*Chapter 48 was updated yesterday ^o^

Goodbye

Freshman year, January.

It’s ten minutes before seven in the morning, light wind once more dashing between the disgruntled eight to five workers clustered by the train platform. Daehyun is sitting on the bench by the wall, dangling his legs as he excitedly waits for his new friend.

He hasn’t had a new friend since he moved to Seoul. The neighbours aren’t friendly and he gets too shy to talk to the other kids whenever Yoochun brings him to the arcades. He was both afraid and looking forward to school because he wanted to make friends, but it seemed like nobody liked him because he was so quiet.

But Youngjae likes him. They’re friends now. Daehyun melts into a small smile at the thought, swinging his legs to and fro in jubilance. He’ll make another new friend today, too. A part of him is nervous since he isn’t sure if Jaebum will like him but Youngjae says he’s nice, so he will, right?

Daehyun presses his lips together in doubt. Last night, Yoochun had told him he was proud he could go to school on his own and said it was fine for his chauffeur to drive him to school the day after. But Daehyun had adamantly said he wanted to go on his own again and told him about Youngjae. He’d met him for just a little over fifteen minutes and they had already become friends.

What if Youngjae changes his mind though? Daehyun bites on his lower lip and twiddles his fingers in thought. What if he says something wrong or doesn’t say enough and makes Youngjae upset?

No, Youngjae said he liked him even though he was quiet. He doesn’t have to worry. Youngjae is nice.

Daehyun continues swinging his legs, humming a quiet tune to himself. A train barrels into the station as Daehyun checks his watch, patting his messy fringe down when it suddenly poofs up. Several more minutes go by and yet another train whooshes in, slowing to a stop.

Daehyun gazes at the scarce few commuters exiting the train. Since Woonmyung station is mostly surrounded by private property and residential buildings, people don't often stop here in the mornings, taking the train in the opposite direction towards the central business district. He stops short when he notices two boys ambling out of the far-end cabin, clad in the same white uniform as him.

He nearly slides off the bench when a sudden nervousness grips him, Daehyun shrinking back into the wall. From here, he can see the two boys chattering away mirthfully, Jaebum playing with his bag straps and plodding around comically. Youngjae is laughing unabashedly as Jaebum clings on to him, both stumbling against each other in a fit of laughter.

The anxiousness returns and Daehyun uncertainly stands, curling his fingers. He met Jaebum yesterday at basketball tryouts, though the two didn’t talk and he hadn’t known that boy was Youngjae’s best friend. While Daehyun lingered in one corner, having turned up mainly because Youngjae said he should try out sports, Jaebum had a whole cluster of boys surrounding him, all of them immersed in a lively buzz. Daehyun had been glancing at them every once in a while, feeling a bit lonely as he hid at the side.

Jaebum seems like the kind of person who is the extreme opposite of Daehyun. Boisterous, loud and talkative. Daehyun fiddles with the buttons on his shirt and hesitates on approaching the two. Youngjae spins his head and Daehyun abruptly shrouds himself behind a pillar.

If someone as lively as Jaebum is Youngjae’s closest friend, then, maybe Youngjae will start to change his mind about Daehyun. Yesterday, Youngjae didn’t have anyone to accompany him so maybe Daehyun was okay then. But what about today?

Peeking his head out, Daehyun his lips and watches the two apprehensively. With an arm slung around each other’s shoulders, the pair are blabbering heartily to one another. Both of them seem to have so much to say to each other. Daehyun isn't sure if he can fit in.

Daehyun bites back a sigh and leans against the wall. Dawn begins to break over the downcast blue-black of dusk and Daehyun continues squirming behind the wall. Some of the commuters and train staff stride past him with quizzical looks, Daehyun awkwardly averting his gaze.

He’s really scared Youngjae won’t like him… Compared to Jaebum, he is plain and boring. In fact, Youngjae might be the type to have tons of friends. They only talked for a short time yesterday so maybe Youngjae doesn’t know what he’s really like. What if he’s too boring for Youngjae?

Daehyun gnaws on his lower lip and presses his fingernails into his palm. He deliberates, taking a step forward before slowly retracting his leg. Maybe he's being a spoil sport by tagging along and he’s just ruining the mood.

Daehyun slumps, backpack still squashed against the pillar as he catches the incoherent chatter from the two boys. He can’t. Jaebum will think he’s weird and Youngjae will realise it too, and that’ll be the end of it. He’ll go back to having no friends again.

As a train chugs into the station, Daehyun takes another glance past the pil