2 weeks later:
Here I was again standing infront of this shitty school, getting ready to face some shitty people.
"Come on Man, You got this. If you need anything just call me I'm free for the whole day." Uncle DoYun said.
"If Im not feeling it I'm calling you right away." I replied slipping my bag on my shoulder and heading out the car.
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Once I walked into the class people looked at me like I was kind of killer, Once Hyeon spotted me he quickly ran up to me and his arms around mine.
"Who are those you're with?" I asked as I sat down, "The guy I was telling you about." He replied with a big smile on his face.
"Your so called boyfriend?"
He smiled and nodded, one thing Hyeon does that I hate is him rushing into relationships only knowing few things about the person. His my twin brother so of course I will tell him but, once Hyeon is settled there's no way of turning him back.
And he always ends up getting hurt, and one thing I hate the most in the world is seeing him cry. Seeing him cry makes me want to strangle the person who caused his heart break, I had to grow up seeing my brother in the hospital everyday in pain so seeing him in pain because of some worthless little thing just fuels me.
"Are you sure about this one?" I asked.
"Yes, he so nice to me." He smiled.
"Okay class take a seat, pick up from yesterday's lesson." The teacher said as she walked into the classroom.
"Jihoon you haven't been here for two weeks, so I'll have Minji help you with your lessons." She said.
I could feel my mood souring the moment the teacher mentioned Minji. Of all people, she had to assign him to help me. I glanced over at him, sitting a few rows ahead, his head buried in his notebook. He looked up briefly when he heard his name, his expression neutral, but I could see a flicker of nervousness in his eyes. Great, just what I needed—more time with the guy who already ruined two of my shirts.
The teacher droned on about the lesson, but I wasn't really paying attention. My mind was stuck on Hyeon and his new "boyfriend." I wanted to be happy for him, I really did. But history has a way of repeating itself, and Hyeon always seemed to fall for the wrong guys. I could only hope this one wouldn't end up hurting him like the others had.
"Jihoon," the teacher's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "You'll be working with Minji after school today to catch up on what you've missed."
I clenched my jaw and nodded stiffly. The last thing I wanted was to spend any more time in this school than I had to, let alone with him. But arguing would only make things worse, so I kept my mouth shut.
As the lesson dragged on, I felt the frustration build inside me. Why couldn't things just be easy for once? Why did I have to be stuck in a school I hated, surrounded by people I didn't care about, while Hyeon seemed so blissfully unaware of the mess he was walking into?
When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, I gathered my things quickly, hoping to slip out before Minji could approach me. But luck wasn't on my side.
"Jihoon," I heard Minji's hesitant voice behind me. I turned to see him standing there, looking almost apologetic. "Do you, um, want to meet in the library later? I can help you catch up on the work you missed."
I stared at him for a moment, debating whether to tell him to shove it or just get this over with. His expression was earnest, like he genuinely wanted to help, but I wasn't in the mood to play nice.
"Fine," I muttered. "But let's just get it done quickly. I don't want to waste my whole afternoon here."
Minji nodded, looking relieved. "Okay, I'll see you after school then."
Without another word, I turned and walked away, my mood even darker than before. This day was turning out to be as shitty as I'd expected, and I couldn't wait for it to be over.
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20 minutes into break time two girls walk up to me giggling, excited and somewhat nervous.
"This is for you." One girl said handing me a piece of paper.
I unfolded the paper, expecting it to be some trivial note or an advertisement. Instead, it was a neatly written confession, complete with hearts and doodles around the edges. The words were a mix of shyness and boldness, clearly someone pouring their feelings out on paper.
Jihoon,
I know this might come as a surprise, but I've had a crush on you for a while now. I really admire your strength and the way you handle things, even if you don't seem to care much. I would love to get to know you better, maybe go out for a coffee sometime?
- hyana
I read through it once, then twice, my expression remaining unchanged. It was a heartfelt confession, but it felt distant to me. I couldn't muster up any real interest or emotion about it. Not right now, at least.
I folded the note back and looked up at the two girls, who were watching me with hopeful, anxious eyes. "Thanks for the note," I said, trying to sound as neutral as possible. "But I'm not interested."
Their faces fell, and they quickly turned away, their excitement replaced by disappointment. I could hear their muffled voices as they walked off, clearly upset.
I sighed and put the note in my pocket, feeling a mix of annoyance and indifference. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate the gesture—it was just that right now, I had bigger things to worry about than dealing with a crush or navigating new relationships.
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After what felt like the longest day of classes, the final bell rang, releasing us from the confines of the classroom. Most of the students rushed out, eager to start their afternoon, but I dragged my feet, not particularly excited about heading to the library. I'd rather be anywhere else than spending more time at this school, especially with Minji.
When I finally reached the library, Minji was already there, sitting at a table near the back. He looked up as I approached, offering a small, nervous smile. I ignored it, dropping my bag onto the table with a thud and sliding into the seat across from him.
"Let's get this over with," I said, flipping open my notebook. "I've got better things to do."
Minji nodded, shuffling through his papers. "Sure, we can start with math. You missed a couple of chapters, but I can walk you through the main concepts."
As he started explaining the material, I found myself zoning out. His voice was calm and patient, but I couldn't shake the irritation simmering beneath the surface. Every time I looked at him, I was reminded of the paint incident, of how everything seemed to go wrong when he was around. And now I had to sit here and pretend like everything was fine?
"So, does that make sense?" Minji asked, looking up from the textbook.
"Yeah, whatever," I replied, not really caring if I understood or not. I just wanted to get out of there.
Minji hesitated, clearly picking up on my attitude. "If you're having a hard time, I can slow down. I know it's not easy to catch up after missing so much."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "I said I got it. Can we move on?"
Minji looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't push it. Instead, he nodded and turned to the next section. We worked in silence for a while, but it was obvious that the tension between us was thick enough to cut with a knife.
After about an hour, I couldn't take it anymore. I slammed my notebook shut, causing Minji to jump slightly. "That's enough. I'm done."
Minji blinked, surprised. "But we still have—"
"I don't care," I cut him off. "I've had enough of this place for one day. I'm out."
I grabbed my bag and stood up, not bothering to wait for a response. As I turned to leave, Minji called after me, his voice hesitant.
"Jihoon, wait."
I stopped, my back to him. "What?"
"I just… I know you don't like me," he said quietly, "and I'm sorry for what happened before. But I really am trying to help. I don't want us to be enemies."
I turned around, glaring at him. "We're not
enemies, Minji. We're nothing. You're just some guy in my class. So stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours. Got it?"
Minji's face fell, but he nodded slowly. "Got it."
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TBC