He went there early. This must be it, Room 5c. He entered the room and few students came in earlier than he did. He decided to take the seat at the back near the window. He placed his bag on the floor near his chair, let his pen out and played with it as he waited for the teacher and other classmates to come in. It’s been three minutes but it felt like forever. He sighed and placed his chin on his balled fist while tapping his table with his other hand still holding the pen. Someone’s by the door and he heard his other classmates mumble she’s pretty, she’s cute and what was that? She’s a goddess. He turned to see for himself, what does a goddess look like? And right at the door, a goddess appeared. He glanced just right in time, right in time to witness how this girl made entering a classroom an act of divinity. It happened fast but it’s still processing on his head. It felt like the world stopped moving and they were the only ones who can. All he saw was blur except for this approaching being fresh from heaven, so crystal clear, and took the spotlight. She looked at someone outside probably bidding temporary farewell, before her entire body went in to the room and the way her hair swayed when she did, it looked like those of shampoo ads but way better. He also noticed her cute big front teeth when she smiled and waved her hand to the same someone. Whoever that is, is so lucky he thought. Then she looked at him. Her hair flowed with the direction of the wind revealing the whole of her face. Wait, where did that wind come from? She caught him staring and he swears to the gods, his heart was beating so fast. His heart was jumping, tumbling, going up and down the corners of his ribcage but his body was the total opposite, his body refused to move, not one bit. So, this is how you define love at first sight, huh?

But it wasn’t like that. Not for Jeongyeon and definitely not for Nayeon. No slow mo’s, no time manipulations, no spotlights, no wind effects, no love at first sight symptoms.

5th grade

“You two again?” he retched at the two very familiar figures that are walking towards his seat.

“Shut up, c’m’ere,” Jackson stretched his right arm

“Jackie,” Jeongyeon said from disgust to delight real quick, he stood and did their weird handshake that only the two of them knew.

“Trust me, I’m so sick of your faces too,” said the one behind the brunette boy.

“Jinyoung,” and another handshake, a little less weird.

Jinyoung, Jackson and he were friends for as long as he can remember. Classmates on primary school are shuffled every school year. And for some nice coincidence, all of them got to share the same class for the past four years, except for Jackson. He was put in another section separating himself from his two bros in 3rd grade. That was just for a year. They eventually had their reunion in 4th grade, and if they were grown men that time, they would’ve thrown the biggest reunion party in town.

Since they were seen together for years, they had so many group nicknames that all of the school had grown out calling them. They were still in primary school so they got group nicknames as innocent as “JinJackJeong,” “3J’s” and “the 3 idiots”—courtesy of Jackson’s doing, the last one being the most popular—really, thanks to Jackson.

Jeongyeon sat on his desk, Jackson followed suit but on a desk just across Jeongyeon’s while Jinyoung just leaned on the nearest desk he could find. They chatted about what they did on vacation while they wait for the class to start, it’s their first day after all. Jackson told them how great HK Disneyland was and how he had second thoughts sharing that to them because they might with it. He also described how he got to bed a little later than his parents would allow him to just to have a longer sight of the city’s night view, all the lights from the streets and mostly from skyscrapers, their hotel room was on the 7th floor. Jinyoung, however, just spent most of his free time playing video games so chatted the least. Jeongyeon was exhilarated about his new Legos that he said he might have a room for his collections alone. While they were busy talking, a girl walked pass them and the Lego collector’s hand was pulled by some string. The girl stopped and immediately went back.

“I’m sorry,” she says as she bent a little to make a bow.

The boy removed the girl’s earphone cord that for however reason, got stuck on his uniform’s sleeve button.

“It’s all good.”

“Thank you,” then bowed again

 “Hey, Im! Been a long time,” the brunette boy smiled.

“Jackie? Yeah, long time,” she nodded and smiled back.

“Uhh, I’ll go at the back.”

“Suit yourself.”

She excused herself with a last bow before going to her seat at the back in the middle column.

““Jackie”? Since when did this happen?” he asked fixing his sleeve.

“That year I got separated from you two, we shared the same class.”

“Ayiee,” Jinyoung instantly teased with a grin on plastered on his face, where did his eyes go? Jackson nudged him.

“Ow!”

“She’s cool, we’re actually friends. Oh! Now that she’s here, I guess she can join the gang, too. Y’know, make this group a little bigger ‘cause I’m tired of your ugly faces.”

“Are we not enough?” Jinyoung’s sudden change of tone is scary. From typical best friend that ships you with everyone possible to a jealous girlfriend who’s insecure about everything and everyone that surrounds you. But of course, this is just one of his classic antics that the brunette got used to.

“Bleurgh, stop it and save yourself from embarrassment.”

“But anyways, I’m sure y