Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

“All discoveries always started with a step,

and there will be  surprises along with it”

“What the, just what do you mean by you agree on that… that kind of policies! I don’t remember following what teacher wants!” Luhan shouted angrily. He was currently venting all his anger towards the White Leader whose eyes are still glued to the scenery beyond the transparent window. “And when I was in the dark, you even not trying anything, no good-Kyung Soo?”

Kyung Soo merely sighed. He knows from the very start that the Black Leader might act exactly like this. “I didn’t do anything because there is nothing I can do about it” he spoke in matter-of-factly manner. Luhan scoffed as he finally took a seat. A seat that belongs to the White Leader, and surely the owner wasn’t too happy about it.

“What?” Luhan asked ‘innocently’ as he spun the chair. “We’re now has no difference or so whatever right?”

Kyung Soo gave him a cold stare. “You got it all wrong” he told the Black Leader. “First our factions including us only mixed on the study tour, second we’re not exactly same” Luhan’s eyebrow slanted. “…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No, don’t stop. Please continue” Luhan gestured the White Leader to continue. Kyung Soo took a deep breath before questioning the Black Leader with his look. Luhan took the message and raised both of his hands. “Well, you sounded like you want to say a lot of things”

“I…” Kyung Soo paused. “I have nothing to say”

Luhan eyed him suspiciously. “Don’t lie when you’re bad at it” he spoke. “I know something is happening and with you keeping ‘secrets’ won’t help anything” Luhan glowered. Kyung Soo although looking as nonchalant as ever, some things are just spilling up, and the Black Leader bother himself just to pick the scattered pieces.

“I know you would object on this kind of agreement” Luhan stated in matter-of-fact. “That kind of policy would break into a ‘massacre’ of students. And knowing you – and don’t try to deny it – you would do everything, anything to prevent that to happen. And yet you magically agreed”

Luhan paused his speech as his gaze finally broke the White Leader façade. “So tell me Do Kyung Soo… What is something you hesitated on telling me?” the Black Leader demanded.

They exchanged heated glares until Kyung Soo opened his mouth. But before any words came out, both leaders cocked their heads towards the door that opened. The opened door revealed a young man in middle twenty, with a warm but strict smile. “Teacher Wu” Kyung Soo breathed out at the English teacher’s presence.

“What are you doing here?” Luhan spat dangerously at teachers. He never trust any teacher except the headmaster himself. However Kris’ step is not wavering as he continued walking towards the factions’ leaders. “Oi, who let you to come here?!” the Black Leader made himself louder as he shot up from Kyung Soo’s seat.

Kris doesn’t say a thing as Kyung Soo watched him carefully. The White Leader then looked towards Luhan. “It’s okay, I allowed him” the Black Leader gave him a disapproving look.

“But he-“

“You are not supposed to be allowed here either” Kyung Soo cut him sharply before Luhan could finish his sentence. Luhan could only scowled as the Kyung Soo moved his stare back to Kris.

Kris let a small laugh. “Kyung Soo, there’s no need for you to looked at me like that” he said easily thus only hardened the White Leader careful gaze. The young teacher understand the meaning of the look but he decided to put that message down and started on more urgent matter.

“Kyung Soo, you know I’ve tried my best” Kris tried to reasoned.

Kyung Soo’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you’re best is, but whatever it is, I certainly sure it’s not good enough” he coldly replied. Kris tried not to sigh at the younger boy. He understands completely why the White Leader is truly upset.

“Wait, what are both of you talking about?” Luhan asked in insecure. He never knows the White Leader make an alliance with someone else, let alone a teacher. “Why am I being left out here?” the Black Leader questioned both males, but he received zero answer from any of them.

“I know you are angry, but being an immature brat wouldn’t help” Kris told the White Leader thus made Kyung Soo let a low menacing growl. Luhan, who’s fighting in daily basis with Kyung Soo, never heard or even imagine the cool-headed leader would ever make such sound.

