Minjin's nonchalance and Minjun's tantrums

During geometry class, everyone was focused on the lesson except Minjin, who was sound asleep at her desk. Minjun glanced at her and shook his head. Mr. Choi was deeply engaged in explaining a complex mathematical equation. He posed a problem from the book and asked the students to solve it on the board. Minjun raised his hand, which immediately drew Mr. Choi's attention to Minjin, who was still asleep.

With a sigh, Mr. Choi pointed at Minjin. "Wake her up."

Their classmates turned their heads toward them.

Minjun gently nudged Minjin awake, but she barely stirred. That was until Mr. Choi's voice boomed, "Park Minjin!"

Startled, Minjin shot upright, her eyes wide open. "Ne!" she exclaimed.

Her classmates laughed at her sudden reaction.

"You and Minjun will answer the problem on the board," Mr. Choi announced.

Confused, Minjin turned to Minjun for help, attempting to ask him which question they were working on, but he walked toward the board without acknowledging her.

Mr. Choi noticed her confusion and informed her, "Page 117, question number 4."

Minjin quickly scanned her book, reading the problem as Minjun began writing his solution on the board. As she approached the board, she observed Minjun's method for solving the problem, and something clicked in her mind. She grabbed a piece of chalk and began solving the problem, mirroring Minjun's equations while applying her own method.

Behind her, whispers filled the room. Some students doubted her ability to keep up, but Minjin remained focused. She quickly formulated her solution alongside Minjun. As she reached the end of her work, she put down the chalk just before Mr. Choi asked, "Are you done?"

Minjin nodded and stepped aside to allow the teacher to examine her work. "Continue, Minjun," the teacher instructed.

Minjun continued solving, presenting a more detailed approach and clearly laying out every step. When he finished, the class looked back and forth between the two solutions: Minjin's was concise and straightforward, while Minjun's was more thorough. However, both arrived at the same correct answer. 

Mr. Choi's eyes widened as he reviewed Minjin's solution. After pausing for a moment, he asked, "Who taught you to solve it in such a simplified way?" 

"Uh... no one," Minjin replied hesitantly. 

Mr. Choi nodded slightly. "Then please explain how you arrived at that approach."

Minjin focused on her problem-solving method and Minjun's. She watched them for a moment in awe. 

She then started to point out and explain. "Minjun has used the 7 minus B over 3 minus A equals A plus 1 over A plus 1. He detailed the substitutions with justification equations in their forms, leading to B equal to 2a plus one." 

She then turned to her approach. "What I did was use the point (3:7) instead. Seven minus B over three minus A equals 8 over 4. Seven minus B is 8, and 3 minus A is 4 since they are both positive. Then, 8 divided by 4 is 2, with the lowest number being 3 minus A. I multiplied 2 by 3, resulting in a simplified form of seven minus B equals 6 minus 2a. The final answer led to seven minus six. Bringing down B equals 2a plus one."

Mr. Choi smiled. "I don't usually encourage students to use simplified methods because understanding the process is essential. However, in your case, you've reached the right answer." 

He turned to the class and said, "Both of their answers are correct. Minjun's solution uses substitutions that lead to thorough justifications, while Minjin has employed the standard calculation method, which simplifies the process. Although Minjin's method is efficient, it might be more challenging for others to follow without a clear sight of substitutions and the detailed justifications behind it." 

Looking back at the two, Mr. Choi chuckled, "You're both interesting." 

Minjin and Minjun exchanged glances. Unlike earlier, Minjun finally grinned at her while Minjin sighed and shook her head. Their classmates whispered to each other, impressed by the display. 

Mun Sara was watching them intently from her seat. She wanted to deny it, but she suddenly felt threatened—not just by Minjun's admiration but also academically. She realized that Minjin would likely surpass Minjun as the top student in their entire grade 11, leaving her uncertain about her standing. She swallowed hard as this realization sank in.

Minjun was pleased to see Minjin showcasing her intelligence while Bang Eun-kyung clapped loudly. "Even though you two are always fighting, you work well together when it matters," he teased. 

