Voices instantly stop as the teacher enters the classroom. Ms Lee is one of the strictest teachers in our school, the head of the Personal Development, Health and Physical Education subject. She has scruffy brown hair that is always pulled back into a low bun, rectangular glasses that sharpens her beady eyes, a pale complexion and a pointy nose. What scares most students is that she is the most unpredictable teacher anyone has ever encountered. As being the head teacher, she has a strong influence over the PDHPE courses and she always carries a silencing aura wherever she goes.

My PDH class was quite disappointed to find out that they had to survive a whole year with Ms Lee. Even being the top student in the grade, I find it uncomfortable to be around her. If you do not meet her expectations, you would receive a full three hour after school detention. During these detentions, most teachers would take out a book and not care what the students do as long as they aren't misbehaving but Ms Lee thinks that is a useless punishment. For the whole three hours, she would outright stare at the unlucky student with her cold, beady eyes. Everyone thought that it was just a rumour thought up by the grade clown, Taemin, but some daredevils had gathered enough courage to tick off Ms Lee and learnt it the hard way. The fact that those victims were shaken the next day was enough proof to remind everyone not to step out of line in front of Ms Lee.

"Ahem." Ms Lee clears even though the class has long since zipped their mouths as soon as they heard her unmistakeable heel sounds. "As most of you are notified, the half yearly's are coming up quite soon. For the PDH half yearly, us teachers have decided to challenge you Year 11's and focus on the unit we have studied last term; Interaction With The Other ." 

Ms Lee scans the motionless classroom with her sharp eyes before continuing. "Instead of giving you an exam, we have switched it out for an assignment. This will take place over the weekend. You do not have to study for anything, you just have to be prepared. Each student will be paired up with another from the opposite gender. On Friday, during our PDH period, one of the pair will draw out a slip of paper and it will tell you what you have to do with your partner in order to complete your project. There is no skill required, it is all about testing your abilities to work with the opposite ."

I can feel the tension of the classroom. This assignment had come up unexpectedly and many would have burst out complaints but Ms Lee silences us with her eyes, as if she knows what we are thinking.

"Are there any questions?" her sharp voice rings through the silent room. No one dares to raise their hand. "Good. I have already assigned the pairs for your project." She picks up a clipboard from her desk and flips through the pages until she finds the right one. She clears and starts calling out a student's name from our class, then a name from another class.

"Hwang Tiffany, paired up with Park Chanyeol." I turn around in my seat to peer at the back right hand corner - where we used to sit together. She is sitting there with her legs neatly crossed, wearing a placid expression, the sleeves of her jumper pulled to the palms of her hand. She catches my eye for a moment but I turn back around in my seat immediately, wisps of anger igniting inside.

"Kim Jaera, matched with Jung Daehyun." 

I press my lips into a thin line. A few more Kims and then my name will be called out.

"Kim Taeyeon partnered with Byun Baekhyun."

It is like ice cold water has been dumped over my head. A few gasps escape across the room and Ms Lee looks up to glare at us. Everyone silences and the teacher goes back to calling names out, but I have already turned a deaf ear. 

Matched with Baekhyun. . . I can't believe it. I don't know what to think. Would he co-operate with me on this assignment? What is our project about anyway?

I can feel daggers digging into the back of my head. Baekhyun's followers will want to tear me to pieces - that I'm sure of.

"Is there anyone I have missed?" Ms Lee calls out and no one replies. She gives a slight nod of her head. "Good. Thirty perecent of your mark will come from the test you took last term on Interaction With The Other . Some of you did not do exceptionally well like the others and so you have the option of participating in a bit more extreme assignments that will earn you extra credit. Those pairs who wish to take the challenging assignments will draw out a slip of paper from a different pile to the normal one. If you wish to pass this half yearly, you shall follow whatever the piece of paper instructs you to do. You will not get a second chance of drawing out another slip of paper. Complaining will cost you marks. Of course, you can always refuse to do the project and get a neat zero out of a hundred. Notes have already been sent out to your parents and they are well aware of this early half yearly."