And that only intrigued the Black Leader more. “I’m out of here” he exclaimed with his voice filled with pure annoyance. But before he could twist the door handle, Kris stopped him.

“Wait Luhan, don’t leave yet” Kris said and Luhan turned around to see the teacher’s back. Even not looking at the Black Leader in the eye, Kris could feel the curiosity emitting from Luhan. “I reckon you want to know what’s you’ve been missing, Black Leader” Kris narrowed his stare and Kyung Soo flinched. “This time there will be no secret”

For some reason Luhan could feel cold feeling crept to his spine. He slightly shivered at the ghostly feeling. “W-what are you talking about?” he asked as bravely as he could despite the anxiousness.

“Luhan, do you know the word being dethroned?”

~//~

“Eh?” Seuk Ri’s eyes widened at Jong In and Risa’s previous statement. She put down her spoon next to the rice bowl. “What do you mean by not everyone are going?” Seuk Ri asked both representatives who are eating their food in extraordinarily peace. Since the three of them – as Seuk Ri always believe – closer, they went to Seuk Ri’s place at daily basis. Beside who could pick a ramen in cup over free homemade tasty dinner?

“Well yeah,” Jong In said while took a piece of meat from one of the plates in front of them. “Since it’s oversea some students are unable to pay for the trip. But not to worry, they are allowed not to go to school if they wanted it that way” the Black Representative explain.

Na Mi looked at Jong In worriedly. “But then won’t their time is wasted?”

Jong In gave Seuk Ri’s mother one charming smile. “Don’t worry ma’am. Our students are very dedicated so in their free time they would choose Part-time jobs or even working on various projects” he assured her.

“Oh well then there’s nothing should a mother worried about!” Na Mi laughed as she continued with her dinner.

Seuk Ri peered at Risa who sat next to her. “So Risa, is that all? The students who are unable to pay are being left?” she asked obviously still feel uneasy. Risa looked at her with an assuring smile.

“Of course not, you at least must have score above average” Risa told her. “Like Jong In said,” the girl spoke the Black Rep’s name in spiteful manner. “Our students are dedicated to their dreams, if they failed midterm it means they have to work harder and that’s make the representatives work harder so they won’t quit and keep moving forward!”

After hearing Risa’s further explanation, Seuk Ri’s heart is more at ease. She continued her dinner and the whole event turned into a peace experience. Or that was what she thought before her mother choose to make a little disturbance.

“So, are both of you a couple?” Na Mi pointed at Jong In and Risa. Both of their face turned red in instant – faster than the traffic light even.

Both of them stood up abruptly as their hands hit the table thus surprising the mother and daughter. Their bodies shake in embarrassment. “We-we’re NOT!” they shouted in a perfect synchronize. But with their beet red face, who would believe them?

~//~

One month passed quickly along with the midterm test. Seuk Ri with more or less 50 other students managed to proceed to the study tour. Risa and Jong In also made it even if it’s barely over the average. That’s also applied on her, so Seuk Ri doesn’t argue with anything.

Baekhyun made it, surprisingly he need to get remedial. But he gets perfect score in the remedial test somehow confused Seuk Ri. “Just ignore him, he’s different” that’s all Risa could explain. But the surprise of midterm exam doesn’t stop there.

Originally Seuk Ri thought Luhan and Kyung Soo would go how matter what the circumstance is. But both of them are top in their class. The painter has no doubt on the White Leader. Although only thinking him would make heat crept to her cheeks, the fact cannot changed. That’s different with Luhan. Seuk Ri is close enough to Luhan and she knows he is not much of studious person, but yet the Black Leader is full of surprises.

“Kang Seuk Ri~!” Risa jumped to hug the petite painter. “I’m so excited, finally today we’re going to Hong Kong!” the White Representative, although now she insisted only being addressed as ‘Risa’ only, exclaimed as she jumped in her place. Her hair jumped along with her. She stopped when a hand rested on her shoulder.

