Written by: RIN
...
"Hyunjin!"
Huh? Hyunjin thought, turning around to see Felix waved at him, moving closer as he realized that the shorter boy was running at him.
"Hyuuuung!" Felix smiled, jumping on Hyunjin, almost making the older drop to the floor.
"Owh— Felix! Where were you? You're usually the early one out of both of us.." Hyunjin exclaims, making Felix pout, "So sorry..! You know how my mom is!" Felix mutters, bowing, "Hey hey no need to bow.. I was just saying." Hyunjin scoffs.
Hwang Hyunjin, 17 and doing well in school, besides most of his past issues with classmates, friends, or other events, his grades are high, he's doing well with people, well-liked, and hey, even being an honor student.
Hyunjin could quite literally be a perfect son to a lot of people, but he did have issues himself, but those could be said for later.
"Have you done your work yet? You mentioned I'd stay over at your house for the weekend!" Felix exclaims suddenly, "Home..work..? Obviously." Hyunjin scoffs, chuckling afterward, "Besides, it's a Friday, I think our homework's due in a few days, so there's no need to rush at all." Hyunjin mentions.
"Yepperu! But, did Mrs. Jung ever mention we had a group project for Physics? It's almost a third of our grade!"
"What?"
RING!
"Oh! That's the bell! Better be off now! Check your schedule Hyung, see you!" Felix exclaims, running off to the opposite hallway from Hyunjin's next class, "But- Felix! The— Subject Projec-" Hyunjin sighs, I'll figure out what to do instead of that project he mentioned. He thought, hurriedly walking to his next class.
...
Hyunjin stopped at the class door, going inside as he bowed at Mrs. Jung, his eyes glancing towards the empty seats, surprised he's early.
"Take a seat anywhere Mr. Hwang, we have an important lesson today." She mentions, "Right, um— Do we have a.. project.. or any sort of group-project for today that you'll announce..?" Hyunjin asks.
"Bingo, you're spot-on Mr. Hwang, has Yongbok told you about it? I saw you hurrying with him in the hallway, there is a major group project." She smiles.
"Well.. is there any chance we might pick our partners?" Hyunjin asks.
"Nope, I assigned all of you accordingly already, it's based on who'd you'd work well with based on how two of you worked on individual works previously in my class. You'll have no trouble with them, Mr. Hwang."
She explains, making Hyunjin gulp, knowing he couldn't talk back to his teacher, praying whoever he was paired with was halfway decent.
RING! RING!
"Second bell, better take off to your seat Hyunjin."
She says, "Ah- Yes... Thank you, Mrs. Jung." He smiles back at her, walking to his desk.
...
Time has passed by now, and who knows what Mrs. Jung was explaining, he's already heard of this lesson before, seems like she was recapping for the students who're still confused, he pondered, doodling on his class notebook.
Hyunjin was indeed smart, yes, but his confidence was greater, of-course it was good to be confident in yourself, but it made him much more independent and closed off than he realized it, thinking he didn't need to re-study anything, but oh well, worked for him because he never had any trouble with exams.
Fuck, I'm bored. He thought, looking up at the web screen as he looked back down, sketching with his pencil, thinking what excuse he would try to come up with to ditch Physics.
"Mr. Hwang?"
Hyunjin's thoughts snap, his head looking up as he notices his whole class staring at him, looking around as he dropped his pencil, "..Yes?" Hyunjin asks.
"Could you explain this to the class? The question's given on the board, the top one on the right written in bold." She exclaims, pointing directly at it.
Shit... I did recap but I don't think I know the answer to this. Hyunjin thought, his eyes widening as he gulped, frozen in his desk as the silence of his class was deafening, not knowing what to say.
Suddenly, someone else' raises their hand.
"I'll answer, Mrs. Jung if he's too preoccupied and or doesn't know the lesson." A boy's voice exclaims all of a sudden, as Hyunjin's head turns to the side as his stomach dropped, scoffing.
Kim Seungmin. Top honors of the grade, and the whole school.
"Right, thank you Seungmin, Hyunjin, focus on the recap next time." Mrs. Jung warned as Seungmin looked back at Hyunjin, turning back to his front to explain the lesson again, feeling daggers behind him.
What was up with Seungmin? Oh, Oh Hyunjin, Hyunjin hated, his guts. And he's always had that thought of Seungmin since.
