“How come you've bought milk?” Dara exclaimed while running around the salon and doing her typical ‘I can’t be late because Rinnie and Gukkie shouldn’t be waiting’ morning routine “We’re drinking coffee since we’re 13 and it’s the first time you did it!”

Jiyong only looked up lazily from his iPad, busy playing Angry Birds.

“I have no idea” he sincerely answered and came back to destroying pigs. God, he failed again, how was that possible?

He was probably still a little drunk, as he came back from the boxing match afterparty few hours ago.

He put the tablet away and looked at his sister’s fast moves. Too bad today Chaerin and Yongguk had to be here earlier as they agreed to pick up Himchan as well. It was not even 7:30am and for Dara it was simply too soon.

“Are you sure you can’t make it today?” she finally asked, putting the mug back on the table and running to get her jacket “You don’t look that bad”

“But I feel like ” Jiyong frowned and took another sip of his already cold coffee. Actually he was feeling ok, good enough to bring himself together and go to school without any problems.

“Ok then” Dara took her bag and grinned widely “Love you. See ya!”

She waved her hand and went out, closing the doors behind her with a loud smash. Jiyong sighed and went to the kitchen to fill up his cup. Maybe he should not be drinking so much coffee? He needed some sleep desperately.

But some habits die hard, if they wanted to die in the first place.

Just then he heard the knocking on the doors. He looked up from the coffee express, raising his eyebrow and thinking about what Dara forgot this time.

He could bet on an umbrella – it should be raining later today.

Another knocking.

Keys again?

He rolled his eyes and made his way to the doors, opening it.

“I swear to God Dee, you need to organize yourse-“

His eyes widened when he saw Kim Taeyeon, with crossed arms and raised eyebrow.

“Look who’s talking”

“Chicken!” he grinned widely and stepped from his spot, letting her in “Coffee?”

“Get dressed, you jerk” she said while passing him “You’ll get expelled sooner than you think”

“Your concern is really touching” Jiyong laughed and closed the doors behind her, going straight to the kitchen “Sugar and milk right?”

“Stop fooling around!” Taeyeon fumed and went after him “I re-read the school rules. You cannot have more than 50 percent absence in the semester!”

“So there’s still a long way” he chuckled and opened the fridge, taking out the bottle of milk “Look, I even bought the milk! I knew you’ll come!”

“Why are you like this?” she crossed her arms and that made Jiyong stop in his tracks. Was she serious?

“Like what?” he asked, not really sure what to answer and how to generally react.  

“Your ignorance is beyond everything” Taeyeon quickly explained “You’re smart and wise…Why are you ruining it?”

“I don’t believe in the institution called school” he finally closed the fridge, putting the bottle of milk near the express “Or rather I don’t care about the institution called school. Some bunch of old and desperate dumbs will not judge who I am and their grades will not decide about my future”

Taeyeon only sighed. She was expecting to hear something like that.

Yes, Jiyong was smart, focused and sarcastic but first of all he was insubordinate. But as much as she hated it she had to admit that school did not suit him at all.

“If you don’t care then you could as well just go” she lastly answered and smiled bitterly “See you”

With that she came out of the kitchen, going straight to the main doors and finally leaving the apartment.

Jiyong stood frozen to his spot, blinking his eyes and thinking about what just happened.

Yes, Taeyeon was smart, decent and well-thought-of but first of all she was right. But as much as he hated it he had to admit that this attitude suited her very well.

He sighed and ran to the doors, opening them dynamically and seeing her near the lift.

“10 minutes” he yelled across the corridor “Drink the coffee in the meantime. We’ll take a taxi so you won’t be late”

Taeyeon turned around to face him, a small and sincere smile appearing on her face.

Jiyong : Taeyeon – 2 : 1000000000000000

LATER

“Can you please stop?” Dara frowned when again she felt Sehun’s finger poking the bold side of her head “It’s not funny”

“Payback” he only said “For blowing bubbles when I asked you to stop”

“There is a difference between bubbles and freaking poking” she sighed, seeing that he is not going to stop in the nearest future “Nevermind”

“What?” suddenly he put his hand down, coming back to the cigarette “You don’t like this look?”

“No” Dara looked at him with widened eyes “I actually hate it” with that she frowned but her face softened soon after that “Well…I hated it. Now it’s almost ok”

She quickly recalled the situation form yesterday. She was not thinking that much about her hair to be honest, at least not anymore. It will grow back anyway.

But what Luhan did was something that amazed her. When she saw him shaving the sides of his head she ran up to him, hugging him and asking to stop. He did that even though he confessed he planned to do it completely, so it would leave him absolutely bold.

