Ch 1.

To Hanbin, life was as exciting as the black and white crosswords on the daily newspaper. 

What meaning did it have? 

What was his purpose in this world? 

He really didn’t know.

Everyday was bore to him. Classes were underrated and simple. There was no use in him paying attention in class, he had covered the year’s content through reading the curriculum books out of boredom. 

Everyday was meaningless, he thought. 

Everyday was the same, as he stared out the class window, in search for the same unanswered question: the reason of life. 

Hanbin made it a habit to observe things through the windows of his mundane classroom. He observed the rustling tree leaves that circled the greying courtyard, the small birds that perched on the entrance posts of the school gates, a pair of students doing a poor job at playing hooky as a huffing enraged teacher approach them and the slight greying of the clouds in the vast sky... 

I guess it’s going to rain soon… Hanbin thought.

A sudden thought popped into his head and he swiftly took out the battered notebook from his desk drawer and hurriedly jotted the lyrical phrases down. This was Hanbin’s only hobby. Song writing. 

It was his own way of helping himself find purpose, to find solace in himself. 

His songs consisted of stories.. stories that he wanted to tell, stories that contained his intricate emotions, and some, experiences that he had never lived. Hanbin never expected for his songs to appeal to a select portion of the population, that there were people who could relate to them and appreciate his work. It was never his intention nor was it a goal, but he was willing to share to the world his works as long as one person was willing to listen to what he wanted to say through his songs. It was the only thing that gave him a sense of contentment. 

Aside from his closest friends, little did people know that he was the renowned producer, composer and lyricist: B.I. 

____

To Jennie, nothing was more exciting than going to school. She was in her final year and had made it a habit to arrive early everyday to sneakily stare at the boy who routinely arrived much earlier to class. The unperturbed and poised Kim Hanbin, who was seated at the very back of the classroom, nearest to the windows.  

Despite being disinterested and aloof about most things, Jennie found it strange that Hanbin was consistently the first to arrive to class. 

Strange, but very much appreciated, she thought as she headed up the flight of stairs towards her classroom.

To those who questioned why Jennie would always arrive so early, she used work as her excuse. Jennie was so accustomed to saying: “I had an early photo shoot. There was no point in going home so I came to school early.” It was at these times Jennie was glad that she was a scouted model. Her part time work had been a convenient excuse for her ever since she was scouted through a talent agency a year ago during one of the school fashion projects.

She walks through the empty hallways towards her class. Upon arriving to the classroom, she slowly slides the door open knowing that Hanbin would already be there, in his spot, sleeping. Like always, his face was buried in his arms as his fluffy and slightly unkempt hair gently moved with the wind from the open window beside him. 

Jennie plops herself down at her desk. Despite it being positioned four seats in front of Hanbin’s, it was conveniently positioned where she could stare at his reflection from the row of glass windows in front of her. Jennie settles down in her chair and fumbles through her bag for her headphones. Like a daily ritual, she proceeds to blast one of her favourite hit songs, ‘Goodbye Road.’ This was her sanctuary. Her paradise. To be able to stare at Kim Hanbin, her longtime crush.. while listening to the songs created by her most beloved artist, Producer B.I., who has never stopped writing the most serene sounds ever since he first entered the music scene. Strangely enough, not much is known about B.I. besides the fact that he was initially scouted to be a member of a very prolific idol group but pulled out at the very last minute - and went onto to just write songs instead. 

As usual, a solid 30 minutes go by before the rush of classmates come in. 

“Jennie! Did you see your recent magazine spread? You looked gorgeous!”, her best friend Jisoo remarked as she heaved herself on the chair opposite to her.

Jennie attempts to steal her last glances at the sleeping Hanbin before Jisoo snaps her back to reality.

Removing Jennie’s earphones that were blasting “Goodbye Road” for the nth time, Jisoo lightly pinched Jennie’s cheeks. They were now finally face to face.

“If you’re going to make it that obvious, just confess already” Jisoo whispered with a sly frown on her face.

Jennie’s face immediately turned a flush of pink.

“No... no it’s not.....” Jennie stammered.

Jisoo, finding her best friend’s longtime crush adorable, smiled and patted Jennie’s cheeks as an apology...

“He’s handsome and all, but he’s so aloof. He’s always in his own world. So hard to approach. Hanbin would be a girl magnet too if he was approachable as his best friend Yunhyeong.” Jisoo casually remarks as she flips through the new Vogue magazine that featured Jennie.

“I mean.. it’s amazing how they’re friends. They’re complete opposites. Yunhyeong is the most popular guy in class, the active social bee who gets along with everyone. He’s In first place for receiving daily confessions from girls across all schools. Hanbin, he’d probably be equally as popular if it wasn’t that he is so much harder to approach. Have you ever even seen him smile? How does he always have such a cold expression at all times, and that chilling stare? He avoids all social activities, enjoys being alone, looks as if there’s something on his mind at all times and intimidates all the girls who attempt to ask him out with just his gaze. 

They’re so different yet they’re best buddies….” Jisoo pauses, her pouting lips slowly turning into an upturned smirk. 

“Well, it doesn’t matter to me because they’re both eye candy!” Jisoo exclaims and starts laughing.

Jennie sighed. She could see the hearts forming on her friend’s face already. 

She wondered if she’d ever get to greet Hanbin. Despite being a popular model, Jennie has never had the courage to speak to Hanbin ever since she first met him.