Lost & Found

11 Years Earlier

11 Years Earlier
11-Years-Old

Aera and Yoongi stood nervously, waiting their turn to pick up their schedules.

"What if we don't have any classes together?" Aera said quietly.

"Surely we will," Yoongi replied. "I mean, there can't be that many students here, right? I'll bet we'll have smaller class sizes, and a better chance of being together."

The two were about to enter middle school. This meant a new school and, unlike elementary school, class rotations. No longer would they be in the same single classroom. They could possibly end up having no classes together, as the students in the rotations were random.

They inched closer and closer to the table of teachers handing out the schedules that would give them the answers they were so nervous to know.

"I'm serious, Yoongs. I don't know what I'll do if I'm alone the whole year."

"Look," Yoongi said, taking her hand and hooking it around his arm. "Even if that were the case – which I highly doubt it will be – we'd still have lunch together. And break period. It's not like we won't see each other at all."

Aera sighed as she laid her head on his shoulder. "I guess."

Five minutes later, they stood in front of the table and gave the teachers their names. They were handed their schedules, and Aera snatched Yoongi's from him and hurried off. Yoongi followed her to the side of the gym and waited apprehensively as Aera looked over both papers.

She suddenly squealed, making Yoongi jump. "We have three out of five classes together!"

Yoongi grinned. "See, I knew that we – "

He was interrupted by Aera throwing herself into his arms and hugging him. "I feel so much better about school now," she said with glee. "I'm so happy!"

Yoongi hugged her back. "It's gonna be a great year."

"I hope so! We're definitely starting out on the right foot!"

-

"This is a terrible year!"

Yoongi sighed. "It's not so bad."

"It's just like those first few years we knew each other. Constant teasing and being made fun of."

"We – "

"Who do you think the ringleader is?" Aera interrupted. "Would you say it's Jiwon or Seung? We just need to get that narrowed down so you can punch the right one!"

"Punch?!" Yoongi said indignantly. "But why?!"

"You punched Junho and he never even looked at us again! Let's just take care of the problem that way!"

Yoongi shook his head. "I love your enthusiasm, A, but I don't want to be running around punching people."

Aera pouted. "I'm just so sick of everything. This year was supposed to be different. New school, some new classmates. Maybe some new friends..."

"Nah," Yoongi said. "I only need you."

Aera sighed. "I only need you, too. You know I'd never put anyone before you, Yoongs."

Yoongi smiled. "But...?"

"But you know what I mean, Yoongs. I didn't want to make new enemies either!"

"I'm sorry Jiwon is giving you a hard time," Yoongi said. "What exactly does he bug you about anyway?"

Aera paused. She didn't want to tell Yoongi that, truthfully, he was the reason she was being teased. Every morning, after Yoongi dropped her off at one of their classes they didn't share, Jiwon was there, just waiting for Yoongi to walk away so he could call Yoongi her boyfriend and taunt her.

And she didn't want to tell Yoongi, because she knew his solution would be to stop walking her to class, and she didn't want that. She liked being around Yoongi. She didn't want him to feel like he needed to back off their friendship. She also knew he would feel bad. And she definitely didn't want that to happen.

Aera shook her head. "It doesn't matter," she muttered. "Just let me know if you change your mind about the punching."

Yoongi laughed. "You'll be the first to know."

Aera smiled slightly. "So, what about you, huh?" she asked, nudging his shoulder with her own. "What's Seung's deal?"

The smile slipped off of Yoongi's face. "It, uh...it doesn't matter either."

Unbeknownst to both of them, they were going through the exact same thing. Every day, once Yoongi walked into a class without Aera, Seung was there (just as Jiwon was for Aera) waiting to tease Yoongi about his "girlfriend". Yoongi hated it. It didn't help that Seung also enjoyed shamelessly commenting on Aera's appearance in front of Yoongi. And it made him sick to hear someone objectifying her.

He certainly wouldn't tell her, but there had already been a few times where he'd had to hold himself back from punching Seung.

They both sighed, lost in their own thoughts. Eventually the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, and they sighed again. They stood and trudged down the hall toward Aera's next class.

"See you in maths?" Yoongi said at the door.

"Yeah, have a good science class."

Yoongi nodded. "Enjoy Korean."

"Bye, Yoongs."

"Bye, A."