It was a hot day in early March, the heat was sweltering and even getting to some people. A boy was walking next to a girl, close enough so that if one would misstep, the other might crash on them. The boy was Sungkyu, age 18, and the girl was Mina, age 17. Both were walking to school at a moderate pace, Sungkyu making sure his pace matched Mina's. They were in their final high school year and had been friends since their first year when Sungkyu saw a panicky Mina trying to find her way to class. She was new to the city and had come there after agreeing to live with her father following her parents’ divorce. The city, a metropolis, was filled with dreams and opportunity, that’s why even her mother sympathized with the decision for her to stay with her father, for her sake. But all this simply made Mina a bit of a mess inside back then. That’s when Sungkyu came along that fateful first day of high school...

“You seem lost. You need help?” he asked.

Mina was at a loss for words, she felt like crying even, but she mustered up the words, “Yes, can you help me find my class?” She extended to Sungkyu a piece of paper detailing all her classes.

Sungkyu smiled, he was happy to be of some help, and was even happier when he noticed she shared all the classes he did; he didn’t have to do much work at all…

Just like that, Mina stuck by Gyujiji’s (that’s what all Sungkyu‘s close friends called him) side; she didn’t have much of an option since she never really did get over her first day’s timidity. They would go everywhere together, but, deep inside Sungkyu hoped she would one day break out of her shell and make new friends…

So, as the two were walking along the sidewalk, a boy on a bike passed them by saying hi. It was Hoya, Sungkyu’s best friend since elementary and ace of their school’s baseball team. Hoya got off his bike and all three continued their way to school.

“Hot today, huh?” Sungkyu casually asked.

“Yeah, not sure if we’re gonna skip practice today. Hope not, since the tournament’s around the corner. Some of the new recruits have been slacking off, and most of us third years are getting ready for a future outside baseball…”
 

“Depressing isn’t it?” Sungkyu replied.

Hoya smiled but didn’t reply. The three eventually reached their school and then their classroom. Turns out fate had been kind to Sunkgyu who had wished to share his classes with his two best friends after spending second year all by himself. Mina sat in the front, Sungkyu got the window seat in the far back, and Hoya sat beside him. Sunkgyu always beat everyone in getting the window seat for all his classes. He loved dozing off during the middle of a lecture, staring at bright blue skies and the random sparrows that would fly by.

For first period, math would prove to be boring for Sungkyu. He was smart enough to get passing grades, but the thought of numbers inundating his mind for that one hour drowned him in sea of monotony with its only escape being sleep. Tired, Sungkyu laid his head down and began daydreaming. Hoya noticed and nodded in disapproval of Gyujiji, but he let him be. Then the teacher called on Sungkyu to answer a calculus problem. He was still asleep. Hoya noticed and as the teacher called Sungkyu out a second, louder, time, Hoya fell off his seat on purpose, drawing everyone’s attention to him. No one laughed since the whole school loved their ace. The sudden noise was enough to jostle Sungkyu out of sleep.

“I’m sorry, sir. I think the heat got to me.” Hoya said as he stood up.

Mina, looking back, noticed Sungkyu’s less than dumbfounded look, and could only guess that Hoya fell on purpose to wake him up. She smiled.

“Well, maybe you should go to the restroom to freshen up, ace” the teacher said.

Hoya took up on his suggestion and left. Meanwhile, class continued and Sungkyu answered incorrectly as to be expected. When Hoya came back after only a few minutes had passed, the bell rang. English was next, but that was somewhat of a better subject for Gyujiji. The three walked together to their next class which wasn’t too far from their math classroom. As they walked, Sungkyu noticed he forgot his textbook at home and asked Hoya if they could share. Mina chuckled a little, seeing Hoya take a deep sigh before relenting to his friend’s request.

When they reached their class, Sungkyu pushed his seat closer toward Hoya with a big grin, thinking how it’s nice to have a good friend like him. Class would ensue and they would form group of threes to discuss the assigned piece of literature, this time it was Hamlet. Mina would wince a little after noticing how the story of Hamlet shared some similarities with her own life, the two of them had life filled with certain circumstances that would lead them to question its worth at the face of much heartache. Her father had started dating again, and although she had accepted life at its face value, “stuff happens”, she couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy at the thought of having her mother replaced by a new woman, albeit a kind, caring woman who seemed to care about Mina as much as she cared about her father.

