♦ A/N: Please always take note of the date, it's really important and also to avoid any confusion of the timeline. Happy reading! ^^ ♦ 

→ March 27, 2018 - TUESDAY

When Jaemin entered the school auditorium, it’s already swarming with students, most of which are carrying a whole wad of cash. The girls from the lower year are probably the most excited as they eagerly gossip about in the open the basket boy they're preparing to bid. And about eighty percent are eyeing for the new guy Jeno.

Ever since Jaemin separated from Jeno earlier this morning, the hallways are filled with countless complements regarding Jeno and how they're willing to spend their months worth of allowance for him.

So, the competition is tough.

Jaemin mentally slapped himself. Yes, he likes Jeno but to fight for him against a bunch of girls is ridiculous.

"Hey, Nana! Over here!" He turned his direction over to a shouting Donghyuck. Jaemin was just about to get worried that he won't be able to find his friends. It appears they save a seat for him. The auditorium is indeed humongous - the ground floor (where they are currently at) can occupy over a thousand students and the rest can fill into the second floor.

"So, how much cash did you bring?" Donghyuck asked as Jaemin joined them.

"Not much." Jaemin briefly answered.

"What?" Shouted an overzealous Donghyuck. "Have you seen Koeun from Class 3? She's obnoxiously waving her cash this morning. Acting like she owns the boys that . Even Lami from the junior year is all armed for Jeno. Your Lee Jeno! What are you going to do about that?"

Once again, the things written on the letter is about to happen. A girl named Lami will bid for Jeno and would actually have a lunch date with him. Jaemin then wondered would the outcome change if he fights for Jeno til the end. But, quickly erase that thought as he doesn't want to expose his ual awakening in front of the whole student body.

"Ahm, HELLO!" Donghyuck intervened, trying to get his attention by waving his hand in front of him.

Jaemin made a sign to Donghyuck to pipe down. He's been overly expressive with this bidding. "I will bid for Jeno."

"That's the spirit."

"But just enough to raise the bid. I don't mind if I don't earn a lunch date with him."

"You sore loser. I swear to God, you'll die a ."

"That's better than being a ." In which, Jaemin countered.

"If you'll all settle down now, we're ready to begin." A squeaky voice of an old woman suddenly erupted through the microphone.

It was the president of the Parents Council, Mrs. Irene. Jaemin remembered her from last year, as the overly excited woman who has shown great fondness in the Basket Boys Season. She had been fluttering around the basket boys, fixing ties and giving last-minute encouragement saying that they all look dashing. When really, they all look like they're about to puke.

The thunderous noises earlier has died down and Jaemin had never seen over a thousand students quiet down so fast. "Well, that's a surprise. Thank you very much." Mrs. Irene said as she too wasn't expecting that either. So, it seems everyone's being extra obedient today.

"Welcome to the sixty-eight annual Basket Boys Season! Now, who's excited?" A deafening roar from the crowd responded. Jaemin can't believe the trend that this Basket Boys Auction has created. "That's more like it. I'm more than excited to present to you this year's batch of Basket Boys. And believe me when I say that they all look dashing. Now, before we begin I would like to remind everybody that this is a civilized proceeding - there'll be no catcalling, whistling and any other degrading behavior that would make our fine Basket Boys uncomfortable, understand?" And like a puppet under control, everyone responded with a yes.

Jaemin just rolled his eyes when Mrs. Irene called the event civilized. Making kids dress up and auctioned on stage out of their own will is civilized? Unbelievable. Jaemin thought.

"And as usual, bidding starts at ten thousand won. So without further ado, let's call out our first basket boy! Come out, come out, Mr. Kim Doyoung!" Then a synchronous applause from the crowd flare up when a cute freshmen steps out carrying a basket.

If Jaemin remembered it all too well, the sequence will go from the freshmen to the seniors.

"Let's see what Mr. Doyoung has in store on his basket for us today." Mrs. Irene then took a peak on the freshmen's baskets and look back to the crowd, "Oh boy, Mr. Doyoung brought a rather scrumptious meal consisting of beef pancakes, fried gochujang, and inside out gimbap." She smiled at the freshman over her glasses. "To know more of our cutesy Doyoung here, he specializes in playing the flute, into skate boarding, and watching 80s sitcom wow what a catch!"

Poor Doyoung tried to smile, but Jaemin can tell the kid wanted to die.

"All right, then," said Mrs. Irene as she clasped her hands together. "Do I hear ten?"

It went on not only in ten, but twelve, thirteen, sixteen and eventually twenty! "Twenty going once, going twice...and sold to the young lady with the braids." And just like that, the freshman Kim Doyoung has book a lunch date.

The bidding went on like that; Mrs. Irene would call out the basket boy, describe their lunches, give out embarrassing facts about them, and finally ask for any bidders. The crowd was so into it. The bidders are mostly girls, although a few guys would bid but only out of prank.

The auction was happening so fast that they'd be at Jeno in no time. As the bidding the continued, the battle to earn a lunch date got louder and fiercer.

Then suddenly the auditorium fell silent. And standing next to Mrs. Irene, looking beyond mortified was Qian Kun.

Jaemin doesn't know him that much, has never even interacted with him, except the fact that he was the school's wallflower. Everybody knows that, even Mrs. Irene who was already scouring the crowd with her eyes, looking very uncomfortable too.

