Chapter Twenty Eight -   New start

It was spring, the starting of my life as a second year student. I was on my way going to school with Sungjong, really elated for the first day, by the way. It was always this feeling on the first day, heart beating rapidly, both excited but scared at the same time. Would this year be a great one? Would things get tougher? I didn't know.

"Are you excited?" I asked the guy beside me. I had been chattering non stop since we left our apartment.

He chuckled and shrugged, "Well... You can say so," 

"I'm so nervous," 

"I can see that," 

Since Sungjong's confession, I couldn't help but look at him with a different eye. I mean, I tried to see him as a normal schoolmate, but I just couldn't, you know. It wasn't that I was against gay people or something. In fact, I respected them a lot, but the news that one of my closest friend was holding that title, it startled me. It wasn't creepy, no, but... How should I say this? I mean, 
I didn't expect someone I knew to be gay. I thought it only happened in movies and western countries. 

"Sunggyu said he's getting quite well with his friends there," I informed as we entered the school gate.

Sungjong smiled faintly and nodded, "That's good to hear," 

We went in the school premise and met Raina and Sora there who gladly joined us. We went up the second floor, and it was cool, really. Like finally, the second floor, which we, the first years, used to fear, was now our territory. And hey! I wasn't a junior anymore! 

We scanned through the list of names posted in front of every class. Apparently, everyone had their former classmates, so there were no changes. I went into my class and Sungjong went into his, which was located beside mines. I hadn't seen Myungsoo around, so I texted him to ask about his whereabouts and warned him that class was almost starting. 
Sungyeol was already flirting with Yuri, who was sitting behind him, when I entered my class. I, of course, had to find another seat. Well, yeah, to be honest I was kinda disappointed that Sungyeol didn't save me a seat. He did that last year. I tried to brush that feeling off, but it was just... It was just there. I mean, every time I glanced at Sungyeol and Yuri my brain would start thinking, 'That was supposed to be my place,' but then of course, how stupid I was, things changed and people changed.

I didn't know where to sit. Minjae hadn't came yet, but I wasn't sure if she would like to sit with me. So, I finally decided to sit behind Yuri. I placed my bag there, but when I was about to put my on the chair, Yuri swirled her body and turned to me, she put on a guilty smile and said, "Sorry Nara, that seat is for Minhee," 

Call me a drama queen and all, but believe me, my heart kinda sank, it was a mixture of embarrassment and sadness at the same time, and no, it wasn't pleasant.

"Oh," I gave a small chuckle, "No biggie, I'll just find another seat," 

So I stood up and decided to pick the vacant chair beside Hanseok (The stove guy, remember? No? Nevermind). He grinned at me, his eyes forming crescent moons behind his thick-rimmed specs. I sighed and said a hi to him. 

I was lonely on the first day of school. Sungyeol was busy with Yuri, Minjae was with Eunji, and Suggyu wasn't here. It felt weird, and rather pitiful. 

The first three classes before break consisted our new homeroom teacher, Mr. Choi, explaining a few ground rules and our schedules. He was a good teacher, I could see. Someone who cared for the class, unlike Mr Han, my former homeroom teacher. 

When break time finally came, I was more than relieved to meet the group as a whole. No one actually cared anymore about our seating arrangement. Sunggyu and Minjae was gone, Ailee and Dongwoo was still in a weird relationship, I didn't know. So, I sat between Myungsoo and Sungyeol. 

Woohyun and Sora were in front of me, and it was disturbing. I made an eye contact with Woohyun and it seemed like his eyes were telling me to act normal. But I was acting normal. I mean, I was trying. 

"How's your first day?" Myungsoo pulled me out of my reverie. 

I blinked and took my spoon, realizing I had been day dreaming for quite some time, "Today was..." I glanced on Sungyeol who had his eyes darting on every side of the canteen, looking for Yuri, "Your best friend didn't save me a damn seat!" I exclaimed purposely, half dissing Sungyeol. 

