#truthfully i know fuck all about eah for all i know there already is a puss in boots kid

[freaky-flawless]

New headcanon just dropped!!!

#monster high #monster high fanart #toralei stripe #puss in boots #can you guys guess what movie i saw after work yesterday??? #absolute masterpiece!!! #thats her daaaadddddd!! #she's the daughter he didn't know he had cuz he's such a playboy!!!! #and an outlaw #he'd probably be an eah character since he's from a fairy tale #so theres an alternate universe out there where toralei grew up in that dimension instead #truthfully i know fuck all about eah for all i know there already is a puss in boots kid #i have so many thoughts about this ahhhhh #id in alt!!

[lunch-date]

Childish Wars: Chapter 1

WORK BY: Admin Tea

DATE PUBLISHED: 03.26.17 [REVISED: 04.22.17]

WORD COUNT: 3,399 Words [REVISED: 6,686 Words]

Summary:

In which, high school love is emphasized as invigorating or simply shitty.

A buff sophomore has weekly crushes, a junior honour student just wants to graduate, one thinks he doesn’t have a jawline, and a taekwondo student is thinking about learning how to paint.

Meanwhile, a swimmer just wants to pursue her passion, one wants to be swallowed by her bed, another is tired of doing chores, and the freshman just thought she could finally be blessed with a good love-life.

[The following notes below are found in both Tumblr and AO3 where the author has decided to post the story]

Disclaimer:

If you are viewing this story, this means that you know that this is a fan-made story— it has never happened nor will it ever happen; unless fate decides to play its cards graciously.

Since it is a fan-made story, it consists of characters that are actually based off real people. Characters are based off a group named SEVENTEEN who are idols working under PLEDIS entertainment of South Korea and some supporting characters are based off other idols/groups/actors from South Korea and Japan respectively. Some of course (a few antagonists for example) are legitimately made out of thin air.

Meanwhile, some characters are based off real fans (some with altered names or aliases) that the author personally knows.

Author’s Notes:

Setting is not in South Korea despite most characters coming from that country— in fact, it is placed in Japan. The author chose to set it in such since she did not want the readers to complain of her lack of knowledge of South Korea— considering she has never been to Korea and is only knowledgeable in Japan’s setting and history and whatnot.

Instead of using Korean Honorifics that the Kpop fans are used to (hyung, noona, etc.), Japanese Honorifics are used— the decision was done through a votation and evaluation from the author’s friends (some friends are Korean and Japanese) of which honorifics sound better with random or foreign names.

If you are to continue reading the story as it updates, please take note that there will be no trigger warnings for scenes that will be released in the future (if you notice, the author is not tagging any of the SEVENTEEN boys into the posts on Tumblr to avoid catching the eyes of possible stupid bashing predators)— which means that she trusts you can take/tolerate whatever content that may appear.

The author would also like you to take note that the start of the story will be a bit dreary and slow. She doesn’t want to rush anything at all especially since her writing is a bit rusty from the past hiatuses.

Swearing in the story is slightly inevitable.

Please be warned if you are to bash (like send hate mail to our blog or the author’s posts on AO3 and say that character like this should die or anything immature) any of the characters (or if you find their base-offs in real life and bash them) in the story, you will get not just a piece of the author’s my mind, but her fist and code breaking skills.

If you are not comfortable with anything written above, you are free to leave the site

  This is the past 

Or a sound effect THUD

“I am speaking in Japanese.” (the language they use throughout the story)

“I am speaking in another language.” Or “I am speaking in another language which is why it’s italicized in the middle of a sentence maybe (even just simple emphasizing something) but its Japanese again since it’s normal text again.”

‘I am thinking.’

And no when ‘Iyaa’ or ‘Aiyaa’ is typed, the author does not mean ‘Iie’ (no in Japanese), it is an expression most Japanese do, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything.

Chapter 1

  Déjà vu

(Noun)

Tedious familiarity

A feeling of having already experienced a situation happening at present

 “Hi,” Her eyes darted from one student to another.

She didn’t think it would be this bad— the classroom was practically eighty percent male.

“I’m Avilla Tara. I’m a dancer—“cue a long and low whistle.

She stiffened.

“—a-a swimmer, and an artist…”

A few snickered.

“You think she can draw dicks?”

Her gaze landed on the teacher up front, whose eyes glared daggers at the student seated behind her; ready to scold him.

Ready to retort before the teacher could rebuke the offender, Tara—

THUD

“Fuck—!“

The classroom fell silent.

Tara’s head snapped to the shout of distress. The student who sat two seats behind her held his head and lowered it on his desk, clearly in pain.

