Seven: Out in The Cold
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Everyone cheered as the last bell rang, marking the end of today’s lesson. They quickly put everything in their bag and hastily stood up, bidding each other goodbye. Some were going home, and others were excited to go to their respective club to practice or just to hang out with their friends. Today, the school band was on break so Daehyun was stuck with ‘babysitting’ Yoo Youngjae –Insert a very melodramatic sigh here.
The younger patience was actually as thin as his temper. Throughout the lesson, Daehyun had received multiple calls and dozens messages from the said boy. Varying from the usual ‘Yah! Ppalli!’ up to some very scary one like ‘Daehyun-ah~ Im waiting~ Bbuing bbuing’. Like hell Youngjae would say something like that –he must be pretty pissed off. Then Daehyun had to reminded himself that it was Youngjae who ASKED him for a help, not the other way around. Scary how the younger always seemed to be in the upper hand.
After taking one last deep breath, and another message from Youngjae, Daehyun lazily stood from his seat. He was just walking down the hall when he heard someone calling out for him. He turned his back to see Myungsoo, his guitar case swinging as he ran.
“Daehyun-ah, sorry... can I ask you a favor?” Myungsoo asked, still panting from so much running. He was a friend from the school band.
“What is it?”
“It’s actually this...” Myungsoo handed his guitar, Daehyun took it reluctantly. “The club’s room is locked, and I need to go on a date with my girlfriend after this. I don’t think they’ll allow it in the movie teather. So, can you take it with you?” He sounded very desperate so Daehyun agreed. Man, he needed to stop being too kind. Myungsoo said a thousands thanks to him before quickly went away. Everyone knows how short-tempered his girlfriend is –well, but apparently she’s really pretty.
‘Ah....talking about short-tempered....’ Daehyun took another look at the clock and cursed. He’s running late, Youngjae would kill him.
******
It took him ten minutes to arrive and he quickly scanned the crowd for the nagging boy currently speaking through his phone. “Yah, where are you?” He cut Youngjae’s monologue and squinted his eyes. There were too many people, and they’re loud. Is every fangirl and fanboy as loud as Youngjae? Man...
“I’m already here, where are you? Just wave your hand or something!” He impatiently said. The younger mounthed an allright and Daehyun took another look at the mass of people. He needed a good five minutes before he finally spotted the waving boy. He jogged slowly to Youngjae, and it was when he gets nearer that he realized the younger was slightly.....different. The grinning face was Youngjae’s, but everything else weren’t.
“Who the hell are you?”
The younger pouted at the remark. Crossing his hand on his chest. He was wearing baggy clothings, a beanie with the word ‘Badman’ and a mask with BAP’s matoki on it. It clearly wasn’t his style. “Did you go hiphop everytime you see them, or what?”
Youngjae scoffed before he drapped his arm loosely around Daehyun’s neck, bro-style. “It was a disguise you moron!” He hissed. Even the way he spoke is slightly different. This guy is a bipolar. A Tripolar. Or he might someday turn into a polar bear.
“Where’s the money?”
Daehyun shook his head in disbelief. What was he? A gang member?
“Where’s the please?”
Youngjae pouted some more before saying a not-so-sincere ‘please’. When Daehyun finally gave him the money, his mood brightened in an instant. And it was cute, Daehyun noted. “How long untill you finish your business here?”
“Around twenty minutes, maybe. They should open the shop soon...” The younger gave him a puzzled look.
“I’ll wait for you at the park, let’s go home together”
Well, it’s not like he have something else to do back home.
******
The park hadn’t changed much, Daehyun observed. It was the same park that they used to play together in the past. They would spent hours just running around mindlessly, building an ugly sand castle, and taking turns to push each other on the swing. He could somehow heard their echoing laughter, and a smile made its appearance on his face. It was fun.
He squeezed himself on the swing, hoping that it would still withstand his weight. The twilight sky had turned into the shades of purple, a single star blinked in the distant horizon. The park was pretty much vacant.
The cold breeze had turned even bitter, and he adjusted his coat and scarf to keep his body warm. After absentmindedly staring at the sky for a while, he took out the accoustic guitar. He had some time to kill, might as well enjoying himself.
He never knew how his obsession with guitar and music had even started. As long as he remembered, he was already fixated on it. He begged his parents to buy him his first guitar in the elementary school, and after that they just couldn’t be separated. There were times when his parents opposed the idea of him pursuing music. But after seeing how stubborn their son was, they gave up. Now, as long as he got good grades then his parents would let him do anything with his burning passion.
He strummed his guitar randomly before he started to pick up the beat and sing along. It has been quite long since he really sing, and he missed it.
I was thinking about ya
I drew a little picture
But some things you can’t put on paper.
Like it like shooting stars?
I write songs on guitar
Got more things to do than stare at a mirror
His voice started of soft, the sweet melody serenading the quiet evening air. He closed his eyes and his voice grew louder, perfectly drowning himself in his own little world.
I know, I know, she's gotta be out there, out there
I know I know she's gotta be...
Maybe I'm wrong
Maybe I'm right
Maybe I just let you walk by
What can I say
Maybe I've known you all my life
Is she the one? Is it today?
Will I turn the corner
See my future in a beautiful face
Maybe.
They say give it time
Give it time, and it will fall in line
But I keep wondering how and when
And why I haven't met you
But maybe I'm wrong
Maybe I'm right
Is she the one? Is it today?
