Gum,
Bubblegum
Junhong kicked up his skateboard and fastened it to his bag. His school had strict rules against riding those things in the hallway and junhong was sick of being told off. He walked quickly down the hallway, towards the direction of his locker, mentally counting down to the ringing of the school bell.
"Why did they break up then?"
"Oh I heard he's boring. Didn't even wanna move past kissing."
"What the hell? Just kissing? I mean he's cute, but... Boring... Definitely not himchan's type. No wonder he-"
The chatter stopped when junhong made his way towards the locker. He held his head low, trying to avoid the whispering and the weird stares he was getting. He took out a few textbooks and half-ran towards his class. Although he felt that familiar clench in his gut, he no longer bothered crying. Not himchan's type huh...
But that was the least harsh he'd heard all week. And "boring" was just a word that stuck to him like glue.
"Urgh... How can you stand junhong? That kid's boring..."
"Well... I thought getting him into our clique would do some good... I mean... That kid's pretty darn good looking..."
"I know but his jokes aren't even funny! And the stuff he likes to do... What is this kid, like five?"
That conversation played in his head like a broken record. The school was small and junhong just had a knack of being at the wrong places at the wrong time, hearing things that he wished he'd never hear. That was about the time when junhong grew distant. Everyone just wanted to him dry anyways. Use him till there was nothing left then leave him at the sidewalks. Just like bubblegum. School became empty. All he did was to drag through the mundane lessons and go home. And as usual he had to shake the conversations out of his head.
School was a bore as usual. But studies seemed to be the only thing that he was good at. Besides skateboarding and at making friends. Most people just get bored of him or find him weird after while. As if by routine, junhong went to the old park near his school when the dismissal bell went off. No one went there save for him and the odd couple or two. And that one guy.
Junhong sees him around school. He was a year older and part of the dance crew. He generally was popular, yet he didn't seem to have many friends. He was just... Weird. Even by junhong's standards.
And there he was again. Practicing his dance on the concrete pavement. Giving a shy smile to junhong as he passed. Junhong always returned the smile, but he secretly wondered why the boy couldn't practice in the dance studio instead.
He did a few tricks on the dusty ramp before setting himself on the bench. "Hmmm... Let me clean you up, best friend..." junhong mumbled to himself as he picked at the small flakes on his skateboard. He was in his own world until a voice popped his bubble.
"H-hey... Junhong right? Would you like some... Uhm... Gum?" junhong jumped at the sudden intrusion into his silence. He looked up slightly, only to find that boy in front of him. Junhong knew his name was Jongup, but never found the occasion to use it. He was muscular, but shorter than junhong. "Uhm... No thanks... Sorry... I don't really like gum..." junhong replied as politely as he could, still skeptical as to why the weird boy approached him, beaming like it was the happiest day of his life. "Oh... Actually... I don't either... Well... I-I guess I should be going?" jongup's smile faded slightly, hand still clutching tightly to that pack of gum. Junhong nodded, watching as jongup picked his bag up and wave goodbye awkwardly at him.
Junhong left a while later only to find jongup at the bus stop talking on the phone.
"No it didn't work, youngjae hyung! No... No! I'm not an idiot! You... You made me look like an idiot..." jongup looked rather flustered.
They must've made some stupid bet regarding him. This wasn't the first time. People would make bets on who could get his number or who he'll put his trust in next. But whatever. Junhong was done with people. He'd rather be nothing to anyone than be everyone's bubblegum.
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