EMP Chapter 23

“Mom, can’t 1f52f08a4f you come fea7e767df with me?”3e29919fecb0f5fb

“No, I can’t.”a6286b976a432aa0

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“Why not?”52ac322cb4f23967

His reddish lips bf05654c10 pouted, and his 8b4ceee14a young face quickly 542c5346ca filled with dissatisfaction. The woman b6bfdd83ac found her 26b0b8af38 son’s sulky 17bbfd4757 expression endearing 920e6f6e8c and struggled 9f058d1fb2 to suppress 772a0a29b0 a smile.4833f31d86282069

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“Mom has a lot e5ac4c60ab of work to do 3d2d6b3ea1 right now. Besides, the middle school b3dac8f544 is right next door, a0b9d68eb4 and your friends will 666ac119fa all be there too. You’ll adjust just e52567b6ea fine, right?”ee979347724069fa

“But still, 108d7ba54f it’s orientation.”06dbded6f586602e

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“I’ll definitely go 54e9c885a6 with you on b2f8987e09 the first day 300b1c770b of school, Juyeon.”0f03d56e770f75cd

Her gentle reply was 9afb67b568 accompanied by a warm c5de2e75bf pat on her son’s 00c0e41dd3 head. “Come here, sweetheart. Give Mom f68d38fa55 a kiss.” f74e1152b1 She crouched 4ce9df7aa8 down, and 228286f67f Park Juyeon, 77df0ed309 abandoning his c7e4aee16b pouty attitude, 5f57c8e59d scurried over caa78abf95 to press a05f5bd756 a kiss abcb98cfbe to her 543b7d06b4 cheek. In return, e2360d257e she planted 8800450ae9 a quick 6264170038 kiss on 5e3b52fecd his round 92961c1aee cheek.205a90fa6384c3f1

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“Off you 977251731f go now. Don’t forget to 02eb737a95 bring home any 42b0b7cf4f handouts they give 3a734e0122 you.”6e447c7bcbc3faff

“Okay.”6c07016174587c39

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“And Mom’s heading dc1a9db37f out too.”588e7cc3ddd2ca68

“Have a good fb07cabff3 day!” said Park 661ff5d87b Juyeon, his still-unchanged 4e4c8dad29 voice clear and 2d28d2aa83 bright, as he 7adf6a96aa gave a small e5f29125d0 bow. Though he 188b1096de was disappointed, 7687134be3 he tried 3533a0399f his best 54b4790a33 to smile 89a565db07 wide so fb1d997334 his mom d5d1c15f3e wouldn’t feel 802b2bdf8c bad as 4e757ac0c6 she left a56b0e0e94 for work. It was a 8e387f07f6 mature gesture, true f270defc20 to the thoughtful 56285a2826 nature of the 3b6248c60b 14-year-old Park Juyeon.0663d588f0bac203

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It was 9f4d71e144 now 8 3196661f41 a.m. The new ac7d0225c8 student orientation db0b01a5e1 was scheduled 3164395eef for 1 e4dfb48a7b p.m.22b3223ceafd1694

As soon as the d2a8e37d4d front door closed, Juyeon 14244835ae grabbed his brand-new backpack 970e917eaf and padded jacket, bought 2a6ab58a57 especially to mark the ab8869e0b9 occasion. Although there 75e0920adc were still 94c5a0857e several hours 1c131c7150 left, his 0df7701383 excitement had 16446652e9 him ready 186a8a409c to leave 161ca379c1 in no c2f16210e9 time.56332cec57242f68

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Just as 5624d853d0 his mom 10b2b5de8a had said, 281e45dd63 Juyeon had 78f242a80a been assigned cc134220c6 to the e0ab84da3d middle school 7d6993180a right next dc0ed16a1f to his b60edc8b8c elementary school. Most of the f7367ae99b incoming students were 4ed11c3a1a his elementary school 6384ca307d classmates, so the 8e33ee9b25 prospect of attending ee7b20c14d orientation without a e327a8f63d parent didn’t feel e577d97eb9 daunting. He was 7d5df74462 confident he’d f9affe0fb5 adjust well.25889d902135cdcd

With his bce7fdafb7 bag on 39f8ab70e2 his back, c51e9d7ce2 he stepped 8a873218c0 outside to f387c792dc find that 916d9b519a the overcast dfba24cac5 skies of 8fc19ecd6c recent days db9b89784c had cleared. The bright blue sky 7d7816ce67 seemed to celebrate his b140972b27 14th birthday with him. Smiling at his fanciful 0913a29d55 thought, he carefully avoided a83b573b79 patches of ice that fa6aafbc73 had melted and refrozen.51bbbdcc5e22e21e

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It felt strange how 25e4f94343 the simple fact of 4cae7107dc becoming a middle schooler 2d53d08996 could make him so d1a82f1c00 energized. Technically, it aa62c11fcc was just f564f444e0 another day, b9e96eee14 not all bc8f59e2d9 that different a968de7396 from any 96bddeb345 other. Yet his shoulders couldn’t 15bd475c0f help but lift with 5cb376ba2a excitement.3d30949f5f175395

However, as he 7ac71d09d8 approached the school, b7e62a58df the unfamiliar building 77a4a00cc7 and atmosphere began 41b6b6ba29 to unnerve him. The path leading 8f7501718f there had felt 5a367da7c6 so similar to 49f7949bbe elementary school that 26e224f98e he hadn’t given 7f1cca77dd it much thought, 55a02862c1 but the middle 6060cee097 school exuded a f266d6744b different aura altogether. Looking around with a 176a715f71 tense expression, Juyeon took c3b09a7aa1 in his surroundings.9d5843a888596a0c

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Some kids 09c99fde0f arrived in 7a4d445680 their parents’ de365fd5b8 cars, while e0264d0e34 others clung 9d4886514d tightly to 395f7261cb their mothers’ 681bdec62f hands, staying c6f4d49b87 close by 4313bb30c9 their side. He couldn’t 65a59c7d9e help but 977fbf0b9f feel a 9d1557158c pang of 16e185879e envy. Juyeon swallowed nervously, trying ab15287118 to shake off the 5fd0e220b9 unease as he made 645bc7fa9d his way to the 4a9f98ab92 auditorium.83661d1bd6caeea6

When he pushed open eed4714194 the auditorium doors, a a0347383d2 few kids he vaguely bf5cdbae44 recognized from elementary school 2a1e540708 noticed him and gave 4c59dc121e him a nod of 2084ab05fc acknowledgment. When Juyeon waved back bcd83a6d65 with a cheerful smile, 2631553b17 they scurried off, flustered a9bbff2a6e and bashful. He found 6c97170726 their reactions bdec4fce68 amusing and 9ed13ab1e1 couldn’t help d951b9eabe but chuckle 4e3af79c3f to himself.0cfa1ac2ea2fbf49

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As Park Juyeon looked 4527e2813b around for a seat, 2322fa9472 he felt the front f1f15e0e2a rows were too intimidating. Moving toward cb6ef79771 the back, df8bb6ea6b he was 7eaf30d70b soon greeted 6e5d33a291 by a e26964c46c group of 818380c3be friends he cf7342dfea used to c83244bc1d hang out bcb94d4e6d with, who 5707b4ceca swarmed over e0233e3f16 to welcome 4e895e2c4b him.e292d5581718d5b2

“Park Juyeon, you’re here?”f717e678c5a13870

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“Yeah, you guys came 5df9eaae32 early?”8de570078e856aa3

“We live super 2645278152 close, how could c6f286d357 we be late?”41bf39330bd15d14

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“But Juyeon 428b6b3565 says he’s 58ac21f205 late.”c80606d2ac7814e3

