beyOnd

Chapter Six: Jung Wook-jin

1 or more hours had passed since the end of school. I most likely would’ve been at the bus stop, yet I still had to wait. Wait for Yongsoo, who’d been at after-school sessions. However, there had been no one to prevent me from coming home early. I wouldn’t be troubled neither.

Remaining as me, and only me, I walked upon the empty grounds, dull sunlight gleaming so beautifully against my cold skin. The darkness, so dark at winter, yet so enjoyable as well. Its comfort had been so immense that I’d rather never leave than stay in this light forever.

Of course, the sun hadn’t completely set yet, with such very little light coming from the horizon. Yet the light would still be so much needed in this comparable darkness who swallows me whole.

Somehow, I managed to reach the back of the school, where a few of the older years were playing basketball on the outdoor court. They managed to get a shot, cheering blissfully when they do. Amidst their gleeful cheers, on student had laid their eyes on me, brown eyes so dark that I mistake it to be black. “Hello!” he said, waving a hand triumphantly.

My eyes had rested inched above me, as he was tall (so tall that he’d been towering at me.) Quantities of golden waves had draped down until his neck, some drooping down to his eyes like curtain bangs, with a jawline so sharp it could cut through one’s heart in a simple dash, completed with rosy tinted skin which seemed to have shone upon the dark who surrounded us.

Quite a handsome fellow, indeed. For so, I wished I knew his name. Even if I did, however, he would never take my heart so easily like how Yongsoo had. My heart is delicate at some very points yet depends on who it shall be that my heart had chosen to fall for.

“Are you new here?” the fellow asked. “I’ve never seen you around before.”

“Ah, yes, I am new, actually,” I said with a slight stutter. “I just joined yesterday.”

“Yesterday?” he asked in disbelief. “You’re much newer than I thought. Do you need someone to tour you around sometime?”

“Ah, no. I already had a tour yesterday.” He then gives me a sly look in the eye, acting as though something was going on, I just couldn’t tell.

“By whom?” he finally asked.

“Hey, Taeyoub!” one of his friends shouted from across the court, “stop getting into this Year 11’s business!” Taeyoub, I thought, that was his name…His friend then runs up to him, throwing an arm around his shoulder. “Sorry about him.” The friend said, “he can be a little bit nosy sometimes. Anyway, as you might’ve heard, he is Taeyoub , and I am Sungho! The lonely one at the back is Junhyung, my boyfriend.”

I hadn’t been so absolutely sure if I’d been mistaken or not, but this trio I had managed to stumble upon had been filled with inevitably handsome students. Maybe it might’ve just been my very thoughts, but my, how attractive they were, almost irresistible to any woman. However, I am not in fact a woman.

Sungho had been much shorter than Taeyoub , yet still just barely a few centimeters over me. His looks were more captivating rather than charismatic, yet still able to catch my very attention. With fluffed, dusty-ginger hair that draped down his eyes, all that could barely be seen had been the bottoms of his eyes if it had been flattened down. Yet as it stay parted, puppy-like eyes of hazel had been rested upon mine. He, along with Junhyung and Taeyoub , hadn’t been in uniform. I’d guessed they’d been in 6th Form.

Junhyung, however, had been much more different. Towering figure, with dirty blonde hair with streaks of maroon and pale skin, a slight blush of flesh creeping from either side of his cheeks to the bridge of his nose; a strong body figure, paired with even stronger broad shoulders. Most rather the epitome of a jock-like demeanor.

“Who said I was lonely?” Junhyung says as he ran up to Rie. “You naughty boy.” He then hit Sungho on the head playfully, yet he was still smiling warmly as he caressed his cheek. With the side of his eyes, Taeyoub was glaring at them with utter disgust, a look of pure repugnance filling his eyes so immensely.

“Right, anyway…” he muttered to himself, still eyeing those two. “So, what’s your name?”

“Jung Wook-jin,” I replied with a warm smile that played on my face.

“Lovely name you’ve got there!” Taeyoub said with great delight. “D’you wanna play with us? We’ll teach you if you want.”

“That would be great!” I said.

. . .

We’ve been playing for much too long now, yet none of us had felt tired at all. We barely even managed to shoot any baskets, yet it was still enjoyable just to be there. Who would’ve ever thought I would be friends with kids who are in a higher year than me?

Finally, the ball was passed to me, which meant that my team’s fate all depended on me. Right when I got hold of the ball, I immediately ran over to the basket. Then finally, after a while 1 hour of playing this meaningless game, I finally got a point. By this time, school must’ve ended long ago, and the sun had set completely. Yet I didn’t find it much of a problem. I’d already gotten so used to it, to the extent where I couldn’t possibly hate it anymore.

The trio had been cheering me on, each of them giving me a brief hug out of happiness. Their expression seemed tired because of playing for so long, yet they were still euphoric, judging the fact that we’ve played for a period of time that would’ve been unbearable.

Amidst of all this, I gazed up at the window in our main hallway. Though unclear, I could still tell that someone had been looking down at us. And with just the tiniest glimmer of what seemed like someone’s glasses against the light, I immediately knew that it was Yongsoo looking down on us.

He seemed to be busy with something, yet I just couldn’t tell what it was. He kept looking downward, then at me. Downward, then to me. I smile at him and wave triumphantly. I was happy to finally see him after a while. I didn’t get to see him for a whole 2 hours because of his after-school session.

He notices me waving, and immediately hides behind the wall, hoping that I wouldn’t be able to see him. That’s cute, I thought. Yet my smile immediately turned into a frown when I saw a group – not just any group – walk past the window, stopping at the exact place where Yongsoo had stood. I knew he was in trouble, and I had to do something about it.

“Um, guys, I think I gotta go now,” I told the trio.

“So soon?” Taeyoub asked.

“Yeah, I’ve just…got a few errands to run at home. I’ll see you tomorrow!” I run off the court and go back into the building front the front gate, hoping that no one would notice me. I have to help Yongsoo, no matter what situation he’s in.