“What do you mean he wasn’t there? There’s no way-“ Junhyung moved the phone from his
ear, face scrunching up. “He couldn’t have left that quickly. There’s just no way.”

“Well he did. Unless the school has another library that I don’t know about.” Junhyung retorted as he
made his way back home. “Why would I find the need to lie about this? Does that make any sense to you?” 

“I guess so. But still, I need you to teach him a lesson.” Hara wouldn’t let go at the fact that Hyunseung
managed to embarrass her every time they ran into each other. “He has no manners. He needs to
read books about etiquette and not whatever crap he’s into.”

“Seriously Hara, why do you keep pestering me about him? I really don’t want to see that guy anymore.
I feel like he’s the only thing you talk about these days.” Junhyung walked through his front door.
“Imagine what it’s like for me. You think I enjoy beating up people I know about?”

“You think I’m doing this for my own personal enjoyment? There’s
reason as to why I’m doing what I’m doing.”

“Well what do you want then? Would you like me to strangle him?” Junhyung laughed as he
opened his bedroom door. “That would most likely solve your problem.”

“This isn’t funny.” She complained. “I swear if you don’t take care of this, I’ll personally go speak with
your father. You know how much he loves me.” He could hear the smile on face.

“I’m happy for you. At least there’s someone in the world he likes.” Junhyung stared at himself
in from his bedroom mirror. “I’m done with him just so you know.”

“What?” Hara quickly chimed. “Listen, you either tell he what's up tomorrow or I promise
that you’re next encounter with your parents won’t be a pleasant one.” 

He heard a long sound, alerting him that the other line went dead. He threw his phone on
his bed, mind in pain from everyone and everything around him.  “As if our meetings are ever pleasant.” 

“Seriously…” Hyunseung grunted from the impact of the lockers. “You really don’t learn, do you?”
Junhyung jammed his fist into Hyunseung’s ribs, the boys around them giggling in return. “What’s your deal?”
Hyunseung stared at the tiles underneath him, fingers digging the cold texture. “Huh?” Junhyung
asked again, slight irritation from the lack of answers headed his way.

“You gonna speak or what?” Joon yelled from a few lockers down. 

“Shut up.” Junhyung glared at them before returning his eyes on the boy. His breath was heavy,
the old part of school providing just barely enough light. “Seriously…”
Junhyung snickered, feet turning away from the boy. 

 “She’s a .” Hyunseung spit out – Junhyung halted. His eyes widened, the others
gasping from the word that seemed to attach onto each and every one of them. 

Junhyung felt his mind work overload, unsure how to react to what he just heard.
A part of him wanted to believe that Hara was lying about this person but she seemed to
be saying the truth. Junhyung couldn’t understand how this person had
the nerve to say that here and now. He noticed from the corner of his eyes Joon stepping closer to the duo.

 “Yah!” Joon grabbed Hyunseung’s hair. “Are you asking for a death wish idiot?”
Joon readied his fist only to get stopped short. “What are you doing?” Joon asked,
confused eyes staring at the hand gripping harshly onto his shoulder.

Junhyung nodded his head forward. “He’s my problem.” Junhyung pushed his friend toward
the other two boys. “I’ll deal with this.” Junhyung’s fingers grabbed the material
around Hyunseung’s neck, slamming the boy against the metal lockers even harder.
Hyunseung slid down the vivid metal, blood unable to stop flowing. “I don’t understand.”
He kicked Hyunseung a few times, his own body feeling heavier and heavier from
each impact. “Why?” Junhyung crouched down, eyes staring at the blood trickling
onto the floor. He glanced over to see that the others were carefully watching the
scene. Even though he didn’t care for Hara, he needed to make sure that his
efforts now seemed opposite of his feelings towards her. His sanity depended on it.

 “She’s-“ Hyunseung stopped, having to swallow the blood collecting in his throat.
“She’s not good for you.” Junhyung looked at him. Even though Hyunseung
didn’t say much, whatever he did say, managed to cling onto the boy. The three
friends standing around laughed at the words they just heard.