The piercing sound of the bell rang through the school.

"May you depend on your luck to draw out less extreme slips of paper. Class dismissed." 

All at once, the room shifts and everyone heads out of the classroom. Ms Lee's words ring through my head. May you depend on your luck to draw out less extreme slips of paper. What in the world is she trying to imply?

-

"Oh my gosh, did you hear? Taeyeon has been matched with Baekhyun!"

"Taeyeon? Isn't she the smart one?"

"Yep. And she got paired up with our Baekkie!"

"No way!"

I swallow my scoff at their nickname for him. Baekkie?! Sounds like a child's name!

Girls gossip to each other, some casting glances down my way. It has only been one period since PDH and the whole school knows I got partnered up with Baekhyun. Like the cliche novels I have read, I expected for his fangirls to hold a grudge against me but all they did is loudly comment on how they wished they were matched up with Baekhyun instead of a less admirable guy, as if I wasn't there. It doesn't bother me much, it's definitely better than receiving hateful looks or messages.

For the rest of the school day, I don't bump into Baekhyun once. I have no classes with him on Mondays. For lunch breaks, I grab some fruit from the canteen and head out into the school yard, shoving my earphones in and hum quietly to myself. It is usually guys who hang around in the school yard, wrestling and mucking around in between trees. Most of the girls are inside the cafeteria, trying to get close to the popular boys.

As the school yard is fairly big, I sit against a tree lining the border of the school. A group of boys do their own thing a fair distance away from me. They don't think much of my presence so I do the same to theirs. It is peaceful out here, all I can hear is the gentle breeze and my steady breathing. I wonder why my group and I never ventured out here instead of being holed up in the stuffy cafeteria. Then I remind myself that there is no 'my group and I'. It is just me now.

I tilt my head up to look at the white puffy clouds abstractly splattered across the blue sky. The sun shines lightly, warming me and I relish in the tranquil atmosphere. I don't know how long I can stay out here before winter hits us, forcing us indoors. I've always liked the upcoming season, being wrapped up in thick quilts with a steaming hot chocolate accompanied with marshmallows in my hands. But I hate attending wet classes, the marble tiles being squelched on by muddy shoes. We still have to wear skirts as part of our winter school uniform so my legs are always cold.

I sigh as I shove my white earbuds back in my ears. I alter the music to a medium volume so that my hearing wouldn't detoriate that rapidly. I start humming while peeling my banana, feeling like everything is fine in the world.

-

Friday comes all too quickly. The periods rush past and the bell rings loud and clear, signalling the end of fourth period. Along with my classmates, I place my belongings into my bag and head to my PDH classroom. Around me, excited students are buzzing in different directions, exchanging energetic comments on their ideal assignment. As I near my classroom, I notice a few students who aren't in my PDH filing in: half of my class' partners. I take my newly acquired seat at the front, waiting patiently for Ms Lee to enter whilst the students among me chatters.

Her heels are still audible over the chatters and everyone immediately shuts their mouths, hurrying to their seats. Ms Lee enters in, dressed immaculately as always, gripping her usual stack of folders. She hesitates at the doorway and eyes us before walking across to her desk, her heels the only sound in the classroom.

Then, Baekhyun appears in the doorway, looking slightly dishevelled. His eyes scan the class, with a slightly confused expression, before they lie on Ms Lee, who does not look happy.

"Ah, Byun Baekhyun, care to join us?" Ms Lee almost looks smug.

Baekhyun's eyes widens as he realises he shouldn't have come late - for once in his life - and I know he would receive the traditional three hour detention. "Uh. . . Of course. . ." Baekhyun trails off. "I'm sorry for my late arrival."

To everyone's surprise, Ms Lee offers a smile, which I suspect holds another tinge of smugness to it. "Oh that's fine. Do take a seat." Baekhyun's mouth grows slack for a second and I'm sure my jaw drops along with everyone else's. Has Baekhyun managed to sweeten the strictest teacher in school? 

