"Jongup, hey, if you are free Saturday night, I was wondering if you would like to go out with me?"

Jongup gaped, nearly losing his grip on the textbook he was holding on to. He breathed unevenly, his heart pounding against his ribcage as he took a few seconds to let the question sink in. Swallowing thickly, he hurried to place his books into his locker before he turned to face the person who had asked the question again.

Kim Himchan.

The captain of the school's swimming team, and the absolutely drop-dead gorgeous president of the student council. The person who always topped the student poll in school for the 'most desirable boyfriend' that had both males and females voting in. The person who had the most perfect laugh, the incredibly perfect bunny-teeth, and prettiest eyes ever seen on a male. He was a musical prodigy and majored in traditional music, an absolute being not lacking in either body or brains.

And he was asking him out. On a date.

"M-me?" Jongup stuttered, pointing to himself and feeling more like an idiot when Himchan laughed.

"Oh no, I was talking to that stationary picture of Chris Brown on your locker. Yes you."

Jongup would be joking if he said he wasn't interested in accepting that offer, hell no. In fact, he was struggling so hard to keep himself from fangirling over his senior right then. To be honest, he had a huge crush on the male. He near worshipped the ground beneath his feet and felt butterflies in his stomach whenever they made accidental eye contact in the hallway, or when he secretly sneaked into the school's swimming pool area to watch the older finish his laps at the pool with his team mates.

He was confused, yet elated at the same time. Why in the world would this perfect human ask a painfully awkward and shy person like him out on a date?    

He wasn't sure about this, at all. This could be a whole drama set-up, the cliche, 'oh hey I dare you to get into that boy's pants and then dump him. For fifty bucks." or, Himchan could have had just too much to drink and he was feeling incredibly intoxicated right now. But they were in school right now, so the second option seemed highly impossible.

And the other thing was, Jongup could very well be murdered by Himchan's large fanclub before Saturday came. He could feel stares bearing down on his back as students passed by the both of them, secretly trying to catch the rest of their conversation.

"Jongup-sshi?" Himchan asked worriedly as he realized the younger was taking far longer than the average human would take to reply. Maybe he had scared the boy a bit.

"You know, if you are uncomfortable with, you know, dating a male and whatnot, I totally understand-"

"No!" Jongup cried, surprising both Himchan and himself. He bit his lip, cursing himself silently. Jongup really wanted to date him, even if it meant placing his own life in danger. He choked on his words as he started.

"I-I..."

"You? Date him?" A mocking voice guffawed.

Jongup stiffened as he heard that familiar cocky, high voice. He'd recognize that voice anywhere.

Jung Daehyun. The person he hated with every fibre of his body.

Jongup's mind silently screamed as Daehyun, his head held high and hands stuck into both of his pockets, sauntered over to the both of them. Jongup glared at him, his eyes pleading desperately for him to go away, but like always, that smirked and pretended to take no notice of it.

He casually slung an arm over the president's shoulder, smiling sweetly at him. "President-nim, why have you suddenly decided to date this loser over here? You do know this person still collects stuffed toys and dolls and sleeps with them at night? And that almost all his underwear are cartoon themed?"

Jongup felt color rise to his cheeks, and he started to break out in cold sweat. "Daehyun!" he hissed. Glancing worriedly at Himchan, whom, to his surprise, calmly removed Daehyun's arm from around his shoulders.

"Daehyun-sshi, is it? I have heard about you," Himchan said, smiling as he regarded Daehyun, who smirked back. "I hardly think there is anyone in this school that hasn't."

Jongup gulped. Jung Daehyun, the not-so typical bad boy in their school. Blessed with god-given looks and brains, he was on par with Himchan in terms of popularity, but not in attitude. He has had countless detentions, and was always in trouble with his teachers. But they couldn't complain, no. He could sleep through countless lectures and still manage to ace all his project works and tests. His parents were well-known names in the music and acting industry, which meant Daehyun was rolling in dough, too.

Jongup had always wondered why Daehyun can manage to be so perfect and still choose to act like an idiot.

And to top it all off, Jongup was pretty sure Daehyun's Number 1 life goal was making sure Jongup was always, always miserable.

