“Not as good as this,” you admit, and then you burst out into a silly laugh. Somehow … it feels good. You used to laugh all the time with your ‘friends’. But ever since that day … well, you haven’t done any of that. After quieting down a bit, you realize that Daehyun is watching you intently. You give him a curious look. “What?”

“You’re smiling,” he points out, and you blush. “Did I do that?” he asks, and now it’s his turn to blush, since he’s so embarrassed at the fact that he has the ability and capability of making you smile like you had. You hope he will change the conversation, and thankfully, he does. “So, I don’t really get it. I got bits and pieces of the story from the people I pass, but I’m pretty sure they’ve rearranged the tale to their liking.”

“Huh?” you ask him. “What are you talking about?”

“This,” he says, and waves his fork in the air. “From what I heard, your dad abandoned you, and you’ve been living alone since then. Is that true?” He’s so straight forward and blunt that it gets you flustered.

“I … ” you scoff, as if to say no, none of those rumors are true … except they are. “That’s not the whole story,” you admit, going against your principles. “I … it’s not that he abandoned me … ” just saying it out loud hurts your heart, so you take a deep breath and plod on, “he just lost his job due to … personal reasons, and … to help the family … I’m living … here. There. Where it’s cheaper.” You look up at him and force a smile, hoping it’s enough to convince him. “It’s not a big deal,” you lie.

Daehyun shakes his head. “You know,” he says, standing up, “When I said ‘smile’, I didn’t mean a fake one.” You stare at him as he takes his tray and walks away to toss waste into the trash can. “I gotta go to class early for a missed assignment,” he says as he walks back to the table where you sit. “I’ll see you.” He turns around to walk away, but then he stops, as if an idea has lightened his mind. “Tell me,” he says, cocking his head and looking at you thoughtfully, “the full story. Someday.

Okay?” Without waiting for your reply, he turns away, and you watch him until his form retreats behind a swinging door. Blowing at a strand of hair that’s fallen over your face, you stand up and start cleaning up your mess. You can’t stay here. Who knows if those guys would bully you again? And frankly, now that you’re alone, you’re a lot more aware of the stares that have been piercing your back, and you’d rather ignore them than acknowledge them. Just then, the bell rings. You breathe a sigh of relief and rush to your next class.

——-

Your stomach grumbles as the bell signals the end of the last class. You shove your books into your backpack and shut your locker door. Teachers just love giving a ton of homework on the first few days of school after vacation, don’t they? You duck your head and once more trudge through the hallways, avoiding any eye contact in an effort to stay clear from conversations. Thankfully, you make it out of the school without any problems.

Where to? Home, probably. Maybe you can buy something to eat for dinner tonight, since you know you can’t keep depending on Daehyun to feed you. He’s already been helpful enough.

After exiting the school, you navigate your way through the city and go inside the grocery store. What’s a cheap item to purchase for dinner? You’ve never actually had to go grocery shopping before, and you admit that you’re at a loss as to what to do. Although there are signs that label each aisle, you still can’t find your way around this maze-like expanse. You finally settle on purchasing some bread and ramen (can’t go wrong with ramen, although you admit it’s extremely unhealthy to eat this on a regular basis) and go to the cash register to check out.

Armed with a plastic bag, you leave the grocery store and start your way home. It’s only at this moment that you wonder where Daehyun could be. It feels a little lonely not walking with him, making you realize how dependent on him you had grown, a fact you’re hesitant to peruse.

Shaking your head in order to clear it, you walk forward, now familiar enough with the area to find your way home. Once home, you complete your homework (Since there really is nothing else to do) and busy yourself with making the house look more homely. By the time dinner hour rolls around, you’ve finished what you can and are exploring your grocery bag, trying to decide what to eat. You settle on the bread you bought, and although it doesn’t fill you up, you’re as content as you can be.

You wonder what Daehyun could be doing right now. Maybe you should visit him. Would he think that weird? You could use an excuse - but, why would you need an excuse? - and knock on his door. You look out your window; it’s already dark. Well, you’ll just finish up eating first, and then you’ll go to his house. Because you need cleaning supplies. Right, that sounds feasible.

You wipe your hands and start to leave your house. Closing the front door behind you, you’re about to walk straight over to Daehyun’s house when you see him, just sitting down on his front stoop with a lollipop in his mouth. He calmly stares at the stars, and when he notices you, he gives you a blank look. All of a sudden, you forget what excuse you had been planning to use.

“Where ya off to?” he asks, talking around his lollipop.

“Um,” you say, flustered. Why are you flustered? “I - “

“If you have nothing to do … ” he trails off and pats the empty space beside him. “Why don’t you join me?”