During the peak of winter, the sky is constantly shrouded in a dark veil of clouds making it hard to distinguish if it's day or night. I can't remember the last time I saw the sun clearly or the blue sky for that matter. There are highlights to winter, you get Christmas and New Years but once that's over what's the point? Now you have to suffer through the brittle weather for a few more months until you hit spring, and well that just meant rain.
I was making the horrible walk to campus. It's not that far from my student flat but the brisk wind always has a way of getting into any crevices I hadn't wrapped up tightly enough. My whole body shivered and my teeth chattered. I smiled gleefully though as I thought about the warm classroom I'd soon be in.
I always seem to get more irritable when I'm cold. I guess I have a low tolerance for it? But you'd think three layers of clothing along with a hat, scarf and gloves would be enough to keep me warm but nope. I was still freezing. The icy air burned my cheeks, turning them slightly red.
As I made my way onto campus, various other students were wrapped up for warmth like I was and hurried past me to dash inside. I made a left turn, intending to head to the lecture hall for my lesson but I stopped as I noticed a tall slim guy staring hard at the campus map. A new kid perhaps?
I stepped closer to the newbie and noticed he was wearing a grey knitted turtleneck and a long brown coat that stopped just above his knees. His hair was jet black as it hung perfectly around his head in small waves. Small curls adorned his forehead as it parted slightly and his face, wow. His features were smooth and soft looking as were his dark chocolate brown eyes that focused intently on the map in front of him.
I opened my mouth to speak to him but before the words could come out the first bell for class rang. Crap I'm gonna be late! I quickly spun on my heel as I rushed to the lecture hall. I knew this particular teacher for my lecture was an arse to everyone so I didn't want to show up late and get scolded.
I sighed in relief as I walked quickly into the room to see that the teacher wasn't there yet. "Piper, over here!" I looked up at the room and saw my best friend Ava waving at me from a few rows away. I ran up the steps and sat down next to her with a heavy thud.
"Thanks for saving me a spot," I said smiling at her as I began to rub my hands together in an effort to thaw out my fingers from the cold.
"Hand warmer?" Ava asked as she handed me a spare one from her pocket.
"Lifesaver." I grabbed it gladly as I squeezed it in my hands, caressing it against the slightly frozen parts of my face.
Mr Lewis, our teacher, the only teacher I might add that asks us to call him by his surname rather than his first name like the rest of our lecturers. Walked into the lecture hall and began the class. Fifteen minutes later the doors to the classroom opened and the same stranger I had seen before walked in. His expression was completely calm as if he was unaware that he had just disturbed a lesson.
"Excuse me." Mr Lewis said in an agitated tone "This lecture is in session."
The whole class suddenly turned into a frenzied whisper about the handsome newcomer. I straightened up in my seat to get a better view which didn't go unnoticed by Ava. "Do you know him?" Ava said intrigued.
I shook my head at her. "No, but I saw him on my way here looking at the campus map."
"Why didn't you speak to him?" Ava asked me in a whisper as the class started to quieten back down.
"Well I didn't know he was in this class and I was running late!" I said back in a hushed tone.
"Name?" Mr Lewis asked the stranger.
"Kim Taehyung." He flashed his teeth as he smiled, his voice was deep and velvety.
"Yes, here you are. We do, however, ask that students show up on time for class." He glared hard at Taehyung.
"Ouch. He would have been on time if you had spoken to him." Ava said teasingly to me.
"I know that!" I said abruptly, letting my anger get the best of me.
"Excuse me." The whole class turned to look at me as Mr Lewis called me out "Is there something you'd like to share with the class?"
"Uh no..sorry," I said timidly. How embarrassing! Could the ground swallow me up whole, please?
"Thank you." Mr Lewis said curtly before looking back at Taehyung "Kim Taehyung was it? See me after class, please. You too Piper." Mr Lewis turned to stare at me again. I glared back but my gaze shifted to Taehyung's face as I noticed him smirking ever so slightly at me.
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"I'll see you in the cafeteria?" Ava said in an apologetic tone as she packed her books away.
"Yep," I said back annoyed. I slowly walked down the steps and over to Mr Lewis's desk, already there waiting was Taehyung looking fairly relaxed. Urgh, let's just get this over with.