As Baekhyun saunters over to the only empty seat, Ms Lee glances at me and I swear the corner of her lip lifts a little. The movement is too quick for me to be certain and she turns her back on us, retreating to the cupboard situated in the corner of the room. She takes out glass jars that holds neatly folded pieces of paper. I gulp nervously.

"Inside each piece of paper will be your assignment. The instructions are brief but clear. Whatever you pick out, you carry out. Complain: lose marks. Refuse to do it: zero." She glares at all of us from above her glasses, letting the rectangular frames fall to the tip of her nose. "The females of each pair will come out and take a piece of paper. You do not get to re-draw." Ms Lee whips out her folder and starts calling the names of girls, each to come out one by one. We aren't allowed to look at the paper until every girl has a slip in their hands.

I frown when Ms Lee finishes the Kim's and goes onto Lee. She hasn't called out my name. Maybe she accidentally looked over it?

I wait for her to finish calling all the girls, and ready myself to put my hand up when she asks if she has skipped anyone. However, she asks no such question. Instead, she flips over the page and peers at us. "The names I am about to call out must take a slip of paper from this jar." She taps the said jar, its content lacking number compared to the amount in the other. "One of you from the pair has done poorly in the last exam therefore you must participate in an assignment that is a little more challenging to what the average people have been given." I see the flicker of a smug look on her face as she stares hard at us. I mentally groan as I realise that it is Baekhyun's low score that forces us to venture into harder assignments. "Complete these projects and it will help catch you up to others. Kang Hyemi."

We all turn our heads to look at her as she nervously stands up from her seat and walks to the teacher's desk. I recognise her to be one of Sehun's fangirls so maybe it is her mark that caused her to take this challenge. She shyly draws out a square piece of paper and scurries back to her seat, cheeks flaming.

"Kim Taeyeon."

Without feeling any shame, I walk the few metres that separate my desk from the teacher's, drop my hand in the jar and pick out a piece that has settled at the bottom. Hopefully I haven't chosen too much of a difficult assignment.

I bite my lip anxiously while the remaining girls draw out the few pieces of papers. What if I have chosen a bad project? What if it is something I can't carry out? It is my half yearly after all, and I have to get Baekhyun to co-operate me if I want to keep my 'smartest student' title. 

"And that is everyone." Ms Lee's sharp tone breaks my thoughts. "Some of you will need equipment from me so do see me after reading your assignment. You may now meet with your partner."

The students don't hesitate for a second as we all fly to our assigned partners. Knowing that Baekhyun would probably be too lazy to walk up to me, I get up and make my way to his seat, which just happened to be in the center of the room. I start unravelling the paper while walking to his desk, spurred on from the murmurs of the students.

Elegant writing stretches in front of me and my eyes skim across the fancy font.

I blink and re-read it over, my mouth falling open and my fingers turning slack.

"What?" Baekhyun's voice snap me out of my daze and I realise I have halted in front of him. Without saying a word, I hand the slip of paper and watch as his reaction turns from bemused to absolute shock. His eyes shoot up to meet mine and we stare at each other for a moment, before his eyes shift and he stands up, emitting anger.

He turns his eyes to the teacher's desk and starts to make his way over but my arm shoots out to grip his. Baekhyun gives me a confused look and I force the words out of my mouth. "Please don't complain, we'll lose marks."

"You really want to do that?" he spits, pointing at the crumpled paper on his desk.

"No. But it's our half yearly nevertheless and I want to do well in it."

Baekhyun sighs and rakes a hand through his hair. "Why did you have to draw out such a horrible assignment?"

I put my hands on my hips and glare at him. "We wouldn't have to go through this if you did well in the exam last term."

He snorts. "Like I would want to study on Interaction With The Other ," he raises his tone to a higher pitch.

"So now you're paying the price. You shouldn't be the one complaining."

"Oh yeah, because you aced the test and whatnot."

"As a matter of fact, I did." I walk over to where Ms Lee is calmly seated, overhearing my classmates' comments on their projects.

