Everyone excluding Joy was in the same group as Hayi, under the supervision of Coach Yang Hyun Suk. Once they were informed of their group and the coach they’re working under with, they were all ecstatic to be under the said coach. “He’s definitely amazing,” Hanna told Hayi while they were on their way to their new group.

To their utter surprise, Hanbin was in the same group, too. He wasn’t looking at her now—thank God, Hayi thought—but being in the same group with him made Hayi feel conscious. She couldn’t stop replaying the scene inside her head, when she accused him (a dean’s son!!!) of being a ert. It was one of the most embarrassing moments she’s ever had in her life.

Being the new girl made Hayi’s step-siblings protective; she found it somewhat cute and strange. Jennie mentioned something about ‘protecting’ Hayi from the evil claws of Hanbin while they’re around. She was smiling and laughing so Hayi figured Jennie was just joking.

The first 30 minutes were devoted on debriefing the students on music and how it works. Coach Yang Hyun Suk, Hayi noticed, was extremely passionate about making music known all over the world. It wasn’t about having the best pop song or making the most unforgettable beat but delivering a message that could impact the entire world. It was all about portraying one’s emotions and feelings into the song.

During the remaining time, they were separated again in different, smaller groups with another supervisor to teach them. There were too many of them; one teacher wasn’t enough.

Hayi decided this was going to be her favorite class. Music was—and still is—her favorite pastime, her escape and the only connection she ever have left with her father.

Looking around, Hayi hoped she’d know one person in her group but soon realized there was none. Jennie and the others were all scattered everywhere. At least until her eyes landed on one person everyone told her to stay away.

Well, nobody actually told her to stay away. It sounded like they all wanted her to.

 “Hey.”

So much for staying away.

Looking up, Hayi was met face-to-face with the only Kim Hanbin. He was smiling this time, the look from earlier nowhere to be found. Hayi was surprised at how kind he looks with a smile.

“Hi,” Hayi greeted back, giving him a side-glance. She could feel the curious eyes of Jennie, Jisoo, Joy, Hanna, Soohyun and Chanhyuk boring a hole on her back.

Hanbin sat next to her. “I think we got off the wrong foot. I’m sorry about earlier.”

“It’s okay,” Hayi said, shaking her hand. “It’s no big deal.”

“What’s your name?”

Should I give him my name? Am I not safe anymore if I did? Hayi bit her lip. To hell with it. Taking a deep breath, she gazed at him as she mustered up the courage to look at him straight in the eye. “Hayi.”

“That’s a cool name.”

Hayi chuckled. “Not the kind of compliment I’m expecting from you, but thanks.”

Hanbin pursed his lips. “You know who I am?”

“Yeah,” she said, nodding. “I’m pretty sure you know that I know you. You were basically eavesdropping during our conversation, only you were at the other side of the room. You were staring—that’s still basically eavesdropping using your eyes.”

He laughed. “How is that even possible?”

She smiled. He has a nice laugh. “Mental telepathy?”

“I was thinking,” he pretended to think, “enhanced hearing?”

“Is that even a power?”

He chuckled. “It is! Superman’s got it.” He nodded expressively. “And vampires.”

“Vampires?” she echoed in disbelief. “Please don’t tell me you’re a Twilight fan.”

“Hey, I like the baseball scene!” Hanbin pouted. “Wish I was as fast as Edward Cullen. Maybe then I can beat my brother’s and get a homerun.”

“Are you saying you want to be all sparkly and shiny when the sun hits you and drink blood from bears and deer and fall in love with an 18-year-old girl while you’re like a hundred or a thousand years old?” Hayi joked. “You know there’s a term for that.”

“What?”

“e.”

Hanbin laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. “First, you’re calling me a ert. Then a e, why?”

“Because I can,” Hayi said firmly. “And I will call you names in the future.”

He gave a full-metallic grin. “You mean, we’re friends?”

Hayi stared at him. He definitely looked better with a smile. “You really want to be friends with someone who just called you a ert and a e on the same day?”

He nodded eagerly. Hayi wondered how Jennie and the others think this kid was mean.

“What if I’m a witch? Or a vampire? Or maybe a sociopath?” Hayi teased. “I could murder you anytime or when you’re distracted.”

He chuckled. “You won’t. Friends?” He extended one hand.

Hayi smiled, shaking his hand to seal the deal. “Friends.”

“Hyung.”

“Yes, Junhoe?”

“The girl you’re staring earlier—that’s the girl who called you a ert, right?”

Hanbin laughed, feeling relieved that he was able to cover up his surprise. “Yes. You noticed?”

