"Every piece of me aches for you."
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Being transferred to a new school just before the year started was the last thing on Hyunjin's list of things to expect this year. He's instantly sent into overload as seven new men are introduced to him. All s...
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New Years Eve. I was invited to whatever little party was going on at Hyunjin's friends— family's?— I was still confused on how to correlate them to Hyunjin. The party wasn't until later this evening.
So I was currently holed-up in my room, back agaainst my mattress. I was throwing a little knit ball into the air and catching it as gravity pulled it back down. The cycle would repeat.
I'd hit the ceiling a few times. Each time is give myself a "point." As a way to keep myself entertained and see how many points I could get and how long I could go before getting bored of it.
Another point. That makes seven.
I could hear my grandparents downstairs in the kitchen. The slamming of cabinet doors signaled they were about to argue about something, probably involving me like it always does.
Eight points.
The yelling was starting now, still too quiet to distinguish the words. But loud enough to be noticed.
Nine points.
As the voices grew louder. I couldn't tell if it was actually raising or if it was because they were getting closer and were soon going to enter my room. I brushed it off.
Ten points.
"He's just a damn kid, Doyun!" My grandmothers voice. It was like her to be defending me. My grandfather was always the one to complain anyway.
"He's becoming an adult soon! He needs to learn to grow up!"
Eleven points.
"Yongbok!" My grandfather yelled my Korean name.. knowing I hated it. The ball I had thrown up landing in my lap as I scurried up into sitting position. "Do you forget you duties?!"
"Pa.. my suspension is technically over.. I go back in three days." My voice was quiet, almost squeaking with slight fear.
"Doyun! Leave him be, goddamn it!" My grandmother bursted in, hitting him upside the head with a rolled magazine. He made a noise as the harsh contact and turned around to me her.
"How am I too leave it alone?! We excused this behavior as he was a child and now look where he is! He's going to become a criminal! I won't have it!" He shouted and turned back to me. "And on top of that, Yongbok! You've failed to inform either of us that you were sexually active! We come from a Catholic family, intimacy out of wed-lock is frowned upon! You know that!"
"Doyun.. if you don't shut your mouth, I will stuff a sock in it." My grandmother hit him again with the newspaper and I stifled a laugh. This is supposed to be serious, Felix. "Felix, darling."
My grandmother greeted me with my preferred name. My English name, after sending daggers glares at her husband.
