A/N: I present to you the rarest of rarities, a quick update from yours truly. What can I say, I got inspired (as a result of your wonderful reviews, keep them coming, s'il vous plait?). However, me and my word processor had a falling out and are no longer on speaking terms, so the next update might take some time.
At present, I have way too much on my mind. Whoever thought that getting caught between two guys would be so depressing? Not me, that's for sure. I'm always the one to shout at the token chick flick heroine when she's whining about being the object of two guys' affections. It's like "Hello, Ms. Heroine? Two cute guys want you, and this is a bad thing?"
But my case is different. Jin, for example, must be a teensy bit attracted to me, considering the effect
I had on him yesterday - but he's made no mention of actually wanting
to date me. And Hwoarang seemed un-bothered by the Jin thing, after
all, he was the one who told Miharu about me kissing him in the
corridor. In fact, he was okay with it, until I decided to show him the
results of my oh-so-intelligent decision to launch an assault on the
bedroom door - hey, the door started it, okay? - so maybe he's just
being a concerned friend.
He hasn't really made any serious indication that he like likes
me. Well, apart from that time in the coffee shop... but I don't know
whether he was serious or not, and I was under the influence of
caffiene at the time. Two mochas and I'm anyone's.
It's times like this that I wish I knew what was going on in Jin and
Hwoarang's minds. Or perhaps not. It could be mildly disturbing.
Imagining their to-do lists is bad enough.
Jin: Angst. Look sexy. Buy hair gel.
Hwoarang: Michiko, Ayumi, that girl at the cafe whose name he doesn't know yet.
But seriously, as I said, I don't really know where I stand with either of them at the moment. Jin's just Jin, so there's no point even trying to work out what's going on there. And Hwoarang might just be worried about me. But then there's the whole thing where Hwo accepted Ayumi's offer of a date and for some reason... it annoyed me. Why? I don't like Hwoarang that way, really. At least, I don't think I do. And why am I pondering this without access to chocolate?
"So this proves what, Miss Ling?"
The English teacher stands over me, one hand on her hip, the other clutching a worn copy of Othello, and I find myself disturbed and wishing that she'd wear a bra. I'm sure it's not natural for your breasts to be at the same level as your belt buckle.
A few of my classmates turn to stare at me as English gives me an expectant look, and I try and remember the last passage she read, but to no avail. All that comes to mind is Jin and Hwo-related.
"Miss Ling!"
Great, now everyone's gawping at me.
"Erm..." My face grows hot and I look down at my textbook. "I'm sorry. I don't know."
"Well!" English huffs. "Perhaps if you'd been listening, or if you'd looked at the board once in the half an hour you've been here, you would know!"
I mutter another apology, but she's already stomping back to her desk at the front of the classroom. She knocks a pile of homework off the desk with her rear, and turns to glower at me, like it's my fault.
"Go and stand outside!"
Oh well. At least if I go outside I don't have to pretend I'm listening any more. I push my chair back, gathering my things and slinging my backpack over my shoulder. I give her a doubtful glance, and she stares venomously.
"Now, Miss Ling!"
Jeez, English. Don't have a fit or anything.
Outside, I lean against the wall, then slide myself down it and sit on the floor, tucking my legs to the side and unzipping my backpack. I yank out my maths homework from inside a heavy textbook and look it over. Algebra, Equations, Trigonometry. A pick 'n' mix of problems. (I could just do with a pick 'n' mix, come to think of it. With cola bottles and sugar mice.) Doesn't look too hard.
Question 1: Solve the equation: dy over dt equals 2t over 1 plus t squared multiplied by oh dear God, what-the-hell-ever.
...Maybe I'll come back to that one.
I put the sheet to one side, deciding that now is as good a time as any to find inner peace and perhaps the path to enlightenment while I'm waiting for English to realise she was being a bitch and come outside to ask me to rejoin the snooze-fest. And inner peace cannot be found without clearing one's mind of all Jin or Hwoarang related thoughts.
"Seven hundred and sixty."
I jump, looking up to see Hwoarang standing there, my maths worksheet in one hand. Does that boy ever go to class?
"Seven what?"
"Question three. The distance between the two cities. Seven hundred and sixty."
I raise my eyebrows, impressed.
"You worked that out just now? Not just a pretty face, are you?"
"Yeah. And no, I have a sexy ass, too." he replies without missing a beat.
I chuckle, and he hands me the paper back.
"How come you're out here?" he asks me with a frown, leaning against the opposite wall of the corridor.
"Oh, English knocked some papers off her desk with her butt. Apparently, that was my fault."
"Delinquent."
"Funny, that, coming from you."
I grin at him, slipping the worksheet back into my bag and standing up. For a while, we're quiet. This is one thing I love most about spending time with Hwoarang - we can be quiet together. With Jin, if he's quiet for too long, I start to wonder why he's quiet. Have I done something? Said something? My mind starts conjuring up these ridiculous situations, and by the time he does speak, I've got so worked up that I'm practically screaming with relief. I suppose it's because I've known Hwoarang so long that I don't worry about what he's thinking. I used to, when we first became friends, but that was because I kind of thought it was weird that this guy who made off with the year elevens' skateboard and smoked and was always late to school would actually talk to a goody-two-shoes like me.
"I'm sorry." Hwoarang breaks the silence.
"About what?"
"Earlier." He shakes his head. "If you really like Kazama, Xiao, then it's fine by me. Even if he is a dick."
I laugh at that, walking over and giving him a hug. His body tenses up in surprise as I wrap my arms around him.
"Well, I was gonna say the same."
"About me and Kazama?" he jokes, tentatively returning the hug. I don't know why he's being so uneasy about it. He always hugs me and I don't mind. We always used to be like this. I guess I was like the little sister he never had, back then.
"About you and Ayumi." I reply. "Though Jin and I did have a conversation about that this morning."
Hwoarang laughs.
"Nah, I'm outta his league."
Before I can reply to that, the classroom door opens and English sticks her head out, scowling.
"Miss Ling, I think it's about time you came back inside and did some work, don't you?" she snaps.
"You sent her out, dumbass." Hwoarang smirks at her, folding his arms.
"How dare you?" English's neck has turned a blotchy pink, thus signifiying she is Very Angry. "Mr. Mishima will hear about this, mark my words."
"And I'm sure he'll care." Hwo replies, sounding bored. He starts to walk down the corridor, turning to call my name before I follow the fuming teacher back into the classroom.
"About Ayumi, you're right." He flashes me a grin. "She's an asshole."
My mouth falls open as he chuckles, setting off again.
"B-but then... why...?"
"Just a little... experiment." he calls over his shoulder, continuing down the hallway.