When did she get in?

Several heads were already turned towards the source of commotion, eyeing a small girl who turned her head slightly towards the student’s direction. She blinked slowly, her finger pretending to scratch on her messy short hair.

“Whoops.”

The girl pulled the loose strap of her bag back up, making sure it was securely hanging on her shoulder.

“My strap slipped,” she shrugged. “Sorry for being late sensei.”

She continued walking to the back of the room, ignoring the whispers that came from the male populace. The homeroom teacher merely shook her head, her small smile of hilarity going unnoticed by the class. Another girl seated at the back pushed her glasses back up before yanking her bag that she had placed on her neighbouring seat before the girl who had just arrived promptly situated herself in the desk saved for her.

A cough.

And the room fell silent once again.

“All right, thank you Tara, you may be seated. Next please.”

Little-by-little, the students’ attention diverted to the next student assigned to introduce himself, their whispers dying down. However, as Tara sat down, she couldn’t help but smile at the girls who were laughing quietly to themselves at their previous act.

“I think I just died…” Alth mutters to no one in particular as she bends her head backwards and shuts her eyes.

It was only the second day since her high school life started and she already felt completely drained. Truthfully, nothing much had even happened during the first day; just batch, homeroom, and club orientations.

But today?

Her class had just finished their third diagnostic test.

“I entered high school to learn more— not to have my elementary days tested.” Alth shut her eyes tighter, seeing flashes of white occupy the darkness in her vision.

It was that time of the school year where you had to socialize and form groups; whatever groups you would form would most probably be the group you would stick with till the end of the year. Usually Alth would take this time to befriend and get-to-know the people in a class she enters to steadily fit-in and feel like she belonged in a group of peers— temporary or not. She wouldn’t want to feel left out if there were projects that allowed the students to form their groups by friends.

“Hey.”

Though it was tough.

“Heeeey.”

It wasn’t like there was an equal number of girls in the classroom; in fact, there were only 10 girls in the room. Normally, you’d befriend someone of the same gender, right?

“Hey!”

Startled, her body jerks forward onto her desk, nearly toppling it over if it weren’t for her hands tightly grasping on the corners of her table.

“Oh, sorry!” Alth’s head whips backwards at the apology given to her.

“Uhh,” He pauses, his mouth slightly open. “My paper.” He gives it to her. “Sorry.”

Alth takes it, her gaze on him unwavering. When he started writing on his notebook, Alth blinks slowly and faces the board once again, asking the student in front of her to pass the paper that had been left behind.

“Hey.”

She looks over her shoulder again at the sound of his voice and her mouth was trying its best not to ask if he was that kid she saw during enrollment who sported an absurd haircut.

“Y-Yeah?” Way to seem nervous or extremely stiff.

“There was one number in the test… Part two, vocabulary…”

He was definitely the kid— she would never forget the face of someone who had their hair cut like some hatched egg or whatever it may have been.

“What about it?”

Now that she thought about it, his hair back then looked like a duck’s butt with some of the hair sticking out oddly at the back.

“I think it was number thirteen: a group or system in which positions of power are ranked; usually from lowest to highest,” he stops, and Alth felt her lungs take a break— he talked too fast.

Not that his hair was any better now.

“The answer’s ‘higher key’ right?”

It was a shocking colour of orange, not to mentioned it wasn’t tamed, standing tall like some grass on a lawn.

“What.” She fully turns her chair to him, ignoring the fact that the teacher was still up front— it wasn’t like he was lecturing anyway.

“I answered ‘higher key’ what about you?”

Alth had to recall for a moment what the test type was.

“Y…eah. Same.”

The boy suddenly beamed and she was taken aback for just a moment with her heart skipping a beat.

“Great! Hopefully I get a passing score at least.” He sighs, sinking into his seat as he leans back. “My name’s Chan by the way. Lee Chan.”

“Ah,” her hand twitches, almost extending to him, a bad habit she kept in her old school filled with westerners. She nods slightly, her lips forming a smile. “I’m Althea, Althea Lora.”

“Nice meeting you~” Chan nods vigorously, “You think you did well during the test? It was pretty hard, I even heard you grumbling a bit.”

She felt her cheeks flush, “ah, I think I did? It’s my first language after all.”

“Yaa, you’re lucky then,” he pouts a bit. “It’s just my third language so I’m still having a hard time coping.” He clenches his teeth and shakes his head a bit furiously.

“I could help you during English Class if you want.”

“Thanks! The next teacher’s here.” He smiles once more after whispering, then gets up from his seat, greeting the teacher who had just arrived.

