Note: The italized is Jaejoong's POV.

Kim Jaejoong- age 17 years old.

“Good morning.” Jae greeted the boy that was sitting right next to him. He has been his friend ever since they started becoming neighbor in the classroom.

“Morning Jaejoong.” Junsu smiled as he saw Jae, settling down on his own seat. He was about to begin about his random conversation when all the girls in their class were gathering out of the window, making a big fuss over something, Junsu scoffed in displease, it was all part of their morning routine.

“~Aww~ Look! Look! Here he comes.”

“Isn’t he’s just a dreamer?”

“I’ll do anything just to date him.”

“Come on, get real, he’ll never date you. Let alone be your friend.”

“What you mean? I could have him you know, if I really tried.”

“Yeah, keep on dreaming.” Then all the girls keep on giggling like a hyper fan girl, fangirlling over a junior who just arrived at the school gate from a black limousine.

Yeah, keep on dreaming. I’m never going to be friend with someone that ‘perfect’. Someone just happen to be born with silver spoon, have good looks, top in his class and even good at sport. And did I mentioned how much I despised  those who got everything so easy while most of us had to work our off just to be good in something? *sigh*  What was I kidding? He’s got everything, while I have nothing. I glanced at the window, through a really small opening and saw the prince that had every girl in school chased after him. Shim Changmin, a first year high scholar. Lucky brat. He enrolled in this Ishiyama High when I’m in the second year. He skipped a grade so he’s practically 2 years younger than me. He is my junior but I never get to know him, but as far as for the rumors go, nothing but good things about him that drives me annoying, doesn’t this guy ever have a flaw? God really is being unfair sometime.

*more sighing*

The teacher entered the classroom and began the lesson for the day.  

Finally it was recess and I was beginning to think that the time has frozen, and the calculus class would never end. Thank god that wasn’t the case. I did what I normally do during this peak hour, wanna know what? Guees??

Of course lining in line to buy food, I needed them so badly by now. I pick the usual lunch for me Cham Pong(spicy seafood noodles)with a bottle of juice to wash it off. Of course thing doesn’t always goes as planned, as I was about to pay for that lovely meal, I opened my wallet and noticed some missing note. Great, I didn’t bring enough.

“That’ll be 7,500 won.” The ahjumma told him. Jaejoong was about to panic, but he decided he needs to be cool about all this.

“Ahjumma, can I get a discount for today, 6,000 won.” He tried to act cute and showed six of his fingers to her, hopping that she felt for it.

“Nope. Money is money and business is business. You’ll have to pay it full. No bargaining mister.” Jaejoong sighed, can’t this day get any worse?

“If you can’t pay then take the juice out.  Or the noodles? Or just don’t buy anything at all.” Jaejoong pouted, if I took out the noodles, then I ended up starving but if I take out the juice, what if I choke? Can’t the ahjumma at least showed a little mercy? I’ve been eating there ever since I entered this school.

“Ahjumma, how much this all cost?” Out of the sudden came a voice from behind Jaejoong. He placed his tray right next to where Jaejoong s’ was. The ajumma smiled brightly at the amount of the food in the tray.

“There’ll be 18,500 won.” She replied as she ignored the still remaining Jaejoong there. “Perfect.” Changin answered as he took out 20,000won note and handed it to the ahjumma. “The change should covers up to his bill as well right.” The woman took the money gratefully then turned back to Jaejoong, taking his money too.

Jaejoong was buffering on the current situation when he finally figures out what the heck was happening. Shim Changmin is covering his bills. He was taught to never accept money from stranger, so it didn’t take him long to grab a hold on Changmin’s arm, stopping him from leaving.

“Wait, that’s your money. I don’t accept money from stranger, please take it back.”

“Well then, I’m Changmin, Shim Changmin, class 1-B, seongbaenim.” Changmin introduced himself to the older boy.

“What?” Jaejoong widen his eyes at the sudden self introduction. Seongbaenim? So he does know that I’m older.

“There, I’m not a stranger anymore to you. Please accept the favor seongbaenim, you don’t want to cause any more delays to the line don’t you?” Changmin glanced at his back and showed a few unsatisfied expression from the others that have been kept waiting, thanks to him. He had to accept the boy’s help.

