Chapter 15
The Blue of the Sky on Rainy Days
That morning, several days later, when his alarm clock rang, Eunhyuk woke in a jump, thinking, strange conclusion of a dream he had forgotten everything about: If Donghae puts his paw behind his ear trice, it will rain on the next day.
He rubbed his eyes with application and scratched his head, making small noises with his mouth.
- "Hey, it's only 6:30! Why did my alarm clock ring? Aaaah!" He shouted, throwing himself on his clothes as he remembered it was finally the big day and that he had to pick up Donghae at the center before going to school.
After a brief stop in the bathroom, he rushed into the street and ran like a mad man, a slice of bread stuck in between his teeth.
Kangin and Donghae were waiting for him at the reception, and they crossed the sports fields to arrive faster in high school. Kangin yawned a lot and Donghae did not look very reassured, but Eunhyuk was near him and seemed full of energy. When they arrived, it was still so early that the hallways were still deserted. Only a few students who had joined the Olympiads were waiting outside the room.
- "Everything will be okay, Donghae", Kangin told him while patting his shoulder before he left. "I'll be back at the end of the test, at 11:30 then, okay? I'll wait in front of the school; don’t wanna get stuck with all the youngsters in the hallways. Okay, see you and good luck."
Once he was gone, Eunhyuk discreetly held Donghae's fingers, smiling at him to give him courage. The young man, who had had the bad idea to put a not so discreet shirt that day, looked pretty stressed out, but his fear was different from the anxiety he often experienced, it only concerned his abilities in math, and Eunhyuk was proud of him.
- "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, you can enter the exam room", teacher Choi eventually announced, holding the envelope with the subjects in.
Donghae and Eunhyuk had not been placed next to each other to avoid cheating, but Onew nicely smiled at Donghae upon realizing he probably was the prodigy Eunhyuk had spoken so warmly about to their teacher. A subject each was distributed to them, and they began to work in silence and concentration. Eunhyuk sometimes raised his eyes from his sheet of paper to ensure that everything was going well, and stop for a while to look at Donghae, the only student who composed without a calculator, which gave him a bonus of five points in the rules , pull his tongue in front of his sheets with a satisfied air.
He rubbed his eyes with application and scratched his head, making small noises with his mouth.
- "Hey, it's only 6:30! Why did my alarm clock ring? Aaaah!" He shouted, throwing himself on his clothes as he remembered it was finally the big day and that he had to pick up Donghae at the center before going to school.
After a brief stop in the bathroom, he rushed into the street and ran like a mad man, a slice of bread stuck in between his teeth.
Kangin and Donghae were waiting for him at the reception, and they crossed the sports fields to arrive faster in high school. Kangin yawned a lot and Donghae did not look very reassured, but Eunhyuk was near him and seemed full of energy. When they arrived, it was still so early that the hallways were still deserted. Only a few students who had joined the Olympiads were waiting outside the room.
- "Everything will be okay, Donghae", Kangin told him while patting his shoulder before he left. "I'll be back at the end of the test, at 11:30 then, okay? I'll wait in front of the school; don’t wanna get stuck with all the youngsters in the hallways. Okay, see you and good luck."
Once he was gone, Eunhyuk discreetly held Donghae's fingers, smiling at him to give him courage. The young man, who had had the bad idea to put a not so discreet shirt that day, looked pretty stressed out, but his fear was different from the anxiety he often experienced, it only concerned his abilities in math, and Eunhyuk was proud of him.
- "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, you can enter the exam room", teacher Choi eventually announced, holding the envelope with the subjects in.
Donghae and Eunhyuk had not been placed next to each other to avoid cheating, but Onew nicely smiled at Donghae upon realizing he probably was the prodigy Eunhyuk had spoken so warmly about to their teacher. A subject each was distributed to them, and they began to work in silence and concentration. Eunhyuk sometimes raised his eyes from his sheet of paper to ensure that everything was going well, and stop for a while to look at Donghae, the only student who composed without a calculator, which gave him a bonus of five points in the rules , pull his tongue in front of his sheets with a satisfied air.
