“Did you hear? Kwak Aron got expelled.”

Junhong looked up from his textbook to his friend who was sitting opposite him. Jongup placed his hands on the table and leaned towards Junhong, his face serious.

“Do you know why?”

Junhong pursed his lips and glanced back to where Aron used to sit. His seat was empty. So were his friends’. Junhong hadn’t seen them for days now.

“I reported to the principal.” Junhong muttered faintly, his eyes on the book but his mind somewhere else.

“You did?!” Jongup gasped, leaning back in his seat. “How? I thought you didn’t want the teachers to know. Man, what happened? No wonder I haven’t seen them for a while now.”

“He needs to be punished,” Junhong said, looking at his friend straight in his eyes. It gave Jongup goose bumps. “I guess I was being stupid this whole time. I should’ve reported to the principal earlier.”

“Great,” Jongup smiled. Junhong blinked and furrowed his eyebrows perplexedly. “You’re improving. I’m glad that you’ve decided to open up to some people.”

“I’m glad too,” Junhong nodded, his lips curled up into a thin smile. “Jongup.”

“Huh?” Jongup raised a brow, his smile still glued to his friendly face.

“Thanks.”

That sentence didn’t need to be elaborated. Jongup understood his friend completely.

“No problem, Junhong.”

After giving Junhong a pat on his shoulder, Jongup returned to his seat and studied for the upcoming exam. Junhong slumped in his seat and looked out the window. The school gate was closed. A guard stood by, guarding the entrance as usual.

Himchan would wait for him there after school.

Junhong recalled the day Himchan came to the school one evening, dragging Junhong along with him.

He’d told Junhong that he would report about the bullies to the principal. Junhong had protested several times but Himchan dismissed him by rolling his eyes.

“I told you that I will help you,” Himchan had said as they made their way through the empty hall. “You can’t stop me.”  

Junhong had tried running away but Himchan threatened to strangle him the moment he took a step away from him. Junhong became speechless at the sudden threat. He didn’t expect Himchan to be so harsh. The way Himchan stared at him had sent chills down his spine.

He was being serious.

It made Junhong feel bad.

When Junhong had finally obeyed, Himchan entered the principal’s office and told her everything. He even forced Junhong to show the principal the scars on his arms.

The principal’s reaction wasn’t what Junhong had expected. Junhong thought that she would only smile and tell Himchan that kids make mistakes but it was the total opposite.

The principal had given Junhong the most concerned look Junhong had ever seen. She even called the bullies’ parents for a special meeting.

During the weekend, both sides attended the meeting at school. Junhong was reluctant to go but Himchan had dragged him there.

The moment Aron and his friends entered the room with their parents; he gave Junhong a piercing glare. Junhong had avoided his eyes, his hands on his laps and his feet tapping the carpeted floor nervously.

Aron had admitted his fault and so did Baekho and JR—albeit reluctantly. Their parents had apologized to Junhong repeatedly. 

Baekho and JR got suspended and Aron got expelled.

In the end, the Kwak family had decided to move back to California, the place where Aron grew up. Rumor said that Aron had always been a troubled child. His parents had sent him to a mental institution once when he tried suicide. He was depressed and he had a hard time expressing himself.

Junhong finally understood the look in his eyes. The look of distaste he had in his eyes was because he was unsatisfied of how neglectful his parents were to him. They lived under the same roof but they never turned their eyes to him. He was just a ghost. Like what he’d told Junhong a long time ago. He was waiting to be blown away by the wind.

Junhong would’ve agreed to him if he were still living in the orphanage but now that he had learnt something new, he realized how wrong Aron was about them being the same. Junhong was different. Junhong was way better than him. He didn’t let himself drift away and he was thankful for that.

Junhong could feel the weight getting lifted off his shoulders. But some remained. Junhong knew very well what it was.

It was time to settle things with Himchan. Sooner or later, he had to tell Himchan about Yongguk. Himchan needed to know.

Junhong sighed and stretched his arms. Before he could read the textbook, the bell rang and the teacher came into the classroom.

“Exam will start at 9. Go back to your seats, no more textbooks on the table.”

Junhong’s mouth fell. Jongup who was sitting at the front turned around to laugh at Junhong.

Junhong had to remind himself to stop getting lost in his mind.

♦

 “Hey,” Jongup greeted Junhong as he made his way outside the classroom. “Mind if I tag along?”