Sungyeol looked at me with surprise and Myungsoo laughed.

"Hey! Come on Nara," The tall male beside me whined, "I'm sorry okay?"

I rolled my eyes, mumbling a, "Yeah, whatever," 

"Looks like someone's having a bad day," Woohyun arched his eyebrows and Sora nudged his elbow.

Raina and Hoya seemed to get tanner. 

"Yeah, we had gone for community projects," Raina answered when I asked.

"Oh really? Where?" Ailee joined the discussion, although I knew she wasn't really interested in it. I thought she was just trying to distract herself from Dongwoo. 

Dongwoo, on the other hand, was chatting casually with Hoya about their holiday. I've seen they've gotten closer since the former's relationship became kinda... unstable. 

Thank God school ended soon. We just got a few introductions for our classes and it was that one particular nice day where we didn't get any homework. So, after classes had ended, Myungsoo, surprisingly, picked me up from my class. 

"Come on, we'll get some patbingsoo, I'll pay," he said with his gorgeous smile. 

"Wow, what's with the sudden treat?" I asked. I could hear Yuri's giggle as she passed by behind me, she was laughing at Sungyeol's joke. 

Myungsoo shrugged, "You seemed like you just had a bad day," 

I gave a tiny smile, "Yeah, patbingsoo seems good," 

So we went to this small stall nearby. After eating, and feeling better that was, Myungsoo took me home. 

I took off my shoes and bathed up before having a video call with Sunggyu. He was online, well, he should be. It was nine in the morning there, and as far as I knew, his classes would start at one during mondays.

"Look Nara, if you're going to play matchmaking again with Jieun it's not going to-" 

"Sunggyu, stop," I sighed. Why was he starting our conversation with this? 

"I just had a freaking bad day," I told him and ruffled my wet hair, "Sungyeol was just hitting Yuri all day long, Minjae was with Eunji and I just don't know whom should I go to," 

He kept quiet, just looking at me (or at his webcam) silently. He was wearing a white t-shirt, and at the background was a poster of Queen. 

"Since when are you a fan of Queen?" 

"That's Steven's," he shrugged, "Today huh?" 

I nodded and ran my palms down my face. 

"Maybe you just miss me," 

"Oh please, I don't," I rolled my eyes. 

"Hey Nara," he called. 

"Yeah?" 

"I miss you," 

I smiled sadly and looked away. Sunggyu missed me, and I knew I missed him. Just how much longer did I have to be alone? 

"And uh, how's Myungsoo?" He drifted the topic.

"He's great," I started, "Looking more handsome. Well, we ate patbingsoo together, it made me feel sliiightly better," 

Sunggyu scoffed, "Cool, your day isn't that bad then," 

"Stop acting so childish to him," 

"I'm not!" He retorted.

"You keep on objecting me hanging out with him," 

"I'm not, I'm just- okay, well maybe yeah I don't like it when you hang out too often with him," he finally admitted. 

"Why?" 

"Because he's that popular guy that's gonna hurt you," 

"You don't know him Sunggyu," 

"Okay, let's not talk about him,"

"Cool,"

And then we were just staring at each other. Sunggyu heaved and said, "Hey Nara, about last time when you brought Jieun, what happened?"

"She says she doesn't understand why did you do this," 

Sunggyu nodded, his eyes showing nothing. 

"How did she find out?"

I shook my head, "I have no idea, and I wasn't the one who told her that you were leaving in case you're thinking about that," 

"But Sunggyu, she deserves to know," 

"Has she been bugging you?"

"No, not really," I waved my hand in the air, "But that's not what I mean. She's your sister and I think there will be no harm in telling her,"

"And she's gonna tell my dad and I'll get killed,"

"I bet your dad knows about this already," 

Sunggyu shuddered and said, "Now that's quite... Scary," 

"Isn't it better if you just give them a call?" 

