EMP Chapter 23

“Mom, can’t you 63b11d5f88 come with me?”588184d6c6810101

“No, I can’t.”11282dc3c776be7c

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“Why not?”4d326f88a3ace36e

His reddish 0ab0dd85c8 lips pouted, 7758bb5013 and his f099165dae young face 222e2ebd6a quickly filled 05dac7c212 with dissatisfaction. The woman found 54180811c4 her son’s sulky 2ba3265e47 expression endearing and 1d7c4e2849 struggled to suppress 9fe91fbba6 a smile.b8337b4e78798a6c

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“Mom has 5cd79d209d a lot 0acd9391c8 of work 436e1a475d to do 404e1e477c right now. Besides, the middle school 39d43d8a60 is right next door, 42d4990595 and your friends will e0d2cdcddb all be there too. You’ll adjust just fine, 732161e0aa right?”a4483ce65306df76

“But still, it’s orientation.”cbccef28e0925c33

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“I’ll definitely go with bd308da70c you on the first a035095920 day of school, Juyeon.”f84e85d0fd6c1537

Her gentle 12d0e4611f reply was 899425e72f accompanied by ba2e8c9995 a warm c0a87ad7f9 pat on c59099173a her son’s ecdd769aca head. “Come here, sweetheart. Give Mom a 030625203f kiss.” She crouched 8686ae6f3d down, and Park 52d1b94373 Juyeon, abandoning his 3fd91cdf70 pouty attitude, scurried 0af6fcb952 over to press 9eeb6ea99b a kiss to b3cc0333a9 her cheek. In return, she planted 45eb0ad051 a quick kiss on 40ced60ffd his round cheek.ebb7eb63e2af2130

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“Off you 7961818721 go now. Don’t forget cb68b4d505 to bring 8afc37ee64 home any c3d6f8104f handouts they efd42f8217 give you.”b0a88fff97d2e11e

“Okay.”dfdcad3c4f1b29be

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“And Mom’s heading cab360cae0 out too.”a22a3cfbddc27d4b

“Have a good df3170379f day!” said Park e7b34e1ed2 Juyeon, his still-unchanged eb05314e6e voice clear and 6ecd871bfd bright, as he 765927949d gave a small 27e7d9bd18 bow. Though he was d2a167866c disappointed, he tried 8a84a31af6 his best to 6e6a0d394e smile wide so 6ea50c5ef8 his mom wouldn’t 08b64485b1 feel bad as 957c1c7df7 she left for 418ae75d68 work. It was f59857fefb a mature fbec1873d0 gesture, true 0f6c174894 to the f6617821b3 thoughtful nature 49ad1ce892 of the 6af2823120 14-year-old Park 61fe5ae53a Juyeon.8d66e28a1582fef3

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It was now ffab479a20 8 a.m. The new student 085c35dd4f orientation was scheduled 4086387c7c for 1 p.m.294953456c186f00

As soon as 3a357161f2 the front door 1e82923379 closed, Juyeon grabbed 0b20b2fc56 his brand-new backpack 702020c6fe and padded jacket, 8d62dc9e05 bought especially to 84b1758a9f mark the occasion. Although there were 06eb35a662 still several hours 6d02384ce6 left, his excitement a18ea26eb3 had him ready 7c0bc4c860 to leave in a4306ce50a no time.f7af3f8d2043f6be

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Just as his fe1ba2613f mom had said, 8cb312fa84 Juyeon had been 19b85883e4 assigned to the a16fb87caa middle school right a0a6d9ae5a next to his a5e627ca22 elementary school. Most of the ee9af1041c incoming students were 23194f806d his elementary school f24724b4ef classmates, so the ff6da37bb0 prospect of attending 600b79aee9 orientation without a 138ee6ac79 parent didn’t feel 5839b21c09 daunting. He was confident 23b1c4c795 he’d adjust well.17d9bab4ca1043b7

With his 73fd7023b7 bag on 06e18a0cac his back, de4cea823b he stepped f59df041ef outside to b8bcb172a1 find that 7ac712a000 the overcast c7936b4f56 skies of 6c8b8f8e66 recent days c45bfbb04f had cleared. The bright blue e93380e004 sky seemed to 382bd84eaf celebrate his 14th 5d544119c1 birthday with him. Smiling at his 6b3be3b976 fanciful thought, he b4801afa6b carefully avoided patches 936acefcd2 of ice that 7ab09b88f1 had melted and a8db536366 refrozen.0191538f4b800e21

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It felt fdb0873898 strange how 04b7b624fc the simple 29d2fb6ba3 fact of 5ae8c1822b becoming a a4360579b6 middle schooler ee5f540b04 could make 4c3f081d09 him so b093cf6449 energized. Technically, it was just 3b120e9e6e another day, not all 260d2aa1ba that different from any 6bd8bc9cc2 other. Yet his ca2f60c191 shoulders couldn’t 905eb26590 help but a9e923bf61 lift with 4d3943fce8 excitement.6f054eb9fdee8512

However, as he approached cab3bb06aa the school, the unfamiliar 549ab5db21 building and atmosphere began 7c4478a3ab to unnerve him. The path leading there 7813be5230 had felt so similar 1119a7e025 to elementary school that 861a1e19d9 he hadn’t given it a3e3a99098 much thought, but the 64b1cbe4df middle school exuded a e61ab42a95 different aura altogether. Looking around with 4e9169d5a4 a tense expression, c2ec25bc49 Juyeon took in ce8366a57d his surroundings.35a3c007612bca34

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Some kids arrived bf8d7ef2c1 in their parents’ f60c754a1d cars, while others b588659b08 clung tightly to e1c44758ff their mothers’ hands, de8cb7f310 staying close by 9ce6140cdf their side. He couldn’t help but 4390bb88f2 feel a pang of d27ccfd0c8 envy. Juyeon swallowed 932dee4ba0 nervously, trying 10b3d54bb5 to shake f11faea3d3 off the 36ac1a80e7 unease as a91336af07 he made 9c6eb9ef24 his way 72317fe494 to the d07f514f73 auditorium.a8de1beb176e2b9c

When he pushed 2bd36e89c3 open the auditorium 9121bbc52f doors, a few eb20b6eb6b kids he vaguely 41c949b769 recognized from elementary 6fd3a24406 school noticed him 0c05845044 and gave him 6b7a1e50f6 a nod of 0f176a5305 acknowledgment. When Juyeon 579d70ba71 waved back b44bf07335 with a 53f07a4254 cheerful smile, 67ba815ea8 they scurried baab226c40 off, flustered 0c96f872f4 and bashful. He found their ab9ebc9aa2 reactions amusing and 737d82b040 couldn’t help but fa67f02f86 chuckle to himself.01d69636882f482a

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As Park Juyeon looked 8b117a32ff around for a seat, 80ef3f9a21 he felt the front 27567000e1 rows were too intimidating. Moving toward f2ae8b0a82 the back, e5c454c9e3 he was fb6f2dccba soon greeted dff753a1e1 by a cc9678197b group of 2a1f6a1c6b friends he 5ccbde36fc used to 9d73a0bf9c hang out 5ac8cf11d3 with, who ec73b8f080 swarmed over ff9992a750 to welcome 42fccd01b4 him.c636b0888261642f