Some of their classmates laughed, but Mr. Choi raised his hand. "Quiet down, Bang Eun-kyung." Despite that, the room buzzed with a newfound respect for both Minjin and Minjun.

###

The next class was physical education. Two sections of grade 11 combined for a friendly soccer match between the boys. The girls from both sections sat in the bleachers to watch. Minjin sat on the upper part beside Mun Sara, observing the enthusiastic cheering from the crowd. Some girls from the other section would scream with excitement when their classmates scored.

However, Minjin noticed that both girls from their section and the other would go wild when the ball was with Minjun and Bang Eun-Kyung. The girls would turn to each other excitedly, clasping each other's hands. Although the other boys from section two seemed charming and were also smart, this further highlighted Minjun's popularity.

She turned her gaze to Bang Eun-Kyung, who showcased impressive soccer skills with clever tricks only a trained player could execute. Leaning toward Mun Sara, she asked, "Sara-ah, do you think Bang Eun-Kyung is good at playing?" 

"Yeah, because he's a soccer player," Mun Sara replied. 

"Really?" 

Mun Sara chuckled and nodded. "Yeah."

At that moment, Bang Eun-kyung had the ball, and the girls cheered with excitement. He skillfully maneuvered the ball to evade the defenders until he spotted Minjun running alongside him. Bang Eun-kyung passed the ball to Minjun, who then sprinted toward the goal and kicked it, scoring a point. The girls erupted in cheers, which annoyed Minjin.

However, her attention quickly shifted to Minjun. She watched him as he moved across the field, with Bang Eun-kyung running toward him. They raised their hands for a high five and shared a chest bump in celebration.

Minjin smiled slightly, realizing that Bang Eun-Kyung truly seemed to be a good friend to Minjun. She felt glad that Minjun had found a male friend who appreciated him for who he was, not just his status. She then turned her gaze to Minjun, whose face was flushed and glistening with sweat. It was the first time she had seen Minjun participate in sports; when they were younger, he would usually sit with her in the classroom and library to study. She felt a sense of pride, recognizing that he had grown into a fine young man. As she looked around, she noticed that she wasn't the only girl cheering for him now. 

She looked back at Minjun, who was running on the field again, and thought to herself, "If I were Minjun, I wouldn't want someone like me in my life anymore."

Minjin stood up from the bleachers, catching Mun Sara's attention. "Minjin-ah, where are you going?" she asked.

"I want to sleep," Minjin replied as she walked away from the cheering girls.

The loud cheers from the girls in the bleachers echoed across the field.

The game ended with Minjun's section emerging as the winner.

After the match, the boys from the opposing section approached Minjun's team for a high-five, accompanied by chest bumps, to demonstrate their sportsmanship. Following this, the team went to rest with their female classmates. The girls enthusiastically congratulated their classmates on the victory. Some girls called out to Bang Eun-Kyung, expressing their admiration for his skills, while others turned to Minjun, praising him for his athletic abilities.

Minjun smiled and thanked the girls while wiping his face with a towel. His eyes began searching for the girls sitting in the bleachers. He spotted Mun Sara at the far end, and when she noticed him looking her way, she waved. He responded with a gentle smile. 

Just then, a girl from the bleachers approached him and caught his attention. She offered him a bottle of water, and Minjun smiled, accepted it, and thanked her. The girl smiled shyly and blushed before returning to her seat, where her friends teased her while she held her cheeks in both hands.

Minjun then glanced at the bottled water but quickly lifted his head again to scan the crowd of girls.

After the physical education class, the girls were the first ones to return to the classroom after changing back into their uniforms. Mun Sara noticed Minjin asleep at her desk and shook her head in response before sitting down at her own desk.

After showering and changing into their school uniforms, the boys returned to the classroom. As Minjun entered through the backdoor, his gaze immediately fixed on his desk. He smirked upon seeing Minjin asleep. With an expression of annoyance, he walked over to their desk, grabbed the thick book resting there, and slammed it down hard. The loud noise startled Minjin and drew the attention of their classmates, who turned to see what was happening.

