These days, I thought it would be safe to say that my eyes grew larger figuratively. My ears also strained to listen to sounds I didn’t care about before.

It was like the first day of school all over again, except I didn’t care this much back then, when the first day of school really happened.

Choosing the back door was apparently a mistake.

Heads turned to me a t the creaking of the door, and I put on an automatic smile almost immediately when greetings of ‘good morning’ and ‘hey, Byul’ from faces I had never looked at hurled themselves at me.

The classroom had never felt so big before when I walked the center aile to get to my seat, not to mention that Mr. Dong was already in his throne, in his blond tidal wave glory.

I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that all eyes were on me because they probably were.

I didn’t fail to hear my name as the subject of hushed conversations, several seats behind me. I felt like I showed too much skin in my sleeveless shirt and the denim pants cut on my legs. Mr. Dong’s eyes (which were fixated on me) and the smile on his face became my strange comfort. But I wouldn’t be lying if I admitted that I forgot how to walk.

“Byul,” it was Nam Taehyun’s voice that brought me back to reality. He was seated in the mouth of his row.

My footsteps halted as I turned to him without the fake smile.

“You’re free to sit in the KangNam row. You look like you’d need it,” he offered with his pretty face resting on his hand.

I thought I could never say ‘yes’ more gladly.

Even though I was still getting used to Seungyoon’s and Taehyun’s company, theirs were much better than those sharks behind me.

Seungyoon promptly moved to the seat next to his, and I smiled at the gesture as I gratefully took the seat between them.

“Someone submitted a composition to Leisure Professor today,” he motioned towards Mr. Dong who was reading a text off a bond paper.

“Leisure Professor?” I repeated.

“It’s Mr. Dong’s nickname,” he said matter-of-factly, and looked at me as though I was stupid.

“I know! Seri calls him by the same name,” I informed him.

“Everyone does, Byul,” he said as though appeasing a small child.

My eyes widened and Taehyun just smiled at my ignorance.

Taehyun was really easier to talk to than Seungyoon, who still hadn’t said a word ever since I came.

“Seungyoon,” Taehyun called and it seemed that he also noticed Seungyoon’s silence. “Hi,” he said, emphasizing the greeting with his tone, and the way his eyebrows shot up when he said it.

I knew he was saying more than he let out, and I could only furrow my eyebrows at their one sided, one-word conversation.

Seungyoon cleared his throat on prompt, and I turned to him, “Hello, Byul,” he greeted.

“Hey,” I mumbled, and my mouth turned up into what I hoped was a smile.

“I’m glad you came,” he said, and I just nodded even though I didn’t really know what he was talking about.