Chapter 7
The Blue of the Sky on Rainy Days
If Eunhyuk’s marks steadily improved in math, he was still as bad as usual in English; except for the few words that kept coming back in songs, he was a complete zero. However, a subject interested him. Their young teacher, called Eeteuk by students without he was able to explain it or understand what it meant, had chosen, after all the grammar exercises, a simple three-word title for the writing: Your best friend. Fortunately, Eunhyuk knew all these words and though he would have things to say about this subject. For once, he decided not to give blank paper, and began to write in Korean, promising himself to include a few English words when the opportunity would present itself.
"My best friend, he began to write with application while sticking his tongue out, has a big problem in his head. The first time I saw him, he got a hysteria attack, and three nurses were needed to stop him. I thought it was real bad luck to have to go and see him every Wednesday, while it’s the only day we don’t have to be bored less in classroom, looking to our watch. His clothes are absolutely horrible; he doesn’t wash his hair often and hardly speaks. But I know he’s very smart and very nice. He’s truly, sincerely, happy when he sees me arrive. I think everyone can’t say the same about those they believe are their friends. Generally, we hang out with people because we find them nice, because they look like us, and because we don’t want to stay alone. We need them to have a social life; we sketch big smiles when we greet each other, but would they really miss us if we were no longer able to see them? I know that I’m important for my best friend, that it would hurt him if I was to lose my interest for him, especially since he would not be able to understand since he’s so different. There are many things that seem obvious to me that he doesn’t understand, and I have to help him understand them so he can have a better life in the world he was born in. He also teaches me many things, such as mathematics, but also questioning myself about simple things I had not thought about."
The bell rang as Eunhyuk thought he had not written anything in order and had forgotten a lot of things, and that he'd better start over. Realizing he had forgotten to write a few words in English, he added at the end of his writing in a hurry “This is the hand”, and put his pen down, quite pleased with himself.
"My best friend, he began to write with application while sticking his tongue out, has a big problem in his head. The first time I saw him, he got a hysteria attack, and three nurses were needed to stop him. I thought it was real bad luck to have to go and see him every Wednesday, while it’s the only day we don’t have to be bored less in classroom, looking to our watch. His clothes are absolutely horrible; he doesn’t wash his hair often and hardly speaks. But I know he’s very smart and very nice. He’s truly, sincerely, happy when he sees me arrive. I think everyone can’t say the same about those they believe are their friends. Generally, we hang out with people because we find them nice, because they look like us, and because we don’t want to stay alone. We need them to have a social life; we sketch big smiles when we greet each other, but would they really miss us if we were no longer able to see them? I know that I’m important for my best friend, that it would hurt him if I was to lose my interest for him, especially since he would not be able to understand since he’s so different. There are many things that seem obvious to me that he doesn’t understand, and I have to help him understand them so he can have a better life in the world he was born in. He also teaches me many things, such as mathematics, but also questioning myself about simple things I had not thought about."
The bell rang as Eunhyuk thought he had not written anything in order and had forgotten a lot of things, and that he'd better start over. Realizing he had forgotten to write a few words in English, he added at the end of his writing in a hurry “This is the hand”, and put his pen down, quite pleased with himself.
His teacher however, when he returned his writing a few days later, was not pleased at all and merrily laughed at him:
- "What a transcendent style young man!" He laughed. "In English, why not, but no, you had to write your so-called philosophical thoughts in Korean. I can’t believe it Eunhyuk, really. Where in the world did you find a story as twisted as a hysterical attack? And details as prickly as dirty hair? Not to mention the obvious poverty of your vocabulary: how can you dare write 'to be bored less in classroom’ on your assignment? Really, I wanted to give you 1 for the ink you’re not used spending, but the last sentence in English completely finished me!"
With that, he threw an all round zero on his table. Eunhyuk nearly stood up to slap him in order to put him back in his place and teach him to be bit more respectful, but he thought that such behavior would probably give him few hours of detention, or he did not want to stupidly waste some time in school instead of going to see Donghae. He picked up his things and left without saying anything, promising inside his heart to spit on that idiot teacher when the opportunity would present itself.
- "What a transcendent style young man!" He laughed. "In English, why not, but no, you had to write your so-called philosophical thoughts in Korean. I can’t believe it Eunhyuk, really. Where in the world did you find a story as twisted as a hysterical attack? And details as prickly as dirty hair? Not to mention the obvious poverty of your vocabulary: how can you dare write 'to be bored less in classroom’ on your assignment? Really, I wanted to give you 1 for the ink you’re not used spending, but the last sentence in English completely finished me!"
