“Wait, what did you just say?”

Jonghyun wasn’t happy as he crossed the street and headed towards the parking lot. He had skipped the last period to meet up with some of his gang members; they had organized a video game tournament over at his place. With the end of school, they had migrated from his place to the small pastry store that doubled as a small cafe to join the rest of their members for a normal gang hang out.

Jonghyun had been slightly impatient as he waited for their newest member to show up. He knew Taemin was stubborn; it was a trait the shorter boy had put on full display the last few days, but hadn’t Jonghyun been clear with his message? Once again, it seemed like Taemin hadn’t failed to filter into his thoughts and annoy him to no end.

His phone had gone off, and a quick glance at the screen had brought him some relief, as brief as it was. Yeonwa had greeted him enthusiastically before she got straight to the point, and at the end of the call Jonghyun assured her he’d look into it.

He was now standing by his motorbike, an old 2001 Hyosung model, his phone crammed between his ear and his shoulder as he fumbled for his helmet.

“Wait, did you say Taemin?” Jonghyun asked for clarification, suddenly ignoring his helmet as he reached up to grasp the phone with a hand and relaxed his shoulder.

“Does it matter?” Minho responded, and Jonghyun could practically see his friend smirking through the phone.

“No, just—” Jonghyun cut himself off in slight frustration as he changed the subject. “Where are you?”

“I told you, I’m going—”

“You’re still at school aren’t you?” Jonghyun interrupted him. “Yeonwa said she saw you by the east entrance… it was you wasn’t it? With another guy not too long ago, Taemin, I’m assuming,” he added as an afterthought. There was silence on the other end and it was all he needed for an answer as he got on his bike.

“Hey Jjong.” Jonghyun paused in his actions as he held the phone next to his ear, waiting for Minho to continue his sentence. “Why are you suddenly so interested in him anyway? It’s not like you to change your attitude towards another person so drastically.”

Jonghyun hesitated, before he answered, “I dunno man. There’s just something different about him. I mean, he’s a pain in the and all, but you gotta admit, he’s got a certain…charm.”

“Charm,” Minho quietly repeated the word, and Jonghyun made a face.

“Yeah. Look, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.”

Without waiting for Minho’s answer, Jonghyun hung up, eager to put a stop to that thought. Stowing his phone in his pocket, he grabbed his helmet and placed it over his head.

He was sure of it. He had heard Taemin’s name through the line, which meant the subject of their conversation was still at school.

Soomin was sure she had stood in one spot for at least a good few minutes before she snapped back to reality. She wasn’t sure what had just happened. Minho, of all people, had practically cornered her for some one-on-one, and Soomin couldn’t help but replay the scene over and over in her head.

Falling back down to earth, she shouldered her bag and headed back the way she came. The field was empty and she, like everyone else who had already disappeared, couldn’t wait to go home. She picked up the sounds of a bike engine, and as soon as she turned the corner, she froze to the spot. Soomin’s eyes widened as she found the source, coming from the motorcycle that had just parked as if it as its rider was waiting for her.

Jonghyun pulled his helmet off, and Soomin wanted to wipe the lopsided grin straight off his face. She was suddenly reminded of the nature of her and Minho’s conversation, and anger boiled through her as she recalled the reason she had been so eager for home in the first place.

“Oh, look who we have here.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” she retaliated. There was a brief pause in Jonghyun’s step at Soomin’s sudden vent of anger. “Do you really take me as mindless follower? You’re done messing with my face, and now you want to mess with my reputation? Why’d you go off telling people that I’m part of your gang?!” Soomin wasn’t sure what had blown her top, but at the moment, Jonghyun was a preferable victim. “I already told you, you bastard, I am not part of your stupid gang. You and—”

“Woah. You’ve got quite the mouth there, Taemin,” Jonghyun interrupted with an amused expression. “Be careful, it might ruin that cute vibe you give off.”

Without her knowing, they had approached each other to the point that Soomin actually had to raise her eyes to meet his. He was taller than her by at least half a head, if not more.

“Listen, you jerk. I—”

“Kim Jonghyun!”

They both turned to the voice in surprise, to see their vice-principal poking his head out his window, sending them a scowl that seemed to permanently reside on his face.

“You lovebirds can argue later! Didn’t you hear the final bell? No loitering after school. I’m giving the both of you detention, which you can serve right now!”

Soomin’s eyes had flown open again in shock as she absorbed the older man’s words. Detention wasn’t the worst thing ever, but she wanted to cross-dress as her brother with a clean record. The sudden sounds of the bike’s engine roaring to life broke through her panicked train of thoughts, and she whirled around in surprise.

Jonghyun had already gotten back on his bike and placed his helmet on his head, his hands wrapped around the handle bars. Jonghyun was going to leave her by herself with detention with the vice-principal, and to her surprise, it wasn’t a thought Soomin found reassuring.

As Soomin reluctantly turned back around to head to the school, she heard the distinct sound of the gas being pressed. She barely took a step before Jonghyun drove right in front of her, blocking her way and turning towards her with another helmet in his hand.

“Are you crazy?” she managed to yell over the engine noise as she stared at him in shock.

“He only knows me, so you have nothing to worry about right?”

Soomin looked past him to where the old man still stood, half in half out of his office. The window was no where big enough for him to actually slip through, but was that what she was really worried about?

It was a split second decision, and she grabbed the helmet from his hand, jamming it onto her head as she swung her leg over the bike to take the seat behind him. She knew she regretted the decision as soon as they started moving, but it was a decision she couldn’t take back even if she wanted to. As soon as they hit the road, he sped up, and Soomin soon found herself uncharacteristically clinging to his waist as she shouted profanities in some effort to make him slow down.