notes: here we go with the special chapter! it's not much (only kai's pov when he first met soojung), but i hope you'll like it

A small yawn escapes my lips the moment I step into the classroom. I have no clue why, but I’d always feel jaded whenever Monday comes. Monday means I’ll be having a morning class with Mrs. Jo. Just so you know, I’m obviously not into reading. So when I heard that this semester there will be a compulsory subject every Monday morning—Reading and Study Skills—I literally felt like jumping off a cliff. How am I supposed to cope with this subject whereas I have never read a single book in my life (scratch text books, of course)?

“Kai, here!”

I swivel my head towards the sleekly overexcited voice of Yura. Then I see her sitting at the table with Suzy and Sehun next to her while Seulgi sits in front of them.

Well, if you are curious, those clique of people are my close friends. While I’ve known Sehun and Seulgi since high school, I just got to know the other two girls during the orientation week. Although we are from different faculties, our tie of friendship never wavers. We would always have lunch together and occasionally hang out during weekend.

“Hey, Kai.” Sehun drapes an arm around my shoulder as I plop down between him and Suzy. “You arrived pretty late today. What’s up?”

“Thank God Mrs. Jo hasn’t arrived yet,” says Yura. 

“You know, the bus I was waiting for came late like, fifteen minutes or something. I had no choice, but to wait until it arrived at the bus stop.”

“I still don’t get why you’re still stuck with bus, Kai,” Suzy says, pulling a confused look. “You can always get yourself a driver, right?”

“Kai doesn’t want to be known as a show-off, Suzy.” Seulgi cuts me off before I can come up with a reason. The latter flashes me a tiny smile. I just respond to her with a nonchalant shrug. Being a classmate of mine during high school for three consecutive years, she obviously knows how I am. I don’t want people to label me as a show-off just because I have someone to drive for me. That’s seriously sick. I hate those ogling eyes and them whispering nasty words behind my back.

Suzy just grunts. “Whatever you say.”

“Seulgi, are you free this evening? You have no class, right?” Sehun looks questioningly at Seulgi.

She nods. “Why are you asking?”

“Can you accompany to the bookstore at the mall nearby our campus later?” he says. “I want to buy a novel for the major assignment that Mrs. Jo asked us two weeks ago.”

“You haven’t chosen one, Sehun?” Suzy’s eyes widen incredulously.

He clicks his tongue. “Obviously I haven’t. Don’t worry about me, Suzy. The dateline is two weeks before finals.” A smug smirk curls at the corner of his lips.

“I don’t think so,” the blonde snarls, shaking her head. “Guys like you don’t read. It’d literally take a year for you to complete the assignment!”

“Just because you’re a bookholic doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want, okay?” Sehun pulls a face. “I can do it. I obviously can do it.” Then he looks at Seulgi. “So Seulgi, are you on? Dinner’s on me.”

“Sure,” Seulgi says, nodding. “But I hope you know this is not a date, okay? I’m just helping you as a friend.”

Suzy and Yura immediately cracks up at Seulgi’s words. I laugh as well, but trying not to make it loud as theirs. I obviously don’t want to hurt Sehun’s feelings, though he already does. A lot.

“I know, you idiot,” he says through gritted teeth.

The brown-haired girl with well-defined features flips her long hair charismatically, a big smile on her lips. “That’s good, then.”

I give Sehun a pity look. He’s been crushing on her since freshman year of high school, but the girl never looks at him romantically. Not that because she was really popular back then or anything. Kim Seulgi just deems Oh Sehun as a mere friend until now. Though he knows about her friend zoning him, he makes himself oblivious and still doesn’t give up on pursuing her.

“Speaking about the major assignment, have you chosen yours, Kai?” Yura asks, breaking the silence.

“Not yet,” I say. “But don’t worry. I’ll find a way soon.”

I stare incredulously at the sight of this long-haired female student. She’s been looking at me surreptitiously a few times, thinking I didn’t notice her doing. One second she’d stare me and one second later, she’d talk to her group of friends.

I know they’re talking about me. It’s just obvious. But I don’t know whether they’re just talking about me or badmouthing me.

However, there are two things I’m absolutely positive.

First, they all look nice. Thus, I suppose they’re not actually badmouthing me. They’re just having a casual conversation and I just happen to be the center of it.

Second, this girl—the one who’s been staring at me occasionally—I found her interesting. There’s like, a string pulling me closer towards her.

As if on cue, our gaze overlap.

Not knowing what to do, I just dart a small smile at her. And I’d say that’s the most genuine smile I’ve ever given to someone.

///

Never once have I thought I’d actually remember the face of the girl who was staring at me oddly last week. Now that she’s standing at the end of the same row as mine, talking to a circle of friends—I know a few of them; Sora and Jihyun. They used to be my classmates during the previous semester—, I can clearly see how she looks like. I mean, I did see her face last week, but today it’s all crystal clear.

In my honest opinion, she’s not what we can consider a beauty—beauties are for instance Suzy and Seulgi. She basically just looks like a normal girl. On top of that, she gives me this sort of coldness. She doesn’t look the friendly type of person. But, she doesn’t look haughty, either. However, if it hadn’t been for her lovely bangs and occasionally pleasant smile, one would’ve overlooked her.

A shiver races down my spine as I see her walking pass the row. I’m really flustered, considering I was just mentally talking about her.

“Is that pizza?” A question pops off my lips, to my horror. I didn’t actually want to initiate a conversation with her because she might not hear me and there’s a high chance that she’ll just shrug me off.

However, she doesn’t. She halts and looks over her shoulder.

“Oh, it’s not.” She looks at the pizza-like box and me back and forth.

“So… what is it?” I toss my cell phone aside, getting all enthusiastic.

“It’s an assignment.”

“Wow,” I blurt out, my eyes wide. “How creative.”

“I guess so?”

Our chat comes to a sudden halt when a lecturer enters the classroom.

What a bad timing, I say to myself. Then I let out a small sigh seeing the latter abruptly turns around and returns to her seat (which is surprisingly just in front of me).

“Where’s Mrs. Jo?” Suzy, who has just hung up on her boyfriend after having a long phone call, gives me a nudge. “This is her class right now, isn’t it?”

“Dunno.” I shake my head helplessly. “Maybe that male lecturer is her substitute or something.”

“Really?” she says in disbelief. “Anyway, who was that girl? The one you were talking to before the lecturer barged in?”

I frown at her. “What?”

“Just because I was talking to my boyfriend on the line doesn’t mean I didn’t notice what you were doing, you idiot.” She snickers a little. “So who was she?”

“Just someone,” I say concisely, “whom you wouldn’t give a damn even if I told you who she is.”

“Why wouldn’t I? She looks nice, though.” She raises an eyebrow. “And just so we’re clear, I’ve never been biased to your any of your friends.”

“Whatever, Suzy.” I shift my eyes to the front, waiting for the lecturer to speak a word as to why he’s here when this is obviously Mrs. Jo’s class.

///

When we have to line up in order to sign the attendance list (because Mrs. Jo is occupied with other things at the moment), I easily spot that girl, who’s leaning against the whiteboard with cross armed over her chest.

I chuckle to myself. She seriously looks like she’s bored to death and is preparing to have a short nap.

“Hey, pizza girl.” I walk next to him and lean against the whiteboard.  I crane my neck to her direction, checking her reaction. She looks shocked to see me standing next to me, as though she just saw a bloody ghost.

“Oh, hi,” she greets me, her voice quivering a little.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, my eyes fixed at her. “Have you signed the attendance list?”

“If I had, I wouldn’t have been here, you know.”

Wow, she’s feisty, I tell myself and