"So, Taehyung I've called you here for being late to class and Piper I've called you here for speaking loudly in class." He said condescendingly. Jesus Christ, I feel like I'm back in high school and not university.
"I do apologise. I got lost." Taehyung said while bowing his head slightly.
Mr Lewis then shifted his gaze to me, seriously I also have to apologise? "I'm sorry for being disruptive in class," I said through gritted teeth. I hated Mr Lewis, he's the one teacher that has been a dick since day one. I would ditch his class if it wasn't responsible for a large portion of my grade.
"So I think the best way for you two to learn your lesson is if you do something together." Mr Lewis's eyes darted between me and Taehyung.
"I'm sorry, what?" I said slightly taken aback by his suggestion.
He scratched his chin as he leaned back in his chair "This week's presentation. I want you two to join up and work on it together."
"But! I already grouped up with someone yesterday!" I said back in protest.
"Well, you shouldn't have spoken out in class then Piper. Who have you grouped up with?" Mr Lewis asked me.
"Ava," I said bluntly.
His gaze on me hardened before he spoke again "Well I'm sure she won't mind. You can be a group of three. Oh, and you can show Taehyung around so he doesn't get lost again." He smiled a patronising smile at me "Go on, go to lunch." He then shooed us away.
I stood there for a moment in complete shock at what he had just announced to me before I grumbled under my breath. I turned to head out the door but I stopped after a few steps and turned to see Taehyung still standing there "This way to the cafeteria." I said with a fake smile as I paced quickly out of the room.
Taehyung rushed after me as I stomped angrily to the cafeteria, my hands balled up tightly into fists. Once inside I turned to look at Taehyung "I want you to know I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at that dickhead of a teacher." I didn't want him to get the wrong impression of me.
"Oh, that's okay," Taehyung said softly.
He stood there awkwardly for a while as he fiddled with his coat "You can eat with me and Ava if you want?" I said in a lighter tone, and his face instantly changed into a happy expression.
"If that's alright with you?" He asked as he showed his perfect pearly white teeth again to smile at me. I was distracted for a moment by his perfect face. I blinked a few times and nodded my head carefully to knock myself out of my weird trance. After grabbing my food I spotted Ava sitting at an empty table in the far corner, Taehyung followed after me with only an apple in his hand. Was he not hungry?
I sat down next to Ava at the table and Taehyung proceeded to sit opposite us, Ava eyed me suspiciously at Taehyung's appearance. "Why's he here?" She whispered to me.
"He." I said loudly so Taehyung could also hear "Is here because he's now in our group for the presentation." I glared at Ava. I was still mad.
"Oh well, that's not too bad of a punishment," Ava said calmly as she turned to look at me, noticing my hard expression.
Ava ignored my temper tantrum and turned her attention back to Taehyung "I'm Ava by the way!" She said excitedly as she grinned. "Looking forward to doing our presentation with you." She said in a joking tone as she shot Taehyung a small wink.
Taehyung nodded politely back. "It's nice to meet you too. I'm Taehyung...um is she okay?" Taehyung gestured to me with his head. I was currently chewing my food grouchily.
"Oh, she just takes a while to get out of a mood once she's in one. She'll be better once she's eaten." Ava waved her hand in the air as she spoke as a mother would about her child. Taehyung laughed slightly before looking at me, his chocolate eyes scanning my face.
I swallowed hard as I noticed him staring at me. "Where's your next class?" I asked in an attempt for his gaze to leave my face.
He grabbed his bag from under the table and rummaged around inside it before pulling out his timetable and handing it to me. I studied it for a moment. "Oh okay. A lot of these classes I'm in." I said to him as I handed his timetable back.
"That's good." He smiled deeply at me, in a slightly weird way though? I looked back at him in a questioning manner.
"Ah I mean because I won't get lost." He said quickly.
"Okay," I said awkwardly as I looked back down at my food. A few more mouthfuls later and the bell for our next class rang. I quickly stood up and started heading to my next lesson with Taehyung, waving Ava goodbye.
A/N: I will be uploading new chapters every Monday and Thursday! Hope you enjoy 💜