A:N/ Well I've now gotten two fo the tasks out of the way, and I have a little break before those other three are due, so the heat's off for now, YAY!!! I'm really sorry about it all, but I promsie I've felt the distance these last few days. So feel free to bug me as much as you like, I'll answer! I'm so lonely without you guys! Hope you enjoy the update (at a regular time for a change!)

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L. Joe tapped his pen against his notebook thoughtfully, staring off at Chunji working like crazy over the other side of the music room. He was probably preparing for their first practical performance, like everyone else. That was their first assignment, after all. So, as a result, everyone was taking advantage of their practical classes in order to prepare themselves for their performance.

He would've given anything to be able to work with Chunji on it. Apparently Chunji was a vocalist, which he'd thought would go together perfectly. He was a musician, so he could play the piano as the accompaniment for any song that Chunji chose to sing. They could've made the perfect team, being friends and all anyway. Then he'd get the chance to show Chunji just what he could do, and maybe even impress the other boy enough to stop him from looking down on him so much.

All he'd received from him were admonishments about his attitude to his school work and the future as of late. He mostly just chose to ignore the other boy, continuing to approach his classes as he saw fit, not really in the mood to take his studies as seriously as Chunji was. He was smart enough. He'd manage. As long as everything got done, he'd do fine, and he wasn't about to avoid something so simple.

One could say that he had grown both weary and suspicious of schools as an institution over his years, even if his love affair with learning was still alive. But that didn't mean that he was going to perform as poorly as Chunji seemed to expect from him.

Even as he sat brainstorming song ideas with the other boys, he found himself uncertain how he ended up over there, instead of across the room with Chunji. He would've loved to be able to work together. He had a feeling that they would probably get along a lot better, if they only got to experience working as a team. He had a lot of respect for focused people like Chunji, and passion was all he could see reflected in the other boy's gaze as he threw himself into his work.

“I really don't understand it, you know.” CAP commented, eyeing his friend, who was very clearly focused on the boy across the room. He followed his gaze straight to Chunji, eyebrows quirked in both confusion and derision as he spoke, his voice flat. “Understand what?” L. Joe enquired, gaze sliding across to the boy beside him, his fingers stilling their tapping on his blank page.

“Why you bother paying Chanhee so much attention.” CAP explained, for what had to be the umpteenth time. Usually L. Joe would try and dodge the question, not wanting to really have to sit down and dissect his own thoughts or feelings. He didn't want to risk the chance that he'd find something there that he wasn't ready to confront, so rather than answering him, he settled for “Well isn't that interesting, because I was just thinking about how I don't understand how I ended up working with you on this assessment.”

“That's easy. I need your skills, Mr. Piano player.” CAP answered, with a grin, his features quickly falling flat as L. Joe's attention drifted over to Chunji once more, as he smirked at CAP's statement. “But you still haven't explained. He's so rude to you, and he's always hitting you with things. His behaviour is repulsive. Why do you tolerate it?”

L. Joe's smirk fell as he frowned. Clearly he'd dodged this question one too many times for CAP's liking. He'd realised that the other boy was getting more persistent with his hints and comments, but he'd never outright asked him before. He'd tried side-stepping the question once already, so it was clear that CAP wasn't about to let the matter drop, until after he got an acceptable answer.

“Because, he doesn't mean it. He only acts like that when I .” L. Joe explained, trying to defend Chunji from the disapproval he still heard in CAP's voice as he regarded Chunji. L. Joe knew enough to be aware that Chunji cared about what CAP thought, and he felt like it was all he could do, to defend his friend from such clear disapproval. Chunji would probably cry if he ever found out about the way CAP spoke about him; saw him.

“It doesn't matter what the cause is. His behaviour is childish and unacceptable. He should be capable of controlling himself better at his age.” CAP responded, critically. L. Joe frowned at the comment, considering CAP's words carefully before he tried to defend his friend. He disliked the fact that CAP seemed to regard Chunji so poorly; he didn't really know anything about him if all he saw was someone immature and childish when he looked at Chunji.

L. Joe kind of liked it when Chunji would get angry with him; it was about the only time the other boy acted his age. He spent so much time fussing over his school work, and from what he'd heard and seen, that was all the other boy seemed to do. He never acted anything but responsible; to the point where he was sort of worried about him. He needed to act his age more; feel more emotions.

“Chunji spends heaps of time and energy trying to control himself. It's only with me that he acts like this.” he stated, carefully.

CAP eyed him, curiously. “That only makes his behaviour more reprehensible! The idea that he is mean to someone, just for being themselves, is horrible. I just don't understand why you associate with someone who treats you so poorly. You deserve to be treated better; you're a person too.” CAP argued, exasperatedly. “Why do you keep him around?”

L. Joe stilled at the question, realising that really it was Chunji that kept him around. It was always him chasing after Chunji, which meant that it was Chunji that allowed him to bug him. That had to mean something; Chunji must like him at least a little bit to do that, a thought which made him grin excitedly. He was winning. “Because I like him.” he answered, simply.

“Him? Why would you like him?” spluttered CAP, confused. L. Joe didn't even have to stop to breathe to answer that question; the answer was so plainly evident to him, that it didn't require conscious thought. “Because he's interesting. It's good to have interesting people around; they make life more fun.”

CAP eyed him, like he thought L. Joe was an homicidal maniac. “If he's your idea of a fun time, you have serious issues.” he muttered, shaking his head at the other boy's answer. He looked like he wanted to argue with L. Joe further, but the way he shook his head, his eyes blinking rapidly, told L. Joe that he was still trying to get his head around what L. Joe had said. “Never mind. Let's get back to work on this stupid assignment.” CAP mumbled to him.