[4245]

While he was sort of a jerk at times, Jinhwan was a good person to know, that is, if you really knew him beyond all of the sarcastic remarks and dry laughter. He always had a way of knowing what you were thinking, what was weighing on your mind, and he understood you, too, which saved you from explaining things you didn’t want to explain. The best part was he really didn’t care the kind of person you were, in the end, which was another reason you didn’t have to explain yourself. You could’ve been a terrible, really ed up person and he’d have been okay with it as long as you weren’t out killing people or something. Even so, he probably would’ve just said it was a messed up thing to do. He wouldn’t rat you out.

All in all, Jinhwan was the sort of person you wished there’d be more of. At least, when there were so many other ed up kinds of people in your town, you did. 

Jinhwan sat next to you on the roof of your house just as the sun began to set. He was staring up at the sky like you were, but you could tell he wasn’t all that touched by the display, just relieved not to be at home. His parents were a lot better than some of yours, but it didn’t mean he had a great home life.

It was silent, comfortably silent, for a long time, before anybody talked. 

“You’re the one who gave Bobby that hickey, weren’t you?” Jinhwan said as he glanced over at you. It was so casual it kind of threw you off. You didn’t answer him; God, he was really ruining a perfectly good sunset, that bastard. He shook his head and looked away, tone still dry. “I knew it. Saw him crawling out of your window this morning. You dirty sons of es.”

You rolled your eyes and laced your arms under your head. “It’s nothing. Sort of just happened.” You would’ve been worried if it were anyone else, but you knew Jinhwan wouldn’t say anything. Someone was bound to find out sooner or later, the most you could ask for was that it’d be him.

“Oh, believe me, I can imagine,” Jinhwan said sarcastically. “As long as you don’t pop out another Bobby we all have to take care of, it doesn’t mean anything to me.”

You grimaced. What a horrific thing to imagine. This thing between you and Bobby, it wasn’t at all consistent anyway. Last night could’ve been the last time anything like that ever happened for all you knew, and you wouldn’t have cared. That was how little it mattered.

“Good,” you said.

Jinhwan nodded, hardly paying attention now. “Good.”

—

The next day, you all had to at least try to make it through the entire school day. It was hell but it was manageable.

“You know, I could just quit school right now and it wouldn’t make much of a difference,” Junhoe said. It was lunch, now, thank God, and the conversation was slow since everyone was sort of in a bad mood. Apparently he thought this was a good conversation starter. “My uncle has a job lined up for me in construction, anyway. I don’t think I need a high school diploma for that.”

“Yeah, but that’s boring as hell,” Hanbin said, giving him a sour look. He always had a way of making people feel bad for things he didn’t agree with, that . He was just as bad as Bobby sometimes. At least this made sense, though. “You’ve made it this far, why back out now? It’d be a complete waste.”

Junhoe shrugged in a way that meant he agreed with Hanbin, or maybe he was too lazy to argue with him. Either way, he looked like he was completely over the conversation.

“Hey, where’s Jinhwan?” Yunhyeong said as he glanced around the table. Most of you hadn’t even noticed he wasn’t there until you realized the last conversation was something he’d definitely have something sarcastic to say about but didn’t. You were all unknowingly waiting for his sarcasm.

“He’s been in the principal’s office since first period,” Hanbin answered, expression ominous. “Apparently it’s not looking very good for him with graduation and all.”

“That punk,” Donghyuk said as he shook his head. “He never knows how to ask for help when he needs it.”

You sighed. Even though Junhoe was regarded as the most absentminded in the group, it was really Jinhwan who was struggling the most in school. He just always kept to himself about it like he did with everything else. You swore you’d punch him in the face next time you saw him.

Chanwoo looked the most concerned as he shrugged. “Well, then I guess we’ll just have to help him out as best as we can.”

Junhoe nodded. “Why don’t we just go out tonight to cheer him up? He hasn’t had any fun in a while. We should get him drunk.”

Chanwoo blinked. Junhoe had completely missed the point.

—

As it turned out, the van Yunhyeong usually drove had gone through some trouble that morning so he was stuck with his mom’s tiny little car for the time being. It was so small you didn’t even think it could fit half of Yunhyeong’s ego in it. 

