“Youngjae wake up, you’re gonna be late.”

“I’m not gonna, I already am!” Youngjae quickly gets his things together and rushes to the front door. He says his goodbyes to his parents and is out the door a second later. He fixes his shoes as he runs down the street of his neighborhood to get to the bus stop. But by the time he reaches his destination, the bus is already pulling away.

“Wait! Stop, please!” Youngjae runs after the bus and bangs on the vehicle but to no avail. It drives on without noticing him.

“!” he yells out and continues on running, he doesn’t have enough money for a taxi. He speeds pass businessmen, shop owners, and pedestrians in a blur. He reaches a halt when he has to wait for the signal to cross the street and notices that he only has ten minutes to get to school and he still has quite a bit to go.

Jogging in place, Youngjae then dashes when the signal is given he bumps into someone who shouts angrily at him. He briskly turns around to apologize but doesn’t stop and moves on. Sweat is beating down his neck and he can feel his shirt collar getting soaked. His legs cry out for him to stop but he can’t. And he’s starting to become short of breath and unwillingly takes a small break.

Hands on his knees, Youngjae breathes in and out slowly to maintain his stamina. But he’s all too soon back at it again. He thanks every heavenly god when the school is within his vision. But his excitement soon decapitates when his eyes lock on Mr. Pyoen is standing in front of the gate, stick in hand and looking menacing. Youngjae stops five feet in front of him.

“I see we’re late today, Mr. Choi,” Mr. Pyeon begins, “This is already the third time this week, I let you off the first two times but now I’m gonna have to give you detention.” Mr. Pyeon took out a notebook for detention slips. Youngjae scrunched up his face in annoyance and reluctantly accepted the detention slip. He bowed to Mr. Pyeon and made his way into the school.

He walked in as other students were rushing to class to avoid being tardy. Youngjae walked slowly to class, he already had detention, so there was no point in rushing. When he walked into class, the teacher gave him a foul look but said nothing. Youngjae sat in his seat off to the side of the room and took his things out. He pushed the detention slip into his pocket, not wanting to accept the reality that he has to stay one more hour after school today.

After class he met Yugyeom and walked to the next class they had together. Along the way, Youngjae explained what happened in the early morning.

“Dude that and it was Mr. Pyeon who got you,” Yugyeom laughed at his friends misery. Youngjae smacked him lightly on the shoulder but said nothing more. They filed into their next class and took their seats next to each other. Mark, another friend of theirs was already seating in his seat. The American native had his head in a comic when they walked in.  

“What are you reading now hyung? Another Marvel comic?” Yugyeom asked. He snatched the book from the older and flipped through it.

“Yes, it’s another one. Now give it back,” Mark took back the book and began reading again. Yugyeom shook his head and sat down. He slumped in his seat and looked already bored out of his mind even though class hadn’t started yet.

“Why did we decide to take a speech class when it isn’t even required to graduate and you guys at speaking in public?” Yugyeom looked from one hyung to another.

“Because all the other elective classes were full,” Youngjae explained. He didn’t like this class either. He dreads talking in public and always fidgets when he has to go to the front of the class and present something. But he was late at choosing electives and now he’s stuck in a class he hates. At least it’s in the morning, so he can get it over and done with and it’s also only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Students continued to fill up the classroom and then the teacher arrived. She took attendance and class began. Thankfully they didn’t have to speak in the front of the class, but next week they were going to have to. And the assignment is looking up a career and explaining why they chose it and what it’s about, etc. Youngjae sighed as he looked at the list of things they were supposed to include. His weekend was going to be a total drag. He stuffed the assignment paper into his bag, wanting nothing more than for it to be a far away thought.

When lunch time came around, Youngjae and his friends weren’t up for eating in the cafeteria so they decided to find a place outside and sit. They sit on the floor of their outdoor school. Kids of different cliques sit on benches or lean up against walls  and chat or play music. Couples are seen in corners making out and security walks around bored of their minds.

“What do you guys have in mind for this assignment?” Yugyeom asks about their speech class. He pulls out the paper from the back of his pant pocket. He unfolds it and reads what the teacher wants for them to research.

“What is the annual salary? Is an internship required? Does it only require an Associate's or a Bachelor's degree?” Yugyeom reads some of the questions out loud. “Does dancing count?”

“There’s a Fine Arts Degree,” Mark replies, his face is still glued onto his comic.

“Then I guess that,” Yugyeom says.

“But what about the rest of the criteria?” Youngjae asks.

“I’ll think about it at home,” Yugyeom folds the paper and puts it back into his pocket, “What are you guys gonna do?”

“I want to write my own comic,” Mark answers. He put the comic away in his backpack and pulls out another volume.

“How many of those do you got in there hyung?” Yugyeom grabs Mark’s backpack before the older could stop him. “There’s like six in here!” Yugyeom pulls out the comics and notices that Mark only has one notebook, a folder, and a pen.

“Wow hyung, talk about being academic,” Yugyeom mocks as he puts everything back.

Mark snatches his backpack, “At least I have something to write on and with, you don’t even carry a backpack.” Mark argues back. “I have no idea how you make it in your other classes.”

“I borrow from my fellow classmates,” Yugyeom replies, “sharing is caring.”

“Not with stuff like that,” Youngjae says, “you could at least carry a notebook and a pen.”

“Yeah, but I don’t like carrying things,” Yugyeom replies. “And backpacks are too heavy.”

Youngjae rolls his eyes but says nothing further. “So what are you planning on as a career, hyung?” Yugyeom looks at him.

Youngjae looks on blankly, “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it?”

“Aren’t you a junior? Shouldn’t you already be thinking about what colleges to start applying for come senior year?” Yugyeom asks.

“Yeah, easier said than done,” Youngjae says, “what about you Mark hyung? Have you applied anywhere?”

