// 저자의 메모!

Hello!! First off, I want to thank every one of you who has subscribed to this story. It reall y means a lot to me! Secondly, please re-read the 'Foreword' since I've added additional information regarding their school, and I've decided to go with a Boarding School AU instead. Of course, you can re-read the 'Foreword' after you're done with reading this chapter. Once again, thank you for the subscription and I hope you'll have a good time reading! Have a nice day!

Prologue.

Taeyong silently tapped the back of his pen against his table, the tapping making sounds much louder than his classmates’ violent shoves of their messy History examination papers inside of their school bags. Most of the papers held bright, vicious red marks on them; plenty showcasing the numerals between 20 to 31, the average score for any student in the school unless they were in the Advanced Classes.

The bell had rung just a moment ago, signaling the start of lunch break for the first day they came back to school after their term break. Although they were in a boarding school and they were never allowed to be out of the school’s premises unless it was a weekend, the bell that only rings during the end of the day and the beginning of lunch break was what all of the students anticipate the second they enter the Education Building. All, including Taeyong. Taeyong has never decided to sit down in his class - much less History - while his classmates raced each other out the doors. Heck, Taeyong would be the first running out of the doors while screaming over his shoulder about how slow his friends were. That, however, was obviously not the case today.

Feeling a pat on his shoulder, Taeyong turned his head to the side, looking up to see his friends. Yuta had his hand on Taeyong’s shoulder, a small smile plastered onto his face while Doyoung could only intake a small breath before giving Taeyong a smile, too. Taeyong pursed his lips, smiling as he shook his head, grabbing his exam paper and playfully smacking it against Doyoung’s forearm.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s just our midterms. It isn’t our finals.” Taeyong spoke, hoping his voice didn’t waver as much as his emotions were.

“Yeah. It’s not our finals, and besides, we aren’t actually seniors this year! We still have a year and a half to go!” Doyoung exclaimed enthusiastically, though the strain in his voice betrayed how enthusiastic he wanted to come off as.

“I agree. Let’s just be happy we aren’t Taeil. He might already be crying right now as we speak. Now, we don’t want to cry, do we? We aren’t Moon Taeil, are we?” Yuta chipped in with a high voice at the end of the note, imitating the annoying cafeteria lady they all hated.

As Yuta spoke, Taeyong glanced back at his History paper. Their History teacher, Mrs. Hwang was nice enough to write Taeyong’s mark in a smaller handwriting, with a short and brief ‘Fighting, Taeyong! You can do it in the next term!’ scribbled neatly underneath it. Taeyong’s 10% wasn’t so surprising to him, as he clearly remembered how he was incredibly sick during that day, the last day of their midterms. Not only sick, but he was also sporting a high fever of 39 degrees. He made it through that day during the school session, but had collapsed once he had gotten back to his dorm room. Finally, he could never forget how he awoke 30 minutes later to Donghyuck reciting the bible and sprinkling water on his face, having thought Taeyong was cursed by someone and therefore had collapsed.

Remembering the day, Taeyong snickered to himself. Doyoung silently approached Taeyong’s paper, taking it in his own hands and folding it into half to hide the view of Taeyong’s front page. He inserted the paper inside his own file made specifically for horribly performed examination papers. Whenever the three friends had a bad grade that they didn’t really wish to see, Doyoung’s file would be where they slid their papers in. Mark, Donghyuck and Taeil also had their own sections in the file. They were all a group of best friends, after all.

“Come on.” Nudging his head to the door, Yuta grabbed onto Taeyong’s bicep to pull him out of his seat.

The class was already empty and deserted, save for the three. Mrs. Hwang had left the key for the room hanging inside the key lock of the door for them. They’d have to return the key to her in the Teacher’s Building, or as Donghyuck would say because he hates the clerk there, The-Crazy-Ballerina-Bun-Headed-Frog Clerk’s Den.

