- Correct. Okay, that was the last question. - 

- Oh, good. I needed the break. - Chaeyeon sighed as she stood up and stretch her body. - So, tomorrow at the same hour? - 

They were in her living room. The exams were about to start so Hyunggu had come to Chaeyeon's house to study every day for the past four weeks. 

- Mmm, no. The exams start the day after tomorrow so we're going to have fun tomorrow. - Hyunggu replied to Chaeyeon's question. 

- Huh? - she asked again in a disbelieving tone. 

- Tomorrow we can go watch a movie and how about we go to eat sushi later. - he suggested with a smile as he put his books in his backpack. 

- Okay, I was talking to Hyunggu just five seconds ago. Is Kino talking now? - Chaeyeon said but Hyunggu's expression remained the same. 

- I am serious, Chaeyeon. We are fully prepared for the exams so tomorrow we can let our minds and bodies relax and be rested. - 

- Wait, is that what you do before every test? - she asked and he confirmed it. - And you're number one in the whole school so that means it works. - 

- I was number one this time. Jeongmin was always number one. - Hyunggu argued. 

- Jeongmin always cheated. You're number one. - Chaeyeon said and Hyunggu smiled but then he sighed. 

- But this time I will not get first place. - he said and Chaeyeon knew why. 

- Oh, because of the banner thing, right? I thought Jaehyun would be more upset about it but he's not. - 

- Yeah, when Principal Yoon told us about it, Jaehyun looked disappointed but nothing else. And Jungkook just didn't seem to care. - 

- Jungkook has never been in the top ten so why would he care? - Chaeyeon said. 

- I did care but there's nothing I can do about it. - 

- Well, I'd feel sorry for you but maybe that'd teach you not take the blame for a stranger next time. - Chaeyeon . 

- It's fine. I don't regret it. Thanks to that we're friends now, aren't we? - Hyunggu said. 

At that moment, Jaehyun got out of his bedroom and headed for the kitchen. He had his earphones on so he didn't listen to anything. He made himself a sandwich and went back into his room to keep studying. 

Both Chaeyeon and Hyunggu just looked at him in silence and laughed when they heard him sing. 

- He looks to be in a better mood these days. Is he friends with Seokmin again? - Hyunggu asked. 

- No, not yet. But he's talking to Eunwoo now so he is in a better mood. -

When Hyunggu was leaving, Chaeyeon came closer to him as her head filled with an idea. 

- Now that I think about it, if you can't get the first place, then I'll get it. - 

- Are you sure about that? - 

- Yes, I'm sure. I'll prove it to you. - she told him with confidence. 

And she kept that same confidence throughout the whole week the exams lasted. She knew she'll get the first place and she was not wrong. When the results were out, Chaeyeon looked everywhere for Hyunggu and found him in the patio of the school talking to Seokmin. 

Hyunggu was more open to talking to people by then and it seemed he was becoming closer to Chaeyeon's circle of friends.

- Well, well, have you looked at this? - she said to Hyunggu as she showed him her phone with the list of the top one hundred students and her name was next to number one. 

- Yeah, I saw it. Congratulations. I got the eleventh place. - Hyunggu answered. 

- And I got third place, did you see that? - Seokmin bragged proudly. 

- Yeah, Seokmin, but we didn't make a bet. Hyunggu and I did. - she replied. 

- What? We didn't make a bet. - 

- Sure, we did. So now you have to pay for my lunch. - Chaeyeon added. 

- We didn't make a bet, you're just using it as an excuse to eat sushi. When do you want to go? - Hyunggu asked but he didn't get a response because Chaeyeon got distracted when Jiyeon called her name. 

- Hey, Chaeyeon, do you have the activity ready for the haunted mountain? - Jiyeon asked. She blushed when she saw Hyunggu and the boy just tried to look away to not embarrass her more. 

- Right. I have it ready. Here it is. - Chaeyeon said and handed her a folder. - I thought of doing a ghost hunting race. -   

- Are we really going to the haunted mountain? - Seokmin asked. 

- Yes, doesn't it sound fun? - she asked back but her eyes were on Hyunggu. She was asking him. - It's better than out trips of prior years, right? - she said again. 

- I don't know. This will be my first time going to the annual school trip. - he responded. 

Chaeyeon knew why. For the school trip, they had to leave early on a Friday, meaning that Hyunggu would've had to leave his father alone at night. But now he was going fishing that weekend, Hyunggu said. 

Though unlikely, Chaeyeon wondered if his Dad discovered his son would not go out those nights to take care of him because it was convenient how he was away the day of Jiyeon's birthday and now at the same time of their school trip as well. 

- Oh, well, you're going to love it. - Jiyeon said to him.

- I think I will. - Hyunggu smiled briefly at her and then turned to Chaeyeon. - But, a ghost hunting race? Do you think is a good idea? Some people are scared of ghosts. - 

- By people you mean you, isn't that right? - Chaeyeon said with a naughty smile that Hyunggu tried to mimic to no avail. 

- No. - he said in an awkward smile. 

- Don't worry, Angel. I assure you ghosts are not real. - Chaeyeon told him as she sat next to him and put her arm around his shoulders and teasingly comforting him.  

- They are, I assure you. In my grandparents' house, I saw a little girl dressed in white. - he said. 

- You were probably dreaming. - Chaeyeon said. 

- I was not! Ghosts are real. - he claimed and turned to Seokmin for support but the boy was just smiling. He didn't believe in ghosts. 

Hyunggu looked at Jiyeon next and the girl hurried to back him up. 

- Ghosts are real. That's why I wanted to go to the Haunted mountain. - she said. 

- Yes, thank you. See? I'm not wrong. - Hyunggu complained. 

They stayed in silence for a few seconds but Jiyeon had to go and left, not without saying goodbye to Hyunggu with a soft smile. 

- You know she only sided with you because she likes you, right? And speaking of that... - 

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