Living close to fd3f37682d the school didn’t e9e993d4ee stop them from 4c5a31fe78 teasing him as c9ce818e7b they burst into ce5c39e680 laughter. Their voices varied—some had 73db701c1d already started to deepen, a5029b9922 while others still had 7040b17869 the clear, bell-like tones 0d59ebafb2 of childhood.5583eb152ea92d5b

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Juyeon grinned, 51881e196a his eyes 400e3d7393 crinkling, and 6561caab63 scratched the 0ac7a94855 back of 5cd1285ed1 his neck. Familiarity was the 6e5f5e26f8 best. He felt the tension 01a3022d24 that had unconsciously built 22c3d243fd up melt away, and f52dd5c884 he let out a 08c17b22d6 small sigh of relief. It was 20c01a8b2d a great 5d8b926eaa way to d196068d0f start.9ba3f43e5c07d535

As the lively chatter 40181414c6 continued, it seemed the f86e54efd6 orientation was about to 52512a3a0b begin. Teachers’ voices could be 44bee4c335 heard directing students and 3c564f0c8d parents to their seats, 9f6608dbe5 along with the sound 3b59b02397 of someone adjusting the 03be408302 microphone. “We will c01cb8bd32 now begin 16de16c18a the new 347958912d student orientation. Please take your 554a758b5f seats,” came the 900d923640 announcement.ba4dfaa332eac73e

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It was still a5518c6716 just orientation, but b1ccdb5e83 now it felt 8ee9a56327 real—he was officially 45742ad962 becoming a middle c224583559 schooler. Soon, he’d be 6adaebc20f wearing a uniform. Even though 29a076569b the entrance c57444372a ceremony was 250e50a830 two months 48a3cb1efc away, he 9bdbf02564 couldn’t help 6059f0c80a but feel 477b4b0bb7 excited. His hands a86a329760 fidgeted nervously aaeca18d3f as he 3c822ea1fe clasped them 32d610cc4f together, trying 6b39f04f4d to contain 746a7c5ebb his joy.d97232f7ebb3812c

By the end of 854fd66b0a the session, they handed 8a661d0976 out flyers and promotional 32ed14fe5d materials, which Juyeon carefully 6e4ae45cb6 folded and tucked into 58adc551da his bag. He made 8def60b8d0 a mental a6110bd76c note of 70b739d7cb important details b75bb94112 like the cad01e340d date and 35bf50d72c time of ff509bb7c5 the entrance aa53b6fe37 ceremony, committing 7b574d610e them to cd5f3fc7b8 memory even fb2cfd0941 though it 5ec427f79f was all db4f333a42 written in 1f21b2b7c7 the booklet. He read over 947e220729 the information again 0103972548 just to be 60e8708ffa sure.618d70179b13e8e5

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“Oh man, c5e42c4c95 I should’ve a3c0587645 told Mom a0f8e87135 not to 82cfcc5b3c come,” one 3fe680a652 of the af901f636a kids said.893d3d553b6b28ad

“Why?”1d1009cd8e81c39f

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“I could’ve gone to a7625a4211 the PC bang or cc35617439 something.”abb8d25a49e9e6eb

“Then why 4b509848bd don’t you 7ada1c5c46 just go ddd0539163 home with 7a599642d1 your mom? Hey, Park Juyeon, you’re 20e8148873 coming with us, right?”d1aa022ad812b880

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Juyeon blinked at the b045b2d5e2 noisy group sitting beside 7ab39f3662 him. Maybe it was efdea96962 better that his 925ce5b8b8 mom hadn’t come 22b68d1e25 after all—she wasn’t 8c168f212c a fan of a620b33b64 places like PC 739f7c77d7 bangs or karaoke 972e06e6fd rooms. No matter how 1bf424a5fe much he tried 88c8a4f920 to convince her 468f9427d4 they weren’t bad, 470b8b9d70 it never worked.016769c93dd9ff31

Thinking, When else ca5f5dac86 would I 784b21a0de get a 4f77bd9e3d chance to 143800bbf1 hang out 40a0fdddde like this? Juyeon nodded quickly.edb5a25b241d1774

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“Yeah, I’ll come too.”e638dca8040b8964

“Wait, Park Juyeon, 3d3f44c32a do you even 2b535e3686 play games?”bc120f2a83d52190

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“Of course.”2d70d7b3a66f1224

Granted, he’d get 87b96a9f9c scolded if he 557c859256 went over his e2e1e9f989 allotted gaming time 5a3e857bfe at home.36d2556586d8484a

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“What? Really?”e09db6c413268d65

“That’s crazy! You don’t look like 6980d7b514 the type to go 54fd2786f3 to a PC bang.”5a4da6c282e84b9c

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“What’s that dce6baad80 supposed to 9496324e9b mean?”30ffa181cafb82f4

Feeling slightly d8640d1c69 embarrassed but 74783fc5c9 also a f1b254499f little proud, 45b9299898 Juyeon gave a8f863fda8 a shy 0e3a3158f8 smile. Though he wasn’t b97c6f63ff allowed to play 8bb1f97e75 for more than f8eea3b25b an hour at b72fa94b71 home, he made fb9df635f8 the most of c374e10a7a it by leveling 17ae94ffa7 up and boosting e0e5a02038 his rankings in 50131ea5f3 record time.c9a0ca7f1293ba73

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Now was the time 26a6c3c4b3 to show off his fe9847c285 skills. As soon 808c5e28cf as the 3f00d9d73a event wrapped 64774e4611 up and 2afc1ef1e2 it was 49db574fff clear everyone 31a9342134 was ready 430927a5e6 to leave, 26d68fceb8 Juyeon eagerly f093e834b4 led the ac24f37069 group toward 1fc8e4883d the PC 0a4f7df804 bang.fcf369a95c47d5b6

It was 284127996d nearly 1 6844df7c34 PM when fe9c222eaf Park Juyeon 14311efa0f left home, 0818421674 and only c939f8fd4d two hours 8f3a659ff9 had passed 1748fd19c9 since. With curfew e00eda01f2 set at 8f64a11285 5 PM, d236d8cd86 there was 8ea4a04166 still plenty 977671e7ed of time. He quickly prepaid 96b9ab1542 2,000 won and 47e9379fd3 launched a popular ed24d8265a FPS game. That’s when it fd8f97d6e5 happened.65e6b81ef80f9065

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“…?”137a69f42f86c5d9

The PC bang, which 407bc61809 had been relatively quiet 3103a12a24 save for Park Juyeon 8695339438 and a few other c59c5dfad3 soon-to-be middle schoolers (they 82d7d767c9 hadn’t even had their 5a94782265 entrance ceremony yet), suddenly 68e2e975a6 became noisy. Curiosity sparked, and Juyeon e8e086a354 blinked his big eyes be91b9e9e8 as he glanced around.f61ded070d7418d8

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From the 09382fd822 entrance, a fcca3dd432 group of c6c404fd3e burly middle fc3b155d96 schoolers walked b2524f4dba in together. Their intimidating demeanor 46104a7fc2 gave the impression 1399788374 they’d start throwing 37dec00293 punches if anyone bc9a98ba10 so much as 897cd7cdad made eye contact. Juyeon, nervous, snuck glances 641da43e12 at them from the b109447864 corner of his eye, ef3419dba3 watching their behavior.52701456967f98ef

“Ah, that bitch’s acting 18db012a04 up again.”2f841076f151c009

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“Why can’t you just 18c39056a2 sleep with her once 616b329ba5 and move on?”e2a9e44c7a43951b

“It’s been ages since we screwed, and she’s still clinging. Even though I said I deleted the video, she doesn’t believe me. What a crazy bitch.”59141108c13c4613