The only senior amongst them looked up from his book, “I applied to ten schools.”

“Wow, that’s a lot,” Youngjae expressed out, “Have you heard from any of them? Are any of them around here?”

“Yeah most of them are. One or two are in the US,” Mark explains, “I’ve heard back from a few but I don’t know which one I want to go to yet.”

“Are you planning on moving back to the US after you graduate?” Youngjae asks.

“I’m not sure yet, it’s been a while since I’ve been back,” Mark answered.

“And here I thought you only cared about your comics,” Yugyeom commented.

“There are many things I care about Yugyeom. Comics just happens to be one of them is all,” Mark replies and goes back to reading.  

“Well you’ve still got time hyung, don’t worry you’ll figure it out eventually,” Yugyeom encouraged.

“Aren’t you glad you’re only a sophomore?” Youngjae sarcastically asks.

“Hell yeah I am,” Yugyeom replied anyways. Youngjae looks around at the other students. They’re laughing, and talking cheerfully about movies they’ve seen or parties that are happening over the weekend or who’s dating, etc. He wonders if in the back of everyone’s minds are what are they going to do when they got older. Will some stay or leave? Will some look for a job right after or attend college? It’s thoughts like these that Youngjae thinks about every once in a while.

Lunch ends with Youngjae indecisive about his career but he’s got he’s weekend to think it over. The trio split up there and go to the classes they are supposed to take in their respective years. Yugyeom has Geometry, Mark has Economics and Youngjae has Physics.

When he enters the classroom, he’s greeted by Jackson. A Hong Kong transferred student. He’s actually supposed to be a senior, but they decided to hold him back since there were some classes he was missing that he wouldn’t be able to finish in one year.

“Hi Youngjae,” Jackson smiled at his younger friend. Despite the fact that Jackson had only been in Korea a few months, his Korean was spot on. He’s made a few minor mistakes, which Youngjae tries to help him with (but he actually ends up teasing him instead).

“Hi Jackson hyung,” Youngjae replies and sits next to his friend.

“Did you finish the homework?” Jackson right away questions.

“Yeah and yes, you can copy,” Youngjae pulls out the homework assignment from the other day and hands it to Jackson. Jackson gleefully accepts and starts to copy down the answers before the teacher could arrive. Youngjae browses through his phone as he waits for class to start. He likes pictures on Instagram and comments on a few videos he found funny.

“Thank you so much Youngjae,” Jackson says to him as he hands Youngjae back him homework. The teacher along with a few late students arrive and he takes attendance.

“No problem hyung, anytime,” Youngjae responds. He’d help a friend out anytime.

The teacher asks for the homework and afterwards, the class begins. They’re given more homework before class is over and Jackson sighs in discontent. “I just don’t understand,” he says as they leave the room.

“I could help you if you want,” Youngjae offers. Jackson beams and grabs the younger’s arm.

“Really, you would?!” Jackson asks.

“Yeah, whenever you have time,” Youngjae replies.

“How about after school today?”

“I can’t right after school, I’ve got detention,” Youngjae explains. Jackson gasps as his eyes go wide.

“Youngjae, you have detention?!” Jackson is in total disbelief.

“Yeah, I’ve been late three times this week and they decided to give me detention this time,” Youngjae explains further.

“Oh, well then I could wait for you at the café near school if you want?” Jackson offers.

“For a whole hour, hyung?” Youngjae questions.

“Yeah, no problem.” Jackson reassures him. Youngjae agrees and then they go their separate ways for their last class of the day.

Algebra was a snoozefest which Youngjae barely managed to stay awake for. He’s pretty sure he’d be more aware in that class if Mr. Hwang wasn’t such a total bore. It was already a boring subject for most people, but adding Mr. Hwang into the mix amplified it. It’s like watching an ice cube melt, boring and uninteresting if you aren’t invested into it. If that was even possible.

Instead of walking out of school, Youngjae walked his way to Mr. Pyeon’s class. The coach/history teacher sat relaxed in his chair watching soccer clips on his phone. “You’ve arrived Mr. Choi, have a seat.”

Youngjae sat in the third desk by the door. He looked around and took notice of the other students who also had detention. Some were the real troublemakers that Youngjae never wanted to cross paths with while others looked like they were hear for a reason similar to his. The hour was spent with youngjae doodling on his notebook since his phone was confiscated when he arrived.  

As the hour was nearing almost completion, Youngjae shook his leg in earnestness. He just really wanted to leave already. After getting his phone back, Youngjae ran out of the school and to the café he promised to meet Jackson at.

He found his friend in a booth near the entrance on his phone. “I’m here hyung, finally.”

“Hey Youngjae,” Jackson greeted. The younger slumped into the seat across from his friend and breathed in and out to catch his breath.

“You should’ve taken you time Youngjae, it’s okay, I could wait,” Jackson had worry flood his eyes as he looked to his panting friend.

“No, it’s okay. I wanted to get here as quickly as possible,” Youngjae eased out. His breathing going back to normal.

“Do you want something to drink, I’ll get it for you,” Jackson made way to get up, but Youngjae stopped him.

“No hyung, I got it,” Youngjae politely declined his friend’s offer and walked to the counter. He placed his order and waited off to the side.

He was looking at a display of coffee mugs and water bottled when his name was called. He thanked the barista and took his drink. He spun abruptly and was caught off guard by someone being behind them.

It happened so suddenly, that Youngjae was too shocked to comprehend what has just occured. His drink hit the person’s chest causing it to spill all over him. Eyes wide and cup empty. Youngjae looked at the mess he’d just caused.

“I’m so sorry!” he yelled out.

A/N: I'm so excited to start this again! And hopefully I manage to stick it out. Fighting!