“And what, you are?” One of them yelled his way.

   “Shut the hell up.” Junhyung slammed his fist into the metal lockers, sudden anger riling up
from the other’s words. He looked at them before quickly returning his gaze over towards the
body that shook more with each second longer that passed. He stared at him, awestruck to
the max possible level. “You mean, I’m not good for her.” He retorted, positive
Hyunseung’s words were just jumbled up or perhaps he heard incorrectly.

 “No.”  Junhyung’s ears perked. “She’s bad for you-“ The last word barely made it out as a
sharp pain flung through Hyunseung’s entire body. “Ah…” He
breathed out as the aches began to get worse the longer he stayed on the cold floor.

 “What-?” Junhyung’s voice was low as he noticed the males discomfort. His knee
ended up against Hyunseung’s thigh the closer his body decided to get. “I,”
A quiet, unbelievable laugh fell off his lips. “I don’t understand.”

Hyunseung  lowered his head even more, almost trying to hide from the male that got
terribly too close. “She’s a terrible person.” He whispered even quieter,
almost mute yet just enough for the two of them to hear.

 “Is that why you like her?” Junhyung chuckled, hand grabbing Hyunseung’s chin and
bringing it up until their eyes met. “Is this your way of getting her? Perhaps you’ll talk me into leaving
her so that you can have her?”

 “No.” Their eyes connected for the first time – Junhyung, for a split second managed to forget all
that was happening around him and only concentrate on the two brown eyes he saw for the
first time. “No.” Hyunseung repeated yet Junhyung swore he’d never seem such sharp eyes in his life before.

 “Th- then what is it?” Hyunseung’s eyes were full of tears as they continued with the ones across.
Junhyung’s eyes faltered, following the line of blood that continued leaving a glossy trail on the tile.
“Are you going to say anything.” Junhyung’s fingertips warmed up the longer he held
onto Hyunseung’s chin. He felt his heart race for no apparent reason. 
“Don’t-“ Junhyung looked up – shocked – from the intense gaze he was receiving from Hyunseung.
“Don’t your parents ask why you come home beaten up?”  The sudden need to change the subject seemed vital.
Junhyung dropped his hand, eyes looking away once he noticed the old cuts he had created not too long ago.
“Just stop,” Junhyung’s voice lowered, pitch just enough for their ears. “Stop whatever it is you are doing.”
He stood to his feet, fist relaxing itself. 

The halls were dead silent with only Hyunseung ragged breaths and sniffles heard.
Junhyung’s friends had been chatting a few feet away yet Junhyung’s only
thoughts were the boy huddled on the floor. He stared at them for a few seconds, mind racing
with hundreds of thoughts. “Yah,” His friends muted that instant. “You guys go ahead.”

 “What?” They replied confused. “Aren’t you coming?” Joon questioned.

 “I said go!” Junhyung yelled, alerting all of the importance of his words. 

 “O-okay.” They quickly scattered, leaving the two to fend for themselves.

Junhyung listened to the furthering footsteps, waiting for the last possible sound.
He took a deep breath, almost forgetting the need for air. He stared into the distance,
shaking his head at the thought of actually feeling a bit bad for hurting this person.

Hyunseung  brought his head up – Junhyung looked at him, eyes connecting once more.
The place was quiet as ever, Junhyung knelt down once again, eyes not blinking as they followed the other’s. 

 “I hope I don’t have to see you again.” Junhyung ran his thumb across the streak of
blood going down Hyunseung’s lip.  His words were quiet, eyes unable to detach from the
round pair looking so desperately into his.

 “I can’t promise that.” Hyunseung spoke, heart frightening him from the pace it created.

 “Then I can’t promise,” Junhyung wiped the other side, voice speaking at the lowest tone possible.
“Not doing this again.” Junhyung smiled before making his way down the hall. 