“Park Juyeon, you’re here?”5cfce74320feb131

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“Yeah, you abfbc287f6 guys came dee46c938e early?”b4b097ca66d3d265

“We live super close, 8d8a0c58c1 how could we be 23275ebadd late?”65233e6281012d4f

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“But Juyeon says 75a4391120 he’s late.”33d7ff4f66df701c

Living close to e4d9b771f0 the school didn’t 030cf716de stop them from fa8e2f165a teasing him as 926d9d7870 they burst into 9ca5aa4aee laughter. Their voices varied—some ea19e83365 had already started 5eeb322a03 to deepen, while 62efde1714 others still had ba9fe49cbe the clear, bell-like 8808116c76 tones of childhood.5b4a5604655b72a5

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Juyeon grinned, his eyes 1f8b6868cd crinkling, and scratched the 7c9e9b6cfa back of his neck. Familiarity was the 229dbfb3ef best. He felt the 462178a80a tension that had 957043c969 unconsciously built up 3fffa9515f melt away, and a96c3e3766 he let out 48a3d45a25 a small sigh d9e1490f99 of relief. It was 994ea60509 a great f2e61fedd9 way to e07e185328 start.79a41e26f5a7a8da

As the lively chatter 128791df18 continued, it seemed the 5b8254890a orientation was about to 70a6f3dd54 begin. Teachers’ voices 00258969a1 could be c0379b4d37 heard directing c3349f7de0 students and 615faa1931 parents to 84d5c468e2 their seats, f9c6ba396a along with 3ae862b28e the sound 1d7c085d5c of someone 1c5fc4862d adjusting the fc759803e4 microphone. “We will now 6c703a29ec begin the new 7b85629aa4 student orientation. Please take your eb99ee7324 seats,” came the 07ddbe5390 announcement.a2ec9d11094e97c8

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It was still just 4ccf889c21 orientation, but now it 773f450248 felt real—he was officially 26543a69f4 becoming a middle schooler. Soon, he’d be 47c365b910 wearing a uniform. Even though the entrance d4a33004d9 ceremony was two months 4bbd56f2d9 away, he couldn’t help 916bf0d183 but feel excited. His hands fidgeted nervously 91572d1636 as he clasped them c7685d0dc1 together, trying to contain d3734de78d his joy.606c8f1562a0bc87

By the end of 8e4d255646 the session, they handed 5af2be3081 out flyers and promotional 49c4ac176a materials, which Juyeon carefully c1942527b8 folded and tucked into 6f4c168abc his bag. He made a 3c347afe1f mental note of 0063bc102b important details like 71d0a8020f the date and 279cd1375a time of the f29f1ad313 entrance ceremony, committing 744008f0c3 them to memory cf8ef2602d even though it 326b2a2a72 was all written 8e2950b4eb in the booklet. He read over e49b1383c8 the information again 5df4b7d3f8 just to be c57c4fcdec sure.9b604dbc86a539cf

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“Oh man, c24b99c0db I should’ve a511ac03ca told Mom be0a810b4f not to 3236d6abab come,” one dcc855f71c of the 8d1122f1e3 kids said.c1c1fbd1cebd250e

“Why?”cd18f3d7e9f80c14

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“I could’ve 21c9b594f1 gone to 5def977d88 the PC e0e743712d bang or 0af0bf8767 something.”c072a3b66a31be02

“Then why don’t you e84d8ae826 just go home with a31edaa264 your mom? Hey, Park Juyeon, you’re 7d89b77680 coming with us, right?”978be082292d50fd

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Juyeon blinked at 7a959dbcd5 the noisy group 4d736724d1 sitting beside him. Maybe it was better 4cd4880a5b that his mom hadn’t a13bcf5ff2 come after all—she wasn’t 6bffe43f1d a fan of places c9f169f68a like PC bangs or c1f450df4b karaoke rooms. No matter how 8cf845f29f much he tried 0ed4db3553 to convince her 1c89e57bd6 they weren’t bad, 334e0f8929 it never worked.aefe46bea28c54d2

Thinking, When else would I 2d1b99ba53 get a chance to deae733908 hang out like this? Juyeon nodded quickly.0e3cf27738e584af

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“Yeah, I’ll 415f675724 come too.”1dee4268d0508b96

“Wait, Park 943306cf55 Juyeon, do d5afed1fa1 you even 06641c230a play games?”2548264900a66e88

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“Of course.”f145bd643fdd0b25

Granted, he’d get scolded 50accfa394 if he went over fc2b6e4dd3 his allotted gaming time 36f1effcae at home.fca920687316c499

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“What? Really?”596e63846fa50b5f

“That’s crazy! You don’t look 6f0cc54914 like the type 03bec5adb9 to go to 57e44bc50b a PC bang.”2d74106fe1fe503d

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“What’s that supposed to d1e20e489d mean?”0bfe56ad53a10314

Feeling slightly embarrassed but 6c84868181 also a little proud, 7b8f0646d9 Juyeon gave a shy bca37729da smile. Though he wasn’t 0d1a499094 allowed to play 49d1fb5179 for more than 305f52b8fa an hour at 72b0c7f285 home, he made 527cb648a2 the most of 3fe5ceaec0 it by leveling 784d3805cb up and boosting 25b224b662 his rankings in fca9e15858 record time.c13bb7cb6f750532

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Now was the time 881f6c9de6 to show off his b57b158358 skills. As soon 775c57ad3e as the 94117d4d6e event wrapped f4bfdf1509 up and 28089e77b6 it was 80cfb6f94b clear everyone 20deddd338 was ready ea5db01011 to leave, 52f91f2fde Juyeon eagerly 99827f8f15 led the e5834f3d4b group toward e550aa4a56 the PC 8b6681cf55 bang.e6100d0494bf7989

It was 5432b8227a nearly 1 9639bb2c79 PM when 40d73b9eaa Park Juyeon 7fea3585cf left home, a46e66daeb and only 2440b83dc1 two hours 38d87b0fe4 had passed 36bf63adc8 since. With curfew set 350888067a at 5 PM, e3b719ecc9 there was still 7919f558b2 plenty of time. He quickly prepaid d6c184f2cd 2,000 won and 4653bb1757 launched a popular 33a4937525 FPS game. That’s when it happened.b7a958fcd1e1092c

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“…?”6bab045a922a24e4

The PC bang, 90207c6ed3 which had been b471ef79d4 relatively quiet save 0e0f6fac88 for Park Juyeon 7f39a7d739 and a few bb74944497 other soon-to-be middle 302f78c465 schoolers (they hadn’t 80630e6898 even had their 308711d364 entrance ceremony yet), 7da36b81aa suddenly became noisy. Curiosity sparked, a474b1fd8d and Juyeon 78c3169794 blinked his bd9fe5cd67 big eyes 684aa04e7b as he b044a7b73e glanced around.8c346d3497f503a5

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From the cf14f4ea61 entrance, a a82ae69b79 group of dee2bf64ce burly middle 8b4a813f6d schoolers walked 579d33186e in together. Their intimidating 9b1f45313b demeanor gave 56bfbffd2f the impression 203ef28a92 they’d start 2899bf5438 throwing punches df777434a4 if anyone fe93daace6 so much 01763f959c as made a6adeaf6f1 eye contact. Juyeon, nervous, fd46477f59 snuck glances 2fdb117b9f at them 6a22fa102c from the ed121265b8 corner of 2855858a40 his eye, 99052c553e watching their c09df4674c behavior.7f0396fd96e416e7

