Soomi was still reading The Art of War, gleaning for strategies and processes that could help her in her other life. The Busan Butchers looked to her for all of their tactics, even some minor jobs were planned by her if they had any chance of going wrong. She wasn't about to let anyone ruin the reputation that she had built up. This had sparked her interest in history- she needed to learn what worked and what didn't without actually taking the risk of failure. It wasn't something that she could afford in the gang world, where failure meant death.

"Bang Soomi!" Taehyung stood by the desk next to her with a stupid grin on his face. Soomi sighed.

"I had totally forgotten the name of the person who was supposed to sit there. Too bad you weren't here last week. You weren't here Thursday or Friday either," Taehyung said with a pout. "I have to say, you're not very good at being a nerd."

"You're the one who decided I was a nerd, you complete buffoon."

Taehyung seated himself, feeling chuffed that he again was able to see the girl he found so attractive. Unless the history teacher actually said something interesting, Taehyung was planning on trying to chat her up. Either he would be successful, and that would be fantastic, or he would piss her off again and honestly he just wanted to see what she would do. He had only learnt after their last class together that a girl threatening to cut his off could be arousing.

"Hey Soomi, what's your deal? Taehyung is just trying to make conversation," Naeun asked from the seat in front of Soomi. "I know you've got this whole solitary thing going on but you don't have to be mean."

"You've always been nosy, Naeun. Why do you give a ?" Soomi growled. 

"There's no way you can't like Taehyung. Everyone likes him!" Naeun defended the new kid with such admiration that Soomi felt sick.

"Oh off, he constantly mouths off at me and I have to his for it? Get a ing life, Naeun." Soomi told the other girl. Taehyung only watched the confrontation with gleaming eyes. When Naeun turned back to the front after sending Soomi a subtle stink eye, Taehyung resumed that -eating grin that he seemed to like putting on for Soomi.

"I do love that foul mouth of yours, Bang Soomi," he said. "How long are you going to play hard-to-get, huh?"

Soomi frowned, " you talking about? Have you been hitting on me? Do you think insulting a girl and being annoying will get you girls?" 

Taehyung seemed almost at a loss for words when Soomi spat that at him. Had Soomi really been insulted by the things that he said? Yes, those things had technically been insults, but he had thought that Soomi had thicker skin than to be hurt by his banter. A twinge of guilt seeped into Taehyung's mi