It had been two months since school started and Chanyeol had not done any reckless thing that would get his Homeroom Teacher into signing his dropout application form. Focusing on playing music had kept him from getting into trouble.

 

Thanks to Eunji, he was able to take extra time to practice with his bandmates. They made an agreement that while Eunji attended her after school academy, he would attend his practice sessions as well. Since he usually finished earlier, he would just have to wait for her to finish her class so they could go home together.

 

His parents never knew about his practice sessions; he didn't tell them for they would never let him do it. Especially now that his parents knew about all his troublemaking and that he was just hanging by the thread in his school.

 

But they trust Eunji. And when Eunji said Chanyeol would be with her in the academy, Chanyeol would even if he actually didn't.

 

----

 

"Who goes in the library these days?"  Chanyeol asked as he held the books Eunji had picked from the stalls they had passed by. "Can't you just search them online like a normal person would?"

 

"Shut up,  Park. Why don't you just quietly follow me?" Eunji asked, her gaze fixated on the pile of books. She was looking for the Korean Translation of Zadie Smith's White Teeth which she chose for her book review in their literature class.

 

"Can you read all of these in just one sitting?" The blabbermouth Chanyeol asked.

 

Eunji ignored him as she saw the book she was looking for on the top shelf. She tiptoed to reach the hardbound copy of it but failed to no avail. "AISHHH!" She uttered, her arms still up on the air.

 

Suddenly, she felt someone standing behind her and got the book from its place. It was Chanyeol. Who else would be tall enough to reach that book on top, right? She turned and was surprised by the actual closeness of their bodies.

 

She could smell the whiff of his cologne and his breath was practically brushing the hairstrands on her forehead. "Umh, thanks." She managed to say but both of them did not move.

 

He was just standing close to her, book on his hand. He was not saying anything, he was just standing still. Eyes softly looking down at her; she was doing the same thing though until her gaze landed to his lips which were just as red as his ears that moment.

 

Her chest began beating wildly. She was not sure about what terrified her that moment. Was it the crazy butterflies that had started to fill her stomach? Was it her loudly beating heart that he might actually be hearing now? She wasn't sure.

 

All she knew was that the world around her slowed down when Chanyeol stooped down his head so that his would be meeting hers. The next thing she knew, his lips were on hers.

 

The moment he withdrew was awkward. Slowly, things sank in. Chanyeol was surprised about what he did too so he handed Eunji the book. She was astounded but had her senses back right away.

 

"Park Chanyeol..." She gritted his name through her teeth. "YOU'RE DEADMEAT WHEN I CATCH YOU! YOU !!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

 

That day, they were reported to faculty room for disturbing the peace of the library. They basically ran around, Eunji chasing Chanyeol with the hardbound book he tried getting for her.

 

--

 

For the first time since the beginning of the school year, Chanyeol was summoned in the faculty office. For the first time since forever, Eunji was charged of a violation inside the school's premises.

 

"Eunji-ah, I didn't expect this from you." Her homeroom teacher Ms. Hwang expressed her disappointment after her involvement in the library incident earlier. The eyes shifted to the troublemaker Chanyeol who was standing beside her. She shook her head. "But you plead guilty to the deed."

 

Eunji nodded. She admitted to have chased Chanyeol in the library while cursing him. She knew for a fact that having Chanyeol in the teacher's office would mean that he would be filling out his drop out application form and feigning innocence for her part would only lead to questioning that would have her reveal the reason why she was, in the first place, cursing Chanyeol. The kiss.

 

"Yes, Ms. Hwang! It was me. It's on me." She stressed vehemently without looking at Chanyeol. 

 

"And this is because..."

 

"Just... Just because." She answered randomly.

 

Ms. Hwang sighed. "Fine, for this you get five hours in the waste management area. Park Chanyeol, you are not exempted. Take responsibility and help Eunji." 

 

"Yes, ma'am!" Both of them answered and the teacher sent them off right after.

 

When they went out of the room, Eunji immediately excused herself.

 

"Hey, I'm late with my class. I'll see you later."

 

"Yeah," Chanyeol answered and Eunji ran off to her class.

 

---

 

Jung Eunji barely managed to survive her remaining classes that day. Her thoughts would often lead her back to that scene with Chanyeol in the secluded part of the library.

 

She was feeling grossed out having shared Chanyeol's germs but she couldn't also ignore the funny feeling she had earlier. What was that? She asked herself. The weakening of her knees and the frantic thumping of her heart.