“Yeah. Let’s go.” Taeyong muttered, still feeling weak and utterly ashamed with himself despite having reasons to forgive himself for his terrible marks this time around. “Can we head to the field first, though? I kind of want to put down my bags and stuff first before we head to the cafeteria this time.” Taeyong questioned, hoping his friends wouldn’t mind.

The two friends nodded their head to Taeyong, understanding that he wasn’t ready to face the cafeteria just yet where all of the students would be busy talking about their examination marks. The majority would probably be screaming, crying and generally, it would be difficult to drown out their sounds. Though they never really get a seat in the cafeteria since they’re always eating at the school’s field near the school’s garden and pool, Taeyong was still in no shape to step inside the cafeteria.

Taeyong stood up from his seat, zipping his red bag secure before he wore it on one arm, letting the other side hang loose behind him. Taeyong decided to stand at the right, Doyoung in the middle and Yuta beside the left. Usually, Taeyong would stand in the middle, but he didn’t feel good enough about himself to actually stand in the middle of them for now.

+/+

Reaching the field and the spot where they usually spent the one hour of lunch at, Taeyong noticed that Mark, Donghyuck and Taeil were all already sprawled around in a small circle. Their heads were to each other, legs spread apart in front with their eyes closed. Their bags were situated in between of their bodies, their files and textbooks thrown beside the bags. The scene was picturesque, and Taeyong couldn’t help but snort. Yuta had ran towards them, falling headfirst on top of Taeil, who let out a loud ‘Oof!’ and a cry of pain. Doyoung laughed out loud, grabbing Taeyong’s wrist and pulling him to the group.

Mark had raised his head to look at Taeyong and Doyoung, screaming the words, “Taeyong! Take a photo of us with your polaroid camera!”.

“Without Yuta!” Donghyuck yelled back, his head still down.

Hearing Donghyuck’s exclamation, Yuta kicked Donghyuck. Donghyuck shrieked, sitting up to smack Yuta’s bum with his thick Mathematics text book. Yuta stuck his tongue out at the youngest of the bunch, before he got up and brushed off the debris of flowers that got stuck on his school uniform pants. Taeyong and Doyoung arrived towards them as that happened, with Taeyong’s polaroid camera already in his hand.

“Get back to the circle, Donghyuck!” Taeyong said, pushing the younger down gently.

Mark held onto Donghyuck’s wrist as the latter laid back down. Mark let go once he was down, settling himself back down perfectly in between of Donghyuck and Taeil, who had tried his best to not say or do anything as he had no intentions of ruining their perfect circle.

“I want to take the photo.” Yuta said, taking the camera from Taeyong before he even got to say anything.

Taeyong let out a soft chuckle, swinging an arm across the shoulder of Doyoung and Yuta respectively. He was starting to feel a lot better with all of his friends. Doyoung must have texted Taeil earlier to inform him of what had happened along with their plans of going to the field first while they were walking, since Taeyong noticed him walking slower than usual and was on his phone.

As Yuta pressed on the camera, the film comes out immediately. Mark jumps up to take the film, quickly hiding it from the others as he fans the film. Donghyuck jumps up, too, but instead of going to Mark to blow at the film like he always would after they took a polaroid photo, he grabbed onto Taeyong instead and, with one swift motion, kicked Taeyong off of his feet by sweeping his legs along  the others’ feet. Taeyong let out a loud yelp, and was even more confused when Taeil suddenly took off his snap back and placed something else upon his head.

“Awe! Taeyongie looks so pretty like this!” Yuta coo-ed, making Taeyong face him in pure and utter disgust.

Taeyong lifted his hand up, feeling something soft on top of his head. It wasn’t soft like hair or fur, but it felt familiar to touch. Before he could ask what it was, Taeil was already up beside Yuta with Donghyuck beside Doyoung, telling him what it was.

“It’s a flower crown we made before you got here. It’s not the best, but apparently it was Mark’s best.” Taeil explained briefly.

“Yeah, and his first.” Donghyuck remarked, making Mark smack his head with the polaroid film once he saw that the photo has already appeared, clear and of high quality.

