Chapter Six

Chapter Six

“It’s always calm before storm right? That’s what people always say,

but if it was this calm, maybe even the forecast cannot determine if it’s going to be a storm or not”

“But that doesn’t make it right!” his hoarse and tired voice boomed in the entire room. The members of the meeting just watched the old man sputters his objection. Their face showed disinterest and ignorance.

“That’s indeed the case, Headmaster” one of the teachers said. “This school is not following any regulation since the birth of the student’s factions” he further explained. “And firm action is, well, needed urgently to straightened things up”

The old man was fumed with anger. “But still, these actions you are talking about are not what any teacher would do” he growled menacingly but the entire teacher body wasn’t so attentive at his statement. By the look of it, it was like teachers from the whole school versus the headmaster. Clearly enough, the headmaster is at disadvantage by numbers.

“Excuse me,” a voice broke the tense. A young man in his mid-twenties was raising his hand as his intelligent and charismatic gaze swept the audience. “I don’t intend to oppose anyone in any kind of way, but I think what Headmaster said is correct”

The air began to tensing into another level as the young man being leered by most of the student. “And what makes you think that way, Teacher Wu?” a strict looking female teacher harshly asked.

“Simply because my intuition of being a teacher” he replied with calmness although on the edge of his voice everyone was certain that he’s not exactly on his best mood. “And please, call me Kris” he said with poisonous tone.

Silence struck them once more before finally a teacher who’s like the other teachers, has his face hidden by the shadow. “I think we can call off this meeting” he talked as if the headmaster is not present at all. Headmaster just growled distinctively before the male teacher gave him a hard look.

“And just to remind you, Headmaster, you will be retired in three months, please think this thoroughly. Can you leave your school with this present condition and brought Seoul Art High’s prestigious status down?” the question only made the old Headmaster fell into a definite silence, although for sure he has a lot in his mind.

“This meeting is over” with that the teachers and the Headmaster himself, started to leave the room with mixed feelings. But in the slight tensed situation, Kris remained on his seat. His arms folded firmly in front of his chest. His eyes are throwing daggers dangerously at everything that on his sight.

“You think that kind of decision needed?” he spat to no one. “Suspending students merely because the teachers are jealous, can they become even more stupid than this?”

~//~

“What, a study tour?” Seuk Ri exclaimed at Risa’s excited face. “To where, when? There’s a lot I wanted to know!” she yet squealed at the thought of the exciting activity. The half-Japanese who also shared the same enthusiasm smile widely at this.

“Well I don’t know, there are a lot of places to go to, but I heard it’s oversea!” Risa shouted. And apparently her voice was about to break a person’s eardrum and the said person don’t waste another second to blame the girl.

“Yah, Risa, my ears are about to bleed thanks to your loud-“

Jong In stopped as the girl he was talking to heed no attention. “I wonder where we’re going… Is it Thailand, or, or…” Risa trailed as her eyes literally shone in happiness. “We’re going to Japan!” she shouted, clearly overjoyed by the thought visiting her homeland.

The Black Representative merely rolled his eyes. “We’re not going there, that’s for sure” he stated which made Risa threw him a dirty look.

“You don’t have to be so spiteful if it’s true” Risa told him with narrowed eyes.

“I’m not lying” he insisted. “For all you know, I was selected for this year study committee” Jong In explained. “It’s only natural for me to know exactly where we’re going” Risa pouted before he faced Seuk Ri once more before pulling the painter away. Annoyed being neglected, Jong In shouted behind them.

“I’m not lying; we really are not going to Japan!” he soon realized either Risa or – probably – Seuk Ri doesn’t exactly pay attention on his. For that he merely sighed, was it so hard to be in a good term with the White Representative? Jong In doesn’t know. Risa always closed both her ears around him.

“She’s not closing her ears” a voice startled the Black Representative and made him lost his cool for a second. After he realized the owner of the voice present, he just glowered at him, without bad meaning of the gaze.