* * *
Outside high school, Yoo Ra was waiting for him with a big smile. She had brought Heechul with her in hope of reconciling the two boys, as well as the rest of the small group.
- "Eunhyuk! So, did you do well?"
- "Uh ... I think I didn’t fail everything", the latter answered, running his hand through his hair with a big smile, inwardly cursing the girl as he did not want the other students to see a nurse come and pick Donghae, and because Kangin was to come back in a few minutes.
- "Eunhyuk! So, did you do well?"
- "Uh ... I think I didn’t fail everything", the latter answered, running his hand through his hair with a big smile, inwardly cursing the girl as he did not want the other students to see a nurse come and pick Donghae, and because Kangin was to come back in a few minutes.
Why does she need to stick to me all the time, dammit? We’re not married... He inwardly grumbled, crossing his fingers in hope that Kangin would not arrive now.
- "Who’s he?" She asked, pointing at Donghae with her chin, realizing that the worst dressed boy she had ever seen did not seem to want and get away from her boyfriend.
- "Er... He’s my math teacher in some ways, he also came for the Olympiads...", Eunhyuk replied without wanting to say more, while the strange boy who was accompanying him moved closer to him with an anxious air
- "Ah, so there really was a fat loser in the dark, I knew this story of sudden math revelation was quite weird...", Heechul hissed, crushing his cigarette under the heel of his doc.
Eunhyuk did not reply anything, tightening his fist to avoid getting angry, not wanting to complicate matters further. If he had been able to reduce Donghae to a playmobil size and hide him in his pocket, he would probably have done with relief. But instead, Yoo Ra, wanting to smooth the atmosphere, hanged to his friend's arm, thinking she was making a great honor by overcoming her disgust. Donghae began to tremble while rolling big, round eyes.
- "Thank you for helping my oppa!" She shouted in his ear, believing that if he did not wear glasses, he should at least have hearing problems.
- "He's not deaf, talk softly", Eunhyuk, who was already imagining the moment when the young patient would panic, told her.
- "Where are we gonna eat?" Yesung asked him while grabbing his shoulder, giving Yoo Ra a free hand.
As they were starting to walk away from school and that Eunhyuk did not know how to extricate himself from this situation, throwing worried glances towards Donghae, Yoo Ra noticed a strangely familiar small object that swung to his friend’s belt. 'Damn' he thought without finding a way to get rid of Yesung to make a diversion.
- "What is it?" Yoo Ra asked, stooping to catch the small, white object between her fingers and take a closer look.
- "A ... a cloud", the young man replied, trying to hide behind his twisted strand.
It actually was half of ceramic cloud, on which was engraved that isolated syllable 'Eun'. Yoo Ra the engraving with her fingertip with a puzzled look and asked, heart pounding:
- "What's your name?"
- "Dong... Donghae..."
- "Hey, but wait", Heechul interrupted as he pushed Yesung away to be sure his say would not go unnoticed, "the shoes your loser are wearing, aren't they the ones you were supposed to bring back to the store?"
What a moron I was to bring him to school, in this den of idiots with no tact! Eunhyuk regretted, starting to positively hate Heechul and Yoo Ra.
- "Listen guys, Donghae’s tired, I'll take him home now..."
- "No, no, no, you're not gonna get away with it buddy", Heechul replied, grabbing him by his collar. "I’m fed up of your lies and hidings. Where does this clown with his brown pants come from?"
- "Damn, let me go!" Eunhyuk exclaimed as he violently pushed him away. "Don’t talk about him this way got it?"
- "Because you treat me with respect you, maybe?" Heechul immediately replied while coming back to the charge with a threatening expression. "You treat me like a friend?"