He shook his head.

I sighed, "Sunggyu, you're not that dense okay? I know you know that sooner or later you're going to face it," 

He kept quiet for a few moment before saying, "Yeah, I'll tell them," he glanced above the webcam, "I need to prepare for my classes. See you tomorrow Nara," 

"Alright. Have fun there,"

He smiled, "You too. Don't mind Sungyeol too much, his hormones are just in excitement. I'm going now, bye!" 

I waved my hand and turned the connection off. My mom would surely need to pay extra fee for my internet bills. 

I stretched my body and closed my laptop. Standing up, I went to my room and collected all of my dirty clothing. I hadn't done laundry in forever. I went down to the laundry room at the basement with my basket filled with clothes. 

I was waiting for my laundry to be done when the door opened. I looked up and saw Sungjong with an elderly woman whom I guess was his mother. He spotted me and looked a little startled. I waved my hand and smiled. He nodded once and spoke something to his mom, which resulted in her looking at me. I smiled at her and she smiled back. Then, Sungjong walked towards me and sat down on my right. 

"I don't see you here often," he said while his mother was filling a vacant washing machine with their clothes. I could see Sungjong's uniform. 

"Yeah, I usually pile up my clothes and then laundry it all over together," I shrugged. 

"Is it not hard?" He asked, "I mean, living alone,"

His mother sat beside him and I said, "It wasn't," I smiled sadly, "I used to have Sunggyu very close to me, you see. But when he left... Everything seemed to just change, and maybe yeah, I'm changing too, I feel really different," 

Yes, I did feel different. I felt like I wasn't myself anymore, and I was 
I let out a small sigh and averted my gaze to the ground, on my worn out red sneakers. Sungyeol gave it to me on my birthday last year, and it sermed that I had to buy a new one. 
I was waiting for Sungjong to say something, but he didn't. Maybe I was sad that Sunggyu left, but how about Sungjong? I always thought that I was the one who broke down the most due to Sunggyu's departure, and I didn't really think about Sungjong. 
Maybe yeah, it was weird that one of my friend was gay, like I told you before, and I just couldn't comprehend how Sungjong was feeling towards Sunggyu. Like, was it really love? Like how I liked Myungsoo? 

The washing machine beeped, alarming me that my laundry was done. I stood up, opened the washing machine and placed the pile of clothes into my basket. 
I nodded with a smile to Sungjong and his mom, "I'm leaving first," 

"Take care, Nara," Mrs. Lee spoke for the very first time to me. 

"Yeah, thanks. You too," 

I left the laundry room and went to my apartment for ironing. 

***

Woohyun had been absolutely weird lately, and I was suspecting it was because I had seen him smoking, and probably, embarassed him in frony of his 'cool' friends. So I caught up with him after lessons when he was alone. He was in the hallway when I saw him. I ran to the male who was walking alone to the parking lot. 

"Hey, Woohyun," I tapped his shoulder. 

He was aghast, "Nara?"

"Yeah, I think we need to kinda chat?" 

We isolated ourselves from the crowded corridor by walking to one end. 

"Do you want to talk to me because you saw me smoking?"

"And because you've been acting weirdly," I nodded. 

He exhaled audibly and said, "Look Nara, I have my own reasons to smoke, and I think that you don't have to know about that,"

I kept quiet. I didn't expect Woohyun to snap at me like that. 

"Just... Stay away from my problem okay?" He said, trying to be as calm as possible, and left.

I stood there. Feeling... Weird. 

Yeah, maybe I should really stay away from other's problem. 

Hello! :) 

And... happy belated birthday to KIM SUNGGYU! <3 <3 

I heard that Infinite's going to Japan to refilm their mv again >.<  But what I found cool is that all of them wore black and attached a yellow ribbon on it on their way to the airport... They were really considerate  

Anyway, thanks a lot for reading!  Please do comment! :)