 

Strangely, it wasn't the first time she felt that way towards him. It was the second time. The first time happened three autumns back. She stopped segregating the cans and bottles as she recalled that day when she woke up and found out that Chanyeol was not Chanyeol anymore.

 

She remembered it clearly. It was their first day in high school. He was waiting for her outside their door so they could both walk to their new school together. She hadn't laid her eyes on him for a month or two because he stayed at Gyeonggi Province with his grandmother.

 

On that faithful day, he wore Daehan High School's uniform like a lead guy in a manhwa. Eunji thought her eyes were playing tricks on her but they weren't. He had grown obviously taller and his hair was neatly cut. He was no longer wearing his thick-lens glasses but contacts in lieu of them. His braces had been removed as well so his smile... He smile looked brighter it seemed like it illuminates the surroundings. His smile was enough to make her heart flutter when it shouldn't have.

 

Chanyeol makes my heart flutter? Eunji stopped recalling and asked herself. "Heart fluttering my foot." She blurted out feeling disgusted. She kicked herself to stop being malicious.

 

"OOPS. That's not the bin for the plastics!" A voice warned before Eunji could drop the water bottle on the bin.

 

Her eyes popped as she realized what she had been doing, "Yeah, right."

 

"Aish," The voice uttered and asked her to move. "Did you hit your head somewhere?"

 

It was Chanyeol. She moved a step backward so he could do the segregating instead of her. "Umh. No," she said. "I'm not just feeling well,"

 

Chanyeol ceased what he was doing to face Eunji, he leaned down so he could meet her in her eyelevel and casually put a hand over her forehead, "Are you sick?"

 

For a moment, Eunji felt numb and slowly the crazy feeling started to kick in again. What the actual fudge. She thought to herself as she stared at Chanyeol's round eyes blinking like a goldfish right back at her.

 

She began feeling her cheeks getting warm so stop further complications she ordered Chanyeol, "Hey, remove your hand at once."

 

"Waeyo?" He asked with a tone as if complaining.

 

"That's very unsanitary." She emphasized the words of her short response and it was enough to send the guy a good two feet away from her.

 

Chanyeol finished doing the segregation while Eunji quietly stood beside him. It was awkward because she couldn't think of anything to say. She just wanted to look at Chanyeol, as though it would give her the answer of this crazy feeling she was having around him lately.

 

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He finally asked which broke their silence.

 

"Am not," She denied and immediately darted her gaze to the skies. "I'm looking at the sky." She even pointed upward and Chanyeol looked to where she was pointing.

 

"Yah, Ji-ah." He started saying again. "Do you feel bad about the k-"

 

She immediately jumped to drag his head down and cover his mouth. "Speak of it again and I'll kill you." She warned as she looked around.

 

Chanyeol removed her hand from his mouth, "Fine." He said. "Sorry if it made you uncomfortable. Don't worry it won't happen again." He explained sheepishly looking at his feet.

 

"Why?!" Eunji suddenly blurted out and realized after why she asked such question and the demanding tone.

 

"What?" He raised an eyebrow, feeling surprised by her question too.

 

"I mean... Why did you do that?" She asked. She probably won't sleep tonight unless she would not.

 

He looked lost for a moment, then he looked at her in the eye saying, "I lost my mind for a moment. It looked cool in the manhwa but I guess..."

 

"Stupid..." Eunji whispered low enough for him not to catch. He sounded regretful, she was stupid to fantasize over this whole thing.

 

"What?"

 

"Nothing." She dismissed. "Next time don't kiss girls just because of that reason. They're not your manhwa characters." She said.

 

"Sorry, Eunji." He looked like a puppy who was about to cry. For a giant like him, he was a cry baby.

 

Eunji's eyebrows creased at the sudden emotional outburst of the boy, "Why are you sorry?"

 

"For that," he said referring to what she was saying. "And for giving you a record of school violation."

 

"Oh. That's fine. It's nice to break rules once and a while." She said like the matured Chaeyoung would say.

 

"Then shall we do it more often?" Troublemaker Chanyeol started again.

 

"No, thanks." She immediately turned down the offer and Eunji pouted. The crazy feeling started to kick in again. "Look, Chanyeol, I really am not feeling will today. I'm skipping the after school academy. Do whatever you want."

 

"Oh, is that so?" He asked. "Then, I'll be skipping my practice too."

 

They still went home together.

 

---

 

After that, Eunji decided to get over the crazy feeling she had been having. She concluded that for her to function as normal and as fine as before, she needed to stop thinking about Park Chanyeol. Disregard all the silly feeling she might have while she was with him was the ultimate strategic plan.

