beyOnd

Chapter Eleven

6th period just ended, which meant school was over. The halls were emptying, and it seemed as though I was the only person in the school. There were still a few sessions going on, though, but it was just such a little amount.

I walk a dark, empty hallway, with only the dim sunlight to provide me some light. Yet with every step I took, I felt as though a ghostly presence had been following from behind, as though trying to be as cautious as they could so they wouldn’t be caught.

My pace started growing faster, as if on command, and by that point I was running almost. Someone’s hand then grabs me by my shoulder, causing me to stop abruptly. It was Pil-do. He strode in front of me and threw an arm around my shoulder. “Yongsoo,” he said in a cheerful voice that was obviously sarcastic, “is that drawing of yours finished yet?”

I don’t answer, though. I never answer his stupid questions. “I’ll take that as a no,” he said, still smiling horribly. His group had followed right behind me, mimicking every long pace I took.

“So…” he started, “do you perhaps have ₩20,000? I’m really needing some money, because all of my notes got stolen by someone…”

“You still expect me to give you money?” I asked.

“Alright, alright, fine. I won’t ask you for money. But what I will ask you is…what’s your relationship with the new kid?”

“He’s not new anymore. He’s been here long enough.”

“Answer my goddamn question! What is your relationship with the new kid?”

“Friends. Why do you even ask?”

“I don’t know...You guys just seem really close nowadays, and I’m just wondering if you two are a thing or not.”

Before I knew it, I was brought to some alleyway, someplace near the school, but not actually present in its campus. It seemed a lot like some abandoned construction site that was unfinished long ago, yet I wasn’t really too sure. How did we get here all of a sudden? I thought.

“Wait,” I said, “how’d we get here?”

“I guess I’m just too good at distracting people,” Pil-do said in a haughty laugh.

“You b***h,” I mutter to myself.

“Anyways, now that we’re all here, why don’t we get onto the good parts, shall we?” he said to everyone behind me. One then charged at me from behind, yet I managed to dodge the hit. What the hell? I thought, are they doing this just for my money? Again, another person came at me from in front, attempting to throw a punch at me.

I block it, throwing a punch back, yet someone just manages to yank my blazer and pushed me to the ground. Immediately, my ankle was in pain because of the collision with the ground, and I felt as though I was over with. Pil-do then walked up in front of me and grabbed me by the collar, looking straight into my eyes with an agitated smile.

“You’re really not giving up, are you?” he asked unpleasantly, “because I know I’m not giving up either. I know you’ve got money in there.” He then threw a punch right at my face, and then did it against and again in a repetitive pattern. Yet right when he was about to reach the, I don’t know-th time, I stopped his hand right in its tracks and gazed into his eyes with a soulless look.

“You should give up now,” I muttered. I then yank him down to the ground with me, grabbing him by the collar. Immediately, I threw a punch right at his face, to the extent where his nose even started bleeding. And yet I kept doing it. I punched him again and again till blood had been dripping from his lips. “You goddamn b***h,” I muttered to myself.

From behind, someone yanked me away from him, holding me back by my chest. His arm wrapped around me was suffocating, and I could barely breathe at that point. As though it were fate, Wook-jin happened to pass by right when I felt as though I was being choked.

“Hey!” he said from across the entrance created through the rubble. Immediately, the person’s grip loosened and I felt as though I could breathe again, yet it was still heavy and painful. At this point, I was useless and weak, and I couldn’t even think of doing anything. I just left it to Wook-jin to finish them off.

“You dare lay a hand on him like that?” he asked. He then threw a fist right at the person’s face, hitting him directly in the nose, I believe? I could barely even tell, though. Everything went on in a blur, and I couldn’t tell what was happening.

One minute, I see him punching someone so hard that they faint, and the other minute, I see him walk towards me, lending out a hand for me to hold. He pulls me forward and we run off to someplace…yet I don’t even know where. But what I do know is that we were trying to find a hiding spot from Pil-do.

Immediately, we ran behind a wall and pressed our back against it like how they would do in the movies. With a cautious eye, Wook-jin peeked out from the side, watching how Pil-do’s group stumbled awake while in an attempt to find us.

The chase was tiresome and tense, yet was still enjoyable. Like I once mentioned, when I’m with Wook-jin, everything feels right, no matter what the situation is. And he just so happened to appear right before my eyes when I was in danger. At that point, I felt like giving up, until he came. It felt like my limbs were about to fail me, then he just boosted all the energy back into me with the single step he took into the alley.

Though I was tired; though I felt horrible at that moment, I still smiled. I smiled simply because Wook-jin was with me. He was there for me. At this point, I wanted to give him a hug, yet I don’t even know if it’s appropriate for this moment.

