I yawned loudly, expressing my sleepiness. I was drawing my homework for whole night and didn’t have a chance to rest. Rubbing my eyes, I looked around the courtyard. A group of giggly girls dressed in school uniforms was sitting on a bench. The air was filled with annoying squeak of their flutes, on which they were clearly trying to play. I rubbed my temples, sensing upcoming headache. Then I headed to the way out of courtyard, which was leading to the parking area, situated next to the western wall of the school building.

The parking area was usually empty, because most of the students were commuting by buses or on bikes, which were kept near the eastern gardens. I glanced at the cars, standing in a row, immediately noticing a huge, black vehicle with its body shining portentously. Never before had I seen this car. Undoubtedly, it was a new toy of some prissy kid, who was using it to show the whole world his or her high social status.

I raised my eyebrows, when a man in a suit got out of the vehicle. The stranger walked up to the back door of the car and opened it obligingly, at the same time helping the passenger to get out.

On the asphalt a slender boy was standing. He was dressed in our school uniform. The green fabric of the trousers was perfectly fitted to his thin legs and the white shirt was only a few tones brighter than his pale face, barely visible behind the curtain of thick hair. The boy’s outfit was completed with a pair of elegant shoes, shining in the morning light. Well, I guess that just sneakers would be way to ordinary for him. Apart from default attributes of a student, such as the uniform or a violin case, which the chauffeur was putting on the boy’s arms, he was equipped with his old-fashioned, wooden walking stick, held in a right hand.

‘Oh, look who’s here,’ I accosted him, getting closer to the boy, holding my hands in my pockets. Taemin winced and slowly turned his head into my direction. His face was painted with impatience.

‘Why are you so late? Because of you, I won’t get to my lecture hall on time,’ he attacked me instead of greeting. I stopped walking, surprised with his harsh words. Was he really thinking that I will be his nanny? He was a big boy, able to check the timetable on his own. I decided to tell him so, but the boy reached for my arm, just like he did the day before, and stopped moving. Waiting for me to show him his way to the lecture hall. I sighed heavily.

‘Okay, fine. But why don’t we walk in a normal way?’ I asked, looking tellingly at his hand that was holding my arm. Taemin not only did not answer, but also grabbed my arm even tighter. I decided not to protest anymore, a bit baffled with his touch, and started walking towards the school.

All the way to the lecture hall, Taemin did not say a word. He was walking silently, with his head down, letting me to conduct him through corridors. I was surprised with his behavior. Usually, the new students had eyes in the back of their heads, enchanted with unique ambiance of this school. In the corridors a lot of things were happening. Musicians, dancers, painters and poets. Students of The Arts Academy are unconstricted when it comes to rules of keeping the place in silence and neatness. They let themselves to be carried away by their artistic self, making a shrine of art out of each corner of the building. Nevertheless, Taemin stayed unimpressed. He was walking with his eyes fixed on the floor, indifferent to amazing paintings, decorating the walls and colorful, stained glass in windows, which were letting in the rainbow light, painting students’ hair. I couldn’t believe that this insensitive person was at the same time the violinist whose music could bring me to tears. Even though he had his violin case on his arms, I couldn’t even imagine him playing the music of the night. I’ve always thought that the art is truly the art only when the artist is putting his whole soul into it. That’s why Taemin’s night performances suddenly seemed to be just an irreverent masquerade, masterful hoax and I was the one who fell for it, believing in honesty of feelings, that could be heard in neighborhood boy’s music. Nevertheless, when he had violin in his hands...

I looked at Taemin carefully, trying to figure him out. I had to admit that he was really pretty for a boy. Not handsome. Pretty, just like little girls in costumes of snowflakes, playing in shows at school. This unusual sensation was even more highlighted by the boy’s haircut. Taemin wasn’t one of these longhaired guys in army boots and having chains pinned to their belts. Boys like that usually didn’t even wash their hair, not to mention using a comb. Taemin’s hair was perfectly kempt, just like hair of preppy should be. However, its extraordinary length and the thick fringe, covering the whole forehead and the part of eyes, combined with delicate beauty of face, made you feel, as if you were looking at a girl who was trying to be a boy, not otherwise.

‘Oh, mister Lee, I was looking for you.’ We heard a voice of a professor. He was walking in our direction, gasping heavily, as if he were running for whole day. Finally, he stood before Taemin, in my opinion – a bit too close to him, and grasped his arms. ‘I wanted to talk to you about the project for the Arts Unity Day, mister Lee.’ The professor was speaking deliberately, as if he were dealing with a little child or a person mental defective. Taemin was clearly annoyed with his behavior, because he snuffled with indignation, but I nipped his arm, to keep him quiet. Professor Kim was getting angry very easily and newbies often dug themselves into a hole, not knowing how to deal with this teacher. I smiled brightly, just to divert the professor’s attention from simmering Taemin. I didn’t quite understand why the boy’s reaction was so sharp, but it wasn’t so important at that moment. People like him usually has their own personality quirks and Taemin clearly wasn’t an exception. I guess my acting worked, because mister Kim looked at me and smiled, too, suddenly really happy about something, I didn’t know exactly what.

‘I can see that you’ve already found a friend that will take care of you. Less work for me,’ he said, looking at me tellingly. Great. Rich young master needs a nanny, because he can’t find a washroom without help. Who am I? A kindergarten teacher? I guess everyone in the whole world decided to make me a servant of this bumbling kid. The blond madman was understandable… but teachers? Had Taemin paid everyone around? I wouldn’t mind it, really. But where the heck is my payoff?

‘I think that mister Choi will gladly join mister Lee in the project. You’ll be a perfect pair of artists, I’m curious what your collaboration will result in,’ said the teacher, having a weird sparkle in his eyes. Then he left, not even taking trouble to explain what is this all about.

‘Take me to a courtyard,’ ordered Taemin, still looking at the floor. He didn’t seem to be surprised nor outraged, like I was. His habit of not looking at people while talking to them was so annoying. I felt like a thing, not a human being. He was acting as if he were a master that can command whatever he wants to, not even taking trouble to glance at me. Maybe he could act like that at his palace. But not here. I looked at my watch.

‘Lectures are starting in a few minutes’

‘Haven’t you heard the professor? You won’t participate in classes today. You’ll help me with the project,’ he said. I was losing my patience. He expected my help, clearly not being able to get by without it. Nevertheless, he was still treating me like a servant. I guess he didn’t realize that I could just leave him in the middle of this unfamiliar place and stop wasting time for his caprices.

‘I haven’t agreed on any project,’ I grinded out, but Taemin laughed bitterly in reply.

‘Do you think, you have anything to say? You’ve heard what the professor said and I guess you don’t want to confront him? You’re too smart for that,’