DRAGONFISH | NCT's Ten

THE GIRL WHO CRIED WOLF

-two

"You again?" She instinctively asks. Now realising that she had again disrupted the boys (who had his eyes closed and his mouth mumbling God-knows-what. She prepared herself for the worst.

"You?" The boy asks, clearly disturbed.

And it seems the fog from outside had entered it's midst into the church. As now, the whole room looks cloudy in Jihae's eyes. She expects herself to faint in that moment, yet she stands just as she had done a minute ago.

"Why do you look like that?" The stranger asks her. And now hearing him speak more, Jihae could tell that this boy was not Korean. At least, fluent in the language. And now the boy looks completely foreign to her.

She stands upright and mimics his face.

"Why do you look like that?" She mocks, but the boy rolls his eyes. "Where are you from?" She asks but the boy doesn't answer, instead, directs.

"Why do you keep on disturbing me?"

And when he said that, Jihae couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, just a bit, but there was still guilt. The boy sensed this and he too looked sorry.

"I didn't mean to upset you", he says in a sincere tone.

"You didn't", Jihae claims. "But I'm sorry for disrupting your prayers". Her fascination had still not gone, she questioned herself - why was this boy in church? Is this boy really serious about God? Is the boy suffering from something that he suddenly feels the need to go to church? The main idea that stayed in her head however, was that this boy looks like a thug.

The red candles on the pair's left seem so dim all of a sudden.

"Why has it gone so dark?" They both ask simultaneously, but in fact, the candles maintain the same brightness they had since both teenagers entered the church.

"What's the time?" The boy sniffs.

"Four, forty-four", Jihae answers, checking her watch.

"Right. So, why are you here?" The boy asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know why you were hear before. It's Sunday, the church was packed. But now? No-one's here"

"Do I need a reason to be at church?"

"Yes"

"Like what?" Jihae asks. The boy's sudden 'no' had caught her attention.

"Well I'm here, not because I want to be, but because I want to pray. I want to talk to God. I wouldn't be if I didn't"

"I'm here... To pray. As well"

"For what?"

"Isn't that a personal question?"

"I guess but why are those math questions in your hand?" The boy gestures to the booklet in Jihae's hand.

"Oh that..." Jihae mumbles as she takes the booklet into her less visible hand.

"Don't tell me you were here to pray for homework?"

"That's very silly. It's silly to even suggest it"

"Alright, sorry", the boy smirks.

"Anyway. I'll go now", Jihae says nervously. From her body language, someone would guess that the boy's prediction was true; she'd come to pray for her assistance in her homework.

"Look, if you're really that desperate. I'm not too sure why you came here, I'll help you", the stranger offers.

"Really?!" Jihae does not conceal her enthusiasm. "Um, really?" She says, composing herself.

"Really", the boy assures her.

The pair sit down in the third row.

"So, what's your name?" Jihae asks.

"Mm..." The boy hesitates. "Call me Ten"

"Ten? Sure"

"What's yours?"

"Kim Jihae", she smiles proudly. "Where are you from?"

"Should we just focus on the homework", from his tone, it could be interpreted that he was helping her out of pity. And Jihae didn't like that.

"If you don't want to help me, don't", she gets up.

"I said I'll do it, didn't I?" Ten says harshly. Jihae gets intimidated so sits down.

"Sorry", Jihae mumbles quietly. She was sure that Ten didn't hear her. If he did, who knows?

"Do you understand this?" Ten asks

"Not really. I-I mean, some parts - yeah - but then, I don't know. I tend to get easily distracted in class so I don't catch everything", she explains.

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen..." Jihae lies. She did want to seem somewhat mature.

"Oh, I'm eighteen too. Where do you study?"

"Shouldn't we just focus on the homework?" Jihae repeats.

"Sure. These questions are quite easy"

"Hm. If you say so"

"But seriously-have you even read them?" Jihae returns a sheepish smile. "Unbelievable. Okay, let's see then"

"Do you want a pen?"

"It would help"

"Here", Jihae rolls her eyes as she gives a pen to Ten.

"Thank you, Jihae". Ten smiles as he reads through the booklet, silently humming as he does so. Then, he suddenly stops his melodic beat. "Don't forget, I'm helping you. You still have to do it yourself"

"Yeah, yeah, alright", Jihae says. She was used to these type of comments but believed Ten to be just another person who she could manipulate into doing the whole thing.

"Right then, here we go", he says as he shoves the booklet into Jihae's hands. She was quite taken by surprise by the sudden approach. But somehow, words of protest could not leave her mouth. "You understand it right?" Ten asks.

Jihae takes a quick read of the puzzle of questions in front of her. She did, in fact, not understand it. The whole tiny font in one harsh colour was too much for her mind to handle - all these mathematical symbols did not stay put in her head.

"I can't. I don't. I don't understand it", she states.

"Oh. Okay then. Come on, it's easy. I'll take you through it", Ten assures. Though reluctant, Jihae agrees.

She looks at Ten once more to find him in the same stance as before; eyes closed and praying.

"He really does take this seriously", she mumbles to herself, and you couldn't even hear through her thoughts.

THE GIRL WHO CRIED WOLF