Yeo Jun was walking from the quad, heading to his next class when he spotted a familiar car.
That Whiter Mercedes E Class looked like---- The horn that honked next was just a little more proof and if that wasn't enough, he as absolutely sure when the door opened and the driver alighted.
Today he was wearing all black, his dark hair swept across his forehead, sitting atop brown eyes that never wore any kind of emotion.
"Jun Wan" The name just came instinctively to his lips. He looked at that stoic face "Are you here to see me?"
"Like that'll ever happen." that monotone responded.
Jun felt a pang in his chest. "Figures.There's no reason for you to come see me."
"I've been transferred here." his older brother informed him. "I'll start giving lectures next week." Jun didn't respond. "Pretend like you don't know me." This string of words was a directive.
With nothing else to say, Jun Wan turned and left.
Yeo Jun stood in place and watched him go. Only when that car had disappeared, did he finally release the breath he wasn't even aware he'd been holding.Seeing Jun Wan appear so suddenly had rattled him a little. In this moment he wasn't focused on anything but that brief interaction so he was completely oblivious to the pair of eyes watching from under a straight bang.
The next Day
The sound of his alarm roused him from slumber.
6:00 am.
Soo Hyun rolled out of bed, using every ounce of his willpower not to cover himself once more with the blanket.
To say he was tired would be an understatement. He'd returned from his shift at the mini mart a little after 2 a.m. It seemed he'd only just closed his eyes and it was already time to wake up and get going.
Get going he did if he didn't want to miss bus to take him to university's shuttle pickup spot or the shuttle bus to the university that would get him to class on time.
He hurriedly showered, got dressed and grabbed everything he would need for the day ahead.
Thankfully he managed to catch his bus on time.During the 30 minute ride, Soo Hyun's eyes drooped and he nodded off more than a couple of times, desperate for just one more wink of sleep.
When he exited that bus, he sprinted to the designated spot for the university shuttle. He checked his watch. 8:01. He would make it in time.
CLASS CANCELLATION NOTICE.
The words sat in the middle of the sheet posted on the door.
Soo Hyun heaved a heavy sigh. After all he'd gone through to get here.
"Soo Hyun." a voice called out to him as he stood staring at the sign. He turned slowly to look at Yeo Jun "Gosh.If I had known, I would have slept in.Right?"
Without a word, Soo Hyun walked away.
"Now that I think about it. I haven't really thank you." Jun walked after him. "I could have gotten into big trouble that night if it had not been for you. Thanks for helping."
Soo Hyun was frustrated. He suddenly stopped walking and turned to the one being a pest.
"I get that you're used to people being kind to you but I wasn't trying to help you. You have an overinflated ego."
Yeo Jun looked at him. "So were you helping that girl? Soo Bin?"
Soo Hyun resumed walking down the hall.
"Gosh.How annoying." he heard the words from Yeo Jun that stopped him in his tracks.He turned to face him once more. "The way you look at me as if you know everything." He gazed at Soo Hyun in a way he'd never done before "It's disgusting." Soo Hyun tilted his head thoughtfully to the side. He had his attention.
"You're so crooked you won't even accept other people's acts of kindness." Yeo Jun continued "How dare you judge me? You don't know anything about me." That smile of his was gone and his voice now had a certain chill to it Soo Hyun had never heard before. "What gives you the right?" He wasn't really asking "I treated you like my senior because I pitied you, but you disgust me."
They held each other's gazes for a few moments before something truly strange happened.
"That's better." Soo Hyun replied, his lips pulling into a smile that disappeared just as quickly as it appeared. "It was hard seeing you act so pretentious."
They were back to holding each other's gazes.
This staredown was only interrupted by the sudden appearance of Kim Soo Bin who seemed to be running breathless to the shared class that was now cancelled.
With Soo Bin's arrival Soo Hyun turned on his heels and left, without a backward glance.Yeo Jun watched that dark head of hair leave, as he had done what seemed like countless times now.