With that, he threw an all round zero on his table. Eunhyuk nearly stood up to slap him in order to put him back in his place and teach him to be bit more respectful, but he thought that such behavior would probably give him few hours of detention, or he did not want to stupidly waste some time in school instead of going to see Donghae. He picked up his things and left without saying anything, promising inside his heart to spit on that idiot teacher when the opportunity would present itself.
- "Son of , I'll prepare you something quite strong…"
- "What are you mumbling about 'Nhyuk?" Heechul, who had joined him to the lockers, asked him, putting his arms around his neck, his schoolbag hanging on his shoulder.
- "That stupid Eeteuk, he gave me a zero."
- "Well, it won’t change much though? Why does this one upset you in particular? Come one, don’t sulk man, let’s go smoke somewhere ok?"
- "No sorry, I can’t, I have something to do today ..."
- "Today my . What are you up to lately? Why don’t you come over to hang out with the guys?"
- "Og come on. I hang out with you all nights, no? And don’t ask questions, I have the right to have my own life, yeah?"
- "Yeah, yeah of course, don’t take it the wrong way man! I was just wondering, you do what you want. It’s your mysterious style that chicks like after all. Okay, schuss, see you later", he said while starting to walk back with a big smile, two fingers pointed at Eunhyuk who gave him a manly nod in return.
Finally, the long awaited afternoon when Donghae was coming to his house arrived. Eunhyuk had long recommended to his mother not to talk too much and not to make big gestures. They had sent his father to the best stocked bar in the area. Eunhyuk was completely stressed out and hoped everything would go without too many problems.
- "Above everything, if you see him start to panic", he said to his mother, "you don’t move, you don’t scream, you don’t say anything, you let me do, understood?"
- "Yes, yes, understood. But I didn’t know your friend was this dangerous. I don’t really know if it was a good idea to invite him after all."
But it was too late, the doorbell had rung. Eunhyuk ran to open. It was barely seven pm, but the floor nurse of the center had insisted for her patient to be back to his usual bed time, which was half past nine.
- "Hello!" He said, singing.
Donghae stood on the landing, framed by Kaehyun and the muscular Kangin. He looked all shy and intimidated, ready to panic at the slightest shock as he felt so lost out of his familiar environment. He had styled his strand, and even a line was visible in his freshly shampooed hair. But he still wore a horrible green shirt under his brownish sweater-mat.
- "Good evening", Kaehyun said in a lively voice and with a big smile, "hello ma'am. Go ahead, go in Donghae, Eunhyuk invited you."
- "Above everything, if you see him start to panic", he said to his mother, "you don’t move, you don’t scream, you don’t say anything, you let me do, understood?"
- "Yes, yes, understood. But I didn’t know your friend was this dangerous. I don’t really know if it was a good idea to invite him after all."
But it was too late, the doorbell had rung. Eunhyuk ran to open. It was barely seven pm, but the floor nurse of the center had insisted for her patient to be back to his usual bed time, which was half past nine.
- "Hello!" He said, singing.
Donghae stood on the landing, framed by Kaehyun and the muscular Kangin. He looked all shy and intimidated, ready to panic at the slightest shock as he felt so lost out of his familiar environment. He had styled his strand, and even a line was visible in his freshly shampooed hair. But he still wore a horrible green shirt under his brownish sweater-mat.
- "Good evening", Kaehyun said in a lively voice and with a big smile, "hello ma'am. Go ahead, go in Donghae, Eunhyuk invited you."
Kangin handed a bouquet of flowers he had squashed in his fist to Eunhyuk’s mother. Not to intimidate the boy with too much ceremony, they went straight to table.
- "You're very stylish", Kaehyun said to Eunhyuk, who had put on a white shirt, while his mother was serving her a bowl of soup. "Ah, thank you ma'am, that looks delicious!"
- "Donghae got all nice too", he replied, nudging the boy who was sitting beside him, plunged into deep contemplation of his rice.
- "We didn’t need to tie him and get three of us to make him take a shower for once. He let himself do correctly, and almost didn’t scream when we rinsed his hair, right Donghae?"
- "You tie him up?" Eunhyuk asked, interrupting the path of his chopsticks halfway, feeling like a lump in his throat.
- "Excuse me; can I have some kimchi please?" Kangin asked.
- "Yes, we have to if we want to wash him", said Kaehyun.
- "But ..." Eunhyuk said in a slightly disturbed voice, failing to find something to say.
- "We do it for his sake; he might fall and get hurt otherwise. Besides, as I said, we didn’t have him put the straps today."
- "Well, it mustn’t be an easy job every day", Eunhyuk's mother hissed.
