III.

Days passed and before they knew it; exams are already one day from now. Jessica and Donghae is still stuck in detention and Tiffany and Siwon is still trying to cope up with the recent events.

And their class president and vice-president, Taeyeon and Leeteuk, isn't helping.

"Yah! Half of our class didn't even pay for the upcoming prom, there's a play too and other stuffs which half of our population here doesn't care about. Can you all guys just participate so that we, me and the dumbo, can sort this out?"

"Hey dwarf, can you calm down?"

"You little— yah, Lee Sungmin!", she averted her gaze to the corner of the room where Sungmin was about to turn the knob of the door and he freezes midway when he heard the class president shouting his full name, "Think you can escape, huh? Sit your down there!"

Siwon leans closer to Tiffany to whispher something, his right hand covering his mouth to prevent Taeyeon from deciphering what they're talking about. "I wish Mr. Geun Suk didn't catch a cold."

Tiffany agrees with him, "Yeah, our class turned into hell, and Leeteuk looks really pathetic."

He couldn't agree more, "Yep, he is."

"And Jessica looks beyond upset.", Tiffany adds.

Siwon responsed with a small nod and speaks again, "Not to mention, Donghae likes your friend being pissed and all."

After a minute of talking, one of their classmate stands up and shouts with all her might, "You can't force us to stay here until the end of class!"

The dwarf turns to the left and sees a shorter girl than her, which is a good thing — at least for her, with short, slight blonde hair. A perfect combination of shortness, huh?

"Yah, Sunny, don't you use that tone on me! Everyone, pay up or I'll tell on you all when our teacher comes back!"

Next thing Tiffany and Siwon found themselves was grabbing some money in their pockets and paying it all up on the two. Leeteuk can only sigh.

"I need some tutoring on Math too, Siwon. Mom would kill me if I'll get another F on my exams."

"Well, I guess we could study together."

"Thanks, Siwon. You're the best."

Tiffany wraps him into a big big hug in which Siwon couldn't breathe. Apparently, he heard something jumping out of his chest. It left him dumbfounded for a while and snapped back into his reverie again when Tiffany asked him what's wrong.

He forces a grin which made her shrug, knowing that he's beyond okay.

"What was that?"

He asks himself while walking behind her, still feeling something at the very pit of his stomach.

"WHAT?!"

A loud squeak of a voice and a manly one echoed in one of the classrooms.

"Oh my god, Jess. Could you turn your voice down? It's hurting my ears."

"By ears, you mean, those elf ears. Couldn't understand how a dwarf like you would have those— aw!"

"Now,", Taeyeon scrambles for her phone inside her bag and puts the screen infront of the two mortal enemies. "— read this."

Jessica wanted to faint.

Donghae is already set, catching her with his bare handss.

"Yah, what's that arm doing behind my back?"

Donghae replies as casual as he could, "Couldn't risk another accident, Jung."

Jessica is ready to knock him down again when Taeyeon senses another fight and brings forth a hesitant Leeteuk between them.

"Stop it, both of you!", Leeteuk grabs the president's phone, which has earned him a light smack on one arm, and recites the message that their teacher just sent them a while ago. "This old man said that you'll clean the classrooms everyday when our class's already dismissed rather than staying everyday at detention, doing nothing and sleeping. Right, Donghae?", Leeteuk looks at Donghae and the latter shrugs at his comment. Jessica reasons, desperately defending herself.

"I'm allergic to dust!", she fakes a sneeze and turns to Taeyeon with puppy eyes. "Please. I can't take any more of this."

"Look, Jess. Im just doing what a president could be doing. Yes, I'd kill a day to switch positions with you while I'm stuck with this...", she looks at her fellow officer and shots him a death glare. "....man. Now, I don't want any buts when I step out of this classroom."

Taeyeon steps out of the door while Leeteuk comes back for the two, leaving another message.

"Now what?", Donghae hissed.

"Of course, as a good officer I am, I want you both to stay in good terms with each other and avoid having a wrestling for the next days or, probably, weeks to come, eh? Goodbye!"

"That doesn't even make sense, hyung!", shouts Donghae when his hyung already left.

The door was now shut, and Jessica could only shout her heart out, together with Donghae, covering his ears with all his might. 

"You know this poem?"

"What?"

"Romeo and Ju~riet."

"It's Juliet.", he laughs. "God, your English ."

"I know, okay?"

Siwon, sitting from the opposite side of the low-leveled table, asks Tiffany the vocabulary words being used at the poem itself. Tiffany is now lying half-awake, half-asleep. Both are still half-way finishing this.

"Hey, Tiff!", he slaps her cheeks gently to keep her waking up.

Tiffany jolts up straight and asks Siwon, "W-what? Is it already morning?"

Siwon laughs, "Nope, I'll read half of this for you and you can listen. After that, spot and know the words which isn't entirely familiar for you, alright?"

Tiffany nods in agreemend and gives him a blinding but sheepish smile. 

"Well then, let's do this."

"Mom, I'm home!"

"Oh, Sooyeon! You're finally here! What kept you so late?"

"Probably hanging out with that Donghae. I heard—"

"Yah, Soojung. Would you shut your mouth? You don't know what the hell just happened."

Mrs. Jung stops Jessica with the infamous death glare of the Jungs and her daughter's expression suddenly softens.

Wanting to start studying, she goes upstairs and slumps straight to her study table, working hard for the exams tomorrow. 

"Mom, I'm home!"

And, he hears no voice. Donghae have forgotten again that he is the only one residing in this enormous house in which he called home for the last two years. Divorce literally broke their family ties. His mom is now living in the states while his dad is currently in Norway, working his off. 

Money is not a problem, for he have been getting some every month, just enough for his necessities.

He slumps his back on the sofa and closes his eyes, trying to take a good, nice nap.

Siwon now concludes that their study session is getting nowhere. 

Tiffany is fast asleep and her snoring is quite loud, too, while his eyelids are threatening to fall in a minute or two.

They're already finished in the subjects they'll gonna take tomorrow, anyways. 

And so, he gingerly fixes Tiffany's bangs, in hopes of not waking the tired individual, and makes his way out with a pat on her head.

"Mmmm...jess?", he heard her grumbling while sleeping, which made him grin. 

The unfamiliar tinge hits him again in the chest.

And it's really scaring him right now. 

Making his way out of their neighborhood after saying goodbye to Mrs. Hwang, he thought of the hug both of them have shared at school. His heart started beating again — and by beating, he meant that it's beating weirdly, not the usual beating he feels around when asking Sunny what's their assignment on that certain day or interacting with his other girl classmates.

He clutches to his shirt and wrinkles it, wanting to stop the peculiar thumps inwardly.

"For the last time, stop this  dammit!"

Maybe knowing each other since then does something.

desperate for comments. im really starting to get unmotivated while writing this chapter. :( 

i hope some users would be kind enough to drop some comments. T-T

anyways, i had fun writing this chapter. i hope you had fun reading this, too.