One fine winter day…

It’s been about a month Haruka lived with Suho, Sehun, and Kai, and it’s also been a month since the last time Haruka talked to Minhwa. Minhwa was still cold to her. She didn’t greet her when they passed each other. She didn’t even look at her. And Haruka—she’s been living very well up until today. She always went to school together with Suho, not walking anymore—Suho drove a car, a really fancy one. Sometimes, she joined Kai’s car which was she had to be patient because Kai always carpooled Luhan and Baekhyun before heading to school. There was also a time when she joined Sehun’s car, but nowadays, Sehun always picked up D.O first and it really took some time to wait D.O who always wasn’t prepared.

And in these past days, Haruka was currently learning how to drive with Chanyeol quietly.  Only the three of them know, Haruka, Chanyeol, and Luhan. She couldn’t drive yet. She only mastered some of basic things like how to step on the pedal, how to turn right and left, and how to drive on the straight street. She did it for fun anyway.

This afternoon, as usual, she would be sitting and eating together with the boys at the corner spot in the cafeteria. She didn’t believe at first about Sehun who said that they never claimed the corner of the cafeteria was theirs, but she now believed it. That place was really empty. No one dared to sit there. And from day to day, it stayed the same.

Just now, Haruka arrived and sat in that seat, while the other boys hadn’t come yet. All pairs of eyes focused on her just yet, giving her excessive anxiety. Yes, after she really got closer to the boys, she felt like they—other students—started to keep their eye on her. She had to admit that every single step she took, she felt like she’s being watched. Haruka once found a gum on her seat. She would already have sat on the gum if Luhan didn’t warn her. Every morning, she found dozens of letter in her locker—mostly about humiliation, mockery, and insult addressed to her. She even frequently got bloody letters from anonymous and she almost fainted when she read it at the first time, but gradually, it became a lot better. D.O helped her emptying the locker every evening, when the school ended. There were many other incidents, but fortunately the boys were there to handle it. It was good to have them.

“What are you doing here alone? You should have been with Luhan or Chanyeol.” Kai showed his anger as he came.

Haruka was shocked because Kai suddenly got angry after seeing her sitting with no one.

“Chanyeol and Luhan will join us a little bit later because they have to get Luhan’s lunch in the car. That’s what they said. What’s wrong with your expression, Kai-ya? Something’s just not right.”

Kai exhaled in anger, but he tried to calm himself down before explaining to Haruka. Suho just came in time when Kai was about to tell something which made him uneasy like this.

“Prawns.” Suho drove his prawns out of his bowl to Haruka’s cup.

She was having a cup of ramyun with kimbap. The ramyun was totally overcooked and squashy because she had been waiting for them.

“Hyung, there is a transferred student in my class. I’m sure—I can’t doubt this, Hyung. If I’m not mistaken, there will be another students coming to this school along with him.”

Haruka raised one of her eyebrows. She didn’t understand what these two boys were talking about. Just then, D.O and Sehun came with their curry and two big-sized glasses of coke, laughing like there was no tomorrow. Chanyeol followed up, coming with hot chocolate and a bag of macaroons. No one here sold such a thing like hot chocolate and macaroons, he had to buy outside. That’s why it took so much time. And Baekhyun, he came with a cup of ramyun—just a cup of ramyun, with no drink.

“So, there are three new students in this school? In Kai’s class, there is Kris. The others are Lay and Tao. They’re suspicious.” Suho said.

Haruka didn’t seem to understand, so she just peeled the prawns’ skin instead. The ramyun was too squashy to be eaten. She ended up abandoning the ramyun. But a fair-skinned hand reached her cup of ramyun and switched it to his ramyun. It was Baekhyun’s hand.

“Oppa, that’s totally squashy—don’t eat it.”

“You eat that. I like this flavor better. The ajumma said you bought the last flavor I like.” He said with his finger pointing at the cover to show her his favorite flavor. Haruka took a look at a cup of ramyun in front of her—kimchi beef flavor, while hers before was spicy seafood.

“What to do with this? Oppa, is that really ok? I can eat this though,” Haruka pointed her kimbap, but Baekhyun kept shaking his head left to right, left to right. He seemed to enjoy the ramyun very well. She had no choice but to eat Baekhyun’s kimchi beef flavor.

“Haruka, don’t ever dare to lose from my sight.” Chanyeol said after a while.

“You always stick to me like glue.” Haruka grumbled.

“Yeah, just stick with me every time because it’s kind of urgent situation.” He clarified.

“Including me going to the toilet? Oh—I have to prepare myself before getting those bloody letters again.”

Chanyeol gave the pink macaroons to Haruka—there are two left. He purposely left the pink ones for Haruka. “I’ll help you to get rid of them.”

“It’s not that—why is Luhan just coming? Weren’t you going together with him, Chanyeol-ah?”

Luhan joined and sat next to Kai.

“Not eating?” Haruka asked. “They don’t sell ‘barbeque’ here.” Luhan kept emphasizing barbeque word after Suho accidentally spouted ‘barbeque’ when Haruka asked him what Luhan favorite food would be.

