3rd person pov

she stared straight ahead, straight onto the whiteboard. she felt like her surroundings were crashing down with her. sitting perfectly still and silent, she watched every single movement her teacher made.

as ms. mina wrote casually on the board, the class was in a death-panning tension, anticipating ms. mina's pairing. all eyes were on her, but she was all too caught up in writing.

y/n, being the loner she is, has never been partnered up with anyone for an assesment. no one would want to be her partner, and so does she.

"okay class! here are the pairs." ms. mina finally announced, exhaling a breath. y/n immediately looked for her name, heart pounding faster and faster as she did so.

and there was her name.

with soobin.

her eyes widen, taking in the reality. her mouth frowned as she sighed harshly, scratching her nape.

soobin was what you call a typical player. he's the leader of the school's infamous band, makes music alongside his friends which also happens to be the a-listers of the school. has different girlfriends almost every month, and yet girls drool for him.

but not y/n.

she can see all the truth behind that façade. the fact that he's just pretending to be perfect. the fact that he's simply an asshole.

out of all the people on earth, why did she has to be paired up with none other than soobin?

"that's it for today! don't forget to submit your pair project in our next lesson!" ms. mina beamed, starting to walk towards the door just when the bell rang.

"bye miss!" the class greeted in unison before she exit the room.

she harshly sighed again, the frown remained on her face the whole time she kept herself busy, tidying up her desk.

_

y/n pov

why?

why did it have to be him out of all people? did ms. mina do this on purpose?

"urghh!" i groaned in complain, storming angrily towards my locker which made me earn some weird glances.

i helplessly threw my books into the locker, frustrated as i felt a cloud of darkness looming above me. the book clanged against it, gaining everyone's attention. but i didn't care. i just needed to let all the feelings out.

might as well die. i rolled my eyes at the thought, a smile crept up my face unintentionally.

"so we're partners now." a familiar voice startled me, causing me to bang the locker close. i held onto the locker, eyes closed as i regained my composure.

i stayed silent, huffing out a breath before walking towards the opposite direction without even sparing a glance at him.

"your house or mine?" he trailed behind me, sounding a little flirty. i scrunched my nose in disgust before aggressively stopping and turn to face him.

he seemed a little shocked at my abrupt stop, which made me smile victoriously. but not too obvious, or else he'll know.

"how about both? you go to yours and i'll go to mine." i sarcastically cheered before walking off to where i was headed.

wait, where was i gonna go?

well, the important thing is i walked away from him. and this time, he didn't follow me. while walking, i let out the air i didn't realize i was holding, feeling somewhat relieved.

i guess soobin and i will fail this project.

"hey, there's my girl." lina cheered, trailing to my side as i remained walking.

"hey lina."

"oop, something's troubling you." she teased, wiggling her fingers in front of my face.

"shut up." i playfully pushed her away as we kept on going.

"don't tell me this is about the pair project?" she knowingly asked, nudging me with her elbow.

"you read my mind." i cooed, sighing afterwards.

"look, i don't know what your problem is with him, but sooner or later you're gonna have to sort it out." she adviced as she gave me the you-know-i'm-right look.

"well, he started it." i whined.

"it doesn't matter who started it, you're both mature for god's sake!" lina yelled.

"he's not." i murmured, rolling my eyes.

"what was that?"

"nothing." i lied, quickly glancing everywhere but at her.

"hng, i'll let it slide this time. c'mon, let's eat." she pulled me by the hand as we went off to the cafeteria.

_

"what?!"

my yell got a little louder than expected, gaining everyone's attention including soobin, who stared at me in shock for a while before looking away. he looked.. hurt?

humph, why do i care anyways?

"nothing to looke here!" i sheepishly stated as the others went back to what they were doing.

i smiled in relief as my eyes remained to the sheet of paper hung on the board.

then my smile faded away because i remembered why i yelled.

"you better have a good excuse as to why you- oooh.." lina suddenly showed up behind me, soon knowing the reason.

my new lab partner is soobin.

i scoffed, "as if pairing up with him for a project isn't bad enough already."

we kept staring at the paper, still taking in the new pairs for our lab work. "well, think positive! he'll be gone before you know it." lina comforted, patting my shoulder.

"he'll be gone after 6 months, yeah sure." i retorted, earning a glare from lina.