It was roughly 10 am when Soo Hyun made it back to the apartment he shared with his younger brother.
"You're early."Nam Koo Hyun greeted his brother as he ate the noodles he'd just cooked. "Hold on." He looked at Soo Hyun and realized he was wet. "Didn't you have an umbrella?You should have called me."
Soo Hyun inspected himself. "It was just a drizzle."
"Have you eaten?"
Soo Hyun looked first at his brother and then at the little table in their crappy apartment. He was eating cheap noodles and canned fish.
Suddenly, he was hit with a memory centered on that person with gleaming golden hair. The way he'd effortlessly handed 100,000.00 to Soo Hyun that day after class. His heart itched.
"I guess you haven't." Koo Hyun pulled him back to the present. "I'll make you some ramyeon." His brother stood to his feet.
"Koo Hyun,Why don't we order something nice today?"
Koo Hyun's face lit up. "Really? Is it a special occasion?"
"Order what you want." He instructed
"Sweet!" His brother didn't hesitate to pick up the phone to begin dialling.
A little smile graced Soo Hyun's lips as he looked at his brother.If it was even this much, atleast he could do it.
"Remember to chew." Soo Hyun admonished as he watched his brother devouring the takeout with gusto.
"Is it a special occasion?" Koo Hyun asked, with a mouth full of noodles. "Is someone adopting me?"
"As if anyone would." teased
"Better me than you." his brother teased back before stuffing a piece of chicken into his already full mouth.
Soo Hyun smiled, enough to show the dimples not many people knew he had since he rarely smiled.
"Koo-Hyun."
His brother slowed his eating and looked up at him "The deeper tone is worrying me."
"I'm sorry."
"About what?"
Koo Hyun was suddenly exasperated as he looked at his older brother. "Darn it.You're wearing my underwear again aren't you." he accused.
Soo Hyun smiled again. "Just eat up."
His brother sprang to his feet. "I'm right. Get over here."
Soo Hyun darted to his feet and dashed around the table to evade his brother's clutches. "Is it my favourite?" Koo Hyun questioned.
"Stop it." Soo Hyun continued to avoid being caught.
"Give it back then." Koo Hyun whined, forgetting about the food as he chased his brother around the tiny apartment.
The two laughed as they each dodged the other's clutches. Outside the rain continued to blanket their window.
After Koo Hyun had stuffed himself silly, he decide to take a nap. It was still raining but Soo Hyun decided to take a walk.
Grabbing his umbrella, he left the little apartment and headed outside with no particular destination in mind.
He was glad he could have bought good food for Koo Hyun to enjoy today. Sadly, it was not an opportunity that would come often, simply because he couldn't afford to. He still had parts of his tuition fees, books, his father's debts, rent and both his mother and Koo Hyun to take care of.
Soo Hyun wasn't sure why that guy had suddenly popped into his head. Maybe at that moment he wished that he too could just pull out 100,000 that freely.
Tsk. He clicked his tongue. Fate had not dealt him such a fortune.
Finding himself in an alleyway, he sat under an open verandah and shuttered his umbrella.
That guy. That guy and his words floated back to him like spectres.
"I know you had alot of pride, but you're actually pretty insecure."
"You're so crooked you won't even accept other people's acts of kindness."
"How dare you judge me? You don't know anything about me. What gives you the right?"
"I treated you like my senior because I pitied you, but you disgust me."
Those words. What was with him and those words? Soo Hyun had never cared what other people thought about him before. That was also mainly because though he knew what people said of him and behind his back, no one had confronted him the way Yeo Jun had.
Soo Hyun frowned as he continued to watch the rain.
"Don't drink too much guys!"
"Cheers."
The people at Yeo Jun's table clinked their glasses for the millionth time.
Jun downed the contents in his glass,feeling like this cup in his hand-----empty.
With a dazed expression he watched the group, each person at a different stage of drunkenness.