“But they might see you…”

“I don’t care anymore.” Jongup smiled. “If they want to treat me like an outcast then it’s fine by me. I’m tired of being a coward, Junhong. I don’t like being a bad friend too. Who cares if they hate me? It’s not like the world is going to end right?”

“Thank you,” Junhong smiled, grabbing the straps of his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder.

“Let’s go.” Jongup led him outside the block. “Why are you still in class anyway?”

“Mr. Park wanted me to help him arrange the boxes in the storeroom,” Junhong replied. “What about you?”

“I’m training for the upcoming soccer competition. I guess I forgot to tell you.”

Junhong nodded understandingly. Both of them kept on walking until they saw two people at the end of the hall that led to the school gate.

They were Baekho and JR.

Baekho looked pissed off and JR was no different.

“So you finally got yourself a new friend huh?” Baekho approached the two.

“What do you want, Baekho?” Jongup asked in a harsh tone.

“Oh, so you’re using him as your mouth now, you retarded orphan?” JR glared at Junhong.

“Get lost,” Junhong spat.

“I’m going to rip your head off!” Baekho grabbed Junhong by the collar, his teeth clenched in fury. “Are you happy now that Aron’s not in the school anymore?! Do you think you’re the king of the school now that you have a friend?! Well you’re freaking wrong, twig! You’re bull-”

“Get your hands off him!” Jongup shoved Baekho away.

“How about you run along, shorty?” JR landed a punch on Jongup’s face, causing him to fall to the ground.

Junhong pushed JR as hard as he could and gave him a kick at the abdomen. Baekho quickly made his move by striking Junhong at his left cheek, splitting his lips in the process. Junhong staggered backwards and wiped the blood off his lips with the back of his hand. Then he lunged at Baekho.

Both of them rolled on the ground, exchanging punches and kicks at each other. Baekho was strong but he couldn’t do anything to Junhong who was now burning with resentment. Junhong was straddling him, hitting him with no hint of mercy.

His eyes were dark, a mixture of hatred and pain.

Every punch he landed on Baekho’s face represented the pain he’d gone through since the day Yongguk left him.

He wanted to let the bully know how painful it was to be alone, hurt and tortured. He wanted him to be punished for what he’d done to another’s life.

“Yaa, stop him! He’s gone crazy!” JR told Jongup when he realized that Junhong had gone overboard. Baekho was not moving anymore. He’d passed out. “He’s going to kill him! What are you doing?! Stop him now!”

“Junhong, stop!” Jongup threw his arms around Junhong, trying to get him off the unconscious Baekho. “Junhong, you’re going to get in trouble if you don’t stop!”

“Don’t touch me!” Junhong screamed inhumanly, prying Jongup’s arms off him.

He didn’t even take his eyes off Baekho and he kept on hitting him. Baekho’s face was caked with blood and he had his eyes closed. Junhong had the sudden urge to see more blood and so he forced himself to throw more punches.  

“Junhong!”

Junhong’s hands were starting to bleed. It hurt but it didn’t make any difference. Junhong was already in pain since the day Yongguk left him. Always in pain. Always alone to face the hardships of life. Always living in agony. Always empty.

He could hear misfortune laughing at him, mocking him about his unfortunate life, trying to break him away from the only thing he could hold on to—hope.

Maybe his life was already hopeless.

Life is like photography, Jello. You need the negatives to develop.

How could he develop the beautiful pictures if the negatives were already damaged and could never be fixed?  

“Junhong, stop this instant!”

Junhong let out another scream as he landed the umpteenth punch to Baekho’s bruised face.

“Dammit Junhong, you’re going to kill him!” A pair of arms held him from behind. Junhong tried squirming out of the person’s grip but it only made him wince in pain. “Junhong, it’s not worth it!”

Junhong froze, his fist in the air.

“It’s not worth it.” the person repeated.

Junhong exhaled deeply, his shoulders sagging.

“Listen to me, Junhong.” The familiar voice told him in a soft tone, shushing him when he started to tremble. “It won’t do you any good to beat him up.”

Junhong got off Baekho and knelt down on the ground, his mind and body exhausted from the outburst.

Himchan bent down before him and without a word, wrapped his arms around the boy, his head to calm him down.

For the first time after Yongguk’s death, Junhong shed his tears. 

A/N:

Umm, greetings. Just wanna say thank you for being with me this whole time. I really appreciate the love you guys provided for this story. keke. That sounded sappy. I apologize.