He didn't seem to have a reason though, since the day they both met in kindergarten, he just happened to always be around to pop Jongup's happy bubble every time he foresees necessary. Their parents knew each other and were close, and they practically saw each other every now and then. Go figure.

Himchan rolled his eyes and walked towards Jongup, who squawked in surprise when Himchan slipped his hand casually into Jongup's back pocket, his hands brushing against his , to pick out the phone that was kept there. Himchan took out his own phone and messaged himself using Jongup's phone, and typed in his own number before giving the phone back to the younger male, winking,

"Well I think it's cute. See you Saturday neh?"

Jongup stuttered out a small 'okay' and watched as Himchan grinned and proceeded to walk to his next class. Jongup stared at his phone, grinning like an idiot as he read the numbers on his phone over and over again. A scoff jerked him back into reality.

"Oh well, look who's got a date with Mr. Big Shot," Daehyun drawled sarcastically. Jongup scowled, his face darkening.

"Looks like your luck on trying to make me seem like a loser just ran dry, Daehyun."

"Come on, do you really think he likes you? Seems like an experiment if you ask me," Daehyun said, opening his own locker and placing his books inside.

"And please, you are doing such a great job of making yourself look like a loser that I would be an idiot if I wanted to make you look worse."

Daehyun closed the door to his locker and sauntered past Jongup, but not before whispering into his ear.

"And why would I choose to waste my time on a loser who can even seem to remember to zip up his flyer? Mr. Oh-Look-I-Am-Wearing-Spongebob-Squarepants-Underwear-Today guy."

Jongup's face flushed and he grabbed at his zipper, but realized it wasn't open at all and Daehyun was just doing his job of making him feel like an idiot again. He couldn't fathom how Daehyun managed to guess his underwear correctly though.

His face flushed as Daehyun walked away, cackling, but he had no choice but to keep his head down and avoid the stares of the people around him(who had apparently stayed long enough to hear Himchan's confession) and hurry to his next class, which, unfortunately, Daehyun was taking too.

He walked into the classroom and proceeded to his usual place at the back of the class, but not before almost tripping over Daehyun's stucked out foot. He glared at Daehyun, who acted innocent and was looking to the front at the teacher.

"," he hissed.

"Loser," Daehyun sang, smiling prettily at Jongup before turning to the front.

Jongup bit his lip to stop himself from retorting, and walked to his own place and slipped into his seat which was next to his close friend, Youngjae.

Youngjae immediately nudged Jongup. "Dude, what's with this buzz about the president asking you out?" Jongup's face flamed, but he hurried hushed Youngjae, his eyes widening. How in the world did that news travel so fast in that short span of ten minutes? Jongup glanced around the class, and realized that almost all his classmates, given the exception of Daehyun, that is, were taking quick glances at him and whispering behind their hands.

This school never failed to scare amaze him.

"I-I don't know, he just...did, I guess," Jongup said, honestly not knowing why Himchan had decided to ask him out. Youngjae gave him the 'look', and Jongup suddenly felt defensive.

"Hey, just because I am awkward-"

"And anti-social, and shy, and quiet, and nerdy-"

"Doesn’t mean I am any less attractive to the opposite or same !" Jongup said, before he realized what Youngjae had said.

"Hey!"

"Now now boys, even though I am sure you have such wonderful things to talk about, class is starting, and so help me you will find yourselves in the principal's office if you choose not to pay attention in class," their teacher said in a bored tone. Jongup reluctantly turned to the front of the class again, and the teacher started to drone on about the human anatomy and the skeletal system and some other things that nobody really cared about.

Jongup took down notes meticulously though, being the bright, innocent and hardworking student he was. Time passed fast, and pretty soon it was going to be the end of class.

Just ten minutes before the bell rang, the teacher stopped writing stuff on the board and announced.

"So, there is this major assignment that you guys have to do-" the whole class groaned, not liking where this was going at all.

"And its pair work." Jongup immediately looked at Youngjae, who nodded.

"But you won't be picking your partners," he continued. "This will," he said, fishing out an old fashioned brown paper bag. The whole class erupted into complaints and shouts, and the teacher held his hand out for silence.

"Say one more thing and I'd fail you," he said irritably, and the whole class fell silent.

"Anyway, I have noticed you guys work with the same people over and over again, even if it meant that both you and your best friend are idiots who can't study for nothing."