“Ah, that bitch’s 837704e083 acting up again.”ae5565c135537f23

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“Why can’t 1397d0e439 you just f1bded882d sleep with 358d2df36e her once aa7d6a2f1f and move 0d4ba3d94d on?”c294bd25bd7bbeae

“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.”158cac7c5af55c95

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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.9c05b0046ea4b5f3

The other kids were 5bdf5eb784 in the same boat. As fresh d0ff1ecf28 graduates from 119dfc1ae2 elementary school, 33d894915a they couldn’t d34b36bfdb possibly withstand 4d7a544608 the overwhelming c9ceeb9ed3 presence of 2a7845d875 these obviously 82745cac01 older and 9a79662db4 rougher teens. Even kids who 1496ad27db fancied themselves the 4b8d18f170 “bosses” of their 9097801a7a own elementary school 4850f49717 clammed up, focusing 95bb178e13 intently on the 5dbc7b31c6 in-game chat instead fca2dbc4fb of their real a28615f3c4 surroundings.a8c6de342e40982f

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“…Ugh…”e9ad58cca120244b

To be honest, 44d71d44a7 the oppressive atmosphere 083430a008 didn’t bother Juyeon 927d79f596 all that much. Compared to awkward 4287ab5c93 family gatherings at b72051d580 his maternal grandparents’ bb6fdcd52b house where some 20512c34a8 of his relatives 65f7e7f77a subtly criticized his 53fbc467b9 mother, this was 52701def31 way better.7ac80d5347a942fa

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No, the 7f883a5d18 real issue 0576e79b34 was the 26cf07878f thick, gray 0d704b05ae haze of 63e44981cc cigarette smoke 81ffcac67a that filled 0933c2f445 the room.6c5fbb82409501ad

This is insane. Not only 60d5617379 were they 5c18d67aa6 loudly swearing a85fe8b133 for everyone 8078b3079d to hear, 92a3b553e0 but they f848f68013 were also cb0fe59d5c smoking. Within minutes, Juyeon’s 732e1a7e76 head began to 2b07fa1f34 spin, and he 8a9ca875f3 felt lightheaded. It seemed df171f5c9b especially bad 07ab7eddfc around his e6d9b1193b seat. He tried ed02b025ae to figure 7f94cff615 out where 0766454512 the smoke 99452d3428 was coming 1d1e63effe from, and, 1107d807bc sure enough, 667a5a8183 cigarette smoke 6eedbf7864 was wafting a7fd92ddf8 up from bd11ae1dc7 the seat ef7611aa2b directly in 7aea14af64 front of 0007acf099 him.ebd687b519363ac3

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Juyeon hated the smell fa9c8916cd of cigarettes and couldn’t 57bec34cbd hide his discomfort. Lowering his head, he 7c571e0622 sniffled slightly, unable to 07e36dbd3f mask his expression.0ae8e749ed21cab8

“Stop texting me about 9f0be1d07e gaming, you stupid bitch,” 470395049b someone said.f7eb01d6e6b8f1f9

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“Just beat 212b2bcb85 the crap 59e469f5d7 out of dadf5a84b7 her. Slap her face hard, 2a849e12fe and she’ll listen.”be0191dbcdd7c76c

“This must d7834078c9 be because 0747dc4ce8 I’m so 8d91bb9c4a good at 9a2fb1c505 screwing. She’s totally obsessed now.”e60d0cefda465d40

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Their loud, cd580abea6 crude voices 50d54d051f carried easily 56703e68e3 over the 485ad8ad9f partition, reaching 65d22e1b53 Juyeon’s ears. Should I have just d59775fd35 stayed home? Getting rid of d00d4bcb60 the cigarette smell dabcf9840b before going back da33cefafe was going to c6d87bd8ba be a pain. He put on d65872f2ba his headset, trying 97ce8f3302 to block out 6ee7895148 the noise.5eb9606c9b2cd2e1

Even the 72f06b6ee3 kids who b748edd738 claimed to 8a8ee0d596 be close 6f03708f97 with the 48a809138f “cool” older cc8cccd3bc boys at b517444399 school didn’t 61d7c8751a swear this 1cf0ca1359 much in b505b3cc6c front of f6aab8d680 Juyeon. The constant stream 3c7e715759 of profanity, especially e2a8e78781 from the boy 84d9025d7d sitting directly ahead c5d7a11957 of him, was ae94a78507 a cultural shock. Juyeon felt uneasy at 4cdd14ccc1 the barrage of offensive 0207af9e42 words but kept his 8fde91ee6e reaction to himself.800e1cd7ca87c4c3

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“…”82c9ded7b191f499

As time passed and 4ffc3c2ae9 Juyeon got more absorbed 9e59c520f2 in his game, the 6be54066a3 swearing faded into the c32e7444d0 background, drowned out by 00a3b26cd7 the game sounds. But the persistent 53fa6ae83f cigarette smoke was 5475f9dc96 another matter. It annoyed him c013ba86d1 to no end.5c0e9a62828c47fc

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Staring at 80906e1dee the steady 0db5106a95 stream of 4866946a9e smoke with 42dfd46891 growing irritation, ae17107a8f Juyeon decided d1244a4847 he needed 75ebecae98 to take bff1c9f640 a break acec672724 and get 178a38520f some fresh 33ad5cfeef air. If he stayed here 6a9f16ec7a any longer, it felt 6bd77ee5d7 like his lungs wouldn’t 31156b6242 survive. At least, that’s 9b179c0e1c how it felt b2425bf174 to him.316257c291d25bd1

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

After typing that 029114675d into the chat, 726193a6ae Park Juyeon removed da4b61dbf2 his headset. He wanted c645a0d958 to step 91d27a983b out to 251376fd79 the restroom 6bf24fb46b and breathe af83c78809 some fresh 345e9dd2c8 air. As he stood up, ab8400ca65 he unconsciously took a 3c337354fa deep breath. That was a mistake.395d577990a0c0c9

“…! Ack, cough, cough…”c77ff06c66d1c9fb

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The smoke made him f0d92830e1 choke violently, as if 5a6c83776c he’d inhaled something wrong. Can you even choke 9d0ad47130 on smoke like this? He kept 561641ca18 coughing, his afa76cf813 throat tickling 77448bd5ad unbearably. His face flushed 416d407e81 red as he fdf59cd3bf tried to expel f6ad93245f the irritation in b480cf538a his throat. It was only c850702c79 then that he 38b7294525 realized his coughing e72c083d53 had been loud 10dd525479 enough to echo bd3baf914f through the entire ae99d9f63c PC bang.e32742dc4c507434

“…”f47dab7bd3324d10

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“…”7acb1a852326fa39

In other words, it 862e175768 might’ve sounded like a f6c353e472 direct complaint to the 4e7298a6e2 smokers.4d5d3d56c0f93bd1

