THIS IS PART ONE OF CHAPTER FOUR~~~~~~~~~

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Sunday afternoon, half past two. Jaejoong stood in his study old school house, talking to Eli.

                Eli was a, tall handsome fifteen-year-old with the words “future head of the house.” Stamped in the lines of his fore head. He was checking that there would be full turnout for his elder brother Brian’s talk on the importance of house spirit.

                House spirit was currently a sensitive issue for the old boys school. On the previous afternoon their rugby team, captained by Eli’s brother, had suffered a crushing defeat. The defeat, a huge dent to the collective ego of Old school, had been blamed on the insufficient cheering from the touchline. Hence Eli’s brother fourth coming talk.

                “the talk starts at three o`clock,” Eli told Jaejoong. “make sure your on time. My brother doesn’t want to have to wait around for latecomers.” Jaejoong nodded. “good, House spirit is important. You do see that don’t you kim.” Jaejoong nodded again. Eli looked at jaejoong suspiciously. He is the son of a estate owner all over Norfolk.

                “ Of course,” Jaejoong replied. “I`m sure we would have won if we’d all just cheered louder.” Jaejoong regretted those words as soon as they came out. “Exactly.” “how long do you think you brother will talk for?” “as long as he want to!” Eli replied severely.

                There was a sudden knock on the door. “yes!” shouted Eli, assuming it would be for him. But it was not. The door opened and revealed Jung Yunho. Jaejoong was taken by surprise. The two of them had not exchange a word since their encounter in the library last Tuesday. Occasionally, in class, Jaejoong had caught Yunho’s eyes and attempted a friendly nod but had received no sign of acknowledgement. The study was now big enough to hold three persons so Yunho leaned on the door frame. “what are you doing this afternoon?” he asked jaejoong. “he’s going to a talk,” replied by Eli. Yunho ignored him and asked again. “I told you what he’s doing!” snapped by Eli, who did not like being ignored. “now clear off, Jung, we don’t want your sort around here.” “is this Eli’s brother talk? I saw a notice on your board.” Jaejoong nodded. “ it’s on house spirit.” He fought an urge to grimace. “that’s something you would not know about.” Added Eli. “that’s right.” Replied by Yunho.  “unlike you brother, of course.” “that do you mean?” demanded by Eli. “What I said. You brother’s just overflowing with house spirit. We both know that he’s only giving this talk cause it hurts him that junior boys don’t love this house as he does. Personal feeling has nothing to do with this.” “what personal feelings?” “feelings of humiliation,” suggested yunho. “at being thrashed by a team who are a school joke.” Yunho paused. “especially when that team’s star player is a wog.”

                A complete embarrassment spread across Eli’s face. “that’s got nothing to do with it!” He replied. “I know it hasn’t! it hasn’t!” “I know that, Eli. You don’t have to convince me.” His repeated agreements only served to put Eli ever more on defensive. “my brother has nothing to do against wogs!” “I Know he doesn’t.” “he doesn’t!” “I know that.” “it’s true!” “I know it is!” “it is!” “in fact,” Yunho suggested. “it would probably accurate to say that he admires them.” “he does!” “he admires them terribly.” “Absolutely!” “in fact he wishes that he was one of them.” “he does!” cried Eli. “he does…..No! He bloody doesn’t! he….” He paused realizing that he fell into a blindly trap and could not win with wither answers. He tried to raise his dignity and pulled himself to a full height. “ you’re an absolute disgrace to this school, Jung. You’ve no business here at all.”

                Yunho rolled his eyes in an imitation of Jaejoong. “ohLordy, Eli Harrington, don` ever say dat!” Eli tried to stare him down, but was unable to do so. He was a Harrington after all; stock from which heroes were made. He was used to be being looked up and admired. He had no experience of being so openly despised.

                “I feel sorry for you Jung.” He announced grandiosely before marching out of study.

                Yunho stepped into the study and pushed the door closed behind him.

                “you should not have said all that,” said jaejoong. “that’s what you said last time,” yunho told him. “I know.”

                They stared at each other, then laughter raised up. They started the same moment. For over a minute they rocked back and forth, laughing like hyenas, unable to stop.

                Yunho composed himself first. Jaejoong managed to do the same. He straightened up and stared at yunho.

                “So what are you doing this afternoon?” Yunho asked him.

                The talk was forgotten. Everything was forgotten in the sudden intensity of the moment. “nothing,” he replied. “nothing at all.”

                “let’s get away from here. Let’s go miles away and forget all about this dump for the afternoon. Do you want to do that?”

                Jaejoong nodded. Excitement pulsed through him. He felt absurdly happy. Yunho turned and led the way.

                Thorley park was four miles from Kirkston Abbey, a huge expanse of woodland named after a now destroyed manor house whose grounds it had once comprised.

                Yunho and jaejoong wheeled their bicycles through its path, their feet crunching over dead leaves. Eventually they left their bicycles at the foot of a huge oak tree and climbed up to its branches. They sat facing each other on a branch, their legs dangling towards the ground. Their breathes condensing in front of their faces like ghost dancing in the wind.

                “I had to get out,” Yunho said. “I couldn’t wait till tomorrow.” “tomorrow?” “my great aunt’s funeral.”

                Now jaejoong remembered tell on of the masters on Friday.

                “I’m sorry.” “I’m not. All I’m losing is half a crown and a sloppy kiss at Christmas. It’s a good excuse to get out for a day.” “why did your parents send you here?” “because I am a Jung of course. The Jungs come from upchurch. It’s only fifteen miles away so Kirkston Abbey is the local public school. My father came here and my uncle and my grandfather. All my ancestors, right back to dinosaurs.” “doesn’t that fell strange?” “strange?” “sitting in class thinking that maybe a hundred years ago your great-great-grandfather sat in the same desk having the same lesson.” “being taught by the same teacher probably.”

                They both laughed. “it must feel strange thought,” jaejoong said. Yunho shrugged “I’d find it creepy if it was me.” “I take it the Kim family haven’t been sending their sons to Kirkston Abbey since the dawn of time.” Jaejoong shook his head. “the dinosaurs I’m descended couldn’t afford it.” They both laughed again. “so why are you here then?” Aske yunho.

                “shouldn’t I be?” “your not a typical kirkston abbey pupil.” “neither are you.”

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i am getting lousy.......