❝Our Youthful Journey❞

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September, 2012.

7:15 am

The hustle bustle of the people erupted the moment the bus halted by its stop and a few people clad in their uniforms had got off the bus with a few of them sighing at the usual hectic day waiting for them, or a few were chattering among themselves of how to pass their time then there were some looking forward to the new day, and the journey of the new semester waiting for them. 

And one of them was a young brunette, clad in her uniform as she fixed her thigh length skirt to step down from the bus with steady steps to walk ahead with her ponytail swaying behind her back as she crossed the gate of the high school. 

Inchang High School. 

The moment she walked through the gate, she bowed to the teacher standing by the gate along with a security guard who was waiting for the cue to close the gate since it was almost time for the school to start, but a sigh had left her lips knowing the only person she was waiting for was late yet again. 

"Min Yoojung!" 

A relieved smile graced her lips and she turned around to see her best friend, the ever troublemaker bestie of hers, Baek Inha. 

And there she was, clad in her uniform neatly with her shoulder length black hair waving smoothly as she jogged carefully toward her and a joyful smile curled her lips the moment she crossed the gate with a quick bow toward the teacher who nodded with an approving expression since it happened in a while that she was on time.

"That was close." 

Inha stood beside Yoojung with a bent forward position as her palms were on her both knees, her breath heavy as she tried to make it steady and Yoojung shook her head. "You're going to get sick if you keep running around like that, Inha." 

"Better than running around in the field as a penalty." She replied, straightening herself with a chuckle while her fingers brushing through her hair to fix the mess because of her passionate jog and Yoojung helped her out with a sigh. "Nothing can stop you from doing whatever you want." 

"I love how you know me so well." Inha smiled, staring at her softly and Yoojung smiled back at her while fixing the backpack over her shoulder. "And I don't love how you don't listen to me." 

"But we're still besties!" 

"That, we are." 

Both of them chuckled, and Yoojung was quick to wrap her arm around her shoulder as Inha crossed her arms over her chest with her fingers drumming over her forearm to walk ahead further until a wave of breeze past by Inha in a swift way causing her to gasp loudly as the sound of zoom went through her ears to which both of the girls closed their eyes shut with a squeeze. 

Opening her eyes, Inha had found the familiar bike speeding ahead with the owner seated still in his uniform and black backpack on his back while his face hidden inside the helmet until he had stopped it by the parking place. 

"That cold jerk." 

Inha grumbled, fixing her skirt again while her eyes glaring at the young lad taking off his helmet revealing his face with a quick brush through his black hair and tilted his head towards her side as his neutral eyes met her glaring ones and the next second, he turned away getting off his bike to walk ahead. 

Oh Sehun. 

The ever reserved boy of their class, the ever hard to get along with boy, who has no friends and the latter doesn't even make an effort to make one, or let anyone talk to him since he likes to be alone, and once was seen in a sight of some bruises, no one knows why because he never tells anyone nor informs teachers about it. 

A total mysterious boy. 

However, Inha couldn't care less about it, she also never tried to get along with him because she knew he was different from her, he was a complete opposite of what she was, cheery and carefree self but now that he walked away without giving her an apology for almost giving her a heart attack had her huff loudly. 

"That Impolite boy!" 

She kicked her foot in the air ahead towards his direction only for Yoojung to hold her back by her waist. "Stop, stop, let's not make our first day of semester the last day of our school." 

Inha sighed, calming herself before nodding. "Yes, let's not, and let's kill this semester!" 

"You meant to enjoy it." 

"Whatever."

Both of them giggled, and walked ahead with the other students and entered inside the school to walk down the hallway together towards their classroom while having their little chit-chats of how their semester break was enjoyable until a familiar voice had beamed in the whole hallway through the radio. 

"Good morning, isn't it a beautiful day today?" 

Students began to smile over the words, but more than the words, it was for the person behind that gentle and calm manly voice as Inha and Yoojung looked at each other with a smile to continue their stroll while listening to his voice. 

"I hope this day will be a good day for you, and I, and so let's begin this beautiful day with a welcoming smile to our new journey ahead together." 

And the morning continued. 

As soon as the two besties had slide the door of the classroom, they had halted on their spots to find their homeroom teacher standing by his desk already, and a bowl filled chits on it as some students were already occupying their new seats which changes every new semester and so, it did this time as well. 

Inha and Yoojung looked at each other with a pouty frown as both of them were seat mates and now it was going to change which made them sorrowful. 

"You're blocking my way." 

Both of them flinched by the deep voice and looked over their shoulders to find Sehun looking down at them with a poker face, since he was much taller than them and Inha parted her lips to give him a good hearing but Yoojung was quick to pull her ahead inside giving him enough space to past them which he did with a frowning glance toward them. 

"Wow, goofball, you're not late today." 

And there he came, Woo Jinsoo.