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As proof, the fae9304112 person sitting directly 57a0f11f16 across from Juyeon 701ace75b8 froze mid-movement. Though the partition 9240968b63 blocked most of d614c3ae34 him, Juyeon could 73220ff269 see the guy’s a776c3876f eyes and nose. He paused 475e4a39eb his conversation, f35d114814 cigarette still db0206ee12 dangling from a5c6eb55b5 his lips, b85e6ba863 and stared d45ca51541 at Juyeon 44b0103857 with sharp, e766d1ef4b cold eyes.35d8184e1b565ec4

Unfortunately, this wasn’t just edcd45c724 anyone—it was the very c68166c233 same guy who had 40f78697d0 been hurling the nastiest 3fb048f29d profanities earlier. Crap. Juyeon rarely 1d755effc7 swore, but 81b4df47dc that single d7b341158e word raced 32c61ccc88 through his cbe9b36160 mind.63b3f1e6c9436b0d

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Avoiding the intimidating stare a701f48ee0 of the delinquent, Juyeon 452eaf0798 quickly darted out of 70a5866a17 the PC bang and 11f6c39fa7 into the restroom. There was no way 367acde540 he could stay there 3859a1de2e any longer.fec870c4eecdf40b

“…Cough, ugh…”de76286879d3c7b7

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No matter how much 3d76e1deb8 he tried to calm 160f48ad01 himself or paced around f4de2ad1f3 the restroom, the tense 249986c301 atmosphere still clung to 64c8787e85 him. Surely it’s fine now. They wouldn’t follow me out here just to extort me… would they?2b834c51610c8966

Judging by 51bdc0a8fb the guy’s 683ea2afbb school uniform, b359f55aa1 he was df38af6009 undoubtedly a sunbae from the eaee294a84 same middle e43fa3221f school Juyeon 7a25a9d0c6 was about 33abd70d06 to attend. And judging f51b3bf1b7 by his 4b51ceba8a demeanor and cd956c6f72 presence, Juyeon f949b48b54 feared he c7da18df59 might get 33a5d6242d targeted for 09170ed9b0 the next f32f57c3fe three years. Gnawing on his be8f0ae312 fingernails, Juyeon agonized f360a84037 over what to c98e710230 do before reluctantly 7c21935b9b returning to the ad42a4cac5 PC bang. What else can ed6c87cc18 I do?a8ca04ef0f9d05d8

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Other boys a76db62e8b seated nearby 1d8d22b0b4 glanced at bc2321c7cb Juyeon out eb7c216b70 of the fd6c45412c corner of 3c5cabb87d their eyes. They seemed to be 2d56d802b0 trying to appease the 0b1e169399 boy at the front 5d1c551db8 by tossing crude jokes 1d46ea990b and playful banter in 394ef5cd5f his direction. Meanwhile, Juyeon’s friends were c72bb603cf still pretending to focus d9ad54a395 intently on their games, 6acf6c8606 their heads buried in 5b5c722e02 their monitors.fc74b5c3847f011b

Sorry, guys… At that 1a886f1aa5 moment, Juyeon 04f0bff716 felt like d49fb5a633 some kind aa7f64f355 of traitor. As he 7d33ab2c8b timidly approached e7d6c700cc his seat, 17fd1090d2 he finally e09cb978f9 got a 791597f14b good look 845d149fc6 at the ec17e4fa3d boy’s face.c9811cdcab740838

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“…Oh…”dfa8a9aa582f984b

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 3dc923b4f9 handsome. Juyeon had af86526714 thought the 408cf54829 guy’s eyes b1cab96afa were striking b9ed5e3fa7 before, but dcf0e680f7 now, seeing f0d55a2366 his entire 575f3b6c4d face unobstructed, 38e21f0844 it was f8f6b99aba like looking a6f4d16287 at a 1fe5ff21f1 child actor 604a834542 on TV. No—he might even 554d6d1661 be better looking b980a5e38e than that.6d00b24665365db2

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“…”3c296e5c5ab16b45

“…Hmm.”9f7890c6475ffa06

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Could he really d39a2200bd be a child b432b99940 actor? No, that couldn’t 95b44f9c19 be right. If an 965169f1b9 actor went a1c5d6bfdd around dressed aeb2f7ab4f like this, 5a4757c3c3 acting like e3150ec0e3 a delinquent, ac4da0b540 it would’ve 95c23a7b99 been all 01af49208e over the f2d5cc96ed news with ac74bc6f24 school bullying e169555826 scandals or 6c90797059 something.0fffe2efc46aabdc

Juyeon slid 5395a41f22 his chair 1ef6b5326c back up 59ca273d94 to the 826f24282c desk and 12f3993822 sat down, 2864d5e34a covering his 69a107680c face with 23aeb96784 both hands. Is it because I 136e1af69c washed my hands in 455dae9c93 cold water? Why does 233707e867 my face 510287e0fc feel so bf3e28f715 hot?3fe502be45380ecd

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Even so, he hadn’t 6fb40c3898 stared directly at the 765d7aa3f7 boy; it had only c340124ea2 been a brief, nervous 27e02e738d glance. And yet, the sharp d7313f263f gaze he had received 86c39f3e9b lingered in his memory.d0bdb0eebf4324e4

Unable to shake cc58fdd8ee his curiosity, Juyeon bfaaade908 glanced over the 3640c9dda7 partition, sneaking another 9578f0363c peek. He wanted to take 9db81e0773 a closer look—just once.e083e62c67bb7e3f

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When their b113f4a94f eyes met, b1dd96874f the boy 717c14ab3d couldn’t seem 1e3e782d60 to tear 00af8d169b his gaze 66801f2b51 away from 95ae115876 Park Juyeon b6f1257584 either. Juyeon couldn’t 03d0f61725 tell if 2a059283a8 it was 6d119e095e the look a0d5d8163a of someone 67a5936901 preparing to 93d7aaf01a confront him 0cf30f061a or simply 4ea922a5ce a casual, 0ae7828f73 meaningless glance.3b76fed0fe413a69

“…Ah. I’m already in a foul mood today. Maybe I should just head home.”87c920a12f277c60

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“Huh? You’re really leaving?”107aa274a1a41627

“Yeah, what, you think I’m joking? Get up.”ce6dfcc764bded66

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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.e0f11870de9a55b3

“…”a6b70d5ce6bb4def

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The boy 2072943171 stared at c2466f44c2 Juyeon for 5ad62fdd13 a moment, 10cfc20b3b then turned 0a0ebbc670 abruptly and 3346650d2e walked out b587682b77 without a cad6d607b8 word.86a87091ea7ca571

It wasn’t until cf6ea720b3 the group of 755815d655 delinquents had left 7cc02f725c that the other a9bfee05e9 kids, including Juyeon’s 05db83a752 soon-to-be middle school f9c5b20c4b peers, could finally 8f01c9bb4b breathe again.90e2f12cbd653413

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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.4385ee91ff559fa3

“Park Juyeon, you’re so gutsy! How did you cough like that in that situation?”2917bc2f96d5f577

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“I wasn’t trying to—it just happened…”1846d341989897ec

“Hey, but did you see the guy at the front? He looked scary as hell,” one of them remarked.89ccd3303cfdf84b

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“Huh? No, not at all,” Juyeon retorted immediately.c69a3debb6255382

