shock

A sudden or violent disturbance of the mind, emotions or sensibilities.

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September 13 (Thurday)

Between phone calls and text messages, young Han Kyung Mi would be able to choose her preferred option in seconds. The bespectacled girl, be it predictable or not, held phone calls with a higher regard for she honestly liked the vulnerability that was placed on the line when doing so. A person’s voice that is relayed from the use of the aforementioned phone would be heard from a place far from the speaker, and if one closed their eyes, it would be tough to remember that they weren’t really there physically. This, however, is an element lost in text messaging. One could rephrase their sentences and a thought over and over again before the text is officially sent, causing it to be supposedly perfect and devoid of the original feelings. So it was obvious that Han Kyung Mi adored the other one a lot more if one could not gift her with their irreplaceable presence.

“Han Kyung Mi,” murmured a particular male’s voice on that Thursday morning. “Are you awake?” The female, in all honesty, found those words to be so silly because if she wasn’t, why — how would she have accepted the call? Nevertheless, the girl who still remained in her cosy bed with her eyes shut answered with great manners.

“Of course I am awake, Gongchan,” replied Kyung Mi plainly. “How did you think that I accepted the call then? Some work of magic that I’ve been hiding from you?” A small laugh was heard from the other side.

“Besides, you sound like the one who’s half-asleep,” she continued. “After all, I have no idea as to why you are calling me at such an early hour when we have school. Are you sleep talking then?” A childish refusal of such a statement was made audible by the male upon hearing those words.

“I am not sleep talking, okay,” he asserted, but his obviously sleepy voice made everything sound unconvincing. She knew she didn’t need to be a tease, but Kyung Mi couldn’t help it. And it would be a lie if she didn’t admit this sluggish voice of his to be cute.

“Mmh, if you’re not sleep talking — then why did you call me?” asked the girl ever so curiously, trying to picture a purpose beneath her closed eyes. A pause instilled itself for a moment or two, before he admitted his plan.

“… Han Kyung Mi, meet me at the library after school,” he said mildly. A grin easily decorated her countenance.

“It’s a gift, now isn’t it?” assumed the girl excitedly. “Wait — wouldn’t it be easier for you to give it to me when we meet later on then? And isn’t this call unnecessary then?” A desperate sigh escaped him.

“You…” began Gongchan, sounding odd. “Just… go with the flow or whatever they call it okay.” On her side, she kept quiet. Had she offended him already?

“… Can’t you tell when a dude has left something multiple times at school,” he ended lamely. “I would just be too embarrassed to admit that to you later on, alright?” She only laughed so hard that she actually sat up in her bed.

“Gongchan, I always knew that you were a scatterbrain at heart,” exclaimed Kyung Mi. “And look at the person who always teased me for being— ouch!” Even over the cellphone, one would be able to hear the sharp gasp that he made due to fear and concern.

“Kyung Mi,” called Gongchan repeatedly. “Kyung Mi, Kyung Mi, Kyung Mi — do want me to run to your house right now?” His voice dropped to a bare whisper.

“If you don’t answer, I’m going to assume that it’s a yes and I’ll run even if it’s such a weird hour,” he continued and upon hearing an unnerving silence, the sound of him getting up and flinging open his cupboard or something close to that could be heard. He was pulling a random shirt over him when a soft sound reached his ears.

“I’m… I’ll be alright, Gongchan,” finally replied Kyung Mi. “I got a little too excited and I kind of, um, opened my eyes. And then my curtains weren’t drawn closed so…” Almost immediately, one could sense that his need for speed had depleted drastically. At the very least, he managed to laugh.

“Silly girl,” he commented, and the girl mumbled a small, “Keep your mouth shut,” before going back to sleep. And so did he, too, in such attire that was neither here nor there.

Though they walked to school together, she was not able to get even a peep out of him. It was something remarkable, technically, for they are best friends for a time over ten years and could always instinctively feel whenever something was wrong or hidden. Perhaps the times have changed, or that Gongchan just got better at hiding and being evasive.

“Remember to meet me after school, Kyung Mi,” reminded the older one with a cheeky grin. The girl behind tinted spectacles only scowled for a moment or two before a smile lit up her complexion.

“Oh, and now you aren’t embarrassed about this whole thing,” teased the girl, giving him a good-natured punch on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there.” Her eyes only looked at him longingly before he left for his respective classes that morning.

“… I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” she thought, and upon finding it cheesy, she dismissed it almost immediately.

