Third person POV

The sun shone across the sky, its rays blinking between the slender branches of trees. Evidence of last night’s storm still speckled on the pavement like footstep, and puddles waded like shallow lakes. Jisu stepped into a puddle, water slipped down like tears on the leather of her shoes.

“I heard you had lunch with Sohee yesterday,” Jisu said as she shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun.

Jongup’s eyes widened. “She bumped into me,” he admitted after a moment.

A cheeky smirk scrawled up on Jisu’s face, “You like her?”

Jongup’s permanent smile suddenly dropped and he stopped walking. “No…” he murmured softly.

Jisu’s smirk became a grin, “I’m right?” she said lifting an eyebrow. The boy scrunched up his face and continued walking, avoiding eye contact. Jisu leaned over and noticed Jongup’s face flushing red. “Oooh!!” she laughed, “I got you!” Jisu beamed as she shook his arm.

“Hajima…” Jongup moaned with a timid childish smile. “It’s not like that,” Jongup laughed, raising his brows softly. “I just had to apologise—”

“Don’t deny it!!” Jisu persisted, slapping the boy on the back. “You have my permission!”

Jongup frowned, a crease forming between his brows. “Since when did I need your permission?”

Jisu shrugged with a bright smile still plastered on her face. “Whatever,” she laughed steering the two of them to school.

A sudden flood of squealing female voices became audible just as the two turned the last corner. A crowd of girls were pushing and shoving just outside of the gates. In the middle of the mob was a familiar head bobbing up and down like a buoy. Zelo towered above the girls, struggling to keep a polite smile on his face as he attempted to shuffle to class. A girl was suddenly pushed out of the violent swarm.

“Yah!” Sohee squealed, her ponytail had loosened and drooped down sullenly against her back. She rubbed her cheek that had become faintly red.

“Sohee?!” Jisu called out and ran up to her, leaving Jongup confused as to what to do. Sohee turned around as she adjusted her hair.

She pursed her lips, “Jisu!” she wailed.

“What happened?” Jisu asked as they walked over to the vending machine. Sohee slipped some change into the slot.

“Well…” she said as she examined the choices and hit a series of numbers. They watched the chosen beverage fall. Sohee bent down and took the bottle of iced tea, “We were just walking to school and suddenly a bunch of girls came running our way.” Jisu and Sohee began making their way to their first class. “I guess they’re all Zelo’s fans,” Sohee frowned. They reached class and took a seat at the back, “He’s become pretty popular after the performance,” she cringed.

Jisu pressed her lips together, “They’ll forget about it soon enough.”

Sohee opened the bottle and let her lips rest on the rim, “Yeah, well… maybe…” she said before tilting her head up and taking a sip.

Sunhwa rubbed her temples and stared at the hyperactive class she had been given. “Shush! Sit down!” she screamed. After the sound of shuffling seats the class fell silent. Mrs Hwang placed a hand or her hip and exhaled. “Okay, we’re going to have a project—” The class groaned and in no time the volume had been turned back up to its maximum. “BE QUIET!!!” The teacher scowled, “You get to pick partners, okay? So stop complaining!” The class brightened up and friends turned to friends and nodded, confirming their partners.

Zelo twisted his head to Sohee with a bright smile on his face. Jisu nudged Sohee in the gut, smiling. ‘Partners?’ her expression said. Sohee frowned and tilted her head towards Zelo and mouthed ‘sorry’ to Jisu.

“Okay, who’s with who?” Sunhwa asked.

One after another students named their partner. “Lee Sohee,” Zelo answered, the name was followed by a chorus of groans from his fans in the class. Sohee smiled shyly in reply to the glares.

“She’s not even pretty,” they scowled under their breaths.

Kai stretched his limbs and glimpsed at Jisu. Jisu’s eyes lurked around the room, wondering who she could go with.

“Jisu? Who are you going with?” asked Mrs Hwang after she hesitated to answer.

“Uh…” Jisu looked around the room, she couldn’t think of anyone. Kai raised an eyebrow at the opportunity and hesitantly lifted his hand just above his head.

“Kim Jongin?” Mrs Hwang confirmed.

Kai nodded. Jisu pouted, she was stuck with him again.

Jisu dropped her head onto the desk and let out a loud groan, “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAE??” she cried.

“Yah!” Kai frowned and leaned over to flick the top of her head. The impact made the sound of rock hitting rock.

Jisu’s head shot back up, “WAE?!” she grimaced, rubbing the top of her head.

“You should be grateful,” Kai muttered as he scanned through the task hand out. “Ah!” he pointed at the page:

Your task is to (in partners) photograph your ‘history.’

What places/people/things have made a big impact on you?

Do you have anything that symbolizes your family history?

Do you have any items that have been passed down to you?

What is the most precious thing in your life?

Kai scratched his head and turned to Jisu, “you have any ideas?” Jisu frowned, shrugged and turned back to face the window. A senior class was playing soccer. Jisu’s chin rested in her palm as she watched Daehyun play. Daehyun dived to catch a ball. Jisu laughed as she watched him get back up with mud on his stomach. Even though the voices were barely audible through the glass she could make out Mr. Kim’s lecture. Turned out Daehyun wasn’t even the goalie. Jisu looked dazed as she smiled softly out the window. Kai peeked over her shoulder and cringed.