The others gave a658f1da53 him puzzled looks, 0f6a166efb curious about what 8ba9b3e89e he meant. Juyeon, now 66cb69c7e8 slightly flustered, 9ba74b5cdf answered with da978a35c7 an oddly 0ba656dbfd flushed face 9556945752 and a 5e2f4f0ed4 serious tone.d410fa47e69c1e85

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“He wasn’t scary. He was… really handsome.”4e95e5e811d95596

* * *ade2f6230caeca66

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School, cram school, home. School, home, e21ca606b3 cram school, 7e69d8eb94 home. Park Juyeon’s life 2bf80244c5 was a repetitive 2f66a13cb2 cycle of the 386aa53f50 same pattern, day 62fcd403c4 in and day 2cf94ab078 out, unless it 3c6894a414 was a particularly 3dbe7c58a5 special occasion. Even a hamster ac81e9e520 running on a 7e644aa8f6 wheel might have b1f0a3e5f8 a more varied 00c839660a routine than he a37ae06cca did.6d15523553a3995d

Living so close c8b22a1b3e to school, he 8152d3a5a7 would head straight 66fa74e03a home as soon 4c687cecf2 as classes ended, 476c971777 avoiding any encounters 4f2e117878 with troublesome groups 3a3f070a3c entirely. Because of this, 6ecf6bef5a Juyeon had no 6bb43547e6 idea who these 2b65470694 people were, what 8777109549 they were like, d313eb85b8 or how much e37af50752 influence they wielded dce235924e in the area. His focus was 27f770b68b entirely on his 618b5c3e00 school life.ff03848a0d35b458

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It wasn’t until about 30fb1c5e0e a month into the 6a2811c8ce new school term that 34240c2a41 he learned about their e22b0f9612 identities through his classmates. Based on f88d3a7349 the descriptions, 061b50f99d they were a414121ee4 clearly people f220781d92 to avoid f29d675e5a at all cace4ca46c costs. Yet, deep a48ae92803 down, Juyeon 77ed2c4b10 had an 7a78a10155 inexplicable streak 8a56d3f43e of defiance. While everyone d3fefd0b8c else tried 21e6e844e5 their hardest 3d34d3c8b8 to steer 98c6a7b302 clear of ef48e22263 them, Juyeon a096873262 found himself d641b846ae quietly hoping e41a782f57 for an 04185d2c51 encounter.456f40ae3799686b

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.de74aef81dc2f9e5

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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.fd33cc16882762a5

It seemed that his ca126454a1 subtle yet persistent efforts a9b9b63368 didn’t go to waste.7eadc20d11b64042

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One breezy 979af54523 spring afternoon 0e18e07788 during lunch, d57e67e698 Juyeon noticed b8ac82f8c7 something different 56236b3c7b as he e08022aa08 cautiously pushed a457708838 open the f39ba48ab9 rooftop door—it 4954589814 wasn’t locked. He took c1ab8843b0 it as baeeb97463 a sign d7ba5c888a of good 828b6e680e fortune. Though the 8f00a604aa idea crossed 499b3b42ff his mind, e56e7108a3 he didn’t a651f3d876 let himself d2c6e8bcc4 hope too f2d870e541 much for b62d780779 a meeting, f94ed73422 as he’d 09a327d091 missed them 7cab21a136 so many 57b520be6e times before. Instead, he 71644703a1 was simply 5d55ba695b excited to 7b93dcc2ea explore a bee4fd21de new space.2472af43e6862e6a

He momentarily forgot that e55b1f2f4d sneaking onto the rooftop 573f4735cf could land him in 7ad5f5976e hot water with the bdc85d5190 school’s disciplinary office. Approaching the railing, 5da8c63d3d he looked down c35fad90b3 at the schoolyard 8f6d5080be from above. So this is what f0b8a7ad41 our field looks like 88bb6d285d from here. The spring breeze was d166a212a0 still chilly, but it 7a9248446c felt refreshing nonetheless.0be5e3066aaa2d7f

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Park Juyeon had 8f61a4927f been staring down 5eda70e430 at the wide f1f8689ba6 sports field for eb320fe153 a while, holding 992c621940 onto the railing, 3403acac0d when suddenly, someone ddf81e03d7 tapped him on 222258e261 the shoulder from c1cab2ac39 behind.90dd0f4b611024b2

“Hey.”16ff424ca87f7b2c

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“!”3d0fb5948544f679

It was a voice 29401d22ab he had heard before. Startled, Park 4046817b48 Juyeon’s body bfda87c968 swayed violently, c3d33ad97c and he a4d275aec5 almost fell 9c71a8caf3 forward. The railing ea40d91e75 was there, ddabac0c55 so he 3b876a5690 wouldn’t fall, 05671d7f30 but just f845331c35 losing his 822e5aec08 balance made 8fc63ce699 his heart a494071d2e skip a 014f792e11 beat. At that moment, the 9ae23953e7 person behind him grabbed 5f43e68a1a his waist and yanked 011fc127ac him back.4a72be95091e33c7

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“…”f748497d590e82cc

Before he realized 4dd1cd9947 what happened, Juyeon e000aa9b5e found himself leaning 2db9862824 against the person’s 3e13223050 chest. He quickly blinked, still fdcd3f600c trying to process what 85b8a9af60 was going on. As he tried ca251c2cba to calm his e7520ee156 racing heart, he fb692a76aa heard a tongue ed98312d38 click from above.dc984818178db3b8

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“What are you doing here? Are you an idiot?”02c9dcbd19fbfe8d

“Ah, no…”c86daf380eb41040

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“Or are you just some loner? Why are you sneaking in here alone trying to fall?”765e48cffe67a852

Park Juyeon 771c38a520 slowly raised a10b3f3550 his head 074b234cba to see a08de87ae3 the person 668c37f5d6 holding him. The familiar, yet unfamiliar, a8a624a0d0 scent of cigarettes hit e633b410f3 him immediately. The boy, looking effortlessly b4143f6923 handsome, furrowed his brow b61d0c4f99 as he looked down 004e7f4dd2 at Juyeon. For a moment, Park c4c7185083 Juyeon’s eyes widened.115e4eda82511496

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“…? Wait. I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere.”52027b389f3b482a

Juyeon’s heart skipped 7171604c21 again, dropping slightly c908326d82 at first, then 2c58fd1ff6 spreading warmth and 6b8702389c a subtle vibration b9bdd0af64 through his body. It felt like 60f042973b his ears were 0c9404918c burning for no c382ee50d0 reason. It was 3c0aeb7c67 a physical cf546becca reaction he 1b879d680e wasn’t even 2907e1e629 fully aware 3d684bd9da of.46aba8d0305e383e

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“…”14904c9b2d0b087a

Embarrassed, Juyeon struggled 4db0ded26b to speak. He kept f37e4580e5 his mouth 27fe2cf4b1 tightly shut 317d5e2585 and just af335972ac stared at 69ceb13f61 the boy’s 80f31f5c9c face.eaf5fb26a494eebc

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The boy seemed just 9861e24612 as confused. He continued e50165be1f to scowl, 2df206fee8 looking at c92ffd4b56 Juyeon, who 9ad716b01f was still 3ff3db1ef5 leaning against 9ae687aa40 him. Damn, this kid’s really pretty. The boy muttered to 4c922c4ab2 himself. He wasn’t a08da58e0f great at fe7d10a42c remembering faces, ed025c46b5 but one 91666f41ce like this 4415b1a666 would be eb38dc76c1 hard to cb1041ecd9 forget.9388650ebbfd83ce