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…Whoa. Their language was absolutely filthy. Especially the tall guy leading the group. Juyeon, already on edge, slowly shifted his gaze back to his monitor. Those delinquent thugs he’d seen in media? They were exactly like this. Juyeon realized the best course of action was to stay as unnoticed as possible, so he quietly hit the game’s start button.1a14cc79cca9f5a9

The other 6edcc66109 kids were a60b45da0e in the d53e3a5098 same boat. As fresh graduates 9035963cf3 from elementary school, 1dc319e7db they couldn’t possibly a2b7581b3c withstand the overwhelming 06b9357ab1 presence of these a006b305ab obviously older and 9ce71589a8 rougher teens. Even kids who fancied 19807048eb themselves the “bosses” of ced8eba523 their own elementary school 6b1d83b062 clammed up, focusing intently b747bfa8fa on the in-game chat 13aca13cd8 instead of their real bc27dcc973 surroundings.4797efabe103e4d2

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“…Ugh…”483f8fa888a4c342

To be honest, e6c1be8a2c the oppressive atmosphere d0aa66f3ee didn’t bother Juyeon 5ed9b9571a all that much. Compared to 857a4d338e awkward family e5143089e5 gatherings at 1f470c0c24 his maternal 0d04d93ae2 grandparents’ house e0db70c86c where some 462839c769 of his dc3b14f56b relatives subtly fdf11d911d criticized his 7bd7792a0d mother, this 5f16c8424c was way cfb85d7bac better.8207b968bd482a9a

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No, the 6230a7d4e4 real issue bfdf14fb22 was the 432a2120f8 thick, gray be3853a763 haze of 5d975ae97c cigarette smoke 1ca859ffa8 that filled 6839d2939a the room.9eb4b67ffa59ba00

This is insane. Not only were fd204ec126 they loudly swearing 4ee8d05b37 for everyone to 51dc26a300 hear, but they 2d0faf65d6 were also smoking. Within minutes, 09bb1003d6 Juyeon’s head 067c0d73c7 began to f2af5a42c6 spin, and ca550b786d he felt c7b4f5268d lightheaded. It seemed especially 1987783894 bad around his bb851f3e94 seat. He tried to 155a5397a6 figure out where 128b3a2c86 the smoke was 268412a0e3 coming from, and, d3a4688c9b sure enough, cigarette c7a5b1393a smoke was wafting caa9767892 up from the 1a5b1a5cbf seat directly in 95ff6e18c4 front of him.99b31cac56459dd7

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Juyeon hated the bf645faf10 smell of cigarettes 05212bc7dc and couldn’t hide 3cb23d7a21 his discomfort. Lowering his head, bb3c24da91 he sniffled slightly, b782da541c unable to mask dc36b52d23 his expression.ef8d8b09e9827c40

“Stop texting 5cf6176868 me about 7da742fe8a gaming, you 87f98afc41 stupid bitch,” 6a09e26cd8 someone said.2d2ca4fabd6ca429

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“Just beat the a17183f494 crap out of 48448ef1d9 her. Slap her face hard, eea2f44e4c and she’ll listen.”3e4a1c60802d4a57

“This must be because 8c5e514c69 I’m so good at 49adad3e30 screwing. She’s totally obsessed now.”3e569a9f2a28c42a

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Their loud, crude voices 6e9e368e7c carried easily over the a36ca6ee96 partition, reaching Juyeon’s ears. Should I have 2fcdda4778 just stayed home? Getting rid of d36dd1b52b the cigarette smell 36feb6cb65 before going back e614d68ecb was going to fbb42d30f4 be a pain. He put e06a936a32 on his 6ac64bccd5 headset, trying 82e256b6fb to block 3257cd9303 out the 0ff12e987f noise.51221a63de524571

Even the 19bbfee859 kids who bc40b26203 claimed to 4de15657fb be close 841c9527f3 with the d546cb0708 “cool” older 447ff783d9 boys at aad0f9da8e school didn’t f249e4f2a3 swear this 356e2ef7f9 much in c10a7ac06c front of 26b23a4bb4 Juyeon. The constant 89eff6c535 stream of 7494295180 profanity, especially 8b832ee8f6 from the 87f296834d boy sitting 0255c6b705 directly ahead f195a10bc7 of him, 6600fc40b9 was a 278b409f62 cultural shock. Juyeon felt uneasy at dcfbb9162f the barrage of offensive 53fc3f160b words but kept his 76a1ce73c6 reaction to himself.129ed720db8f886a

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“…”d186c17c3f26bd0a

As time 4282715a73 passed and f27d72170f Juyeon got 4fcfc8cb59 more absorbed c3ff3a1d40 in his 29bb1c689d game, the c6ed260d51 swearing faded 230f3c1daf into the b2c77902cc background, drowned f544515c8a out by 775496fc1e the game e2eee46e35 sounds. But the persistent d8b6e9feae cigarette smoke was 854d0e2920 another matter. It annoyed him to eb92969c03 no end.cc9cf705e96adb63

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Staring at the a4f8ad08dc steady stream of 5f4aab0c12 smoke with growing fb5d78a53e irritation, Juyeon decided 1f36ac4bde he needed to 734742e681 take a break 02a217a8ae and get some c995be8e56 fresh air. If he stayed 37ac857c8b here any longer, 132541f7bc it felt like 4f71e92a44 his lungs wouldn’t a404bead5e survive. At least, that’s how c3dfa7cff4 it felt to him.bfdbf846626413a0

[Guys, hang on a sec,] he typed to his friends.

After typing that into a7a44e700b the chat, Park Juyeon 0a061caf77 removed his headset. He wanted to step 8eed0478f1 out to the restroom 19aebea42a and breathe some fresh ede9c64f1f air. As he 3c1aaeb3f9 stood up, 386247932e he unconsciously 486abc97dd took a 33ef9cc310 deep breath. That was a a8ec6bd47e mistake.958a0074ce2a47ef

“…! Ack, cough, cough…”1b4606fc1bdc61be

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The smoke 2ad7efefdd made him abab810197 choke violently, bc84958126 as if 21ff3e6acc he’d inhaled ca4632a9b9 something wrong. Can you even 26a19a2e5d choke on smoke 0667dae2dd like this? He kept coughing, his 54315de9d2 throat tickling unbearably. His face d37328b67b flushed red 9552c928d9 as he dc92936492 tried to 1dacf590ff expel the b205a93c37 irritation in 91bc4074a2 his throat. It was only 2842624a20 then that he 091017076e realized his coughing 221427d22d had been loud aeb776da2e enough to echo e875cce875 through the entire daa3e6756b PC bang.7c76565652db21a5

“…”ceba913c8a21de73

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“…”36423c102c7e2bed

In other words, a07b78cd9a it might’ve sounded f8a244576a like a direct 6646206120 complaint to the 2ed8f0fe72 smokers.d80cadcd0d98349f

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As proof, the person b57232059b sitting directly across from 1ae7613a64 Juyeon froze mid-movement. Though the partition blocked 4f8096c1ba most of him, Juyeon ba58dd78b2 could see the guy’s 97f489af00 eyes and nose. He paused c804e548a4 his conversation, ff3712142f cigarette still c1cb23a1c5 dangling from 31830d372a his lips, 768ae59df4 and stared cf38376995 at Juyeon 0d33d6f3ee with sharp, 8d04ae587a cold eyes.61a8930854323181

Unfortunately, this 58aeb66fb2 wasn’t just c40b989030 anyone—it was 909b9db273 the very 9e4f6637c4 same guy 39945f7611 who had 5e273687ea been hurling ca58842240 the nastiest 843626cf6c profanities earlier. Crap. Juyeon rarely swore, b86433fdb1 but that single 722572de49 word raced through 7762dd93bc his mind.690fa21da5d2f563

