Hope for the Worst || Minsung

Five

"Jisung."

"Jisung."

"Han Jisung."

It takes me a second to start thinking again. "Jisung". That's my name. And the name of that other kid, a grade above me. I'm the only Han Jisung in the school though.

Wait- we already did this.

Just then, I feel a sharp, cold pain come across my face.

I scream, "What the hell?!"

"I'm sorry! You wouldn't wake up." The boy held up his hands in surrender, holding a plastic bottle previously filled with cold water.

I look up to see the guy I ran into in the hall earlier. What was his name? Hyunjeon? Something like that.

"I thought I told you to get to classes, not sleep in the park." He laughs, "Why are you even here?"

I feel another sharp pain, remembering the indecent. It was definitely Lee Minho who I saw. I still don't understand why he acted the way he did, though.

Maybe he didn't remember me? Was I really not that important? Minho spent his precious time in middle school bullying me. There's no way he could have not remembered me.

Why do I even care about this? Isn't it actually good that he doesn't remember m-

"Hey! I asked you a question." my tall friend interrupts my train of thoughts. He taps his foot, waiting for an answer.

There's no way I'm telling him about this.

"I wasn't feeling too good so I came out here and ended up falling asleep." I wasn't lying, I was just leaving out a few parts. There's a difference.

"I hope you feel better soon. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Hyunjeon!"

"What?" He turns around and gives me a look. "My name's Hyunjin. Hwang Hyunjin."

"Oh, right." I can feel my face turn pink. "Sorry! Bye, Hyunjin."

"Remember it, respect it." Hyunjin clicks his tongue and walks away.

Well, that was a fun interaction. I pull out my phone to check the time. "4:12" it beams up to me.

I guess I should head home. Mom is going to kill me for being this late. I get up and speed-walk back to my house, thinking of excuses to use.

I can't tell her what actually happened. I don't want her to transfer me to another school again. It would be too much work and I'd hardly be able to see Felix. Plus, my new friends, Hyunjin and Seungmin.

I can't tell her the same thing I told Hyunjin. She'd get all protective and ask me questions, none of which I'm in the mood to answer.

Missed the bus? No, I'd be home by now if that were the case.

Stopped at the store? No, I don't have my wallet with me anyways.

Detention? Out of the question.

Before I know it, I'm in front of my home. I'll just say that Felix dragged me to his house and his parents weren't there to drive me back.

I take a few deep breaths, preparing myself for an entire hurricane of "Jisung are you okay?!"'s and opened the door.

"Mom! I'm home!" My yell echoes around the empty house with no response. Was she home late?

Just then, I hear the garage door open. She's home. I'm not blowing my chance to get out of this.

I book it up the steps and throw my backpack onto the floor more aggressively than needed. Jumping in my bed, I pull out my phone and act as if I've been watching videos on it for the past thirty minutes.

Thankfully, there was no homework because it was the first day of school.

I listen as the front door opens. "Jisung! Sorry I'm late!" she yells from downstairs.

I get up and go downstairs to greet her, only to find the smell of warm ramen greeting me.

We both get ready for dinner and sit down to eat. As I shove the heavenly noodles down my throat, she speaks up.

"So how was your first day of school?"

"It was okay. I don't remember any of the teacher's names though."

For the rest of dinner, I dodge the topic I fear the most and eat ramen. I leave the dinning room table and go back upstairs.

My phone buzzes as soon as I enter. Just a telemarketer. But I also notice a few missed calls from Felix, plus multiple concerned text messages.

I call him back, only for him to answer on the first ring.

"I was bloody worried 'bout ya, mate!" His deep voice screams across the phone in his native language.

"I'm sorry!"

"You better explain yourself."

And so I do. I tell him everything. Felix, being my bestest friend in the entire world, knows everything about me. There's no need to come up with a lie to tell him. Besides, he knows when I'm lying.

"No way. You're kidding! Is Minho really back?" Felix says.

"Yep." I uselessly nod my head, "I hate it way more than you do."

My mom enters the room in the middle of our call and tells me that I should get some sleep. Felix and I say our goodbyes and hang up.

Why is Minho here? I think to myself while laying in the dark, staring at the ceiling. I feel as if he's trying haunt me. What if that person I saw was just a ghost or something like that?

Whatever's happening, if his goal is to mess with my head, I won't let him succeed.

I will not lose to you, Lee Minho.