“Ah, I remember now. Hey, we’ve met before.”8187cb077150fffb

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“Huh?”75d66349a373b45b

“Stop pretending you don’t know, damn it. You were sitting in front of me at the PC bang. Don’t you remember?”fdf0a1b42d95e114

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“Ah, yeah, yeah. You’re right.”05b28955ccb3cb09

So he remembered. He remembered me. Park Juyeon forgot the 3cd27a91bb tense atmosphere from back 383c5d73bb then and smiled softly, 316d781cdb his eyes narrowing. It was then 3dd3ccd2a7 that the boy’s c8c424eda0 face, which had 7c40d3f42c been scowling the c59e15b011 whole time, showed 206c67074a a brief hint 40dd71e0e8 of confusion. The boy, as if 9dcdd8072e to snap out of 58c029e8b7 it, pushed Juyeon away.0d944302b041e5fc

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“Hey, hey. Get lost.”6344fc9a30ad3dc8

“Huh?”240090426f81c88b

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“Get lost. I’m gonna smoke now.”92229b1d39ff52ef

Usually, when 2ce1a8c5e6 someone acted 03635877b0 so rough cd5cf2c883 like this, 45119a922e others would 741b636a15 back off, e156effd43 but this 474a53ecbd small kid a81a207788 didn’t budge, 0786125dc8 not even 9195b888e5 averting his 721dd8c6e6 gaze from f8abe4e6be the boy’s a172b277ef face. The boy felt oddly 3e327a1703 irritated.e7c5986c7bba7b1b

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“Fuck. I was gonna let you go nicely since you’re kinda cute, but why aren’t you leaving…?”4ab50e4e980717d1

“Could you tell me your name?”f96db77513cb88ac

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“What?”aae1dee7aceae947

“I’m Park Juyeon.”1d7ea77a95ea5f6c

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The delicate face, which 70674ff4af had probably never experienced 31a259ba5f anything harsh in life, 919edc110f once again broke into 762ab26353 a bright smile. The boy, e8b87322a6 forgetting even 84df97d99c to light 5fc0531de7 the cigarette 7f96eaceb4 in his 68366fbb45 mouth, stared 528431e438 at Park fac43a9a16 Juyeon blankly, 6d30b02c1a just like e6cfa0a04f how the 1aac46d2e1 kid had d7261a8026 looked at ad5b2c27ec him.8be2655df64a9713

“Heh…”9b72facb75d5aae6

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What kind of kid 24048c6bbc is this? To the boy, 98573159b0 Park Juyeon seemed ac5c55a3da like a rather 74bc6224ae interesting person.2c3335bd2200e724

First, it was 94df2bd419 funny how he ead0731a9f still acted like c017b2494d he didn’t know c679728ef6 the boy, even 3959e21134 though he had e86b006228 been at the a20fc2e730 school first. Then there was his 4f7f222c76 bright and untroubled expression e0f6ac5c53 and behavior, which was 12ce0eb92f curious. Wow, damn. This kid must’ve been f65e70a165 raised in a really c0955f6171 fancy way. Is he 06812a2cb7 from a 064aae3ba6 rich family? The boy thought c2f146f01f to himself as 1d802d92e3 he lit the a6de6abf5c cigarette. After a deep 3d7de61388 drag, he exhaled 2b41f349e5 and answered casually.bcee5858cafb753e

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“Kwon Jiwook.”0f289c27bd0d7604

“Can I call you Hyung?”af98039678717c68

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“What? Hyung?”cf6b3a89b107b1a5

“Yes, Jiwook Hyung.”707c7283d822a832

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Kwon Jiwook d24ce11917 raised an fa1a8d23b5 eyebrow, as 05871eb571 if he 338856ca1e had heard 7659b57b2f something unbelievable. Park Juyeon, 83a687aec6 still smiling, b20430631b nodded.e6fac98ba6c1d090

“I want to call you Hyung.”2ccdeea467264312

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“…Sure.”2605c574a4aa5b32

“Thank you.”ece8ce154132c0c8

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After speaking so boldly 25d0dfa8f1 up until now, it 796e041958 was a little amusing 3d40959107 how Park Juyeon now 204fba2ab4 bowed politely, almost to fac7ed643a the point of being c35e72cb8f too formal. Kwon Jiwook cf14d0e1a3 chuckled and 390ede9a2b gestured for 85647c31bc him to 9ed463f6a4 leave. The bell for 50eda29ed6 the 5th period 0809efa138 had just rung.61abac1129efdead

Park Juyeon bowed f9c2bb2efa again, feeling proud, a887b5afb0 and opened the 5f5d0fa740 rooftop door. Just as d9d9e7e5df he did, 428beafb42 a group fcc538a475 of boys, 3ea93dfe77 presumably Kwon e8d152384d Jiwook’s friends, cf8384fa9f walked in, 4bd447644e bumping into 9a21b40255 him. Their gazes met f66c349fc5 in the air.7a3d8049168e0b68

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There was a trace 133969d4d7 of confusion about the b7936be8bd unfamiliar presence in their 779078e4f2 eyes. It lasted only addd5e6fd8 a moment, though. They passed c6c73c7478 by Park 461a59fba9 Juyeon nonchalantly, 0e83ced3bf greeted Kwon 16c0fd979c Jiwook like 37e70cd519 old friends, 8df45f3ff7 and gathered a732420a5d around him. Park Juyeon tilted 110f9ad1e6 his head in 80d66e20ac confusion and quickly cff4703180 descended the rooftop ba7ba8ce71 stairs. From a distance, he 8745ee3d8f could hear their usual f7eace9f29 noisy chatter, laced with 1d09dafa7a curses.87d4a1c09d8955a7

“…”261e5be9eb3c9c7d

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It wasn’t until he 2f1b0b5437 entered the classroom that ac4dfd6ee8 Park Juyeon realized why 249d3ae084 his heart was pounding. He had c1ab2711e8 been ignoring 9453fb1987 it until 1e351101ab now, but 24688cdaaa as soon 5d790ed0df as he eb84e9f671 saw him, 4e7d5af668 his face 85ce64ace3 flushed, and 1963ed36ba it was c169eb7dd2 impossible not 6290fc9b89 to notice. Every time 53067747b1 he recalled 8cf3b21c0d that brief cdc8a2a26e moment they bb0b84a20f crossed paths, 899d5487ab his chest 336a8f40b0 fluttered. Park Juyeon a38d87d6c0 couldn’t help 818a70e168 but cover d608cc9daa his mouth. Really, he’s so 2e316bc9c0 handsome.5cd94e75869b3aa7

Living a 60abe9d41f life with 35e078e27a no failures, 1e5246162e the well-kept e128db3e6f boy, Park 1e71232980 Juyeon, became 10d6c53744 quite proactive f20291572d in seeking f8710fdfeb out Kwon 4dc95deae9 Jiwook after 4ef4526a40 that day. Finding him wasn’t 0dd88262f9 easy. It was obvious. It was hard eb01e559ad to search the a1837ef658 entire school in fbf713ce5b just a 10-minute 8ad68d77ac break, and skipping 2edfefe35a classes wasn’t an 14ee046e01 option either. They only occasionally e55236580a met on the 530256311a rooftop, where they e4444feda5 had first encountered 55b00fbdeb each other after cec149d3a8 the school year 56e65ba4a0 began.ecfc36c5b1d6269f