Alth did the same, turning her back at him and sitting back down with the rest of the class afterwards.

Alth realized…

when Chan said ‘higher key’, she hoped he meant ‘hierarchy’.

The test type was an identification type after all.

RIIIING

“Jihoon!”

Without looking up, Jihoon mutters a quiet “Ahh?”. He closes his notebook, takes his pen and keeps it in his case.

The rest of the class do the same or merely leave their belongings scruffily on their tables as they exit the classroom, heading out for their morning break.

“I forgot to tell you. There’s a new convenience store, it’s on block 7’s lot.”

Jihoon stops writing on his memo for a moment. He watches Jeonghan who takes a seat to his right, thanking their classmate who allowed him to sit.

“…What about it?”

“I got a flyer that talks about its ice cream and smoothie promos. Wanna pass by sometime?”

“It’s not open yet, is it?”

“Nope, it’s going to open in a month.” Jeonghan’s eyes linger behind his friend. “Maybe in less than a month now actually. I got the flyer last week before class started.”

“Ahh.”

“Aubs, it’s lunch already.”

Jihoon stops his writing once more at the sound of shuffling behind him. The girl behind him groggily moves her head from her folded arms. She takes a peek to her left, and Jeonghan who had been staring at her this whole time, averts his attention back to Jihoon who resumed his writing again.

Bree—who didn’t actually notice Jeonghan’s stare due to her blurred vision—takes a peek to her right this time. Tara stands beside her table (coming from a crouch after picking her friend’s bentou bag from the floor), her own bentou bag hanging by her shoulder and her small sketchpad tucked in her arm.

“… I fell asleep?”

“I saw you purposely lie your head down; you don’t even have your notebook out.”

Bree hums at the statement and Tara sighs.

“I wouldn’t be able to anyway. The teacher didn’t use visuals.”

“It’s okay; I’ll lend you my notes.”

“Thank you.” Bree mutters and finally pulls her head up.

The two girls took their leave, muttering to themselves, and Jeonghan pulls the chair he sat on closer to Jihoon’s seat.

“You poor thing.” Jeonghan chuckles at Jihoon who raises a brow at him. “You just had to be assigned to sit in front of the dragon lady.”

“She’s just a seatmate.”

“Yeah but we’re stuck with her till next year.”

“Is the implementation for real?”

“Yup.”          

“I was hoping to be classmates with Joshua and Wonwoo again..”

Jeonghan whines, resting his elbows on Jihoon’s table, “yaa; don’t you like being my classmate?”

“I’ve never been your classmate; so, I’m not entirely sure yet.”

Jeonghan pouted this time.

“Meanie~”

“It hasn’t even been a week of school yet.”

“I’m a pretty clever guy too Mister Honours.” Jihoon scoffs at this.

He remembered having to find a loophole out of Jeonghan’s case in the student council’s office when he had been caught cheating during a quiz.

But really, who files a complain about cheating in high school? Everyone practically finds a way to cheat in anything just to pass now and Jihoon didn’t have anything against it really.

“But anyway,” Jeonghan started. “Quinn’s a decent classmate.”

“You’ve been classmates before?” Jihoon recalled him muttering something about ‘forgetting she had a loud voice’.

“Yeah, freshmen year with Avilla and Ramsey.”

“Ramsey’s in Joshua’s room.”

“Whatever, to put, they were a group, like us and stuff.”

“So what about them?”

Jeonghan pulls himself back from Jihoon’s desk when he took out his snacks for Jeonghan.

Jeonghan takes the rice crackers.

“Avilla was our second semester rep; she’s good.”

“She became our class representative for our first semester last year.” Jihoon recalls.

When Avilla had been appointed as their representative, Jihoon remembered vaguely the worried look that flashed across her face. She insisted continuously that she was a bad choice, but votation from a few old classmates of hers proved otherwise.

The first semester for them had gone out evenly with Avilla’s leadership, most especially since the male representative had been hospitalized after a competition.  People didn’t want to take her off of the position the second semester, but the teachers insisted that their class needed to give other students a chance.

“I don’t think they’ll make her a representative anymore.”

“Why not?” Jeonghan bites the first cracker, offering another piece to Jihoon who immediately refuses.

“There’s a new rule now that a student is only allowed to be elected once in class for their whole stay in high school.”

“Aww. That’s a bummer.”

“Hn.”

“Anyway,” Jeonghan shrugs. “Quinn…” Jeonghan trails off. “She’s decent since she actually has good notes even if you barely see her awake in class.”

“Oh?”