“Hyung, I saw them coming. Aren’t they a little bit to the point, huh?” Luhan asked. Haruka squinted.

She knew Luhan had to be talking about the new transferred students in their school. They were suddenly becoming the hot issue. Haruka didn’t know a thing. She hadn’t met them yet—yeah, she had to admit that she was curious. Haruka—for the first time, she didn’t want to obey Chanyeol’s words at all.

***

In the next morning, just like yesterday, Haruka joined Suho’s car, going to school in silence with him. He played folk songs and hummed along the way. That car was totally different with the others’ car—the atmosphere. In Kai’s car, you would hear the music boom as if the car might explode soon. Well, in Sehun’s car—it was quite quiet, they joked instead of listening to music, but sometimes Sehun and D.O made fun of something that Haruka didn’t understand. They were like having another dimensional world.

As soon as Suho finished parking his black, elegant, and expensive car, Haruka quickly got off and ran to the front gate—and Suho often nagged a lot about this—leaving him behind. As usual, he found Haruka clean up her locker from another dozens of letter. Suho was about to help, but Haruka said she could do it by herself since the letter decreased compared to yesterday. So, Suho went to his class.

A moment later, when Haruka finished putting some books in her locker, a guy approached her. She was also surprised because he wasn’t a guy she knew before. He was a tall figure with neat sharply teeth—he had gum smile—very handsome and adorable inhumanly. He smiled to Haruka as she looked at him.

“Could you tell me where the library is? I’ve been wandering around since 15 minutes ago and I still can’t find where it is.” He said really politely.

“Do you want to come with me? I’m about to borrow some books.” Haruka replied.

“Ok, then.” He smiled again.

They both walked together along the aisle. The library was in the third floor, at the corner of the corridor. You could barely differentiate it because the library had very big door and it was so ancient. When you opened the door, you would slowly smell kind of book scent—old book scent, and Haruka loved it so much that she could forever stay in it.

“What kind of book do you want to borrow? I’ll help look it for you.” Haruka deftly went along the big shelves, searching and treasuring carefully while that guy just followed behind. Kris answered abruptly, “self-improvement and inspirational—kind of book. Is there?”

“Yeah, that kind of book—I’ve read it once and I felt bored.” Haruka mumbled and kept on searching with her eagle eyes.

“Anyway, what’s your name?” he asked. His face somehow looked like he’s getting bored. He wasn’t a guy that even suited in the library though. That kind of guy—it suddenly reminded her of Chanyeol who loved going to night club so much.

“Haruka.”

He nodded and quickly added, “I’m Kris. I’m from Canada and well—you can also say I’m from China since I speak the language.”

“Wow, that’s quite far. Are you that transferred student people brag about?” She asked in dazed. Well, he was handsome and cool. That’s why he was being gossiped by most of the students in this school. There was also a gossip that Kris would be joining Suho’s group, but Haruka thought it would never happen since they always said bad things about Kris—well, it shouldn’t be only Kris.

“I heard there are also another transferred students beside you.”

Kris smiled and nodded, “Tao and Lay if they are who you mean. They are from China—like me. They’re my friends. Do you want me to introduce them to you?”

Haruka smiled shyly. “That would be nice.”

Haruka spotted the self-improvement book that Kris wanted. It was placed quite high. She even tiptoed, but her height just couldn’t get her the book. Kris was about to help, but a fair-skinned hand reached the book first. He grabbed it roughly and threw it to Kris. Kris deftly caught it.

“Nice catch.”

“Baekhyun Oppa, why are you here?” Haruka’s eyes became wide open. She felt she shrank all of sudden as she found that Baekhyun was there with his fiery glance.

Kris smirked, but Haruka didn’t know what that smirk meant for. He brandished the book. “Thanks. This is what I’m looking for. Let’s meet again sometimes,” Kris showed his gum smiled and left them behind.

Haruka discovered uneasy glare in Baekhyun’s eyes.

“You better be careful. He’s not kind.” He warned her with a very deep voice.

“He’s nice, Oppa.”

“Shall I send you to your class?” Baekhyun didn’t seem to heed Haruka’s words about Kris just now. Baekhyun, he looked so terribly obscured. He wasn’t Baekhyun that Haruka knew before. He didn’t even smile—well, Baekhyun rarely smiled, but he smiled to Haruka and it was totally charming that Haruka could fall into it.

“Well, it looks like you have to send me to my class.”

“I can text Chanyeol, so he can pick you up here.”

Haruka rolled her eyes. “Oppa, I can walk my self—just don’t text Chanyeol.” Haruka grabbed any book she could reach and brought it with her. Baekhyun held her wrist and turned her body, so they faced each other.

“What’s wrong with you and Chanyeol?” He asked.

“Well, just—nothing.” Haruka walked away, leaving the confused Baekhyun behind. He didn’t chase her. He knew, Haruka would just go straight to her class. And here it began.

***