The whole class winced at his straightforwardness, but was no longer complaining.

"So in order to give some of you guys a chance to mingle around and make new friends, I have decided to subject you people to this," the teacher said sarcastically, though he wasn't really the type who would care if they managed to make new life-long friendships from this assignment.

 He shook the bag,

"So, who wants to take their pick first?"

The whole class was quiet for a few seconds, until a low snore broke the silence. The teacher smirked.

"Jung Daehyun."

Said person had fallen asleep halfway through the lesson (as usual), his head hidden in the bag that he had used as a pillow. His desk mate timidly poked him with the tip of his pencil, and he grumbled about needing five more minutes. He cracked an eye open groggily, at an eye level that was looking straight into the waistband of the teacher's pants.

He yawned, stretching and sitting up again, the girls in the class gushing about how cute his 'bed-hair' looked.

"Yes teach'?" he asked, propping his head up on one hand and looking innocently at the teacher.

"That's Mr. Park to you, Daehyun-sshi," the teacher sighed, having gotten used to this already. He placed the brown paper bag in front of Daehyun and motioned for him to pick a slip from inside.

"You are doing pair-work for this assignment, and Mr. Bag here is picking your partner for you. Now hurry up and pick before I call up your parents, the principal, or both."

Daehyun rolled his eyes and stuck his hand in the bag, rummaging about before pulling out a roll of paper.

The whole class waited with bated breath, praying to heaven and earth that they weren't going to be the one to be picked as Daehyun's partner. Sure, he was hot, not to mention smart as well, and girls and guys alike would give their right arm to be next him, but Daehyun as a group work partner...that was something everyone would be glad to have a miss on.

Daehyun rolled out his slip of paper, smirking and his eyes opening just a tiny fraction when he read the name.

He turned and made eye contact with the boy at the back, who has crossed both his fingers and toes, wishing with all his might not to be picked.

"Moon Jongup."

------

"Oh my god, sungsaengnim, please, I will scrub the floor, your car, the skeleton model, please, just don't let me be partners with Daehyun," Jongup pleaded with Mr. Park, close to tears.

Mr. Park looked thoughtful, as if he was considering Jongup's offer about the car, but he shook his head in the end.

"I am sorry Jongup, but if I were to not let you partner Daehyun, some other poor soul would come complaining to me about partnering Daehyun too, and then the whole cycle would repeat. I am afraid you would have to it up this time Jonguppie," the teacher said, standing up and ruffling Jongup's hair.

"No!" Jongup half whisper-shouted as Daehyun still hasn't left the classroom, grabbing onto Mr Park's sleeve.

"You don't what he does to me, he loves tormenting me, and-" Mr. Park's expression changed.

"Do you mean to tell me he ually harasses you?" Mr. Park whispered to Jongup, shooting a glance at Daehyun.

"W-what? No! I mean-" Jongup stuttered, blushing.

"Then I see no reason why Daehyun-sshi can't work with you, you have to try and be more open-minded," Mr. Park laughed. To be honest, Mr. Park was a tad bit worried about Jongup. He was a polite student, and unless the situation was really bad, he would never complain about having to work with some person he didn't like. This was a first.

But then again, Jongup seemed like the only person who could control Daehyun. Jongup was a kind student who never caused trouble and he was so lovable. How could Daehyun bear to bother him?

If only he knew.

He patted Jongup on the back comfortingly, and pushed him towards where Daehyun was sitting.

"Come on, just one week and a few days and everything would be over," he encouraged, smiling at his student. Jongup's bottom lip quivered but he nodded, giving in.

"Okay."

"That's my best student," Mr. Park chuckled, before directing a stern warning to Daehyun, who was still sitting at the table, apparently waiting for Jongup.

"Well Daehyun-sshi you can count yourself lucky for being able to partner Jongup. I hear funny news about you doing anything to him and you will get it from me you hear?"

Daehyun rolled his eyes, "Relax Mr. Park, it's not like I am going to him or anything," Daehyun scoffed, placing a hand over his heart.

"You don't trust me with your dear student?" he mocked, voice dripping with sarcasm, "I am hurt."

Mr. Park sighed, feeling kind of sorry for Jongup who has to put up with his crap for the next few weeks or so. He wished Jongup good luck before leaving the class, throwing him an apologetic glance.

