Chapter Two

"Now please get into your groups," Miss Ji An, our economics teacher said with a firm but yet sweet smile. Groans came out from students' mouth since it was yet another group work for their holidays homework, something many detested. Chairs could be heard being dragged around as Miss Ji An clapped her hands to hurry them up. The names of the groupings were flashed on the screen and So min gawked when she saw hers. It was definitely a first for her.

"Hey! That's unfair! You got Jungkook! You're good to go," Ah reum slapped her back from the seat beside her. "Mine's a nobody," she whispered before disappearing to find her group mates. But is that really the case? So min's eyes travelled to the corner seat to look at him. 

Jungkook was obnoxiously reading a book with his cheek resting on his hand while his elbow on the table. 

So min rolled her eyes. What an obnoxious sight. 

Meanwhile, her eyes instantly shot back to the screen to look for Taehyung's name. Her hopes fell when she already heard their group discussing heartily as Taehyung's laugh could be heard. She sighed in defeat before dragging her chair to Jungkook's seat since two of her other members had already moved to him. 

"Alright, please do the following discussions and do use this time wisely unless all of you want to spend your holidays meeting one another outside of school to finish this up," Miss Ji An reminded but that actually sounded more like a threat to So min.

"Yes," the class replied her in unison reluctantly. The class knew that even though Miss Ji An was relatively young and her looks could even make her pass off as a student, she was an experienced teacher who had the upper-hand in the class. She can be nice and friendly but the moment you're on her bad side, it will not be a pretty sight. So most students, including the boys were pretty much scared of her as well. 

"So...are we going to discuss?" One of So min's group mate which she presumed her name was called Ji woo finally spoke up amongst the awkward silence. Other groups were pretty much hitting it off well at the start which So min was really jealous of since their group was the total opposite. Ji woo was rather a tiny girl with a frail figure and curled bangs that caused her face to look even smaller. 

"Sure," So min smiled back to her, mentally thanking her for breaking the ice first.

However, Jungkook on the other hand, was ignoring the rest of them since the start of discussion as his eyes never left his book. So min wanted to throw a punch at him for being such a stuck-up but she was calming herself down in her mind in case she lose it in front of Taehyung. 

Also, So min did noticed that the other member, Kangwoo seemed to be afraid of Jungkook as well since none of them were commenting on his actions. He was sitting stiffly in his seat instead, waiting for someone to talk.

Why am I grouped in a group like this? So min cursed mentally at her fate.

"What should we pick? The protectionist policy?" So min tried to engage them in a heated discussion by talking more about the subject instead.

"I'm alright with anything," Ji woo made a small smile back to her. So min looked at Kangwoo this time, hoping for more opinions rather than just agreeing.

"I-I'm fine with it as well," Kangwoo stuttered but quickly nodded. That left her with none other than...

She looked at him for at least a response but all she got was him flipping to another page of his book. Alright, moving on...

"Okay then! I think we should split the different parts of our research so that we can pick who to focus on which parts. That'll be more effective?" So min asked as she took out her notebook to jot down the possible parts that they need to research. Kangwoo and Jiwoo instantly nodded in approval of her idea.

The next few minutes passed by as the three of them discussed about what each member is researching on. It wasn't long until the school bell rang, signalling the end of lesson.

"Alright kids, we're done for today. I wish you the best for your holidays! Have a good rest!" Miss Ji An commented with a bright smile and from the corner of So min's eyes, she saw Jungkook looking up for the first time in this lesson. Looking at him, his eyes were following Miss Ji An the whole time before she disappeared out of the classroom. 

"Hey Jungkook," That voice.

So min turned around in a flash at the voice. "Wanna grab lunch now?" Taehyung asked with that charming smile of his again. So min melted as she stared at him with heart eyes. Jungkook obviously caught and grasped the situation instantly, causing him to smirk secretly.

"Sure," he answered as he stood up from his chair and finally put down his book on the table. Wait what? We're not done discussing!