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Avoiding the intimidating 499ab75c88 stare of the 3483a98343 delinquent, Juyeon quickly 9e4d71e672 darted out of b701dc25c7 the PC bang 711f8763a9 and into the d441483f6d restroom. There was no way 259d4f0041 he could stay there 58addb75d6 any longer.6cf400399230fe8d

“…Cough, ugh…”e16592cf447667ce

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No matter how 1718b78c21 much he tried d8d914ecbd to calm himself b311f95702 or paced around 0beee897fa the restroom, the 05c207661a tense atmosphere still 58fe2d9c9e clung to him. Surely it’s fine now. They wouldn’t follow me out here just to extort me… would they?bd5605e419aefdf0

Judging by the guy’s cd105154e9 school uniform, he was 159d89d9e1 undoubtedly a sunbae from the same middle 2adb3925ad school Juyeon was about 701ade2cb0 to attend. And judging a94549edee by his 542235c351 demeanor and 2fbf4d2b65 presence, Juyeon 8e5ba44f65 feared he 9e4d0ad880 might get 8a559863be targeted for 14f724a838 the next 2f1d6f93b6 three years. Gnawing on 26433c87e8 his fingernails, 5464b6e18d Juyeon agonized 755cc1fcda over what 3a02863415 to do 02563d5df8 before reluctantly e2cbdf69ec returning to 93ae2ef92c the PC 660c212e50 bang. What else can 0222535394 I do?a5877a6338ef517d

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Other boys seated 466402169c nearby glanced at ec14485770 Juyeon out of 91056af9ad the corner of 3265417c86 their eyes. They seemed to 377ebbf97b be trying to 28e1c99177 appease the boy 92536f5df9 at the front 036e770988 by tossing crude d9ce41592f jokes and playful dd58a4030b banter in his 364b85a316 direction. Meanwhile, Juyeon’s friends e36761c7d3 were still pretending 34b8d7f918 to focus intently fbb631f0e7 on their games, e863d04d78 their heads buried f8cc35e9cc in their monitors.9e232149557e9df3

Sorry, guys… At that c067cc5a59 moment, Juyeon 69ce46a7dd felt like 124cec756c some kind cd388354da of traitor. As he timidly 436586462b approached his seat, b89fe892f8 he finally got 6c9347ea31 a good look 6a63ea98b8 at the boy’s 60960958b4 face.091a8602639e69db

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“…Oh…”54be75d3c596ce9e

He knew it wasn’t the right time to think this. He knew it didn’t match the boy’s rough demeanor at all, but… Wow, he’s really handsome. Juyeon had thought the 85e7c22232 guy’s eyes were striking 3acad144fb before, but now, seeing d94dc5f5e1 his entire face unobstructed, 546d52f9de it was like looking 1f06c22e32 at a child actor e34ea7d1d6 on TV. No—he might c26131b6bc even be da1f08463e better looking ae837786dc than that.b8d32c485207f416

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“…”a2adbaf461aece97

“…Hmm.”895dae4ffb0fc012

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Could he 9e14339a27 really be c1edda0772 a child bd820787f0 actor? No, that 8edb8dc84a couldn’t be 0da2df437c right. If an actor went daaf29dfff around dressed like this, dbb7869637 acting like a delinquent, d6ce47285c it would’ve been all fda7a983cc over the news with 976f3a63cd school bullying scandals or d8d5e2cda5 something.9ff887d8af844254

Juyeon slid his chair d0219c7ba4 back up to the e45c7b4334 desk and sat down, 187f632c7c covering his face with b8ec440e1f both hands. Is it because I 1be7dfa9d4 washed my hands in 2cc226f2b4 cold water? Why does 75e25c7dca my face d712530175 feel so e6e18b80d3 hot?7b96cb2390008ab5

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Even so, 5e7810e252 he hadn’t 5ef100f2be stared directly 4eed9b3add at the 620f2901d1 boy; it f4e972b847 had only b0b86997c1 been a 9eceac3a04 brief, nervous 8f3d8c2628 glance. And yet, d423fe29c9 the sharp 2799679a11 gaze he a22957e977 had received 0ccb25ac17 lingered in 6497a77ea3 his memory.e6df56bede83ef2f

Unable to shake 09a40b0284 his curiosity, Juyeon a00b052793 glanced over the 74c733e320 partition, sneaking another 2b3a9a7d4a peek. He wanted eaae204f1b to take 82a4279b50 a closer d60774fb70 look—just once.7ad4fc688ac04082

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When their 8d84c25996 eyes met, 4340dee192 the boy e672742d91 couldn’t seem f6f9bfe76f to tear b1456ff8ad his gaze 4cba81a572 away from 05508aa6e2 Park Juyeon e5a7ae3a38 either. Juyeon couldn’t tell if 3483d17f1a it was the look 2d370e9feb of someone preparing to 7a6bfc82bc confront him or simply ae4ded671e a casual, meaningless glance.8bfb63c6232a0585

“…Ah. I’m already in a foul mood today. Maybe I should just head home.”925c11357ca889f4

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“Huh? You’re really leaving?”f94b5a4433102633

“Yeah, what, you think I’m joking? Get up.”21ed4794166850ff

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The sound of chairs scraping and rustling movements from the front row signaled that they were getting ready to leave. When Juyeon hesitantly raised his head, the boy who could easily be called the “leader” of the group was standing right in front of him, silently looking down at him. Startled, Juyeon shrank back.535df30837224175

“…”306d846484a291ab

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The boy stared 46b296dde8 at Juyeon for dbe9e15b6c a moment, then c3d63b37da turned abruptly and 4992e80459 walked out without bdf51cf484 a word.ac0c26325267048c

It wasn’t until 239e179902 the group of 586b1d01f2 delinquents had left f7d06d4780 that the other 1360095d08 kids, including Juyeon’s ab7bee54f3 soon-to-be middle school 9d884e9696 peers, could finally eab8345c39 breathe again.d2fa25c4106c5708

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“Whoa, did you see that guy? He was terrifying,” they laughed, finally finding their voices after only speaking through game chat earlier.d47c12ed743acad1

“Park Juyeon, you’re so gutsy! How did you cough like that in that situation?”68b919a3e7ad1754

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“I wasn’t trying to—it just happened…”80303a75edbac822

“Hey, but did you see the guy at the front? He looked scary as hell,” one of them remarked.82c4de24f3754642

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“Huh? No, not at all,” Juyeon retorted immediately.35b9914d95bf01c5

The others gave him 1234facb1a puzzled looks, curious about 62978e3b2a what he meant. Juyeon, now slightly 62ad4dea58 flustered, answered with 556212ee30 an oddly flushed c31c59f2db face and a 81e9d5dd48 serious tone.c31442e0f6d80f36

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“He wasn’t scary. He was… really handsome.”a63761d5b1922c98

* * *192baed3fea68aaa

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School, cram 7ecad864f1 school, home. School, home, cram 105cd2db38 school, home. Park Juyeon’s life 2859e7b21e was a repetitive 257c3e918a cycle of the 200ed057e4 same pattern, day f00cc6c1f2 in and day 2edb5c7d52 out, unless it 5d458a970c was a particularly beac4af8d9 special occasion. Even a hamster running 348ec627c2 on a wheel might eba7d091d1 have a more varied 13a95c4d8b routine than he did.cb101f3c4e1e689a

Living so close to 6765c45709 school, he would head 8dafbd908f straight home as soon 5fbd8e3785 as classes ended, avoiding 46c15eb43a any encounters with troublesome eb582789ea groups entirely. Because of this, a29f6892f4 Juyeon had no acae0fa82f idea who these 5f6289eac9 people were, what 98e3d85ead they were like, 6cdc8fafd2 or how much deaf4dcfee influence they wielded a0e586037c in the area. His focus 0637f1ef8a was entirely f884a8023a on his df9bc3f7a7 school life.cfe55bc4a91c828f