Hyunseung tilted his head, hand running over the trace that seemed engraved onto his skin.
He watched carefully as a smile – sick smile – appeared on his lips.  

Hyunseung gripped the frozen chains of the swing, body slinging
its way onto the seat. He heaved for air as he tried to regain composure from
the long night he had been facing. It’d been over an hour since the encounter and
his body had yet to drop from the high. 

He sighed, the back of his hand wiping the last bits of blood that streaked
down his forehead. He felt his eyes flutter, getting somewhat heavier
as the night progressed. It was late – he never stayed out this late – he was afraid. 

He couldn’t face his parents. The thought of that freaked him out.
After all, explaining to his father what had happened the first
time was impossible let alone now. 

Hyunseung knew he couldn’t hide it. Telling his parents he
tripped and fell wouldn’t count as a valid story either. 

A tiny part of him believed that the cold November air would do his
mind some good. Perhaps the frigid temperatures would shake off the
disease he was carrying; the sickness of wanting, needing to be seen by
Junhyung. It was sick and he knew it all too well.

Hyunseung’s eyes stayed attached to the starless night sky.
“Ha…” He laughed as the prominent stinging pain on his body reminded him of
that Junhyung. He’s dug himself into a hole and he knew that. Yet he’d gladly take the
chance and risk never being able to see the day of light again.

He touched his face, mentally cursing himself for overthinking it. Hyunseung
hated that his face felt as if it were on fire with eighty
shades of corals painting him. He wondered how big of a weirdo
he seemed in the eyes of Junhyung. His words must have been so odd
and confusing yet he couldn’t find it in himself to care though.
Being close to the person was enough for him. Even if it
meant embarrassment and utter humiliation.

A gush of wind brushed against his cheeks – chains creaked – footsteps, muted out.
Hyunseung’s ears concentrated on the wind howling past him,
not realizing a pair of footsteps had been following him the entire time. 

“Are you crazy?”  Junhyung’s voice came through the dark end of the sandbox,
echoing past the sitting body. Hyunseung’s eyes went wide, following the man
appearing from the shadows around them. His mouth fell wide, pulse finding
new life. “You must be…” Junhyung’s tone was low, eyes glaring
towards the seated boy. His feet dragged against the
mulch, some bit of difficulty in his nearing steps.

“Why?” Hyunseung wasn’t sure if he was answering the question or asking one himself.
The beating inside his chest had just managed to settle down when a bolt of electricity
ran through him upon the other’s arrival. “W-why are…” His voice shook, body trying to
fight off the nerves. His feet kicked the woodchips underneath, mind trying
to come up with any reasonable set of words.

“It’s dark,” Junhyung appeared – Hyunseung’s eyes dropped “It’s cold.” Junhyung
took a few steps closer, stopping a few feet away.. “And you’re at an empty
playground by yourself…” He looked at the empty swing
lightly swaying itself. “I’d say you’re crazy.”

“Doesn’t that make two of us then?” Hyunseung smiled, bringing his
head back up – Junhyung froze – Scars he himself created strangling the air inside his body 

“How – “ Junhyung started without having anything particular to say.
That smile, he couldn’t understand it. This person that kept appearing before
him and almost always bleeding found a way to smile?
“How…” Junhyung breathed out, unable to grasp that fact.

“How?” Hyunseung questioned, curious to the stare
he had been receiving. “What?”
Junhyung blinked, breath of his fogging up the view ahead.
He forgot to breathe, he just realized. His mouth opened, coolness
coating the lava molten of his lungs.

Hyunseung looked towards the ground, hand pulling the hood over his head even lower.
He fell embarrassed and he wasn’t all too sure why. Perhaps the boy that kept tugging at his emotions
was the causes of this sudden, rare embarrassment; or maybe even the look he had
gotten caused the little critters in the depths of his stomach to flutter as if Spring had arrived.

