Genuine | Park Jisung

12

"Guess what, guess what, guess what!" The teacher said excitedly.

Imina held in her groan already dreading whatever the teacher was gonna say. She just wanted the day to be over. 

She had spent the day with Jisung. And his friends. Not to say she didn't like Renjun, Haechan, Jaemin, Jeno, Chenle, and Mark but she didn't know them that well. She didn't know Jisung the best either but at least the two had a defined friendship.

"You have a project! And you get to work with a partner."

Imina didn't even hide her groan this time as people around her cheered.

She raised her hand.

"Yes, Imina?"

"Can I work alone?"

She ignored the feeling of the eyes on her and the teacher's dumbfounded expression. 

"Well yes but this is project will take a week."

She nodded, not finding a problem. It wasn't the first time she did assignments alone.

The girl was completely unaware of the peach-haired boy who was staring at her. He didn't know what to think when she asked to be alone.

He glanced next to him and realized what the predicament was. They had Chenle. Imina had probably assumed they would together. And Chenle probably did too.

He looked at his friend. "Chenle-"

"Go. Be partners with her."

"Are you sure?"

"She was your friend first Ji. And I'm sure she only wants to be alone because she can't be with you. I'll be fine." He pushed him away from their desk. "Go."

With a nod, he went to the brown-haired girl. As if feeling his presence, she snapped put of her daze. "Hm?"

"Wanna be partners?"

"What?" She blinked at him innocently, the boy finding it adorable.

He chuckled. "Wanna be my partner?"

The girl noticed his voice drop when he spoke to her as if it was just the two of them. "Oh uh, what about Chenle?"

Jisung pointed behind him. Imina looked back to see him in conversation with three other people. 

"I'm kinda surprised. Seemed like you two would be partners."

"Not you and me?"

"You two are friends."

"So are we."

"Yeah but-"

Jisung held up his hands, a playful glint in his eyes. "Look, if you don't wanna be partners, just say so. I won't force you. Just thought you might like to spend time with me but it's not like we're friends or anything."

"Okay! Okay!" She grinned to stop him. "We're partners."

"Good."

Once the bell rang, Jisung waited outside of class for the girl.

"Boo!"

She placed a hand on her beating heart, letting out a sigh. "You scared me."

"Sorry", he said with a cocky expression, not at all looking apologetic.

Jisung never seemed to act this way before and the girl wasn't the only who noticed.

"Jisung."

He rolled his eyes, turning to look at Derek.