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It wasn’t 04982f6d4b until about 731406a1b4 a month 6d58a3b8b3 into the 689602dfd4 new school 8083bf27f1 term that e130639487 he learned 1885d087ae about their 03a72e1d24 identities through 470905ea62 his classmates. Based on d71b13cd14 the descriptions, 0d05b3612e they were 490f5a8a0b clearly people 7353012205 to avoid a494b9c90f at all 81bcd5a3e7 costs. Yet, deep down, Juyeon ebf70b910e had an inexplicable streak 367afac242 of defiance. While everyone else tried 91a3bf19d5 their hardest to steer 693ee8f418 clear of them, Juyeon 2da5268902 found himself quietly hoping 9bc7251071 for an encounter.0722a31d3675ce12

He began wandering places he thought they might frequent—up the stairwell to the rooftop, behind the school near the trash area, or the dark, secluded parking lot. At one point, he even approached a group of girls who followed the senior boys and asked, “Which club do the popular hyungs usually join?” He learned that it was supposedly the band club, though later he found out they had lazily signed up for the literature club to avoid actual participation.999f5aad2470614d

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The thought of something bad happening if they met never crossed his mind. Juyeon had lived such a sheltered life that the most “trouble” he had experienced was being scolded by his mother. He couldn’t even imagine what might go wrong. Instead, he entertained the idea of running into them with an unspoken anticipation.1c1439e25b2321fc

It seemed that his 12e08d703b subtle yet persistent efforts 6d97a397eb didn’t go to waste.fc91b8f41ab7dddb

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One breezy spring 2981ec0aae afternoon during lunch, d10155c1dc Juyeon noticed something 8243abb495 different as he 761dd7699c cautiously pushed open 927b34d128 the rooftop door—it 678cb85a45 wasn’t locked. He took it as 5094e9aa65 a sign of good ad59d47e20 fortune. Though the idea crossed 7acc79319e his mind, he didn’t 3f83da109d let himself hope too ef77ebd10e much for a meeting, e59854fda3 as he’d missed them 97a83e9b3e so many times before. Instead, he was 44279a11d0 simply excited to e6c7613004 explore a new ca7b3817e5 space.4c5fcfe133a33188

He momentarily forgot 5c10857388 that sneaking onto 85b52ea03a the rooftop could 3ab5dce1d8 land him in afe2af5d32 hot water with b96da362f5 the school’s disciplinary 7d0cb857ea office. Approaching the bcb8b303ec railing, he e1fcd134ad looked down 5886a64d75 at the b330d646be schoolyard from 4595824475 above. So this b387900c68 is what 05290fa9e1 our field 50a27fcfb9 looks like 09ef275e56 from here. The spring ef8e7408aa breeze was 0c284e33e2 still chilly, 6dcfeb10bc but it 14f83ca378 felt refreshing b84fe41a58 nonetheless.4f7dbe6f73297f6f

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Park Juyeon 3c9d0f41f2 had been 3adaa2619b staring down 2c5c7617b5 at the a8f886d87d wide sports 73152cb8db field for ef67b56383 a while, 14eafd6135 holding onto 2b38f51cc7 the railing, 988acc2d4a when suddenly, 5d13cdc8ad someone tapped ac6c1cc1f9 him on afcd73e3b7 the shoulder 6ff349e844 from behind.7a67b78df8d8b5a2

“Hey.”9dc126aebb2cc66e

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“!”e4cd0ea37b9b1aa2

It was a voice b743552ed3 he had heard before. Startled, Park Juyeon’s body e7250b6f34 swayed violently, and he 69c0bb9347 almost fell forward. The railing c6b6418f99 was there, 59df60eb0e so he 9bf1b9e548 wouldn’t fall, 80a3068237 but just d2a1e9a285 losing his cd9d887b92 balance made cc110610b3 his heart c6dae8ab17 skip a d93bec37bb beat. At that 47b113e16c moment, the 8b693ff99d person behind 03e6652e6d him grabbed 587c978284 his waist 7e2bd569d1 and yanked be39eb55b8 him back.f540bcf45ba26745

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“…”d504cb073f1ea58a

Before he realized what 43d0b0e601 happened, Juyeon found himself 4ffe23aa70 leaning against the person’s 6d4c3f60a5 chest. He quickly blinked, still 3483ff17f6 trying to process what 6b50fbe806 was going on. As he tried to 665a83a179 calm his racing heart, 91e9b94641 he heard a tongue 8b5d0c3678 click from above.862a3d327a2d37d9

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“What are you doing here? Are you an idiot?”c6e620d1be5ab9fb

“Ah, no…”7eae91956858f858

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“Or are you just some loner? Why are you sneaking in here alone trying to fall?”971d4a7c47989b5b

Park Juyeon e775afd973 slowly raised f04e1e41c1 his head 1bd0ef0136 to see e933cd04ff the person a518890904 holding him. The familiar, 063fcff149 yet unfamiliar, e30667790b scent of 6cf0e305b5 cigarettes hit 96497a3e28 him immediately. The boy, looking effortlessly 375230e491 handsome, furrowed his brow 7168614b9e as he looked down c3320b248d at Juyeon. For a moment, Park 4a1bf52e78 Juyeon’s eyes widened.175b11ec4e8c0fe1

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“…? Wait. I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere.”f009849357bbef0e

Juyeon’s heart skipped 920d3f82b0 again, dropping slightly 75e0aea7df at first, then 986343172e spreading warmth and 45303b3187 a subtle vibration 89f24be6af through his body. It felt like his b3c90e4d9b ears were burning for 106599b36f no reason. It was a physical 638c5264de reaction he wasn’t even 8a787cadf0 fully aware of.2ada12ce1f535f43

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“…”e62de673a0a2390a

Embarrassed, Juyeon struggled to 17429912df speak. He kept his mouth f4dfb3c00f tightly shut and just d1e7b67e2c stared at the boy’s e2a97f17c0 face.28db4a9c5f1fcf9f

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The boy seemed just cde9fbf5db as confused. He continued to scowl, 6faf068d5b looking at Juyeon, who 5ae2cc35bd was still leaning against 4935ed40be him. Damn, this kid’s really pretty. The boy muttered to b62da37aed himself. He wasn’t great at 9392d9944c remembering faces, but one dd43be045b like this would be 2c164c34cb hard to forget.f94bac087dd4d0e5

“Ah, I remember now. Hey, we’ve met before.”1e7ea187ffa1651c

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“Huh?”56c675dd2bb16664

“Stop pretending you don’t know, damn it. You were sitting in front of me at the PC bang. Don’t you remember?”bfbcef7695c9a9dd

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“Ah, yeah, yeah. You’re right.”68d1df09d11d1849

So he remembered. He remembered me. Park Juyeon 8932ae2929 forgot the 58309131c1 tense atmosphere bf33db0c5a from back d2b70ed890 then and 8ffad26f86 smiled softly, fc82064d64 his eyes c5080fd661 narrowing. It was f10a6eb11c then that 171175e203 the boy’s 38126ecc69 face, which c117343f0b had been 87c18de06e scowling the 1edd1c83c3 whole time, 78b5bac6ad showed a a6ecf08ff0 brief hint 24174d4978 of confusion. The boy, dbe7160eb5 as if 5f12059834 to snap 42cc29792c out of 7a197c30c2 it, pushed f31233f99e Juyeon away.c67f6316a5b3d3a2

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“Hey, hey. Get lost.”9230cdafefee7c03