“Stop moving around, you make me dizzy” Jong In stated and in another moment Risa moved away from his perimeter. While throwing angry look Risa pouted although said nothing to the Black Rep-

I mean, Jong In.

Seuk Ri laughed softly as she could see Chen, Sehun and Baekhyun all three of them with their own suitcases, walked towards them. Chen and Sehun greeted their respective representative although called them with their name.

“Good morning Risa, Jong In, Seuk Ri” Baekhyun greeted as he sip a box of milk. Somehow Jong In knows it was empty. Chanyeol had told him beforehand does he? “The weather is nice, don’t you think?”

Seuk Ri nodded. “Yeah, we came so early and the morning sky is so pretty” she commented. And thus all of them struck into conversations. Or bickering in Jong In and Risa’s case. But suddenly a round of cheers erupted from the other students.

“Huh? The leaders are coming together?” one exclaimed thus received full attention from the others. The chatters are louder and Seuk Ri needed to raised herself higher just to look to the odd situation. And when she finally saw it she could feel her jaw dropped.

Luhan and Kyung Soo, the Black and White. The always fighting two meters radius interaction people, are walking side by side. Their arms almost touch and it was so weird to see them like that. Questions are bustling over the students head as the pair walked towards their bewildered representatives.

“L-Luhan?”

“Kyung Soo?”

Both representative breath out the leaders name with blank look. Luhan glared at them while Kyung Soo acted like he didn’t see anything. But all of the students are staring at them as they were UMA. And when they looked at their representatives’ face, sure it doesn’t lessen their foul mood.

“Stop looking!” Both of them shouted in unison. They glared to the other students, Luhan who stood on the left glared on students on his left side while Kyung Soo on the other side. “We’re not some show, mind your own business!” they said the words although Luhan shouted it while Kyung Soo said it in commanding tone.

But in the end their synch doesn’t help, in anyway, their problem.

~//~

“Again why are we doing this?” Luhan complained right away when he settled on the plane. Kyung Soo who happened to have a seat next to him. Currently the White Leader is putting his backpack on the cabin. But the disapproving look on his face is visible as he sat on his seat. He got seat next to the hallway while Luhan stuck in the middle.

“We’re leaders, why we have to be treated like this?” the Black Leader yet complained once more. He moved around to show his discomfort. Kyung Soo merely sighed as he took a magazine in front of him.

He skimmed through the pages and found nothing catches his interest. So he averted his gaze to the angry slash annoyed Luhan. “I thought you don’t like calling yourself leader” he commented.

“Hmm…” Luhan was way too annoyed at the current situation to be intrigued by Kyung Soo’s sarcasm. “Maybe you’re right, you will get comfortable in some extent sometimes”

Kyung Soo leaned to his seat. “How boring” he stated. “The study tour just started and I feel like going home” at that Luhan snickered.

“Well suit yourself. I won’t be in the same boat as you” Luhan announced as he pulled a book from a bag he put under his chair, just in case. “I have tons of things in my Luhan’s list”

Kyung Soo almost choke. “I’m sorry, what? Luhan’s list?” his voice shook. “What the hell is that?” for one thing Kyung Soo is good at hiding his laughter, but this is simply too much to comprehend!

Luhan just grinned. “Yeah, laugh Do Kyung Soo. I’m extremely happy to at least make you laugh at your first day of study tour-“

A snore could be heard and Luhan halted his sentence immediately. He growled distinctively. “One thing I might annoyed with your present that I could not deny, but” he paused. As he looked at his other seatmate. “Why I must seat next to this grandpa?!” he shouted.

An old man was sleeping peacefully just after he sat. He snore again and Luhan’s eye twitched. “The plane is not even moving and he’s already in dreamland, I just wish I could-“

“Aww! What’s that for?!” Luhan yowled in pain at Kyung Soo who happened to hit his head with magazine.

“Shows respect, you're too loud and attracted unwanted attention. If you jealous because he live comfortably don’t vent up your anger towards him, especially an elderly” Kyung Soo lectured. Luhan scoffed as he sulked on his seat.

