BUT I LIKE YOU

one

a project? with him?!

tuesday, music class

          MOON SORA QUIETLY GROANS when her teacher begins ordering her class around enthusiastically after they had finished a short starter task. "Put your worksheets on my desk and I will get them marked as soon as I can. Then I would like everyone get yourself a textbook from the front desk please! We have enough for one each today."

Sora watches the class in front of her stand up enthusiastically all at the same time to walk over to the front of the classroom, reminding her of a high rising wave. The volume of the previously silent classroom significantly increases as most of the students present in the class take this little trip around the classroom as an opportunity to speak to their friends.

Sora stands up as well, planning to take her time when trotting towards the desk with all the textbooks on it, just to waste time that she could be using to do her classwork. Unlike the rest of her sociable class, she tends to not talk to her friends around the class even if she gets the chance to, because it often leads to embarrassing situations of her not paying attention and getting back to her seat a bit too late—

"I'll get one for you." The melodic yet clearly disinterested morning voice of Han Taesan, Sora's seatmate, feels as if it reverberates through her body. She sits down with a nod, content that this popular boy has the respect and willingness to often help her out in small ways like this, even if there isn't any need to. Although the cold boy rarely ever talks to her and adds to her immense boredom in a class that is meant to be enjoyable, she respects his space and he respects hers. And maybe that's the least she can expect from sitting beside someone so popular in their school.

"Thanks." She mumbles when a textbook is placed onto her table in front of her.

Her eyes widen in horror when she sees the large title decorating the front cover of the fortunately thin paged textbook.

Composition.

Her biggest enemy.

Not to say that she hates it: how could she hate something that she is actually good at? The only thing that she hates about it is having to do it in class. Often the topics and concepts given are way too hard to incorporate, and keeping it child friendly can also be a problem sometimes, especially when she writes English rap...

"You all look so terrified, and for what?" The teacher giggles from the front of the class, her students glaring daggers at her for making them do something they despise so much. "As you all must know if you read that booklet that was given out before you chose this subject, composition is a huge part of our curriculum. If you're not good at composition, there isn't much you can do to climb up into the best of the performing arts world." She dramatically points upwards towards the ceiling of the classroom, causing a few of the more thickheaded people in the class to actually look up at where she is pointing. "We practiced a little bit of composition at the start of this year, so with the help of this textbook you should all be set to begin your assignment to receive your national award!" The teacher claps her hands together, seemingly delighted at their progress, unlike the rest of her weary class. "And do be careful—this assessed project will be worth 50% of your grade!"

Worried looks adorn the classroom, friends turning to each other and covering their mouths with their hands to display their shock in the form of an emoji-like facial expression.

"Can we work as a team?" Someone shouts out, and surprisingly the generally strict music teacher doesn't get mad at them for speaking without being asked to do so, like most teacher's would. After all, this is something that is commonly done in this classroom, so all of them are used to it by now.

"No, but you must work as pairs!" The teacher exclaims, seeming overly excited about this assessment. Sora watches a few of her friends turn around to look at her and look at each other, wondering if the teacher would be kind enough to let them choose their partners. "And before anyone asks, i must assign your partners..." The teacher adds on, causing unison groans to spread throughout her classroom. Sora notices Taesan silently joining into the widespread distress from beside her, an unimpressed glare on his face. "To make this easier, I have decided that you will work in the pairs assigned to you through your seats! So your seatmate is your new composition partner."

As expected, the class erupts in another series of dismayed noises, disapproving of their partners that have been assigned to them through a randomly chosen seating plan. Taesan sits there with the straightest face possible, not mad that he has to work with Sora, but upset that he can't work with one of his friends instead. Plus, he can only imagine the awkwardness that is already the placeholder of their silent classmate-ship...

Meanwhile Sora purses her lips together, trying not to visibly express her disappointment, as she imagines such a reaction to be rude to Han Taesan who hasn't done anything wrong in having to work with her. Composition is already bad enough without having to work with someone that she rarely ever speaks to. She too can only imagine the immense awkwardness that she might have to go through.

Well she might as well make a start on deciding how they are going to do this in the most cooperative way that they can. "So—" She begins, but immediately gets interrupted by Taesan, who seems rather hasty about cutting their conversation short.

"I don't want to work with you." He announces lazily, not even looking up at her and picking at the skin at his fingertips instead.

Sora just stares at him dumbfoundedly, wondering what to say to that. She does so for a while, watching as he packs all of his stuff up when the bell rings to indicate the long awaited start of recess.