The guys from the front row seem to be the only ones laughing.

"What happened?" Jaemin whispered to Donghyuck.

"No one's bidding," Donghyuck whispered back.

Jaemin was infuriated. Sending a loner in front of the stage, how can this be anyone's idea of a joke?

"Do I hear ten?" called Mrs. Irene tentatively. Unlike the response from the others, everyone was staring at each other, waiting for someone to bid on the poor guy.

The victim, Kun, just embarrassingly look down on the stage, shutting his eyes close, presumably praying that all of this would be over. And Jaemin cannot take it anymore. He realized what he had to do. He shot his hand into the air and called, "Ten."

"Ten? Did I hear ten?" Mrs. Irene chirped with much anticipation.

Jaemin raised his hand higher in order for Mrs. Irene to spot him and whispered to Donghyuck, "Say thirteen."

"What? What are you trying to do?" Donghyuck argued in a whispery manner.

"Say thirteen, I'll outbid you."

"No way! Stop this. You're reserved for Jeno!"

"Now's not the time for that. Just do it!"

Having no clue of what’s happening, Donghyuck just followed. "Thirteen!" he called out, which came out as a surprise to everyone.

"What are you guys up to?" A confused Mark sitting beside Donghyuck asked.

None of them answered him and Jaemin instantly shouted, "Fifteen!"

"Sixteen!" 

"Dude, I only brought fifteen."

And almost instantaneously, Donghyuck's eyes widened. Jaemin let out a laugh and called, "Twenty!" Which earned a huge gasp from the crowd. "That's really all I've got." He said to Donghyuck.

"You you could've inform me of your plan first."

The room fell silent once more and then, "Twenty going once! Twenty going twice...and Sold! To Mr. Na Jaemin. Wow, a former basket boy bidding. Thank you Jaemin-ah for your cooperation." Mrs. Irene said looking at him from the stage earnestly, as if already getting what Jaemin did for the poor boy. To Jaemin's surprise, everyone clapped at him, which made him a bit embarrass on his seat.

"Good job, pretty boy. Now, you can no longer bid for your main course." Donghyuck reminded.

And that's when Jaemin realized it - the promise that he made to Jeno, face to face for that matter, that he would at least bid for him. He not only failed to abide Jeno's request but also the letter. Future Jaemin must be disappointed right now.

He can't blame himself tho. It's an innate thing for him to help out others. And perhaps the future him did the same thing too.

If so, why didn't future Jaemin wrote that he bided for Kun? Right from where he is seated, Jaemin started to get mad at his future self for being somewhat erroneous with the letters.

I really should've brought the letter. An irritated Jaemin thought to himself.

When he looks up on the stage, Mrs. Irene is already on the senior's batch of basket boys. She was about done with Moon Taeil who got booked by forty-five thousand won and Jaemin was impressed at how the bids got higher compared to last year.

"And last but not the least, come on out Mr. Lee Jeno!" The applause from the crowd multiplied compared to the other basket boys just by announcing the new guy's name.

The gorgeous Lee Jeno, carrying his own little basket, steps out and the crowd went completely berserk. Jaemin himself felt his chest tighten upon seeing him on stage. "My, my, our newbie here is quite famous eh?" Mrs. Irene exclaimed. "What did you brought us today?"

"Ten!" Mrs. Irene was just about to check Jeno's basket when a ferocious voice of Koeun from class three started.

"Twenty!" Then from the front row of the auditorium came was Lami, waving her hand in the air annoyingly. 

"Well, I guess there's no need for introductions for this man." Mrs. Irene said. "Am I hearing thirty?" She's clearly pushing this more.

"Thirty-two!"

"Thirty-five!"

The two went back and forth, higher and higher, that the others who tried to rival them already raised their white flags.

"Seventy-five thousand won!" Shouted Koeun, this time already standing up, even giving Lami a stare down.

"I think it's over. Koeun got it." Donghyuck uttered. But Jaemin knows otherwise.

"A hundred!" As soon as Lami screamed that, it earned a large ooh to everybody.

Mrs. Irene was effusive into the microphone for the record-breaking bid. "My goodness, a hundred thousand won, girl you're so generous!" And everyone started laughing, including Jaemin. "A hundred going once...going twice...SOLD! For a hundred thousand won! Whoo boy you just set a record." Mrs. Irene said slapping Jeno by the shoulders.

"And that wraps up this year’s Basket Boys Auction!" Everyone claps once more. "To all bidders, please proceed to the functional room. Thank you so much for your participation. Good day to everyone!" And the crowd turned to leave, including Jaemin who is about to have a lunch date with a guy he barely knows.

"Goodluck on your unexpected date." Donghyuck teased when he got up to leave.

"Shut up."

The functional room was designed extravagantly - the tables are arranged with their own floral linen, each having their own minimalist vase containing fresh-picked petunias, and there's even a classical music playing on the background. The whole room screams posh and elegance. Like a fancy Italian restaurant uptown that Jaemin admittedly has never been to.

Before he enters, he left his bag in the baggage counter outside as instructed by Mrs. Irene.

It was a little strange meeting up with Kun as timidness clearly evident on the guy's face.

Jaemin realized just