Bang Eun-Kyung turned to stare at Minjun while Mun Sara shifted in her seat to watch. Minjin straightened her upper body and stretched slightly. Minjun continued to frown as he kept his gaze fixed on her. Noticing this, Minjin asked, "What?"

Minjun didn't respond; instead, he looked away, maintaining his frown with a slight smirk. Seeing his reaction, Minjin silently snorted and rested her chin on her palm as she gazed out the window. Then it dawned on her: Minjun wasn't just being mean to her; he was consistently throwing tantrums, which made her smirk quietly.

###

After lunch, the students headed to chemistry class and were instructed to move to the science lab. Everyone grabbed their chemistry books and notes before standing up from their seats. Minjin was the last to leave the room, clutching her book and notebook to her chest. As she stepped out, she noticed Bang Eun-kyung in the corridor while their classmates had already walked ahead. Minjin chose to ignore him and walked behind her classmates, but Bang Eun-kyung kept pace beside her.

"You're a skilled soccer player," Minjin said.

Bang Eun-Kyung chuckled. "Did I just impress you?"

"Well, I didn't know anything about you until I discovered that you are a close friend of Minjun," Minjin replied.

"Ya, don't you dare fall in love with me! Minjun will kill me," Bang Eun-Kyung teased.

Minjin stopped and frowned, turning her head to look at him. "You even know that," she said before starting to walk again, keeping her head ahead.

Bang Eun-Kyung chuckled and continued to walk beside her. "Aren't you going to ask me how I found out?" he teased further.

Minjin sighed and replied nonchalantly, "Yeah.."

Bang Eun-Kyung chuckled and shook his head. "Minjin-ah, think about this: you are the luckiest girl in school right now."

Minjin kept her eyes focused ahead. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you're sitting next to Kang Minjun, and you've caught his attention. Haven't you noticed?" Bang Eun-Kyung asked.

Minjin sighed. "Ani."

Bang Eun-Kyung laughed. "Ms. Yun intentionally put Minjun at the back of the class, away from everyone else, for a reason. I know you know why."

Minjin sighed in exasperation. "Yeah, I get it."

"I've also noticed that Minjun has been acting mean towards you," he said.

"Yeah, he was like that when I first met him at age eight."

Bang Eun-Kyung chuckled again and shook his head. "He's acting that way towards you because you're hardheaded. And you're showing no interest in him. Or are you?" he probed further.

Minjin snorted with a smirk. "Don't overanalyze. What you've discovered has changed over the years. We aren't the same little kids anymore."

Bang Eun-Kyung faintly smiled but didn't respond. He thought to himself that Minjin's feelings for Minjun had faded over time. With a deep sigh, he realized that despite Minjun possessing intelligence, good looks, and an influential father, he was still being challenged by Minjin's rebelliousness and disinterest in him.

Shaking his head, he muttered to himself, "Poor Minjun-ah."

During chemistry class, Minjin was sitting with Mun Sara while Minjun and Bang Eun-Kyung sat across from them. Minjin listened as Mr. Song discussed the different branches of chemistry, resting her chin in her hands.

However, her mind kept drifting to something Bang Eun-Kyung had said: that Minjun was being mean to her because she was being stubborn and disinterested. She snorted silently to herself, noticing that Minjun was acting friendly and smiling at the girls who admired his princely attributes while she was simply being honest with him. 

She thought to herself, "That's no reason for him to be mean to me."

In the midst of her wandering thoughts, Mun Sara called out to Minjin and tapped her on the lap. "Minjin-ah." 

Noticing that she was daydreaming again, Minjun smirked and shook his head. 

Minjin's attention shifted back to the front of the classroom when she heard Mr. Song call her name. "Park Minjin." 

She straightened her posture and turned to face Mr. Song. "Ne, saem?" She replied. 

"Are you sleeping with your eyes open?" Mr. Song teased, eliciting chuckles from her classmates as they turned to look at her. 

