Hate | Nosung

14

Finally.

Jisung was able to get through the school day and take the time before dance to study.

It was the key to his academic success, knowing he would not be very motivated to do it at home anyway. This time was precious to him, and sacred was his space in the corner of the library.

No one to bother him.

"Jisung?" He heard his name.

Oh no.

"Park Jisung??"

It was a voice all too familiar.

This was his time specifically meant for himself and his own personal achievement. Not for catering to annoying basketball captains who derived joy from teasing.

Footsteps meandered closer, and Jisung pushed his textbook higher and higher up into his face. This was the best way he could hide, which was pretty sad.

"Ah, there you are."

No, I'm not.

Too late.

Lee Jeno sat down in the seat adjacent to Jisung and put his backpack down.

Jisung lowered the book and frowned. "How did you know it was me?"

Jeno smiled in mild confusion, with a tilt of his head. "Your dance bag?"

He pointed to the duffel bag that was indeed Jisung's dance bag. Jisung looked down at it and cursed it out in his head.

With a click of his tongue, he lolled his head to the side and released a little groan. "What do you want?"

"Oh," Jeno had nearly forgotten why he was there in the first place."I know you use this time to study," He pulled his bag into his lap as he spoke.

He remembered?

Ignoring Jisung's look of stunned surprise, the basketball player continued his explanation. He pulled a paper of confused notes out of his bag and stared at it as if trying to decipher it's scribbles. "But I just couldn't wait till after practice to ask you about today's lesson."

What?

Jisung looked down at the notes Jeno was now placing on the table, still confused.

"I'm just so frustrated. I was so close to getting it but it's just not clicking." Jeno scratched the top of his head in exasperation.

The dancer had to pull his head out of his daze.

Jeno wasn't here to get on his nerves?

Lee Jeno had sought Jisung out for academically driven purposes?

And come to think of it... Jeno hadn't truly teased Jisung in a long time. True to his word, Jeno was acting normally.

"Uhm... yeah," Jisung pursed his lips, then picked up his pencil. "I can show you. I was reviewing math anyway."

Jeno listened intently, and understood the lesson as soon as Jisung explained it the first time. He truly was on the verge of getting it, he just needed someone to explain it in a way that matched with his thought-process.

That someone was Park Jisung.

Jisung really had grown to know how Jeno processed Math in his head, and could cater to that method after subtle trial and error over the past week. The tutoring went by very quickly because of this, and it was thankfully showing well on Jeno's report card.

It was weird for Jisung; knowing how the most popular boy in school thinks. Academically, at least.

What he wouldn't give to know what he thought instead of how he thought.