"We're out of booze right?" Chun Guk lifted the bottle to confirm. After which he called out for two more bottles to be brought.
"Are you anxious?" Those words suddenly floated back to him
"You need everyone to like you,but I get on your nerves."
"The way that you act like you know me is revolting." Jun thought to himself
"That's better. It was hard seeing you act so pretentious." And he had actually smiled.
What was with him and those words? Who did he think he was ?
"Once more! Let's raise our glasses!" His table got rowdy again with the new batch of drinks.
He pulled himself from his musings , affixed his smile and clinked his glass.
What did that guy know about him?
"You're going already?" Koo Hyun questioned as he watched his brother gathering his things. "But you worked all night."
Soo Hyun put another book in his bag. "I can sleep on the bus."
He'd just finished when something caught his eye on the shelf. Shifting the container sitting atop it, he retrieved the book. Criminal Law Case Studies.
Soo Hyun sighed deeply.
"What's this?"
Koo Hyun grabbed the book, hiding it behind his back.
"Tell me."
"It's none of your business."
"Unbelievable." He looked at his watch. Delaying any further would put him in a world of problems. "We'll talk about this later."
"Mom already knows." Koo Hyun announced as Soo Hyun was leaving. He turned and looked at his brother. "She approved and said I could talk to you.I didn't because I knew you'd be against it."
"What about college?" Soo Hyun asked.
"I don't go to a fancy one like you do and can't get scholarships.Graduating a dingy school with mediocre grades won't help me find job."
"The police academy is no joke." Soo Hyun pointed out. "You'll also need money for classes.So just finish college and ---"
Koo Hyun didn't allow him to finish. "Say what you want, but i've made up my mind.I'm moving into a gosiwon next month."
"Koo Hyun!"
His baby brother ignored him.Sitting at his desk, he put his headphones on.
Soo Hyun sighed.
His journey to school was unsettling . Knowing what his brother planned to do next yanked him by the collar into the past.
Back to that coffin laden with flowers with that smiling face in uniform looking at him while tears streamed down his face.Back to the dejected faces of his mother and younger brother as they sat in the corner of the room.
This wasn't where his problems had begun, but this one event had made his life infinitely worse.Still. What was the point of pitying himself?Neither his, nor the pity of anyone else ever made is life any better.
The world doesn't want to see what youth really looks like.
It's why we can only imitate what grown-ups do by following the rules to a certain point and not wasting our time
We put on a mask on top of the mask we're already wearing and try ever so hard to keep our rue selves hidden.
Spring has always been just a rumor since we're constantly stuck in winter.
Class was back insession the following day and Yeo Jun presented himself early.Meeting Kim Soo Bin at the door, they walked in together amidst the ogling eyes and blushings cheeks that were commonplace whenever girls saw him.
"Jun!" Gung-ho called out to him from his usual place.
"Hi." he waved to his friends. Having seen that Soo Hyun had already arrived, Jun took the empty seat beside him.
Gung-Ho and Chun Guk exchanged glances but they would not be defeated.
"Jun! Jun!" they kept calling. "We saved you a seat."
Soo Hyun, whose head was laid on the desk until now, looked up and glanced at Jun.
"Sorry about that." Yeo Jun replied to his friends. "But I forgot my contacts today."
Soo Hyun was still looking at him.
"Oh." he turned his attention to Soo Hyun. "I brought coffee. It's to apologize to you for last time. I was out of line." He took the cup and placed it before him. "Enjoy the coffee and forget it happened."
Nam Soo Hyun looked at him before retrieving his backpack and moving one seat ahead.When he was safely away from Yeo Jun, he rested his head on the desk once more.
The professor arrived shortly thereafter and the class passed uneventfully. From his place behind Soo Hyun, looked at the back of that head. He also looked at his profile whenever he turned his head ever so slightly. Regardless of his bad personality, he really was handsome. The way his hair sat just above his brow, the flawless slope of his nose.Even his ears were kind of cute.
