Chapter 2 : Mutuality

Neither of them are pleased. From an outsider's perspective, the two couldn't possibly get along, Oh Se-Hun might have been one of the younger students in their class, but he was a brilliant if lazy student, brusque and cocky, good-looking so he was popular with the girls.

Song Ji Hyo was an exception, she was stubborn and hard-working, pretty enough, but caring little about guys or love. She scoffed at it, and while many girls would envy Ji Hyo for being paired with Sehun (since he always partner erred up with a member of EXO), Ji Hyo was a quiet, private person with her own small group of good friends. Some very popular, like Jung Yong-Hwa, a junior, Choi Yeo-Jin, Lee Dong Wook, etc.

But she was kind, and sweet, so most girls liked the older girl, as harsh as her image might be, because while she could be that harsh, she was usually more nice. They were very different.

From Choi Yeo-Jin's perspective, the two are not polar opposites, but too alike. Both are stubborn and prideful, Ji Hyo sees how brilliant Sehun could be, but her friend only focused on Sehun being too cocky, self-assured, everything Ji Hyo couldn't possibly be. 

Sehun could see how hardworking Ji Hyo was, but he wasn't, and their first impressions stuck with them, Sehun had been cocky. Ji Hyo didn't treat Sehun any differently, simply because he was good-looking, and he had sneered, then she had sharply retorted. Everything escalated from there, and the two students hated each other. 

If things had been different, they would have been friends. They are enemies though.

Ji Hyo smiles thinly, if it could be considered a smile, her lips were twisted into a grimace, and her dark eyes (which were usually sleepy-looking) were hardened as she look at him. Even though both of them were sitting next to each other at the table, there was tension lingering between them and the mutual feelings of 'I hate you, I hate you, I hate you,' that can't be breached.

Sehun looks bored, slouched in his chair, legs crossed on the table, Ji Hyo is older, he is challenging her, basically staring her down, while Ji Hyo glowers back unflinchingly. Their table opposed to the other groups, remains completely silent and hostile, crickets can be heard chirping in the background.

Ji Hyo is the first to make a move, pulling out a piece of scratch paper and her blue pen to write. "What is the project about?" She is still glowering at him, but Sehun is hardly fazed, Choi Yeo-Jin sighs. Ji Hyo-ah might be a good friend of hers and is too stubborn and Oh Se-Hun contradicts everything that is part of Ji Hyo. There is nothing Yeo-Jin can do, she simply turns her attention back to her partner, flashing Kwang Soo a nice smile. The younger man is also gazing at his noona with concern, no matter how much the guys tease Ji Hyo, they care a lot more then they pretend to. 

At the moment, Kwang Soo's noona, Ji Hyo, is struggling to maintain some professionalism, when she stares at that cocky boy who is openly displaying his displeasure, she is trying to at least obscure it. Couldn't he make the effort? At least Oh Se-Hun is well-knowledgeable in this subject, Ji Hyo has never been strong in English. 

"Jae Suk-ssem assigned us into groups of two." Sehun drawls, not bothering to straighten his back, although Ji Hyo can't stand it. Most of the time, she tolerates it from other people, because they don't mean to, or they simply smile at her sheepishly, and Ji Hyo can't bear to remain angry for long. Sehun always makes an effort to make her classes more difficult, belitting her for stupid things and yet he isn't that much better than her. They are simply students and she is older than him.

"Yes."

"The project is relatively simple, it's not difficult, but there is a lot of work." She raises an eyebrow on that, Ji Hyo really needs to let it go. Needs to stop finding the meaning behind each word of his, just the upfront definition. "We have to either construct a model of any building, to make it ecologically friendly and include various details here in English, explaining our model. Or, we have to write a dense report on the benefits of environmental technology." 

At least Oh Se-Hun is good at explaning things, he's concise, never sparing any unneccessary words, Ji Hyo must give him that as she jots down what he says fiercely. "Which would you rather do?" She glances at him curiously and is disgruntled to see him eyeing her boredly. "Se-Hun."

"Does it honestly matter, I'll do the work." The cocky brat smiles at her, sighing as if Ji Hyo is a burden, "You don't need to get too involved in the project, I'll do it mys--." 

Ji Hyo is already standing up, her hand stinging as she snarls, there is no regret, even as Sehun holds his cheek, stunned. She smirks, Ji Hyo is sure that he's never been slapped before, and while unlike the other students, Ji Hyo might not come from an important family, but she doesn't deserved to be treated this way, and she doesn't understand why Oh Se-Hun must make her life a living hell. She cannot take his crap.

"Why must you talk to me like this?"

"Wh-?"

"English isn't my best subject, but I try my best. Oh Se-Hun, I will say this once." Grabbing him by his blue tie, she pulls him close until their lips are about to touch, she can see the single veins in his irises, dyed hair unruly and strands straying in the way of his eyes, he is good-looking, even Ji Hyo will acknowledge that, but it isn't an excuse, she is not one for formalities. "I do not need your help, I can pull my own weight in this project." Glancing at the bell, she notes that most of class has slipped by (the time that she spent simply glaring at him across the desk and Sehun stared right back), it rings. Ji Hyo stands up, picks up his hand. 

"Wha-what are you doing, Ji Hyo-ssi?" 

"It's Song Ji Hyo." She corrects him pointedly, her attention is focused entirely on shaking out the ink of the stubborn pen. "Stay still, Sehun." Just to spite her, the brunette wriggles his arm, the older girl glares at him threateningly, takes the pen to mark his face with the pen. 

"Yah!" 

"I told you stay still." She scolds, "There." She drops his hand, Ji Hyo smiles tightly, "I'll see you after school, we can discuss more about the project then." Gathering her books, Ji Hyo tosses her schoolbag over her shoulders, and walks away without turning back once.

"Yah, Song Ji Hyo-ssi!" Oh Se-Hun sticks out his tongue childishly, before grimacing. "That noona. She is too strange and weird. I can't believe she slapped me." Muttering under his breath, he sighs. It could have been worse, he could have been partnered with some girl that would fawn over him and he would rather have Ji Hyo over any of those girls.

He glances down at his wrist to see an address and number. Underlined for emphasis, multiple times, is "DON'T BE LATE." Infuriated, Sehun can do nothing, but rage, as he eyes the list of partners on the board that Jae Suk-ssem had jotted down when they had gotten together. He stares hatefully at her name, his luck to be paired up with Song Ji Hyo.

Checking to see, so no one catches him, he takes the expo marker and adds a mark to the character of her name, changing it from "Ji Hyo" to "Ja Hyo". Smirking, he leaves the room, filled with satisfaction. Even though Suho stares at him oddly when he laughs at lunch, just thinking about it, Sehun finds it worth it. He will see Song Ja Hyo soon anyways. He is allowed a little mischief before then. 

"Song Ja Hyo" needs to be less uptight anyways. 

. . . . .

Author's Note:

Oh that rivalry. My sister hated a guy like that too, then they became friends and got married I mean what? Hope you enjoy!