Beyond This Fucked Up World [choi yeonjun]

Chapter Two - The Boy In Denial

The day was coming to an end and you could see the sunset perfectly from the skate park. Around the sun, it turned a dark orange that stretched across the whole sky and made everything seem warm, even though it was starting to get cold.

In front of me was the boy with the yellow shirt and the lip piercings, whose hobby it was to come here every day and ride around on his skateboard. At least that's what it seemed like when he was even buddies with the bouncer.

I watched as the boy picked up his skateboard from the ground and casually slid down the ramp, as he was still on it before. When he was close enough to me he stopped, his board held firmly in his left hand again.

"I'm sorry about that. Must have been bad for you."

"You don't have to apologize for everything. It's annoying." I told him calmly, trying to loosen my stance. He started looking me up and down.

"You don't look like his type."

"Why? Because I'm not a boy?"

"I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did you mean it?" I asked snappishly. He shifted his weight.

"He didn't like people who were pushy like you." He spoke with an expressionless face. I felt insulted and it showed. I tried to think of a retort but I was a bit taken aback by his directness that I couldn't think of anything to say. I decided to ignore it and changed the subject instead.

"What's your name anyway?"

"Taehyun."

"Don't you want to know my name?" I asked him.

"Sure."

"Evolet. My name is Evolet."

"Weird name."

"I know."

After not knowing what to say next, the two of us just stood there. He couldn't answer my questions now, but maybe I'll get him to reveal something eventually.

He was wearing the exact same bracelet as Taehyun. They must be connected somehow, I know it.

"Why were you so keen to know how I knew him?"

"It's interesting to know who he hung out with. It's not like we're the only ones he's friends with. Was, I mean."

"We? Who is we?" I asked in a curious voice. He looked hesitant. He shied away from the past and you could tell he didn't want to talk about it, like he didn't want it to be true. I thought and looked around.

There were fewer and fewer people on the promenade and the groups of people on the skate park were also slowly dispersing. They complain about young people hanging around and obstructing skateboarders, but they themselves just stand together in groups and don't move a bit.

"Listen. If you don't want to tell me about it, that's okay. But you said 'we', so there are others who were friends with him, right? Then I'll just go and ask them." I clarified my offer.

Taehyun sighed again, looked down at his board and renewed his grip on it. He looked at the white bracelet and I caught a glimpse of another pendant that looked like a guitar. He exhaled and shook his head, analyzing the bracelet with its charms from front to back, probably considering how best to say no. He lifted his head.

"All right. I'll tell you how to find the others, but I won't be blamed if they reject you too." I was surprised. I didn't expect him to help me out.

"Really?"

"As persistent as you are. If it gets me rid of you it's fine with me."

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