“Baekhyun,” he said his name. It was no secret between all members of either Black or White, that Baekhyun although grouped with the Whites, is pretty much well said, neutral. But the difference between Seuk Ri is purely because of Baekhyun’s affiliation from the start. Aside of that well-known fact, the shorter teen showed no remorse for startling Jong In, instead he was busy drinking his box of orange juice. “You surprised me”

Baekhyun looked at Jong In before he apologized for his rudeness. “But I really mean it, Risa listened” he told the Black Representative with focused eyes. But he broke the eye contact abruptly. “You doubted me” his tone showed his disappointment on Jong In lack of attention.

“I do not doubt!” Jong In denied. “It’s just, me and Risa never actually on the same side of things” he explained a bit embarrassed to admit the up and down relationship – if you can call that a ‘relationship’ – they have. Baekhyun after heard this only nodded his head with ignorance. “How can you even know what Risa’s thinking anyway, although I still not doubting you” Jong In added, insisted he in no way doesn’t trust the genius figure.

Baekhyun looked up; his lips chewed the straw inside his mouth. Then he looked back at Jong In. He stopped sipping his juice as he answered. “Because I understand woman and you don’t” Baekhyun sounded like asking back. Jong In’s veins popped but he managed to calm before erupting in anger.

“That’s not an answer” the Black Representative stated and Baekhyun gave him a smile.

“Of course it’s not an answer” at that Jong In hold his grudge to face-palm his face. Sometimes Baekhyun could be very infuriating in his own kind of ways. Not annoying but his ‘I-know-what-you-don’t-know’ look sometime gets into a person’s nerve.

Jong In yet still forced to calm himself. “Aside of that, how come you know what I was thinking?” he asked. Baekhyun stopped sipping as his eyes looked at Jong In’s directly. But he wasn’t exactly looking at Jong In’s eyes either. His gaze is blank, it’s like he was entering Jong In’s mind. And for sure, the Black Representative gets goose bumps by looking at the empty gaze.

“Err…” in an abrupt movement, Baekhyun broke the intense eye contact as he looked at the juice box on his grip. He eyed the box like it was full of wonder.

“It’s empty” he stated before he left the still confused Black Representative.

Jong In could only watch him leaving him. Sometimes I still wonder if he’s normal or what… he thought to himself. It was still something that he pondered about. Smart, thoughtful, and imaginative, but aside of that, it wasn’t just once he heard that Baekhyun’s mental problem. But he quickly dismissed the thought. “I shouldn’t be bothered right? It’s not like the separations between the student body is the single reason he turned that way”

“Kim Jong In!” Someone called him and the Black Representative turned around to face Chanyeol. The fellow Blacks speeding up as Jong In acknowledge him. Chanyeol stopped in the second before he could crash Jong In down.

“Have you heard, have you heard?” Chanyeol excitedly started as his whole body started moving as the ecstasy is literally jumping inside of him. His bright eyes twinkled with joy. Sometimes it was a question itself how the teen could be so bright and cheerful, not to mention, always restless.

“No, I haven’t heard” Jong In sharply replied. “Instead of jumping like a rabbit there, why won’t you tell exactly what you have heard” instead of being opposed by his slight harsh words, Chanyeol was grinning or more correctly, still grinning.

He stopped hop like a cute little bunny as his grin turned into a smile. “The place for the study tour has been decided by the main team” he informed which is slightly made the Black Representative mad. He doesn’t even know the decision was made beforehand today. Heck, he even didn’t hear anything about meeting! Someone must feel his wrath today… That thought abruptly stopped right away. I should stop sticking around Luhan… his habit started to getting into me.

So in the end Jong In muster all his will power to smile – even if it’s eerily – at Chanyeol who instantly yelped at the sight of Jong In with murderous aura around him. “Oh I see… I hope this year’s study tour would be eventful” even his voice is scary.

“Y-yeah,” the other boy stuttered. “Let it be eventful…” Chanyeol finally lost his cheerful self at Jong In’s angered self. But then he just remembered something. “Right, I see you talking to someone before I come” the murderous aura around Jong In subsided instantly. Jong In nodded at this, and thus somehow made the other second-year nervous.

“Is that person happened to be Baekhyun from the Whites?” Chanyeol’s voice was low and he clearly feels anxious.