“What do you think about Hamlet wanting to kill himself?” Hoya asked, with the intention of actually getting work done.

“I didn’t even know he wanted to kill himself,” Sungkyu replied.

“How about you, Mina?” Hoya asked, knowing she might have a more profound answer than Gyujiji’s.

She was distracted reading Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, “Huh?”

“He asked what you think about Hamlet’s trigger-happy heart in wanting to kill his uncle and himself,” Sungkyu said.

Mina began to speak a paragraph of words that was enough to prompt Hoya and Gyujiji to start writing stuff down.

“That was good,” their teacher commented as she passed by.

Mina smiled, feeling good inside at the teacher’s approval. She was a stern teacher who seldom praised her students, only praising the smartest in class, Nayeon, most of the time.

From across the room, Nayeon had overheard the teacher’s praise as Mina begun to pique her interest. Mina was always quiet, so she was taken aback by how she immediately got praised by their teacher out of the blue.

Class continued, but Hoya’s stomach began to feel unsettled.
“You okay?” Sungkyu asked.

“No, I think yesterday’s food didn’t settle too well.” Hoya replied as he got up. He asked their teacher for permission to go to the bathroom and went on after getting her approval. No one could say no to him.

Sungkyu and Mina would continue reading, jotting words down every now and then whenever they saw anything of remote importance that might be brought up on a future test of some kind.

“Hey, Sungkyu, got a pencil? Mines broke and I gots no replacement,” a classmate asked. It was Woohyun, a quiet boy who always went unnoticed on everyone’s radar.

“Yeah, hold on, but give it back after class. I get tired of people calling stealing, borrowing,” Sungkyu answered as he scavenged through his backpack to finally get a hold of one.

“Thanks,” Woohyun replied as he reached for the pencil.

Half an hour or so would pass, and English’s end was just around the corner. Hoya was still suffering at the mercy of yesterday’s food. Shortly after Sungkyu discussed Hamlet a bit more with Mina, the bell rang.

Everyone began putting away their belongings and got up. Woohyun approached Sungkyu somewhat nervously with the borrowed pencil clenched in his hand.

“Hoya never came back, huh?” he asked Sungkyu.

“Nah… I’ll take his stuff to our next class I guess...”
“That’s cool, you’re a good friend, man,” Woohyun let out with a quivering lip.

Sungkyu noticed his tenseness, “You okay?”

“Yeah…uhm, Here ya go,” the boy said as he stretched out the pencil. Sungkyu was about to grab it, but the boy fumbled and it fell out of his hand.

“I’ll get it,” Mina said.

“It’s okay, I can get it,” Sungkyu said as they both knelt to pick it up, butting heads in the process.

Then, in that brief moment, from the corner of his eye, Sungkyu noticed Woohyun slip something into Hoya’s backpack. Woohyun quickly left, leaving Sungkyu perplexed at what he just saw. After getting up, Sungkyu reached for Hoya’s belongings and noticed something strange from inside the opened backpack.

“What’s wrong? We should be going to our next class,” Mina said.

Sungkyu immediately recognized the subject of wonder that was inside Hoya’s backpack. He bit his lip as the thought of anger and disdain began to course through his veins. It was a mag. He knew it would be the end of Hoya if he got caught with it. That dirty mag would be enough to tarnish his reputation of a perfect student without faults whatsoever, his image would be betrayed and he would gain the scorn of everyone…

No more Koshien, no more dreams, no more respect and adoration from everyone in school. He’d be doomed if he gets caught with this… Sungkyu’s stress began to rise, This isn’t right. Man, why would someone hate Hoya like that? This just ain’t right… Sungkyu thought to himself.

“Sungkyu, you okay?” Mina asked.

He was distracted by the situation at hand. “No wonder that punk was nervous. Punk was ‘prolly planning this from the beginning,” he said silently. In that instant, he decided what he would do. Sungkyu discreetly grabbed the mag and snuck into his own backpack. Now he couldn’t help but feel nervous. He felt like a mule, smuggling bundles of illegal paraphernalia into the country.

Mina asked him if he was okay one more time. “Yeah, just the heat,” he told her.

The whole class was scarcely getting out of the room, when without a head’s up, Sungkyu bumped into Nayeon on the way out. He hadn’t closed his backpack and as result, the mag fell out.

“What is that?” Nayeon asked as she began to reach for it.