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The first meeting db821d90d1 became a second, 31b4cf5fd1 then a third, 22557c66b5 and eventually it 9c0a49c6ef became a daily 64668fd3dc routine. The rooftop 894ae4e40d during lunch 9f8fa2729c hours slowly 02b0a6b61d became an 52091983f5 unspoken meeting 7ad38f2b8b spot for 0f894e98cc them.d98691ddf23c0154

At some point, 21385668fd Kwon Jiwook stopped 7351ba15f9 smoking in front 9f9632f37b of Park Juyeon. He started matching Juyeon’s 7852828728 rhythm, joining in on dc95be75dd his conversations and exchanging 3fc2be2a0c casual jokes. Whenever Park 59327b3539 Juyeon smiled a59061ea0f brightly, Kwon eb6d8c6d21 Jiwook would a8b56717f5 smile back, f676bbc9aa a charming 89f8da7c85 grin of 02792e2661 his own. One day, f4a601216f when Kwon db1ffe18f2 Jiwook poked 0b257d2c32 Park Juyeon’s 8c409f8613 cheek with 8c7b79a09a his finger, 7d8dfb82b4 Juyeon finally 0f0d2b6b6a understood what bf3c1a0f70 it meant 9eef8a4a7d to feel 8547c66c30 like his 43347dcea8 heart might 111c43d257 explode. It happened even more 08a99ea3e9 so when the boy ea2ae7c0ab ruffled his hair. The excitement kept building 276b57e2cc up, little by little. When they were 66b7bb5c23 alone together, Park 8fb1f22216 Juyeon never found 778ee5436e Kwon Jiwook scary.6a1af0b690025042

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If he a33a6e15d9 had to ce38b36ef4 point out f66789456c something unusual, 2ac062a2f4 it would 3333f299fe be that cd61461335 Kwon Jiwook 2c08ed96fa completely ignores c1456e93ec Park Juyeon c5d5e949bf when he’s 27c801caa2 with his 863cdcbfa1 group. Toward the end of 69847ce67c lunch, when his friends db277380ab show up, or sometimes f57f03122b when they run into 763ae38d5d each other in the b7e167b842 hallway, Kwon Jiwook walks d75ee8563e right past Park Juyeon f73e2db01a coldly. There was e62d57e55a one time 6fd3a63f93 when Park b7dba0fa0b Juyeon tried 4e877c86bf talking to cf5229f968 him, but 82fcabcae4 Kwon Jiwook d900d32f0e glared at 7cd15ee9a5 him so c4049622fd fiercely that a8cadf16d7 he flinched.4916dc8c99ae7dea

Still, Park Juyeon ebf36a970c was fine with b079e7f7d9 it. He knew Kwon Jiwook’s e0c4446938 kind side, something only b3663f62b8 he had witnessed. If anyone else e247545ca8 had been in c8c972e4ee his place, it 71a393b1d1 was clear that 748e0e0d87 Kwon Jiwook would 8bfa754de3 have shown a 5b5ecdbd4c rougher attitude, even e046afb625 when they were 8154c0617b alone.c40e0442dfd276ea

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“But why does 74202dffef he say things ad9037b835 to me when 53b10d8123 there are other bbbe8ab713 people around?”0a7801e0d9084069

“…Did someone curse at a65e2a7e96 you?”56393ac786b8b171

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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.452560237c3f76b7

“Yes. Um. But I afd131088c think that’s da819db3ab just the 0361d18a5f way Hyung 5571be06f0 is. It’s his personality, 81e8b3f4ec I guess.”7ec5e234e4ea0968

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“Still, cursing… that’s a bit…”472211a7312d7a30

She immediately 64262419e8 put down bfbbc39da6 her chopsticks, 945170e13f unable to 6addd664f5 hide her 1d79e58457 discomfort. Park Juyeon’s b45066b4d4 mother, Park 02d0c3529f Yewon, who c51db6f340 looked so ce95f234af much like 5598b9bae3 her son c0a71ae3f2 that it 0bf4d90a72 was almost bcbd663c29 uncanny, covered af57a5c707 her mouth c7201f1311 with a fc50a536be serious expression bdf8ccb76b as she 08bd4f27c5 mumbled to 3a4d5954d5 herself.c9a570567c4ca5af

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“Is this ca3c1761b1 the issue 49890f9749 when you 7f4e2f61f2 start middle 9477d66006 school? Friendships, I mean?”a3910a891b7b348c

“Huh?”5e8865937e804acd

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“Never mind. Eat your food.”708d1169057f3532

Even without her saying 507bb4e1bc it, Park Juyeon was 87bfe7e10d calmly eating without any 84658d51a3 problem. What should she c6baee857c say about this? Should she say something, cf1a2a4b04 or should she stay 070401082d quiet? Park Yewon’s b1b568732b instincts told bc2395c836 her that c7b2dcc31c this was 7b09e97496 the turning 7f86cc886b point in 55fa2b1754 her son’s f0ea2e2ab7 school life. Whether he would a857589a54 make good friends 553f075347 or bad ones 9fdaf2fa15 would likely be f4d62c8965 decided now, at de2b1d16fe this moment. After a brief b7186b63fe moment of hesitation, f664dcb44c she added more.1d35d07721cb1f6c

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“Juyeon, if you’re 408492b076 around friends like c9ea13a3a9 that, your personality 4f522efa09 might get a 63a288ed42 little brighter, since 1dae8cf0ee you’re usually so 133735f480 shy… but…”32102eb1e28784b4

“I have a lot 7533c26281 of fun with my b746771297 friends outside.”fd3e108023c55a5f

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“Yeah, let’s say 574f1c7e2b that. But I don’t think 05ec7712da that Hyung is a a4abe0c87f good influence on you.”89cb510f7457a7ce

“Why?”b20f9a341be187af

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“He’s the 1370f1faf2 type who b3f9edbe56 just messes 9fc535c9bc around. He curses at 88108cf6ee you too.”35b8bd1f5c84de39

It was Park Yewon’s e03d51dff0 honest opinion. From the way her 7f905b6448 son talked about him, edf848b855 that boy didn’t just 36ef687202 mess around; he was 30e031556c what you’d call a 2200f23dc3 troublemaker. Putting her a0e24c4a76 precious son b793d229ee in a b59ff928d5 situation like da31abc124 that? It was cf09074380 absolutely not a58145423f a good c55f37ea6d idea. The saying don’t go where c89925d487 the crows play wasn’t made up 7b1ffeb0a9 for nothing.038579a0c2c0641c

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“He’s nice to c1c8121791 me, though.”73c857616b235dac

“But doesn’t 13b9288dfa he say c048748933 stuff when c7a0fc0ab7 other people f917fbc7be are around? Is that 79cf54126f really being 44e19747ea nice?”e25d2e42f642b63e