"okay, geez, sorry." i mumbled, feeling scared by the sudden death glare she threw. she chuckled just when the teacher came in.

"please go to your respective seats." he hollered as we did what he said.

after the greetings, he continued, "as you can see on the board, you have been assigned with a new lab partner for the semester. i hope you can use this opportunity to increase your lab work."

pfft, sure, i can increase my score with soobin.

as we sat awkwardly next to each other, i kept my gaze to the front. but there was something weird.

from my peripheral vision, i could see soobin still looking away from me, looking at the tiles on purpose. he didn't say a word ever since i sat there. that's weird because he would usually say something to me when we meet.

ugh, why do i even care?

"okay, let's get started with the lab activities." mr. woo stated.

i snapped back into reality, realizing i wasn't listening to his instructions the entire time i looked to the front.

i hesitated before poking his arm, "uhm, what are we supposed to do?"

"i thought you were listening to him." he quipped sarcastically, taking out things from his bag.

"soobin!"

"ugh, fine. he said we have to draw the cell on the practice paper." he clarified, but in an annoyed tone.

"yah, what's up with you? you were cheerful like, a minute ago..." my voice faded away after realizing what i said.

silence filled the atmosphere despite the loud lab. well, more like an awkward silence between us as he avoided my gaze and did nothing mr. woo told us to do.

we stayed in that same position for what felt like eternity before soobin sighed, "do you hate me?"

and what shocked me was that he sounded sad.

"pfft what are you talking about? i- i think we should be doing what mr. woo instructed." i stuttered anxiously as i tried to make myself busy.

"yeah. we should." he agreed in disappointment.

we did the lab work in silence. he seemed focused, not making a single sound. i couldn't even hear him breathing. i tried to be as stoic as possible as we did experiments.

geez, i can't take it anymore.

"tonight. at my house, we'll do the project." i spoke out of nowhere, gaining his attention. we stopped working, and he just looked at me without any reaction.

"but if you don't want to-"

"okay, your house at 6." he cut, flashing me a smile before resuming to what he was doing, showing off his dimples.

it felt like my heart softened a little after he became a little more happy than before. i stared at him before i looked through the microscope.

"so which magnification are we supposed to use?" i asked without looking away.

you better not make me regret this, soobin.

_

as i lazily stepped down the never-ending stairs, various noises came from the kitchen. metal clinging against metal, it seemed like world war III was happening in my kitchen. i grimaced at the weird noises, approaching the kitchen carefully.

"yah, what are you doing?!" i intentionally yelled loudly for my little brother to hear.

"you know you can't cook right? oh wait, don't tell me this is the end of the world." i mocked, leaning onto the kitchen counter with a hand on my chest. i chuckled alone like a lunatic, enjoying the mess my brother made.

"soobin's coming right? i had to make something.." he said, seeming too focused to come with a retort.

"how did you know?" i eyed him suspiciously since i didn't tell anyone about soobin's visit here.

he abruptly stopped his antics and started to become awkward and stuttered, "uhh.. y-you know? lik-ke i've b-been-"

"spill." i deathpanned, staring at him intensely.

he eventually gave in, "he texted me about it." he gulped.

"what?? i thought i told you not to text him!" my voice got higher, furious at the fact he talked with the one person i hated the most.

"just because you hate him doesn't mean i can't talk to him." he reasoned, resuming to his work.

i froze at what he said. ...what?

but before i could come back at him, the doorbell rang throughout the house, its echo giving unusual chills.

"you're not getting away with this." i threatened before striding off towards the door.

i swung it open casually to reveal soobin standing on the porch awkwardly, his back facing me.

"ekhem" i coughed out, making him turn around to face me only to find out that he held something.

"flowers?!"

"yes, for mrs. y/l/n and her family." he stated before walking into the house without my approval.

"hey-"

"soobin!" i closed the door and faced the living room to see my brother running towards him with a bright smile.

"hey, little man. what's up?"

"i made you something." he excitedly spoke, soobin's tall figure contrasting to my brother's small figure. he held it high up for soobin to take.

"awh you made bread for me? thanks pal!" soobin cheered, receiving the gift and giving my brother a cute little high five.

i rolled my eyes at their interaction, taking a glance at the kitchen - it was still messy by the way - before calling out to soobin.

