“For this project, I’ve decided to let you choose your own partner,” the Professor said, eying the students who started to chatter with each other. They looked quite surprised with the little announcement she made. And certainly, a little dissatisfied.

On the other hand, Yaerin has started listing down some ideas that crossed on her mind while the lecture was conducted just now. After writing a long sentence, she would stop and tap the pen on her chin while furrowing her forehead. She was thinking more critically. The project was going to be very tough where they needed to collaborate with other instituitions or workplaces. It depended on the ideas they were going to propose to Professor Kang.

“Is she trying to kill us?” Some of the students who were sitting behind her grumbled in annoyance. Their voices were loud enough for her to listen to their tantrums, although she was not planning to eavesdrop at all.

Yaerin stopped writing and leaned on her back, pampering her little exhausted body for a moment. She reached for her bag on the floor and her hand wandered randomly in it, searching for her phone.

“This is a ing research,” they continued. “How much is this project worth for?”

A long sigh was released. “75%, three quarter of a semester worth marks,” the other student answered.

Yaerin rolled her eyes and silently cursed them under her breath. If you dislike doing the research project, then failed yourself. She wished, she could just turn around and spill those words right on their faces. However, some wishes should remain as wishes. Calming herself, she bit her bottom lip and began browsing through documents in her phone. There were countless folders which she dedicated for her studies. Most of them, she has already forgotten about their existence. Her thumb did not give up and kept scrolling.

Her frown faded and a smile was slowly drawn on her face. “Found it!” She hissed and enlarged the picture on her phone. Yaerin pursed her lips into a thin line as she saw her own name on the list. For the previous semester, she did very well in her final examination. However, her projects and coursework marks did not reach her target, which made her slightly depressed.

She squinted her eyes towards that one particular name who aced in both final examinations and coursework. Park Jimin, she said slowly. She knew she needed to work with him. She MUST work with him to excel for this semester. Losing a few marks mattered so much to her.

However, her burning passion came to an end. She sighed and put her phone on the table. Looking around, she realized that the lecture hall was slowly filled with students who faces she could not recognize at all. She took a quick glimpse at her watch. Fifteen minutes left before the next lecture started, and she should leave because it was for business students.

“Ah!” Yaerin growled slowly and hid her face between her hands on the table. She gazed at her own lap and tried to think harder. “Should I chase Park Jimin?” she asked herself. And after a few minutes, she shook her body vigorously, somehow, remained on her spot.

A small pat on her shoulder reminded her that she was in a lecture hall, full with people. She abruptly looked up, and accidentally dropped her pen. The person who tapped her shoulder chuckled and picked up the pen for her. He then gave her a wide smile, showing his crooked teeth to her. However, that sincere smile was enough to make some students at the back to squeal.

“Why should you chase me?” he asked Yaerin, blinking innocently. He was teasing her, somehow, Yaerin locked her lips, greeting her teeth. It was Park Jimin. “I will chase you.”

.   .   .   .   .

Glancing around the tranquil eatery, Seokjin spotted his classmates, at the very last row. He smiled widely and set his pace towards them. It was pretty difficult to meet Yoongi after he applied to be in the Strategist. It was almost like student councils, and Yoongi was suggested by several peers and seniors. However, they would still meet each other at night. They were roommates.

“Hey,” he greeted them all and took an empty spot beside one of the classmates. They were very loud, immersed in their conversation and opinions about physical test which happened last week; now, had turned silent. As quiet as a mouse. Seokjin’s smile also faded, as if his presence was very unpleasant. He laughed dryly, hiding his anxiousness. “Go on with your discussion. It sounds very interesting.” He was trying the best, but they did not spare him a chance.

They became very quiet. Even the way they chewed their food gave him a clear hint that they wanted him to stand, take his food tray and move to other table. As seconds passed, Seokjin felt suffocating enough to sit with them. He stood up, granting their secret wish of casting him away. He glanced at each of them once before taking his tray and moved away. They had that Red Tag on their uniform, and Seokjin had a Red Tag on his as well. But why was he ostracized?

“Mian, Seokjin-ah.”

Seokjin’s step was halted. He did not dare to look at their faces.

“Jeongmal mianhe, Seokjin.”

Seokjin shut his eyes tight and opened them back before continuing his slow pace to other table which was far away from his classmates. He sat alone and started to dig in his food, sweeping away all the negative feelings.

“Is he still looking at us?” one of the classmates asked. Hesitance, fear and guilt attacked them all at once. They felt very guilty for giving cold shoulder to their own classmate, Seokjin, although they knew that RT Students were limited; they would always need and bump on each other. However, fear has overcome everything, even their rationality.

The other guy shook his head eagerly and stole a glance towards a person who was sitting several tables away from them. It was no other than Jeon Jungkook, their RTS senior. Jungkook had been eying the boys since Seokjin made his way towards them. Feeling hostile and knowing the source of the hostility, the boys knew that they have got to eliminate the source. It happened to be Seokjin.

“Sunbae-nim was looking at us just now.” They then finished their food quickly.

On the other hand, Jeon Jungkook was enjoying the lonely atmosphere which lingered mercilessly around Kim Seokjin. Seokjin’s shoulder was hung low and his eyes fixed on the brown rice all the time. It seemed like he was forcing himself to swallow the food.

Jungkook got up and pat Namjoon’s shoulder. The other guy was a little startled and looked at his friend in confusion. “Yah, where are you going?”

Jungkook raised his brows. Without giving a legitimate answer, he made his way. A path towards the stupid lonely wolf. He stopped behind Seokjin and gazed at the junior’s head under his nose. This was how he always made himself feel superior. By looking down on others.

