Quick warning to this chapter: the word "" is said once in this chapter. Um, hopefully it's nothing to big of a deal for you guys QwQ (if it is, just tell me and I'll change the wording).

"Excuse me, ma'am... ma'am... Ma'am!"

Minhyun kept passing nervous glances to Ren, hoping that the blond would be able to hear the teacher beyond his headphones that blasted music. The teacher looked like he was getting angrier every time he was trying to gain Ren's attention, making Minhyun worry as to the end result since dealing with teachers was different from dealing with students. He quickly snapped out of it, realizing that he's been worrying about the androgynous boy too much lately when he wasn't suppose to and turned back to his notebook splayed out in front of him filled with doodles instead of notes.

"Hwang Minhyun," the stern voice of the teacher made Minhyun freeze before he looks up to the teacher who looked beyond angry with Ren. He grits his teeth as he said, "Would you please tell the lady to take off her headphones."

He inwardly sighed before he reaches over and taps Ren on the shoulder, his classmates watching their interactions carefully as though they were caught up in a good K-drama starring that dumb loner kid and that arrogant and pretty girl. Ren turns to Minhyun, looking at him questioningly.

"Take off your headphones," Minhyun murmured nervously. He knew that the teacher was just about ready to throw something at the blond when he listened to Minhyun's murmur of a voice past his blasting music yet didn't bother with listening to the teacher's loud voice.

Ren doesn't bother to turn off his music as he reaches up to his headphones with those manicured nails to pull it to hang around his neck. Oblivious to the silent classroom, he asks, "Is something wrong?" as though they were casually talking.

At the casual tone, Minhyun couldn't help but let out a sigh before he subtly points to the teacher. Luckily Ren caught that and looked up to the teacher, who fumed, "Young lady, what are you doing at a charter school meant for boys and keeping your headphones on when the teacher is lecturing? Not to mention that you're breaking school dress codes with those flamboyant accessories along with dying your hair and painting your nails. What do you have to say for yourself, miss?"

In all honesty, he was surprised that Ren hasn't punched anyone for constantly mistaking him for a girl. Minhyun watches as Ren stands up from his seat before calmly walking over to the teacher. The blond pushes himself to a higher height to match the teacher before leaning over to the teacher's ear and covering his mouth with those slim hands.

The entire class watches in vague interest as to how the teacher's facial expression changes from angry, to surprise, to happy, and to nervous. When Ren backs off with that same expressionless face, the teacher stutters, "I-I-I'm sorry, R-Ren-ssi... Er- please go take your seat a-again..."

Everyone was shocked at the teacher becoming a stuttering mess for once, watching Ren strut back to his seat with the expressions of a gaping fish out of water. After Ren took his seat again, he turns to Minhyun before reaching out and pushing his chin up so that he wasn't gaping anymore.

"A fly will end up in your mouth if you keep it open like that," Ren stated simply with a slight tilt of the head before turning back and pulling his headphones up, making everyone else simultaneously turn back and close their mouths shut.

What is up with him...?

Everywhere Minhyun went, Ren followed with, causing everyone's attentions to be drawn to them thanks to Ren's uniqueness. He lets out a sigh as the blond continued to follow him to the music room even during lunch. He stops right at the entrance of the music room and turns to Ren, slightly irked by how nonchalant Ren seemed about everything and still sticking to him even though his face nearly got flattened by one of the most intimidating lacky of Seungcheol's.

"Don't... Don't you have any friends to hang around with? You can't possibly be following me around the school today," Minhyun asked, a bit of irritation being exposed in his tone to the blond.

"Baekho doesn't like it if I constantly follow him and the others don't hang out with me anywhere in public so I usually spend my time alone," Ren answered dully, pulling out a lollipop from the pocket of his trouser.

He wasn't sure why his eyebrow twitched slightly at hearing Baekho's name but he ignores it and continues to ask as he turns back to open the door of the music room, "But wouldn't you still follow him anyways?"

"He punched me in the face when I did."

Minhyun abruptly pauses at that before turning to Ren with a shocked face. Before any noise could come out of Minhyun's mouth, Ren said, "It left a bruise on my cheekbone and knocked me to the ground. It hurt. I stopped following him after that happened."

He was able to relax at that but it still bothered him, "Then why do you follow me then? How do you know that I won't run out of patience and knock you out too?"

"Because you're kind," and although his facial expression still didn't change, Minhyun somehow still felt the warmthness meant for him. He wasn't sure if it was because of Ren's eyes reflecting some sort of emotion, that quick twitch to the corner of Ren's mouth, the memory of the cozy atmosphere with the scent of grounded coffee and freshly baked doughnuts, or maybe he was blushing from the compliment.

He wasn't sure, but he felt the warmth.

Minhyun forces himself to snap out of the daze before he asks, "So are you following me to spite Baekho?" and only when the sentence came out did he realize how bitter his sentence came out as instead an innocent question.

"No. I-"

"Or maybe because I'm a new toy for you to play around with, or maybe because you're waiting to stab me in the back just lik-" the words got caught in his throat as he realized that he went off in a tangent using that bitter and spiteful tone that didn't suit his soft voice. Minhyun shuts his mouth closed, hating how petty he was even after all these years. He hated how Ren was able to draw out such childish moments in him at any given moment.

Ren didn't show any emotion even when Minhyun's words had the underlying message implying that Ren was a 'petty ex looking for revenge', or that he was a '', or that he was a 'betrayer'. He lacked any emotions appearing. He simply didn't show anything, as though he was just a mannequin who lacked the ability to comprehend any human emotion possible, as though he still had his music blasting into his ears when in reality he has pulled his headphones down and turned off his music, leaving the hallway more silent than Minhyun was comfortable with.

He hated it.

"I...!"

'I' what? He didn't know.

Apologizing was too late by now. His heart and throat clamped down in response, making him draw in shaky breaths. Minhyun swallowed harshly as to try to get rid of the clamping, his voice hoarse as he slowly says, "You... You should go..."

He didn't wait for Ren's response as he turns to the music room and opens the door, entering without watching out to let the blond in. When he took the steps into his "haven" and closed the door shut without any problems, he feels like he's going crazy as he doesn't even try to walk over to the piano where dried blood stained the floor around the legs of the piano and its chair.

Minhyun simply slams his back to the wall before sliding down to sit and lets out a groan of frustration, not even bothering to react to the fact that it stung the bruises and cuts on his back. His heart felt more heavy than his body did.