, it sounded ridiculous.

        They’re eating in peaceful silence when all of a sudden the cafeteria main door bursted open, revealing a very enthusiastic boy shouting something about dead meat. Youngjae had no idea what’s so interesting about dead meat to make literally everyone stood up and ran out of the building.

          “ What’s wrong?” He asked, confused.

          “ C’mon hyung, this will answer your questions!” Yugyeom took his arms, following Bambam who’s no longer in sight.

          They stopped at the back of school building not too far from the flower garden. The other students had already made a barrier, circling around something Youngjae couldn’t see from where he’s standing. They’re raising their phones, recording three boys kneeling in nothing but their underwear in front of four boys. Youngjae looked up to Yugyeom, non verbally asking what in the world was happening. The younger only shrugged and instead squeezed himself into the sea of bodies, taking his hyung with him to get better vision. They met Bambam again at the front.

         “ He’s the one who’s donating his blazer to you, is he?” Bambam pointed one of the boy holding a white cat with his chin. It’s not hard for the older to spot those piercing eyes even from the distance. He nodded.

         “ Well, he’s the Im Jaebum, the leader of GOT4. You just don’t mess with him no matter what. Or you’d end up like them,” Yugyeom pointed the kneeling boys who’s now crawling around like animals. To say Youngjae’s speechless was an understatement. Even in his blazer he’s still shivering, he didn’t want to know how it felt only with underwear.

          “ Isn’t this too much?? What did they do though to deserve this??” Without him knowing, he’s already raising his voice, making some students threw dirty glances towards him.

          Bambam chuckled. “ Oh, they scared her.”

          Youngjae followed the younger line of vision but found no any ‘her’ in it. “ Who?”

          “ Her. Nora. You know, the cat.”

          If Youngjae had been a manga character, there would have been tons of questions surrounding him now. “Really, are you kidding me?? But it’s just a freaking cat-“

         “ Damn, lower your voice,” Bambam immediately covered his mouth. “ , , they’re looking at us. Let’s ing go.” He ducked his head and made a way with his hands, Youngjae didn’t know how he could do that, when all he managed to do in such little time was turning his back before he felt someone tugging his collar.

          “ Where do you think you’re going, little nosy parker?”

          Youngjae froze on his spot, refusing to move. Damn, he should’ve keep his mouth shut. “ Let go,“ he muttered and the next thing he knew was he’d been up in the air. “ Damn, let go!”

          He found himself thrown back to the ground after seconds later, right before the four boys. He cursed under his breath. Why, why, why.

          ” Oh my, isn’t he the one from yesterday?”

          “ Really?” The one who picked him up bent forward, his eyes scanning Youngjae’s face then laughed as if there’s something funny about that. “ Yes, it’s him! Whoa, such an interesting kid!”

         Youngjae unconsciously crawled back when the Im Jaebum crouched down, still holding the cat. If anything, he hated to feel inferior, but he didn’t think he could hold any longer the intense staring the other guy directed to him so he looked at the cat instead.

          “ What did you say?” Jaebum’s voice was as nonchalant as ever. He leaned even closer until there’s only thirty centimetres left between their noses. Youngjae didn’t know what to say- he couldn’t, his nose was itchy as hell. He covered half bottom of his face with sleeve, and turned around before sprinting his way out.

***

The last period was dismissed at four as usual, and Youngjae found himself hiding in a toilet cubicle for the past three periods. Someone had splashed a full bucket of cold water on him as he was doing his business a while before, and he refused to attend class in that state hence the staying. He hung his attire on the handle, wondering if it could dry faster that way. He pulled out his phone only to let realization hit him that he had none of Yugyeom nor Bambam’s number.

         “ Stupid, stupid, Youngjae,” he slapped his own cheeks.

        He knew the school’s closed at five or so he read on the guidebook, thus he decided to wait until the last minute. It’s nothing, he had mastering the art of waiting anyway. He set his phone alarm ten minutes to five and sat on the toilet seat closed hinge before departing for dreamland.

         The sun’s setting once he woke up with aching body due to weird sleeping position. His uniform hadn’t been dry as he expected but he wore them back nonetheless. He opened the cubicle door only to be greeted by a bag of flour pouring down his head. Mess. Total mess. All the bad words he thought he’d never said rolled out his mouth with ease. He dashed out of the building, anger bubbling inside his chest. Who are these people to think they could do whatever they want to other fellow students?Youngjae couldn’t care less how wealthy they were, all of them had no manner whatsoever. Damn it. He couldn’t believe bullying’s still existed in this modern era.

        He stopped abruptly by the sound of car honking twice, losing his balance in the process. He took a deep breath to calm his heart, before getting up. The driver of the car at least had still some decency to get out of the car and apologized.

         “ I’m okay, it’s okay.” He tried to reassure the old man, flashing him what seemed like an awkward smile.

         “ Are you sure?” He heard another voice from inside the car. The owner popped out his head from behind the open window. “ You look like a mess, you know.”

         “ Not like I want to.” He murmured. He turned to the driver and bowed. “ Sorry for surprising you."

         “ It’s okay-“

         “ Hey, wait. Just get inside, you’re going to catch a cold.”

         “ No, no need, thank you. My house’s not that far anyway.” Youngjae waved his hands fast.

         “ Young master, I suggest it’s better to let me drive you home.”

        “ Just listen to the old man.” The stranger opened the door, gesturing the him to get in. It took so long for Youngjae to follow suit to the point the other student needed to pull him in. “ What’s so hard to get in a car?” He looked amused.

        “ Ah, nothing.” Youngjae bit his lip, looking around. His knowledge about car was one of few things he’s lacking, but he knew for sure the car’s the nicest car he’d ever been in, all leather and there’re even televisions on the back of each front seat. It smelled nice too.

        “ Why are you sitting like that?” The other student, now he’s paying attention, owned an accent. His hair’s not black either, is it what people called as blond hair? Another exchange student perhaps?

          “ Er, I’m trying to not get it dirty??”

          The other laughed and pulled Youngjae’s shoulder down so both of them were leaning on the seat. “ You know we can get it cleaned up, right?” The latter kept his mouth shut. “ By the way, where do you live?”

          Youngjae’s heart sank and he suddenly felt extra self-conscious. He gulped. “ You- you know the fish market at the end of this block? Just drop me off there.”

          “ Fish market-?” The other cocked his head. “ Oh, you’re the scholarship student, right?”

          “ Ah, yes…”

          “ I see, I see. “ The blond nodded his head, and the rest of the ride to the fish market was filled with none other than awkward silence.