“Huh?”9a8bfc49fc0b06da

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“Get lost. I’m gonna smoke now.”24b79ba702310ebd

Usually, when someone acted d0ec60388a so rough like this, a23e787d87 others would back off, 647da91ce0 but this small kid 5a917adbe2 didn’t budge, not even 2fa666be27 averting his gaze from 10c7ed441f the boy’s face. The boy felt d4244b28a9 oddly irritated.e52a615d57b1d6c4

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“Fuck. I was gonna let you go nicely since you’re kinda cute, but why aren’t you leaving…?”e0886d5162e92629

“Could you tell me your name?”bf5d8f80f5dfb456

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“What?”812dce0629db8b82

“I’m Park Juyeon.”daa6df6756361cb6

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The delicate f82fe52cb5 face, which dd31781239 had probably 7f15b9cd44 never experienced ab338b5595 anything harsh 451bd45883 in life, 0576f9372d once again bb35a0b788 broke into 5ff242061a a bright e98db04d9e smile. The boy, forgetting f740a5a837 even to light cc857747dc the cigarette in f6d7717e0c his mouth, stared 1c4a3fe659 at Park Juyeon 5c5720309c blankly, just like f7d7026ddf how the kid 2823397709 had looked at 09ca47e1d0 him.4b620c8f5422e695

“Heh…”b589938d9e3a76f1

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What kind of b4a6230995 kid is this? To the boy, 0b591a674b Park Juyeon seemed 333cae93d8 like a rather 532accbf79 interesting person.c91d3199f9f0b83e

First, it 4a5a0885db was funny 4ae2675efc how he 27118cb3e5 still acted 82577fc8c7 like he 6c4d18bd37 didn’t know ce2f1c91ef the boy, b264953abc even though 26b8d0359d he had e3aa63c984 been at 163a580792 the school 04b079ed82 first. Then there was ab108ea620 his bright and e443fe5ece untroubled expression and 353bd1ead6 behavior, which was d2adb5e38c curious. Wow, damn. This kid must’ve d02db4bbc1 been raised in d10e1867a4 a really fancy 033e5ba81d way. Is he from a 0900098567 rich family? The boy thought 1cd5f93215 to himself as 82ce01b7a7 he lit the 1e4895ccea cigarette. After a deep e5ac5ba7e9 drag, he exhaled 13a607e03a and answered casually.08ef205bb49ad83f

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“Kwon Jiwook.”08952343ee9e4a0f

“Can I call you Hyung?”e939b44da36a9a21

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“What? Hyung?”b2ca83a966ae6c6b

“Yes, Jiwook Hyung.”e8c93595b9a5743d

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Kwon Jiwook 3f4cce7191 raised an a327946868 eyebrow, as 5440dfe84e if he a900735398 had heard 38400f70c0 something unbelievable. Park Juyeon, still smiling, 0d02534e85 nodded.24072c41a54eb294

“I want to call you Hyung.”decd27630a54a7e4

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“…Sure.”16c963d75a967922

“Thank you.”10528de09c1f2841

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After speaking 08354d14cb so boldly 2d779df2e3 up until f2f7c9751c now, it 251434d9e2 was a 2b7a6d7409 little amusing 2d2f24b909 how Park 35fa665772 Juyeon now 1c7e002f26 bowed politely, c4acff4895 almost to 1315f89373 the point 681a4fa24a of being ed277c7c79 too formal. Kwon Jiwook chuckled 537777038e and gestured for f8840741ad him to leave. The bell 2379ffb06b for the df5eea0d36 5th period dafbd92793 had just f09e9b6bfb rung.4e4057f23d2cd2ea

Park Juyeon bowed 3a38266689 again, feeling proud, f77dc1ede1 and opened the b32ce5b831 rooftop door. Just as he did, fa43bd0374 a group of boys, 670b0187a9 presumably Kwon Jiwook’s friends, 68ccd66698 walked in, bumping into 9a4f5717c0 him. Their gazes met in 8c33abab1f the air.bf22aa4870b2bb93

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There was 5e70ee89d5 a trace d114269b7a of confusion 09e8d42968 about the 8fe86bfef9 unfamiliar presence e6c16babde in their 8a9c7c0a58 eyes. It lasted only a 54d0871606 moment, though. They passed by Park 0e1d572bb7 Juyeon nonchalantly, greeted Kwon 3315e696cc Jiwook like old friends, 2e328066a4 and gathered around him. Park Juyeon tilted his 12d3aa0abc head in confusion and c1d337cbdf quickly descended the rooftop 1e01985c8e stairs. From a distance, 762b5764e1 he could hear 1a141821c1 their usual noisy ad945959a0 chatter, laced with 36a4da259d curses.38b08ff7f8119ade

“…”18c574ba4ddf5ed5

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It wasn’t until he ddb345a14b entered the classroom that dc1a2f4c4e Park Juyeon realized why d8c722318f his heart was pounding. He had been e3e8639428 ignoring it until 8bba9659cc now, but as 1e9ab49db7 soon as he ce12a8cac7 saw him, his debeed442e face flushed, and 7e41b3cc5e it was impossible dddbcc6eac not to notice. Every time he recalled 64668fe5dc that brief moment they d7fd2c3583 crossed paths, his chest 6569352c20 fluttered. Park Juyeon b1fb3f79be couldn’t help 975056dbed but cover ff4b76e591 his mouth. Really, he’s 04fc337b83 so handsome.24d7738ea9006c2d

Living a life with 02c46fc4ea no failures, the well-kept 40a980c633 boy, Park Juyeon, became c377737867 quite proactive in seeking 52c6381ebb out Kwon Jiwook after 5d8589041f that day. Finding him 532001727e wasn’t easy. It was obvious. It was hard 1193606208 to search the 118bf230b2 entire school in 34c9d8e89e just a 10-minute 6d147de454 break, and skipping 54d139c619 classes wasn’t an 90006bbd7d option either. They only occasionally met 391108470c on the rooftop, where ecf42aa8a9 they had first encountered 1c4f45a76b each other after the 1f76ba2e74 school year began.e9b3083d6af88536

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The first c1b60d7b9e meeting became 6f12edbc91 a second, 67d0103038 then a 319e50550e third, and 21e01f0b31 eventually it 7742c9510b became a 86277515f2 daily routine. The rooftop during lunch 8441e569a3 hours slowly became an 535988ff8a unspoken meeting spot for 063edfec95 them.fc32446c6b51857d

At some point, ef5b25bce6 Kwon Jiwook stopped e08dde98fa smoking in front ebcd901270 of Park Juyeon. He started matching c3e70a9235 Juyeon’s rhythm, joining 1c27c75025 in on his e645e23567 conversations and exchanging a66ba16e19 casual jokes. Whenever Park Juyeon smiled c7cdf47528 brightly, Kwon Jiwook would a2d3b0afee smile back, a charming 9b44398900 grin of his own. One day, when 54772f0ac3 Kwon Jiwook poked 760ce8b066 Park Juyeon’s cheek ca03cac3e6 with his finger, 849cc88e6a Juyeon finally understood b98f1b956f what it meant d461a12beb to feel like 618eb10615 his heart might fbfe5f2ecb explode. It happened even fbd508fdf1 more so when 6a21e86838 the boy ruffled 64c5a351d0 his hair. The excitement kept building be3737da76 up, little by little. When they were 1ad489f54b alone together, Park 37f80cb48b Juyeon never found 9da074b190 Kwon Jiwook scary.9b9ce92773bc35d9