“I’ll repay you back tomorrow.” He answered but only to no one. Changmin was already gone, settling at the table with all his friends, smiling ever so widely. Jaejoong sighed, so that’s probably the only chance he got to talk to the well-known prince of the school.

The lunch break ended as the lessons resumed. Jaejoong was staring out at the window, wishing that he could rewind back the time and properly introduced himself to the boy he just met.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’ll definitely make sure to repay him back.  

“I’m back.”But I was greeted to the silence, umma probably still at work and so does appa I guess. I went to the kitchen and pour myself a glass of barley tea. I sat at the dining table while casually glancing around the room, then the images during the lunch break replaying again in my head. And without I realized it, I was smiling all by myself and mumbling.

“Hello, my name is Kim Jaejoong. Since we’re not stranger anymore, can we become friends?” Pabo, like I’ll ever say something like that to him. I heard myself sighing again for the n^th time of that day. I just need to repay him back tomorrow then that’s all there is to it, right?   

“I’m back.” I heard Umma opening the front door while I was in my room, doing my homework. I came out and greeted her.

“Welcome back umma.” Please don’t make a big fuss about this…here comes.

“Omo baby, what happen to your face?” She cupped my chin to have a better look at it. I thought she would be over reacted over this, and my prediction was true.

“It’s nothing umma, I just fell down on my way back. That’s all.” She looked a bit worried about me. I felt sorry for her cause having a clutz like me. I wonder if I was really born with my left hand first? I held her hand and placed a kiss on her cheek, “I’m fine umma, it’ll be fine in a week or two okay? Don’t worry about me.”

“You sure baby? Don’t make umma worried like this anymore alright? Did you cleaned up your wound properly? It must have hurt a lot didn’t it? Should we go to the clinic to have it check out? Have you washed up? Umma is going to make your favorite for tonight. I hope you’re hungry.” And that’s how our routine goes. See? Nothing but an average normal family.

Next morning, Jaejoong eyes couldn’t help but to keep on looking for a certain figure. Even during his lessons, he was still kept on guard if he spotted him. He was lucky since the junior was having their PE class right now and he got the chance to see the one he’s been searching ever since that morning.

Changmin was cooling himself under the tap after the running around at the track, his class was having a practice for the upcoming marathon and the fact that he hates losing made him tried even harder on that. He let the water ran through his hair when he felt someone was approaching him, and by judging from the uniform, it was a senior. He lifted his head and saw who it was,

“ 1,500 won seongbaenim.” He smiled as he dried his hair using the towel that was around his neck.

~Aww~ this so uncomfortable, I should really have waited until he got dressed, but I really just want to return his money back. I took out the exact amount I owe him and handed it to him, putting it right in front of him before turning my back to leave.

“There, I don’t like to owe anything from….”I didn’t manage to finish when he cuts me off.

“Junior? Yeah, I figures. I take them back then. Happy?” I was going to say stranger but that would work to I guess.

“Hey do you hate me seongbaenim? Did I do something that offended you?” Wherever that comes from? I never see that coming.

“And what make you think that, changmin?” I turned back to face him and saw that he was already wore back his shirt. Good, now I can look. I don’t need another reason to envy him more, good looks, great at academic and sports, tall and have a nice body? Great, how many more good side of him do I have to witness, isn’t there any rotten side of him?   

I was surprised when I saw him smiling at me, why? “You finally called me by my name and look at me in the eyes properly 1,500 won seongbaenim. I thought you hated me, even yesterday, you didn’t even properly look into my eyes and acted like I was sort of nuisance.” Did I really make him feel that way? Couldn’t stand having one person hating you, huh prince-sama?! Okay evil-jae, don’t show yourselves now. You don’t really hate him, right? You just envy of him, that’s all. Wait, 1,500 won seongbaenim? Why do you keep calling me that?! It’s freaking annoying. 

“1,500 won seongbaenim?”

“Well you never told me your name, remember?”

“Jaejoong, Kim Jaejoong. And I don’t hate you changmin. Maybe it was sort of awkwardness? Yeah, I guess I kinda get that feeling around you. You always good at everything, and getting the chance to finally talk to you was really something but I don’t really know how to react around you. I don’t know you well enough to be talking with you casually like your friends, but I don’t feel like doing like what those fangirls of your doing around you.”

