Taemin didn’t go to the cafeteria today. Someone should check the calendar and mark the day as it is an astonishing historical event, but everyone has their glued to their chairs, nose dropped between their thick history books. And Taemin is among his classmates, filling his notebook with neat writing instead of skipping class to fill his stomach with ramen or chocolate or something. Incredible, Baldy gapes from the side window, as he scratches his head cautiously so that his wig doesn’t fall off.

Taemin sprawls on to his desk but his hand doesn’t stop writing. He writes over his writing over and over, until it’s all black and continues to write the same thing underneath, over and over again.

It does matter.
It does matter.

The lead breaks and Taemin clicks his pencil, writing and writing and writing.

How could it not matter?
How could it not matter?

Good going, Lee Taemin. I can’t deny Jieun telling me that I have serious problems if I keep showing symptoms of mental issues… I should transfer schools and stop hanging around psychos and stalkers- oh my god I’m going to be jailed in a mental hospital oh my god-

Taemin scribbles over his notebook in fury and jumps up from his seat unintentionally, disturbing the peace and bringing everyone’s attention to him. The teacher is about to open to yell at Taemin when a familiar melody rings from his pockets. Taemin hastily reaches for his phone and turns it into silent mode. Ms. History brings her hand to her throbbing temples, Taemin was in class for once and she should play nice if she wants to keep him in her class in the future. She attempts a crooked smile and turns back to the chalkboard. Sighing in relief, Taemin slumps back in his seat and sees that he’s gotten a new text message:

[If there’s one thing in the world I can’t stand, it’s getting stood up. I’ll give you a chance to make it up to me. Meet me at the piano room at lunch. –Jung Soojung]

…Right, he was supposed to see her yesterday. Or so she thought, since she had just announced it and left without hearing Taemin’s response.

[If there’s one thing in the world I can’t stand, it’s you.]

Taemin writes but deletes it off his phone, it would just bring him more stupid texts from Soojung. He’ll just go to the piano room and “make it up to her” or whatever during lunch.

***

Jongin didn’t show up during any of the three breaks before lunch. Not that Taemin blames him; he did more than enough this morning to scare off anybody in their right mind. Feeling his brain warp into an impossible knot, Taemin moves his heavy feet towards the old piano room.

Soojung is sitting on the piano when Taemin opens the door. Taemin had thought that this day couldn’t get worse, but his anticipation slowly rises as the girl lights up a cigarette and fits it between her perfectly glossed lips. If it’s Jung Soojung, anything was possible.  

Puffs of smoke release between Soojung’s lips.

“You are going to get me expelled one of these days.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll turn myself in if we get caught again. Anyways, try me your best. You did commit the unforgivable but since I am a more mature and kind-hearted individual than you are, I’m planning a good conduct of pretending to listen to your excuse. Go, speak.”
“…What the hell are you talking about?”

Taemin walks past the girl and opens the cover of the piano.

“I waited for an entire hour yesterday.”
“Why?”
“Incase you missed me, of course.”
“Trust me, I wouldn’t try this hard to avoid you if I really did. Let’s just live our lives naturally, I beg you.”
“Naturally?”
“Yes, naturally. Our eyes may meet as we pass each other in the hallway, we may hear things about each other, but let’s just ignore it. Now doesn’t that sound wonderful?”
“Huh. …Did you have a fight with Jongin?”
“…What?”
“You’re always so y when you have a fight with him. It’s not like you guys are datin-”
“My god, ! Really?!”

Taemin jerks up from his seat, knocking over the piano chair in the sudden process. He was angry all of a sudden, this was driving him crazy.

“Kim Jongin, Kim Jongin, why is it always Kim Jongin when it comes to me?! Can’t I have a friend? Does it look like I can’t function without him or something?! Just leave me alone, OK?! !!”

Taemin’s shoulders rise up and down, air is lacking in his strained lungs. His heart is pounding fast and the piano room suddenly feels too small to provide him oxygen. The cigarette between Soojung’s fingers flicker as she stares at Taemin, hanging open. Having realized that he has never seen Soojung look so shocked, Taemin feels a bit out of hand and raises the chair back up.

“……So don’t tie Jongin with me all the time.”
“……”
“It’s been getting on my nerves lately.”

Ash falls from the of Soojung’s cigarette and Taemin takes it to his own mouth. He inhales and warm smoke fills up his insides. It’s his first encounter but the disgusting taste and the fuzzy feel brings back his conscience and Taemin then realizes why people smoke. Soojung also recovers from the shock and comes back to her normal self.

“So you guys did fight, that was a whole lot of ing.”

Back to her crazy self.

“Why do you care? Does everyone really have nothing to do with their time? I have psychos and erts barging into my life, Kim Jongin whining about love and girl problems, Baldy who wants paren