“You don’t have to make it so obvious,” he muttered as he sat back down.

Sohee tugged on the ends of her hair, she hummed softly as she brainstormed what to do. Zelo shook his head, trying to stop himself from falling asleep. Sohee tapped her lip with the end of her pencil and turned to her partner. He was awake one second and in deep sleep the next. “You have any ideas?” she asked softly.

 Zelo shook his head in his sleep and made a muffled ‘no.’

Sohee frowned. “Were you up all night practicing again?”

Zelo opened one eye and stared softly at the girl before sealing it back shut and forcing both eyes open at the same time. Looking alert he nodded robotically. “Y-yeah. Kind of…”

Sohee sighed, “Your grades will only get worse you know?”

Zelo frowned, “doesn’t really matter…”

Sohee frowned back and lightly shock Zelo by the shoulder before he could drift back to sleep. “You can’t assume I’ll finish the assignment on my own like usual.”

Zelo perked up, “Really? Why not?” He sounded like a spoilt child and Sohee knew that he could easily throw a tantrum at any time.

“This isn’t middle school, Junhong,” Sohee pouted.

The boy cringed at the sound of his real name. “I told you not to call me that.”

“I expect you and your partner to meet up over the weekends to do this assignment. You have to write individual essays as well as an A3 poster, with photos, which you’ll work on together. Everybody got that? Okay! Class dismissed!” announced the teacher before the class could escape.

“What are you and Kai planning to do?” Sohee asked Jisu after Zelo had left for his club activities.

Jisu shrugged, “Don’t know…” She looked over at her friend, “It would’ve been easier if you and I were partners.”

Sohee laughed bitterly, “But who would have Zelo gone with?”

“I don’t know—one of his fan girls??” 

Sohee laughed again, this time sounding a pitch sarcastic she answered with ‘sure.’

During the weekends… Sohee POV

A repetitive ringing seemed to get louder and louder as I fell out of sleep. My phone was vibrating madly under my pillow. I lousily attempted picking it up only to drop it onto my face. I groaned and sat up, rubbing my nose I was greeted by an alarm that had been going on for twenty continuous minutes—8:50am. My eyes widened as I kicked my duvets off. “MINHYUK??” I yelled as I sprinted out my door.

My brother was lying on the couch, still dressed in his work uniform. He had one sock on and the other laid on the floor along with a pile of other stuff. Cheetos decorated the floor; some crushed, others were in large piles next to their empty packets and sprinkled with orange dust. Empty beer and soda cans littered the room. A navy blue blanket was sprawled between Minhyuk and Suho, who lied asleep on the floor. Luckily for him it was carpeted and not wooden. I sighed and began a quick clean up. I bet neither of them is sober enough to drive me. While scavenging for the remote to turn off the television I found a suspicious collection of magazines loitering around the room. I swear to never touch one of my brother’s magazines ever again. With the end of my broom I cautiously pushed the magazines to one side, hoping to never see them again.

Once the room looked decent I had some cereal and a rushed shower.

“YOU FOLDED IT!!!” I heard Minhyuk cry as I wrapped myself in a towel. I guess it was about the magazines… Fumes of steam lingered in the bathroom, tempting me to stay a little longer.

I stood in front of my bedroom mirror. I bit my lip at my reflection. Shirt, jeans, hair up as per usual—why am I rethinking my outfit? I pulled on my top and frowned. I slipped out of my plain white shirt and scavenged through my wardrobe, hoping I’d somehow find something more… pretty. Nothing was there.

I slumped into the bus seat in a shirt and jeans. Groaning as I caught a glimpses of my reflection in the bus window. “Why do I even care?” I mumbled to myself as the bus chugged along.

I was going to meet Zelo in the library to discuss our approach. The automatic doors slid open and I was greeted with the fresh clean feel of the air conditioner. I smiled as I passed rows of books, hoping to find Zelo in the next or the one following. “He’s not here?” I looked around, wondering if I could have missed him and took another stroll—still not here. I peeped at my watch, we were supposed to meet ten minutes ago. “Ten minutes isn’t much, he’s just running late,” I convinced myself. I found a seat between two book shelves by the entry and sat down. I flicked through the hand outs and made a brainstorm.

Ten minutes turned to twenty minutes and soon enough it was well into half an hour. I frowned at the empty space beside me. He should be here helping me. Zelo hadn’t called me or texted so I didn’t want to leave in case he was just running late—really late. A fresh gush of cool air suddenly blew through the cracks between the shelves beside me. Light slipping past the various aged books as a large amount of chattering entered the room. I got up, curious as to what could cause so much noise. And there he was. Zelo engulfed in a crowd of girls.

ottoke~?? ahahha what do you thinks going to happen ?? why Zelo ?? wae. wae. WAE?!?!  eheh heh heh heh heh.......... look forward to the next chapter!

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SK OUT!! P.S sorry, I actually forgot to unhide this chapter orz