Deserve | Na Jaemin ✓

𝟝 | pair up

You would have thought that Jaemin had a proper conversation with the girl after that, but he couldn't even find her. He tried to find her, and along the way, he never realised that the school is a maze. Well, being the new kid, it was basically set that he was going to get lost. That day, Jaemin was late to class, but thankfully he used the excuse of "Sorry, I'm a new student and I got lost."

He escaped detention that day, but till this day, his girl never escaped his mind. He has never spoken another word with the girl. Only a few glances and smiles as they walked past each other but that was it. Until she walked into his classroom today and stole his attention.

This didn't go unnoticed by Aerin as she pouted at the presence that stole the attention of the boy that she likes. Jaemin kept his eyes on her as she scans the room, looking for a vacant seat. Being one of the later ones, Hyejin found one near the back of the classroom, sending her relief as she never liked sitting anywhere but the back; it always feels as if someone was looking at her.

She squishes through the small pathway to make her way to the vacant seat. Along the way, Hyejin acknowledges how her classmates were huddled up together; some on their phones, most of the girls fixing each other's makeups, boys were talking about sports and after school activities. Hyejin notices it all and smiles at the sight.

Yes, she smiled. And yes, the smile mirrored onto Jaemin's face. It made him wonder what made her smile but he was relieved to see her smile at a closer distance. Jaemin's face grew red and his heart throbs faster every time the girl came closer.

Hyejin noticed the gaze and finally their eyes met. Hyejin knew this boy, heck in fact, everyone in their year grade--no school, knows this boy. Her eyes widen slightly in surprise as her hands habitually grips onto her hoodie and pulls it down, covering her face.

As soon as Hyejin took the seat behind him, Jaemin's heart did the 'thing'. The 'thing' that he will soon come to experience more as long as he chooses to stick close with the girl. Their little time comes to an end when their homeroom teacher walks in.

"Urgh." The sarcastic complaint from the male teacher caught the student's attention as they rushed to take their seats, "I'm so sick of seeing some of you. Why did I get appointed to some of y'all again? Oh my Christ, you must be punishing me."

The class laughs at the teacher's joke, some even throwing "ohhs" and "eyys" knowing that their final year at school would be enjoyable, "But." Mr John cuts off the laughter, "School is still school. And your first assignment for the year is a group assignment, and before you ask, you will be allowed to pick your own partners." the whole class clamours over the announcement, "On one condition that you will choose partners that you have never worked with before, and before you ask: Yes I had the time to look through who you have worked with in this class. Go find your pair and if it takes longer than three minutes, I'll do it myself."

The class wails at the condition; well except for one. Hyejin felt her anxiety rise at the thought of working with other people. She is aware that group work is common in high school, but she always managed to convince her teachers to let her do her work alone. However seeing as this is their senior year, she doubts that it would go the same way.

Unaware of the girl's panicked thoughts, Jaemin turns around almost instantly, shifting his seat closer to the table behind him. The backrest slightly thumped Hyejin's desk as her nervous system responded to the action by slightly jolting her backwards.

A pair of eyes was waiting for hers. However she noticed that it wasn't just a pair of eyes, it was the same pair of eyes that she met prior, the same pair that she saw back at the gym two years ago. Those soft eyes pleadingly met hers as he asks the question, "Hyejin, would you like to pair up with me?"