Jihoon wasn’t extremely familiar with Quinn unlike with Avilla and Ramsey. Ramsey had been his classmate together with Avilla the previous year, and he knew the girl was capable in the field of arts and technology. She was even a strict critique and deadly debater when required. Other than those though, Jihoon knew Ramsey for being chill and jaunty, and a slight perfectionist if he had to admit.

However, this was the only year he had encountered Quinn (aside from seeing her around the corridor and mostly with a group of girs). All he knew from his batchmates were that Quinn wouldn’t speak to the male population at school unless circumstances brought her to the point of having to speak up.

Hence the first day of class during orientation.

“Yeah, like there are even small doodles of the lesson or side notes— mostly random doodles around her notebook though.” Jeonghan laughs suddenly and Jihoon got a bit curious as to why.

“One time, the teacher asked her to photocopy her notes for those who were absent during the stomach flu season. Everyone wouldn’t stop talking about this cute frog evolution she drew for biology.”

“At least she’s useful.” Jihoon comments, trying his best to hint how nonchalant he was.

He was the type to have a few messy pages from time-to-time when the teacher taught too fast, so he would need some back up to fix his notebooks.

It wouldn’t hurt to try talking to Quinn if it meant saving his grades.

“Yeah, and good in English. Like, way better than you.”

Jihoon twitched.

“It’s 1:30 already.”

“Oh yeah,” Tara wipes the corner of her lip with a thumb, “Wendy-senpai said there’s a meeting later.”

Bree looks up from her notebook and lets go of the pen she had been biting, “what for?”

“She said something about welcoming the female freshmen again. Their population’s bigger than the Sophomores.” Vee replies, sliding the tray of left-over beef curry beside her bentou.

“That just means this school is getting more girl power!” Tara cheers before plopping a piece of broccoli in her mouth.

“We are slowly leading a good generation in our revolution,” Bree nods in approval, her voice a bit whole and her posture straight as if she were a politician. Tara could really imagine her friend dressed in a formal attire. “The school will be more balanced this way. Next step is to get rid of the manipulative assholes here in school.” Bree stabs a potato before bringing it to her mouth.

Vee eyed the poor remnants of the potato.

“Do you have any people in mind?”

“To be honest,” Bree chews, covering her mouth while speaking. “I heard some nasty news from the Sophomores about one of their batch representatives, but I need to hear or see stuff for myself.”

“Speak of the Sophomores, just yesterday I saw the Sophomore’s batch beadle scowling at you during the orientation.”

Bree’s eyebrows narrow at this. “He’s actually one of the ‘news’ I was talking about— the one with Bieber like hair?” Tara nods at this, “I’ll look into him later.”

“How do you even get all of these information? You suck at being updated during grade school.” Vee gestures to Bree’s ballpen, reminding her to continue her notes.

Bree smiles a bit, Vee took note of how sad it seemed. “I guess this is the effect of being surrounded by a lethal environment.”

“Well, it helps though. Look at us, fixing things up.” Tara points out, looking at the brighter side of things.

Bree nods, replacing her chopstick with her pen once more, “yeah..”

Hopefully, things do fix up and everything runs smoothly.

Thud

“What happened?” Bree immediately picks the bottle of water that fell from the tray (and onto the bench they sat on) Ann deliberately dumped on the table. Tara and Vee put up the remaining items upright and Ann sits down beside Bree, irritably applying her lip balm.

“Nothing,” Ann pauses. She breathes heavily before taking her spoon and wiping it with a piece of tissue. “As usual, we’re just surrounded by rude people.”

“Don’t rush eating, we’ll be pulled out for the next period. I’m sure Seulgi-senpai wouldn’t mind you eating during the meeting.”

Ann could only nod as she tore off the seal of her yoghurt cup.

“I totally understand how the mcs of otome games feel when it comes to assholes.”

1: 15PM

There were two general types of people in high school.

One: the people who don’t give two damns about what you do or who you are, unless you become their project-mate or partner in anything school related at all. Two: the bullies or manipulative people who like to ruin other people’s lives for no reason.

She had 30 minutes to eat, and she still needed to nap.

‘Why is it taking so long..?’ Ann thought to herself as she tilts her head, checking the line in front of her.

Maybe it wouldn’t have been this tedious if she actually didn’t tell her friends that it was fine to leave her already in line. She could’ve even told Bree about the route she was taking in the games they were playing. But no, she just had to say ‘it’s all right’ when Tara had asked if she was sure.

No regrets.

“Why is it even so hot?” She mumbles to herself. Apparently, it wasn’t even quiet enough to be considered as a mumble because a student behind her just chuckled and apologized to his friend. He even joked about leaving so that the cafeteria would ‘cool up’ a bit.

