When you tell Baekhyun that he has to walk home alone because you agreed to help out in the library one more time, he squinches up his face in something that looks like disappointment to you but you're sure it isn't. You laugh and pinch his arm as you're standing in the hallway right in front of the classroom, putting your books into your lockers before leaving. „You're not the one to grimace, you know“, you scold him playfully. He puts two books on top of the others, then rearranges the pile and stays still for a moment before looking at you again. „I know“, he admits guiltily and you raise your eyebrows in surprise. Normally, when you want to talk to him about leaving you alone on thursday afternoons, he immediately drops the subject and engages you into another conversation to keep you distracted – and you play along. So his giving in to your playful accusation makes you frown.

„That's why“, he then continues, „I thought you could come around to my house and we're going to watch a movie and eat or something.“ You nod agreeingly as you turn away from your locker, getting ready to head to the secretary's office for some information on Baekhyun's piano lessons. „You got me. Grimace all you want“, you give in laughing and face your friend. You really feel like spending some quality time with him, just relaxing and laying around doing nothing but still feeling good as you always are around him. Plus, you just bought a new DVD of some western action movie that someone recommended, and it's about time you watched it. Still you shoulder your bag and close your locker's door with a low clashing sound before letting the key slip into your bag's front pocket. Baekhyun looks at you and you laugh a little at his confused expression. „Oh, I'm going to catch up with you in … say, an hour?“, you remind him when you notice he's stepping from one foot onto the other impatiently. „Okay, just – make it a short hour, okay? I need to talk to you as soon as possible“, he adds, bending down a little so he's almost whispering his words into your ear which makes your feet tremble. 'Talk to you' sounds as urgent as it could possibly be, and you begin to wonder what it could be about. Is he going to tell you about his piano lessons and his lack of accompaniement? Hardly imaginable, but you wish for the best.

You in some air before turning away and waving at him over your shoulder. „Make sure to tidy up your room before I arrive“, you jokingly nag at him before turning around the corner in the direction of the library – and the secretary's. And even before you enter, you hear a familiar voice coming from in there. It's the same voice that you heard talking to Baekhyun just the day before and it encourages you to enter the office. The piano teachers is leaning onto the secretary's front desk, excitedly talking to her and you don't need to listen for a long time to catch up with their conversation's subject. „Are you sure you're not going to upset him by doing this?“, the woman asks while she fills in some kind of form. The teacher runs his hand over his worried face and shakes his head a little. „I'm sure he's going to be mad at me. But these people are crazy strict and he wants to participate either way. That's not going to do him any good. And since it's my fault everything has become so chaotic, it's my duty to make it work“, he explains, sounding really tense. I can only imagine what they are about to do – looking for someone to replace him in his absence – and I take a step towards the desk as well.

The teacher looks at me and raises his eyebrows while the secretary lifts her head and blinks at me. „Just a moment, Kwon-sshi“, she says to him, already facing me, „what can I do for you?“ You put your hands on the edge of the desk, not really knowing what to say when it's actually not her that you want to talk to. You look at her for a moment in silence and she patiently stops filling in the form laying in front of her while you think. Is it clever to make up some lame excuse and then wait for Kwon-sungsaenim in front of the office or just talk to him directly? You blink when you notice that the secretary's stare got interrogative, and then you break the thoughtful silence.
„Kwon-sungsaenim, I wanted to talk to you about Baekhyun.“