“There’s one thing I could not live with” Luhan looked at Kyung Soo. “Is to be nagged by you” he confessed. Kyung Soo just shrugged.

“Well nice knowing it” that statement made Luhan’s veins popped. He wanted to rant more but the lights are turned off as the plane is ready to take off.

~//~

Seriously she wanted to shout at them for always fighting against each other. It was natural for her since she knows them quite well, but if you happened to sit in between them in a plane for hours, it might take all your tolerance and patience.

“Guys…” Seuk Ri mumbled weakly. Risa and Jong In quickly looked at her. “Please stop fighting…” her words barely audible so the result well, disappointing.

“Those young couple is so cute” the three teens looked at two woman who are giggling at each other. After they realized what they meant, Seuk Ri chuckled while Jong In looked outside the window and Risa found her feet suddenly very interesting.

“I’m sleepy don’t bother me” Risa exclaimed before closing her eyes. Seuk Ri knows Risa was just trying hard not to have any argument with the boy next to Seuk Ri. But in the other five minutes, the half-Japanese is fell asleep.

After that Jong In doesn’t even make any voice. Sometimes he looks around but then bored again. That’s also applied to Seuk Ri. She was bored beyond measurement, but one thing that peeked her interest was the window seat. She wanted to look outside. When she’s visiting Baekhyun one day, the genius painter told her the study tour might give her an inspiration for her painting.

A picture captured from the height, she must has it printed in her mind.

Seuk Ri looked at the window but the sight is hard to get. And Jong In is not a little child, he’s quite tall thus makes it harder for her. After ten minutes finally Jong In realized the girl wanted to look from the window.

“Err, Seuk Ri? Do you want to swap seats?” he asked and startled Seuk Ri in the process. She had thought it before but she need to stay in her seat so Risa and Jong In wouldn’t go all-out against each other.

“Are you sure Jong In? I mean Risa-“

“It’s fine,” the boy insisted. “Beside she’s asleep. There’s no harm”. After one minute considering, Seuk Ri took the offer. They changed their seat after consoling to one of the stewardess.

The sight is beautiful. The clouds looks like a soft cotton candy that floats naturally. Seuk Ri glad that she took the offer. She could watch it all the way to Hong Kong. It was simply mesmerizing, inviting.

Meanwhile Jong In is still bored. Usually he never sat in silence next to Risa. But the girl is sleeping so peacefully, so he dared not to make any sound let alone a thought to put a prank on her. Just when he was leaning back to the seat, from the edge of his eyes he could see Risa’s head is leaning towards the hallway.

In instinct Jong In pulled her so her head won’t get hit from Sehun who was heading towards the restroom. Her head is safe from Sehun rushed body – it seems he’s been holding it for quite a time – but what Jong In doesn’t anticipated is the limp head, courtesy of Risa, rested on his shoulder.

He could feel his heart missed a beat and followed by both his breath and heartbeat labored. Heat rushed to his cheek and he hope Seuk Ri or anyone in this matter saw him. He could feel Risa’s slow breath. Calm yourself Jong In, calm yourself. He chanted inside his head. But when his eyes looked at Risa again his calmness dropped to minus.

It was awkward yes, talking about people who fight constantly. But Jong In even if it’s out of his character, could say it’s not uncomfortable either. Risa’s head placed perfectly on his shoulder. And the warm feeling inside his chest started to annoy him, as he put it.

But in the end there’s always be a good thing to all misfortune. For one, in the whole ride Kim Jong In wouldn’t be bored since he was busy tending his heart so it won’t jumped from his ribcage.

What he wasn’t aware of is Sehun priceless shocked look – he even tumbled and surprised the other passenger who thought he was about to passed out – and Seuk Ri’s watchful gaze –  although went unnoticed to him.

This study tour proved to be an unforgettable one, even if it’s only the beginning.

author's note--

author's note--