Ann did her best not to roll her eyes.

“Next.” The second cashier calls out.

The next person in line walks up to the second cashier, his friend waiting just behind him in queue. When the student noticed that the person on the first cashier was ready to leave, Ann saw that he was about ready to run up to the cashier, only for the cashier lady to place the ‘closed’ sign on the counter.

Both Ann and the students in line sighed.

Normally it didn’t take too long for the cashier ladies to take orders in the stalls. Even last year as a new student, Ann took note that the perks of being in the weird academy was that the cafeteria staff were quick in selling and cooking, and even with their hasty work, kept everything neat and orderly.

So, was it because it was the first week of class and there were new and more food being sold in the cafeteria?

Ann scans the display of food and the menu— no, nothing was new, same food as last year.

So what was causing the traffic?

1:20PM

‘Finally,’ she rejoices inwardly as she takes a step forward. She was the second to the first in line, prepared to order the food she wanted. ‘All of this for just yoghurt. I’m glad I ate bit of rice earlier.’ She gave herself a pat on the back silently.

“Yaa, you took too long.”                

“Sorry, got caught up in a conversation.”

“Sure you didn’t get clogged by the new girls in the corridor?”

“I actually took the long way.” The student who had just arrived, sniggered.

He better not be—

The student who had originally stood in front of her in the queue left his spot after being called by the lady behind the counter. Meanwhile, his friend who had just came, casually took his friend’s place, readying his wallet and counting his bills.

He was.

“Excuse me.” Ann speaks up. She was about to tap on the boy’s arm if it weren’t for him whipping his head towards her and practically slapping her with his long hair.

‘Fuck’ Ann had her eyes shut at the brunt of his hair.

It was so damn coarse and hefty.

“Yeah?”      

She gradually opened her eyes that met with half-lidded ones. The boy who looked down on her, blinked at her expression that was building bit by bit negatively.

How insolent, coming from the Prince of the school.

“You’re cutting in line.” She says, deadpan.

The boy blinked, “I’m not. My friend was here and I just came late.”

“Regardless, you cut in line.” Ann bit back. She usually wouldn’t start a fight but really, this was too much. The least he could really do was ask his friend to buy whatever he needed instead of taking everyone’s time, everyone who had been waiting in line for the past grave thirty plus minutes. Ann would have even forgiven him more if he had arrived earlier and cut-in-line with his friend if they weren’t right in front already.

Still, he didn’t seem to care at all. He didn’t move the slightest on his spot on the very front of the line.

“I’m sorry?”

Ann wanted to cut his tongue and his hair.

“Oi Jeong, your turn.”

“Yeah.”

The boy walks to the front of the cashier, and Ann didn’t know if he was taking pleasure in literally hair-slapping her each time he turned his head.

‘This isn’t worth my anger. This isn’t worth my time. This isn’t worth my anger. This isn’t worth my time.’ Ann takes a few hefty breaths as she clutches her purse to herself tightly while glaring at the back of the tall boy who took her spot in being the next to taking her order.

So much for prince charming.

“Sorry I’m late. Seriously; I don’t know what our substitute teacher has against me.”

Tara laughs quietly to herself at the sense of déjà vu.

The head seniors of the girl division’s eyes were on Bree for just a moment with a small smile at her rattled entrance, before resuming to make eye contact with the newcomers. “We prepared a small project and we hope that you all participate even if it may be a bit troublesome,” one of the hosts declares. A few subtle whines and sighs didn’t go overheard, Seulgi clears her throat at this.

“This project has been used for the past years since BoysBe had started accepting female applicants. We have received great feedback for continuing this project because it helps the small population of us female students get to know each other more—“

Bree stood awkwardly alongside the chair she sat on. Tara could well-nigh sense her friend’s aura unconsciously tapping on her shoulder.

She was anxious.

Bree was the only one standing up in the sea of seats after all. What’s worse was the fact that the venue looked too big for the small populace of students. Tara’s nose scrunches a little; she thought they had prepared enough chairs for the event, for both newcomers and program members.

“Do you want to sit down? We could switch and—“

“No it’s okay,” Bree instantly replies. “I’m okay.”

Tara looks up at her and as if Bree caught on, she tries to smile at her, just to reassure her.

Yup, Tara knew she wasn’t.

“So the project goes like this—“

Tara sighs. Knowing Bree, she declined because she didn’t want to put Tara in her situation or merely lived up to her mistake of running late. Tara sat too far from Vee, so she wouldn’t be able to signal for any vacant chairs— she wasn’t allowed to bring out her mobile device either since there were some admin around. Nevertheless, Tara wanted to find some way to—

“Aubs.”