"you're early."

"yeah, i thought we could get a headstart. hey, where's your mom?"

"upstairs. here let me take those." i suggested to be polite. even though i didn't want to.

he delightedly gave me the flowers before running upstairs frantically like a child.

"where are you going?!"

he ran down to the end of the stairs before panting out, "just getting ready before the pair work." and then he ran off without waiting for my reply.

rude.

i decided to go to the kitchen and put the lilies in a vase when i saw my brother cleaning up. and he wasn't doing a good job at it.

and at the same time, my stomach grumbled loudly like a monster, which made me blurt out, "bro, do you have any of those bread left?"

as i put the lilies on the dining table, i heard him say from the kitchen, "why? i thought you didn't want anything that is soobin's."

"i'm hungry, shut up." i quipped, snatching off the bread from my brother's hand. he gasped, "hey, that's mine!"

"well, it's mine now." i muffled with the sweet bread inside my mouth as i walked upstairs.

with my brother left dumbfounded, i quickly went into my room. and as i expected, soobin was there.

with food.

"yah, i can't have food in my room!"

"then what's that on your hand?"

"uhm.." i hesitated. "i was gonna finish it soon anyways."

as i munched the bread, i saw the papers he decided to spread on my floor without my consent.

"don't worry, i already asked your mom and she allowed us to eat while doing this." he casually reassured. i was about to sit down when i heard what he said and panicly stood up.

"what?! when?"

"when you were downstairs, pabo."

my anger was fueling inside me without him realizing. i scowled at him, taking harsh breaths as my face got redder and redder. but eventually i gave up, there was no point scolding him when there was a project to finish. i sighed, "okay, fine. let's do this." i sat on the cold floor next to him, wondering how he could sit on the freezing floor.

i shivered a little, trying to get myself comfortable as i tried to focus on the project.

"yah, soobin. i can't understand this. it's too messy." i complained after a brief of silence.

he turned his head towards me with a slight frown. without a word, he stood up and walked across the room with no warning. "stand up," he instructed.

i did what he said even though i didn't trust him. he suddenly spread the carpet he was holding when he got back to my room, invisible dust flying all over the place.

i coughed a little and he quickly sat on the carpet, ignoring the weird noises i made. he made himself busy for a few seconds before looking up at me, "what are you doing?"

"oh, sorry." i mumbled, sitting next to him again. we resumed to our last position, but this time it was a little warmer thanks to the carpet.

as we spent a few hours focusing on finishing our project, more mess were made. papers were scattered all over the floor, i even found one laying lifelessly under my bed.

tiny food crumbs decorated the carpet, pens and pencils were also all around the room, i had a feeling that i lost one of my pricy colored pens.

"soobin, i'm tired, let's rest." i yawned, stretching my arms out. soobin, who was next to me, remained silent, his eyes raking around the project. "soobin, we need to take a break." i insisted.

finally, he sighed, "okay, let's rest for a while."

i stood up, running over to my bed as i threw myself onto it. i smiled and giggled as i relaxed myself on my comfy, fluffy bedsheets, curling up into a ball under my silky blanket that kept me warm.

i heard a soft chuckle coming from soobin as he approached my bed.

"may i?" he gently asked. i hummed in response, sitting up as he went to sit on the other side of my bed. "yah, can you share the blanket? it seems soft."

"no."

"please??"

"no."

"ugh, fine. at least your brother was nice enough to make me bread." he mumbled in complaint, and i heard it loud and clear.

"excuse me? what was that supposed to mean?" i raised my voice, showing my annoyance at him. i tossed my blanket away, facing him as i expected for a reply.

"woah, sorry! it's just that.."

"what?"

"...you've never been nice to me, that's all." he explained. i was lost for words at what he said. i quickly looked away from him, playing with my fingers as i thought about what should i say next. "well, if you're not using it, i'll take it."

he snatched the blanket and used it comfortably. feeling cozy, he let out a breath, falling deeper into my bed.

"want me to tell you a bedtime story?" i quipped, sarcasm obvious in my voice. i took my phone and started playing with it as i tried to calm myself down.

"let me tell you one." soobin unexpectedly responded, his expression stoic as he stared blankly at the wall.

i ignored him, still scrolling down my phone. but the truth is, i was listening.