“I’m ******!” Time stopped for him. He felt a severe chill envelop his whole body. His head was dizzy, and cold sweat was making its way out.

The swearing brought everyone’s attention to him, even those in the hallway stopped for a second. The teacher was making her way over to Sungkyu and Nayeon now held the mag in hand, giving Sungkyu a dirty look with a brow upraised as if to say “What is this?”

“****…” Sungyu bit his lip, realizing the fact he swore a second time in class.

Mina was taken aback, she was dazed and amazed at the whole situation. She clearly saw the mag in Nayeon’s hand, guessing it fell out of his backpack, but THIS was not the Sungkyu she knew. He never swore, much less speak y of women. For her, he was an angel for all intents and purposes. Yet, here he was, mired by sin. She was disturbed by the current turn of events.

“What did you just say?” the teacher asked.

Sungkyu was distraught. “I’m sorry. You know what I said, and I feel bad even knowing I said it, but I just couldn’t help it...”

“That’s not all. This is the reason he spoke so crudely,” Nayeon said as she stretched over the mag to the teacher, leaving her filled with disgust and astonishment at her student’s misdeed.

Everyone caught whiff of what happened; everyone saw what Nayeon was stretching over. Some boys cheered, while in stark contrast, every girl there thought Eww, he’s a disgusting . Sungkyu knew he had just earned his place as the most hated guy in school by the girls. Poor Gyujiji knew it was the end of his school life, but better he than Hoya, he thought. That brought him some comfort.

Mina was still disturbed and as Hoya made his return, he stood next to her. Mina explained the situation, leaving Hoya awestruck.

The teacher then called for everyone to leave, except Nayeon and Sungkyu. Hoya and Mina would go to their next class after Hoya picked up his backpack. Both Sungkyu and Nayeon would be escorted to the principal’s office where Sungkyu would be reprimanded. Nayeon would eventually join class, but Sungkyu wouldn’t. He was suspended for two whole weeks.

He couldn’t have done it… Mina and Hoya thought, Right?

With perturbing thoughts of doubt and disbelief instilling feelings of paranoia, the two felt compelled to question who Sungkyu was as a person, but most importantly as their friend. Was it really him? What other secrets does he have if it was him? These thoughts left Mina and Hoya in a state clouded with uncertainty, only made worst by the slog of learning and boredom that school produces. However, soon enough lunch would signify a brief moment of respite for the two as Hoya took the seat next to Mina. Hoya would normally rush his food down his belly and make his way toward the baseball field to get some practice done, but on a hot day like today made worst by Sungkyu’s ordeal, he didn’t feel like it. Mina would eat silently as she always would, but today she was more silent than usual. As her eyes wandered around the room, they met with Nayeon’s. Nayeon had the one brow lifted up again, hinting at a sense of disapproval and imprinted shame, knowing full well that Mina always hung around Sungkyu.

Mina sighed.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s not what it was,” Hoya reassured.

Mina smiled ever so slightly. She felt more awkward than usual around him since Sungkyu was not there with them. “You’re right. I feel bad for doubting.”

“We’re only human.” Hoya muttered as he finished his lunch.

The two would finish their lunch break as they started, in quietness and awkwardness. When time came for school to end, Mina began asking herself if she should pay Sungkyu a visit since he lived close by. The final bell would then ring and everyone would begin packing up.

“I’m going to baseball practice. See you tomorrow,” Hoya casually told Mina.

Mina nodded and left the building. At the school gate, she would accidentally bump into Nayeon and the two would lock eyes. Nayeon pulled her hair behind her ear.

“Hi,” Mina said with an unsteady voice.

Nayeon rolled her eyes, letting out the sound that never fails to anger a person, the clicking of the tongue, “Tsk, tsk, tsk…”

Mina was annoyed.

“You should make better friends…You and Hoya.” Nayeon remarked as she began to walk away.

Mina paid it no mind, let it go, choosing to pay Sungkyu a visit. A few minutes later, she reached Sungkyu’s doorstep where she was met by Sunkgyu’s father. She hadn’t seen him in a long time, but even she could tell he was depressed. He was dressed pretty shabbily too. His face seemed to droop more than usual and Mina questioned if it was because of Sungkyu.

“No friends for the boy for a month.” He said in a voice that expressed disappointment mingled with feelings of anger.

Mina left and headed home.