Junhyung’s  over capacitated mind was highly confused. He couldn’t understand
why the person suddenly looked away the closer he got. Or perhaps why this odd
human was here this late at night by himself. Even though Junhyung couldn’t understand it,
a very huge portion of his inner feelings wanted to know why this man was sitting here, beat up.
He quite frankly doesn’t recall how he himself even got here yet it just happened. He found the
need to follow this person and that’s where that led him. Next thing Junhyung knew, he was
here. Following the man for close to an hour until both stood at this spot. 

Junhyung however, wasn’t going to say that. His logic was, pretend this
never happened and move on. Yet for some reason, he found his
hands reaching towards the cold metal chains.

A spark in the pits of Hyunseung’s stomach ignited, the light squeaking next to him
perking up his ears. His eyes just barely looked towards his left, a new pair of shoes now in his sight.

“What are you doing here.” Junhyung mustered the need to speak. Hyunseung
knew the answer to that question yet he stayed quiet. He wanted to respond but thought
it was better to stay quiet. “Shouldn’t you be with your family or something?” Junhyung looked
distant as he concentrated on the pitch darkness ahead. 

“The moon is huge tonight.” Hyunseung stared towards the sky, words causing the other to
turn his attention onto him. “I wonder when it will snow.” Junhyung thought it wasn’t possible
to be any more confused yet this person managed to prove that wrong. He wasn’t sure if he
should answer that question, ignore it completely, or keep staring at the boy
that hid those eyes of his so well.

“Do you like the snow?” Hyunseung’s breath hitched, a huge part of him not expecting a reply
and especially not one like he had just heard. Yet Junhyung, to his surprise, ended up saying something
without thinking it over. And that scared him. He couldn’t understand why he was acting this way yet he was. 

The swings squeaked as Junhyung had an urge to see the eyes of the person next to him.
For some reason, he needed to see Hyunseung’s eyes – again. He cursed
himself for thinking the way he was and acting the way he was.

Hyunseung turned his head, eyes piercing through those looking back. “Wha-…” 
Junhyung looked away, mentally kicking himself for having stared but mostly for looking
away so quickly. He hated himself for wanting to see a pair of eyes so badly.
It’s not as if he hasn’t seen eyes before. 

Hyunseung swallowed, heart speeding to the max from at the sight of Junhyung’s
hands. Earlier flashed through his head, face painted with all types of lovely pinks. 

Junhyung noticed. Not even a few seconds went by that he found the need to look
at the man again, all doubts in his head quickly leaving. Hyunseung wished Junhyung
could be in his shoes for a few moments to feel all the chaos happening inside his body because of him.

“I’d let you,” Junhyung’s eyes traveled up the round nose and onto the two
eyes that were just barely visible to him. “I’d let you have her if I wasn’t attached to her.” 

Junhyung spoke – Hyunseung smiled – Junhyung froze. He couldn’t understand
that expression. That smile. It made him question why but mostly how such a person
could create such a lasting image. “If I wasn’t glued to her,” He continued, not even
sure what he was saying anymore. “I wouldn’t care about this – you…” Hyunseung
turned his head, eyes going directly onto the ones staring back. “Maybe then,” Junhyung’s
eyes travelled across the scars that were new and old then back onto the two, almost
lifeless pair looking at him. “I wouldn’t have to hurt you.” Junhyung swore a glow,
almost radiance left those eyes instantly and he was confused.

Hyunseung stood to his feet, bones aching from the long night out in the cold.
He didn’t want to yet he knew he had no other choice. Hyunseung was afraid
he’d say something he’d quickly regret. “Don’t stay out too long. You’ll end up
freezing.” Hyunseung looked over his shoulder, smiling one last time. “And I don’t
need that happening.” He made his way into the dark part of
school and down that far too familiar path back home.

