chapter four; reasons

      Joohyun felt the coldness of the metal railings when she laid her hand on it. From above, she saw the football team stretched their muscles while counting with loud voices, attempting to make their coach satisfied. The wind gushed across her that tousled her long raven black hair. She looked up and saw nothing but azure sky—a good weather for someone who decided to play hooky. 

      Fresh air filled her lungs as she let the wind brush against her face. Oh how she love winds and quiet places. It relaxes her mind somehow.

      It has been two days since Henry started talking to her and she considered him as a true friend. Silly might it sounds, but Joohyun liked his company, though she sometimes thought that he only pity her for being alone. There were times that many why questions about Henry crosses her mind. 

      Why did he suddenly approached me? 

      "For someone who looks like a teachers' pet, I never thought that you play hooky." Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt someone beside her.

      She recognized the voice. 

      'Don't judge a book by its cover, ninja.'

      "I'm not a ninja like Naruto, I am Goku." Henry stared at her, his brows were ceased. She shrugged and tapped her pen on the railings that made random rhythms as she stared at the ant-like figures below. 

      Whenever Joohyun was alone, Henry would always pop out of no where like ninja. But Henry would always push that he's Goku. Joohyun always liked ninjas and soldiers—Ehem, Keroro. 

      "Hey, why the hell did you ditch our Music class?" He started and faced Joohyun. "It's more interesting than Math, you know?" 

      Joohyun flipped a page from her pad and jotted down some characters on it. 

      'Math is more interesting for me. Why are you here?' 

      "To play hooky with you, of course. I knew you'd be here." He said and a low chuckle escaped his mouth. Joohyun smiled a little and sat down. Henry sat beside her and put his blazer on her lap since she's wearing a skirt. 

      Joohyun mentally smiled at his gentleness. 

      "Tell me, why do you always skip our Music classes once a week?" He glanced at her and saw that she was a bit hesitant. "I kinda noticed it." He muttered. Her arms brushed againts his when she was about to get her sketch pad but Henry stopped her from doing so. 

      "Do you know how many trees were cut down just to produce papers?" He cried and pulled his phone from his pocket. "Use this one, I bet you forgot your phone." He grinned. 

      Joohyun blinked and carefully typed on his phone. Henry smiled and enjoyed the fresh air while waiting for Joohyun to finish typing. 

      'I have my reasons Henry.' She showed it to him, not bothering to answer his question about trees. 

      "Mysterious as always." He murmured and stared at the cloudless sky with a smile hanging on his plump lips that made his cheeks chubbier. Joohyun shook his head and decided to play on his phone. 

      The two friends sat on the cold cement while enjoying each others company in complete silence. The girl was playing silently on the guy's phone while the guy—well, he was admiring every bit of her.

- - -

      With tired body and mind, Kyuhyun zipped his suitcase and tossed it on the side of his room, making a loud banging sound. Fortunately, he was alone or else his father might scold him again and again and might brought some things about his failures. He is a pressured child. 

      Ara, his sister, was always on the top. She always get the highest scores, excels in every field and she never fails to make their parents proud especially their father. Kyuhyun, on the other hand, was always below his sister. He always wanted to be as smart as her. He always wanted to be as perfect as her. Sometimes he wished that he should be Ara and not Kyuhyun. But Ara is not always perfect as he thinks. She actually hates how their parents treat them but she have to act just to please them.

      He felt that his parents only cares about the reputation of their family that's why they're pressuring them to be this and that. 

      He and Ara are just like puppets. 

      He sighed and rubbed his temples. He can't imagine living alone in South, Korea but he somewhat got the freedom he always wanted. He smirked at the thought of freedom. For him, freedom is doing something you love without someone dictating you to do something you don't like. 

      One more day and I'm out of this hell called 'home'. 

      "Kyuhyun-ah, are you there?" Ara softly knocked on his door. Kyuhyun opened the door for her and let her in. 

      "What do you want?" He asked and stared at her sister who sat on the floor with 2 bottles of soju and a can of whipped cream. He raised a brow and closed the door. 

      "I just want to have some fun with my brother before he leaves." She grinned and held the bottles up. He smirked and crossed his arms. 

      "Wow, I never knew that 'fun' exists to your vocabulary." He said and took a seat beside her. Ara stared at him and hissed. 

      "Of course it exists. I'm not stupid, kid." She muttered as she opened a bottle of soju and inhaled the scent of it. 

      "But you are stupid when it comes to appa. You're doing what he likes and following him like he's your boss. Aren't you sick of it?" He chuckled and opened the other bottle as well. He drank and cringed at the taste of it. Ara smirked.

      "It's for the best, I guess? But—" She paused and traced the rim of the bottle with her finger. "To be honest, I'm sick of it. He doesn't sound like a father to me, to us. He's never been a father. Hell, he never showed on a single family day we had when we're in grade school and all he said was, 'Promise, I'll go next year' 'Promise, We'll play together'. Kyu, all he think was work, money and reputation." She continued and drank the soju in three gulps.  She put some whipped cream on and exhaled. Kyuhyun stared at her and smiled inwardly. 

      "I hope someday he'll be a father to us." She added and chuckled. A tear escaped her eye and followed by another and another. The Cho Ara is crying.

      "Aigoo, noona. You look ugly when you're crying—wait, you're always ugly." Kyuhyun snickered and wiped her sister's tears. Though he envy her for being everything, she's his sister after all and he's going to miss her. 

      "Call me immediately when you found a girl in Seoul, arachi? And don't forget to focus on your studies." She squished her brother's cheeks and hugged him. "I'll miss you, Kyu." 

      "Stop that! Gross!" 

      That's the way how Cho Kyuhyun expresses 'I'll miss you too.' 

A/N: Hiiii~ I'm back! <3