"once upon a time, there was a boy. he moved to a new town and went to a new school. he wanted to start over as he embarked on his new life." he started. he didn't even check whether i was listening and went on.

"he didn't know anyone there. it was perfect for a second chance. he tried to keep a low profile in school, so he didn't join any clubs and didn't make new friends.

"that was until someone decided to approach him and be friends with him. he didn't know her real intentions, whether she approached out of pity or simply because she wanted to make fun of him. so he avoided the girl."

i started to take interest in his story because i originally thought he was going to tell those typical bedtime stories. so i leaned towards him closer as i still looked through my phone. then my eyes widen. "i-"

"na-ah, no interrupting." he teased and cleared his throat before continuing the story. i slumped on my bed, pouting.

"he didn't want to be friends with anyone, his wishes were clear. but no matter how many times he deliberately avoided her, she still insisted on being friends, tailing him all around the school. so, the boy eventually gave in and gave their friendship a shot.

"'wow, she's fun!' he thought about the girl. she would always make him smile and laugh, it was as if she gave him all the happiness in the world. she would always help him when he struggles, and would always comfort him whenever he feels down. the next thing he knows, he was head over heels for her a few months after their friendship began."

as he took a breath, my mind was trying to process everything he had said. as for my heart? well, it was beating faster and faster, anticipating for the words 'the end'.

"they would eat at the cafeteria together, they would study together after school. they were inseperable. this caused rumors around the school, rumours that they were dating."

i gulped.

"so they clarified with everyone that they weren't. and as expected by the boy, all the girls around the school started to drool for him. but there's a catch.

"he still liked the girl. he didn't want to date anyone else, he wanted her. there was one time where she told him to go audition to the school's band since she knew that he does music. and at that same day they clarified there was nothing between them, he got the news.

"he got into the school band. he wanted to celebrate with the girl, he wanted to thank her. but when he wanted to, the band members would always insist on hanging out. so he never got the chance to thank her.

"and as for the girl, he felt like she gave up. he tried to approach her again, but she walked away. at first, he thought it was because she was busy, but later he knew why.

"she avoided him on purpose. he was confused, he didn't know what he did wrong. 'maybe she knew about how i felt for her?' that was his thoughts. then, he got to a conclusion. she didn't like him.

"so he started to date other girls, he tried to get his mind off the girl. the girl he fell for. the girl that accepted him for who his is. but after numerous number of dates, she was still stuck in his mind.

"the girl hated him, the boy liked her. but the universe can't let them be together. it was so unfortunate, both for the boy and for the girl. this was a story about a friendship that ended badly. a boy named soobin and a girl named y/n."

my throat was dry at his words, my body rigid. the entire story was about our friendship. well, old friendship.

"the end." he ended, looking away from the wall and towards me. his eyes were glistening with sorrow, looling straight into my soul. i wanted to look away, but i can't. it was like he was holding me back, preventing me from moving an inch.

his eyes were red with teardrops, and he closed his eyes for a while, biting back his tears. my heart clenched at this sight. i felt like i could break down any moment.

"it's... not that i hate you." i spoke, nearly a whisper.

"i was hurt."

soobin slightly flinched at my words, a tear rolling down his cheek. his mouth parted a little bit, trying to understand what i just said.

"i- it felt like you left me. i- i thought you left me because you became popular and-"

he stayed still.

"and i was not good enough for you anymore." i stuttered, gripping my bedsheets hard.

the room was dead silent, i could even hear the television from downstairs. we avoided each other's gaze as the both of us sat on the bed.

"..i'm sorry." he breath out, both of us locking gaze as tears threaten to spill.

"i'm sorry too." i gave a small smile to brighten up the atmosphere a little.

and out of longing, we engulfed each other in a warm hug. as i buried my face into his chest, he rubbed my back in circles, putting his chin on top of mine. as i made the hug tighter, he played with my hair that was damp due to his tears.

then i smiled widely as i muffled in his shirt,

"i like you too."

***

hey :)

i feel bad yall, when i started this book, i planned on updating once a week, and now it's just once a month.

i'm a bad author, i'm sorry guys :( aNywAyS

stay safe !! i don't want yall to be sick bc of the corona :<<
pls don't go out unless it's important, okay?