Hanahaki Strings • seventeen jihancheol

Chapter 57: Of Practice and Suspicion

Seungcheol

I yawned for the nth time while waiting for our first period teacher to come.

It was noisy as usual in our class. I'm still sitting alone at the back while all my classmates are grouped in their group of friends, chattering so loudly while waiting for our teacher.

I am usually early in class but ever since I gained my own group of friends, I always enter classes minutes before the bell. This is the first time I went to class early again.

This became so foreign to me. How funny is it that the years I spent alone like this suddenly became foreign in just a few months of change?

I was pulled out of my trance when the teacher frantically entered the room. My classmates quickly went to their respective seats and the noise died down immediately.

"I'm sorry for being late, class, but I have a quick announcement to make before I go back to our meeting," our teacher said, voice in a hurry, "for today, there will be no classes because all the clubs and teams will hold a meeting later for the upcoming Interhigh."

Series of murmurs resonated inside the room but it quickly died down by our teacher's loud hush as she glared at us. 

"Okay, as I was saying, Interhigh is coming. We will have a meeting about it and we'll discuss it after to the president and leader of each club and team. The Interhigh will be held for a week, which means there will be no classes for that week. There was no further discussion about it yet since the Principal just briefed us about it. Last thing I wanted to say is finish all your activities for this week so you won't have anything to think of during the Interhigh, and so all of us would enjoy. That's all class. Behave, alright?" With that, our teacher quickly left.

My classmates cheered and they ran out of the room. 

I sighed and closed my eyes. I'll just sleep then. My activities can wait late—

"CHOI SEUNGCHEOL, GET OUT OF YOUR ROOM RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

I jolted out of my seat in surprise. The remaining students inside our room had their eyes on me. When I glanced at where the voice came from, I almost facepalmed when I saw Jeonghan waving his hands exaggeratedly at the door.

Without glancing at my classmates' judgemental stares, I stood up and went straight towards Jeonghan.

"Why on earth do you think it's a good idea to make a scene outside my room?" I asked right away when I stood in front of him.

"Let's go to the field! Soonyoung ordered a pizza!" Jeonghan ignored my question, holding my wrist and pulling me away from our room.

"Wait—" 

"Shua! Won! Ji!" Jeonghan ignored me again, still pulling me with him.

I just heaved out a sigh and let myself be dragged by this man. 

Be thankful that I like you so much or else you won't be able to pull me like this...

The three people he called immediately turned their heads in our direction. They were at the end of the hallway when Jeonghan called them. They seemed to be heading downstairs.

When we stopped right in front of them, I tried my best to avoid Joshua's eyes which I'm clearly aware is staring at me.

"Where's Soonyoung?" Jeonghan asked.

"He went to the gate to wait for the pizza," Jihoon answered.

"Why didn't you go with him?"