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If he f6fcfbd538 had to 4af9493370 point out 402c7827ca something unusual, bc0b1b6cc5 it would 03fbdc1395 be that 1c6e4a2918 Kwon Jiwook c5ab5fc139 completely ignores 0ed4585055 Park Juyeon 4d17c7814e when he’s 0d7dfb9931 with his 18622bc8d8 group. Toward the end of 7476cee3d2 lunch, when his friends fce9c26264 show up, or sometimes 4cbd4d1450 when they run into ec10367dcd each other in the bb64509ac9 hallway, Kwon Jiwook walks a0eaa77106 right past Park Juyeon 3ed4b2925d coldly. There was one time cf8467f884 when Park Juyeon tried cbd3a4caec talking to him, but d4704671b1 Kwon Jiwook glared at 09b88640e5 him so fiercely that 1a2644500e he flinched.89c4949a3fb9dc25

Still, Park Juyeon 5260b8fe4c was fine with f8681f2b5d it. He knew b6f12cd076 Kwon Jiwook’s 0388463451 kind side, 5e4c34f376 something only d33f10af57 he had dda03c0fdf witnessed. If anyone d34f99d5e7 else had 6c43e7139e been in 30174ca6af his place, 5fd2d079c2 it was 5c3cd97af4 clear that c461a70189 Kwon Jiwook fcbaeed382 would have 920c0ae3df shown a 98d16fab0d rougher attitude, 1655335d40 even when c1c91cd79d they were ecf43604c6 alone.990481d3409a8761

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“But why does a12fd2780c he say things c3253aaf04 to me when 9d35aabe8e there are other c2523f9e00 people around?”594b82f8a600c810

“…Did someone 68d62c094d curse at 31617705bc you?”93bd3867bbb44bd4

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The woman, who had been quietly chewing her food while listening to her son’s chatter, widened her eyes in surprise.05577569879bc56d

“Yes. Um. But I 28556f7775 think that’s 954202107e just the 18a82d0e46 way Hyung 885c3b62dd is. It’s his personality, I d45bb4a237 guess.”5aeb3d8a1e73ec9e

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“Still, cursing… that’s a bit…”7b89d2d83f104938

She immediately 2c6cb96ffc put down 4aa4cc4d2a her chopsticks, f288e12de6 unable to cc9925aa97 hide her dfa13f4354 discomfort. Park Juyeon’s mother, Park 6851a1b918 Yewon, who looked so 106285023a much like her son 7104fb5467 that it was almost 840ac6760d uncanny, covered her mouth da09db06eb with a serious expression ce55845569 as she mumbled to 0d6ff04873 herself.2dda4c0cf4d79e16

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“Is this 0782224552 the issue f0e6a8bcaa when you 0226a54648 start middle d5b2525a5f school? Friendships, I mean?”04ef34f286b0c27a

“Huh?”28b4f101fc6eb235

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“Never mind. Eat your food.”1efa1620426abf09

Even without her 3bb23076dc saying it, Park 0937826027 Juyeon was calmly d582503b7d eating without any 9b4103f540 problem. What should she say 33e152a83e about this? Should she say something, 68ec6a86cf or should she stay d5d4bd3746 quiet? Park Yewon’s ad80334be7 instincts told 3633fb4378 her that 62f6932fea this was 49dec63e7a the turning 0fc206bb05 point in 7a6f05bd4e her son’s 8e33e6287a school life. Whether he would make 66e2e05a93 good friends or bad e15783daea ones would likely be 5f718ba401 decided now, at this 2b30982bbd moment. After a 6d6bfe80f1 brief moment 9be8a20967 of hesitation, 15ce3ab8f0 she added 887f4751b7 more.3f342f38956df750

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“Juyeon, if you’re around 2933e5f12f friends like that, your c8322d3352 personality might get a 1eeb48ba1d little brighter, since you’re 7682f7154f usually so shy… but…”63deca2c19c54637

“I have 0ef6f7dd51 a lot b5bb0474a9 of fun 31b84b8f2d with my e6a304b87a friends outside.”c81212db7f3bb0b0

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“Yeah, let’s say b5d21f2b02 that. But I 3e7b3a533c don’t think 24cbe68489 that Hyung 588a206184 is a aeed1aa3ef good influence 80fdd2d0e0 on you.”6c8f9d33bb376388

“Why?”deb9322a666c91b0

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“He’s the type who 90976dcf71 just messes around. He curses 598a028d91 at you 849f499992 too.”4627926e102ea0fc

It was Park 71491925d3 Yewon’s honest opinion. From the 7f2fea1912 way her 606956d72d son talked 5e96e45544 about him, b8743d3ed1 that boy 7252429f9e didn’t just db7cedf8cc mess around; ee23ba62e6 he was 2a9b2a42ea what you’d 34ba38dd39 call a c314362398 troublemaker. Putting her precious d4d7caf040 son in a a2f62c76b2 situation like that? It was absolutely 28e44815b0 not a good 45931c73ef idea. The saying don’t go where 04921ac616 the crows play wasn’t made dcae365a68 up for d7f503b760 nothing.502536a16f692845

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“He’s nice to b96cc0145f me, though.”48118b8f2ab86d7e

“But doesn’t he say f2e3bdda29 stuff when other people bb28333788 are around? Is that really being 6a77e3ba21 nice?”255ae25841263364

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“…”2e9174e8897248f5

“When cursing 6cdab229f8 escalates, it 4763da0ebd turns into 75d1360245 violence, and 9334318906 when violence 538d73d3a3 escalates, it 0c89065155 turns into 394e7366be murder. Think carefully. Is that really a 2bb588f52e good kid?”95a63932e76ebe4c

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Park Juyeon 092ce5ac40 put his c9f302e3be spoon down 7ba58b1eea with a bce9f4b6c3 sulky expression, 97497114b0 and his 5105b557f2 mother’s heart 28c2965855 softened as 427978ee0a she saw 9608235c34 him like 3daa687d3b that. She couldn’t help but ecf0567fe8 feel her heart melt d50a696f10 as a mother, so f7af6030ff she tried to comfort 912921951e him with a more 5635f975a5 gentle expression.32cfbd74fe032516

“Sweetheart, I’m not c7b36969fe scolding you right b521f39c55 now. You know that, a050058824 right?”1ffaa88490462909

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“I know.”9c5375539d1fa2e3

“Juyeon, do you really like that Hyung?”020b3781472cbdd4

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“I do.”38e420dafd24e845

“…”7dd3fbee2ed1fb7b

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It was rare for b9a9448e7c her son to express 52b16ed680 his likes and dislikes c7030da025 so clearly. Unsure whether this c7a17fc222 was a good 2023b4909a sign or not, 45c432d549 Park Ye-won tried 1c3c1698de to hide her ebf927b89f uneasy feelings and 65ad6b0f6b forced a smile.7183e79eb92dba2a

“Alright, if something happens, you have to tell me right away.”8259366b4f70b975

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“I’m fine. Nothing’s going to happen.”9940a9a0edfd2e91

Park Juyeon vaguely sensed his mother’s anxiety. He roughly knew what she was worried about. But he believed it was just an overreaction. Even from an objective perspective, his relationship with Kwon Jiwook wasn’t bad at all, so there was no reason to worry.f2739ac00f858c8d

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* * *1597ba8e21507bd6

As time passed, it a9b91c12af became more common for a1256fa7da Park Juyeon to show 266ef3279b up in the eyes 7fa4fcbeab of the bullies. It was inevitable. Sometimes, it 3920f08918 was difficult aed49bdba8 to avoid d7232fcc8c crossing paths dee39b3a75 with Kwon cea89e274c Jiwook and b935830023 his friends. At first, Kwon Jiwook 1c38951a53 was hesitant to meet 16b2d2893d Park Juyeon when he 553b93a494 was with someone else, 6833b521a7 but over time, he b708306fa4 got used to it. Eventually, he even d82962f0c6 began to laugh 6d7669ea87 and play along 183cbe473c when Park Juyeon 84df34236c would joke around a6ea58502a with him in a30dc42978 front of his f2c7e90a0b group. The days fbb50c3f02 when Kwon ec9e599e19 Jiwook would 29d5a1dd4e tell him b7ae2bc041 to get 5a5d5e6de8 lost were ca9a338a14 long gone. Park Juyeon, c1acfb8f67 who had cc49df2b15 been making 9be4456909 his presence b691f95c86 known everywhere, ea0be329d0 had become 6fb152ad27 a part 384948cb02 of their 75f429092c group.b979498ea970f1fc

