Chapter 2:

The rhythmic footsteps of his school shoes against the tile floors clattered as he made his way down the hallway back to his classroom. He had just gone to the restroom, and was heading back to class before the second period started. Suddenly, two boys slammed him into the open wall against the windows.

    Jin let out a short scream as his back impacted the wall, and cringed in shock as the boys reprimanding him laughed. "Guys, that isn't funny!", Jin scolded as he slapped one of the boys' arms off of his shoulders. "Come on! We're just having fun!", the boy next to him said. He had light brown, straight, spiky hair. Jin could tell he had hair-gel on today. He was wearing the white school t-shirt one would usually wear under the navy-blue jacket tucked into the standard navy-blue pants. The one holding him against the wall softened his grip and let go when Jin clearly looked irritated. "Sorry Jin! It was all fun and games, I swear.", he said with an honest smile. This boy had long, uncontrolled black hair. The back had reached down to his neck, and he had multiple bangs that went over his eyebrows. "Geez, guys. It's too early for this stuff.", Jin said as he pushed off the wall and back onto his feet. He wondered how he ever became friends  with these two. The energetic brown-haired boy is Liu Zuang. He had met him in his first year of middle school in the physical exercise class all the boys had to take. The calm, gentle boy with bangs is Zhou-Li Shin. He had met him in his last year of middle school when he transferred in from another district. The three easily became good friends and promised to go to the same senior middle school. Zhou-Li and Jin even got into the same homeroom class, with Liu in the next. It was a more than ideal situation for a group of friends.

    "Too early? We're just making sure you stay awake until the end of class, sleepyhead.", Liu replied. "Yeah, it's unusual for you to sleep in, Jin. Don't you typically wake up at 6?", Zhou-Li added. "Shut up! It's not weird for me to sleep in every once in a while, y'know.", Jin answered. He didn't like being pestered this early, and class was going to start soon. "Hey, class is starting soon, isn't it?", Zhou-Li turned his head towards Liu and asked. Liu nodded in response. "We should probably go."

    "Alright, come on. I really don't wanna be late-", Jin was saying as he and his friends walked alongside each other towards their classrooms. The group was walking in the middle of the hallway. Jin was on the far left by the windows, Liu was in the middle, and Zhou-Li on the right, near the classroom doors. That was when he heard it. At first, a particular loud girl's laugh came down the bustling hallway. It was nothing new. Then, fast footsteps rushed down the stairs in front of them and squealed as two girls turned the corner and rushed towards them, clearly trying to push past in a hurry. The two girls that flew past him were wearing the navy-blue long-sleeved jackets, skirts, and knee socks with a blue stripe that ran around the circumference near the top. They were laughing, Jin assumed at their irony. Then, more followed. Jin recognized this one immediately. It was Mei Xieng, from earlier that morning. She was running hard, and he can hear every short gasp she made as an attempt for air. "Wait!", she cried out.

"Aw, cute.", he thought as she was three feet in front of him. He also noticed another girl in the stylish white-blouse tucked into the navy-blue skirt behind her. She seemed to be running as well, clutching her bag that was slung on her shoulder with one hand, fiercely swinging the other arm as she ran. Her shiny blonde hair swung towards the back as the wind carried each strand; seemingly blocking the rest of the view with her gorgeous shade that traced back towards her silky white skin and shiny blue eyes. "Would you look at that? Alyssa Makovich.", Liu said just loud enough so that Jin and Zhou-Li could hear. She was particularly well-known for her looks and charmed a lot of guys at their school, especially the older students. Jin couldn't help but bite his lip and sent a discrete signal of disgust towards her as she approached. She didn't seem to make any eye contact with him whatsoever. She was affixed on something behind him, straight ahead. It was like he didn't matter. 

His thoughts were interrupted when something small and soft bumped into his left arm, causing him to follow through and shift his entire body to the left. He heard a soft "Umph.", and looked down to see that it was Mei. "I'm sorry! I tripped on my shoe.", she said as she steadied herself. Jin was surprised as he gave her a smile. He looked down and saw that her shoe had been scuffed, likely from the fall. "Don't worry about it!", he said as she stood herself up and started sprinting again. "Thanks Jin!", her bright smile from earlier that day was back, accompanied with a short wave, and he thought she had just blessed upon him the most adorable expression he had seen that day as compensation for his bracing for her fall. He felt his Serotonin explode as she turned and sprinted off, but that immediately turned into a bittersweet feeling as Alyssa ran past him, struggling to catch up. Jin watched in silence as both ran off into the distance and turned the corner into one of the many classroom doors that plagued the left wall. Behind him, Liu and Zhou-Li could tell that Jin was bothered. They've been friends for years, after all. Liu took the opportunity to cheer up his friend by throwing an arm around Jin. "So? What was that about? Is there something you're not telling us?", Liu asked with a smirk. "A coincidence.", Jin swiftly replied. "Liar. Something's going on between you and her that you don't want us knowing about, huh?", Zhou-Li joined in. "Come on. There's nothing happening." Jin embarked on his walk back to class, with Liu and Zhou-Li lagging behind him, likely conversing about his connection with Mei. Jin couldn't help but feel fortified on the fact that he didn't want his friends to meddle in his relationship with Mei, though he couldn't exactly explain as to why that is. "Whatever,", he thought. "I just hope I'm not gonna be late."