“Well, yeah. But he leave shortly, claiming his juice ran out” Jong In explained to kicked the weird ideas in Chanyeol’s head regarding his ex-childhood slash best friend. But Chanyeol’s tensed face is not loosened a bit.

“Idiot representative,” he muttered at Jong In. “Baekhyun always sipping empty juice box” at that Jong In lost at words. He doesn’t exactly know what to say. Even a single ‘oh’ wouldn’t escape his lips.

The Black Rep could only watched the boy’s sad face before smiling, knowing what to say. “Now to think about it, what place we’re going this year?” at his mare question, Chanyeol’s face lit up, the excited face returned.

“Oh you won’t believe it, it’s actually oversea!” Chanyeol literally shouted at Jong In’s ears. His eyes shone once again. “Even by thinking of it my heartbeat increased!”

Jong In chuckled with a thought that with whatever in the hand Park Chan Yeol will always be this excited. “But,” Jong In gets closer to Chanyeol as he whispered. “It’s not Japan right?” his question brought confusion to Chanyeol.

“Eh, no, why do you ask that?”

Jong In sighed in relieve. “Nothing, I just want to confirm it before Risa would laugh until her head fell off because I’m wrong” with that Jong In started walking. Behind him Chanyeol was grinning mischievously.

“Sure that’s the reason” Chanyeol said. “Whatever you say, Black Representative” Chanyeol started to follow Jong In and started pestering him about the study tour ‘this’ and ‘that’ literally non-stop. And with the speed he was going, it was certain Jong In couldn’t catch half things he was trying to say.

Jong In half-listen and half-ignore the happy teen following him closely. Sometimes he was so weird being all happy and sensitive then happy again with no exact reason… Jong In thought with a smile that turned into a thin line as his thought continued. No wonder Chanyeol used to befriend with Baekhyun…

~//~

“Seuk Ri!” the girl turned around to see Risa already ran towards her. Seuk Ri, herself, was still planted on her stool, facing the canvas in front of her. Risa stopped at Seuk Ri’s place and a huge smile appeared on her feature. “Come on, let’s go the cafeteria before it’s full!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, right” Seuk Ri immediately stood up and cleaned her hands with clean but wet rag next to her painting utensils. “By the way, why you come here Risa? Usually you waited me at the main hall” Risa grinned at Seuk Ri’s observation.

“Well to be truthful, Kyung Soo, the White Leader was busy with the study tour committee. And since the representative from factions that chosen is Jong In, that makes me less busy” the half-Japanese explained easily. “Thus I decide to go with my friend named Kang Seuk Ri!” she stated happily as she attempt to hug the other girl.

“You don’t have too…” Seuk Ri laughed nervously. Risa only clicked her tongue repeatedly as she released her hug.

“Says who that only has few friends” she commented before walking towards the door. Now Seuk Ri’s classroom was half empty and the teacher is not present. But it’s not like the teacher’s present would change a thing. “Let’s go”

Seuk Ri hastily followed Risa who’s already exiting the class. “Wait, Risa” she called and then they started walking next to each other towards the cafeteria.

Cafeteria is not exactly the most comfortable place to be around. Even though it was undeniably quite luxurious and built to be comfortable for students, but when it was packed, even a single breath is scarce. That’s why small canteens were spread over the school ground. Usually less influential members of Black and White gather there. Not only once Seuk Ri tried to go there, but her status as neutral – or maybe indecisive – makes her not exactly ‘less influential Black and White member’.

“Sometimes I really wanted to hire a chef here” Risa whined. “We’ve been trying to change the cook dozens of time but none of them match our expectations” she explained as she poked her foods in disinterest.

“It might be good if Seuk Ri’s mother is the cook” a male voice said. Risa who’s not only to occupied by her own rambles but also the thought of the dinner she got while visiting Seuk Ri’s home not long ago came into her mind. Thus she could only muttered agreement and nodded. But after think it for awhile, why the voice is so familiar?

“B-Black Leader!” Risa half-jumped from her seat, startled at the opposite leader’s presence. “I don’t know you were here” she told him still with shock on her face. To be truthful Risa herself, never meet the leader without Jong In being there as well.

