✓ | starboy, nishimura riki

STARBOY | 10

THE TENSION WAS TOO THICK TO BE CUT WITH A KNIFE.

Silence engulfed the Soc and Greaser as they walked side by side down the empty street. The only sound that could be heard was the heels of Miso's shoes touching the floor, and Jungwon flicking out the blade of the switchblade due to boredom.

Clearing her throat, Miso turned her head to look up at the brunette boy. "What's with the pocketknife?" She wondered, and Jungwon looked back at her with his brows slightly raised with interest.

"It's for safety, things can escalate quickly around here." He explained, putting the blade in his denim jacket pocket once sensing she was nervous because of it. "I don't like violence, so don't worry, I won't hurt you." The Yang boy teased, a soft chuckle escaping his mouth.

Miso mirrored his action and glanced down at the floor as she thought back. Of course he didn't like violence. All the times a fight could've broken out, Jungwon was always there attempting to prevent something from happening.

"I'm sorry you have to walk around in fear due to us Socs." She apologized. She couldn't help but feel a sense of heaviness weigh on her shoulders, like all the wrong doings the Socs have done had been her fault.

"Don't sweat it." Jungwon shrugged. "Us outcasts are just as bad. Most of us will fight at any given chance." He reassured and Miso couldn't help but feel a little bit more relieved at that fact.

Before either of them knew it, they were both at the border of the North and South side, and Miso let out a quiet sigh as she came to a stop.

"You shouldn't go any further." She advised, looking up at Jungwon who nodded in understanding. "There could be Socs lingering about."

"Get home safe, Miso." He nodded, sending her a small smile. The girl waved at him, before she continued across the border, a grin plastering her lips.

★

"Why are you home so late?!" Choi Miso's mother angrily yelled as soon as the girl walked through the front door. A huff came from Miso as she mentally prepared herself for the lecture her parents were about to give.

"I was with Kai at his house." She lied, walking straight over to the stairs, where Beomgyu stood leaned against the wall with his hands crossed over his chest and a smug smirk on his lips. Instantly, Miso rolled her eyes. Her brother could be really annoying sometimes.

"You should've told us." Her father informed and Miso ignored him and hurried up the steps.

She couldn't understand why they acted like they cared when they didn't. They were only showing concern because they wanted to prove to themselves that they were good parents, when in reality, they couldn't care less where she was.

Once Miso entered her bedroom and got ready for bed, she found herself thinking back to the events earlier that evening. She was intrigued to find out more about the Greasers. She never would of thought they'd have their own racing track, and she never thought they'd be kind enough to walk with her so she wouldn't get hurt. But they did — and that was the start of her opinion changing.

★

Over the next few days, Choi Miso noticed that Niki listened to what she'd told him. He hadn't bothered her since that day at their race track. She hadn't seen him at school for a while, which made her curious as to where he was. His friends were there, but the Nishimura boy was not.

For some odd known reason, Miso found herself feeling regretful. She was beginning to regret telling Niki to leave her alone because now she felt different. She'd only had a few interactions with Niki, and yet he still managed to make her feel (somewhat) excited whenever he was around. He left her wondering when she was going to see him next, and what would happen during their next meeting.

Shaking her head, Miso rolled her eyes at her thoughts as she entered her class. She was fed up of thinking like that. Nishimura Niki was a Greaser and she was a Soc. She shouldn't even have his face in her head.

"Getting better, Miso." Her teacher complimented whilst she placed the girls test paper down on the desk in front of her.

Quickly, without hesitation, Miso grabbed the paper with desperation. She hoped that some miracle had happened and she'd upgraded from an F to an A, however to her luck, a capital E was written on the corner of her paper in bold, red ink.

Miso felt her shoulders slump, a mixture of emotions going through her veins. She was happy that she'd received a better result, yet it still wasn't good enough to please her parents.

Without another thought, the school bell rang throughout the halls, and the students immediately jumped from their seats, ignoring the teachers words about upcoming homework. Miso sent her teacher a small smile as a way of saying 'goodbye', before she exited the class.

The school day had come to an end and to say Miso was tired would be an understatement. She wanted nothing more than to go home and wrap up in her pink sheets — however, before she had the chance to leave the school building, she was beckoned over by her friends.

"Choiso!" She heard Minhee yell out to her, causing her to glance over at him and the rest of her friends who were stood by the Kang boys mustang. "Come on!"

A grin appeared on Miso's lips, along with a blush on her cheeks and she quickly hurried over to them.

"We're gonna drive around a bit, get some food." Chanyoung informed her whilst Minhee took her text books from her clutch and held them for her as she got into the car.

"Sounds fun." She beamed and eventually, everybody was in the car and they were driving through the town with the window down so that the wind could blow through their hairs, and the front passengers, Minhee and Chanyoung, yelling nasty things to the Greasers in the streets.

Miso bit down on her lip as she sadly sighed. She thought it was going to be a fun road trip. She was with her friends — she was with Minhee. She thought she was going to have a good time.

Boy was she wrong.

★