Dark Academia

Chapter 13: Joshua's trashing

"Come on, hyungs!" I shout while leading the way to the thick of the Foxpond woods, with Vernon and Dokyeom on each side of me. They may be even more excited than I am, even though they had their own trashing as recently as last year. But I know I can trust them to make this event memorable. They love food, but what they love more is to cover people in it.

I briefly meet the eyes of my older brother, who's following behind us, walking with Seungcheol. He looks better today. Better than the past week. I know he never wanted to do that PhD in Law, but I guess it still hurts to be told you don't have a spot. To be quite honest, I thought Mother and Father would be a bit more disappointed. They almost didn't say a thing. Well, maybe it's going to be different when we go home next week. I don't want to think about it, because that means hyung will be within reach of Father, and who knows what he'll do to him this time. I hope Father never learns that hyung is still seeing Seungcheol here in Foxpond. Because if he does, I don't want to have to cry the pain away at seeing bruises all over Jeonghan's face.

Right behind my brother is his quiet fiancé. I told everyone to quit the fancy suits and costumes, because we'd get dirty and because it's funnier to wear casual clothes. The rowers have taken this opportunity to wear their puffer jackets, but some of my friends still decided to come dressed as the heirs they are. Personally, I don't have a choice – trashing means sub fusc, and I'm wearing my Undergraduate's gown on top of my black tie outfit, with a red carnation. Park Seonghwa is walking proudly, although his distressed eyes glance alternatively at Jeonghan and Seungcheol. He didn't get a PhD spot either and, although I shouldn't care much, it's a bit pitiful that he didn't, after all the efforts he made, although he did try to kill someone.

Of course I'm very happy that Seungcheol got the spot, but I'm afraid of how much darker Seonghwa can get now that he doesn't have his man and his PhD studies secured. My brother suffered so much because of Father, I don't want him to suffer because of his husband. Seonghwa's already very tense about the whole Seungcheol thing. And in a way, I do understand why. But can he really expect my brother to be in love with him? Everyone in our dynasties cheat on their husband or wife. That's what you get when your parents arrange your marriage. So why take it all on Seungcheol? The poor boy did nothing wrong.

"Why are we rushing?" Choi San calls from behind Seonghwa, with whom he's keeping a respectable distance. I mean, the guy did try to push him off St Magdalen tower.

"Because we're not supposed to be here!" his roommate Jung Wooyoung replies with a smirk, and his best friend Yunho chuckles on his left.

Trashing is not something students at Foxpond are technically allowed to do. The colleges have forbidden the practice because it's apparently dangerous and ecologically unfriendly. And if you're an heir, it's even more inappropriate – our parents said it was shameful and vain. But I just think they don't want us to be normal kids and that's that.

I doubt San was ever trashed – only the fun kids like the Topaz have actually attempted to get their own trashing. And now that Mr Choi is doing a PhD in Law, he's too important to indulge in some puerile celebration. I don't even understand how Wooyoung managed to drag him to my trashing. I didn't know he knew how to have fun. On the contrary, I'm pretty sure Wooyoung's and Yunho's trashings must have been the funniest – they were on the rowing team, after all, and those guys know how to enjoy life. I always dreamed about being a rower, but Father would rather I did horse-riding.

I check the end of the line and see Kim Mingyu speeding to get into the small forest. He's hurrying his boyfriend up, holding him by the hand. My cousin has always been very discrete about all his life, but when he's looking at Wonwoo, it's like I can read him clearly. I see all the love he has for the Ruby heir, all the fear he feels at the prospect of losing him. And all the pride he has at Wonwoo getting a PhD spot in Classics, even though he himself didn't get any. I wish every heir could get their love story – especially my brother. But inside me, I feel it's only a matter of time before any of their families find out and marry them off to get rid of the lover.

"Wait for us!" someone says from off the main road. I stop suddenly, and glimpse St Magdalen's Junior Dean and St Hybe's J.R.F. jogging to catch up with us.

I giggle happily, because I wasn't sure Bang Chan could make it. I'd invited him to my trashing, but I was pretty certain he wouldn't come. He had congratulated me on my good results at the end-of-year exams and everything, but he'd looked seriously conflicted when I said I'd like it if he came to trash me. Once he and his friend Lee Jihoon are close enough to Mingyu, who's at the back of the line, we resume walking to reach the riverside. I close my eyes for a very short moment – Bang Chan's here to celebrate me, he's here because he cares, and yes he dragged his weird friend along, but he likes me. He likes me for real.

"Shua-yah, I think here is good," my brother eventually indicates, pointing at a clearing near the riverbank. They all drop the bags they have, and come to form a circle around me. My heart races faster, because being at the centre is my favourite thing, and because I feel so loved right now.

"Okay, everyone," Jeonghan continues. "Thanks for being here and celebrate my dear little brother, Yoon Joshua, who passed his exams and got into St Hybe's College as a Graduate student."

Mingyu and Dokyeom clap hard, and I hear Wooyoung blow a whistle. "Get ready to give him a proper trashing. Does someone have a camera?"

Yunho fumbled in his backpack and as soon as he pressed play, I lost count of how much food and other unidentified, disgusting stuff landed on me – some flour came from Vernon's side, jam from Dokyeom's, and definitely some eggs but was it Wooyoung or San? The messiest thing was Seungcheol's shaving foam because it burned my eyes and I was blind for a moment, but man I couldn't stop laughing. Mingyu poured champagne on the whole thing so I could see again but then I had to drink the rest of the bottle – I was never one to like champagne, but getting drunk with all my hyungs around me is a sensation that tops everything else.

Trashing is such a boundary-less experience – the rich and the poor together, the Topaz and the Rubys together, Park Seonghwa and Choi San throwing coloured powder at me while I try to down some alcohol. I feel very lucky, and I almost want to cry, but seeing Bang Chan just outside the circle, laughing fondly at me, I know I can't cry. I can't cry because all I want to do is hop towards him and hug him.

"You're not getting near me, filthy little boy," he says, and I realise I'm right in front of him, my arms extended and a dumb smile on my face.

"That's right," my cousin replies behind us. "It's time for your bath!"

Immediately, I'm lifted up and the group gets closer to the water. It's warm enough outside but when Mingyu throws me into the river, I feel the cold instantly freeze my bones. But I laugh it away. And soon enough, I see Mingyu take his shirt and shoes off, and jump next to me, splashing the others around. Vernon and Dokyeom join us without hesitating, and Wooyoung follows, dragging Yunho with him. They try and chase me, and I feel like I have friends for life.

I eventually get to the bank, only to pull my brother into the water with us, helped by Seungcheol who gives him a little push. I know Jeonghan hates to get his long, beautiful hair wet, but for me, he pretends he doesn't care. He holds me tight, and he tells me how much he loves me. I know life's going to be lonely when he leaves Foxpond, never to return, leaving me and Seungcheol here, while he has to play the perfect husband with Park Seonghwa. But for now, we pretend that we're happy and that we're normal kids.

I have all my friends here with me. I have Bang Chan here with me. Next year, nothing can stop me from being the main character, from bullying silly Undergrads, and from breaking a few rules in my college. Next year, I'm a Grad student at St Hybe's and I can have the man of my dreams. There will be no excuses – no "You're too young" and no "I'll get fired". Next year, I have the right to be in love. Until my parents decide I have to love someone else for the rest of my life.