JongUp

“Oppa,” JiEun asked me one day before we left for school, I nod, ready for her continue, “JunHong… He can’t read numbers can he?”

I sigh and nod again, not wanting to let any of his secrets pass my lips, I chose my words carefully. “Yeah. They hurt his head.”

JiEun nods thinking about it for a little while, but soon starts pulling me out the door, “Come on JongUp Oppa~ We will be late~”

***

Class had started for us without any problems. JiEun understood most of the Korean that was put to her and even started teaching others English, including me. It was a win-win situation, we taught her and she taught us. She even made friends easily but liked to stick around me and the other guys.

Girls come over more freely to flirt with me and the others, a new thing for the rest of us. I don’t know. Maybe it was the introduction of JiEun that helped us out with ‘getting some’.

***

 “JongUp Hyung,” I spun round to find JunHong’s bedroom door open slightly and him standing behind, peeking out.

“Yeah?” I say, moving closer to his room, he quickly pulls me in to the brightly lit room and shuts the door behind me.

The room looks really empty without my bed in it. Without a bed in at all really. To the left of the door, the wall is lined with comic books, on the other side, skateboards sat in racks. JunHong took pride in those two items, his skateboards and his comic’s. under the window – which cannot be seen behind the thick black out curtains – sits a large desk, and in the corner another curtain sits diagonally covering what looks like a corner shower.

“It’s really empty in here…” I mutter under my breath and he nods.

“Well… I don’t need a bed… and since you’re not in here anymore…” He shakes his head quickly, “I... I wanted to talk to you about something…”

“Mm? What was it?”

Shuffling his feet, JunHong looks nervous.

“Hyung…” He starts, twisting his fingers around each other, “How… um…”

I pat his shoulder, “Just spit it out.”

“How… How did you go on the Maths test for your course?”

I scrunch my eyebrows together, “Maths… Test…?”

“Yeah… You and JiEun are doing the same course right?”

I nod, still confused, I am racking my brain trying to figure out what Maths test we had to do. There was a chemistry test which JiEun helped me on, and that Korean language which we both passed, even an English test that I did pretty well on… But no Maths test…

“JiEun said you had a Maths test…”

“I don’t remember doing a Maths test…” I count on my fingers, there were four tests… hang on what? JiEun said…? “Wait, you talked to JiEun?”

His head sinks, ignoring me, “Then why would she look at my textbook…?”

“She looked at your textbook..?” I ask; shocked that they had talked, that JiEun had taken the Maths textbook – having sworn to never touch another one after high school.

“What?” he asks, “I have to let a Noona borrow something if she needs it!”

I sigh, “I know. It’s polite... But why are you asking me about it..?”

“B…because I’ve lost my textbook… a…and I thought maybe… You or… JiEun maybe… Had it…?”

Sighing, I shake my head, “I don’t have it, but JiEun might… I’ll go look?”

I turn to the door, JunHong following behind me. I push open the door, and hear a thud, followed by the ruffling of papers as the door becomes stuck against something. Kneeling down I pick up a thick handmade book, bound in a plastic cover. In English, on the front cover, is written JunHong’s Maths Textbook.

“I think this is yours,” I say, handing it to JunHong.

As he flicks through the book his face lights up, “Hyung! It’s all in words! It’s all my exercises, and they are in words!”

“It looks like someone is trying to wave you a white flag.” I laugh.

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JiEun

I picked up JunHong’s Maths workbook. The entire thing had been written entirely in Hangul, no numbers what so ever.

“You have nice handwriting.” I say as I gave it back. I wonder why he writes it all out, there is less to write with numbers.

I lean over the chair opposite him and notice his cheeks flame red and fidgets. I just stand there, arms on the top of the chair; I can’t control my own mouth.

“Why do you avoid me?” I blurt, his face drops and his entire body becomes ridged. I am an idiot. I can’t even keep my mouth shut, and he was doing so well! Gosh darn it JiEun. You should learn to control yourself.

“N…Never mind… It’s okay… Just… Never mind… I took your space…” I hang my head slightly, eyes on his textbook.

Is that written too or is it in numbers…?

“Can I have a look at that?” I ask, pointing to his Maths textbook, he nods asking why, “I… I had a Maths test… and I didn’t do too well… I just… wanted to revise some things… Is that okay?”

Again he nods, and I take the book from the kitchen table.

“You know, you don’t have to leave just because I am here.” I say, flicking through the pages, everything was written like it normally would be in a Maths textbook, however, every equation was written out again in pencil underneath it’s numbered partner. I take note of the author and type of textbook it is. “Thanks, I’ll go now, Jell-O.”

I laugh, and skip up stairs, opening my door and jumping onto my bed.

***

“Oppa~!” I call JongUp the next morning, “Oppa, JunHong can’t read numbers can he?”

We are in the kitchen; he is eating toast and drinking orange juice. Nothing out of the ordinary, but I can see the way he tenses up about the topic. He chews slower and swallows after a time.

“No… They hurt his head…” He mutters, his eyebrows pushed together as if he is trying to make sure those words are the right ones.

I nod, and move away to the bathroom, brushing my teeth I think of my plan, Jell-O can’t read numbers because they hurt his head, and that is why writes everything in Hangul under the exercises. I spit and rinse, and look at my watch. Racing down the stairs I grab JongUp’s wrist.

“Come on~ We will be late~!”

I could see him relax as we set back into our routine.

***

Later that night, Zelo was working at the kitchen table, his Maths textbook at the other end, as far away from him it could get without hitting the floor. I was sitting at the bench with Bang and HimChan, talking about a class that I would eventually have to do.

“It’s alright.” HimChan says a cup of coffee in his hands, “I mean, it could be better but I think its okay. I’m not really a fan of art history.”