“We thought it’d be a pretty photo if you wore a flower crown and acted asleep.” Mark beamed, as he showed Donghyuck the photo first, which the latter nodded at in satisfaction.

“Okay, okay, but just so you know, I’m always handsome.” Taeyong said, emphasizing on the ‘handsome’. Yuta snorted, and Taeyong swore he heard him mutter the words, ‘Sure, princess.’.

Ignoring Yuta’s words, Taeyong decided to pose by sleeping on his side. His hands were placed on top of each other, and he tried to make his face look as soft as he could. He closed his eyes as he felt his friends scurry about him, most probably placing around some files, books, papers and pens around him to make the photo more aesthetic. He felt a hand positioning the flower crown on his head, before it was silent for a bit with the soft breeze blowing. A click and whirring sound was heard, and Taeyong lifted his head to see the film already in Mark’s hand yet again with Donghyuck blowing his breath on the film. Doyoung, Taeil and Yuta sat down first. Doyoung threw his bag and Taeyong’s which he had taken off of the other clumsily when Donghyuck pushed Taeyong down. Yuta threw his bag on top of a tree branch, the tree being nearby of them since the garden was close, too.

“Ahah!” Mark yelled out triumphantly, showing Taeyong the photo.

Taeyong had to admit, he looked pretty in the photo. Taeyong wouldn’t ever describe himself as pretty on a regular basis, but when occasions like these happened where his friends would have him pose in slightly girly, floral or just a pretty background in general, he did think he was sort of pretty.

“It’s great.” Taeyong said appreciatively, taking the photo from Mark while his chest bubbled with warmth as he looked at the photo.

“Yeah, now let’s go get lunch. I’m starving!” Yuta groaned, rolling over on his stomach as he lets out a wail.

“Agreed.” Doyoung said, before a low growl was heard coming from his stomach.

Doyoung yelped out in embarrassment, grabbing his bag to cover his stomach, as if that could cover the sound of it that was already released. The others burst out laughing, Taeil ruffling Doyoung’s head.

Taeyong sat on his knees on the ground, placing his polaroid camera on it with his photo tucked underneath. He stood up from the ground, calling for his friends to stand up too and announcing that they were going to the Teacher’s Building after they buy food from the cafeteria.

“Let’s bring our bags, too. I have some questions to ask about my Korean Language class.” Mark uttered, disappointment lacing every single one of his word.

Taeyong’s brows immediately furrowed, before he takes his bag and Mark’s. He squeezed the younger’s shoulder, pecking his cheeks excessively which earned him a big, bright smile from the other and a laugh as Mark tried to escape with the screams of, “Taeyong! Stop!”.

Taeyong laughed, too. He had the best friends in the world, and though Mark had probably failed his Korean Language examination terribly like Taeyong had with History, Taeyong felt slightly okay to know he wasn’t the only one who was down. Mark must’ve felt like so, too, because he would usually never openly ask for help immediately after he got his paper. He would usually ask in a day or two since he had to take the time to feel better after the damage he got from his mark.

“Are we just going to leave your polaroid camera there, Taeyong?” Taeil asked, looking at the camera worriedly.

Taeyong merely shrugged as a reply. “It’s okay, and we need something to show that we’ve already claimed the spot, anyways.” He said, and Taeil nodded silently.

+/+

Jaehyun was walking to the school’s garden after he had lunch with his friends in the cafeteria. He wanted to read a book, and his friends were all busy chattering away, talking about their examination papers and comparing their marks and answers. Jaehyun didn’t exactly do excellent in the examination, because he was just another average student in the school, but he didn’t have the motivation or drive to talk about the papers. He had borrowed a book from the library just yesterday before curfew, and he didn’t get to start reading it since he was frantic with last-minute bag packings and ironing his school uniform before the lights had to go out in the dorm rooms.