 The day passed, the sun said goodbye, the moon said hello, and the two would switch again with the sun smiling not as intensely as it did the day prior.

On her way to school, Mina spotted Hoya who kept on peddling his way to school. Hoya didn’t notice her…

At school, Hoya made his way to his seat and was taken aback by Sungkyu’s empty seat. Hoya was well aware of how Sungkyu never missed a day of school in spite of his dread toward the thought of learning stuff he was unsure would ever be used in the “real world”. It was sort of ironic then, Hoya thought, that it was the school’s system that essentially made Sungkyu miss school.

Hoya sat, staring outside the window as Sungkyu was accustomed to do. The sky was bright blue with patches of clouds complimenting its beauty. Hoya smiled. Then he looked across the room and met Nayeon’s eyes.

“Sungkyu’s an idiot,” she mouthed, words enough to ruin Hoya’s mood.

Their teacher would then announce Sungkyu’s absence and the indefinite leave of Woohyun, who moved out of town.

School continued with no bumps in the road. Daunting words and numbers made sure to cram themselves into the minds of those who actually paid attention. Lunch followed third period, and this left Hoya unsure of what to do. He knew Mina had no real friends besides Sungkyu and was hesitant of even considering himself such.

Hoya weighed his choices, Should I stay and keep her company, maybe she might get bullied for being Sungkyu’s friend, or ditch her and go follow my first love of baseball. After letting out a deep sigh, he set his heart on doing what Sungkyu would do and chose to stay with Mina.

He chose well, since a group of girls had already begun to form a circle around her, just like vultures do when hunger consumes them and they catch the whiff of sweet, sweet, carrion. Hoya pulled up a chair in front of her desk and sat. His eyes were sharp as they met the eyes of the girls who encircled Mina. They left, their respect and adoration for Hoya alone was enough to keep them from saying anything against Mina; they might never get a shot of dating him, they reasoned, if they bully someone he’s close to. As Hoya began unpacking his lunch, Mina smiled with gratefulness at his presence and they ate in peace.

Later, School’s end again came around the corner, but not before their teacher gestured for everyone’s attention.

“Sungkyu has been suspended for two weeks, but his education should not be neglected because of his stupidity, so one of you will be in charge of delivering and retrieving homework from him…” the teacher said. He then looked around the class and the sight of Nayeon desperately trying to avoid him caught his attention. “Nayeon will do it.”

Nayeon stood up, “Why me? Why not Hoya or Mina? They’re the ’s best friends!” she complained.

The teacher slammed his hands on the table, commanding everyone’s attention, “NO SLANDERING IN MY CLASS” The teacher took of his glasses, “As one of the best in school, you will learn to behave and feel the burden of providing an exemplary role, making sure no student in your sight slips up.”

Nayeon rolled her eyes, “Fine...” Nayeon walked to the front of class and took hold of various worksheets. “I’m sorry.”

Mina couldn’t help but laugh a little inside, yet she also was disappointed it was her that was chosen. She would’ve had the chance to speak with Sungkyu and finally get to the bottom of what had really happened. Sungkyu’s father wouldn’t be able to object because her visit would be for his own good.

 As everyone began packing up, Nayeon approached Mina and asked her if she knew the way to Gyujiji’s home. Mina gave her directions, with memories of their meeting the day before coming up, leaving her to deal with feelings of irritation mingled with the usual social awkwardness.

“I got it, you don’t have to show me the way, I know my way around. If I get lost, Sirri will help me, and I’m sure she’d provide more help than you ever would.” Nayeon told her, leaving shortly after.

Ugh, I missed my chance, should’ve said ‘I never offered, Mina thought.

The students left, each to their own way, Hoya to practice, Mina to her home, and Nayeon to Sungkyu’s home.

Nayeon knocked and was met by a shabbily dressed man with a muzzle steadily growing upon his face. She was taken aback by his worn down visage, so she was left without words for a moment or two. The man, annoyed by her silence, asked her who she was. Nayeon explained her purpose, and the man replied by stating he was Sungkyu’s father, afterwards expressing disappointment in his son. He told her that he would make sure Sungkyu would receive and complete the handouts, but Nayeon explained how she needed to speak to him in person.

“I need to actually speak to him to explain the homework thoroughly. I don’t think he’ll be able to figure the questions out if I don’t,” she told him.