Hanbin was up in the passenger’s seat like he always was (he knew the towns ins and outs like the back of his hand), Junhoe was folded up in the trunk (it was very risky, especially considering Yunhyeong’s driving, but Junhoe was built stronger than the usual boy), Jinhwan was next to him in the trunk only because he was the smallest (it was funny to think this night was actually to cheer him up and there he was in the damn trunk), and then as you opened the door to find your seat, you saw Bobby, Donghyuk, and Chanwoo already taking up the rest.

“You are all such gentlemen,” you said dryly as you eyed the three boys. “Oh, don’t worry about me. Don’t all get up at once.”

Bobby was the closest one to you, the one you expected to get out and make room for you, but he only rolled his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not moving for you.”

Wow, and after all you’d done for him. You reminded yourself to never let him in your bed ever again. Last time really was the last time.

“Just sit on Donghyuk’s lap,” Jinhwan said. He looked impatient and had to wipe a few beads of sweat from his forehead. “Just hang on with the handle by the window.”

“Is this your kink, Jinhwan?” Junhoe said with an amused expression.

“You’re not in the position to be talking about that,” Jinhwan said, expression calm, “especially not after what I found in your room.”

Junhoe backed down after that. You didn't even want to let yourselves be curious about it. Some things were better left off mysteries, this being one of them. 

Despite the occasional mess around with Bobby, you weren’t just tossed around the group when the boys’ hormones got out of wack. You had set your own boundaries and you hadn’t expected sitting on Donghyuk’s lap to be in them. You looked over at Donghyuk and he looked like he didn’t mind at all, that there was nothing worrying about the situation at all. “It’s only for a short while, anyway, right?” he said.

—

Donghyuk was a perfect gentleman the whole ride through, potholes and abrupt stops and all, never let his hands go anywhere they didn’t have to go. Really, he couldn’t have been a better example of a perfect guy.

“You know, if you had a girlfriend, you’d probably make her the happiest girl alive,” you told him as you got out of the car and next to the others. “It’s really hard to imagine you were raised in this dump.”

Donghyuk grinned — he was proud — but before he could respond, Hanbin was talking.  “You continue sweetening him up like that and he’ll end up with a bigger ego than Yunhyeong’s.”

You gave Hanbin a look. “Hey, Hanbin, what did I ever do to you? You’re always so grumpy now days.”

Hanbin smiled sarcastically as he shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned over you. “Oh, don’t mind me. I’m just jealous is all.”

Sometimes you swore you could murder the guy. No one could get on your nerves like Hanbin, and even more than you hated him you hated yourself for giving him so much power. Even worse, he was working with your dad down at the auto-shop for quite some time now and he probably loved Hanbin more than he loved you. Well… someone had to love him.

“Oh, shut up,” you said, shoving him by the chest until he stumbled a few steps backward. He still had that smug grin on his face when you glared. “I hate you.”

“You’re breaking my heart,” Hanbin said, speaking dryly.

“Both of you need to stop,” Bobby said with a glare. “I’m getting a ing headache from all of this goddamn noise.”

Neither of you said anything after that, and then Junhoe glanced around the place. You were all in some vacant parking lot and it was late at night, so you could hardly see anything beyond it. “Jesus, Yunhyeong, are we lost? I gave you gas money and for what?”

“No, we’re in the right place,” Yunhyeong answered airily as he gestured at the lit window in front of the car. “It’s a poker game.”

“A what?!” Jinhwan blurted, one of the few times he’d raised his voice in a while. “Yunhyeong, you don’t even have the money to finance a single game with your impulsiveness. I’m a little worried about you.”

Yunhyeong rolled his eyes; Jinhwan needed to worry about himself and his crappy report cards, first off. “Bobby’s the one playing since he’s pretty good at it. We wanted to take you out somewhere nice, Jinhwan, we just don’t exactly have the money yet.”

Jinhwan’s face crumpled in confusion. Yunhyeong probably expected he’d be touched but he wasn’t. “Are you out of your mind?!”

“Nope,” Yunhyeong replied with a nice pop at the end of the word. He looked over his shoulder at where Bobby had been but he’d already snuck away. The door had just clicked closed when you all noticed he was gone. 

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