“Lady Midnight.” Jaehyun muttered under his breath as he flipped the book around.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clarke was the book he had borrowed. He may be Korean, but he was pretty decent in English. Decent enough to be able to read a book and understand its contents. Maybe not the big words or the words which were only there to make the sentences fancy, but that was what Johnny was there for. His translator, even though Johnny still had trouble with his Korean and had once translated ‘mountain man’ to ‘ you’. The two words didn’t even have the same pronunciation.

As Jaehyun strode towards the garden, he passed by the school’s pool which has people loitering about. Most of them were couples sitting by the pool, the girls with their feet planted in and the guys just sitting cross-legged. The male and male couples were sitting at the back, as Jaehyun noticed Chanyeol and Baekhyun huddled together. The female and female couples were more open, laughing and giving pecks on the cheeks as Wendy was doing to Seulgi.

Passing by the school’s pool, Jaehyun walked along the school’s open field which had some flowers and bushes being grown around. Some benches had people sleeping with books on their faces, and some were sleeping on the field itself. Nearing the garden, Jaehyun noticed something white that glimmered slightly on the ground.

Jaehyun, feeling confused and worried that it was something of value such as a ring, went to the glimmering item he spotted. Going closer, Jaehyun noticed that it was a polaroid camera, and the glimmer was from the camera’s flash that the sun was shining down on.

“What idiot decided to leave their camera lying around the school’s field?” Jaehyun questioned himself incredulously.

Jaehyun, as a self-proclaimed photographer, would never leave his cameras lying around. Jaehyun had always wanted a polaroid, too, so seeing as the owner of the camera simply left their camera around left Jaehyun to silently fume. As quick as his fuming was about to begin, though, it quickly dissipated as he noticed the photo placed under the polaroid. Carefully, he lifted the polaroid to see the photo of Lee Taeyong, his senior by two years, looking strikingly beautiful and enchanting. Jaehyun was left with mouth agape. He took the photo in his hands, looking at the photo even more closely. It was definitely Lee Taeyong. Jaehyun would never get his face wrong, since Lee Taeyong was known all around school as among the best dancers. Jaehyun knew people applauded Ten more for his dancing, but Taeyong had always managed to steal glances and his presence on stage was undoubtedly more powerful than Ten’s, and Ten agreed to that fact.

“Maybe Taeyong accidentally left it here.” Jaehyun concluded, as he knew from stories Ten had told him about Taeyong since they were both in the same Freestyle Dancing class, Taeyong would never leave his things lying around.

“Mhm. I’ll take it and give it back to him tomorrow, or tonight maybe if I see him around the dorms.” Jaehyun said to himself, patting himself mentally on the back for being a great junior to his senior.

Standing up, Jaehyun collects the polaroid camera and film in his hand. He flips the film around, before he decides to slip it inside his wallet to avoid crumpling it. After he’s taken out his wallet, slipped the film inside the clear case in the wallet and placed it back in his pocket, Jaehyun continued on his way to the school’s garden.

+/+

“Uhm, guys?” Taeyong yelled out, calling for his friends who were behind him.

“What is it?” Mark called out back in English.

They had went to the Teacher’s Building first before they went to the cafeteria to return Mrs. Hwang’s key for the History Classroom since Doyoung was worried they might forget to return it afterwards if they took their time. At the cafeteria, they had all bought their respective lunches. Taeyong had piled his share in Taeil’s lunch, too and had bought himself some strawberry milk which he placed on Yuta’s lunch tray. This is all because Taeyong wants to be hands free as he runs to the field, laughing and shouting at his friends who’d struggle to juggle their trays while running.

Returning to the field, however, Taeyong couldn’t find his polaroid camera. “I lost my polaroid camera and my photo.” He informed, once his friends have gotten close enough, so that he doesn’t need to shout at them.

“What?!” Taeil questioned, confusion and worry written all over his facial features.

