[3] The Button
A Crazy Thing Called Love
Krystal, Taemin, Seunghyun and I were hanging out at the park after school one sunny day. The day seemed like it was going on forever, so once school was dismissed, we dashed out the door without waiting for the others. Surprisingly, we all bumped into each other on the way there. When we got to the park, the only people that were occupied were the students playing soccer on the field. Tired from all the running, Taemin led us to a table placed a few yards away from the field, giving us a good sight of the game.
As we sat down, we took out our lunch from our backpacks and opened them. "Hey, can you get us some drinks?" Seunghyun asked, popping some chips into his mouth. I rolled my eyes at him, restraining myself from sticking out that middle finger; of course, in a playful manner. I laughed slightly as I turned away from him, shaking my head at his laziness.
"Fine, but you're paying me back later." I wiggled my finger in front of his face, nearly touching the tip of his nose. He chuckled at me as he shoved my finger away. As I turned around, my back facing the table, I heard the sounds of people shuffling from behind me. I turned my head slightly to find my 3 friends standing up and trailing behind me like a couple of cute kinders.
I walked up to the cart that was selling the drinks and snacks. "Hi, excuse me! Can I--" Before I could give him my order, someone stepped in front of me and shoved me out of the way causing me to bump harshly into the other people waiting in line. Rude. "Ouch!" I yelled, glaring at that person. My eyes slightly widened when I saw the culprit. G-Dragon? (or GD as some people like to say).
"Yeah, can I get--" GD started to talk to the vendor, ignoring my yells. I was just about to protest yet again until Jonghyun showed up, giving the guy a scowl.
Jonghyun's POV:
"You guys are retards!" I joked playfully, kicking the soccer ball to my playmates. We all burst into laughter until I felt someone tap my shoulder from behind me. "Yeah?" I said, turning around to face Minho.
"Dude, look over there." I diverted my attention away from our soccer game and to the people that were getting nearly pushed toward the floor.
"What the hell is GD doing?" I questioned as I saw him pushing these people out of line. One of them seemed familiar. It was like I've seen him before, but I just don't remember. What's his name again?
"Hey! Ow!" I heard the 4 friends yell, tumbling backward. They helped each other gain their balance. Once they steadied themselves, they stomped their feet angrily and started to complain.
GD seemed calm about the whole situation, making me get even more annoyed. I ran over to the vendor, cutting in front of GD. "4 cokes please." From the corner of my eye, I could see that familiar boy blush furiously. "Thank you." I grabbed the 4 drinks from the worker and turned around, pushing passed GD.
"I hope Pepsi is okay." The guy I handed it to nodded nervously with a small smile on his face. I had to admit, it was very adorable.
"Yes..." The guy said, slowly raising his arms to take the drinks out of my hands. His hands were shaking slightly from what I could tell.
"Just take it Key!" A girl with long brown hair cut in, annoyed with Key's apprehension. The guy, I'm guessing is Key, took the drinks out of my hands with a sincere smile on his face.
He bowed slightly as the drinks slipped into his hands. "Thank you." He whispered, passing out the extra drinks to his friends. The redness of his cheeks were still visibly noticeable, making me chuckle. "Huh?" he asked, questioning my laugh.
"Nothing." I replied, shaking both my hands and head. "Don't worry about the drinks. You don't have to pay me back or anything." He nodded at me, still confused at what happened just now.
GD stayed in front of the cart, glaring at me the whole time. It was obvious that he seemed agitated by my kindness. His rude stare never left my back as I strolled away from all of them and back to the soccer field. It was as if he intended to burn a hole with his hard gaze.
Key's POV:
Did he really just do that right now? My cheeks flushed red as I took the drinks from him, our hands slightly brushing against each other. Why did he suddenly just turn around and leave his game to help us out? I knew he was nice and all, but I didn't know he was that nice to help out familiar strangers like us.
"Thanks Jonghyun..." I said, although it came out as a mere whisper. I was thankful he didn't hear me. I was sure he would have thought I was strange and creepy for actually knowing his name. We barely know each other after all.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt a sudden force. I looked around in surprise when I noticed Taemin pulling me over back to our tables. I stumbled carelessly over my own feet, glancing back at Jonghyun as he high fived his friends after scoring a goal. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't figure out the reason why he risked his popularity to help us; a bunch of "no life weirdos" as certain people considered us to be. My eyes spewed out pure animosity as I glared at GD, the idiot that pushed us earlier. He was still in line waiting for his drinks, but his eyes were on Jonghyun. His stare was just like mine; devious and full of hatred.
Jonghyun's POV:
That next day, I woke up for school unwillingly. The day turned out the same as all the others. It was boring, but educational; although no one seemed to pay attention anyway. PE happened to be my last period, so when I trudged home, I'd be quite wearied out.
After PE, I was one of the last few people still inside the locker rooms. "Bye, I'll see you later." Many of my peers called out to each other as they slipped their backpacks on and did their daily handshakes. I watched as the room slowly washed out, leaving me alone in the dim lit room. I heard the faint voices of students as they walked together in the hallway to get outside of the gym. As I slipped my shirt on, I could clearly hear footsteps echo throughout the gym walls. I didn't think much of it, assuming it was just our coach cleaning up.