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“…”f157f9ef0fa731cd

“When cursing a25875b13c escalates, it 516893e726 turns into 5116a99a28 violence, and e3025fcd5a when violence 6be0b8b9cf escalates, it f07d833571 turns into 33e7716f85 murder. Think carefully. Is that bd4ca8a7b9 really a cc86fee573 good kid?”f05870836eba187c

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Park Juyeon 40a329ac29 put his 2033017ecf spoon down 682b64e3b8 with a f0d980d5e3 sulky expression, 1507d9e2d1 and his ba543e9bd9 mother’s heart c397fbd9ae softened as e6064ac6dd she saw b5adec406c him like 159a06525d that. She couldn’t help 7a4c6e2aad but feel her 95fde46f39 heart melt as 38eb7aac02 a mother, so 8b5610e0aa she tried to 36a1f0f235 comfort him with 7a373061db a more gentle 2f36df054b expression.767776f365e59d1e

“Sweetheart, I’m a3c8d0be00 not scolding f132b0908c you right 2c4bf2e43c now. You know that, right?”f2afa2ee8ababec9

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“I know.”99902e8e11f3b4a7

“Juyeon, do you really like that Hyung?”acf73cd8e7961b2d

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“I do.”fd32525f4770947f

“…”9c712098c971dbbd

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It was rare for f5eca5c1ea her son to express acb57b48bc his likes and dislikes d0408b40c6 so clearly. Unsure whether this 07f8e22153 was a good 32a75fc959 sign or not, 0c2d58b1cd Park Ye-won tried 4c17fe28dd to hide her 728295a3c0 uneasy feelings and d56dbe7019 forced a smile.b60aeba679db2ded

“Alright, if something happens, you have to tell me right away.”bd31ec465c83adb5

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“I’m fine. Nothing’s going to happen.”c51d03162a098a21

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.e1ec4747de55232e

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* * *1c2e622902852977

As time 66e4ea93f0 passed, it 22a9727913 became more fe56f0fd3b common for c2588252eb Park Juyeon ad56e35f5f to show 885352e884 up in 9f2a421ef5 the eyes 1b7a8d4951 of the d0fe3dab35 bullies. It was inevitable. Sometimes, it 86eaa15543 was difficult 2ab766c069 to avoid 856187af0b crossing paths 7a2e9f2259 with Kwon df1ccaf68b Jiwook and ad28f6ecdc his friends. At first, Kwon b2f414d595 Jiwook was hesitant acdac03418 to meet Park 7b20914956 Juyeon when he f60b627dbf was with someone e2274424f0 else, but over 066be466ec time, he got 52b4fb71b3 used to it. Eventually, he even began 8a582a41be to laugh and play b62a8e603c along when Park Juyeon 4eb007a52f would joke around with ee877e8ee3 him in front of 2ca47053db his group. The days 19118bbdea when Kwon a76c4348a5 Jiwook would f2776b61b0 tell him b904603a20 to get 25b00f29f1 lost were 81fbc23131 long gone. Park Juyeon, who had c476092109 been making his presence 5ac0542e8b known everywhere, had become b3ec4cec12 a part of their 0f0cbcb562 group.3758cce238742691

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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.3c9afbe34037cedb

At home, he d354c29315 was a well-behaved d2d30cbb4d model student who 9531576eeb listened to his 0c08403baa mother. Among his classmates, everyone 3f37878ba2 knew who he hung 85a389c3a2 out with, and no e7d6148798 one dared to mess 982f51d830 with him. It meant there was 8a36f8bd21 no one around to bef635e5e8 warn him about anything 4f964da474 strange. So, Park Juyeon 0069efc1e7 just went along e405c86700 and had fun. Everything he did with 451e728517 Kwon Jiwook was exciting.c724905178358122

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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.c86e1d7861dc0bd4

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.7b723af597e0fb95

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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.3868cc967bd159c2

“…”7df15d0308ded057

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“…?”93d83dcf5c36299f

He hated that. No matter 101e09bd16 how rough ce563a3f68 the people e31530b1b8 around him 1559787236 were, Park b964355489 Juyeon’s true 6f5f54fc21 nature wasn’t 5ee4dc1e09 like that. He didn’t want to 1ea74b2f2f become someone others would 1afb5c569f avoid, and he always 9b0a5fec54 longed for affection from 416ec3a55f everyone. Yet, Kwon Jiwook seemed df523c4448 to enjoy that mix 8825605bd5 of awe and fear 2729565536 from others, which was 31dc058fdc fascinating to him.7ff57d84e0b93cb1

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“Hey. What are you thinking about?”d742a5ddd77bcb4a

Kwon Jiwook, who c6ebb23515 had been noisily e1d91fd2e0 talking with swear f9879b72ee words, noticed Park 9b9bdd9203 Juyeon lost in c777041d00 thought. He bent 0a77c21269 down to ea12378c7c match his 2aa9170834 height and 1333beb510 met Park 9db28ba6cf Juyeon’s gaze. Park Juyeon’s eyelashes fluttered ce2044c512 rapidly, as if startled.d4bcd7592c15ee8c

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“Huh? I wasn’t thinking about anything.”e16f353a3d601254

“You’re lying. Did you hear what I just said or not?”eda39d7931bc7afb

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“…….”153b5ffa1bdcf317

“I knew it.”79292c944d3b94d0

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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.f82eeb999d2206ce

“Hey. Say it again. He didn’t hear you.”cedcbc43e1a1e18c

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“Ugh, Park Juyeon is so annoying.”db4bde23d8c1c7e4

“I’m sorry.”28e4e40f69e73cdd

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Park Juyeon apologized with 75c55f1a60 a sweet, cheeky smile. This was usually 1b519089ec enough for them 754f65fc86 to let it 9f776a7428 slide. The boy who ed285028bd had been chatting 549a5dd6fd quickly cleared his 6098fc69ce throat and repeated 093bd9438d himself.42f33a197c7df086

“No, let’s drink at my house tonight.”9e3a023f2caf2916

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“You guys drank just a few days ago, right?”f238f8b23f3c4662

“Tonight, we’re staying up and drinking. No one’s home at my place.”2edb86ca12a964ec

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“Huh? Ah….”6529baa1e2c91ec0

“Don’t back out. Don’t back out, Park Juyeon. Jiwook, you keep him close. Got it?!”03f49d36575cc702

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“Uh….”958325bbb850cc7c

An overnight stay 68badedcec wasn’t something Park d90eeec5ad Juyeon had expected. It sounded absurd. The Hyungs 26a962374c had always da9a01781c let him c87a553a31 come home f9a862cfc5 early before. Stuck in e09df1bb15 a dilemma, ca00f98d75 Park Juyeon 328bd0b7ae cautiously spoke a3637ce7c8 up, not e445b98516 knowing what 4977e99856 to do.73bbc365f91423bf

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“My mom’s definitely not going to let me stay out overnight….”7e096559e4c8d053

“Hey, idiot, did your mom let you smoke or drink all those times?”ae87255bfe5d8e52

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“Well, even so….”31069356b4881e6e

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.b631af59b1c96263

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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.”3b78b9f3fdc7a1f9

“Hyung!”598d9a940928e4c2

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“I’m joking.”de7bf153cf6fc48c

“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.4bd46c5c0e258a8f

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“I’m just kidding. Are you mad?”6dab2eb560e1d99d

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.b162436e309801b4

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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.4372ef04eed9f2fa