Soonhoon

Chapter 9

Turns out I couldn't go home. So I just sulked the whole time. I should have lunch with Hyung today to make my mood better. And he brought packed lunch with him today.
"Do you want to have lunch with my Hyung?" I asked my group.
"Sure." Mingyu agreed easily.
"You mean with Sunbaes?" Doekyom asked innocently.
"Yeah. But don't worry they're good. Just Jeonghan Hyung, Joshua Sunbae, Wonwoo Sunbae." I shrugged.
"Are you sure they won't mind?" He asked fidgeting with his fingers.
I shook my head. "Nah. Jeonghan Hyung says the more the merrier."
He agreed with hesitancy but still followed. As I opened the door to my classroom I almost shrieked as I saw Jihoon. Luckily I didn't. It would have been embarrassing.
He looked at me once before going on his way again. "Meanie." I said hoping he heard me. But maybe he didn't because he just walked away.
"Why did you stop?" Mingyu asked pushed me out making Doekyom nearly fall over me.
"Nothing." I sighed. It got on my nerves that he didn't even care. He was right too. How long before we met anyway? We only talked for the first time yesterday and today again.
"Hoshi!!!" Jeonghan Hyung squealed waving at me. "And his friends!!!" He added.
"Sunbae." Doekyom politely greeted them all.
"Why does my baby brother look so dull?" He asked as he made me sit on the chair beside him. I pouted even more melting in his pampering.
Mingyu sat beside me and Doekyom in between Mingyu and Joshua Sunbae. Joshua Sunbae was really sweet. He smiled so prettily at Doekyom as he sat down. Why wasn't Jihoon like this?
"My heart keeps breaking everyday and I can't do anything." I said trying not to sob.
"Do you want me to cut you into pieces and put in the soup?" Wonwoo Sunbae asked raising his eyebrow.
"Wonwoo." Jeonghan Hyung warned. Wonwoo sunbae just rolled his eyes and went back to eating obliviously. "Who broke your heart?" He asked turning to me as he put a piece of gimbap in my mouth. "Tell me."
"It's not that person's fault." I sighed. "But it isn't mine too for falling for a person like that."
"Of course it's not yours." He agreed. "But who is it?"
I looked at his curious eyes and made a decision. "Not telling you." I said firmly. As much as I loved my brother, I knew he sometimes cared too much. He'd make sure the person knew how much I liked them behind my back.
"Why?" He whined.
"I don't want to violate the person's privacy." I explained. "It's my feelings. I'll take care of it myself."
"Okay..." He said putting another one in my mouth. "So what's the problem exactly?"
"The problem is me. Maybe I'm forcing my way too much. I should just quit right?" I asked them in general.
"You should if she isn't interested in you then." Jeonghan Hyung said.
"Maybe you should try a bit harder." Wonwoo Sunbae said in his deep voice making it sound scary. "What if she's just a bit reluctant? What if you miss her because she wasn't good at expressing?"
Mingyu scoffed. "Then the other person should say so. Talk about it and not ghost you all of a sudden. What about people who are open about their feelings? Don't they get hurt?"
"Then the brave of two should've slowed his pace." Sunbae said putting his spoon down. "Some things are normal but are taught to be not normal and some people take time to figure it out. People get scared easily about new things."
"As usual you're being selfish again. Fine I'm sorry. I should've kept my opinion to myself. I was the wrong one." Mingyu pushed his chair and walked away angrily.
"Why are you so worked up about my relationship?" I whispered trying not to get in between the tension.
Wonwoo sighed pushing his chair back too. His eyes followed Mingyu's disappearing figure before going back to his lunch. His eyes met Jeonghan Hyung's and they had a silent conversation.
"Hoshi." Jeonghan Hyung said finally ending his eye talk. "Check up on Mingyu."
"I was going to anyway." I stuffed my mouth with three gimbaps to last till I reach Mingyu. "If Sunbae who upset him didn't."
Sunbae sighed again shaking his head in self disappointment. I stood up and pushed the chair back inside the table.
"What about me?" I had completely forgotten about Doekyom.
"We're still here, Doekyom. We'll wait." Jeonghan said giving his angelic smile that could convince anyone. Doekyom hesitantly nodded towards me.
I took off to the possible places where Mingyu could be. The library? Because he for some reason used to go there a lot last year. And it'd be empty right now for lunch.
As expected the library was empty and that meant no Mingyu. The other place could be our classroom. I huffed as I climbed the third floor. The corridors were completely empty. I'd seriously kill that giant if he wasn't there.
I couldn't even lift my head as I climbed on my all fours and sat down in dizziness on the last step. I didn't even have a proper lunch and I've been sulky the whole day.
"Here." I took the bottle of water and downed the gimbap that was stopping the air from entering.
"Thanks." My eyes nearly came out as Lee Jihoon gave me a small smile and timidly sat beside me. I actually gasped in the most weird way.
"You're welcome." He shrugged placing the bottle in between us.
He didn't look at me but instead at the painting hung on the wall before us. Hansol Sunbae's painting.
"It's beautiful." He said breaking the silence. It was beautiful indeed. A green valley with flowers everywhere and two figures holding hands as they raced into the field.
I felt like crying again. The tears that I had stopped in the morning were threatening to fall now. It'd be a lot embarrassing if I cried right now in front of him.
I stood up without saying anything. He wouldn't mind anyway...Just like the last three years.
"Are you ignoring me now?" I stopped at the tug I felt. Jihoon had pinched the little part of my trousers fabric and pulled it. I wanted to go but the face he made made my breath stop-confused.
"No." I sighed sitting back down. He smirked staring right through me.
"I thought you wanted to be friends? Why are you walking away now?" He almost whispered.
"You were the one who told me to leave you alone." I reminded him.
He nodded. His fingers traced the visible green nerves on his wrist of his pale skin. His skin looked smooth and I could bet it was going to be like that of a baby's. His everything was.
"What will you do then?" He asked softly. "Forget it." He shook his head as if trying to shake his thoughts.
I couldn't get up somehow and tell him that I'll try harder. All I could do was watch as he slowly walked away. Did he feel as helpless as me when I walked away? My body refused to work. All my did were stare at his disappearing figure.
"Hoshi." I nearly jumped at the sudden voice that brought me out of my thoughts. Mingyu gave me a confused look before taking Jihoon's seat. "What are you doing here?" He asked.
I finally snapped out of it. "I was looking for you everywhere." I told him. "Are you okay?"
He half shrugged and half nodded. "Yeah. Just a bit...mad at myself."
"Did you fight with Sunbae before?" I asked.
"Not exactly." He sighed.