Dara still was not able to speak about this situation as she did not have words to express what she was feeling. One thing was sure – she felt the unbelievable amount of support, what left her stronger and more confident about the current situation and, well, look.

“What happened?”

Dara shook her head while hearing Sehun’s voice again. She looked up at him, meeting his unaffected and kind of bored stare.

“Luhan” she finally said, moving her eyes to the boulevard. Sehun did the same thing and they just stood there, in complete silence, both unaware of the fact that they were thinking about the same person.

And just then they saw Luhan running to the main entrance, being late as always. Sehun’s eyes widened when he saw his friend’s new haircut from afar.

He quickly moved his head to look back at Dara’s visible profile. She was smiling, her eyes still focused on Luhan and the path he was taking.

Just like in the past two days Sehun again felt this overwhelming sensation somewhere in his throat, stomach and chest.

It was similar to feeling a tight grip but it was also, or rather still, unfamiliar. At least for him.

He closed his eyes and threw the cigarette over the railing, making his way to the exit.

“You’re done?” Dara looked after him, truly shocked by the fact that this time he smoked only one cigarette.

“Yeah, history class is no joke” he answered, stopping in the doors and turning to her again “And don’t worry. You look great”

Dara’s face broke into a big grin and then she bowed lightly.

“Wow” she finally said “Did I just heard a compliment?”

Sehun gulped.

Yes.

“No” he answered, his voice stoic “I’m just stating a fact”.

With that he left, leaving completely used to his behavior Dara alone on the roof, the smile never dropping from her face.  

MEANTIME

Daniel Armand Lee sighed in frustration. He was still not sure what pushed him to take the job as a literature teacher in St. John’s High School – it was not like he needed it. He was a famous writer, better known under his alias, Tablo.

When he heard about this school and the program they had he became kind of happy. It was more than great that kids were able to focus on the exact path of education they wanted to take.

Therefore he was not expecting them to be so proper. How ironic.

Once again Daniel Armand Lee, or rather Mr. Lee how he was now called, sighed in frustration.

“I am afraid” he eyed the classroom carefully “That the main problem with you is that you cannot write”

The whole class gasped so Mr. Lee took the essays and began to read the names.

“Kyungsoo-sshi…Sandara-sshi…and Jiyong-sshi…The only ones that were ok” with that he put the sheets back on the table “I am afraid the rest did not even understand the task”

This time the class whined so Mr. Lee felt like rolling his eyes. Good thing he stopped himself from doing that. He was a teacher now.

“Excuse me” suddenly Kris raised his hand “So what exactly the task was? To write about emotions in ‘The catcher in the Rye’ right? I wonder what exactly we did so wrong”

Mr. Lee eyed the blonde, good-looking boy with bored expression. He hated s like this one but what he could do? They were, are and will be everywhere.

He sighed again.

“You answered your own question” Mr. Lee calmly said “You had to describe the emotions and what most of you did was to summarize them”

The class went silent, especially Kris. Jongin and Kyungsoo exchanged the looks while Baekhyun’s head finally perked up from his desk for the first time this morning.

Mr. Lee jumped on the table, sitting on it and facing the group.

“Yes, we know that Holden was close with his sister. The questions are why, how, because of what and what for” he began “Writing about emotions is generally hard, do not worry. You had to go deeper to understand them. I do not expect you to come into Holden’s shoes and to feel the same but you cannot strictly write about his emotions from  2nd , 3rd or even 4th or 10th perspective…” he eyed the class again and then quickly looked at the essays “I want you to rewrite it”

The class whined again, so Mr. Lee closed his eyes and could not resist himself from face-palming.

“But I want you to rewrite it about the book you will personally pick. Please describe emotions in your favorite book”

“Is Harry Potter ok?” someone asked and everyone laughed. Mr. Lee sighed again.

Kids.

“Actually” he jumped from the desk, coming closer to board “Harry Potter is fulfilled with emotions. I would love to read a work concentrated on this instead of the whole Avada Kedavra and Lumos crap”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened as he looked around the class. Everyone was stunned and evidently busy thinking, not sure how to respond.  

He eyed Mr. Lee again – he was just standing there with crossed arms and triumphant smirk plastered to his face. Suddenly an idea came to his mind and he kept that, waiting for the lesson to end.

For the first time this year Byun Baekhyun caught himself making notes during literature classes. Mr. Lee was funny, intelligent and kind of different. He felt like his words were actually making sense, helping him to finally understand the subject he really and utterly hated.

Suddenly the bell rang and the classroom was getting empty. Baekhyun stayed in his place, waiting for the right mom