It had been the third time this month that the little girl blew Sae off.

“She can’t make it this Sunday. She says she has to go to the library,” Sae told Teo as they walked to the shopping district after classes. Kaikai walked a few paces ahead of them, talking on the phone.

“Since when does she go to the library?” asked Teo, slurping on the disposable cupped beverage of his choice. Something fancy with a lot of non-dairy vegan milk and a long ass name. Sae had ordered plain coffee.

“Ok, but what type?” the barista asked.

Sae glanced at the board on the coffee shop’s wall and almost got a headache trying to read through all the pretentious names. “Give me the easiest one. Just normal coffee.”

“Ristretto? Americano?” the barista fired back in quick succession, “Cappuccino, macchiato? No? Maybe a latte then.”

“Why?”

The barista almost rolled his eyes all the way back into his skull. “You want something espresso based, right? With milk or water?”

“Water,” Sae said.

“Americano then. One shot of espresso, two shots of water.” He got ready to punch the items into the system, completing the order. “Hot or cold?”

“Cold.” Sae added, “But add syrup too. A lot.” It wasn’t that he did not know that fancy drinks were a thing in cafes, but he was awfully out of touch with the scene. It constantly changed – what was considered trendy and what wasn’t. He did not care about that at all and almost always ordered tea or smoothies.

“He doesn’t like bitter stuff,” Kaikai helped out from the side and pushed Sae away. He paid for the whole thing, then took off once his phone started ringing.

The boys were off after school, going to the largest bookstore in the city to buy new books, comics and games.

“She’s keeping secrets and brushes me off,” Sae kept lamenting about Emi. “I can’t even touch her phone anymore. She used to let me check the group chat from it. Now she won’t leave it in the same room as me.”

A group of girls passed them, chatting and laughing. Teo wishfully looked after them and said, as if the thought just popped into his head, “What if she’s dating?”

“Huh?” Sae could not make head or tail of this concept.

“Dating someone, you know, like Kaikai,” Teo pointed at the boy glued to his phone ahead of them. “He’s hanging out with us in physical form, but only because his girl probably has prep school or something. Even he is like that... When was the last time we went somewhere together?”

Sae tried to think back on it but could not come up with an answer. Instead, he asked, “He’s in a relationship?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.” Teo gave him an odd look. “He’s been constantly cancelling on us for at least a month now.”

“Who’s his girlfriend?”

“I don’t know,” Teo shrugged. The two passed a noodle shop. The scents coming from inside wrapped them in a delicious smelling bubble in front of the entrance. “Their thing … it’s pretty new. All he said is that it’s someone younger.”

All of a sudden, Sae stopped. On the rather narrow sidewalk, only three people could pass at the same time. Stopping in the middle of it was considered rude no matter how one looked at it. Teo traced his steps back and paused beside Sae. “You don’t think that...”

A mental bomb got dropped on their heads. The two boys simultaneously looked at each other.

“You’re thinking what I’m thinking?” asked Teo. He opened his eyes wide.

“Rise Chan is on the track team,” said Sae. He breathed in and started walking again.

“What?” Teo hurried to catch up before both of them got whacked on the head by some angry passerby. “Who is that?”

Sae mused to himself, “So maybe Emi’s dating...” He thought back on how she said it was ridiculous to be expected to have her only wish become ‘finding a boyfriend’. She even used quotation marks. “Do I ask about it?”

“What? No! Don’t be an idiot; you would only make her feel awkward.” Teo did not know if he should laugh or cry.

“I wouldn’t. Emi would brag for at least half an hour before letting the topic drop. Don’t forget how she points out guys she finds cute among our friends?”

Teo countered, “Girls too.”

Sae threw his once syrup laden coffee cup into a trash bin at the corner they took. A few metres ahead, Kaikai was laughing and still talking on his phone.

“Shouldn’t she be happier?” asked Sae. “Kaikai seems happy.”

Teo teased, “That much you’ve noticed?”

“Emi only looks stressed out. If she likes someone, she should be happy, no?”

“Maybe it’s not a sure thing, and she’s stressed about it,” Teo said, “Hey, don’t go questioning her yet. If it’s true, she’ll tell you in time. Also, why is this a big deal?”

Yeah, why was it a big thing? Sae did not get what liking someone meant. He obviously knew what it was supposed to mean, but he had never experienced it himself. When looking at girls, he could see them charming or likeable but never felt anything more. Well, it wasn’t like he felt anything more for boys either. He had never been attracted to anyone. Maybe he was an overly cold person like everyone said. Maybe, they were right. Maybe people did not interest him.