“Yah!” Jungkook patted Seokjin’s back hard, surprising him. Seeing the big reaction, Jungkook’s laughters burst out. He filled the empty space beside Seokjin, holding  his stomach as he was still laughing hard.

Seokjin forced a smile after vigorously coughing as he choked in the food. “H-How are you, Sunbae-nim?”

In a blink of an eye, Jungkook’s laughter was gone. His expression became cold. More precise, he was expressionless. He tilted his head while staring at Seokjin. “Shibal.”

Hearing the bad word which came out for no reason, Seokjin froze. He did not chew the food anymore. All he did was, hung his head low and swallowed the food forcefully.

“How do you feel?” Jungkook asked. Seokjin immediately looked up and met his eyes. He was totally confused with Jungkook’s statement. “Answer me.” His tone was low, but it sent shiver to anyone who heard him.

Seokjin still could not figure out what he should answer. Somehow, he knew that something must be said. “I’m sorry, Sunbae-nim. But, I really don’t get it,” he replied, earnestly.

Hearing the junior’s answer, Jungkook lost his sanity. “Don’t play pretend with me, saekki-yah.” He grabbed Seokjin’s collar shirt, however maintained his volume. The spoon in the junior’s hand fell down and hit the floor. The loud clicking sound between a stainless steel spoon and the tiled floor has caused some tables to avert their attention towards both of them. They stopped eating and gazed at both Jungkook and Seokjin, half interested as they spotted their Red Tags on their uniform.

Seokjin trembled, straining his brain to think hard. What did he mistakenly do which caused Jeon Jungkook to attack him? This was not the first time. He brace up himself and shook his head a little. “I really don’t know w-what you’re talking about, S-Sunbae.” This is the second time.

Jungkook did not release his strong grip on Seokjin’s collar easily. He was more than ready to smash the other guy’s face on the food tray. Let him starve until dinner, was what he thought.

“Jungkook?”

Seokjin looked up.

Jungkook turned around.

His ten fingers slowly loosened and finally, Seokjin was set free. Jungkook stood up, and the other guy patted his shoulder twice before grabbing it tightly. “Oh, Taehyung. You’re back.”

“Yah, Kim Taehyung!” A hoarse voice hollered from the other side of the eatery. It was Namjoon. He walked as fast as possible and had his both hands on the air, ready for an embrace.

Taehyung chuckled and accepted the hug. The tense atmosphere between Jungkook and the junior had gone in a blink of an eye. A reunion took place there. More and more seniors gathered around the table, bombarding Kim Taehyung. He was another excellent student in RTS.

“How’s life in Florida?” one of them asked. Then, a series of endless questions started flooding him.

Taehyung laughed loudly. “Easy, boys,” he said and glanced at Jungkook. “Yah, Jungkook. You don’t easily grab someone’s collar. What’s up with you… and that guy?” He took a quick glimpse at Seokjin.

Seokjin was startled. He tried to go away just now, however, the seniors were storming towards Kim Taehyung. Now,  all the seniors were looking at him. He could feel their stares from his back.

Jungkook scoffed. “That’s what you get when you cursed at your senior on the orientation day.”

Hearing the little explanation, Taehyung pouted while nodding. It seemed like he strongly agreed and approved  Jungkook’s act.

After hearing Jungkook’s answer, Seokjin finally found the main cause. He abruptly stood up, taking quick glimpse of his seniors, and bowed a little to them all before setting his eyes on Jungkook. He shook his head eagerly before saying anything.

“Sunbae-nim. You’ve mistaken me. It wasn’t me who said…” Seokjin hesitated and bit his bottom lip. “It wasn’t me who said ‘Shibal’ to you. It was someone else, please trust-”

Taehyung cut off. “Shibal?” He glanced at the Red Tag on Seokjin’s uniform and the name written on the junior’s left chest. Kim Seokjin, he smiled. “Ah, RTS. But Shibal? Really, hoobae?”

A few minutes ago, Seokjin swore that Taehyung looked like the most friendly senior he had ever seen. However, it did not last long after he uttered those words,

“I’ll make sure you will regret knowing the word itself, hoobae.”

.   .   .   .   .               

Yaerin threw her pen intentionally and it rolled towards Jimin. Jimin looked up from his reading and raised his brows. Yaerin stared at him, giving him a gaze full of dissatisfaction. “Let me make this clear,” Yaerin started and leaned closer to the table, crossing her arms on it. “I’m working with you because I need to-”

“Ace in everything for this semester,” Jimin cut off and offered her a playful smile. “Right?” He asked. She sighed and leaned back. Jimin’s smile slowly fading away. He knew her ‘ill nature’ about collaborating with others to fullfil her needs. However, that was what made her Yoo Yaerin; a lovely Yoo Yaerin. “Just use me as much as you want, Yaerin.”

Yaerin scoffed. She felt quite irritated with the semantics of his sentence. “Don’t make me look like a jerk here.”

Jimin shrugged his shoulder, playing dumb. “By the way,” he continued, “are you still with Kim Seokjin?”

As the question was thrown to her, her eyes spontaneously glanced at the silver watch on her wrist. It was a couple watch, and Seokjin had the other one. Her heart softened. The sun was making its way to escape, while the moon was waiting to appear, somehow a lot of students were still working hard on their assignments, readings and other matters in the university library. From the corner of her eyes, she could see how Jimin was patiently waiting for her to answer. However, she did not quickly give him what he wanted. Instead, she rested her chin on her palm and gazed outside of the window.

“Yoo Yaerin.” It was a little warning of making him waited.

Yaerin gave in and looked back at him. His eyes were always shining when he stared at her. Maybe other girls would go crazy over him. However, Yaerin felt disgusted. Other than Seokjin, for her, no guys should ever gaze at her as if they could see halo above her head.

“Yes. I’m still with Seokjin.”