 

It wasn't too hard as well. He still was annoying and loud as ever. There's no way she would be crushing over a guy like him.

 

"NO NO NO NO WAAAAY!" Eunji sang as Sohye probed.

 

"But he seems to like you a lot!" Im Sohye stood her ground. "Did you see how he finished his song in the festival last night? His eyes went all hearts when he looked at you. There's no way a friend would look at another that way!"

 

Chanyeol's band performed in the festival yesterday. Sohye was very much convinced that his last performance of the night singing a romantic song he said he composed himself was a love confession to Eunji. 

 

Still, Chanyeol did not let her guard down as she defended. "That's the look he gives to all his fangirls. And it's totally gross."

 

"Are you even his fan? No, right?"

 

Their conversation had been running in circles. The last thing she needed was to get her hopes up again so she felt she was done with this already. "Will you please stop, Sohye? Gosh! I'm getting crazy over Math and you're here insisting these whatnots. Just let it go, okay?"

 

"Aishhh... One day, you'll regret not giving a shot with Chanyeol. Sohye warned.

 

"Yeah. Whatever. Not my loss." Eunji answered jokingly. At the same moment, Ms. Hwang, their homeroom teacher entered the classroom with a new student.

 

The class president led the class into their greeting.

 

"You may take your seats." Ms. Hwang instructed. "Today, I have here with me a new student. Will you please introduce yourself?"

 

The new face stood in front of the classroom and nervously introduced herself to her new classmates, "Hello! My name is Baek Joohyun. It's nice to meet all of you. I hope we will all get along." She said.

 

"Whoa. Daebak. She's pretty." A classmate in front commented.

 

"She looked like an idol." Another voice surfaced in the silence of the classroom.

 

Eunji studied her features and for a senior high school who should me clamed up and pressured by the SATs and GEDs, she was indeed pretty.

 

"Ahhh. The boys will surely go crazy over her." Sohye who was sitting behind Eunji's desk whispered. Her words lingered a little longer at Eunji's ears and it made her wonder if Sejoo would be one of them. She kicked herself as she heard Ms. Hwang call her name.

 

"Eunji-ah?"

 

"Yes, ma'am."

 

"No one is sitting beside you right?"

 

She answered yes.

 

"Joohyun, you may take that seat."

 

The new comer made her way to Eunji's desk. Just like that, Eunji had a seatmate after over two months of having her desk by herself.

 

---

 

It was noon time and the seniors were sent out early as the exams were just around the corner. Being seated next to the new girl, Eunji was given the unspoken task to assist her around. One of these is to seat with her through lunch.

 

Joohyun had not even completed the day in her new school but her new schoolmates already had impression about her. Some showed dislike of her as early as her first hour but most of them were very welcoming. Her good looks must have done her well since. She chose to stick with Eunji though since she had a nice personality. Even Im Sohye who was sitting behind their desk was also nice to her.

 

They had just finished lining up for the food in the cafeteria. Sohye chose a seat near the windows saying she could see the football team practicing in the school yard if they would be occupying the table.

 

They immediately settled themselves. The boys of Class 3-B started coming. Soon, the peaceful cafeteria became very loud. Especially upon the entrance of Chanyeol who did not go directly to where the foods were but to Eunji's table.

 

"JI-AH!" He cried and ran like a fool to where she was seated. "Why did you not wait for me?"

 

"Here we go again..." Sohye sang giddily nudging Eunji. 

 

She instantly kicked her leg beneath the table. "Why do I need to wait for you? I'm hungry."

 

"Whatever!" Chanyeol said and finally noticed the new girl. "Oh, there's a new student?" He asked out loud as though the person he was referring to was far from them.

 

Joohyun looked up to meet his gaze. The next moment, they were staring intently at each other. It felt like everything around them had disappeared. Well, probably not. But for Eunji, it felt exactly just like that.

 

"Joohyun, this is Park Chanyeol... The crackhead of Class 3-B."

 

She smiled the smile that could probably cure any disease in the world. Eunji's heart started sinking she did not even know why.

 

"And.. Chanyeol, this is Baek Joohyun... Our new classmate." She said almost in a whisper.

 

The two shared another long stare before extending each hand for a shake. Eunji noticed that they weren't even speaking but the Chemistry was palpable. Was this how good-looking people who were together look from the eyes of the others? She wondered.

 

"Am I the only one uncomfortable here?" Sohye whispered again breaking Eunji's reverie.

 

"Ssh. Be quiet." She hissed. "Yah, Chanyeol, go get your food."

 

"Oh right." The guy straightened up and said good bye. Eunji did not feel so good about that.