Teo had at least three one-sided puppy loves in a season. He tried to smuggle AV films onto Sae’s flash drive, and got his blood boiling if a girl smiled at him for a few extra seconds. He watched girls on the streets, paid attention when they gathered their hair into ponytails, a few wispy locks falling at their napes. Teo teased Minke all the time, but he would never admit it was because he found her pretty.

Curiosity, attraction and sex. Hormones, the ways of a young and beating heart.

Sae never cared about these things. It was not a possibility in his eyes at the moment.

----------------------------------------

By the time they arrived at the bookstore, Kaikai had ended his call and joined the others in the comics section. They leafed through a few volumes, laughing and making a ruckus up until a store clerk reprimanded them for their behaviour.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Following that, Kaikai helped Sae choose a few extracurricular study material coursebooks. Teo got stuck at comics; he never dared to set foot into the ‘Study Aids and Prep’ corner.

“I already have this one. It’s great on question answer relations but a bit vague on deeper matter understanding.” Kaikai picked up a guidebook. “Now, this is good. My private teacher said it’s like the golden ticket to preparing for tests – thorough explanations with revision questions of the main points at the end of every chapter; ample examples. There’s even a complimentary booklet of collected mock papers from the same publisher. There’s some difficult stuff in there. I only got it shown to me, but it was enough to scare me off for a few years.”

While Sae cracked open the exam book, Kaikai looked through the shelves in search of its complementary booklet. “I don’t see it anywhere, but we can ask at the checkout counter.”

The store was spacious with three floors and a built-in library, a music section – which was like a whole music store – and a games section. A cafe and restaurant occupied the top floor with a little elevated stage designated for night screenings. In one section of the store, there was an event held every other week: readings, workshops, and signings. A lot of youngsters – mainly students – came here after school let out, browsing and spending time; reading books while sitting at one of the low couches or tables. As long as one behaved relatively well, not making a lot of noise and keeping the place tidy and clean, the clerks never said anything. People could read half of a book before actually buying it. No one cared.

Students swirled around them, some chatting, some deep in contemplation on what was best to buy to assist their education.

“Hey,” Sae said, calling the attention of Kaikai. “Teo said you’re dating. Dating who?”

“Is he writing a novel?” Kaikai stopped in his motions and then looked back in the direction of Teo. “He has such a big mouth.”

“Well, it’s not like you’re hiding it. We hang out less.” A faint smile graced Sae’s lips. He motioned to Kaikai’s pocket with the cell phone in it. “On the way here… you looked cheerful.”

“S’pose.” Kaikai smiled as well. “I’ve got to know someone fun.”

“Do you like them that much?”

“Yea.”

Before Teo butted in, there was time to talk a little. Sae could relate to the reason why Kaikai didn’t talk about his love life to that walking megaphone who gathered and distributed info like it was fresh air. But selfishly enough, he was curious about this topic too.

“What are they like?” asked Sae. He pretended to be unbothered as he paged through another book.

Kaikai was a bit surprised. It wasn’t every day that Hoh Saering cared for mundane things like his supposed early romance. His ears heat up. “Nice. And smart. Way smarter than me. Damn,” Kaikai chuckled. “That’s so attractive.”

“So you’re attracted because of intellectual knowledge?”

“Haha, no.” Kaikai shook his head, grinning as he passed another book to the pile stacked in front of Sae. “I’m... Well, you know, there’s the appreciation of appearances…. and sense of humour. Everyone likes looking at pretty faces. Or like people’s voices and hands. The way they treat you? There are lots of things you can find interesting in a person.”

Sae really did not know, but he stayed quiet. “Is she your girlfriend yet?”

Kaikai stopped, a strange look crossing his face. After a while, he said, “No. Not my girlfriend.”

“Who’s your girlfriend?” Teo stuck his head between their shoulders.

“No one,” said Kaikai.

“Tch. Leaving me out of the good stuff. Disgraceful.” Teo dumped at least six volumes into the store’s purchase bag at their feet.

Sae cocked an eyebrow. “What’s all this? You have the money?”

“It’s three per person. I chose the ones for you two; we can all swap around.” He pulled on Sae’s bag strap. “I’m done. Can we move on to games now?”

The boys spent the afternoon chatting and winding down. The midterm exams were well on the way, the first important examination of the term and their high school academic career.

Teo kind of forgot what it was like to get nervous for tests. Once he got into M High, he became lazy again. Kaikai, on the other hand, was otherwise occupied at the moment. Since changing classes, he also felt a lot more confident in the subjects that mattered to him. Sae remained the same; he treated studying as always.

That didn’t mean they would get the same amount of free time in the future. During high school, no parent was as lenient about where their kids were and what they did after school.

In a way, today was an investment for the upcoming month, or at least until after the midterms.