“I couldn’t not notice.”

Hanbin shrugged as he continued walking, scraping his heels against the pavement every five seconds. He thought it sounded… satisfying.

“You’re not going to forget us, are you? Or forget the deal just because of the girl?”

Hanbin snorted, the girl’s face flashing back inside his head. “Why would I do that?”

“I saw the way you were looking—”

“Nope,” Hanbin cut him off, shooting Junhoe a firm look. “Don’t even go there. She’s no one, Junhoe-ya.”

“And then you talked—”

“It’s nothing. I promise.”

Realizing he’s been holding his breath, Junhoe let out one huge sigh, his face more than reassured and contented. “Okay,” he blurted out. Clearing his throat, he continued, “Okay. That’s great, hyung. I wouldn’t want you get in trouble because of her.”

“You know her?”

Junhoe nodded. “People talk. Word travels fast.”

“Oh. Don’t worry.”

Nodding, Junhoe flashed Hanbin a confident smile. “I won’t.”

“Guess who’s friends with the bad boy Kim Hanbin.”

The next day at lunch, Jennie, Jisoo, Joy and Hanna darted Hayi naughty, knowing smiles as if the latter had done something illegally great. Earlier this morning the foursome hadn’t stopped teasing Hayi about the blooming friendship between the two.

Hayi chuckled. “Stop it, you guys. We’re just friends.”

“That’s the thing,” Jisoo stated matter-of-factly. “You guys are friends.”

“Yeah, no one becomes Hanbin’s friend that easily,” Hanna added, smirking.

“Oh, but you did.” Jennie giggled, facing Hayi.

“The question is: why Hayi?” Jisoo supplied.

Hanna shrugged. “Could be a scheme.”

“Or just a boy wanting to be friends with her,” Jennie retorted playfully.

“Imagine how furious Chanhyuk would be when he sees you and Hanbin going out,” Joy bemused, nibbling on her fries. “He’d probably claw Hanbin’s eyes out. That I would love to see.”

“I’m pretty sure he saw us talking yesterday,” Hayi said.

Jennie shook her head, stealing Hanna’s cupcake. Hanna yelped hey, only to unsuccessfully retrieve it back because Jennie was faster. “You’re going to get fat if you keep eating,” she told Hanna, who rolled her eyes as a response, before shifting her attention to Hayi. “No, honey. Chanhyuk didn’t see you. He was too busy working out for his new song.”

“And gawking at Joy,” Hanna chimed in, giggling. “God knows Chanhyuk’s head over heels for her.”

Hayi laughed. “Figures. I saw him ogling at her the first day.”

Joy laughed and rolled her eyes. “Stop it. I don’t like your brother that way, Hayi.”

“Step brother,” Hayi corrected. “And besides, I don’t have a say on who he dates but it’d be nice if it was you he’s dating. I think you’re pretty nice and awesome.”

“See?” Jisoo raised one eyebrow at Joy. “You’ve got the new sister’s approval. What are you waiting for?”

“Let us not forget that Joy likes someone else,” Hanna remarked, grabbing Hayi’s bagel this time. “We’re all aboard the Chanhyuk-Joy ship but the girl’s in love with someone else.”

“So, it’s one-sided,” Hayi said, glancing at Joy. Joy gave a small smile. “Who do you like?

Joy appeared hesitant, glancing from Jisoo then to Hanna and then to Jennie then back to Jisoo again. She looked like she didn’t want to tell Hayi, and that’s okay because wow who am I to even force her, Hayi thought. It was hard not to notice the doubtful expression on Joy’s face.

“It’s okay if you don’t tell,” Hayi added quickly, offering a smile. She suddenly felt embarrassed and stupid for even bringing it up. “I don’t really want to force you to do things you don’t want to do.”

“It’s not that,” Joy said, chuckling shortly. “It’s just… I like somebody else.”

“Yeah, I know. Hanna said so.”

“And it’s your brother—”

“—so, it’s Chanhyuk—”

“—Seunghoon oppa,” Joy finished shyly, looking down.

Hayi’s eyes widened. “Uh, what?”

“Didn’t see it coming, did you?” Jennie laughed, clapping her hands. “We were all surprised, too, when she admitted that to us. Which, by the way”—she cast Joy a mocking betrayed look—“is very upsetting, considering we’ve been friends since freshmen year.”

“I just didn’t think it was that complicated,” Hayi commented, chuckling.