Will I turn the corner
See my future in a beautiful face
Maybe
I'll keep searching for my kind of perfect.
He opened his eyes as he finished the song, and right there, standing in front of him with the beautiful twilight adorning the surrounding, was Yoo Youngjae.
******
Yongguk eyed Himchan suspiciously. The latter was pressing his face close to the computer screen for hours. Too occupied to disturb him like he usually does. He would let out an occasional giggle and muffled laugh. The sight was peculiar, and it gave him goosebumps.
“Yah, what are you doing? Stop giving me the creeps...” His deep voice echoed on the empty student council room. Well, they practically ran the student council by themselves.
“Hmm...” Himchan answered him with a lazy hum. His eyes still refusing to move from the screen. Seriously?
Yongguk got impatient and scooted closer to the black-haired male, peeking at the monitor. Himchan half-heartedly shift to give him room. It was a website, some kind of a forum that Himchan was currently concentrating on. Yongguk recognized two familiar faces filling the page. “What is this? Why there are so many Daehyun’s and Youngjae’s photos?”
“Remember the forum that I told you earlier?”
Yongguk nodded. He remembered that Himchan had mentioned a forum that only the girls knew. It has something to do with frivolous details on the so-called popular guys and the gossips surrounding them. Sometimes Yongguk felt so out of place in this environment.
“And remember BangHim?” Yongguk rolled his eyes. The idea crossed him as ridiculous. How could people think that he wants to ‘date’ someone as annoying as Himchan is a mystery. Well, they’re close, but as bestfriends. He blamed Himchan’s fondness of skinship for all the stupid misunderstanding. “They’re the new hot couple now; Daejae!”
“Daejae? Daehyun and Youngjae?” Well he heard rumours about them, but it was that they’re sworn rivals, not this.
“Yup!” Himchan answered, his eyes bright with excitement. He recognized that look, Himchan had found his new toys. “Look at this, Gukkie... It was the day when Daehyun ditched me in the department store! A girl spotted them...”
It was a photo taken from a phone camera. Daehyun had his hand on Youngjae’s shoulder, they’re smiling to each other. There’s a comment from the uploader. ‘I spotted them today! LOOOOK! DAEHYUN HUGGED YOUNGJAE! THIS SHIP IS MORE REAL THAN REAL LIFE!!!’ It was far from hugging, Yongguk thought. But there’s no way to tell the shipper about that. And they do seemed close.
Below, there’s another photo, a set of photos with Daehyun looking at Youngjae’s direction in various occasions. ‘He always has this kind of look when he saw Youngjae... There must be something behind this >______<’
There’s also a photoset of Youngjae doing the exact same thing. ‘Someone finally got the prince’s attention!!! This is HUUUGGE!!!’
Yongguk scrolled the page down, with Himchan grinning from ear to ear in his side. He shook his head lightly. These girls....( and Himchan) are unbelievable.
“See? See? See?”
“I don’t see anything.....”
Himchan smacked his head with a book. “Tsk! Such an insensitive guy!”
“Yah, if they’re that close then why would they act like strangers all this time?”
“THAT’S THE BIGGEST CLUE GUKKIE~” Himchan thrown his arm dramatically in the air. “They’re actually in a relationship and because they didn’t want anyone else to know they pretended to be rival. This got to be the only explanation for all this crap!”
Yongguk sighed. This guy’s crazy. Why would he befriend him in the first place?
“I will prove it. I’ll make Daehyun confessed everything to me” Himchan had this determined expression, and Yongguk facepalmed.
“Hey!" Yongguk stared dumfoundedly at the other, clearly agaisnt the smirk on that face. "How about we make a bet out of it?”
******
“Y-you’re early...” Daehyun stuttered nervously. He was embarassed. He never sing in the Yoo household because he was too shy, and now Youngjae had heard his voice. He could feel his face heated up by the thought of Youngjae making fun of him in front of the whole house.
“Yeah...” Surprisingly, Youngjae just stood there, gripping the bag tightly in his hand. He had changed into his school uniform. “Let’s go home if you’re done...”
Daehyun nodded and quickly put his belonging back. He hastily stood and led the way home. The journey was pretty ankward. They just walked in silence, both drowned in their own thought –and embarassment. Daehyun wanted to start any conversation, but his voice always ended up getting caught in his throat. He felt pathetic.
“I don’t know that you like to sing.....” Youngjae’s voice had regained back his usual tone.
“Well... but I don’t really show it to others. I do play guitar in front of people, but I usually too shy to sing....” Daehyun scratched the back of his neck. “I’m not really confident with my voice...”
Youngjae scoffed. “You just insulted almost every existing idols out there with your statement! Such an ungrateful child...” Daehyun laughed, glad that the sassy Youngjae had made his comeback. He could feel more at ease because of that.
When he finally looked at the younger, he realized that he wasn’t dressed for the weather. He only have a thin jacket over his uniform. And he shivered as the cold hit him. “You don’t bring your scarf?” The younger shook his head. His hand buried deep in the jacket’s pocket. He looked like he want to curl into a ball right here right know, it must’ve been cold.
Before he could think twice, Daehyun had untangled his own scarf, and with a quick motion put it in the other’s neck. Youngjae stopped his track and looked at him as he fixed it for the younger. A slight blush was visible as Youngjae suddenly looked down while mumbling a quiet thank you.
Daehyun smiled at the sight, sometimes, just sometimes, Youngjae was adorable.
And he clearly didn’t mind this side of him.
______________________________________________________
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