----------------------------------------

The next day, Sae signed up for the resurrected English club. Yesterday, when he got home and laid out all the new coursebooks on his desk, by some devilish coincidence, he felt motivated to join.

Hearing that, Pan Rita clapped her hands with joy. “Very good, very good!” The woman made Sae fill out a registration form right then, as if she was afraid that he would change his mind at any moment.

“So, we gather twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays, at three in the afternoon. I know it’s not ideal, but you don’t have to come every time if it’s inconvenient. Once a week is fine. You know where the language lab is, right?”

Sae nodded his head.

“Alright,” his head teacher said and smiled, “Since today’s Friday, you can join if it’s okay with you. Is it okay with you?”

“Yea, okay.”

“Don’t forget to bring your bag. Usually, by the time we finish, our classroom’s locked. So you can’t get in unless you ask me, as I have the keys.”

“I’ll remember. Teach...” Sae felt a bit foolish asking the next thing. “Is there like an aptitude test? Or, a level test to take?”

“What?” Pan Rita looked at him funny. “Of course not. I know it’s a bit unorthodox, but everyone who joins is here for the same reason.” She put Sae’s registration form into a screw post binder.

“First, we learn together and try to make friends. There are no competitions this season. The exam takers will delay until spring, ideally, or they can prepare for the winter tests. Once we approach that time, there’ll be groupings within the club. You’ll meet all the members, well, the ones who come in this afternoon.”

Sae nodded. “Okay, I guess.”

“Saering, I’m sorry, but I have to go now. The principal convened the head teachers. We’ll meet at class,” Pan Rita said, ushering Sae out of the office, “Go on now.”

They still had three lessons for today, a self-study that almost everyone left in favour of lunch, followed by physical education, and their last class: homeroom. Since Sae already had lunch, he walked back to the classroom where the others were waiting for him.

Teo was rubbing a ruler to Minke’s long strands, trying out how static electricity worked. Also, how much he could mess up the girl’s hair and still get away with it.

Expression poor, Minke warned, “Teo, you are irritating me. Stop it.”

“Sorry, but it’s fun.” He did not sound sorry at all. “My hair’s too short to do this.”

Minke looked out of the windows with a dramatic sigh. “Now I understand why they say boys are so boring.”

Kaikai was absent, so Sae had the whole desk to himself. The members of the class chatted amongst themselves, trying not to arouse suspicion on the off-chance a teacher passed their classroom.

“How did it go?” Minke asked while she slapped away Teo’s ruler, “Did she clap?”

“She clapped,” Sae said, “I can join in today at three, language lab?”

“Yeah. There are at least ten of us, fifteen maybe. It depends on the day. It’s okay. I mean, there have only been two classes yet. Here,” Minke pulled out a notebook from her bag and handed it over. “Those are the notes I took. We usually talk more, or our head teach gives out mock papers.”

Sae trailed his eyes over the three pages in the notebook. “Are there many first years?”

“First years, second years… it varies. There are even seniors. They’re so nice. There’s this girl who wants to take the exam in January. She’s a senior, all prepared, but wants to communicate more and work on her pronunciation. Her assignments are all correct, perfect scores all around.”

“Pft, is she your best friend now?” asked Teo.

Instinctively, Minke wanted to tell Teo off, but Teo’s problem could be that he felt left out. So Minke offered, “You know, you could join too. These are people who genuinely want to learn.”

“Eh?” Teo was already engrossed in his phone, but now he glanced up. This offer surprised him a bit. “It’s okay. I can’t go. Susu invited me to their volleyball practice.”

“You know that’s the girls’ team, right,” said Sae. “When did they take you in?”

“Ha-ha.” There was no mirth in Teo’s tone. “I went with her one time and stayed a bit, just hanging out. Turns out, the team’s not half bad. They let me play in the free match after training. They goof around a lot.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I help out when I can.”

Sae and Minke shared a look. The girl raised her hand, palm up, as if saying well, okay then. She looked like half of the shrug emoji.

The humanities class president, Bán Yidan knocked twice on the teacher’s table, gathering their attention. “Everyone listen up. Before you go and change for the next class, hand in your notebooks for homeroom. The head teacher said to collect them before class.”

Someone badgered, “Isn’t that your job?”

“Don’t be a smartass.”

The boy who provoked Bán Yidan had been his classmate since junior high, one of the boys who rallied against him before his election. The two had a cat and mouse relationship. That boy snickered, “Who says smartass at this age?”

“I’m not going to go around hunting you all down.” Bán Yidan tapped the desk with the flat of his palm, ignoring that comment. “Everyone put them here before going down.”

Minke turned back to Sae. “Go to the English club together after classes end?”

Sae nodded. “Mnm, okay.”