note: i have no idea regarding to sopa's school system so imma just go with whatever i have HAHA sorry if there's any inaccuracies!!

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february 2015

as far as i remember, it was the beginning of a new school year, and i took the earliest trip from onsu to gungdong as i didn't want to be late for my first day.

late winter has never been this freezing before. my eyes puffed and my cheeks reddened as it embarks the cold air of february. i tug myself in the warmest coat (that was too large for me and made me look like i shrunk) and a pair of gloves before i got into the subway.

i wouldn't say i was the brightest student in school, but i am quite confident about my ability to charm people. the only thing that made me excited was meeting my friends and obviously, being a junior — as freshman year was practically hell if you ask me. at least now we aren't the school's punching bag anymore.

after the ride, i had to walk around 300 meters before i reach the school premises. yes, i could've used the taxi but i was currently (not necessarily) broke and i still had plenty of time so i don't see what's the problem with walking.

i was immediately greeted by an ex fellow trainee when i reached the school, the indigenous mark lee. he was walking to school with donghyuck, another labelmate, and one who appears to become a freshman this year. "jihoon-ah!"

"lee!" i embraced him with a hug. "god, i haven't seen you in ages." i forwarded my attention to donghyuck and smiled. "and look who we got here." i patted his head, his mouth forming an immersive pout.

"i hate this uniform. why would they make us pay thousands of won for this." donghyuck asserted. "even i could design a better uniform."

"he keeps complaining all day." mark explained. "for god's sake hyukie, can you please at least be grateful for just one minute."

"yeah," i wheezed. "be grateful that you'd only be here for 3 days and probably you'd be off promoting after that. at least that's how mark does it."

"you could've gone with us you know, jihoon-hyung." donghyuck responded as he slipped a whole pack of gum into his mouth. "you could've trained a few more months."

"nah," i repudiated. "even if i did, i don't think i'd be happy there."

i was a sm trainee for a few months. though i got there because of my dance audition, i always had a thought in the back of my head that i'd only be used for visuals and forced 'aegyo', and perhaps i won't be that much appreciated as i can in other small companies. there's a lot of other trainees there who deserves to debut than me, and i don't think i could last another year training there. the whole place's a mess.

donghyuck and mark are perhaps what i call the epitome of determination. respectively being in 2 and 3 units, they were still able to work it out though they treated them like shit. donghyuck might be younger than me, but i haven't experienced half the hell he has experienced.

mark puts his arm on my shoulder. "are you planning on training somewhere else?"

i nodded. "yeah, actually i was casted by fantagio-"

"PARK JIHOON!" a voice from the back cried out, slowly coming towards us. it turned out to be my bestfriend who's there 24/7 when mark isn't available (which is almost everyday), kwon hyeop. he ran to me and gave me a big hug. "how dare you go to school without me?!"

"i tried to call you but you didn't answer!" my voice unclear because my head was on his chest.

the four of us walked in together, hyeop got closer with dongsaeng donghyuck pretty quickly (i feel like the fact they're both always loud could be one of the reasons why) and we talked about topics we missed on during school break.

"dude, minhyuk told me that yumi has a crush on you!" hyeop reflecting the true definition of himself; the school's gossip.

"so?"

"so? this is jeon yumi and all you have to say is so?!"

mark wheezed. "park jihoon has so many women trailing on him that he's not even surprised anymore."

"i disagree on that but it kinda does has a point." i concluded. "tell me when jeon somi's calling for me."

it's not that i don't care, it's just that i feel like there's things more important that thinking about girls or boys or being a part in a relationship, especially in a very young age. i would rather think about school- ah no never mind i'm horrible at that. idol life? still working on it.

overwatch? yes. i got my priorities straight.

as we both separated to each other's departments; hyeop and i going to the music department where as mark and donghyuck has their own private classes, i noticed how much pressurizing it got when hyeop discusses on how i got the whole school anticipating me and my decisions, the favored flower boy who left sm and now idled. only years of training could give me the chance to even debut— and i should be worrying whether puberty be bitching on me or i'll bitch on puberty.

i guess it's for me to find out.

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aaaaa kwon hyeop 😭😭
the female lead will appear in the next chapter, involving aggressive!jihoon ( ^_^ ) i hope you like this and stay tuned for the next chapter!

- yuehwa