~*~

“Don’t talk or get near that guy ever again,” Kai said to Seyoon. Seyoon turned around to face Kai with the dust-covered blackboard eraser still in her hands. Kai, who was also one of the scheduled classroom cleaners, was just sitting on the teacher’s table facing Seyoon. Chanyeol, not intending to hear their conversation, continued mopping the floor with his ears as active as ever.

“What?” she said in confusion, hoping that she misheard him.

“That Chinese whatever-his-name is guy, avoid him.”

“He has a name Kai, Tao. And why do I have to stop talking to him? It’s not as if he’ll do something bad to me.”

Kai didn’t know how to explain to Seyoon what happened in the bakeshop a few days ago. He didn’t know if he’ll say to her how scary Tao’s gaze was that day or how he smiled at him devilishly. After all, what can a smile or a gaze proved of someone’s whole personality. Besides, no one had witnessed that except him.

“I don’t know. Just stop talking to him.” Here he was again with ‘I don’t know’ and ‘He’s weird’, and what else? Seyoon just looked at Kai and sighed.

 “Look. I know I said to you the other day how I appreciate you being protective of me. But this, it gets slightly overboard. I know that a lot of people think of Tao as someone weird but as someone who really interacts with him, I have the right to judge whether he’s good or bad. And besides, I could handle myself. I am not as weak as you think I am.”

Kai just stand there dumbfounded. However, he couldn’t blame Seyoon for believing Tao more than his warnings. After all, he doesn’t have enough evidence to prove the accusation.

Chanyeol, who was pretending to mop although he was listening to their conversation, couldn’t stand it anymore and decided to talk. “Kai, I think Seyoon is right.” He went to the teacher’s table with Kai and placed his arm on his shoulder’s friend. “Although I haven’t seen that Tao you are talking about, I don’t think you should blame him based on his appearance.”

“But Seyoon you have believe me, he’s not the type of person whom you should trust,” Kai insisted.

“How many times do I have to tell you that Tao is not the type of person you think he is? Look, he even had a good time playing with the kids of the day care center. He just smiled the whole time even if some of the kids were hitting him. He’s a nice guy.”

“But…that doesn’t mean he’s not capable of doing something bad,” Kai said to her as went down the teacher’s table to face Seyoon.

“Okay,” Seyoon put the eraser down and grabbed her bag. “I have to go now,” she said with looking back at Kai and Chanyeol. “By the way, you don’t have to wait for me today, no, this week. I’ll be busy,” she said before she left.

Kai was about to run after her when Chanyeol grabbed his shoulder, “Hey, you don’t expect me to clean this whole room by myself, aren’t you?”

“But…Seyoon…”

Chanyeol sighed and went to his friend. He placed his arm on Kai’s shoulder to comfort him. “Just give her some time. Why don’t you trust her? She knows what to do,” he said to Kai. Kai looked at Chanyeol. It seemed like even this child-like friend of him has also matured a lot. But then, “Besides, she’s smarter than you. You’re just jealous because she found a new best friend!” Kai knew it. He really thought Chanyeol had already changed. All hopes are gone for him.

“That’s not true! I’m not jealous. I know that guy is up to no good. If only you see how he looked at me with those scary eyes of him.”

“He looked at you in a scary way? How? Like this,” Chanyeol started teasing Kai by putting a silly expression.

“Yah! Why don’t you believe in me? I’m telling the truth!”

“Dude, relax. I believe in you. If you want we can follow that guy after school and see if he’s really the person you think he is.”

“Really?” Kai thought for a moment. He didn’t know if Chanyeol was just playing dumb or his brain functions just once in a million years. “That’s a good idea.”

“Hmm…Now get this and start mopping!” Chanyeol said as he handed Kai the mop.

“You do it yourself! I’ll just clean the board.”

“Yah! Seyoon already did that!”

---

After walking out from the classroom, Seyoon found herself starring at the soccer field. It was unusual for her to stay in this place. In fact, she’s only been here for sports fests or when Sehun and Baekhyun had sports matches.

“What are you doing?” someone snuck up from behind.

“Tao…” she eyed Tao as he sat beside her on the bleacher.

“I was on my way to throw the trash when I saw you here. I knew it was you.”

“So you’re also a cleaner huh?”

Tao nodded at her. “So, why are you here?” he asked her again.

“Just thinking…”

“Thinking about what?”

Seyoon pouted as she recalled what happened earlier. Might not as well tell someone about her problem. But Tao was also involved. Tao waved his hand in front of her. “Huh? Ah…”

“Is it something you can’t tell me?”

“No..ahh…well, I had an argument with my friend. But you see, I don’t really want to argue with him or have a fight with him. It’s just that we have different opinions, that’s all.”

“Hmm…is your argument something that you can’t compromise?”

Seyoon swayed her head. “He’s the person I trusted the most but even if I wanted to believe in him, I don’t think he’s on the right side of the argument. What do I do?” Seyoon looked at him in the eyes, wishing that he had the answers for her even if he was one of the reasons why she argued with Kai.

“If you really trust him then maybe you should question your argument. I mean, I am not telling he is right but maybe he is really right. Or if you really don’t think there’s a way that he’s right then prove to him that you are the one who’s right. You know what? You’re lucky that you have someone you can call friend. You’re even lucky that you can argue with that friend of yours. At least, he trusted you enough for him to share his opinions.”

Seyoon looked at Tao for a second. There’s no way that someone who could say those words could be a dangerous person. Tao was a kind, at least based on how he treated her. “There’s no other way then. I have to prove him wrong,” she said to him.

Tao nodded at her, raised his fist in the air and shouted, “Seyoon, fighting!”

“Fighting!” she replied with a smile.

---

“Is that Seyoon?” Chanyeol said with his eyes fixed on the two people sitting on the bleachers. He and Kai went to throw the trash to the waste container at the back of the school. Although they were feet away and was separated by a wall of wire mesh fence, Kai knew it was Seyoon. And he also perfectly knew that the guy she’s talking with was Tao. “Why is she there? And who’s that guy she’s talking with?” Chanyeol said as he squinted his eyes just to see clearly the person unknown to him.

“That’s Tao…” Kai replied with his eyes still fixed on the two who were laughing heartily for something he-does-not-care what it was.

“That’s Tao? He seemed…nice.” Kai looked at him sternly. “Err, I mean, I think I should have my glasses on before I judge him,” Chanyeol said as he gulped nervously.

Kai looked at Tao and Seyoon. They seemed to be enjoying together. She said that she would do something. And that she would be busy. Yet, she was here with him even though they already argued about him just a while ago. He couldn’t help but felt irritated that she chose Tao over him. “I’ll prove to Seyoon that she is wrong,” he whispered before he walked away.

“Hey! Where are you going?” Chanyeol trailed after him.