Later, Han Kyung Mi discreetly walked into the library in which Gongchan would be studying in. For a moment, the bespectacled girl entertained the thought of him wearing thick glasses while being studious before placing it aside, since it was a notion far too childlike to ring true in the first place. The place was evidently quiet with a few hushed whispers, and the female didn’t really feel like bugging some random librarian about her best friend’s whereabouts. The girl believed that she was capable enough of finding him, and so she resumed the search. Eventually, Kyung Mi registered the detail that he was using one of the library’s secluded rooms — why, the general assumption would be for more privacy — and knocked on it before entering. The male student’s head jerked slightly upon hearing it, but a smile replaced his startled one upon seeing her. He gestured for her to enter, making her realize that it wasn’t locked in the first place. That was almost queer, but it was probably due to the fact that she was to visit him.

“… Sorry for being sort of late,” began Kyung Mi sheepishly, remembering how she had been delayed by the teacher who insistently wanted the paperwork to be completed and passed up or else none of the students would be permitted to leave. The groans and displeasure were still easily heard in the back of her mind, but the spectacled girl didn’t really care anymore since she was with the one and only Gongchan Shik. A grin engulfed his features after listening to her statement, and he was absolutely tempted to make a teasing remark. Maybe he would have, too, if only Kyung Mi had not sat across him and threw him off-guard. She blinked curiously and placed her hands on the table that was between them, accidentally causing some pens to fall off the said surface. With a hasty apology, the female picked up the said items before they were allowed to resume their initial, predetermined purpose.

With an embarrassed rub on the nape of his neck, Gongchan cleared his throat once before speaking.

“Han Kyung Mi,” spoke the male slowly, noting her attentiveness. “Yes, I did get you a present if I didn’t admit it yet. … Consider it a simple belated birthday present, alright?” With that, Gongchan used his hands to bring up a cleverly-hidden candy jar from beneath the table. The candies that filled the jar to the brim varied in colours, and to his pleasure, he saw the smile growing on Kyung Mi’s face.

“Thank you!” said the girl almost immediately, her eyes taking in the distinctive hues of the confectionery. “It’s simply perfect, honestly.” A laugh escaped her best friend afterwards.

“I’m glad you like it, Kyung Mi, but make sure you don’t devour them at once or something okay?” chuckled Gongchan with a teasing glint in his eyes. Kyung Mi diverted her attention from the candy jar that she had taken from him to his physical being when things fell deathly silent. The few words that broke the strained atmosphere threatened to beget great unease between the two individuals.

“Gongchan, when did you hurt your wrist…?”

A sharp gasp nearly escaped him, reprimanding himself for not being more careful. His eyes darted to hers for a few moments, uncertain as to how to reply his spectacled friend. He supposed that in spite of the fact that he had worn a sweatband around his wrist, it was not fool proof enough. Perhaps it was also the other’s quickness when it pertained to him, however, for she only needed to take one look at his works on the desk to realize the abnormal shaping of the letters. It also made the male feel worse than ever upon sighting the worried look on her face, and so he admitted the truth.

“… I accidentally hurt myself during one of the basketball games,” he quietly mentioned. “It’s, well, not too bad though!  I can still write well, so don’t you worry.” With that, he gave a bright grin, but it was one that was cracking beneath. Kyung Mi persisted with another question.

“… But it looks like it happened recently,” she said with a puzzled look on her face. “But if you’ve been studying so hard, then when…?” For once, his face actually took a mask of dread and fear, and surely she would have known why if a teacher had not called for him for some assistance.

“Ah, Kyung Mi,” said Gongchan hastily at last. “… I’ll just help the teacher out for a bit okay? I’ll be back in a bit.” Though she was not pleased with that, the girl only nodded as he exited the room. Now, upon his leave, Han Kyung Mi couldn’t help but to look at his work in full detail. She felt mean, honestly, for cornering him to admit something she had not known of, but she was undeniably concerned for his well-being. The exams, after all, weren’t too far away, be it hers or his. As she observed his materials, it was a sudden ringtone that broke her out of her current thoughts. She blinked, finding it strange that Gongchan’s cellphone was not with him at all times. Even so, the girl hurriedly searched for the cellphone and discovered it to be buried under one of his books. Kyung Mi took the classic black item and stared at the caller’s identity.

It was a call coming from a number obviously saved on his cellphone, but it looked strange.

“… M-thirteen?” echoed Kyung Mi to herself, verbalizing the two numbers involved. She wondered if he had ever mentioned this friend, an acquaintance probably made during the times he was studying in this particular library. Of course, though it sounded preposterous, she hoped that it wasn’t some secret organization with evil intentions. At last, she realized that it continued ringing and with a little smile, Kyung Mi believed that he would trust her enough to answer the call on his behalf. And so she did.

“Hello?” uttered a voice, and Han Kyung Mi nearly dropped the phone upon hearing that sole word. No wonder she had found it familiar somehow.

It was Han Min Jae — her sister.