“You okay?” he asked, breathing heavily.

“Yeah, I think,” I muttered.

“You’re hurt…” he quietly uttered to himself, gazing upon the bruise that swelled on the side of my face. Carefully, he caresses a finger over my cheek, which was bruised and bleeding, slowly wiping off whatever had been dripping down. I lay my hand on his and gazed right into his eyes.

“I’ll be fine,” I told him in a tone that was almost reaching a whisper, “I’m okay…” Our words were at halt for the moment, and we didn’t even dare to speak. We just stood there in silence as we gazed straight into each other’s eyes.

“Right…” I muttered, breaking the silence, “One more thing.”

“Hm?”

“Could I stay over at your place for tonight? I really don’t feel like going home today.” I wasn’t expecting much from him. I knew he might not agree, but it was the only thing I could possibly bring up about yesterday. I feel like if I got into detail, Wook-jin might just see me as a person I could vent to.

He gazes right into my eyes, and a small smile starts to play on his lips. “Of course you can,” he muttered happily. I wasn’t expecting that, though. I expected much less from him…What would I do without you? I thought to myself.

. . .

The light comes alive in a gentle flicker as we stepped into his apartment, casting a milky glow upon us two. His apartment was much bigger than mine, and most definitely had more rooms. The living room contained of a coal grey L-couch, along with a full screen TV and a heap of bookshelves, containing books that I’ve never even heard of. From there, you could see the kitchen island, it’s marble gleaming in the vanilla shade of the lights.

Windows had completely lined the walls, and it’s curtains were pulled all the way up. It was almost like you could see the entirety of Busan with this view. How did he even afford this? I thought. And that’s what I asked him later.

“It wasn’t really me who got the apartment, but it was actually my father…” he told me, “Though my family aren’t too wealthy, they still managed to afford this for me…so yeah.”

“Oh…I see,” I muttered to myself. Immediately, he runs up to the living room and throws his bag onto the couch, along with his coat. Just right before he sat himself down, though, he stops in his track and looks back at me.

“Oh, wait!” he said, “You need some spares since you’re staying the night, right?”

“Yeah…”

“I’ll be back! You can just make yourself at home if you’d like!” He then runs off into what I think is his room, leaving me alone in the living room. There was that long-awaited silence that’d probably been searching for me all this day, and I actually felt like how I used to. I didn’t like this feeling, though. I wish Wook-jin was still next to me, talking about the most stupidest things that he finds enjoyable.

I stood up and strode over to the incredibly large windows, gazing out into the distance. I didn’t know what time it was, but at this point, I didn’t care. Suddenly, Wook-jin comes back from behind me, startling me just slightly. “Yongsoo,” he asked, “So I had a long thought about this for a while, and I realized that it was Friday today. And because it’s Friday…I was just wondering…D’you wanna stay over for the weekends? Because like, wouldn’t it be a bother to try coming back on Saturday, and—”

I interrupt. “Of course I can stay for the weekends,” I say with not much enthusiasm in my voice, which is something you wouldn’t expect from me when I’m talking to Wook-jin.

“Really?”

“Yeah! I don’t mind. In fact, I would much prefer staying with you rather than my father’s place.”

“Oh, alright then,” he said with that adorable grin he’d always give me. “Wait, one more thing.” He then takes my hand, like he always does, and leads me over to his room. The room contained of a queen size bed, it’s frame black and glossed. He had another TV in his room, yet this time it was smaller than the one outside. The windows were the same, however. Big; tall, and they take up almost the height of the entire wall.

“Sit down,” he told me. He then went into the bathroom and took out a first-aid kit from one of the shelves.

“Why d’you got a first-aid kit?” I asked.

“You’re still hurt,” he told me as he took a seat right next to me. “So I have to treat you. Who else would do it anyway?” He then applied the slightest bit of ointment on a cotton swab and pressed it gently against my bruise. I flinched slightly, even though it barely came in contact with my skin. He let out a hushed laugh.

“Stay still,” he said with a sweet smile on his face. Again, he pressed the swab on my bruise and slowly spreads it out. His eyes were full of concentration, and I wish I could just gaze at him forever. I’ve never seen a man this beautiful in my life. I never even thought I would fall for a guy. A boy, falling for another boy? You don’t normally get that often.

“There…” he said after what felt like seconds, “I’m done. Did it not hurt?”

“No, not really.”

“Good. It’s healed already.” We both then stay silent for a while. We were so close that I felt as though my heart was racing. Finally, he speaks up.

“Wanna have dinner now?” he asked, breaking the horrible silence between us.

“Yeah, sure.”