“Mm?”

“There’s a seat at that corner—“

“—it’s okay,” she answers, but her attention was on the seat right where Tara pointed. “I could stay like this the whole program, I’ve been sitting too—“

“Aubs, we were tasked to be partners with a new student remember?”

She shut up

Score for Tara.

“Ahh… right,” Bree sighs as if it was too troublesome to walk all the way to the other side of the room. Though Tara knew it took a bit of nervousness out of her system. “Okay, talk to you later.”

Alth believed she would have a heart attack if she didn’t realise that the dark shadow she had seen through her peripheral vision had just been another student who hastily moved by the narrow paths of the venue.

The girl walked without making a single noise — the venue appeared too silent in spite of the instrumentals that played at the background during the flow of the program— and the fact that the girl just popped out of the mass of colourful heads (that were the same height as her even if she were already standing) scared her shitless.

The petite girl continued to walk — all too silently for Alth’s poor heart— until she reached the back of the venue where Alth had been ushered to.

Alth did her best not to look at her the closer she got to her seat.

“Excuse me,” her voice had a high pitch, something that was too common among tiny girls.

“Y-Yeah?” God— Alth almost gave herself a whiplash when she turned her head to the girl— when would she be able to control that stuttering.

She points with a tiny finger towards the empty chair to her left, “is this seat taken?”

What was with her and calling everything small about this girl.

“Ah, no it’s not.”

The girl nods her head a bit brashly before dropping herself onto the seat as if her life depended on it.

Not that Alth really knew she was edgy.

Alth covers her mouth to suppress a gasp that nearly came out from her mouth— although the girl who just took her seat beside her gave her a sideway glance— it’s the first time a female student actually spoke to her before she initiated it in the academy.

Seems petty? Please don’t mind her then.

Alth inwardly gulped, before cautiously peering back at her.

It was perhaps, such an absurd or overexcited thought, but she felt her heart bloat at the idea that she didn’t have to go over extreme measures of pressuring her heart and angst to speak to someone new.

This was a good start right?

“— please find a partner you think you’d like to be with during the project.”

Alth snaps from her daze. A number of students started to get up from their chairs, some shyly approaching each other, while the rest, for some reason, had claimed each other as partners as if they already knew each other.

This was her chance.

“Hey, uhm—“ Alth turns to the girl earlier only to find a few students surrounding her chair already if not lined up.

“Senpai, can you be my partner?”

A couple of more girls start to approach and crowd both of their chairs. Alth shrinks to herself at the amount of people who wanted to be partners with the only person she had in mind. She didn’t know who else to approach, nor did she have any same-gendered friends yet in school.

Alth enviously looked over at the girl who sat beside her before staring at her hands on her lap.

She wanted to feel like that— wanted, accepted, by everyone. She had back then, in her old school (by her friends at least) but now she could hardly find the courage to even talk to her female classmates and the week was about to end and she could imagine herself alone for the rest of her high school life and—

“Sorry,” she bows slightly as she adjusts herself in her seat, “but Althea’s my partner.”

At the mention of her name, the chair beside her squeaks at the weight that came off and the students gathering the table began to find a partner elsewhere.

Alth blinks rapidly, very positive that the girl beside her never planned with her about being partners with her— not that she minded at all.

The girl drags her chair close to her— all Alth could do was stare at her with a bewildered expression— and when all the other girls had really left their spot, the girl stopped just as she was about to sit.

“You don’t have a partner, do you?”

“N-No.” Alth responded nervously.

“Sorry that was.. yeah.. would it be fine if I am?”

“Of course!” Alth nodded pleasantly, scooting her chair nearer to the girl. “And uhm…”

“Mm?”

“How’d you know my name?”

Alth is taken aback for a moment when the girl gives her such a wide smile— her expressions change quite rapidly— before pointing to her chest.

“Your nametag.”

“Oh.”

‘Shit, shit, shit…!’ Tara slides (slams) the door to their classroom open.

Since the program earlier had commenced, Tara may have been too engrossed in her conversation with the freshmen she decided to pair with for their project.

Tara had chosen the girl who was located right in front, and right at the center of their program’s venue. Tara couldn’t place any reason as to why she chose the girl, in fact— aside from how she had stood out so much because of her enormous height compared to her rowmates— it was as if her own feet just dragged her all the way to the front of the venue, to speak to that head that had been blocking her view of her senpai she adored so much.