He was always number 2. Hyunjin was perfect, yes, but he was never 1st, he was never the best out of everyone, second-best sure, but never at the very top, why? Because of Kim Seungmin, and it was always, Seungmin.
Seungmin, besides that, in Hyunjin's eyes, was extremely arrogant, always butting in his business every time Hyunjin's confused at an answer, always up and giving criticism, Hyunjin loathed it, and Hyunjin loathed him especially.
He never had the chance to talk to Seungmin personally, every time he had the chance to, he always turned it down, he hated Seungmin.
His reasons were.. murky, but you'd understand.
Seungmin on the other hand?
Total opposite from how Hyunjin thinks of him, Seungmin merely wanted to just poke fun of him, sure his arrogance and bluntness showed through when his 'poking fun' could actually piss someone off but that's beside the point.
Seungmin never knew why Hyunjin ignored him, he always felt slight remorse when the taller was avoiding him 24/7, but he knew Hyunjin hated him, but for what reason anyway?
Either way, he couldn't do anything, he didn't know how to approach people either, let alone Hyunjin.
Seungmin was smart, he was nerdy, he liked being with a small group of people, he didn't enjoy parties, he loved taking care of animals, or anything that was more ... introverted, he was into it.
Hyunjin was smart, yes, but he had more personality, he was more dramatic, messier, and he liked and enjoyed parties, not to mention, he loved arts and being sporty, he was always very loud and extroverted and never kept to himself, always going outside with a friend or two, whatever thing that included being an extrovert, he was into it.
Both of them, total opposites, but strange to think, don't you think opposites should attract? Well in this case it was confusing yes, but people didn't know how to put it between Seungmin and Hyunjin.
It was, complicated, to say the least.
...
"Right, now that we're done with our lesson thank you all for attending." Mrs. Jung smiled as her face suddenly faded as soon as she saw her students going up from their seats.
"But—"
Hyunjin groaned, knowing it'd be that dreaded group project, "You guys are going to be paired in an important group project, you don't have a semester exam for Physics because of this specifically." Mrs. Jung said, making Hyunjin realize how many compromises there were to the school.
"I've already assigned everyone to their respected partners, paired by two, paired by three, or paired by four, I'll be announcing these right at this moment, details of the project can be saved for next week." She explains.
Group two, group three, group four, Hyunjin listens as she calls out the names loudly, the students leaving as their names get called, and lastly, his.
"Group seven,"
"Hwang Hyunjin, Choi Ji-hye, and,"
"Yang Ji-won, others will be called out for later, you are dismissed." She exclaims, as Hyunjin sighs, God, the biggest relief of the century... He thought, taking his bag as he stood up, suddenly being stopped by Mrs. Jung.
"And you, Hwang Hyunjin, I need to speak to you and.. another classmate, please stay here, besides, this is your last class anyway." She mentions.
Shiiiiiit.
...
Hyunjin sighs, seeing Seungmin beside him, knowing what's about to happen.
"You two.." Mrs. Jung sighs, looking up at both of them as the two boys looked at each other, one with a more angered face and the other seemingly not caring, "There's a school project yes?" Mrs. Jung questions.
"Yes, there is, Maam," Hyunjin mumbles, his heart beating faster as he wishes no sudden news comes up about that certain project, I'm already fine with my groupmates, why the hell is she gonna change it, oh god.. please tell me she's not gonna change it. Hyunjin ponders, closing his eyes as he waits for what Mrs. Jung is going to mention.
"You guys, will not be grouped together." She explains, Hyunjin sighs, a deep breath released again, while Seungmin stares blankly.
"But—"
"But?" Hyunjin replies back, gulping as Mrs. Jung looks at him and then to Seungmin, smiling at both of them, "I'm pleased to say you two are the top students of our school, you've been invited to a tournament." She smiled.
"You have the rest of the school year to prepare, but, you need to remember, you guys are grouped together." She explains.
Hyunjin's eyes widen as his mouth falls agape, his worst actual nightmare? coming true already?
"Alright, thank you, Mrs. Jung," Seungmin says.
How could he be okay with this? I sure arent? What the hell? Hyunjin thought, his mood turning from relief to literal misery.
"T—Thank you, Mrs. Jung." Hyunjin mumbles, quickly walking outside as he notices Felix by the door, the hallway with only a few students packing their bags to leave.
"Hmmm? Anything wrong? Hyung? You were called to stay for a few minutes!" Felix says, ignoring Seungmin who was walking out of the classroom.
"Felix.."
"I'm absolutely screwed."