- "There’re things I’d also want to understand", intervened Yoo Ra with a frown, "I don’t really understand what your little game here is..."
- "Eunhyuk..." Donghae said in a small voice, his eyes wide with fear, pulling him by his sleeve.
- "Shut the up you retard; we’re not talking to you!" Heechul, who started to freak out, realizing that his best friend had betrayed him for such trash, shouted.
The young patient took the insult right in his face like a resounding slap and began to tremble like a leaf. Slowly, a small puddle spread under the feet of Donghae who, shivering with his head down, was trying to hide himself in the collar of his plaid shirt
- "Oh, that's disgusting, he pissed himself! Damn, what’s you retard’s age?" Heechul asked in scorn and disgust, fanning himself with his hand.
- "Dong... Donghae..."
- "Hey, but wait", Heechul interrupted as he pushed Yesung away to be sure his say would not go unnoticed, "the shoes your loser are wearing, aren't they the ones you were supposed to bring back to the store?"
What a moron I was to bring him to school, in this den of idiots with no tact! Eunhyuk regretted, starting to positively hate Heechul and Yoo Ra.
- "Listen guys, Donghae’s tired, I'll take him home now..."
- "No, no, no, you're not gonna get away with it buddy", Heechul replied, grabbing him by his collar. "I’m fed up of your lies and hidings. Where does this clown with his brown pants come from?"
- "Damn, let me go!" Eunhyuk exclaimed as he violently pushed him away. "Don’t talk about him this way got it?"
- "Because you treat me with respect you, maybe?" Heechul immediately replied while coming back to the charge with a threatening expression. "You treat me like a friend?"
- "There’re things I’d also want to understand", intervened Yoo Ra with a frown, "I don’t really understand what your little game here is..."
- "Eunhyuk..." Donghae said in a small voice, his eyes wide with fear, pulling him by his sleeve.
- "Shut the up you retard; we’re not talking to you!" Heechul, who started to freak out, realizing that his best friend had betrayed him for such trash, shouted.
The young patient took the insult right in his face like a resounding slap and began to tremble like a leaf. Slowly, a small puddle spread under the feet of Donghae who, shivering with his head down, was trying to hide himself in the collar of his plaid shirt
- "Oh, that's disgusting, he pissed himself! Damn, what’s you retard’s age?" Heechul asked in scorn and disgust, fanning himself with his hand.
It was with tears in his eyes that Eunhyuk landed him the most beautiful right hook of his whole life, and his clenched fist, in a wide and flexible path, came down in a thud on Heechul’s cheekbone. He already had a hard time standing humiliation when he was the one suffering from it, but for someone to dare mock Donghae this much had completely made him lose his cool. He wanted Heechul to swallow back his words, to make sure that Donghae would not hear it. Heechul took three steps back, groggy as much from shock as surprise. 'Ow!' He uttered while feeling his cheek, which would soon take on a bluish tint, with an air of reproach. Eunhyuk, wheezing, maintained a belligerent stance, one foot in front the other, fist still threatening, protecting Donghae with his entire body.
- "It’s not because he’s different that you can treat him this way! It’s precisely because of this that I didn’t tell you anything, and I see I was right", he spat to his buddy. "Damn, and then you come to me talking about treason. My ! Come on Donghae, let’s go."
Precisely, Kangin was arriving in the street in a white coat while enjoying a sandwich, that's purchase probably explained his lateness.
- "Listen my Donghae, I beg you, act as if everything’s fine, otherwise, he’ll questions us and we won’t be able to do anything, "Eunhyuk's said in his ear while walking towards the nurse with a fast pace, hoping with all his heart that Heechul would not try to follow him.
- "I took some for you too, he said as he handed them sandwiches, you probably need to recuperate after all this intellectual effort. Oh, Donghae, what happened? Why is your pant dirty?"
- "Ah, he didn’t dare to ask if he could go to the bathroom during the test, he really took it very seriously. There’s a good chance for him to be highly ranked."