"Yeah, I'm leaving soon." I said to my mom after she left several worried voicemails. I flipped my phone shut, looking around the room after I slipped it into my pocket. I gripped the strap on my backpack as I stuffed my dirty gym clothes inside, not caring much about it. I'll go through the gym, I thought. The shortcut to the route to my house was through the gym, so I thought why not?
I slipped my backpack on as I stepped quietly on my way to the vacant gym, looking down at my feet as I walked. "Hey Jonghyun." A frightening deep voice was heard behind me, causing me to freeze in my tracks. "No need to be so afraid." He spoke deviously.
"GD..." I breathed, fear washing over me. "What do you want?" I spat, trying my best not to stutter. He simply scoffed in my face, followed by a hearty chuckle. His eyes were filled with annoyance and mischief. I repeated my question several times, gaining nothing else but a death glare in response.
He stepped toward me with his fists clenched tightly. "What's wrong? Cats got your tongue?" With every word he threw at me, he took another step. He slowly advanced toward me as I stayed in my place, parading in a confident masquerade. "You're pathetic." He finally got in front of my face, nearly touching me.
He unexpectedly pushed me, making me stumble backward. "You think you're so cool." Every word he screamed at me seemed to sting. "You're a failure... Just like your father." Upon hearing those words, something seemed to burst inside of me. It was as if all the anger that I've kept within all these years were finally going to be let out. My eyes narrowed at him as he shoved me yet again, causing me to immediately snap.
"Shut up." The words came out sharp and filled with venom. It doesn't even make you want to think 'and what if I don't?' I clenched my fists tightly as he smirked at me.
"Make me."
Make him? Anger boiled up inside me, my face beginning to turn red. I took a step forward and pushed him with an even greater force. "You want me to make you?" I spit in his face, causing him to flinch. "Don't worry. I'll make you."
He leaned forward, his nose slightly brushing against my cheek. My hands were clenched tightly that I felt my nails piercing through my skin. My eyes shut as I tried to calm myself down. This better not do anything stupid. "You're just a ing loser like your father." I suddenly heard him whisper in my ear. This time, my anger couldn't be controlled. I set my left hand on his shoulder and gripped it tightly as I flung my other fist toward his stomach. He coughed loudly and his eyes widened. He furrowed his brows at me, the punch taking him by surprise.
"Don't say about my father." I shouted as I released his shoulder and shoved him slightly. GD clutched his stomach as he stepped toward me yet again. Unable to predict his next move, I hesitated. It was too late. He let go of his stomach and grabbed my shoulders. Before I could question it, he suddenly kneed me, causing me to curl forward.
His friends behind him suddenly walked slowly toward me. My eyes darted to each of them, wondering what they were going to do. I looked around the room in search of an escape. He had friends at each exit, with an idiotic grin on their features. I suddenly felt hands on my shoulders, holding me in place. One person held me on my right and another on my left. "You're going to regret everything." I heard GD whisper menacingly. Why me?
My thoughts were cut off when I suddenly felt a sharp pain all over my body. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor, yelping in agony. I whimpered but he took no pity on me. Instead, he laughed in my face as he continued to kick me. I raised both of my arms to cover my face. "Ouch!" I yelled as he punched and kicked me several more times, leaving dozens of bruises, cuts, and vaguely deep wounds.
"GD, I think that's enough." I heard a voice come from the exit. I opened my eyes as I removed my arms from my face once the beating halted. I looked toward the exit, but my vision was all a blur. I could see blurry figures of teenagers in dark clothing. Suddenly, there was one last kick on my stomach. "Consider yourself lucky." His stern voice seemed to fade away. I wasn't sure if it was him distancing himself or if it was me blacking out suddenly. Either way, I eventually knocked out with my blood staining the gym floor.
Key’s POV:
I was with Seunghyun, riding on the back of his motorcycle as Taemin and Krystal trailed behind us. “What? Really? Okay!” I heard Krystal’s screaming voice come from my right. Krystal’s phone closed shut as she suddenly yelled, “Stop! Taemin, stop!” Although he was confused, Taemin stopped reluctantly and turned to Krystal as she jumped off the bike.
“Hey Seunghyun, stop!” He nodded as he braked smoothly and turned off the engine. Once we stopped, he leaned onto the right, resting his foot on the ground. “Krystal, what’s wrong?” I sprung off the bike and dashed to Krystal’s direction. She seemed hesitant to tell me; she kept avoiding my gaze as she let her hair fall in front of her face.
“They got in a fight…” She whispered, clutching her phone tightly against her chest. I furrowed my brows and pursed my lips. Who got in a fight? I snickered and waited for her to continue. A couple of seconds passed and she was still in a trance.
“Krystal?” I called out, surprising her. Her head shot up as her face began to get red. I motioned my hands, telling her to go on. I sighed heavily as I began to get impatient. “Who got into a fight?!” I yelled, my voice sounding like thunder. If she stopped us and she looked that afraid, it must have been something important.