“What the heck? Who the hell would take your camera when you’ve already put your photo underneath it?” Donghyuck piped up, his face contorted in both worry and confusion, too.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Taeyong said, when Doyoung and Yuta seemed like they were about to yell out too. “It’s not a big deal. I could just get another one during the holidays, or I could just not buy another at all. We only use it when we want to take photos of our wasted days together, anyways.” Taeyong reasoned, as he realized that, indeed, he had that option and he was much calmer than his friends.

“That’s the important part of it! To take photos of our wasted days!” Mark whined, his bottom lip jutting out to form a pout.

“Maybe we could just take photos with our phones for now, but Taeyong is right, though. He has that option.” Taeil said, after pondering over what Taeyong had spoken.

“It would be a waste of money, though. I hope that person brings it back to you. Maybe he had good intentions.” Doyoung mumbled, not the least bit convinced the person who took Taeyong’s polaroid camera had ‘good intentions’.

What if that person wanted a polaroid camera to take shots of students in the school? Taeyong would be the one who’s in trouble since it’s his camera in the first place. None of them brought up the topic of going to the teachers to inform of the missing camera, though, because the search for it would be horrible. Bags and dorms would be searched thoroughly and classes would have to stop in the middle if the teachers suddenly wanted to do a sudden inspection. Besides, Taeyong hated to cause trouble like that, especially if it’s over a camera he could just get another one of. His parents wouldn’t be able to say much, anyhow, because Taeyong would use money he had earned over his part-time job during the one month term break. Taeyong would never use their money when it came to his own carelessness like this situation.

+/+

Jaehyun was snuggled in a small spot in the garden. A quiet, secluded place in the garden where people would usually never bother to go. When they did go, though, it was usually for short hook ups but generally, people would never. He had his book in his lap, opened to be read and reading he was, only he’s been re-reading the same paragraph for the last five minutes. He couldn’t take his mind off of the polaroid camera, feeling giddy, jittery and fidgety all at the same time. It was like his heart was about to leap out of his chest for no reason, but Jaehyun simply loved photography and polaroids.

Jaehyun took out his wallet once again, taking the polaroid of Taeyong out. He eyed the photo once again, nodding to himself over the senior’s photogenic-self. Suddenly, his phone buzzed inside his pocket. Jaehyun fished it out, looking at the groupchat’s text messages.

[ Johnny & Fiddlesticks !! ]

10/10 Ugly: I cannot believe Johnny just called us Fiddlesticks.
Papa Johnny’s: You’re not even focusing on the main point right now; which is Jung Jaehyun Just Stole Lee Taeyong’s Polaroid Camera.
Jisang: I’d like to say he just doesn’t want to acknowledge that fact.
The other Jae to My 2Jae: ^
Winwinese: What’s a polaroid camera?
Papa Johnny’s: This one.
[ Johnny sent a photo ]

Technically, I did not ‘steal’ it.
I just want to give it back tomorrow, you idiot.

Winwinese: Isn’t that the camera you wanted before, though?
Winwinese: Why not borrow it for a bit?
10/10 Ugly: WINWIN, WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? NO, DO NOT.
Papa Johnny’s: Ooh, Winwin’s got a great idea. Why not borrow it and take photos?
10/10 Ugly: Do Not You Dare, Jung Jaehyung.
The other Jae to My 2Jae: It’s ‘Don’t You Dare’.*
Jisang: I kind of want to see what’d happen.
The other Jae to My 2Jae: Same. It could be like those cliche books or something, though.
The other Jae to My 2Jae: Jaehyun could take photos of Taeyong, and send it to him?
10/10 Ugly: Don’t give him ideas !!

As Jaehyun reads the group chat, Jaehyun thought his friends were ridiculous but hey, he’s ridiculous too, isn’t he? Being friends with them kind of already proved that. Although, does Jaehyun really want to do that? Taeyong is a senior that everyone respects and admires, if not envy even just a little. Does Jaehyun want to take photos of him and give it to him like those cliche books that have creepy stalkers in them? Jaehyun wants to, but with a little bit more of difference because Jaehyun is handsome, and he's a fan of Taeyong's dancing even though he's not a fan of dancing itself, not a creepy stalker.