So min and the rest of the members looked at him with a traumatised face, as if in shock that he was really just going to leave this way. Jungkook slightly rounded his eyes at the sight before he opened his mouth.

"Ah..right..The project," he said as if he just remembered the existence of the project when it was all that they have been talking about the whole time. He trudged forward to So min before snatching the paper she wrote during today's lesson.

"Don't worry, I'll finish it up." 

"What?" The three of them had their mouths hanging open as they stared at him.

"What?" Jungkook asked them back curtly. 

"Y-You mean you're going to do this whole project?" So min's voice could barely be heard. Jungkook nodded boredly while reading the note that she wrote.

"The whole thing?" Ji woo added. He nodded again, not even sparing them a glance. 

"Everything?" Kangwoo asked one last time, unable to believe his ears. Jungkook's eyes travelled to them as he stared at them. He gave them one last nod with a stoic expression.

"Well then, we're done here. I don't presume that we need to interact anymore." he added before grabbing his wallet and walking to Taehyung who was waiting for him.

Those were his last words before  he left to eat lunch with Taehyung. 

"I've never seen such a jerk in my life," So min scoffed incredulously in her seat. 

"Can you even believe it? He was basically telling us that he didn't want to interact with us because we're too stupid for him. I mean..how can someone even be this rude? We don't even know each other well!" So min continued to rant about what happened earlier as Ah reum listened in the canteen .

"And he didn't even contribute a single word during the discussion! Doesn't he know what a group work is? Did he spend his whole life rotting alone in his room doing his own individual work?!" So min brushed her hair with her fingers in frustration. Ah reum hummed while her eyes were fixed on someone else.

"Are you even listening to me?" So min snapped her fingers but followed her gaze to find that she was looking at the devil she has been talking about this whole time. Jungkook was sitting a few tables away with Taehyung and a few other guys as they laughed and talked.

"He's unbelievable," she scoffed again at the sight before quickly focusing on her food again.

"Yeah..unbelievably hot," Ah reum corrected.

So min instantly shot her daggers at her words. She couldn't agree with her at all since she did have the mindset that looks are not everything. If you're talking about personality here, Jungkook would definitely be out of her list instantly.

"But how is it that he's so perfect in everything? I mean you should be grateful that he would be doing the whole project. Then you'll be guaranteed of good grades!" Ah reum tried to convince her. "Plus you don't even need to put in efforts," Ah reum added.

"Since he's doing everyone's parts." Yeah that's right, So min could even enjoy her holidays now if she want to. That's right! It was right but yet..so wrong. No–it's definitely wrong! This is a groupwork!

So min snapped out of her thoughts. In this way, she would be learning nothing from this whole project! All because of that conceited jerk! Ah reum raised her brow as she watched So min furiously stabbing her food on plate with the fork. 

"How does someone like him even have friends?" So min mocked while questioning the harsh reality. "And it's even the sweetest guy in school as his friend," 

Ah reum rolled her eyes when she knew that So min was referring to Taehyung again. "But I did hear that some of his friends are just hanging around him for his brains. Apparently they are trying to get some benefit out of being his friend. Those jerks," Ah reum made a fist with her hands and pretended to hit the air.

"That's probably his karma for being such a jerk. I mean..who would want to actually be his friend with that attitude of his?" So rim scoffed. 

After lunch, So min was walking out of the washroom as she had just washed her hand. She was shaking the excess water droplets off her hand and walking. Right when she turned at a corner, she bumped into a tall figure. That caused her to jerk backwards but she regained her balance before she could fall.

"Ow," So min winced at the impact. She frowned before looking up to the person who she bumped into. She swore she almost cursed on the spot when she saw Jungkook frowning right back at her with his hands in his pocket. He furrowed his eyebrows while staring at her, as if expecting her to say something. So min dusted her uniform before she noticed his expectant stare, causing her to gradually froze on spot.

"I'm sorry..?" she said in a rather uncertain tone, wondering if that was what he wanted to hear. Jungkook was going to say something but was interrupted by Taehyung who came from nowhere and bumped onto his shoulder.

