*PAP!!!*

Jongin's shoulders stiffened when the back of his head got smacked by Joohyuk.  He gritted his teeth in annoyance when Joohyuk and Sehun laughed cheekily sitting in front of him.  They promised to meet at their usual coffee shop that day because Jongin had promised to treat them both.  Besides, Jongin couldn't say no because he got lost towards both of them in the battle of their favorite online game last week.

"Hey, Jongin. I want a cup of cappuccino latte!" said Joohyuk, wiggling his eyebrows.  Jongin handed him a note of 10 000won and another note to Sehun causing them to gape widely.  Jongin said that it was okay for him to treat them because those given were some of the remaining money that he got from his part-time job during last semester break.  Sehun ordered a cup of chocolate frappe and ask Joohyuk to go to the counter to make a payment.

"Oh yeah, by the way.  You said that you went back with someone last evening.  Who, eh?"  Sehun asked.

"Jung Soojung".  Jongin said as he sipped his own coffee.  Sehun knitted his eyebrows, trying to recall who Jung Soojung might be.  It took him long to remember the person Jongin had mentioned.  Joohyuk came with a tray of cake and two drinks for him and Sehun.  

"What are you thinking about, Sehun?"  Joohyuk asked when he saw the look on Sehun's face, seemed like trying to remember something.  

"He's trying to remember which Jung Soojung I've mentioned earlier".  Jongin answered.  Sehun nodded, but still lost in his own thoughts.  Then, Joohyuk said something to help Sehun remember,

"Jongin was talking about Jung Soojung, the girl next door.  I mean, her class is right next to ours.  The most quiet girl.  Don't you know?"

Sehun pursed his lips and shook his head.  Joohyuk handed Sehun his chocolate frappe and took a bite of his cake after that.  He then wondered why Jongin mentioned Soojung's name all of a sudden.  Like, what is the connection between them.

"Why Soojung, Jongin? I mean, what's wrong with Soojung?"  Joohyuk asked.

Jongin smiled and explained to them about his encounter with Soojung.  From the first incident to going back home together and how nice Soojung was for his first impression.  Then only Sehun can remember that the girl Jongin was talking about was the same girl who accidentally spilled her drinks on Jongin's uniform during lunchtime.  It's just that, he never knew that Soojung's class was next to theirs.

"I knew her since middle school though".  said Joohyuk casually.

Jongin was interested to know more about Soojung and before this he never really knew that Joohyuk went to the same middle school with her.  Joohyuk never talked much about the girls from his previous schools to them because boys....they usually talk about themselves, their favorite things to do rather than stressing on girls or the matter of heart topic.  Joohyuk told them that as far as he knew, Soojung was very demure, polite and all of her schoolmates knew her best by calling her 'The English Freak'.  She knew people called her that because of her obvious interest and potential in the said language.

"But, there's this one thing I heard about her.  Some of my friends from middle school said that her father had an affair with his own secretary, and that made Soojung hated his father because he ignored Soojung and his mother.  Besides, Soojung's mother was very ill at that time".  Joohyuk continued while sorting out raisins from his cake.

"Wow.  What happened after that?" Sehun asked, wanting to know more while Jongin kept quiet since he first heard the untold stories that came out from Joohyuk's mouth.

"In second grade, her mother passed away after battling with cancer for years.  It was very sad though".  Joohyuk paused and then continue, "But she seemed like a person who hid her sadness very well since she always smile and have that cheerful look at school".

"What about his father after her mother passed away?"  Jongin finally voiced out his question, itching to know more about Soojung.

Joohyuk his chin, trying to recall about Soojung's father. 

"Ah, after that.  I heard that Soojung lived with her aunt and she refused to live with her father.  I don't know much about what happened in that period of time but another sad thing, her father, too, passed away when she entered third grade".  Joohyuk answered.

Joohyuk knew about Soojung from some of his friends which happened to be Soojung's classmates in middle school.  He told Sehun and Jongin that Soojung's ranking flunked after her mother passed away.  Most teachers were worried about her performance.  But, not long after that, Soojung improved and show to them that she can do better than that.  Her ranking rose from the 25th to the 3rd when she entered third grade.

People never really knew about what had happened after her father's death.  It has always been a secret of hers.

"SPILL THE TEA!"  Narim said when Soojung and her arrived in front of the school gate.  Narim was so excited to hear from Soojung herself.  She kept pulling Soojung's backpack from behind.  Soojung laughed seeing Narim behaving like a child whenever she wanted to know something from her.  

"Nothing much, Narim.  We met at the bus stop when our club meetings ended yesterday.  I didn't know that he stayed back.  It was just a coincidence, I think?"  Soojung said.

Narim wasn't satisfied with Soojung's short explanation.  She demanded for more and Soojung couldn't help but to laugh at how cute Narim's reaction was.

"Alright.  Yesterday, another embarassing thing happened when we were both at the bus stop.  My stomach was rumbling so loud til Kim J can hear it ugh.  He went across the street to buy some foods and drinks and he gave some to me.  Then, my aunt called that she couldn't pick me up so after that Kim J offered to walk me home since he said that he was living in the same neighbourhood as mine but his house was at different street.  OK that's all".  Soojung summarized her experience as simple as possible because she didn't want other people to hear her.

Narim clapped her hands and almost shouted because she was so happy to hear things that came out from Soojung's mouth.  Soojung covered Narim's mouth and shushed her.  If other girls heard that she went back with Jongin, they would've been jealous of her and she hated attention.  The girls which happened to have a crush on Jongin could be judgmental at times.  That's why Soojung didn't want any of them to know that.

Both of them arrived earlier that morning.  On their way to class,  Soojung and Narim were startled when two figures suddenly appeared after going down from the staircase.  Narim rubbed her chest and sighed heavily.  She saw Soojung smiling when the footsteps of the two figures that startled them earlier weren't there to be heard anymore.

"Why are you smiling like that? Were they angels sent from heaven?  I didn't bother to look up since I was too busy rubbing my chest.  Ugh.  Who are they?"  Narim babbled while wiping her glasses using the end of her cuff.  Soojung didn't answer, but she's still smiling causing her fair cheeks turning to a soft pink shade.

"Narim, I think I have a crush now".  Soojung said.  Narim scoffed when she heard that.

"Who were those two ghosts appearing in front of us? I swear to god, I feel like punching them for startling us.  They're lucky because I didn't curse at them".  Narim murmured.

"Kim J smiled and waved his hands at me even though it was for split seconds.  Narim, to me, he's beautiful".  Soojung said, still smiling.

Narim beamed at Soojung and felt her eyes dampen a little...

My friend, I hope you can be happy again like you once felt when your mother was still around...