“How are you able to talk to Steph so easily?”

“How? I don’t know? I mean, we’re just talking. As classmates.”

Seo’s eyebrows lift and he pulls out a notebook from his pocket. “This is good. ‘As . . . class . . . mates . . .’” Looking up from his notebook, his eyes demand to know more. “What else?”

Taeng shrugs. “I’m just being friendly? I mean, I’m new here and I don’t have any friends and the whole point of coming here is to experience life in a scho—”

“What do you mean ‘life in a school’?” Seo’s eyes are scrutinizing Taeng now. “Weren’t you in a school before?”

Oh no. Have I said too much? “Er . . . not really . . .”

“So you were home schooled.”

“Yes! Yes, I was.”

Seo nods. “I see. So was I. For a while. But you. You just got here. How do you talk to Steph as though you’ve known her for years?”

“Do I?”

“Yes.”

“Ah . . . well . . . I really don’t know. I didn’t really do anything either. Steph’s the friendly one. She talks a lot. You should ask her how she talks to me so easily.”

“That’s not the point,” Seo says with a frown.

“It’s not?”

“She doesn’t talk to me.”

“Steph?” Taeng is prodded on his shoulder by a stiff finger.

“Never mind.” Seo steps closer. “Promise you won’t tell anyone about this.”

Taeng blinks. “Huh?”

The finger prods again. “No one. Don’t tell anyone.”

“Okay . . .”

Taeng is left wondering what all that was about and a theory hits him as he leaves the classroom. All the signs are there. Could it be? Could Seo be having a crush on Steph?

|\/\/|

“What took you so long?”

Taeng tries to smile apologetically at Ha min who is frowning at him. “I’m sorry. I got held up on my way here.”

“Well, whatever it is, come and sit with us.”

The other friends of Ha Min stare at Taeng, and he wonders if they welcome him at all. “Er . . . I actually came to tell you that I have something to do so I can’t join you for lunch. I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean? What’s there to do during lunch time?”

“Oh, you know . . . just something.”

“You’d better not be sneaking out of school or doing anything wrong.”

“I-I’m not sneaking out of school,” Taeng says with a violent shake of his head. “Definitely not.”

“Not today, you won’t.” Ha Min flashes a sly smile. “We’re sneaking out tomo