It was a cold winter day and Hansol was walking the streets of Gangnam at high noon. He skipped school again because he can’t be bothered wasting his time inside four walls, listening to strangers talk and making you agree with them all the time in the process, he said. He always wears a black hoodie above his uniform and carried that dark aura wherever he walks.

               Hansol’s thirteen, but his mind sure is not at that age. He is the epitome of the saying, “don’t judge the book by its own cover.” Sure, he looks thirteen, but what’s inside his mind tells you a whole different story. Hansol’s thinking has been more mature than most people his age ever since he was young. He was not the type to run around playgrounds and get himself all dirty. He was the type of kid who finds a corner and either reads a book, learns an instrument, or draws random things.

               His mom is a teacher, which explains why he may have an interest in learning new stuff. At first, everyone was too pleased about him, until he started not talking to everybody, even his family. He won’t even play with his younger sister who thirsts for her older brother’s affection.

               Hansol is a loner. He has his own world nobody else could get into. He has created his own sanctuary inside his mind or so he thinks.

               Hands inside his pocket, Hansol enters a convenience store without greeting the then cheerful owner back, making him receive glares around him. He shrugs them all off and proceeds to an aisle where cup noodles are placed. He grabs one, pays for it at the cashier, and gets a seat at the corner to eat his snack. As soon as he sits on the chair, the couple on the other side hurries to go out of the store as if his presence alone is bothering him. Hansol just glares at them as they scurried away.

               As he tilts his head back, finishing off the contains of the cup noodles, an elbow hits him right at the center of his spine, making him lose his grip on the cup and soaking him with hot water from head to toe. Before the suspect of the incident could even say his apology, or maybe run, Hansol slowly turns around, eyes ablaze, and sends a punch at the stranger but missing by a small margin due to the kid’s fast reflexes. He was small but he was really fast to avoid Hansol’s punch. He looks like he was about to cry but Hansol’s pain was more important to him than the pain he’s about to give the kid.

               “Why you-, “Hansol grits his teeth as he tries to send a second punch, only for his hand to get blocked by another strong hand which, of course, belongs to an arm and to a person.

               “You haven’t even gave him a chance to say sorry, kid,” an older kid said in a deep tone. Hansol could only glare at him as his grip tightens around his wrist.

               “You don’t want to get involved in this,” Hansol breathed.

               “Hey! What’s taking you so long?” another kid beams as he enter the store in such a cheerful manner; it was as if he was flying in the air as he walks. His smile slightly fades for a minute as the tense scene before him registers in his mind, but regains his smile anyway.

               “Nothing. It’s just a kid,” the older kid says as he loosens his grip on Hansol, smirking as he does so.

               Hansol scoffs at the word “kid”, feeling violated. How could another kid call him a kid in such a manner? He’s definitely taller but he’s not at the same level as he is at all. The thought of it disgusts him.

               “What did you call me?” he cries out, raging in anger. The small kid hides behind the older one.

               The older kid was still mocking him, his right cheek facing Hansol, when Hansol throws his third punch, only to get blocked once again. The kid’s expression suddenly stiffens and it was as if the whole atmosphere around the store became colder.

               “The next time you attempt to throw that filthy fist at me, I swear you’ll regret it,” he hisses as he grabs Hansol by the collar.

               “H-hyung, don’t be like that,” the cheerful kid skips towards them, “he’s actually my friend! I’m sorry. It’s been really tough on him these days at school. Give him a break, okay? Just let him go this time. I’m sure he didn’t mean to go off like that, right?”

               “Get way from here. I know he’s not your classmate.”

               “Why? How can you even do that? Are you a psychic now, hyung?” he fakes a laugh.

               “No,” he hisses, “you don’t have the same uniform, dummy.”

               “A-ah,” he scratches his head, embarrassed. “But, hyung, let him go this time. I think he’s harmless.”

               “Harmless?” he cries out. “He was about to punch Chan twice!”

               “O-okay. Maybe a bit harmful, but-,” he quickly puts his hands together, “please?”

               As to why this other is lying for his sake is beyond Hansol. He was a complete stranger but he was trying to create an escape route for the mess he was in. He doesn’t know if all this care this stranger is giving him is making him feel better because he thinks it’s only making him feel worse. Good Samaritans are not welcome in Hansol’s made-up sanctuary.

               “Fine,” the older kid grunts. He then turns his gaze to Hansol and says, “if you try to hurt one of my friends again, I swear you won’t see daylight anymore.”

               “Eyy,” the other kid laughs and pats Hansol’s shoulder, “he’s joking. Right, hyung?”

               The older kid just rolls his eyes at him and walks out the store with the little kid he called Chan. After they got out, the cheerful kid sits on one of the chairs and started humming a happy song, or it sounded like one. Hansol turns around to glare at him but finds himself unable to do it. The kid just spared him a black eye, how could he be rude to him?

               “What’s your name?” the kid asked.

               “Doesn’t matter,” he deadpanned.

               “Hmm, cool name,” he doubles over at his own remark. He’s too shallow, Hansol thought.

               “If you think we can be friends after what you did earlier, then you’re wrong.” Turns out that being stubborn is really his default mood.

               “I see. I’m Seunggwan, anyway,” he grins at him. Now the cheerful kid had a name.

               “I don’t-“

               “Ah! And you’re Hansol!” he says, looking satisfied.

               “How did you-“

               “Nametag,” he deadpanned.

               “Oh. Do you really have that habit of cutting people-“

               “Yes,” he said, beaming.

               Hansol rolls his eyes at him, grabs his bag, and walks out of the store, leaving Seunggwan inside.

               “Hey! Hansol! Hey!” Seunggwan shouts at him, half outside the door. Hansol grabs his iPod and plugs his earphones in his ears, blocking the world from his ears once again. He walks fast until he reaches the bus stop, boarding the bus that would lead to his home.

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~*~

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                It was already past 9 o’clock when Hansol arrived at their home. As he entered the front door, his mom’s booming voice welcomed him. Her whole body was shaking with anger.

                “I’ve been calling you since this afternoon! Why weren’t you picking up?” she shouted at him. “I had tons to do for the school but I couldn’t concentrate because I was thinking of you! Where were you?”

                “Look,” he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear it.”

                “Oh, really? You think I’d believe that excuse? You always have your phone in your hand! You even spend more time with it than your own family!” Her voice was getting louder by the minute.

                “E-everywhere,” Hansol replied rather absent-mindedly. It’s as if he suddenly got lost in his thoughts.

                “Where. Were. You.”

                “Oh, .” Hansol exclaimed, only to get his mouth slapped by his mother.

                “Don’t you ever curse in front of me, Hansol Vernon Choi,” she said in between gritted teeth.

                “Well, that hurt,” he pouted, “but mom-“

                “But mom what?”

                “I think I might have left it in the convenience store,” he replied, not meeting his mom’s eyes.

                “What?” His mom’s eyes widen with frustration.

                “, now I have to see that kid again,” Hansol thought, giving out a heavy sigh.