*flashback*

"You don't talk much, do you?"

Jiyeon jumped at the sudden question thrown at her. A sharp intake of breath was made. She was shaken out of her thoughts.

"Ah-- Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" The voice of the inquiry now held alarm in it. Jiyeon looked toward the voice.

It was none other than Byun Baekhyun, who, once again, was trying to start a conversation with Jiyeon. This was his fourth attempt, and instead of a cheerful disposition and friendly demeanor placed on his face, an expression of alarm was shocked there. His brown eyes held concern in them.

Though Jiyeon barely glanced at him, before turning away. Her long hair shielded her face with her downcast glance as she shrunk away from him. She merely shrugged her shoulders, both to his apology as well as to his question, before shrinking even further into her seat.

Baekhyun smiled gently, sadly, before muttering an apology and bowing slightly toward her. He shifted his weight and turned around until he was facing the front of the classroom they were in. The same classroom in which they had first met, well, had first spoken to each other.

Before Baekhyun attempted to talk to the girl beside him again, the professor came in, rather hurriedly, and the overhead projector before beginning his lecture. Baekhyun sighed and faced forward, his head down as he began taking notes.

But his pen just wouldn't write. Yes, it had ink. No, his hand wasn't cramped. 

His mind was full. Yes, that was it. 

It was full, and it was full of the girl next to him, as it had been since they first spoke.

Baekhyun didn't know what to call this distraction, really, whether this sudden interest had a reason behind it, or an identity. But, Baekhyun thought, as he turned his head to the right slightly to peek at Jiyeon again. As the days pass, my curiosity for you grows.

There were several reasons why, and they were observations, big and small. Subtle and very noticeable.

His first observations were on her quiet, closed-off personality. She never spoke much unless spoken to, and even then it had to be a question that demanded only a yes or no answer. Jiyeon kept to herself at all times, her dark eyes observing everything around her with such a look of distrust that Baekhyun shivered at its vulnerability and hostility. As far as Baekhyun was concerned, Jiyeon virtually had no friends due to her mute, very mysterious and frigid personality.

Speaking of cold, Jiyeon seemed to be physically cold all of the time. Every day that Baekhyun saw her, she would be wearing a long-sleeved shirt, with jeans, or a hoodie and slacks. Even now, from under his brown fringe he watched her shiver, her long, slender fingers gripping her sleeves as if her life depended on it. Baekhyun could see her white knuckles clearly. He frowned.

It was summertime. Summertime in Seoul meant that it was very hot. Was she sick? Perhaps anemic? Baekhyun had now lifted his head and directly looked at her. She did look rather pale, but, then again, so was he. 

Jiyeon looked awfully frail as well. She was almost so skinny that her collarbones looked as if they would pop out of her skin at any moment. The desk in which she sat in seemed to swallow her up, completely engulf her tiny body.

Maybe anorexic? Baekhyun frowned at the idea and shook his head, thinking that the assumption was far too vulgar and judgmental for his own good.

One thing he knew for sure was the sad vibe he got from her, and her obvious secrecy.

His conclusion was that Jiyeon kept her cards close to her chest. Baekhyun wanted to know why, as his nosiness began to take over, but before his rash thoughts were continued, his name was called.

"Mr. Byun."

"A-ah, yes?" Baekhyun swiveled in his chair a bit too quickly, and nearly slid off of his seat. A couple of snickers erupted amongst the class.

"If you don't have anything better to do than to stare at Miss Park, leave my class." The scornful tone sunk its teeth into Baekhyun, and Baekhyun laughed nervously in response.

"Sorry, songsaengnim." He threw one last glance at Jiyeon, and caught her gaze in his.

The same sad eyes, the same guarded expression as always.

Baekhyun's desire to know her story increased ever more.

Sweat beaded on Jiyeon's forehead as she left the university that evening, around 9 p.m. She was one of the last few to leave through its doors, and darkness, save for the university lamps that dotted the lawn