Jongup pursed his lips, unable to believe his bad luck. He walked over to Daehyun, frowning when Daehyun stared at him, fluttering his eye lashes.

"So, when do you want to start work?" Daehyun asked. Jongup raised his eyebrows.

"What? Since when did you care about work?"

"Oh Jonguppie, are you like the rest? I wonder why everyone gets surprised when I actually do work."

"Erm...well," Jongup pulled out a chair and took a seat across Daehyun, placing the biology assessment rubrics on the table. They had to carry out a dissection on a pig's and frog's heart, report the differences between the both and then write a report about it. Apparently this meant they had to go out of their way into town to buy the hearts because their neighbourhood didn't have markets that sold them.

"We can go to this place tomorrow, my mum frequents at it occasionally," Jongup murmured, checking the details again.

"mmhmm."

"When are you free to do the report then? We might have to space the meet-ups apart because we can't complete it in one go, and I can't make it on Thursday because of dance practice."

"Oh I don't know, I am pretty busy throughout the whole week," Daehyun said, smirking.

"Wednesday?"

"Family meeting."

"Friday?"

"Activities."

Jongup scowled, clenching his teeth. "Saturday?"

Daehyun's face lighted up. "Oh wow, will you look at that, I am free the whole day on Saturday."

Jongup shook his head. "No, well I am not. Sunday?"

"Activities."

"What 'activities' can you possibly have?" Jongup asked, exasperated.

"Lots of them."

"Yah, Jung Daehyun! You are just saying that just so I can miss out on my-" Jongup stopped short, embarrassed and flushing. Daehyun rolled his eyes.

"On your what?" Daehyun mocked, "your date with the prince? Please, I bet ten bucks that he's just trying out dating from the same . Oh Jonguppie," Daehyun said his nickname with a trace of scorn.

"Do you want to fail this assignment?"

Jongup silently fumed, glaring at Daehyun. "No."

"Then good. Expect me at your house on Saturday then," Daehyun said, getting up from his seat.

"Why not your house? My parents don't exactly appreciate people coming over and eating all the food we have," Jongup said, frowning. Daehyun rolled his eyes.

"Puh-lease. Your parents love me. And my parents are away in London for some musical of theirs, so yeah. Tell your mum I said hi," Daehyun winked, before leaving the classroom. Jongup sat there, wondering for the thousandth time in his life why he always let Daehyun have his way with things.

It was true though, since young, his parents had always adored the 'polite, handsome and charismatic' little playmate of his. They failed to see that the only reason why Daehyun hung around Jongup was just so because he could take his toys, spoil or hide them, just so he could see little Jonguppie suffer from his parents' scoldings about his carelessness, and how he should be more like 'Daehyunnie'.

Jongup sighed as he pulled out his phone, typing a reply to Himchan about the cancellation of their date.

For reasons.

-Back In Kindergarten-

"Now class, I have a new friend that I would like to introduce to you all today, his name is Daehyun, and I am pretty sure you will all get along very well!" Their teacher, Ms. Sung, said. She gave Daehyun a small push to the front, encouraging him to go and meet his new classmates.

The girls in the class squealed when they saw that the new, mysterious boy in class. Even when he was just five years old, Jung Daehyun had swag. He already had that charismatic air around him, naturally drawing people in.

But even for his age, he was arrogant. He felt way too smart to mingle around these brainless, disgusting children (though they were his age) and that he should be at home, writing music and playing his computer games.

His eyes narrowed when he saw the girls trying to pull up their hair bands and fluffing their skirts to appear prettier. The boys seemed equally hateful as well. Threatened by the new presence in class, they attempted to demonstrate their manliness by piling all their toys in front of them and sneering at him with booger hanging out their noses.

He kept quiet and walked to the far side of the classroom, away from everyone. He tried hard to be invisible and not breathe in the same air as these monsters, or come into contact with them at all.

Apparently after seeing the new boy did nothing to challenge their rightful position as 'King' in class and kept quiet no matter what they said to him, the boys in class started being nicer to him, but then Daehyun was forced to walk around with them during break or play time.