“Jong In is on a meeting about study tour,” Luhan took a piece of meatball with his fork and ate it. “Thus since the leader chosen for the committee is Kyung Soo, I’m free as a bird, literally” he said as he continued eating the meatballs from his spaghetti.

How did he know what I was thinking? Is he some sort of telepathist? Risa wondered, joking at her own absurd thought. And the next thing he would do is lifting things into air without actually touching them.

“Even though,” Luhan’s voice gets deeper. “The teachers became ultimately suspicious. It’s a matter of time before something might happen”

“Eh?” Seuk Ri and Risa said in the same time. “What do you mean by ‘suspicious’, Luhan?” Seuk Ri carefully asked. Luhan simply put down his fork. The two girls watched the usually easy-going leader in silence. His head looked down, his eyes staring at his food deeply. If his stare could burn, his food might already turn into group of ashes.

Suddenly Luhan raised his head and smiled brightly. “No, nothing, there shouldn’t be a thing you should worry about”

~//~

Kim Jong In caught himself in a quite dilemma. He likes to work and since Luhan, even though smart and all, rarely want to do paper works, he gets a lot of experience in this matter. So working on the study tour committee is very, well… enjoyable. The only problem is the leader of this committee is the White Leader himself.

Jong In eyed the shorter boy who walks in front of him. The tense was escalating rapidly after the end of the meeting. The Black Representative also shared the same uneasiness at the conclusion of the meeting.

“Err… White Leader,” Jong In started.

“Please call me Kyung Soo since we’re not exactly handling a matter regarding any of the groups” the White Leader insisted.

“Okay,” Jong In was uncertain. “Kyung Soo, do you really mind of the ending of the meeting?” he asked and he was answered by silence. They continued walking in serene and quiet surroundings. The sunshine from the glass windows bathed the hallway. Even though Jong In was extremely anxious, Kyung Soo shows no sign of nervousness at the thrown question.

“About that,” finally Kyung Soo opened his mouth to answer. “If you are asking about those sudden changes then I have nothing against it”

“Oh…”

“However,” Kyung Soo halted abruptly, startling the Black Representative. Without turning to look at Jong In, he continued. “We should rather be careful on hidden motives than meddling on what already done,” Jong In suddenly feels being watched and he could see the White Leader’s edge of eyes is looking at him.

“Kim Jong In, as the leader of the Whites I have a request for you” Kyung Soo’s tone changed into more serious one.

“Eh, what is it?”

Kyung Soo turned around to see the Black Representative. A smile formed on his face somewhat made Jong In shivered in his frozen position, standing like some ice statue that one crazy, sadistic classmate of his made all the times.

~//~

“That should solve it” Seuk Ri watched as her reliable classmate wrote down the last equation for the math problem on her notebook. She took her book and read the whole answer and learned them; reading them for few times. After she was sure she gets it, she looked at her helper.

“Thank you Baekhyun, I’m just going to follow the steps for the other problems” Seuk Ri told the smiling boy.

“You’re welcome” he said.

Just a second after he said that, the static sound from the speaker could be heard. Both Seuk Ri and her classmates are looking towards the speaker, full of anticipation. After few disturbing sounds, finally a voice of someone clearing his throat could be heard.

“Ahem,” the person cleared his throat. “Students from both factions, this is the Black Representative and the Vice-President of the Study Tour Committee…” Jong In’s voice trailed. On the Broadcast room, with the help of few other Blacks under the White Leader – it was a miracle indeed, Luhan would ever allowed Kyung Soo to step a step on his so-called headquarter – was making the announcement.

Jong In looked at the paper which he was holding. He read for a while before he continued. “On the last meeting, we already confirmed the details for the upcoming study tour” he announced. “Thus, we called all the students body – either from Blacks or Whites – to gather at the school yard exactly fifteen minutes after this announcement was made, thank you”

The students chattered became louder and clearer as Seuk Ri and Baekhyun both exited the classroom. “Oh my, they are sure quite enthusiastic” Baekhyun commented as some male students, obviously from the Blacks are, are running in the hallway shouting endlessly.