Bang shakes his head, “No~ It’s really interesting. You get to learn about Salvador Dali and Monet.” He sighs, pretending to look off into the distance. “It’s wonderful. I really want to go to MOMA in New York to see it all in person.”

I nod, giggling at their disagreement. Bang fully in love with the modern artists, while HimChan really couldn’t care less.

“I think I would like it. If Bang Oppa does.” I smile, “I really like art.”

HimChan frowns, but quickly can’t help but smile as YongGuk does. He climbs off the chair and moves behind Zelo, “Ya!”

The kid jumps and looks up at HimChan, “Yes?” he says, smiling at the older.

HimChan ruffles his hair and nods towards the clock. It’s nine-thirty. “School tomorrow, no more study tonight. Got to go get some sleep. I’ll pack up your things for you.”

“Okay Channie Hyung.” He hugs him and Bang, only nodding at me before moving to the living room to say goodnight to the others – all of whom were watching some violent movie – before walking back past to return to his room.

After HimChan packs JunHong’s school things, he too retires to bed. 

“He likes you,” YongGuk says suddenly, I jump at the sudden sound.

“W...What? Who…? HimChan? I know he does.”

“No… JunHong, he likes you. He just doesn’t know how to interact with girls. Never has.” YongGuk stretches his hands over his head, and gets up, “I’m off to bed too. I’ve got to go to work tomorrow.”

I hold out my arms, “Good night Oppa. Sleep well okay?”

He nods, and waves at me before moving upstairs. Once all is quiet, I clean the kitchen, stacking all the cups and plates into the dishwasher before turning it on. I wipe down the bench and finally turn off the light.

I stick my head into the lounge room, saying good night to JongUp, YoungJae and DaeHyun. Yawning I walk towards the stairs, but double back to the dining room.

Don’t be stupid JiEun. It’s his textbook, he will need it.

But what if he gets a really bad headache from reading numbers and has to go to the doctors, you could prevent it. Just take the book.

Double checking no one is looking, I quickly grab Zelo’s Maths textbook and race up to my room.

I cannot believe you just did that.

Young Jae

We were watching a movie till who knows when. JunHong, HimChan and YongGuk all said good night one after the other and not too long after, even JiEun said it. DaeHyun fell asleep on the sofa and JongUp followed his lead. I ended up being the one who turned everything off, put blankets on the other two before heading up the stairs in total darkness.

The situation being the regular occurrence that it is I didn’t expect any sound or light to come from anyone’s rooms. JunHong would have shut down hours ago and as for HimChan and YongGuk Hyung… They fell asleep instantly in their old age. But still, as I walked down the hall to my room a small slither of light crept out from JiEun’s room, and the tapping of keys came one after the other, pausing every now and again before continuing at light speed.

Slowly, I push open the door, and knock softly. “JiEun?”

She jumps, wide eyed, and quickly shuts her laptop. “Y...Yeah… Oppa…?”

I laugh quietly, and with a raised eyebrow ask “What are you doing?”

“N…nothing Oppa…” She tries to move a book off her desk and on the floor under her bed, but it falls to far away for her to reach, so I walk over and pick it up.

“Isn’t this JunHong’s Maths book?” I place it on her desk and sit on her bed. “Explain…?”

She sighs and rubs her eyes, yawning softly. “He gets headaches from numbers,” she whispers, her eyelids heavy, already bags were forming under her eyes.

I nod, waiting for her to continue. “I wanted to… write it out for him… But it all seems so… long…” She yawns again. “I… I don’t want him to hate me… for moving in…”

I stand, smiling and ruffle her hair, “I’ll help huh? Make it easier for you to get it done?”

She nods, smiling.

“Get some sleep, I will wake you in an hour or two then it’s your turn again? Okay?”

She shakes her head. “No… You take the back half of the book… I’ll do the front. We will get it done faster…”

I sigh and nod, “Okay. Should I go get my laptop?”

She nods again, “And coffee…”

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I yawn, and rub my eyes, I can’t help it. Looking at the time on my laptop it’s already four in the morning. We started at eleven…

“How much more…?” I ask JiEun, who is still typing just as fast as before, however, now she backspaces more.

“Thirty questions…” she mutters to herself.

“Thirty questions? Or exercises?” I stretch my back, cracking my fingers above my head.

“You should sleep Young Jae Oppa. I’ll do the rest tomorrow.” Slowly she shuts her laptop and bookmarks the page in the textbook. I save my work on her USB for the umpteenth time and hand it to her. “Thank you.” She mutters moving over to her bed.

“JiEun?”

She turns, falling back into the sheets. “Mm?”

“Why are you doing this for JunHong?” I bite my lip, nervous about her answer.

“He gets headaches easily from numbers… That’s what JongUp said… He gets headaches when he reads numbers. That’s why he writes it all out in his work book…”

I nod, holding back a sigh, she doesn’t know. Good. At least none of us will have to deal with that.

“So… as a peace offering… for taking over his space…” She sits up, “Not that I didn’t take your space!”

I shake my head, “It’s okay, and we all accepted you and he shut you out. I get it.”

“I’m not used to being hated by someone I live with… Does he hate me? Bang Oppa said he liked me… But the way he reacts is…”

“Stiff.” I suggest and she nods.

“Do you think he will hate me less with this?”

“More than likely,” I say reaching the door. “You should sleep JiEun; you have a big study day tomorrow.”

“Yeah… I know…” She crawls under the blankets, “YoungJae Oppa…” she says before I shut the door, “I owe you a present. Anything you want. Just tell me. I will get it for you.”

I laugh, “Sure JiEun. For now, just sleep.”

I back out of the door, turning off her light and moving toward my room. Anything I want…?