that boy | hwang hyunjin | ✔

Chapter 24

The next day, I feel a bit better on my way to school. I'm not dreading to go there, not scared to meet with a certain boy. I don't fear another day full of drama and potential outbursts.

After our talk yesterday, I feel like it can only go better from now on. If I ever react the way I do, Hyunin will understand where it comes from. To him, it doesn't look like I just hate him and act mean for no apparent reason.

And maybe he even keeps his distance from me. I really hope he does. I'm fine with a little casual exchange of words once or twice a day but that's about it. I can greet him without death glares, I won't yell at him in the locker hall again.

But the talk we had yesterday doesn't change how I think about him. It's not like I trust him all of a sudden. I'm not planning to let him any closer as necessary for Felix to feel good.

Just close enough to make things work out, nothing more nothing less.

The boy is waiting for us at the school's entrance gate. The same colorful scarf is wrapped around his neck and the same colorful gloves cover his hands. Several girls swarm around him and their high voices calling him oppa piss me off within mere seconds.

"Time to get lost," I huff as I come within hearing distance.

They all collectively turn in my direction but their expressions are all different. Some are looking at me with wide eyes. Others are angry, their mouths carved into nasty scowls as soon as they see me. Others are somewhere in between.

But they all stopped talking and Hyunjin seems relieved as he quickly walks over to us. That boy is too nice for his own good, always replying to his fangirls with his never-ending smile and politeness. Just leaving them behind without a valid reason isn't something he would do. So he just endures it, until a good reason to go away appears. Most of the times, it's the appearance of Felix or me.

The looks of the girls are priceless as Hyunjin walks over to us without a second thought. Their look is one of betrayal, as if the raven-haired boy actually committed to them or something like that.

For them, it's unacceptable that he chooses us over them.

Hyunjin doesn't greet us with a polite bow anymore. He's loosened up a lot and now I watch how he and Felix perform some kind of creative handshake that seems far too complicated to me.

"You're getting better, hyung" Felix proudly states as they're finished.

Then Hyunjin turns to me and he just smiles awkwardly. I can only guess that he's thinking back to that moment in the maintenance shed yesterday. My cheeks instantly flush red as I think about his arms around me and I hide my embarrassment with a seemingly unbothered expression.

"Morning, Hwang," I greet him.

"Good morning, Lee," he returns.

Felix lets out an exaggerated groan, one so loud that several students stop to check if everything's okay over here. They go back to their business as soon as they realize it's just the school's drama queen being dramatic.

"You know, calling each other by the last name is really cringy," he scoffs, folding his arms in front of his chest.

"My dear Felix, you do realize I have to call him oppa if I don't? He's older," I complain with a troubled look. Whoever turned oppa into a cringy word as it is now shouldn't be too proud.

"Just call me Hyunjin then," the boy walking in between us shrugs. "I don't care, there are too many girls calling me oppa already."

"Well, that's settled then, Hyunjin," I state, frowning the moment his name leaves my lips. Even though his name haunted my mind for over a hundred times already, it feels weird to pronounce it, especially when it's directed at the boy himself.