Instead of talking, she flipped open her phone and shoved it in my face. All I saw were a bunch of unread text messages. Before I could whine, she clicked open and I read the big bold letters that appeared before me. “Guys, Jonghyun and GD got into a fight at the gym!” My eyes widened as my heart began to beat faster. Is he okay? What happened? Did they get caught? Why were they fighting? Who started it? Those thoughts roamed my mind as Krystal began to open the rest of the texts that displayed similar news.
Suddenly angry, I closed her phone and pushed passed her. “Key, where are you going?” I immediately began to run in the school’s direction, ignoring their calls. “Key, ride the bike! It’s faster!” My feet slowly stopped pushing forward and I turned around, realizing it would have taken me longer if I just ran there. I reluctantly turned around and rushed toward Seunghyun who was already turning on the engine. As I grabbed onto his waist, he started the bike and did a u-turn, heading to the school.
“Hurry up!” I yelled to Taemin and Krystal as they slowly followed us. The whole ride there I was filled with worry and anxiety. What if they weren’t there? What if he’s just lying there, hurt and unconscious? What if I couldn’t do anything to help him? Why were they fighting in the first place? Did GD hurt him? Who won? I couldn’t get those questions out of my head. I kept cursing myself over and over again that I didn’t realized we stopped.
Seunghyun released me from my grip as he kicked the bike onto its stand and got off. “Key, we’re here.” My head shot up and I began to shake nervously. Before Krystal and Taemin reached us, I ran toward the gym doors. When I got there, I could see kids gossiping about it already. I sighed as I noticed several kids going in and out of the gym, probably searching for the fight.
“Out of my way.” I affirmed. Their eyes showed fear as they backed away from the door slowly, clutching onto their friend’s arms. I glared at them slightly as I entered the room. My eyes wandered as I noticed how empty it was. No one’s in here? “Jonghyun? GD?” I called out, but it was no use. I stood there as I listened to my voice bounce off the walls. I sighed heavily as I walked around the room, kicking the ground in disappointment every few minutes.
I walked over to the volleyball net and leaned against the pole. “Hmmph.” I pouted as I slid down the pole with my arms folded across my chest. My bottom landed on the floor with a thud, making me somewhat flinch. The gymnasium stayed quiet. The only sounds that I could hear was the chatter about the fight that came from outside. I turned to my right, getting about ready to yell at them, but something caught my eye. Next to me was a white button with several drops of dried blood. A button? It’s probably from his uniform. I was surprised when I saw the blood that I didn’t even realize I held my breath. “Jonghyun’s…” I jumped up from where I was sitting and closed my fist, keeping the button clearly secured.
I opened the gym door to find Seunghyun, Krystal, and Taemin already sitting there with a worried look on their faces. “Is everything alright?” Taemin asked, immediately standing up after he saw me walk out. I looked at them with a fake smile and nodded.
“Everything’s alright.” Krystal and Seunghyun were just about to stand up as well, but before they could say anything to me, I started to run. I don’t know why I was so angry and upset, but I knew I couldn’t be surrounded by people at the moment.
From the distance, I could hear them calling out my name. “KEY! YAH! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?” They seemed confused as to why I just suddenly disappeared from their sight. I looked back at them and they just had a dazed look. As I turned back around, I held onto the button tighter, making sure it wouldn’t slip out of my hand.
After a few minutes, I finally reached my house already out of breath. The sky was already dark. I raised my arm and checked my watch; 8pm. Was I out that long? I dropped my hand and leaned against the door, trying to catch my breath. Once I was able to breathe correctly again, I walked into the house calmly. The costumers there seemed to be grossed out by my sweat beads, but I didn’t care. “Hey Key!” Amber called out as she exited the kitchen carrying a tray of food. I nodded in her direction and began to walk up our narrow stairway, still holding onto the button.
I ran inside the bathroom and grabbed a rag from under the sink. Carefully I turned the faucet on and wet the rag, making it slightly damp. I held the button in front of my face and wiped the blood off; thankfully it came off with ease. I threw the rag into our red ladybug hamper and sauntered off into my room that was right down the hall. Once I stepped inside, I immediately began to look for a marker.
After much searching, I found it lying at the foot of my bed. I hastily grabbed it and walked over to my desk where I keep a display of all my favorite things. It consisted of the picture of my dad that my uncle gave us in a frame, a photo of my mom with my sister and I, and several items that just seemed important. I the lamp in front of me and placed the button under it. I opened the marker and leaned in slightly, drawing a smiley face on the button. “Nice.” I whispered to myself, feeling satisfied.
Wow, I’m getting so worked up over a button. I smiled as I held the button in the palm of my hands, my thoughts wandering over to Jonghyun. I wonder how he is. I sighed as I placed the button in front of the many pictures I had on my desk. I shut the lamp off, immediately making the room go dark. “Good night.” I whispered as I slid into my mattress, snuggling into it. It wasn’t long until I fell into a deep slumber.
Comments