“I packed your bags already,” someone calls out to her as she runs to her seat that was unfortunately assigned at the other side of the classroom.

However, Tara did not regret approaching the said freshman. The first question Tara had asked (aside from her name and cause of transferring) was how she had coped during the first day of class; this lead to tale of how the freshman had mistaken one of the ushers during the orientation as a female student due to his long hair when she had been trying to find her class.

She realises a tad too late that her bag was transferred to the desk closest to the door. Tara backtracks fast unzips it to check if everything was indeed inside.

Tara was absolutely sure that her new friend was talking about her classmate whose hair rivaled the female population’s own.

“Your canvases are leaning on the wall by the way,” Tara turns to Bree who had been talking to her the whole time, telling her everything she organised in her bag. “You know what, never mind. Lemme just…”

“Thanks Aubs.”

“No problem. I took those off your table. I figured some people might think it as something they needed to store away during cleaning time.” Bree pokes a paper she had folded into a lily flower into her bag’s pocket and resumes to pick her canvases, handing it to her instead of watching her struggling friend in a rush. “Are you sure you don’t want my help— those seem pretty heavy and—”

“—No— it’s fine— d-don’t you have a club to run though?”

“Club’s not until next week, don’t worry.”

“What? Why?”

“Our coach is still on a trip abroad—“

“Oh, okay, okay— Thank you! I’m so sorry about this.”

Bree waves a hand, “it’s okay! You seem to be in a rush so,” and pushes the sliding door with the heel of her foot to assist her friend in exiting. “Now go, shoo, shoo; run!”

Just as she was told, Tara takes off, into the corridors, nearly tripping on her own foot.

Bree holds the sliding door in its place as she watches her friend scuffle to overtake a few students. Irritated with how everyone was practically blocking the way, Bree enters their classroom again, leaning against the back of the door and inhaling noisily.

“Excuse me— excuse me!” Tara did her best to minimize the volume of her voice as soon as she realized that the halls were made differently from their building— why the hell was she barely seeing any windows in this side of the school? She could nearly see her words bouncing off the walls of the hallway.

Tara didn’t want to leave a horrible first impression with her new club mates. Giving her legs a bit of boost, Tara forgets how strained her limbs were from running and carrying the canvases that were required on the first meeting.  

Despite wanting to keep her healthy figure, she knew her aikido was enough work out— and with the amount of work that was bound to be thrown at them for their junior year, Tara didn’t know if she would be able to balance her swimming training for competitions and aikido with the possible additions. She thought about her decision over the summer and concluded that she would most likely overwork herself and lose a good amount of sleep (not that she hadn’t) if she pushed through with her old routines and the supplementary amount of schoolwork for junior year. So the best solution would to let go of swimming as her club and find another source of outlet that won’t require having to compete outside school.

Health over achievements, her friends reminded her.

Painting was a brilliant choice, her mother had mentioned. Unlike clubs under the sports category, those under the visual arts category are given the opportunity to decline competitions offered to them. The most the club would ask for is a year-ends exhibit or a workshop for younger children inside and outside school. Not only did it only lessen the tasks Tara would handle, but her mother pointed out that she could now continue her old hobby without having to worry about stopping midway works due to exhaustion, training, or schoolwork.

Remembering how her mother had dragged her off to the mall to buy some materials in the middle of her organizing her room made her smile unconsciously.

“Thank you so much for lending your projector!”

Hearing the roar of an enthusiastic student in front of her, Tara’s train of thought is interrupted. Before she could think of dodging the boy who she had noticed (at the last minute) stepped out of a room, the canvases that she had stacked on her arms fell over as she ran into him.

Clank!

“Ah!”

Tara didn’t know whether the sound of distress came from her or the boy in front of her.

The topmost canvas fell to the floor and even if Tara attempted to save the rest of the pile by adjusting to the direction of its fall, the canvases proceeded to topple over onto the white floors of the hall.

Left with one canvas in her arms and her bag hanging severely on the pit of her elbow, Tara’s mouth is left ajar at the mess by her feet.

“I’m so sorry!” She cries out as she bows repeatedly before crouching down to place the only canvas she had successfully saved on the floor. Muttering how she regrets rejecting her best friend’s last offer to help, she reaches out to restacking the canvases that were scattered across the hall.

“Iyaa, it’s okay!” Tara hears him reply before hearing the shuffling of his feet.

Sensing that he may be departing and wanting to curse him internally for being uncouth, Tara looks up only to find him bending over a few steps away from her, picking up her round canvas that had rolled off farther than the rest.

He stands upright again— she averts her eyes immediately—before shuffling back to her with a sheepish smile. “Sorry by the way uhh—“ He bows before crouching down in front of her to help her restack her items.