Minjin responded with an awkward smile but didn't say anything. 

"I wanted to ask you, which branch of chemistry do you find interesting?" Mr. Song inquired. 

Minjin almost laughed. "Can I say anything I want, saem?" she asked. 

Mr. Song nodded. "Yes, you can. Please provide an example so we can understand why."

Minjin hesitated for a moment as she scanned the room. Her classmates were watching her. She then turned her gaze to Mr. Song. "I am interested in toxicology, saem," she said.

"I became interested in it because a potent poison known as Aqua Tofana was developed in Sicily around 1630. It is said to have been commonly used in Palermo, Naples, Perugia, and Rome, Italy. The poison may have been invented by a woman named Teofania, after whom it was named. While the active ingredients of this concoction are known, the exact method for combining them remains a mystery. Aqua Tofana is primarily composed of arsenic, lead, and possibly belladonna. It is a colorless and tasteless liquid that can be mixed with water or wine and served during meals," Minjin confidently explained.

She continued, "Poisoning with Aqua Tofana may go unnoticed because the substance is clear and tasteless. It acts slowly, with symptoms that mimic those of chronic illnesses or other natural causes. These symptoms are similar to those of arsenic poisoning. Some historians state its chemical components can gradually poison a person with a specific timetable for effectiveness. This can result in victims dying from what appears to be a disease, with no evidence of poisoning."

Everyone fell silent after she spoke. Some of her classmates widened their eyes in surprise, while others attempted to conceal their astonishment. Her response also took Mr. Song aback as he focused on her.

The silence was finally broken when Minjun let out a muffled laugh from his seat. He tried to hide his smile from Bang Eun-Kyung's direction.

Bang Eun-Kyung turned to Minjun with a frown. "You are also weird reacting playfully to her odd knowledge," he whispered.

Minjun continued to smile as he replied, "All of you are the strange ones. Minjin just shared a historical fact about ancient chemical composition that none of us knew." He shook his head in disbelief.

Mr. Song chuckled softly. "Ah, yes. Arsenic-based poisons like Aqua Tofana played a significant role in the early research of forensic toxicology. I didn't expect you to have such knowledge of chemistry." He smiled at her. "Hearing you use Korean scientific terms for chemistry, I'm guessing you've studied them already."

Minjin smiled awkwardly. "Yes, I didn't get a wink of sleep last night, Saem."

Minjun's eyes widened as he processed her words. He suddenly understood why she had been sleeping through class all day. A smile spread across his face as he looked at her.

Mr. Song continued to chuckle. "I'm impressed that you managed to memorize it all overnight."

Mun Sara turned to the lab table and sighed deeply. She rested her arm on the table, placing her palm against her forehead as she realized she needed to study and work four times harder than before to surpass Minjin and earn Minjun's admiration. Instinctively, she lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes widened when she saw him gazing at Minjin again with that strange, proud grin. Once more, she felt the urge to deny her feelings, but watching his reaction to Minjin every day made it hard to ignore.

Minjun smirked slightly. "Your weirdness is surprisingly beneficial, not just for you but for everyone."

Minjin turned to him and chuckled in disbelief. "W-w-weirdness? I'd rather be weird than throw tantrums all the time."

Minjun chuckled, a mix of annoyance and disbelief on his face. "T-t-tantrums? Are you talking about me?" He pointed to himself emphatically, drawing the attention of everyone around.

Mr. Song sighed, exasperated. "Are you two arguing again, Minjun and Minjin-ah? Why are you even sitting next to each other?"

This made their classmates laugh.

Minjin frowned at Minjun before turning her attention to the front while Minjun continued to glare at her. Mun Sara silently observed their interactions, letting out a deep sigh as she shifted her body to face the board.

Meanwhile, Bang Eun-Kyung leaned over to Minjun and teased, "I don't want to break it to you, but you just made her hate you even more." 

Minjun redirected his glare at Bang Eun-Kyung, who then straightened up and turned his attention to the front.