The boys failed to notice that Daehyun, over time, was actually the one manipulating and controlling the whole group. He always had this blank stare that frightened everyone, for you never knew what he could be thinking about. He was just someone you knew not to piss off, and someone you do not steal your toys from. He hardly spoke, but when he did, the leader of group would treat his piece of advice like solid gold and change the whole of his plans sometimes just to suit Daehyun's taste.

Daehyun learnt some interesting lessons during his time with the boys, and felt that perhaps going to kindergarten wasn't such a bad thing after all.

One interesting lesson he had included meeting Moon Jongup.

"Hey, you see that boy over there?" the leader of the group, a boy called Zico, asked suddenly during break time. Daehyun stared at the boy he was pointing to blankly, and the whole group of boys surrounding him kept quiet, waiting for him to speak.

Daehyun scoffed. "Yeah," and he could almost swear he heard the whole group sigh in relief at his one-worded answer.

Zico cackled. "He's a rich kid. We always get our toys from him, and he never ever fights back." Daehyun stared at the lone boy playing in the sand box. Almost all the boys in the small kindergarten class of his hung out with Zico, and Daehyun has never bothered to go and notice the rest of his classmates.

This boy had his back to them, and was building sandcastles by himself. He had shiny new toy trucks around him, and Daehyun could see why Zico said he was rich.

He chuckled on the inside, wondering what the boys' reaction would be if they knew how rich he was.

Zico rubbed his hands together in glee. "Let's go mess with him now."

Daehyun stood up, curious at where this would lead this. He was used to seeing girls and boys cry over Zico and his croonies' bullying, but a boy that never fought back? This was new.

Zico sauntered over to the sandbox, and announced his presence by cruelly stepping on one of the sandcastles that the boy had just finished building.

"Yah, Moon Jongup."

The Jongup boy looked up, and Daehyun got a clear look of his face. He had small slanted eyes, very much different from the large doe ones Daehyun had himself. He had high cheekbones and and an angular chin, and small lips that were trembling when he surveyed his squashed sandcastle.

Zico picked up Jongup's toy truck, and Daehyun raised his eyebrow when he saw Jongup did nothing to stop him.

"Is this one of the new brand of the trucks available in the market?" Zico asked, tracing his finger down the side of the sleek toy. Jongup kept his eyes casted on the ground, nodding slightly.

"Liar,"

Zico spat as he raised the truck and smashed it onto the ground, the poor toy breaking into pieces.

"This was the same truck you had last week, and the week before that. You dare try to trick me, Jongup?"

Jongup shook his head vigorously, denying ever having the intention to lie. Zico scoffed and strode towards Jongup, who had hidden his face in his hands, but not before getting blocked by someone.

"Daehyun?" another member of the group said, shocked. Daehyun was standing in front of Jongup, and he calmly surveyed the group before picking up one of Jongup's toy cars that was lying in the sand. Zico laughed nervously.

"Yeah, it doesn't look that new right Daehyun? Go ahead and-" the rest of his sentence was cut off when Daehyun forcefully slammed the toy car to the side of Zico's head, causing the whole group of boys including Jongup to gasp simultaneously while Zico fell into the sand, clutching the side of his head.

Everyone thought Zico was unconscious until he sat up and stared bawling really loudly.

"Daehyun! Zico! What happened here?" Ms. Sung cried, hurrying out of the classroom into the playground where they all were and squatting next to Zico, who had a black-blue bruise forming at the side of his head. Daehyun's eyes went wide and he said innocently, "I don't know miss, I think he ran into a pole."

Everyone could tell Daehyun was lying, for there was no pole near that part of the sandpit and running into a pole couldn't possibly explain the tiny tyre-marks on Zico's face.

"Is this true?" Ms. Sung asked the group of boys standing behind her, but she failed to catch a glimpse of Daehyun giving them a murderous stare behind her back.

"Y-yes miss," they stuttered meekly. Ms. Sung shook her head and started to pull Zico up to walk back to the school building, muttering about boys and poles. The group of boys hurried to follow her, not wanting to stay near to Daehyun anymore.

When the teacher and the group of boys were gone, Daehyun turned to face Jongup, his eyes looking over the toy car still in his hand.

"Hmm, sturdy."

"T-thank you," Jongup squeaked out. Daehyun raised his eyebrows.

"Thank me? For what? For the record, I did nothing-" he gestured to the direction in which Zico was carried. "He was annoying me. And second-" he held up the toy car.