If he had a more agreeable personality, Jun was sure he would be more popular -- for the right reasons.
Yeo Jun watched the way Soo Hyun held his pen. The way he seemed to be paying rapt attention and taking notes was fascinating.
"Anyway. That's all for today's class." Professor Park announced, signalling the end of the session. "Oh. That reminds me.I forgot to mention this during the last class but I am assigning you team projects for your mid-term evaluation."
There was a collective groan from the class.
"Quiet." The professor settled his students. "I'll let you choose your team though and the project can be about anything.The team leader will inform me of the topic you choose next week and we'll draw names to determine the order of the presentations."
The student groaned again, complaints abounding.
"What about those with no friends in this class?" a student asked.
"Sometimes life boils down to the connections you have." Professor Park replied. "The experience of forcing yourself to team up with other students who share the same goal will become an asset."
Yeo Jun raised his hand. "But professor. I'm a freshman."
"Isn't this class for juniors?"
"It is." Soo Hyun confirmed
"Which is why I should be teamed up with someone who gets good grades." Jun spoke up.
"He must be referring to Soo Hyun." Professor Park observed, scratched the back of his neck, his lollipop sticking artfully between his fingers. He looked at Soo Hyun. "He's your responsibility now." Yeo Jun smiled.
"Professor that's---" Soo Hyun began to object.
Another voice was similarly raised.
"Professor!" Gung-ho raised his hand. "I'll lead Jun to a good grade."
Yeo Jun's smile evaporated.
"You Han Gung-ho? Professor Park stuck his lollipop back into his mouth.
"I'm old enough to know what I'm doing."
"Soo Hyun. You now have another member on your team. "Professor Park announced.
Nam Soo Hyun turned in his seat and looked at Han Gung-ho who seemed quite pleased with himself. Next he looked at Yeo Jun, who was wearing a tease of a smile again.
With this settled, Professor Park enquired if anyone else needed help being put on a team. Maybe they were scared of also being put on Soo Hyun's team so no one said another word.
Class dismissed.
"Hey. Nam Soo Hyun!" Gung-ho called out in the hallway to the figure walking just ahead of him.
Soo Hyun halted and turned to face him.
"What was with that scowl?" Gung-ho sneered. "We both may be juniors but I am a year older than you. So what was with that scowl?"
Soo Hyun stared at him blankly, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.
"Not that again. Why you---" Gung-ho was irritated as he stepped towards Soo Hyun.
Yeo Jun, who was also in their company grabbed on to his hand.
"Gung-ho please. We're on the same team now."
"How can I possibly work with that jerk?" Gung-ho griped, looking at Soo Hyun who had not even flinched.
"You have me, remember." Jun tried to smooth things over.
Gung-ho slapped a hand on Jun's shoulder. "Right. Just remember to take your cues from me and Chun Guk and run errands." Gung-ho smiled. "Hye Ji, just follow my lead." he addressed the lone girl in their group.
"Sure. Sure." the response came. "Does that make me the only girl?" she pondered aloud.
"And we're one person short." Chun Guk commented "Jun is also a freshman."
"Wait a second." Nam Soo Hyun stopped the person who was trying to slink past the group in the hallway.
Kim Soo Bin stopped.
"Are you already in a team?" he asked.
"Not yet."
"How about you join ours?" Seeing that she looked hesitant, Soo Hyun continued. "I need someone I can trust on the team."
"Are you saying that you can't trust us?" Gung-ho was offended.
"Someone who works hard." Soo Hyun continued to address Soo Bin. "I wouldn't mind having you on our team."
"If this is about the project we did in the past, I'm okay." Soo Bin replied.
"I don't get swayed by frivolous things.I liked the work you did so I want you to join us. Please think about it."
"What's there to think about?" Yeo Jun stepped in. "Just join us."
As though the matter was settled, he looked at the group. "Let's go. Our first meeting should be somewhere fancy."
Off they went...