The First Chapter

When you care for other people, you’re just hurting yourself. People will affect you, bother you, trouble you and cause you pain. Distancing yourself and staying away from pretentious people would be much better. It’s not that you hate human interactions. You’re just tired of pain.

Sehun slowly opened his eyes as the blinding rays of the sunlight hit his cheek. The room was hotter than usual and he hated the season for it. He despised summer the most. He checked the time on his phone. Twenty-three minutes after seven in the morning. Right on schedule.

He got up from bed and did his usual morning routine. No need to mention all the excruciating details; one might die of boredom. After an hour, he was up and ready to go. He grabbed his car keys from the dresser before going out of the apartment that he had all to himself.

He decided to stop by a bakery to grab something to eat for breakfast before going to the university. A few minutes after nine, he was already parking inside the school premises. Again, he was right on schedule. As he made his way to his first class of the day, he passed by the other students. Some look sickeningly excited and giddy for the first day of class after summer break, while most had hangover written all over their faces. Probably partied to celebrate the last day of vacation.

Yesterday. The last day of summer vacation. Sehun closed his eyes for a moment to prevent an annoying memory from invading his mind again. He barely managed to sleep last night because of it. He took a deep breath and entered the building. He heard a voice calling him so he quickened his pace. Stopping to see who it was would only make him behind schedule.

English was his first class for the day and he seated himself at the farthest chair on the right at the back of the room. He looked outside the window beside him as his classmates made their way inside. He tried to blend in the background and be as invisible as possible.

“Sehun-ah!”

But, of course, things won’t always go the way you want them to.

“I was calling you back at the entrance but you didn’t seem to hear me.” Jongin clapped him on the back before taking the empty seat beside him.

Sehun sighed. “I heard you. I just chose to ignore you.” He replied quietly without looking at him.

Jongin placed a hand on the place of his heart, acting hurt. “You’re really mean, Sehun. You should have just reasoned that you didn’t hear me.”

He just shrugged and gave Jongin a blank look. The latter just shook his head before sighing. Jongin was now used to his friend’s coldness.  It rarely fazed him now. But he still preferred his old friend to be back. His friend, Sehun, before that incident five years ago.

“Hey, I don’t think we have much going on in the afternoon so why don’t you join me and Chanyeol later?” Jongin asked after some time.

“Where to?” Sehun asked in a bored tone.

“Just.. anywhere. Just hanging out, like old times.”

Old times. Hearing things related to the past made Sehun sick to the core so almost immediately, he answered. “I have my part-time job later.”

His friend frowned at him. “It’s a Monday. It’s your off.”

“They need extra hands.”

Jongin scoffed. “Extra hands? Seriously? What, does the shop have a million milk tea orders later?”

Sehun ignored his friend’s sarcasm and turned to the window again. Jongin tried to persuade him some more but their professor already came in. Soon, the old man started drawling on and on about grammar of the foreign language.

The hours passed and before he knew it, it was time for lunch. Sehun didn’t have much of an appetite but he chose to eat just out of habit. He needed the energy later at practice, anyway. He sat on a vacant table with his sandwich and soda. Soon after, two people who always sat with him at lunch were already across him.

“Yah, Sehun-ah, is it really too much for you to wait for us?” Chanyeol said to him. Apart from Jongin, Chanyeol was also one of those few people who knew him since he was a kid.. and stayed.

Sehun just regarded him flatly before continuing with his food. Like Jongin, the tall guy was used to his indifference so he just started a conversation with Jongin instead. Sehun just watched them discreetly. Up until now, he can’t understand why these two still stayed beside him and treated him as a ‘friend’.

Ever since what happened, Sehun tried pushing them away because he didn’t want to have people on his account anymore. But for some reason, they didn’t budge. They even adjusted to him even if he was nothing like that boy they met back at primary school.

The cafeteria doors swung open and a girl with long, jet black hair came inside followed by two more girls. Sehun noticed from the corner of his eye that people started talking and murmuring to each other while sneaking glances at the girl, who didn’t seem to notice it. Or she just preferred not to be bothered by the noise.

“There she is.” Chanyeol spoke, while his eyes followed the girl.

“She was on it again last night.” Jongin stated.

“What exactly happened last night? I just heard she got the bartender fired.” Curiosity was perfectly gleamed on Chanyeol’s eyes.

Sehun suppressed a sigh. They always liked gossiping and talking about other people like old maids. Well, it wasn’t really always about other people. Only one particular girl.

“Like the usual, she was drunk as hell. Soon after, we saw her making out with Sunggyu, the bartender. I heard she was already flirting with him by the time she got there. Sunggyu was trying to restrain himself, but then, it’s her we’re talking about. Well, it was against the club’s policy for him to make out with customers on shift so he got fired.” Jongin took a swig of his soda after finishing his story.

“Poor Sunggyu. But he’s still one lucky guy.” Chanyeol clucked his tongue. “Do you think I’ll have a chance on her?”

“Don’t count on it, Yeol. But then, I don’t think you should involve yourself with her. Jung Daesom’s trouble.” Jongin warned.

As if on cue, Jung Daesom passed by their table. Sehun can’t explain why but there was a force that willed him to look up from his sandwich. And the moment he did, he saw Jung Daesom looking at him with an unreadable gaze. It was only for a second before he broke the contact and turned to his food again. There was something on her eyes that he didn’t like. Soon, she was gone as soon as she came in.

“Do you think she heard us?” Chanyeol asked anxiously.

Jongin shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. She loves being talked about, anyway.”

-

Ethics was next on his schedule right after lunch and Sehun came just in time. That class was his only breather for the day since both Jongin and Chanyeol weren’t there. Those two could get on his nerves at times. No, cross that. The pair got on his nerves all the time.

A quarter had already passed since class started when all of a sudden, the door opened. The talked-about girl at lunch came inside looking unapologetic as she sauntered on her way. Their female professor gave her a disapproving look since the elder hated late comers more than anything but Jung Daesom was unfazed by it.

Sehun didn’t turn to look at her as she stopped at the vacant chair on his left. But from his peripheral vision he could see her just standing there.