"I was interested in this, so I'll be keeping it," he said, slipping the toy car into his pocket. Jongup gazed blankly at Daehyun, not understanding. Was this bullying? This boy was taking his car, but then again, he saved him from Zico, and he was being really calm about it. No one has helped him before. Was there such a thing as a nice bully?

"T-thank you?"

Daehyun resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Jongup. He seemed even more idiotic than the boys in the group, just not as annoying. He sighed.

"Jongup, right? Well if you really want to thank me, erm, you can be my lackey."

Jongup's face lighted up and he clapped his hands together delightedly, before looking confused again. "L-lackey? What's that?"

Daehyun facepalmmed himself, thoroughly convinced that this innocent boy was an idiot.

And that was how Jung Daehyun and Moon Jongup got to meet.

-In Elementary School-

Jongup was blushing to the roots of his hair, thoroughly embarrassed. He swore he was going to murder Daehyun. Yeah well, he always did, but in the end, nah.

He willed every single muscle in his body to not start pulling out his hair right then and there.

"Jieun, I love how brightly your eyes shine when you answer questions in class, and how amazing you look when you pair that red watch of yours with the polka-dotted ribbon in your hair,"

Daehyun read aloud, causing embarrassment to both Jongup and the girl.

"And your voice sounds so heavenly when you sing during music class! How have you not been scouted by a famous entertainment yet? And your handwriting, I love how you always dot your 'i's with little hearts at the top-"

"Daehyun!" Jongup screeched, trying to snatch the love note out of Daehyun outstretched arm, but failing because of their height difference. This was the last time he was ever going to trust Daehyun with something so important. How did he come to this?

With the exception of the day they met, every single day with Daehyun was hell for Jongup. He was even worse than Zico, who would just take his toys when he felt like it. But Daehyun stuck with Jongup the whole day, whether he liked it or not. He ordered him around, took his stuff, called him names, but acted like an angel and a close friend when their parents came to pick the both of them up from school.

Jongup's parents cooed over how lovely Daehyun was, automatically dubbing him as Jongup's 'best friend' and demand that he was always welcomed at their house, and vice-versa. They never forgot to tell Jongup how lucky he was for having Daehyun as a friend, even though Jongup would desperately try to point out that Daehyun was one of the reasons why he didn't have friends in the first place.

Daehyun was a menacing presence, scaring the people around him in kindergarten and making Jongup seem more like a loser than he actually was. Though Daehyun's attitude changed a bit in elementary school, but his habit for always trying to show Jongup up never did.

Stealing toys evolved to copying homework and spitting out wet paper balls when they reached elementary school, and Jongup was just proved wrong whenever he thought Daehyun just couldn't get any worse.

Trust Jongup to actually believe Daehyun was going to help win his long-term crush, Jieun over, because he thought Daehyun actually had experience in this area.

Having reached elementary school, Daehyun no longer stuck with Jongup. Daehyun's good looks and brains immediately placed him in the cool group of people that ran the whole class, and Jongup was the quiet and shy kid that never dared to speak up in class or went against anyone. But Daehyun always seemed to take a bit of time out of his schedule everyday to torment Jongup.

It had taken Jongup a long time to write that letter, every minute spent pouring out his admiration for the pretty girl that sat in front of him.

But now that jerk had to ruin everything.

Jongup felt like an idiot now, his heart sinking further and further as Daehyun read his love letter out to the whole class, everyone giggling and sniggering at the boy.

He desperately tried to grab at the letter again, but lost his footing and causing the both of them to tumble to the floor. Jongup's eyes widened at the close proximity of their faces, and he saw something flash in Daehyun's eyes, but he managed to keep himself calm enough to snatch the letter out of his hands.

"Jerk," he whispered, hastily getting up. "I hate you."

"Aw, don't say that Jonguppie," Daehyun drawled, the weird expression gone from his face as he got up. "I know you love me."

No. Jongup hated Jung Daehyun. That was for sure.

But for some reason, no matter what he did, Jongup couldn't bring himself to stay angry at Daehyun for a long time.

A/N: :D can you guys add me as your friend? :D maybe I can keep you guys updated with blog posts :D hope this wasn't too much of a disappointment...