Jungkook frowned again at the interaction.

So min noticed that he had a habit of frowning at almost everything. But she dismissed that thought when she saw Taehyung who instantly took over her mind.

"Oh hi So min!" Taehyung greeted her while waving with one hand as the other rested on Jungkook's shoulder. So min's heart skipped a beat hearing him call her name. 

"H-hey.." she started to stutter which was unlike her as she did the typical girly move of placing her hair behind her ear but little did she realise Jungkook was staring right back at her. How much more obvious can she get? He thought to himself while eyeing her.

"What were you guys talking about?" Taehyung asked Jungkook curiously before his eyes darted back to So min then back at Jungkook. Jungkook shrugged and jerked his shoulder away from him before walking past So min.

"Hey wait up!" Taehyung called out to him before he passed a quick glance to So min. "See you next time then," His eyes turned to crescent moons as he slightly bent down to her eye level and reached out one hand to her head, ruffling her hair. With that, he walked past her to chase after Jungkook who had left.

So min was frozen on spot since everything passed too fast for her to savour. He touched my hair. She thought to herself, unable to believe what just happened. It wasn't until Ah reum came from the corridoor and called out her name that So min could grasp the situation. 

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" So min shouted as she took off her shoes and threw her bag into a cabinet. She was curious as to why they didn't respond like they usually would, causing her to wonder if they were not in the house. Stepping into the living room, she saw the two of them discussing about something on the couch. She walked towards them. Her mom seemed to have noticed her presence.

"Oh my dear, you're home,"

"Come, have a seat. You came just in time," her mom gestured for her to join their conversation. So min was skeptical as to what they were talkign about but still decided to join in as she carefully walked over and sat opposite of the two of them. Her dad gave her a reassuring smile when their eyes met, causing her to slightly loosen up a bit more.

"What is it?" So min asked while fidgeting with her hands.

"So..Your dad and I have decided on something really important this coming holidays!" 

So min raised a brow and she felt her stomach churned as she had a bad intuition that it wasn't something good. Knowing her mom's personality, she was afraid of what next few words may come out from . She swallowed and listened.

"Remember Mr Jeon? A great friend of your dad," she asked with a wide smile.

Mr Jeon? That uncle who had lots of hair even though he was the same age as my dad who had halved the portion of his hair, So min tried to recall how he looked like. Even though So min couldn't remember much, she did remember that she met him a few times when he came over to their house during Christmas when she was young. She remembered that part particularly well since he brought her gifts. He was a nice person in her memory. 

"Yeah..why? What about him?" So min asked, recalling abit.

"Do you perhaps..also remember what day it is on the first day of your vacation?" her mom asked again with a dubious tone, ignoring So min's question to her. So min was getting more bewildered because her questions did not really make sense to her. Neither was it related.

"Why? What day is it?" she asked back, instantly not even bothering to think as she sat forward anxiously. So min hoped that her mom could get straight to the point instead of beating around the bush now.

"It's your dad and I's 30th anniversary my dear!" So min's mom exclaimed with an exhilarated tone while her dad gave a small smile at her side. So min's mom reached out to hold her dad's hand as she interlinked it with his.

"Oh.." So min was at a loss for words since this wasn't the first time she heard of that. The last time they had their 20th anniversary, she remembered that her mom brought the whole family to a hotel out of the blue because she apparently booked the event room secretly and planned a whole party without anyone knowing. So min shook her head slightly just thinking about what she might do this time round.

"Your dad and I have decided to go on a Japan trip this time!" she exclaimed excitedly while nodding and tapping on her dad's hands. 

"Alright, then I will just stay at home and study since–" So min was about to tell them to not worry about her and just have fun at their trip when her mom stopped her.

"We have planned for you as well my dear! You'll be staying at your dad's precious friend, Mr Jeon's house with his family! I'm sure they will welcome you. Your dad and I have already called to inform them and asked for their permission, I heard that they will be glad to accept you during the holidays!" Her mom finally told her and So min couldn't believe them. 

"What?" So min cried out. Oh god.