- "Well, well, we’ll quickly go back to get you some clean clothes then, Donghae."
- "I took some for you too, he said as he handed them sandwiches, you probably need to recuperate after all this intellectual effort. Oh, Donghae, what happened? Why is your pant dirty?"
- "Ah, he didn’t dare to ask if he could go to the bathroom during the test, he really took it very seriously. There’s a good chance for him to be highly ranked."
- "Well, well, we’ll quickly go back to get you some clean clothes then, Donghae."
Eunhyuk, exhausted by so much agitation, was lying on Donghae’s hard and small bed, waiting for him to come back from the shower room. The day had really been challenging, both intellectually and emotionally, and he badly needed a little rest. And he had even got up early. Soon, Donghae came back alone in his room, taking small steps, idly, already wearing his pajamas as his other pants were not yet dry. Eunhyuk held out his arms while stretching. Shyly, and after he had pretended to look out the window, Donghae sat on the edge of the bed.
- "Well, what are you waiting for? Give me your muzzle", Eunhyuk said in a tender voice while drawing a small cloud on his back.
Donghae eventually lied beside him, rather stiff. Eunhyuk put his arm across his chest, his legs against him, the position he preferred.
- "Sorry about earlier", he said in a small sleepy voice. "Heechul was really stupid... but I won’t let anyone hurt you. You know, I don’t want to make you believe that everything’s beautiful and gentle outside, that life is a pink bubble, it's true that sometimes you get a lot in your face. But there are also good things that’d be great not to miss, and I’ll always be with you to help you; so I beg you, don’t withdraw on yourself because of today."
Donghae looked at him with his two large and well-formed eyes that looked like two lakes with clear water as their color was indescribable.
- "All these people ... they were your friends?" He ended up asking.
- "No... Let’s say it was the people I was hanging with. They're all idiots anyway."
- "I'm sorry that... you fought with them because of me", Donghae whispered in a small and contrite voice...
Eunhyuk felt what he was not saying, that is to say the shame of not having been able to control his body, and having put his friend in such an awkward posture. He pressed him against his heart, deeply breathing his hair that smelled hospital shampoo, and, surrounding his frail little body with his arms, he whispered in his ear that he did not care about others. He tangled his socks with Donghae’s bare feet and rubbed his nose against his, feeling as if invisible whiskers were tickling him.
Donghae looked at him with his two large and well-formed eyes that looked like two lakes with clear water as their color was indescribable.
- "All these people ... they were your friends?" He ended up asking.
- "No... Let’s say it was the people I was hanging with. They're all idiots anyway."
- "I'm sorry that... you fought with them because of me", Donghae whispered in a small and contrite voice...
Eunhyuk felt what he was not saying, that is to say the shame of not having been able to control his body, and having put his friend in such an awkward posture. He pressed him against his heart, deeply breathing his hair that smelled hospital shampoo, and, surrounding his frail little body with his arms, he whispered in his ear that he did not care about others. He tangled his socks with Donghae’s bare feet and rubbed his nose against his, feeling as if invisible whiskers were tickling him.
- "Never again will you have to experience something like this, I promise you", he whispered while tightening his hold.
The bed slightly creaked and he felt the boy surrender in his arms with a small grin that had blossomed on his face as he was finally felt safe. Head buried in the pillow, eyes closed and face relaxed, Eunhyuk presented him a kiss he came to lightly pick with his lips, and with which he amused himself for a moment as a young cat, taking it, then putting it back before nibbling a small part, to finally take the remaining somewhere in between the covers, capriciously pushing his friend with his paw to claim another one as a replacement of the one he had lost. Eunhyuk faked needing a bit of coaxing, as if Donghae’s teasing was disturbing his sleep, then presented him a brand new one, slightly mixed with a smile that a small pink tongue was coming to slowly lap as a few drops of milk.
***
Two floors down, outside, Heechul was prowling near the hospital.
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