The dramatic boy of the trio with the gentle and playful boy of their class, standing with a soft smile toward them with his tall figure attired in his neat uniform, like always as he tilted his head. "Did you hear my voice?" 

"Yeah, such a sweet message for us," Inha gave him the exact smile before dropping it in a poker face. "But it backfired us." 

He raised his eyebrows. "What?" 

"We're changing seats, idiot." Yoojung stated, pointing her chin toward the front of the classroom where the students were taking the chits one by one while the numbers were written on the board and Jinsoo nodded. "Right." 

"Class president, who is sitting next to you?" 

A student asked, looking at Yoojung as she indeed was the president of their class since she was good at studying and responsible in the class so she was chosen for the task where the latter shrugged. "I haven't picked up a chit yet." 

The student nodded and took the seat in the front where Inha nudged Yoojung to go ahead with her and Jinsoo following behind Yoojung as she fished out the chit along with Jinsoo who was fiddling it with much aggressiveness only to get a slap from Yoojung where he chuckled, grabbing a chit before Inha stepped closer to the bowl and as she shoved her hand inside the bowl, another hand had did the same in unison. 

And both of them flinched, the sensation could be felt from the both sides with their eyes locking with Inha grumbling inside to find Sehun giving her a frowning expression, his perfect shaped eyebrows knitted perfectly where both of them attempted to fish out their hands but it happened together to which both of them looked at each other with much irritated glare. 

"Hurry up, other students are waiting." 

Their homeroom teacher spoke with an irritated tone, and Sehun was quick to fish out his hand with a chit followed by Inha as she watched his back with her squinted eyes which he was unfazed about since he was busy opening his chit where the trio opened their chits together. 

"Oh, the class president and I are sitting together." Jinsoo uttered, looking at his chit and Yoojung's to find the same number before both of them looked at Inha with a curious expression as Yoojung asked. "Inha, who's your seatmate?" 

Inha stared at her chit with concentration with her twitching in a curiosity to follow her gaze toward last the seat by the corner of the class beside the window to find her seat mate but a dejected sigh left her lips the second she found the lad sitting there already, leaned back comfortably while staring outside the window without any interest in the class. 

"Him." 

She uttered, and the duo's gaze followed her eyes to find none other than Oh Sehun sitting there, where Jinsoo and Yoojung exchanged a surprised look to look back at Inha to find her massaging her temple softly making Yoojung sigh, knowing the reason behind as Inha didn't hate him but the latter was far from exchanging any conversation with them, and suddenly being seatmates with him knowing that there'd be times when both of them would have to work together had her sigh as how difficult it would be. 

But who knew their thoughts would turn out to be the total opposite of it. 

"It's okay, we're still sitting closer to you." 

Yoojung tried to cheer up her best friend, as both of them walked to their seats following Jinsoo behind them which was just in front of their seats as they occupied it together along with Inha placing her bag on the desk to sit down there. 

Sehun got startled at the sudden movement to look ahead to find Yoojung and Jinsoo seated ahead of him, before his head tilted to the side to find Inha sitting there with a not so pleasing face but he himself was also surprised to find her as his seatmate and Inha could sense his gaze on her to immediately glance at him, meeting his surprised eyes as they stared at each other with the same emotion for a moment until he let out a surprised scoff to himself with a roll of his eyes to look away. 

Inha scoffed. "I'm also not thrilled to be your seatmate." 

"Did I say anything?" 

"Your impolite behavior says everything." 

"That's your problem then." 

Before their little bicker could have turned into a big boxing game, Jinsoo was quick to turn his torso behind toward them with a smile which he flashed at Sehun. "Hey, since we're going to be neighbors for the whole semester, let's get along well." 

Inha and Yoojung stared at him surprised yet confused by his sudden friendly behavior, not that it was surprising as he, in fact was a friendly natured guy but it was a first time he was friendly towards Sehun whom he would have exchanged only a few words since the last half and two years of their school period but they weren't the only ones surprised, because Sehun was staring at him with a taken aback expression. 

Yet his eyes softened, because he wasn't someone who'd be disrespectful to someone who's showing respectful behavior to him, and so he nodded, his hands shoved in his pockets. "Sure." 

Inha and Yoojung gave him a shocked look, and Jinsoo's eyes widened a little at his words to immediately smile back to turn ahead along with Yoojung as the teacher had started his lesson yet Sehun could feel the gaze as he sighed, immediately turning his head towards Inha with a frown. "What?" 

Inha snapped out, before shrugging. "Nothing." 

She had looked away with a still surprised feeling before continuing with the lecture which their homeroom teacher was giving at the moment, and kept noting everything on her notebook along with Yoojung who was as focused as Inha except Jinsoo and the guy beside her because, Jinsoo isn't really interested in history subject while the person beside hers never really seemed interested in any subjects as he had his head on his bent arm while his face toward the window, not that she cared about since she kept her concentration. 

