"Students! Would you please report to the auditorium? All students on the Sixth level! Please come to the auditorium in an orderly manner."
Hea and Jimin, along with their classmates, looked up from their books at the announcement.
"Please follow the instructions right now, I will meet you there."
They all heeded Mrs. Lee's instruction and walked out of the class, Hea and Jimin being the last persons to leave.
Hea noticed Jimin walking slowly and she stopped to observe him.
"Jimin, you okay?"
His eyes that were frantically searching for someone snapped to her.
"Huh? Yeah I am fine." He answered hurriedly.
She squinted her eyes at his weird behaviour.
"What's wrong with you?" She whispered to herself.
"Um Hea, have you seen Kook and Tae?" He asked frantically.
"No I haven't Jiminie. They must be with students council. Why do you want them?"
'It's that I need them.' He thought.
They arrived at the door of the auditorium and she could see Jimin hesitating to enter.
His breathing got faster, you could practically see his chest moving rapidly, his eyes dilated and his fingers constantly played with each other.
"Anxiety attack." Hea whispered, alarmed.
From day one, she deduced that Jimin probably has anxiety and this confirmed it.
She took him in a quiet corner, ignoring the buzz from inside the room.
"Jimin. Jimin. Hey." She called him.
He wasn't listening to her but was still breathing heavily with his eyes closed.
She held him gently and her hands went to cup his face.
Feeling her warmth, he opened his panicked eyes.
"Hey. I am right here." She told him in a gentle voice.
"I am right here. It's okay. You're okay."
Jimin listened to her voice and tried to calm down.
"It's okay. Just keep breathing. In... And out."
He followed her instructions and felt one of her hands travel down to his.
"We're not going in there if you don't want to." She said soothingly.
Hea took one of his hands in hers with her bandaged hand still caressing his face gently.
"Everything's okay. You're okay. We're okay." She whispered as his breathing finally came to normal.
His tense body finally relaxed in her hands and he felt her enclose him in a hug.
Without hesitation, he wrapped his hands around her too and Hea smiled.
"It's okay now." She said calmly and rubbed his back.
"Thank you so much Hea."
When they broke the hug, Hea looked into his eyes.
"Are you okay now?"
Jimin nodded thankfully.
"Good. Cause I am not allowing you to go in there."
"Wha- But then we'll get detention."
"No we won't. I got links. Come on."
She pulled him gently to the stairs and they went to the principal's office.
"Here we get a full view of the auditorium and what they're saying. I already asked my uncle if we can stay here during the assembly and he said okay. So make yourself comfortable." The girl explained and urged Jimin to sit.
He was shocked but nevertheless, took a seat next to her and they stared down at the crowded room.
It was silent for a while between the two of them before one of them broke it.
"I have anxiety. Severe anxiety. And that's why when I go into crowded places, I need Kook or Tae to help me stay calm. It gets overwhelming."
Jimin spoke quietly still looking ahead of him.
Hea turned to look at his side profile.
"Well I am glad you feel comfortable telling me. And from now on, I will be there with you. I will help you, and it's my promise."
He turned to her and now they were staring at each other.
Both of them felt tingles in their stomachs just from eye contact.
Just then, the door opened and they turned their heads to see Principal Kang.
"Did I interrupt something?" He asked with a sly smile.
"No Uncle." They stood up to greet him.
"Sit, sit." He took his seat in the head chair. "Hello Jiminshi."
Jimin looked at the man and gave a small greeting.
"So, what was the assembly about, since we missed half of it."
"Oh well the school board decided to let you guys go on a class trip, well more like a grade trip. All the people writing exams the semester, we're giving them a break from school and taking them to a pool." Mr. Kang answered his niece.
"But when?" Hea questioned.
"Well, we've decided that since waiting for your parents' permission is gonna be a long process. We'll take you guys now, ourselves. It's gonna be disguised as a school educational trip. But don't tell the others." He winked.
Hea laughed. "You're the best, uncle."
"I know, I know. We're leaving in an hour. So get your spare clothes that you're required to keep in school and pack them. Go, go."
They bid Mr. Kang goodbye, with Hea smiling and Jimin bowing.
Hea rambled excitedly while walking down the hallways and Jimin watched her with a small smile.
'How is she so different with me?' He thought.
Her head snapped to him, and his smile slowly faded remembering something.
"Uh I might not be able to go..."
The girl's smile dropped.
"Why though?"
"My parents might not allow."
"Pleaseee." She pleaded. "I will be there. I won't let anything happen to you."