“Then just be the way you are, that’ll be good enough for me. Jaejoong-seongbae.” Okay, now I know why everyone had their eyes on him, other than being all those, he really is nice. I mean like really, really nice. I guess I might actually like this guy.

Kim Jaejoong- age 18 years old.

Jaejoong wake up that morning feeling all over his body was cramped.

“Darned it.” He cursed as he tried to move his limps slowly. But they just won’t bulge. After a few trials, he finally decided to give it up and rest for a bit more until that feeling was gone. It was still early anymore so it doesn’t really matter. But what does matter was, the fact that his mother had kept on telling him to take the medicine every day. The routine had been going on for awhile now, ever since last year and Jaejoong never skipped his medicine, not even once. He also had to attend a regular check up every two weeks.  Other that those unusual routine, he’s still the same Kim Jaejoong, the quite boy who doesn’t say much and only known to very few of his friends.

“Jae, are you already awake? Why aren’t you down for breakfast?” His mom entered the bedroom and saw that he was still laying on the bed, immobile but with eyes fully awake.
“Jongie, is something wrong?” His umma came closer to his bed and touched his forehead.

“You’re not having a fever, are you?”

“Umma, I can’t get up. My body won’t listen to me.” His mom silence him and slowly helping him to get up by giving some massage on his legs.

“It’s just cramped Jongie, don’t worry. You’re okay, see?” She helped him up and get him to the bathroom while still holding onto him.

“Now get ready okay? Umma waits downstairs. We won’t start breakfast if you’re still not there in 10 minutes alright?” And just that she exited his room and let him continued with his routine.  

It was during the examination week that I finally get to see him again. He was always with his friends, well most of the time. I just sometimes would bump into him but we were only passer-by. One thing that I noticed, even with his friends, our eyes would have a brief moment together, staring into each other before looking away again. He looked as if he was going to say something but he never said them to me and that’s have been going on for a year now.

The third time we met was when I was studying in the library all by myself, preparing for my final exam. He wasn’t with his friend at that moment, and it was way after school. I didn’t realized he was anywhere close by until he sat in the empty seat in front of me and let out a fake cough.

“Ahem..” I saw his famous mismatched eyes as he was smiling his famous charm.

“Annyeong Jaejoong seongbae, we met again. Busy with your exams?” I returned back the smile, it would have been rude if I don’t.

“Yeah, so-so. I’m just a normal person changmin, not someone talented like that certain ‘someone’.” Referring to someone you know who, he just ended up laughing shyly then hurriedly trying to change the topic.

“So that’s calculus I see. Have any problem with that? I wouldn’t mind helping.”

“Sure, that’ll be great.”

And that was probably how we managed to get close to one another. We met almost like every day after school. I like it the way things are. That was until the reality truth hit me like being splashed by a cold bucket of water. Rumors.

“Did you hear? There’s a senior who likes to toy around with Changmin-shi. They even said that he forced him to do his work for him.”

“What?! How could him? Changmin is so nice and good, how could he do that to him.”

“There’s even more rumor about Changmin was tricked by him. He lured him so that he became his friends and could get his money. They even say he did ‘things’ to Changmin.”

“Argh! That sneaky rotten ! Who the heck is it? How dare he makes Changmin do such things!” As they were about to continue, Jaejoong walked passed him and he got all eyes on him, staring at him as if he had done something wrong. Jaejoong sighed, it was the n^th that he heard just rumor about him.

That’s right, the news about Changmin and him spread out the whole school. No one liked it if Changmin was taken, that’s why they entitled him by ‘Prince’ from the first week he entered the school, so that nobody could own him. He was everybody else’s property. It was true they had nothing going on between the two of them but they were starting to get close. Helping each other out and sharing a few tutorial sessions together did help them to get to know each other better. But they’re friends, right? At least that he hoped that he is. But the rumors weren’t helping a bit, he felt a guilty that the prince was being bad mouthed because of him.

Jaejoong headed to the rest room when he finally got his breaks. As he was done with his business inside the cubicle he headed out of it and met the familiar mismatched that he’s been seeing lately.

“Hey, hyung.” He greeted him and Jae was about to greet him back when he heard bustling sound coming.

The first thing came into his mind at that moment, 'We gotta hide'.