“No no no no— I’m sorry, I was in a hurry since I might be late for club time—“

“Iyaa, I’m the one who came out of nowhere and…” he trails off.

Noticing him turn quiet, Tara hesitantly looks back at him and catches him eying her ribbon.

“—anyway senpai,“ Taken aback by his loud voice and credit of her higher status, Tara avoids his gaze and takes a hold of the base of the pile. The boy does the same though, which forces Tara to look back at his smiling face. “Let me help you with these!”

For some reason, he reminded her of a hamster.

She shakes her head, “no it’s okay! This is enough help, thank you so—“

“Senpai, come on, it’s okay!”

“But—!“

“Please?” Suddenly, his eyes are more visible now. Something in his eyes seemed to plead for her to bring him along, maybe guilt? “I’ll explain to your instructor why you’re tardy, you know… just in case?”

“O-Okay..” Tara nods uneasily.

The previous expression in his eyes faded as soon as he beamed again. Tara watches as the boy takes a better grip on the pile before jumping up to stand and taking a step beside her before letting her lead the way.

“Thank you so much, you really didn’t have to do this though,” she turns her head to him and his smile just turns brighter.

“No really, it’s all right! I don’t want to be the cause of you getting in trouble— I mean sure the teachers are nice here, but they get pretty harsh when you’re in a higher level.”

“I see..” Was all Tara could mutter.

In silence (aside from the occasional squeak of his shoes on the floor) they reached the end of the hall. She prayed inwardly and heard the boy whisper ‘I honestly wish there wasn’t a teacher inside yet. I hear artsy people come too early or too late’. She took a peek by the door’s small window before sighing in relief at the emptiness of the room.

“Your face tells me, you’re the early kind and that the teacher isn’t in yet.”

Tara laughs softly before sliding. the door open. She steps aside and allowed the boy to enter the room before following suit.

The boy surveys the room as he places her canvases on the nearest table. “Good thing no one’s here yet huh?”

The room wasn’t even set up yet aside from the first row of desks and chairs being prepared.

“Yeah.” She hangs her bag by the side of the table’s hook before looking around, “but it’s already ten minutes past three… I wonder if I got the schedule wrong.”

“Huh? Senpai, it’s just quarter to three.”

Tara glances at him and he points at something behind her.

“What—“her eyes widen at the sight of the clock and she runs a hand through her hair, “so my watch—“ she studies the said device for a moment before realising that the second hand this whole time hadn’t been moving.

“I was kind of wondering why you were in such a rush.” The boy admits, blinking at her. “Club doesn’t start till three right?”

“Y-Yeah…”

No wonder she saw a bunch of senior painters roaming near the cafeteria when she had sprinted from the farther building.

The boy had left after helping her set the rest of the desks in the room. He had also taken the initiative of carrying the teacher’s table by the platform and board before the instructor had arrived. He then excused himself, telling her that he promised to treat a best friend out after class. Vexed that he kept his best friend waiting and insist that he need not concern himself with the excess of the room’s mess, she had lightly sent him off.

“Starting next week, I will no longer supervising you again, but you can visit me in the faculty during break time or before I leave the school for any matter,” the teacher bows before smiling. “You are dismissed.”

The whole club stands to bow and acknowledge their dismissal before gathering their belongings or talking amongst themselves. Meanwhile, Tara sighs at her name written on the board.

Club Secretary: Avilla, Tara

“Tara-senpai.”

Said leader turns to her seatmate with a smile, “yeah?” masking her grief.

At least she wasn’t the club president.

“Uhh, I’m not sure but I think your phone has been buzzing in your bag.”

Briskly, Tara shoves her hand into her bag, swiping her phone with her thumb, not bothering to check the name of her caller.

“Hello—“

“Tara-senpai!”

“Ack—!!” She pulls her phone away from her ear before pulling back, “uh, h-hello?” She bows self-consciously at her club mates that glanced at her worriedly.

“Ne, senpai, how are you— where are you?!”

“Oh, I’m—“

“You broke your promise!!”

She got cut off again. For some reason, her brain was reacting slowly— ‘Get it together Tara!!’

She could hear her heart beating in her eardrums.

“Huh? What promise—“

“I waited for you by the shoe cubbies of the freshmen!”

“Ah!” Tara gasps in horror just as her foot unconsciously stomps on the floor “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry—“

“Yaa, senpaaai you hurt my feelings!! I got lost this morning!!”

She was upset with herself too.

“I’m so sorry Mingyu!”

#Childish Wars AU