Sungkyu’s father let her in. “His room is the first on the right on the second floor,” he instructed.

“Thanks,” she replied.

Nayeon knocked on his door and Sungkyu opened up. He was surprised to meet her.

“You’re here why?” he casually asked. He lied on his bed, his eyes following her as she let herself in to his messy room. Dirty clothes were strewn everywhere, a desk laid cluttered with crumbled up pieces of paper and a random action figure or two, along with some poker cards and a couple of video games.

Nayeon was too distracted, her eyes were busy looking all around his room. She smiled devilishly, asking, ”So where is it?”

“Where’s what?” Sungkyu asked as he sat on his bed.

“Your dirty magazines? They gotta be around here somewhere.”

Sungkyu felt like laughing a little, “Underneath my bed.”

“For real?” Nayeon asked as her big eyes widened. Nayeon gestured Sungkyu to get off and her hands began to search underneath his mattress. I wonder if they’ll be more busty blondes like the ones on the cover that got him in trouble.

She searched for a bit until her fingertip felt what seemed to be the spine of a big book. She managed to get a hold of it, an “AHA!” moment before she took a good look at what was in her hand.

“Did you see what you’re grabbing?” Sungkyu asked.

“A anthology! Full of busty foreigners like the ones you like!” she said. But then she took a better look, “It’s a Bible…A pretty worn down one, too…”

“Yeah, looks like you grabbed the wrong book. You sure you didn’t see anything else underneath my bed? I’m sure I left my dirty magazines next to my Bible.”
 

Nayeon finally caught on, “You were sarcastic weren’t you?”

“Yeah, but hey, I’ll lend you that book you have in your hands if you want. I’m sure everybody can learn a thing or two from it.” Now Sungkyu felt like he just had to tease, “Remember that story about Moses’ sister speaking bad ‘bout Moses and getting leprosy or something? DIdn’t Jesus say not to throw stones or something, too?”
 

Nayeon rolled her eyes as she laid the down the Bible atop Sungkyu’s cluttered desk, “Real funny, but can you blame me for thinking bad about you? I caught you red handed.”

Sungkyu felt unsure if he should tell Nayeon what actually happened, would it really matter? Would she believe him? Meh, guess I’ll tell her, he whimsically decided.

“Yeah, that mag wasn’t exactly mines.”
Nayeon was a tad puzzled, “You mean you borrowed it?”

“No,” Sungkyu laughed, “You know that one kid Woohyun?”

“The one who moved out of town?”

“What? You serious?” Sungkyu yawned as he put two and two together, “Well that makes sense, why he would pull something like that yesterday.”
 

“Waddya mean?”

“Woohyun planted the mag in Hoya’s bag, hoping to snuff out his reputation I bet, but thank God I noticed before anyone else and so I took the fall. I hoped to simply get rid of the dirty bomb without any problems, but I bumped into you, and well…Here we are.”

Nayeon was a bit frustrated, “How come you were stupid enough not to defend yourself when the Principal was interrogating you?”

“I wasn’t stupid, I just wanted to settle things on my own…I wasn’t gonna beat Woohyun up or anything, but I was gonna go rogue, like Batman on him. You know, intimidate him enough so that he wouldn’t pull stuff like that again.”

Nayeon was rubbing her brow, “That’s stupid…” She sighed. “Why do you think he did it?”
 

“I don’t know, I mean Hoya’s super popular and stuff, our ace, so it makes sense that it was out of envy, or hatred for the sake of hatred.” He yawned, stretching out his arms. “It don’t matter anymore now. I mean, what’s the chance of seeing him again? I’m just grateful Hoya’s alright.”
 

“You’re a nice friend, huh?”

“Hoya’s an even better one, he’s saved my so many times I’ve lost count.”

“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah, like the time I got mugged by the bus stop, he ran for two whole blocks just to get my action figure back. Still have it around here somewhere, a red Power Ranger…”

“You still play with toys?” Nayeon chuckled.

“Nothing wrong with that, but that was in elementary, a bully took my toy and ran with it until Hoya caught up.”

Nayeon became interested about their friendship, but noticed time was passing by quick since her arrival. She quickly handed over the worksheets and gave him some quick advice to write down that would help him understand the math problems easily. She also jotted down some notes for him herself. She then left, having her opinion change a little about Sungkyu, “He’s not that handsome, but he’s better than the decrepit I made him out to be…”