my escape • study group x reader

chapter two • episode 1

"Wow, our school has a nice place like this?" I glanced up when I heard Ga-min's voice. Se-hyeon was asleep next to me, his head cushioned by my backpack. During our lunch periods and breaks, Se-hyeon and I typically came to the library. The library was the only room in the school that wasn't a fighting ring during breaks so it was the best place for Se-hyeon to nap and for me to catch up on the recent episodes of my drama. Our peace was interrupted by Ga-min's voice.

"It'd be nice to have a friend to study with."

I rolled my eyes and stuck my earbud back in my ear and raising the volume of my show. I felt Se-hyeon turn over and huff beside me. After a few minutes, Se-Hyeon rolled over again and sat up. I pulled my earbud out and looked at him, noting the frustration on his face. He stood to move to another part of the library. I left him alone but watched Ga-min through the shelves as he turned around so that he was once again at the same level as Se-hyeon. I snickered.

"Man, this person studied with his friend too. I'm jealous. I don't have a friend to study with."

I put my earbud back in.

"I understood this yesterday, why can't I now."

I audibly groaned and pulled both of my earbuds out, shooting invisible lasers through Ga-min's face with my gaze.

"It would be great if someone could teach me how to do this."

"New kid!" I yelled, stomping my foot. Ga-min's adorable gaze landed on me. "Shut the fuck up."

"Please," I heard Se-Hyeon mumble in agreement.

"Sorry," Ga-min whispered. Silence didn't follow. Every movement he made seemed to be louder than the next, I didn't even know it was possible to turn a page so obnoxiously.

I heard Se-hyeon sigh and sit up, "Fine! Give it to me, but leave me alone once I teach it to you." Ga-min scrambled to his feet and collected his books, following Se-hyeon to one of the tables at the front of the room. I watched Se-hyeon start to look around, trying to locate his own math notes. He looked at me, "Have you seen my bag?"

"I think your notebook is in the front pocket of mine." I pointed at my yellow backpack that was clutched in his hand. He plopped it down on the table and started rummaging through it. I caught Ga-min's gaze and shot him a dirty look before standing to my feet and joining them at the table.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Ga-min asked Se-hyeon suddenly. Se-hyeon just shook his head.

"Do you just say whatever comes to your mind?" I asked, sitting down in the seat next to Se-hyeon. Ga-min shrugged and sat down across from him.

***

"Why do you want to be good at studying?" Those were the first words I heard when the last episode of my show ended. I pulled out both earbuds and sighed, rubbing the tiredness out of my eyes.

"I just want to be good." Ga-min responded, not a single thought behind his eyes.

"How can you even seen the board around those glasses fra—" Se-hyeon slapped a hand over my mouth and cleared his throat. He nodded understandably toward Ga-min, "I see," he said.

Ga-min glanced at me and then back at Se-hyeon. "You're the same way."

Se-hyeon's eyes widened and he removed his hand from my mouth. "Me? I'm not."

"You're lying," Ga-min responded quietly. I raised and eyebrow and sat up to say something but Se-hyeon placed a light hand on my arm.

"I said i'm not, why do you think i'm lying?"

"You have turtleneck syndrome from studying a lot." Ga-min pointed at Se-hyeon's posture. I snickered slightly, thinking that was the end of it but Ga-min continued. "You have calluses on your fingers from writing a lot, your bangs are short enough to not fall in your eyes when you're studying, and finally, it's your eyes." Se-hyeon looked up. "I can tell you want to study."

"What the hell?" I mumbled to myself, leaning back in my seat.

"Let's form a study group together." He looked at me. "You can join too."

"What?" Se-hyeon and I said in unison.

"A study group."

"This is Yuseong Tech," I said with my eyebrows raised. "If you think you're gonna get a group of people together to study here you're insane."

"Yeah, you're Grade-A stupid if you think that'll work. Pi Han-Ul would never allow that." Se-hyeon added.

"Pi Han-Ul?"

Se-hyeon pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up the class ranking on the infamous app that had everyone in the school by their throats. He leaned to show Ga-min. "Pi Han-Ul created this app. The son of the leader of Yeonbaek gang is number one in our school. He created this ranking app and everyone became obsessed with its power ranking."

"What does that have to do with us studying?" Ga-min asked.

I scoffed. "It's impossible to study in this school, you'll get fucking obliterated to pieces if you're caught genuinely studying."

Just as Se-hyeon was about to speak, Ga-min held out a crumbled piece of paper that showed Se-hyeon's class ranking. He was number 2. Se-hyeon sat back and Ga-min continued to yap. "Let's form a study group and go to college."

Se-hyeon stared at the paper for a while before taking it from Ga-min and ripping it to shreds. "Get out of my face," he mumbled.

I nodded. "It's safer for all of us if you leave now."

"Hold on-"

"Get the fuck out," Se-hyeon said, his voice low but filled with annoyance. "I said I won't study. You know nothing."

"Se-hyeon-"

"He said no." I leaned forward. "Get the fuck out, who are you to tell us to study when you don't even know us."

Se-hyeon stood, gathering his notes and my backpack. "Let's go, y/n."

I stood and followed him out of the room, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair as I went. If we studied with that kid and Se-hyeon's dad found out it would be hell for him. He'd be either be killed at school or at home, either way it'd be a terrible idea. I stood by him, knowing what was best for us both.