The sound of the clock ringing echoed through the room.
"K-kuahh! Hmm? Who is it?" Haseon mumbled sleepily, his eyes barely open. He stretched out, still half-dazed. His gaze landed on Jihoon, who was standing by his bed, a teasing grin on his face.
"U-uah!" he gasped, suddenly awake. "Jihoon, you didn't go to school yet?"
Jihoon chuckled. "Yes, yes... But first, let's have breakfast. I already washed up earlier, and besides, you look like a cat having a deep sleep. You're too cute! I didn't want to wake you up."
Haseon groaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "H-heh! Why do you always tease me like that?" He pulled himself out of bed and moved toward the bathroom. "I'm having a bath first! You should go back to your house and change there, right?"
Jihoon paused. "Oh, right... I forgot to bring my uniform, but it's too late now."
Haseon blinked. "Wait, what?"
A few moments later, Haseon emerged from the bathroom, toweling off his hair. "Jihoon! Where are you? Did you leave already?"
He gasped when he saw Jihoon standing in his room, holding up one of his uniforms.
"W-wait!" Haseon stammered. "What are you doing in my clothes?"
Jihoon shrugged, looking sheepish. "Well, the thing is... My house is too far away—about 4 kilometers, so I thought I could just borrow your uniform for today. Do you have another one, Haseon?"
Haseon shook his head. "N-no... I don't."
Jihoon's eyes softened. "What's that?" He gestured to a piece of clothing tucked away in Haseon's wardrobe.
Haseon hesitated, his voice dropping. "Oh... that's just my older sister's uniform. She... passed away that day."
Jihoon's expression softened. "I see. Well, it's okay then. You can borrow this one for now. But don't forget to use makeup to look more presentable, okay?"
Haseon rolled his eyes. "Blerg! Fine, fine... But you're still going to pay me, right?"
Jihoon laughed. "Definitely!"
"Then let's go," Haseon said with a sigh.
The walk to school felt longer than usual, but soon enough, they arrived at the school gates. "Kuah! We finally made it," Haseon said, stretching his hand. Jihoon exclaimed, grinning widely. "Let's go in!"
Haseon blushed, his cheeks a soft pink. "O-okay..." He was still embarrassed by the attention they were drawing.
"Who is she?" someone whispered nearby. "Do you know her?"
Another voice replied, "I don't, but she's definitely popular..."
"E-eh!? She's walking with Jihoon?" one student exclaimed. "For real? This is a rare sight... Jihoon never gets close to girls like that!"
As Haseon and Jihoon walked into the school, the whispers followed them.
Inside the classroom, the teacher raised an eyebrow when they entered. "Hey, Jihoon! You're late again," the teacher called out.
"We were sleeping together last night, teacher," Jihoon said with a casual grin. "Please forgive me this time."
"E-eh? What do you mean by 'sleeping together'? Do you have something going on with her?" the teacher asked, clearly confused.
Haseon immediately stepped forward, trying to clear up the misunderstanding. "U-um, teacher... It's me, Haseon. You remember me, right?" His voice was nervous, hoping the teacher remembered him.
The teacher blinked a few times, clearly trying to recall. "H-haseon? Did you bump your head or something?"
Haseon sighed, sitting down as he explained what had happened. After a few moments, the teacher rubbed her temples. "Okay, okay... You two can sit down now. I have a headache, so just take a seat."
As Haseon sat down, the girls approached Ha-Seon's desk. "Woah, look at you! You look so different today. Did you do your makeup yourself?"
Haseon shook his head. "N-no, Jihoon helped me a little."
The girls raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile curling up. "Oho~ so that's what happened. Are you two dating, by any chance?"
""N-no, absolutely not!" they both shouted in unison.
The girls chuckled. "Uh-huh, well, have a good time then."
A few boys from the class approached, eyeing Haseon with curiosity. "Hey, Haseon! May I kiss you?"
"No!"
"Hey, Haseon! May I hug you?"
"Not a chance!"
The group laughed, but Haseon noticed Jihoon smiling as he watched the scene. Well, at least he's happy, Haseon thought, his nerves calming a bit.
After a long day of studying, Haseon was looking for Jihoon. "Where are you, Jihoon? Oii!"
He turned around and heard "Seo-unni!". "Ah! Hello, Xiao Ling!" Haseon waved.
"Hello, Seo-unni," Xiao Ling replied with a small laugh. "But please don't call me that here. I'm shy."
"Okay! Let's sit over there and eat together then!" Haseon said eagerly.
As they sat down, Xiao Ling asked, "Hey, did you make your own lunch, Haseon?"
Haseon shook his head. "No, this morning Jihoon made it for me."
Xiao Ling's eyes practically sparkled with admiration. "Wow! Really? That's so sweet." He glanced between the two of them with a knowing look. "You two are like a married couple."
Haseon groaned, already dreading the teasing that would follow. "Ugh, I know what you're thinking, Xiao Ling."
Xiao Ling giggled. "It's just a joke. But seriously... It's cute!"
Haseon couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. "What kind of joke is that?" he muttered.
Xiao Ling, always energetic, suddenly switched topics. "I want to read all the books from this school and copy all the notes from every student. I'll make sure I get an A+ on every exam!"
"Why are you so enthusiastic about getting high marks?" Haseon asked between bites, his mouth full of food.
Xiao Ling shrugged. "You know... this school accepts students from all over the world—smart, genius, creative students, prodigies, athletes, you name it. They all come here. We need to show our ability so we can get good jobs in the future. I want to study hard to avoid my family getting angry at me all the time."
Xiao Ling stares at Ha-Seon, her expression softening. "Not for you, though..." she muttered. "Even though you don't study as much and sometimes sleep during class, you still manage to keep your place in the top three or four."
"Oh, I see someone approaching... Well then, don't run off just yet, okay?"Suddenly, a voice broke their conversation.
"What the hell...?" Ha-Seon in confusion.
Haseon looked up to see someone approaching them, a familiar face. "Well then, my darling, long time no see... Haseon-unni!"
Haseon froze. "Ehhh! What are you doing here? Mairu!!"