A crimson flush spread up from under her collar. “Well, Seunghoon oppa’s really nice,” Joy said self-consciously. “I mean, Chanhyuk’s nice, too! It’s just that… I really, really like Seunghoon oppa. He treats me really well.”

“Now that,” Jennie teased, pointing at Joy, “is going to break poor Chanhyuk’s heart.”

“I think Seunghoon oppa likes someone, too,” Hayi declared, remembering that one time they played ball by the basketball court.

Jisoo gasped. “Who? Who? Who?”

Joy looked at Hayi with hopeful eyes.

“Well, I don’t know,” Hayi answered, causing Joy to be slightly disappointed. “But I’ll talk to him soon. I’ll try to know.”

“Do that and tell us!” Hanna suggested. She turned to face Joy, giving an encouraging pat on her back. “You still might have a chance, my dear friend. We never know Seunghoon oppa might actually like you back.”

“Geez, don’t let her get her hopes up,” Jennie reminded, taking her soda. “Just don’t make it look like we’re the one dying to know who he likes,” she told Hayi. “Make it sound casual.”

“Does he know you?” Hayi asked Joy.

Joy nodded. “Yes. I’ve been at your house for a couple of times.”

“It’s actually kinda funny how it started,” Hanna interjected, breaking into a sly smile. “Joy has always been Chanhyuk’s assistant and our group’s friends with Chanhyuk’s friends so we go over his house sometimes. So Joy met Seunghoon oppa through Chanhyuk.”

“When Chanhyuk’s intention in the first place was invite Joy over his place and get to know her,” Jennie said, amused.

“So tonight, Hayi, don’t forget,” Jisoo reminded. “Joy’s future is in your hands.”

Hayi laughed. “Okay, okay.”

They five girls laughed and chattered away random things from Chanhyuk’s complicated crush on Joy to enumerating Jennie’s long list of ex-boyfriends. Just then, an unexpected visitor showed up.

“Oh, my god,” Jisoo whispered scandalously. Hayi felt someone kicking her leg under the table.

It was Hanbin, standing right behind Hayi. His hair looked disheveled, his eyes tired, but his mouth was curved up into a friendly smile. His hands were full of grub—banana milk, strawberry milk and four chocolate cupcakes wrapped with plastic. The girls looked surprised to see him, with Hayi appearing the most among them.

Hanbin greeted them with a smile. “Hi.”

The five merely watched him, their mouths ajar. At least until Jennie elbowed Hayi on her rib to say something.

Hayi cleared , clearly embarrassed. “Um, hi. What are you doing here?”

“I was thinking we could eat lunch together.”

She stared at him. “Um, but I’ve already eat—” Jisoo kicked Hayi’s leg under the table (again), causing Hayi to yelp in pain. Annoyed, Hayi cast her friends a questioning look and all she saw were four pairs of determined eyes telling her to lie and go with him.

“Right,” Hanbin said, chuckling. “Sorry for asking. I’ll be early next time.”

“Wait!” Jennie cried, holding her hand up to stop Hanbin. Hanbin gave her a quizzical, amused look. “Hayi hasn’t eaten yet. She was lying. I ate her food so she’s… she hasn’t eaten yet. Because I ate her food.” She put on a straight face. “That’s why she hasn’t eaten. So you eat with her.”

“Way to go, Jennie,” Hanna whispered, trying her best to stifle a laugh.

Hanbin smiled, amused. “Oh, okay then.” He faced Hayi. “Would you want to eat lunch with me?”

Hayi wanted to face-palm herself. This was her friends playing matchmaker. After the talk yesterday that Hanbin was someone bad and the rumors thing, she’d think they would refuse to let her eat with him. Nevertheless, she saw how her friends were trying to contain their reactions—Jennie twitching her lips and looking down, Jisoo wandering her eyes anywhere but them, Hanna finding her empty soda can more interesting and Joy pretending to rummage her bag.

“Okay.”

Ahhhhhh—

Jennie grabbed Joy and covered the latter’s mouth with her hand instantly before Joy could squeal and make a scene in front of the other students. “Oops, sorry. Think she might have forgotten to take her meds. Do proceed.”

Hanbin chuckled, gesturing for Hayi to follow him. “Okay. Thanks. Come on, Hayi.”

Getting on her feet, Hayi shot her friends a wary I’ll never forget this look before leaving. The four responded with eye rolls and dirty looks.

They’re never going to let me get away with this.

jennie might actually be my favorite character here tbh she's just so caustic and funny and adorable haha thank you for reading guys! leave some comments! x

p.s. btw how do u guys like the poster? made it myself haha  (amateur work tho)