"Aye, this ain't such a big half yearly after all. We just gotta visit each other for three hours and that's it!"

"Hey, listen geek. I don't touch your things and you don't touch mine. We'll get the marks. Understand?"

"This is going to be like a breeze."

It is like they are absentmindedly taunting me.

"Hello Ms Lee." I slap on the fakest smile I can muster and bow.

"Taeyeon." She stares coldly at me above her glasses. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Ah yes. It says on the paper that we need to acquire equipment from you? Something about waistbands attatching my partner and I?"

"Ah, that assignment." She gets up from her seat and moves toward the cupboard, retrieving two black loops connected by a metre of the same material. Both loops are adjustable and a padlock keeps the circles intact. Ms Lee produces a small key from her pocket and unlocks both of the padlocks.

"Uh Ms Lee?" I hear Baekhyun's voice from behind me. "Is it really necessary to keep it on for that many hours?"

Ms Lee shoots him a sharp glare. "Is that a complaint I am hearing?"

"No, no, definitely not," I chime in, shooting Baekhyun a warning look who scowls back at me. Ms Lee peers at her watch.

"There's five minutes till the class ends. As you can see, you cannot fiddle with the band without this key. Come back to me on Monday morning so I can unlock it. Of course, if for whatever reason you decide to give up, you can just simply cut the band. However this did cost me a fair amount of money and I am expecting full payment." She hands the band over to me and I reluctanctly slide one of the loops around my waist. I give the other side to Baekhyun but he doesn't take it, instead stares dumbfoundedly at it.

"We wear this for a full forty-eight hours?" he asks incredulously.

"Yes," comes Ms Lee's blunt reply.

"What about when we shower, when we need the toilet?" he gawks.

My eyebrows rise. I only dread the part where I have to be attatched to a playboy for two whole days. I didn't think about the specifics.

Ms Lee points to the loops. "That is waterproof. As for intimate situations, I trust you two will be responsible enough to mind your own business rather than treading in the other's." A blush spreads across my face and I look away from him, thankful when he finally takes the loop from my outstretched hand.

"I have basketball training this afternoon. . ." Baekhyun tries one last time. Ms Lee doesn't answer him as she turns the key in the padlock after making sure the loops aren't too loose for us to slip out of. 

"Thank you Miss," I say and turn around. I freeze as all heads are turned to us, eyeing the black material strapped around our waists. Baekhyun must have realised as well because I feel him stiffen beside me. Surprised and curious eyes stare hard at us and I gulp, unsure what to do. The bell saves us by startling everyone with its pounding sound and everyone gives us one last shocked look before retrieving their bags, eager to be out of the school gates and enjoy their weekend. I head to my desk but a sharp pull at my stomach stops me.

"Ow!" I hiss and turn around, seeing Baekhyun clutch his waist in annoyance as well. He glares at me.

"I need to get my bag." He grits his teeth.

"I need to get my bag."

"Fine," he growls and follows me to my desk. I am about to swing my bag over my shoulder but again, the abrupt painful tug jerks me sideways. 

"Ow! Can you at least wait for me to put on my bag?" I glare at him as he finally realises he was moving too fast. He doesn't offer me an apology and I hastily throw my bag over my shoulder. We walk to the center of the now empty classroom and he grabs his bag. "Now what?"

"Now, we go to the gym because I have basketball training."

My mouth falls open. "What?!"

He turns to look at me, annoyance crowding his eyes. "I said, I have basketball training. We have semi-finals coming up soon and I am not missing out on my practice." Without another glance, he strides towards the door, roughly pulling me along. I let out an ungrateful growl but have no choice but to follow him.

What did I forget again? Oh that's right, Byun Baekhyun is not only the most richest and popular guy in school, he's also the star player of the basketball team. The band attatching us waist to waist only allows us a one metre distance between us and he expects me to practice basketball with him. Have I mentioned that I'm the smartest student in the grade? I can just barely breathe after continuously running for ten minutes. I'm the brain, not the brawn. I am a complete failure at sport.