- an essay by PCY -

It’s been a little over two weeks since the boys met up for the weekend. Kyungsoo’s currently sitting in his last art history lecture of the day, subject: the early 21^st-century movement. While he’s trying his hardest to jot down the given information in the most eligible way possible and trying to listen to his professor, who’s switching between the slides at an outrageous speed, his phone buzzes. To his dismay, the phone had direct contact with his glass bottle, giving away a rather loud and unpleasant noise exactly at that moment he decided to be silent. He just wished that the ground would open up beneath him and swallow him and his whole existence into the depths of hell.

Sliding deeper into his uncomfortable seat, he hid his face in his hands. Even though he sat in one of the few last rows in the lecture hall, he knew that everyone, professor included, was gaping into his direction. Fortunately, his lecturer decided to wrap up the presentation.

Kyungsoo clenched his jaw and glared at his phone after he slid it away from his bottle. He had an inkling of who texted him. A few more minutes and the lecture would be over. Chanyeol was about to die a rather painful death.

He stayed seated while the students were clearing out of the hall, he was finished for the day, meaning he wasn’t in a rush. Unlocking his phone, a selca of him and Chanyeol was displayed as a background. They took it when they met up and Chanyeol insisted on choosing it as background for both of them.

1 new message(s) (03:33 pm)

Soo, im bored
	Wanna die?
Soo! You’re alive!
	Park Chanyeol!
	Do you have any idea to what kind of humiliation you exposed me too?
the glass bottle thingy again?

 

Kyungsoo cussed under his breath. Chanyeol was right, it did happen a few times already, but in Kyungsoo’s defence, it always happened when Chanyeol decided to contact him.

 

	I repeat my question. Wanna die?!
loaf chu :*
	read 03:58

 

Kyungsoo gathered his belongings, slid his phone into his pocket, but not before connecting his headphones to it and choosing some mellow tunes.

At the bus station, he rechecked his phone: 04:13 pm. The next bus was scheduled to arrive within the next three minutes. He fumbled with his lighter while glaring around. He didn’t forget his glasses, but he decided to not wear them right now. His phone buzzed, and the boy made a mental note to turn the vibration off.

1 new message(s)

Soo?

The bus arrived, as usual, every available seat was taken, and it was quite crowded. He stood next to the doors and started typing his answer.

 

	What is it?
i was wondering, uh, well, what aer you reading at the moment?
*are
	Assignment again?
Yes and we have to writ a review about a novel as per usual, but I don’t kwn what to write about
	Channie, what’s up with your grammar/punctuation/orthography these days?
	To answer your question “The Summoning of Everyman”.
thats a play, not a novel
wait
what?
you’re reading that? seriously?
crazy much?
just lazy
	No, a contemporary English version.
Ahh, I was shook to the core
hey, look what i found
that’s hilarious!!
	…
	Do you still want my recommendation?
pretty please~
	H. P. Lovecraft?

Chanyeol had sent him a screenshot of a tweet where someone wrote the past tense of William Shakespeare as William ShookethSpeared. Very tragic.

He left the bus at his destination and lit a cigarette. Inhaling deeply, he stood motionless on the bus platform, enjoying the upcoming breeze that entailed a scent of rain.

“I should open the windows, so it’ll cool down a bit," he mumbled to himself and set his body in motion. He looked from time to time in the sky, observing the rapid movement of the upcoming rain clouds. The different nuances of grey have always been oddly mesmerizing to him.

He reached the dorm, jingling with his keys in one hand and, the sight towards the ground, he almost crashed into one of his flatmates. After apologising and greetings afterwards, he continued his way.

In the living room, he flopped down face first onto the couch, after discarding his bag on the coffee table. He sighed into the cushion and snuggled deeper into it, hiding his face between the cushion and the backrest in the process. He wiggled on his back and retrieved his phone from his pocket, unplugging the headphones.

3 new message(s)

Lovecraft?
the idea is magnificent!
I still have your hardcover edition of Mountains Of Madness
sent 04:37
	It’s in your possession?
YEs
whoopsy daisy
sorry mate ;)
	read 04:53
Soo?
babe?
Kyungsoo?!
	read 05:08
uh…
	PARK ING CHANYEOL!! I ING KILL YOU! I SWEAR TO GOD!

After giving Chanyeol a throughout chew out on the phone, which almost resulted in a near-death experience on Chanyeol’s behalf, because he underestimated the wrath of a very angry Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo was on the verge of purchasing a ticket to his best friend's place to mince the giant alive. He may be an art major, but he cherishes his books like life itself.

In the meantime, said male finished his protocol for the lecture. Because the fact is, the earlier he finishes it, the earlier he could enjoy his evening. No forced socialising - Chanyeol left out -, no human contact, just content loneliness.

And again, as if on cue, his phone buzzes. His eye-rolling was clearly audible, instead of visible, even behind closed eyes.

Unfortunately, one of his other flatmates was the victim of Kyungsoo’s scornful snorting. After he digested the initial shock, he didn’t see Kyungsoo and the couch from his angle, Keegan sat down on the armrest and observed the whining boy with widened eyes and furrowed brows.

“Dude, everything’s ‘kay?” he asked genuinely concerned, “Chanyeol?”
Propping up his head and another round of eye-rolling, Kyungsoo confirmed Keegan’s assumption. Softly chuckling, he patted Kyungsoo’s shin before getting up. With half-lidded eyes, the slightly frustrated male followed his flatmate’s movements who left the shared dorm with a small wave and a reminder that there were leftovers in the fridge.

1 new message(s)

His personality is brighter than a full moon on a fair and luminous summer’s night, shrouding everything in a magical glow with the reflected sunlight, while a gentle breeze rustles through the trees, leaving a tranquil shudder of goosebumps upon one’s skin, like a lover’s touch.
sent 07:14
	Heartbroken, much? Or are you the reincarnation of ia Wolff?
ever heard about literary freedom?
heartbroken hits the nail on the head
Soo, babe… you’rw the one who broke my heart
*ugly sobbing*
	Should I break your heart twice in a row?
heartless bastard
stop smirking, before i wipe that smug grin off your face, Soo!
	Love you.

Kyungsoo erupted into a burst of honest laughter, his best friend just proved that they knew each other exceedingly well. Sliding first from the couch on the carpet in an attempt to get up, Kyungsoo managed to get up at last. Occupying the balcony and with a dangling, a lit cigarette already between his lips, he answered Chanyeol.

 

	Channie, did you read too much romantic poetry again?
Courtesy of my lit prof, im attending a lecture bout the 18th century romanticism movement and I try to apologise by praising your beauty and confessing my laof to you simultaneously
	You always tell me that you love me...that’s nothing new.
\typing\
	One of my academic papers discusses romanticism.
you never tell me you love me back :(
	No, I won’t help you, there’s a subtle difference between art and literature.
	Wrong, I do tell you that.
lit is art too :(
	Stop pouting.

Kyungsoo chuckles lightly, but due to a moment of carelessness, some smoke got into his eye. Blinking the uncomfortable feeling away in a succession of rapid eye movements, he rubbed the back of his hand over that eye. “Damned smoke, should have worn the damn glasses," he cussed to himself and put the cigarette out. Right on time, someone might say. The first drop of rain collided with the tip of his nose.

2 new message(s)

The attached image showed Chanyeol miserably pouting and obviously trying to be the overgrown puppy he already was.

 

bae?
	Channie?

«Incoming Call: »
Accept Decline
[✓]        ✕