- "Mom", the latter said to shush her, throwing her a murderous look.
- "Your father isn’t there?" Kaehyun asked to change conversation, well aware that Eunhyuk seemed troubled.
- "Uh... he had a meeting at work tonight ... and well he comes back later than that usually", his mother hurried to lie while standing up to fetch the dessert in the kitchen.
A small silence took place. Kangin was looking at his messages, obviously looking forward to leave in order to do something better of his evening. Eunhyuk looked at Donghae who had not eaten much and seemed to want to disappear into his fluffy sweater.
- "I'll show you my room after."
- "Here’s the dessert!" His mother interrupted. "I’ve prepared my specialty, you'll see, it's delicious! Come on, taste it sweetie", she tried to offer Donghae.
- "Thank... thank you", the young man said as he recognized the red bean buns.
In front of the astonished eyes of the cook, Kaehyun and Kangin, he ate three of them in a row. Everything was going great so far, and Kaehyun held back Kangin by his sleeve when the two boys got up to visit Eunhyuk’s room, letting them both go upstairs.
- "Here’s the dessert!" His mother interrupted. "I’ve prepared my specialty, you'll see, it's delicious! Come on, taste it sweetie", she tried to offer Donghae.
- "Thank... thank you", the young man said as he recognized the red bean buns.
In front of the astonished eyes of the cook, Kaehyun and Kangin, he ate three of them in a row. Everything was going great so far, and Kaehyun held back Kangin by his sleeve when the two boys got up to visit Eunhyuk’s room, letting them both go upstairs.
- "Sorry, it’s a mess. I wanted to tidy up but I didn’t know where to start", Eunhyuk apologized after Donghae entered the small room with walls lined with various posters of old mangas or baseball players.
A small pile of clothes were piling up on a chair, some magazines were scattered on the floor and a vague smell of stale cigarette floated in the air.
A small pile of clothes were piling up on a chair, some magazines were scattered on the floor and a vague smell of stale cigarette floated in the air.
- "Well, it isn’t a dream place, but that’s my bedroom. Ah shoot, I didn’t even change that ugly blanket", he added as he sat on his bed to try and hide the friezes of small crocodiles that follow each other on his blanket. (Donghae, however, did not seem to formalize for such a pattern). "Come have a sit", he offered the boy who had remained at the room’s entrance, patting his mattress.
Donghae hesitated a moment before stiffly moving towards the bed, head down and shoulders oddly rose. Before sitting down, he fumbled in the pocket of his shapeless and completely washy brown pants, and pulled out a piece of paper folded in four. With shifty eyes and head tilted to the side, he handed it to Eunhyuk.
Donghae hesitated a moment before stiffly moving towards the bed, head down and shoulders oddly rose. Before sitting down, he fumbled in the pocket of his shapeless and completely washy brown pants, and pulled out a piece of paper folded in four. With shifty eyes and head tilted to the side, he handed it to Eunhyuk.
- "It’s for me?" He asked in surprise. Seeing that Donghae was nodding without daring to look at him, he unfolded the piece of paper.
Donghae had traced a rosette with a fairly simple design that he had carefully taken care of coloring with wax crayons without going over, which he had succeeded almost everywhere.
- "Oh! That’s so great!" Eunhyuk exclaimed without wanting to spare his feelings at all, as we usually do it with children not to offend them, but because he really thought sot. "I'm so glad you did this for me, Donghae! Thank you so much."
- "You… You’re welcome", the boy replied while fidgeting the carpet’s fringes with the tip of his sneakers, as a small grin appeared at the corner of his mouth.
- "Oh! That’s so great!" Eunhyuk exclaimed without wanting to spare his feelings at all, as we usually do it with children not to offend them, but because he really thought sot. "I'm so glad you did this for me, Donghae! Thank you so much."
- "You… You’re welcome", the boy replied while fidgeting the carpet’s fringes with the tip of his sneakers, as a small grin appeared at the corner of his mouth.
They both stayed here for a moment, sitting on the crocodiles’ blanket. It was the first time they were alone with no one to monitor Donghae. Beside, the latter was starting to get sleepy, his bed time was near. Seeing that he was starting to fall asleep, Eunhyuk surreptitiously moved towards him, offering him his shoulder as a pillow. Donghae put his temple there, in a position that probably was quite uncomfortable, but looked peaceful. His breathing was regular and he let his head weigh against his friend without suspicion and fear. Eunhyuk began to softly humm a song while looking at the rosette he was still holding in his hand. It was the light of the moon which was entering through the window now. They stayed like this until Kaehyun’s voice called from downstairs.
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