Starting Anew [junew] [bxb]

Part Two

On the first day back to school, Juyeon woke up feeling both excited and nervous. He had missed his friends over the summer break and was looking forward to seeing them again.

At the same time, he was a little apprehensive about starting a new school year and meeting new teachers. He quickly got dressed and had breakfast before heading out the door to meet his friends. 

As he walked to school, he noticed that the leaves on the trees were starting to change color, a sign that autumn was just around the corner. The feeling of the crisp air on his face and the anxiety building up inside him were a balanced combination on his journey there.

When Juyeon arrived at school, he saw his friends waiting for him outside the entrance. They greeted each other with high fives and hugs, all talking at once, excitedly catching up on their summer adventures. 

Juyeon's friend Younghoon had been to the beach, while Sangyeon had gone camping in the mountains and visited his grandparents in another city. They walked into the school building together, and Juyeon felt a sense of familiarity and comfort as they went through the halls. 

The walls were decorated with colorful posters and artwork, and there was a buzz of activity as students caught up with each other and settled into their new classes. The boys had all been assigned to the same homeroom, and they walked in together, taking seats in the back of the classroom. There, waiting for them, was an unamused personality.

"Where have you all been? We didn't meet even ONCE during the entire break! To think, you all passed up on seeing this visual treat is downright outrageous. Whatever, your loss losers." The self-proclaimed (globally accepted, honestly)  'visual god' chastised.

Upon hearing their friend's whining, the boys laughed, followed by a few sighs of expectancy. "Everyone had better things to do than seeing your overrated face, Hyunjae. Shut up". Younghoon sassed.

Hyunjae gasped, as Sangyeon and Juyeon covered their mouths in shock plus giggles.

He was about to retaliate when a composed voice chimed in, "Guys, can we please not argue first thing in the morning? We're meeting after a long while. Let's all be nice to each other and have fun. " It was Jacob.

When the two usually bickering kidults looked unconvinced, Jacob offered a deal. "If both of you zip it this instant, lunch's on me", said he, with a brightening smile. "Works for me!", Younghoon immediately complied, eventually followed by a reluctant Hyunjae; though not before muttering something about how they were all so blessed to "have a friend as good- looking as him".

As the morning went on, Juyeon found himself slipping back into the routine of school life, taking notes and participating in class discussions. He was happy to see that his friends were in some of his classes, and they would exchange glances and smiles throughout the day.  However, it did make him wonder how long he could keep putting up a front.

At lunchtime, they all sat together in the cafeteria, laughing and joking around as they ate their sandwiches and chips. They talked about their plans for the upcoming weekend and made jokes about their teachers.

By then, Juyeon's plan of "fake it till you make it" was in shambles. He was visibly uninterested in the random conversations of his friends. He barely even responded when Sangyeon asked for his intervention in another one of Younghoon and Hyunjae's quarrel about who was more attractive.

After lunch, they had a few more classes before the final bell rang, signaling the end of the day. The five boys walked out of the school building , when Juyeon politely declined their offer to go home together. 

"Why not? 

Juyeon-ah, is everything alright? We have almost always gone home together." Sangyeon inquired. 

"Uh, I just have some errands to run, Hyung. My mother is going to a party soon, so she asked for this and that", Juyeon hopefully made a plausible excuse.  Sangyeon didn't look too convinced, and even Jacob was carefully analyzing his facial expression, offering to go with him later to help choose things for his mother. Juyeon was quick to reject his help though.

Then, there was nothing they could say further. They all bid their goodbyes and left for their homes.

As he walked home, Juyeon felt a sense of contentment and happiness. He had missed his friends over the summer, but now that he was back with them, everything felt right in the world.

'As long as they don't find out about me', he exclaimed to himself. 'Not before I've had a chance to sort it out myself.'

 He looked forward to the rest of the school year, filled with new experiences, challenges, and, most importantly, the company of his friends.