Brian wasn’t sure exactly when it started- the blatant hostility towards him. The entirety of the school was either scared of him or scorned him. Yes, he’d got into his share of fights back in the day. But then again, who didn’t? High school was tough and one or two violent bouts isn’t exactly equivalent to say hitting someone on the head with a baseball bat- which mind you had happened in this very school.

Maybe it was because he transferred from Canada, because he called himself ‘Brian’ even though he had an authentic Korean name ‘Younghyun’... It’s not like he even liked the name ‘Brian’ to begin with. But then to change it back in the records and official proceedings would be a pain. A pain he wasn’t willing to take.

Maybe it was because he was fluent in English? But then there was that ‘Jae’ character- the bespectacled blonde who struggled with Korean so much he was practically a foreigner. He was always surrounded by people though- smiling, laughing, being all dorky... He’d integrated himself in the high school foodchain so well.

Maybe it was his general ‘bad boy’ demeanour?

Maybe it was his strangely coloured hair dye?

Maybe it was because he wore dangly earrings and actually looked good in them?

The more he mulled over it, the more ridculous his potential justifications became.

Bottom line was that once this hostility began, he automatically became more defensive. That coupled with his family problems made him start acting out a little, which only invited more scorn which in turn made him cut classes. His daily life exhausted him and everything around him just made him more annoyed in general. It was a vicious cycle and before he knew it, the perpetually annoyed resting- face was his default expression.

If asked to describe himself two years ago, Brian would’ve said he was ‘cheerful’ and ‘someone who ate a lot’. Well, he still ate a lot now but he wouldn’t bother answering something like that.

On the surface, he was a loner.

Deep down inside ... his cheerfulness sought company.