The class went on till almost it was an hour, and the bell rang with their teacher halting his lecture but ending up giving every student an assignment with a pair, leaving a few students to groan as it was just the first day of their start of the semester and an assignment was handed to them already but it was important, as it would help them in their grades, and the CSAT which will take place in the midst of the November this year. 

He wrote the names of the students along with their partners beside them on the board, then turned to Yoojung. "Class president, note this down and bring it to me in the staff room so I can remember the pairs." 

Yoojung nodded, before standing up. "Attention." 

And every student had bid goodbye to the teacher after Yoojung instructed as he walked out with a nod and the as soon as he was out of their sights, everyone slouched down comfortably to murmur with each other while Yoojung was noting down her instructed work on her notebook while Jinsoo twisted himself to lean his back against the wall since he was sitting by the corner with his eyes staring at Yoojung for a moment to look at Inha who was immersed in scribbling through her notebook with his eyes following beside her to see Sehun having his nap. 

"Will he do the assignment with me?" He questioned himself, staring at his sleeping figure with a pondering look as he was paired with him before hearing the creak sound of the chair beside him to find Yoojung standing up as she walked to the board to clean it up where he found her struggling to reach above and before he knew it, he was walking towards her and Yoojung slightly flinched, but relaxed to find him helping her out. "Are you sure you won't be doing the assignment alone?" 

He shrugged, his hand dusting the board beside hers making their handmade bracelets on their wrists to display which Yoojung had made last year on the friendship day before placing the duster back in its place. "I'll have to ask him about it."

"And about getting along?" 

He met her curious eyes as he blinked. "Oh, well, he's likely our seat mate so excluding him when we're talking would be a rude thing to do." 

Yoojung raised her eyebrows with a smile. "You've gotten sweet." 

"Did you fall for me?" He grinned, playfully with a tilt of his head and Yoojung rolled her eyes, backing away from the board. "In your dreams." 

He chuckled, before sighing and Yoojung followed his gaze to find Inha trying to get her notebook off from Sehun's hold which was pressed under his forearm with a sigh leaving her lips. "What are we going to do about them?" 

"Who knows?" Jinsoo shoved his hands into his pockets with a smile. "They might get along with each other later." 

"I hope so." 

"But aren't you working hard, class president?" 

"I might not be one tomorrow." Yoojung uttered, and Jinsoo gave her a confused look to which she shrugged, dusting off her hands. "It's getting hard being the class president and I want to enjoy my last year without any responsibilities of the class." 

Jinsoo stared at her for a moment with an understanding expression to smile. "That's a good thought, Yoojung." 

"I know, right?" 

On the other hand, Inha let out a low groan."Oh, come on." 

She tried to take her notebook but the boy's forearm had an indescribable strength over it and as she was struggling, he stirred, his forearm naturally moving to stretch it ahead with Inha slightly jumping back because of the sudden impact but held herself back on the time to glare at him as he turned to her with his squinted eyes to frown confusingly. "What?" 

"Can't you sleep at home?" She burst out at him, and he tilted his head with a look. "If you have so much problem then you can sleep as well." 

She huffed. "It's so hard to talk to you!" 

"Then, don't talk to me." 

He stared at her with a nonchalant shrug and Inha rolled her eyes, closing her notebook to place it under her desk before looking ahead to find Jinsoo and Yoojung waving at her as it was the lunch break and giving them a nod, she stood up with a narrowed look toward Sehun who stared back at her irritating her even more before walking away. 

The moment they had reached the cafeteria, it was already filled with the students and teachers having their own meal, likewise for the trio who had gotten their trays filled with the food to settle down by the empty table as their chit-chats had begun like usual but something unusual had happened again, and the person who had let it happen was Jinsoo and the person who had brought the unusual was Sehun. 

The young lad had bowed to the chef after getting his tray filled to walk through the occupied tables without even acknowledging them as he knew what their heads would be filled with if he made eye contact with them, so he let it be and almost walked past his newly seat mates table with a quick glance.

"Sehun." 

He halted his steps by their table, as Jinsoo's voice went through his ears to turn to him with a confused look to find the latter giving him a gentle smile. "Do you wanna join us?" 

He blinked twice, to glance at the two girls who had halted their munching selves with a surprised look toward Jinsoo as if surprised by his sudden welcome towards him like him as he met Jinsoo's eyes again, who had an expectant yet nervous expression which he knew the reason behind which was because of the rejection of his invitation. 

And surprisingly enough, Sehun's heart warmed at his sudden welcoming behavior, not that it was surprising because he has seen Jinsoo being a good boy throughout the last two years and they had exchanged a few words for him to understand so him suddenly reaching out to him with a welcoming heart had his heart warm which he rarely get around other students. 

The trio was still staring at him nervously yet awkwardly since the latter hasn't answered him or to be more precise, rejected Jinsoo's invitation because that's what they have seen him doing most of the time, specifically Inha, who had thought of him rejecting but to her surprise, he had pulled the chair beside Jinsoo to settle down silently. 

Inha and Yoojung looked at