His heart somehow fluttered at her eyes and words.
"Um.."
Just then a text came in his phone.
"Excuse me for a moment."
He left her and went couple steps away.
Hea's mind went back to lady and she started to make sense of the whole thing.
"I have to find out what's up with your family." She made up her mind.
Jimin on the other hand, talked to his brother Jisung on the phone.
"The school is taking us on a trip. And I really wanna go."
His younger brother 'oohed' over the phone.
"The first time Park Jimin wants to go out huh? Who's the girl that you wanna go for?"
Jimin could practically see his teasing face in front of him.
"Oh hush Jisung. But can you please cover for me so that Ma'am won't find out?"
There was a sigh over the phone. "Hyung, you know you don't have to call her Ma'am right? I don't care if that's what she told you. Don't. Please. You're higher than us and she should be calling you Sir instead."
Jimin fell silent.
"It's fine Jimin hyung. You can go, and I will do something."
"Thanks Jisung."
"Have fun my son." He heard his young brother say, in an old man's voice, making him laugh.
Jimin excitedly walked towards Hea.
"I guess I can come." He fought hard to hold back his smile.
"Really?! Yesss!" She cheered and pulled him off to go pack their extra clothes from the school lockers.
~
"Jimin hyung!" "Jimin shi!"
Hea and Jimin's attention were turned to the two happy boys strolling towards them in the cafeteria.
Jungkook and Taehyung took seats and started eating Jimin's food which he gladly shared with them; despite looks from Hea, who started to feed him her food.
"I am so sorry; we couldn't be there for when you headed to the auditorium. What happened?"
"It's fine guys. Hea was there."
The two boys looked alarmed. Jimin had another person calm him?
Even though it took them years to get close to him, she was close to him in two months?
"That's great." Jungkook smiled.
"But Jimin hyung, I wish you're coming with us to the pool thing. It'd be so much fun."
The table feel silent.
"Uh guys. I am going actually."
Taehyung and Jungkook paused. There eyes went wide and they looked like their brains were processing that sentence.
"Holy shit bro, that's great!" Taehyung yelled, but not so loud to make Jimin uncomfortable.
They knew the way around him and were surprised Hea knew it as well.
Hea laughed.
Suddenly the bell rang. All students from there grade excitedly rushed out of the cafeteria with their bags.
Jimin lowered his head and walked out with Hea by his side, Taehyung and Jungkook tailing them with their own bags.
"I heard they rented the biggest pool site in Seoul."
"I know. They really did." Hea confirmed Taehyung's theory.
The four arrived outside and Hea spotted Hoseok and Yoongi talking with Daniel.
She smirked, her evil brain coming up with an idea.
"You boys, excuse me for a minute."
They nodded and watched as Hea walked towards the other boys. Jimin's friends dragged him to the bus.
"Y'all excited?" The girl sneaked up on her friends and asked.
Daniel and Hoseok screamed like girls and Yoongi just laughed.
"What the fudge Hea!"
She raised her brow. "Since when do you not curse?" She asked Daniel.
"Turn around." He told her, making the couple chuckle.
She turned to see her uncle, Daniel's father.
"Heyy Uncle." She gave a sweet smile.
The group burst out laughing even the principal.
"We are ready to go. Pile into the buses!" Mr. Kang announced and everyone cheered.
They piled into the buses happily. No one noticing Hea slip away.
Just before Jimin could follow his friends into the bus, Hea held his shirt and gently pulled him back.
The bus door's closed and Jimin looked at her alarmed.
""Nuh uh Baby Boy. You're coming with me." She winked.
Jimin blushed but followed her like a lost puppy.
They walked a little far away from the buses and then stopped.
Hea took a bunch of keys from her pocket and opened the car. Then like a Disney Movie Prince, she opened the door for Jimin.
"Enter, Kind Sir."
Jimin giggled quietly but sat in the passenger's seat.
Hea hopped around and started the engine.
"Sweet." She murmured. Then snapped on her cool shades and drove off behind the buses who haven't noticed them yet.
Meanwhile. Mr. Kang, Jimin's two friends and Daniel, were freaking out on the bus where the two are.
"I can't believe it! I just had both of them in my sight!" Jungkook yelled.
"Same!" Taehyung agreed.
"Uncle, what are we gonna do?!"
Hoseok and Yoongi were at the back of the bus, making out. They knew Hea was safe, and along with her Jimin was. They trusted her. No matter how bad she was, they knew she wasn't reckless with Jimin.
Just then there was a pin drop silence.
"Where the fuck is my car key?!"