JUST ADMIT IT

After an embarrassing Safety and Defense class, I change out of my loose training clothes and back into my black pants and dark gray shirt. I braid back my sweaty hair and rush to my Biology 6 class, not wanting to bump into Jimin in the halls. I slide into a seat and wait a couple minutes for the class to start, fanning myself to cool down.

Thankfully, Jimin isn't in my class. Smirking to myself, I figure he's not smart enough to be in this class. But there is a new kid, and that's Hoseok from Andromeda 83. He walks in with this sort of confident swag, and even the plain dark gray clothes he wears seems stylish on him. Loose and fitting in all the right spots. Even as Dexter walks in, everyone else's attention is on Hoseok, watching him brush back his hair, slouch in his chair, and grin so knowingly.

Dexter clears his throat for the third time. Usually he doesn't have to try and capture everyone's attention. It seems like I'm the only one staring at Dexter awkwardly stand there.

"Good morning, everyone," he tries. Everyone snaps back to reality and looks at Dexter. "Ah, that's better," he sighs. "Alright, as you all have noticed, we have a new student, Jung Hoseok from Andromeda 83."

Hoseok waves his hand lazily. That simple action makes a girl behind him swoon. I snort, still in an ugly mood.

"We will continue growing our potato plants and making observations. Today we'll add this serum that will significantly increase the growth speed of the organism." He holds up a small vial of shimmering blue liquid. "Now, you have to follow the directions very precisely, written up here, as things can go wrong fast with the simplest mistakes. Split into groups of two. Go."

I sigh. Usually this class has an odd number of students, but with Hoseok here, there's 22 kids. That means I need to work with someone. I've been working on my own, since I don't really have many friends other than Kookie, and I don't like dealing with somebody's sloppiness and complaints. I like to work fast.

Not today, it seems. I sit on my desk and scan the room for someone to work with. I think about asking Kristina, but then she turns to her friend. A lot of people are eyeing Hoseok, but he acts oblivious to all the stares. I expect him to partner with Aaron, a popular kid in this class, as Aaron's already walking up to him, but Hoseok swiftly turns and struts over towards me with his hands in his pockets.

I gape at him. I hear some girls snicker. Hoseok winks at me and sits on the desk across me. Why did he pick me? The room fills with talking and laughter as everyone gets to work. We stare at each other, almost challenging each other, until I finally break my stare and lean back on my palms. He grins at me.

Do all of these boys just find me soo amusing? I sigh.

He must've chose me because he likes Kookie, and I'm Kookie's friend.

"So," I start, almost coldly, "we're growing potatoes. You know how potatoes grow?"

Hoseok tilts his head and scrunches up his face in thought. "I dunno, plenty of exercise?"

I can't tell if he's sarcastic or not. I slide off from my desk and go to the front to collect my crate and the vial of blue serum from Dexter. I come back and place the crate of dirt in front of Hoseok.

"Let's just share mine," I say, gesturing to the box of dirt. "Alright, it asks for half of this serum. But first, it asks for a few drops of regular water. Can you get a cup of water from the sink over there? Yeah, that one."

The next few minutes of following strange steps , Hoseok and I work fairly well together. By the end of this experiment, we have several green sprouts from the dirt, good marks from Dexter, and I realize that Hoseok is pretty cool. He listens to what I say, asks smart questions, and adds these small weird jokes that lightens up the mood and I can't help but smile and laugh.

Hoseok and I part ways after class, and I head to Physics and Engineering 5. Kookie is in this class, and so is Namjoon and Jin from Andromeda 83. Namjoon and Jin sit together, arguing quietly about something. Kookie and I are in the back, and as we wait for class to start, we read an article about computers on a key-screen, scrolling and scanning through together.

"Don't mind them," a too familiar voice sneers. I look up and see Damion close to Namjoon and Jin, who are staring at us. "They're always that nerdy, think they're so cool reading that junk."

I glance at Namjoon and Jin, still looking at us. I look back to the article, not bothered by Damion's words. He used to bother me, but now all I can think is, 'is that all he can come up with? Lame...'

Isabella walks into class, and Kookie stuffs the key-screen away. Everyone sits in a seat obediently at the presence of Isabella, except Kookie, who's got enough nerve to lean back so far he has to hook his ankles on the desk legs to keep from falling over, and yawn deeply and loudly. I smirk and watch Isabella roll her eyes.

Usually, Isabella is really strict, but I think Kookie and I are her favorites, so she lets us get away with small things sometimes.

"We've got two new students, and they are from Andromeda 83, yes," Isabella says, gesturing to the middle of the class, where Namjoon and Jin sit. People turn to stare at them. "Now, don't be idiots and look at me. Up here." She taps her desk impatiently and students turn back to her. "We're not going to waste any time, let's get moving on our magnetic rooms. Namjoon and Jin, for now join a group. Go!"

I dash over to our lockers to grab our project, a glass cube with an open lid that barely fits in my arms. I hurry over and place it carefully on a desk, and almost instantly Kookie and I start fixing small errors, adjusting and fitting everything together. This is a glass cube with three "rooms" divided by metal walls, or sections. They have little doors that open and close when you flip a switch that sends electric currents and forces magnets to push and pull. With a different switch you can rotate the walls completely and make another layout.

Looking around, I realize Kookie and I are way advanced of the rest of the class. I also realize Namjoon and Jin are peering intently at our glass cube.

"That is so cool," Namjoon breathes, his eyes wide and his mouth parted. He watches the walls rotating and switching places. "It's so... perfect. Beautiful."

"I know right," Jin sighs, although it doesn't exactly look like he's watching the magnets. It seems like he's looking at himself through the reflection of the glass and metal.

"Just admit it," Jin says to Namjoon.

"What?" he asks, still watching the glass box with amazement.

"I'm beautiful. Say it."

"I-- JIN." Namjoon frowns at Jin, who smiles dazzlingly back. "How many times have I told you to stop with your--"

"Hey," Jin interrupts, frowning. "It's always good to love yourself."

"Yeah, but--"

"Jungkook," Jin says, turning to Kookie. He looks up, startled. "Say I'm beautiful. Handsome."

"Uhm..." Kookie bites his bottom lip. "You're... you're very beautiful."

"Aww, thank you!" Jin says, grinning. They high-five each other, Kookie's eagerness to make Jin happy shining in his smile, and Namjoon sighs into his hands. I smother my laugh with a cough, but when I look at Namjoon again, he's smiling too.

The good vibes in the air is crushed when the doors sweep open, and a cold aura fills the room. I get chills to my bones and I turn around, along with everyone else.

A man in a long black cloak, tall boots, and slicked back greasy black hair stares at the room of students with glowering, glittering black beady eyes. I see in the corners of my eyes Jin's face pale, and Namjoon's expression harden and his shoulders tense up. The man in the doorway looks at me and his nose twitches the slightest in disgust. I gulp and realize I'm sitting on a desk, so I slide back down to stand like everyone else. My hands tingle and turn clammy, and I wipe them discreetly on my pants.

Who was this guy? Why was everyone so... scared?