Junhyung held the metal chains even tighter, staring at the leaving figure. A tiny
ounce of sting managed to nip at him the further the boy got. He was sure it was
the cold. There was no other explanation really. Because after all, Junhyung
couldn’t feel. That’s what he was told and that’s what he lived with till this day
however, perhaps a small bit of maybe entered his heart. A very small, almost
nonexistent feeling of emotion went through him and the last time he
felt emotion was the last time he ever felt any kind of feeling.

“It’s something…someone.” Hyunseung began yet the right words seemed
impossible to surface. It was eleven, almost midnight and Hyunseung had
​yet to find an explanation for his gangster like appearance.
He had never been out this late – that too added to the pile of concern the Jang’s were experiencing.  

"Well,” Mr. Jang scratched the back of his head he himself not sure how to
respond to this situation. “I believe there’s a reason why you look the way
you do. After all, you’re not the type of kid to get involved with the wrong people.”
His father looked at him. “I’m just curious as to why this person,
people are doing this to you. Are they from school?”

"I agree.” Mrs. Jang chipped in, halting Hyunseung’s attempt at answering
his father’s questions. “But still, you being bloodied like this and coming home
this late really worries me.” Her hands clasped tightly together, both sitting across from him. 

"I’m not sure how to explain this,” Hyunseung began, eyes looking at both his parents.
“But I can promise you that I am trying my best to figure this out. And I don’t want to lie to you guys either.”

"We know that. In order for us to figure this out together, we need to start somewhere.
You can’t possibly handle all this by yourself.” The two of them nodded their heads in unison.

Hyunseung sighed, stress and exhaustion creeping up
on him. “I’m just really tired right now.”

"Of course you are.” Mrs. Jang got up from her seat and grabbed onto his
shoulders. “Come on, we can discuss this tomorrow.”
She smiled as she guided Hyunseung up the stairs.

"Okay,” Hyunseung whispered as the two of them made their way upstairs.

“Hyunseungah,” She closed his bedroom door, voice ringing a familiar
tune to it. “We hid this from your father last time but I really don’t think
we can anymore. And especially because you helping a kid that was
bullied really doesn’t add up.” Hyunseung fell onto his bed, eyes
staring at the ceiling. “And also because I am extremely
worried about what’s happening.”

"It’s this guy…” Mrs. Jang jumped with joy as she took a seat next to her
son. She wasn’t expecting him to talk yet to her surprise, Hyunseung
found the strength and tried to explain what earth was
happening to him. “It’s this person that I’ve known for a while now…”

"Is he the same one hurting you?”

"No, well yes kind of….” He turned to his side, concealing his somewhat embarrassed state. 

"Kind of?” Mrs. Jang replied slighting irked. “That doesn’t really qualify for an answer.”

"Mom, this won’t make any sense because it makes no sense to me
but in order for me to be happy, I need to see this person. Rather it
be him punching me or what, it hurts me more that he doesn’t realize my existence.” 

Her eyes were wide as his words tried to make any sense to her.
“You’re right,” She placed her hand on his head. “This makes no sense whatsoever.” 

"Don’t worry though,” He sat up. “I’ll try to get less hurt.”
He smiled whereas his mother just frowned. 

"Hyunseung…” She watched her son yawn, the cuts on his face hurting her.
“Does this person really matter that much that you go through all of this?
Pretty soon, I won’t be able to recognize my own son.”

Hyunseung smiled, tired eyes gleaming her way.
“Perhaps,” He spoke, unable to wipe that grin off his face.

"As crazy as this sounds, seeing you smile like that covers up all your
cuts and bruises.” She narrowed her eyes his way. “How can you smile
such a smile from a person that seems to be causing havoc in your life?”
She stood up, planting a kiss on her son's forehead before making her way to
the door. “You really are my side of the family.” She laughed. “We’ll talk more tomorrow. You get some sleep.” 

"Good night and thank you.” Hyunseung spoke as his back fell onto his bed.
His eyes shut immediately and mind instantly going onto that person he hoped wouldn’t stop appearing in his life.

 .....

* I hope this wasn't boring thus far *