Seuk Ri giggled, “it’s not wrong to be happy, since everyone was looking forward to it” she told him. Baekhyun looked at her and nodded.

“Even though I’m not in the slightest, interested, I can see everyone was clearly full of anticipation” He responded with a smile, despite the monotone voice he used. And the two of them continued heading towards the yard.

It was already full when they arrived. “Where we should line up?” she asked Baekhyun as in front of them was lines of students. She may not spoke it out loud, but if it was determined by Black or White then it was another news to her. However Baekhyun signed her to follow him.

“Not to worry, they gathered according to class. I can see ours over there” Baekhyun told her before they lined up too.

The chatters became more frequent as a female teacher took the megaphone. “Silence!” she shouted – which is actually unnecessary. The stinging sound of the device made almost all students cringed. The strict looking woman scanned the entire students before she continued with her commanding tone. “As the supervision teacher at this event, I will announce the conclusion for our Study Tour”

“Eh?” murmurs started to spread between the students, and clearly even as a new student, Seuk Ri knows something isn’t right. Or maybe the tense feeling since the teacher spoke through the megaphone wasn’t her imagination after all.

“The teacher?”

“Why her? The White Leader is present!”

Seuk Ri who’s in confusion turned around and saw Baekhyun who oddly has a sharp look. Baekhyun usual ‘blank’ look was somewhat utterly different to the point it was almost scarring. “One sign of a destruction…” other than that words, Seuk Ri cannot manage to hear the rest of his mumbling as the other started talking all at the same time. It was quite a chaotic situation as no one happen to take the silence message the teacher is giving. Seuk Ri could saw Kyung Soo stood in front too, despite not exactly at the middle. Somehow the White Leader doesn’t give a thing to the noisy student or obvious angry teacher.

“If the White Leader is okay with it, then everything will be fine” someone said which amazingly made most of the students closed their traps. Thanks to the evenly lined up students, Seuk Ri could see Luhan, the person who just talked. One sentence was all the Black Leader needs to calm the students, and with the name of the vice-versa leader, the Whites also listened. It was very amazing indeed, the power of leadership.

Luhan was staring eye-to-eye with Kyung Soo. If someone already invented a way to use telepathy, both leaders must be using it right now. The way they glared, well less than glaring, to each other was strong enough to make everyone knows not to mess around. The teacher with a megaphone – although she might not need it – took the opportunity to continue.

“Thank you student Luhan,” she thanked the Black Leader half-heartedly. “Now moving on” she exclaimed as she received a paper from Jong In who has a sour face which is one hundred percent ignored by the teacher. “So first of all, the study tour will be held exactly two weeks from now”

The students cheered. They clearly forgot the previous tense. “And the place has been decided, the place we will going to is Hong Kong” another cheers and exclamation of both happiness and some disappointment, spread through the students.

“We’re going to Hong Kong?!” Risa squealed with bright face.

Sehun practically jumped cheerfully as he slung one of his arm to another male student with black hair and sharp eyes. His white skin made his ‘black’ features stand out thus making him slightly shady. “Tao, we’re going to Disneyland!”

“But I’ve been there before….” Someone muttered. But more or less, most of them are definitely looking forward to it.

The Blacks started to discuss the places they wanted to go, amusement places and all activities they wanted to do there. Maybe they can even perform on the streets and get money – of course if it was allowed – the possibility is endless!

Meanwhile the Whites are discussing between themselves too. They was looking forward to places where they could learn about the culture and social. “I might found something interesting to paint there” Baekhyun piped in between the talk. Being the nearest to the proclaimed genius, Seuk Ri nodded her head. And since she was also a painter and still with no inspiration for her painting that will be submitted, maybe activity like this might help her.

“However,” the strict teacher said in louder, way louder voice. “The teachers decided that the Blacks and Whites should be mixed with no exception for the leaders” she eyed both Kyung Soo and Luhan. “That’s all”

The students who froze after the latter announcement slowly regained their senses. “WHAT?!”

author's note--

author's note--