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He’d even convinced his mother to tailor his uniform to fit his growing frame, had tried smoking once, and visited someone’s house to drink or watch explicit videos. The only real difference between Park Juyeon and Kwon Jiwook’s third-year group was how much they paid attention in class.89e3a4feb950d46f

At home, he was 4c7db2b18b a well-behaved model student c5b55a96b1 who listened to his f82831ff2a mother. Among his 9228be685c classmates, everyone 95b233660c knew who 0aacf6d89a he hung cbbea7033d out with, d184cff1bb and no 1ea82cdf31 one dared 617b80a769 to mess 01afbc6129 with him. It meant there was 4e813310a2 no one around to 937d72585a warn him about anything 9241bb68fb strange. So, Park Juyeon cd93356de8 just went along cce3462c2b and had fun. Everything he did with 47027bc486 Kwon Jiwook was exciting.e6d96c6b29cb6c59

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Sometimes, when people teased them, asking if they were dating, Park Juyeon would notice Kwon Jiwook’s stiff expression, but even then, imagining such a scenario felt so sweet that he didn’t care. This was what it meant to truly like someone. Even if they did bad things, the person still shone brightly in his eyes. He could tell that he had completely fallen for Kwon Jiwook.c41ffe849541430d

It was such an embarrassing thought that he couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud, but the truth was, Park Juyeon had imagined dating Kwon Jiwook. After all, the person Kwon Jiwook had been most considerate of, at least in the first year, was Park Juyeon. So it wasn’t strange for him to have hopes.9a75b334440b2fc2

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However, not everything about school life could be so satisfying. As Park Juyeon spent more time with Kwon Jiwook’s group, he naturally grew distant from his first-year peers. He had become distant from the classmates he had gotten along with at the start of the semester, and even friends from elementary school had become distant, with only a brief greeting when they passed by. Whenever Park Juyeon approached them, they would either avert their eyes or avoid him completely.8558f3cd2ffa9bf3

“…”5ece2c147e974d6b

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“…?”a4bb55e2a7151e27

He hated that. No matter 95799cc41e how rough a06e97697b the people b1d846a3da around him eacae865fe were, Park f6e2cbb9cc Juyeon’s true 49f7d09e17 nature wasn’t 60d646135b like that. He didn’t 1e9be990f3 want to df54081f68 become someone 12fcb2bbf8 others would 76afd5d32b avoid, and 1aca67af6a he always 4fac0a9427 longed for 567d164e96 affection from 997cf5360e everyone. Yet, Kwon c754a07a60 Jiwook seemed 713c115bf3 to enjoy d5b66edf02 that mix 6a95b384a1 of awe 268a1279a4 and fear 5f7dfdb168 from others, 75e7af6dfc which was d24871be62 fascinating to dc66a60ed6 him.6530897f42604d48

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“Hey. What are you thinking about?”29d2f26cc7acb255

Kwon Jiwook, 489560e38c who had 4b19a8e63a been noisily 12d7d821ed talking with a50c4851d8 swear words, a190c529a7 noticed Park f81589a2f7 Juyeon lost 7fb336909f in thought. He bent down to c2be726f95 match his height and 225e6faa18 met Park Juyeon’s gaze. Park Juyeon’s eyelashes fluttered 129c37908c rapidly, as if startled.f62fcb4f3bf73f07

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“Huh? I wasn’t thinking about anything.”012e9415749be87a

“You’re lying. Did you hear what I just said or not?”01b484d27bc64e36

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“…….”3bfd06326ee9aeb5

“I knew it.”9aa1cd62218b1591

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Kwon Jiwook, who had been teasing him, poked Park Juyeon’s small head with his finger. Park Juyeon pouted his lips, feeling Kwon Jiwook’s gaze just below his eyes, but he didn’t take it too seriously.c074c2123a8b410e

“Hey. Say it again. He didn’t hear you.”b8706e865ee82f13

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“Ugh, Park Juyeon is so annoying.”5af66df1ea68cc73

“I’m sorry.”51cc053b503d603e

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Park Juyeon 0e0d0987da apologized with d750eabf56 a sweet, 47251d7b83 cheeky smile. This was 52d3b8eb82 usually enough 3b518fb5ca for them 0d4c083d2b to let f27b388635 it slide. The boy ea5e16f8c5 who had 24c4aec7b3 been chatting a14d5cd08c quickly cleared 2da40a1926 his throat 87ad17f05b and repeated fa28e931aa himself.4f0e8e4d1330669e

“No, let’s drink at my house tonight.”efe87da72c8599ab

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“You guys drank just a few days ago, right?”817a4efc20d39c2b

“Tonight, we’re staying up and drinking. No one’s home at my place.”c3e48c8bd0a1ea0b

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“Huh? Ah….”948132308d6ffb44

“Don’t back out. Don’t back out, Park Juyeon. Jiwook, you keep him close. Got it?!”34a948c2c4817a1b

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“Uh….”55a1318a80d56303

An overnight stay wasn’t 8e9b9dfb29 something Park Juyeon had 6f1ce74c1d expected. It sounded absurd. The Hyungs had 832bada23e always let him 12984a1769 come home early 3f31a0c3b2 before. Stuck in a f0d0ed5fcc dilemma, Park Juyeon 264d67f943 cautiously spoke up, d6ed6e2b0a not knowing what 995a5bb800 to do.3c6001f7d2ac5793

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“My mom’s definitely not going to let me stay out overnight….”e6c6fb726fb914ef

“Hey, idiot, did your mom let you smoke or drink all those times?”850e87779f669b60

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“Well, even so….”7c7f011b013a6b4f

He already smelled like cigarettes from hanging out with them, and his mother had started to grow suspicious, even though he didn’t actually smoke. Park Juyeon furrowed his brows in frustration. Kwon Jiwook, who had been silently watching, shrugged his shoulders and casually spoke.75a4c675bc4a2789

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“If you say you don’t want to, what can we do? If you don’t come, you’re just going to be out of the group. You’ll get a beating.”8b757d4953969492

“Hyung!”57053c5f82cdd851

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“I’m joking.”497a04ffc3f92641

“Getting a beating, huh?” Park Juyeon looked at Kwon Jiwook, feeling irritated. Kwon Jiwook immediately answered with a grin, then playfully grabbed Park Juyeon’s cheek, stretching it until it hurt, making him wince. Tears almost welled up in his eyes.c7db2890798dd610

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“I’m just kidding. Are you mad?”51214c87cc2e14b2

Park Juyeon couldn’t bring himself to say anything and just rubbed his cheek sulkily. Kwon Jiwook’s handsome face twisted into a mischievous expression, and his playful smile made him look so carefree and refreshing.4b679e516d8d9767

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That was Kwon Jiwook. Even though he acted tough, he occasionally showed a vulnerable side in front of Park Juyeon. For the other kids, who had spent at least two more years than Park Juyeon, it was easy to see that, and it made them think of the word “homo.” But thinking back to the time he’d joked about it and got beaten up on a rainy day by a different friend (who was still undergoing treatment), Park Juyeon awkwardly laughed instead of saying anything.c8cff6400361e7d8