I have English 5th period- and so does Kai. By some horrible twist of fate Ms. Kim put us both in the same reading groups for our next project. “You two have the most advanced reading levels in the class,” she informed us. “So it would only make sense for me to put you two together.” No one else in our class is on par with both of us, so it’s just us two in the group.

Kai either spends all his time flirting with Yuna or some other girl in the class, or sticking his superior English skills in my face. He points out every mistake I make, followed by a condescending smirk.

One time, when I messed up an entire sentence, he sneered, “Let me teach you” and proceeded to wrap his arms around my waist and murmur the sentence in English in my ear. The memory still causes shudders of disgust to run down my spine.

When Ms. Kim announces at the beginning of class, “It’s time for everyone to get in their reading groups and work on their projects,” I reluctantly make my way to Kai’s desk, where he’s snickering at my unenthusiastic expression.

“You’d look a lot more attractive if you smiled,” he scoffs.

“You’d look a lot more attractive if you put a paper bag on your head,” I bite back. Kai’s smile is wiped off his face.

“What did you just say, Sojin?” he hisses. “You better- mmph!”

I look up in shock. Park Chanyeol has slapped his hand across Kai’s mouth and is grinning at me  

“Hey Sojin!” he exclaims. “I’m going to make sure Kai doesn’t talk bad to you anymore!”

Kai and I share the same expression: one of bewildered astonishment. “Thanks... Chanyeol,” I say slowly, “but it’s alright. Uh, you can go to your reading group-,”

“I asked Ms. Kim if I could be moved to this group, and she said yes,” Chanyeol informs me.

“Chanyeol, how’d you manage to do that?” I whirl around to look at Ms. Kim, who flashes me a wink and a thumbs-up.

“Simple. I told her that you were the Juliet to my Romeo, and if I didn’t get to switch to your group my heart would break into pieces and I would throw myself into the Han River.”

I stare at him for an entire minute- and then facepalm. “Are you telling me Ms. Kim actually believed that?”

“You know how much of a romantic she is.” Chanyeol turns back to me. “Sojin, I’m going to make up for everything I’ve done. I promise.”

“Uh... sure. Well, we’re on chapter 16 of the book, so let’s start reading.”

“Chapter 16?” Chanyeol gasps. “Wow, my group was only on chapter 7! You really are smart, Sojin! Oh, and you too, Kai,” he adds, looking over at Kai.

Kai is quietly taking in Chanyeol and I with smoldering eyes. “You two should stop goofing off. Especially you, Sojin. I think we both know by now that you at English.”

“Are you joking?” Chanyeol guffaws. “I’m the one who at English. Dude, I have like a 60 in this class!”

“I wasn’t talking to you, Chanyeol,” Kai tells him sharply. Chanyeol raises an eyebrow.

“Stop,” I command Kai. “Let’s just start reading.”

When the bell rings, I grab Chanyeol’s arm before he heads out the door. “Hey. I’ll tutor you, so you can stop pretending like you care,” I inform him.

“But Sojin, I wasn’t pretending,” Chanyeol says, looking at me like I'm crazy. “Yo, my next period’s all the way in C Hall and I don’t want to be late. See ya later, Sojin!”

But Sojin, I wasn’t pretending.

Whoa.

Does he... does he mean it?

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Sojin,” Ms. Kim titters like a school girl as I’m walking out the door. “I hope you have fun with Chanyeol.”

Hey, maybe it’s not so bad that Ms. Kim put Chanyeol and I in the same group...

“You must be overjoyed,” a sarcastic voice remarks.

And just like that, all the happiness flies out of my body.

“Kai,” I say quietly. “What do you want?”

“Are you happy now that you have Park Chanyeol on your side? You must think he’s your ing knight in shining armor,” Kai scoffs.

“Yeah, I’m happy,” I tell him softly. “I’m happy that another person, apart from my few friends, treats me nicely. Why? Are you disappointed that I don’t feel crappy for the first time in 2 years?”

He looks at me with an unreadable expression.

“I’m leaving.” I brush past him and walk away.

Chanyeol and I have our first tutoring session after school the next day. As I’m walking into the library, I’m faced with horrible flashbacks of another Friday night where I was supposed to be tutoring another student. The night which marked the beginning of the destruction of my life; the night when I first met Kim Kai.

Please, God, please don’t let this tutoring session have as catastrophic repercussions as that night.

“Sojin! Over here!” Chanyeol yells, waving his hands from a table. A librarian angrily shushes him from behind the front desk.

“Hey, Chanyeol,” I nod my head in greeting. “Let’s get right to it. What don’t you understand?”

He gives me a sheepish look. “Uhh... everything.”

Chanyeol and I spend 2 hours doing practice problems, examining quotes, and conversing in English. Although making sure he understands it all is a tedious process, I can’t say that I’m not enjoying myself. Chanyeol cracks the occasional joke which almost makes me smile.

Finally, after we’ve finished reviewing all the sections which he doesn’t understand, I shut the English textbook with a satisfying thud! “I had fun,” I tell him. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

“What? Sojin, we have to celebrate!” Chanyeol laughs. “I haven’t learned this much since the 3rd grade- and I actually get it! Let’s buy cake.”

I swallow nervously. What if this is a ploy to take me somewhere so he can humiliate me in front of a bunch of people? Wait- what if Kai told Chanyeol to do this?

But as I look at Chanyeol’s innocent, puppy-dog face, I know that he’s being sincere.

“Fine. Let’s go.”

A/N: Part 2 of the double update! Hope you guys like it. 

IT'S CAKE TIME HOMIES