__Jungsoo’s POV__

I tightened my necktie and checked my uniform again as I walked approaching the school gate. Short-sleeved white shirt tucked neatly into my grey pants, grey tie, name tag, school badge, school pin, and black belt were all in place. I was also wearing black shoes and white socks. Ok, all checked. This way, I wouldn’t have to worry while passing through the teacher who was thoroughly checking every student to make sure that they wore proper set of uniform to enter the school ground.

My class, XI-C was located in the corner of the second floor at the east building, next to class XI-D while the first floor was occupied by class XII-D and XII-E. I met Hyukjae, my childhood friend who was also my classmate, in the stairway then we walked to our class together. There were also my other classmates sitting on the stairs and some others were standing or crouching in front of the class.

“Yah, Jungsoo! Let me see your Math homework, I want to compare our answers.” As soon as I entered the classroom, Youngwoon, my deskmate perked up on his seat and called me.

“Good morning too, Youngwoon.” I said as I took a seat next to him and fished out my book then gave it to Youngwoon who promptly snatched it away from me.

“Argh! Our answers are different for number 2 and 6!” he exclaimed few moments later.

“I want to compare the answers too…” Hyukjae said in singsong voice while walking to the front of our desk with a book on his hand.

I smiled then sighed a little. This was how my day at school was usually started: comparing homework, debating, and then doing little bets. Whenever there was still different answer even after discussion, the person with wrong answer had to give chocolate to the others.

“Hyukkie, give me your book.” Heechul who just came to the class joined our group.

“Why didn’t you do your homework, Chullie-ah?” Youngwoon asked from beside me.

“I did it! I’ve finished four numbers, you see.” He waved his book in front of Youngwoon’s face and looked at me. I stayed silent. Heechul and I were kind of awkward to each other, especially when there were other people around us.

“Come on Chul, let’s finish it at our own desk.” Hyukjae pulled Heechul to their desk in the second row of the middle line.

Then Youngwoon and I started another discussion about our Biology assignment.

__end of POV__

***

The bell rang again, signaling the first recess time. Jungsoo was dragging Youngwoon to stand up while swatting the latter’s arm away to stop him from squeezing his shoulder when suddenly Heechul tugged his sleeve from behind.

“Hey Heechul, what’s up?” he was now facing Heechul and ignoring Youngwoon who put his arm around the smaller boy’s shoulder again, mildly surprised to see the slender boy in front of him. Heechul usually went out of the class as soon as the bell rang to meet his gang members who were mostly from class XI-B.

“Let’s go to the canteen together. There’s something I’d like to talk about.”

“That’s unusual.” Youngwoon mumbled. “Well let’s go, anyway.”

Heechul shot him a glare then pulled Jungsoo closer to him. “Just the two of us. You can go with Hyukjae, Youngwoon. Come on, Jungsoo.” With that said, he turned away and Jungsoo walked closely behind him, leaving a pouting Youngwoon who was soon approached by a smiling Hyukjae.

When they were walking down the last corridor towards the canteen, Heechul stopped on his track then turned to face Jungsoo who almost tripped from the sudden stop.

“Why do you keep walking behind me?” he sounded annoyed.

“Well, I…it’s just…” Jungsoo didn’t know what to say and just stared to the ground.

There was a sound of clicking tongue then Jungsoo was pulled again by his sleeve and now Heechul was walking beside him.

“What do you want to eat?”

“Sandwich.”

“Ok, let’s grab some and eat on the stairway.”

They walked to the snacks corner, buying beef sandwich and strawberry yoghurt for Jungsoo while Heechul got himself some steamed buns and green tea. Then they walked back side by side and stopped at the highest step on the stairway and sat down there. The stairs was like students’ favorite place to hang around during recess or whenever there’s no teacher. It was out of sight from the nearby buildings so they wouldn’t get caught by other teachers.

Lucky for them both, there were no other students around at that time so they could talk privately.

“So, what do you want to say?” Jungsoo asked as he started unpacking his sandwich.

“Do you wanna be my best friend?” Heechul blurted out after few minutes of silence.

Jungsoo froze in the middle of his chewing movement. To say that he was surprised might be an understatement. He was utterly bewildered and started doubting his own hearing.

“Hm?” he managed to choke out a sound then hurriedly chewed and gulped his food.

“Well I wanna be your best and closest friend, Park Jungsoo. What do you think?”

“O-ok.”

Heechul smiled readily while Jungsoo still lost in his thoughts. His right mind kept telling him that he and Heechul barely knew each other so it certainly was not going to work. But when Heechul offered him his pinky, he could do nothing but reached out his own pinky and formed a pinky promise.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah,”

“Now I gotta meet Hangeng. See you later, hyung.”

Jungsoo was again left dumbfounded and alone this time. Did he hear it right? Kim Heechul just called him Hyung?! What in the world was that..?

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