So.........

I'm back people (for a while). I know I've been missing for months and this story is a little abandoned. I'm sorry. I've been busy (and kind of break down) and still busy but, I will up a chapter for you guys. For your patience and everything since I haven't update this story and you still subs this and even I got new subs (cries) thank you so much. so, this is the chapter I've been prepared for you. I'm sorry for bad choice of words or grammar this still un-edited. comment(s) are love, give me your feedback about everything. if you want to leave me love message, I would love to receive that too (and maybe that will motivated me more, idk). again, I don't know how to say this but, thank you and love you. (xoxo)

“So, today you have a practice?”

            I turn my head to the left and nod, I can see Ken chews his lunch half-heartedly.

            “Ah, I’m gonna miss you, you know. Since Hakyeon gone for a while now and you suddenly become a starter for Saturday’s game, I become a loner. Tsk!” I hide my chuckles, not want to make him upset more.

            Yeah, it’s been a week after my try-outs and Hakyeon haven’t comeback to school since then. Ken didn’t know what happened since it’s the first time Hakyeon missed school for week. Before, he just missed for a day. Three days is the longest. I am curious, is it because of me? Oh and about the try-outs. Just like what Dongwoo has said, I am gonna be fine. I unexpectedly aced the try-outs. Coach Tony was glad he found me so did Dongwoo. And just like that, I am in the team. And he choose me to be a starter for Saturday’s game versus Victory High School. It is just a sparring game but still, it is gonna be my first official game as a school team member.

            “Well, don’t mind me, Taek. I’m gonna find friends by my own. I have loads but I am not really much a social, just like you. Hakyeon makes me like this. Ah… school is really boring without his annoying chat though,” he sighs beside me. I finish my lunch and go to the sink. I can see Ken’s following me.

            “Well, it’s weird, but I miss him too.”

            “Right?” he cling his hand to my shoulder. As a taller boy, he has advantage to do that to me, and I let him be. “His phone is off. What the hell happened to this stupid Hakyeon, being MIA is not his thing. But now?”

            My mind wander. I even haven’t become really closer to him, but I feel lonely when he’s not around. I find myself keep looking at his seat beside me and the door. Hoping he will come in like the first time I saw him. But no, he never comes. Ken also kept texting him, hoping he would reply one of his texts. But he never replied them. It made Ken frustrated though. No matter how weird Hakyeon is, he said, he never cut the contact with him. But well, I guess, from what I've been observed, being mysterious is his thing. And somehow, that makes me want to know about Hakyeon more and more.

            “Anyway,” he turns to me from his seat. “When will your practice over?”

            I calculate the time. “Maybe around six. Maybe later than that. Why?”

            “Hmm, nope.” He turns back and I just shrug my shoulder. But then he turns around again. “Let’s go to Hakyeon’s tonight. Maybe we’ll find him there. Why am I so late to come to this idea?”

            “His house? You know?” I ask curiously. Why I never thought to ask Ken about where Hakyeon’s live before.

            “Kinda. I know he lives at the hill—,”

            “Wait!” I cut him. “The hill? Up there? It’s where I live.”

            Ken's eyes grow wider after hearing where do I live. “Great then. We will come to yours before we go to his. How about that?”

            Well, that’s not a bad idea. I nod and he grins, satisfaction on his face. “I don’t really know which one is his house. But we’ll find out. There’s no many people live there since the cost is so high and well, it surrounded by forrest. ”

            “Well, despite the price, the scene is awesome, though,” I say softly.

            “Undoubtedly, I agree. But still, it’s spooky. Don’t you think?”

            I shake my head and see him pouts. I know he is a scaredy-cat, he kind of told me before. But not as scaredy-cat as Hakyeon, he said. Hakyeon is beyond cowards, Ken’s said.

            “Whatever. And maybe we can try to ask to administration office about his address anyway. If they policy allow us to, though.” He nods few times like he is agree on his own idea. Weird, but I admit that idea is not bad. “So, I’m gonna wait you practice then. Maybe I can talk with Dongwoo and Woohyun and Hoya. They are in the team also, right?”

            I nod. He then turn around and stay on his seat. Meanwhile my mind wandering about the last convo between Hakyeon and I. Right before he left me alone in the canteen. He was asking about where I live. And now I know he lives near mine. What a coincidence. Or not at all.

*

            “So, you’re gonna go to Hakyeon’s?” I hear Woohyun’s voice who is talking with Ken while I just ended my last lap.

            “Yeah. Don’t you think he is missing for a longest time now? A week. It’s weird,” Ken says. I walk to them to join the conversation.

            “Well, it is weird. I know Hakyeon loves to ditch school but not for this long,” Hoya’s voice join in while he wipes his face with towel.

            “Shindong Hyung is worry too, you know. He asked me before about Hakyeon’s whereabout. They gonna enter the competition next month and Hakyeon is their ace dancer.” Dongwoo says. I just standing there while they’re keep talking about Hakyeon.

            Since I become the starter of the soccer team, I have more friends. Woohyun and Hoya are Dongwoo’s classmates and Ken’s former classmates. So, I kind of join their inner circle now. And Hakyeon is also in it. Also, Woohyun and Hoya are the dance team member so it explains why this circle is exist.

            Well, actually, based on Ken’s story before, Hakyeon is the one who bring them over to be in a circle. He was a new guy just like me when they were a freshmen. He transferred from Busan, I guess. So it explains his dialect too.

            “….. right Taek?”

            I jump and look at the four. They look at me asking my respond. But I don’t know what did Ken ask me.

            “Err, what did you ask?” I ask to Ken, to repeat his question.

            “The last person he talked to. It’s you, isn’t it?” he repeats.

            “Ah, yeah. Why?” I take my towel and wipe away the sweat that running from my face to my neck.

            “What did he say that time?” Hoya asks this time.

            I tell them what our conversation about. There’s nothing I can hide so I just tell them all. And then there is silence until we can hear Coach Tony yelling to us to gather before dismiss. We leave Ken at the bench and run to the field and gather with the other member. After some speech about strategy and all about the game this Saturday, he dismiss us all.

            “By the way, I couldn't get his address from administration office. I was scolded for asking. Tsk, so shame. We should try to find his address by ourselves then. So, off we go?” Ken walks to us, bring his and my bag on his shoulder.

            “It's okay. I don't expect you to get that anyway. Let’s go,” I mumble, take my bag from his shoulder and put it on my back. I can see Ken's pouting after he heard that I wasn't expecting a success for get Hakyeon's address. But that pout gone when Dongwoo taps his shoulder.

            “If you found him, punch his shoulder for me. Tell him it’s from Shindong Hyung,” Dongwoo lets a little laugh escape from his mouth. Ken grins and high-fived him. Woohyun and Hoya just shrug their shoulders and say their goodbyes. Not long, Dongwoo leave too.

            We walk to the parking lot. The parking lot is on the side of the school. Ken talks about everything he can. Finally we reach the parking lot where we parked our bike. While we unlock our lock, Ken’s phone rang.

            “Hello?” he picks up without even read the caller’s ID. “WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?! DON’T YOU KNOW WE MISS YOU?”

            I cringe when he yell at his phone. Who the hell is calling?

            “Well, we’re about to visit your home. Eh? You’re not home? Where are you?” I figure it’s Hakyeon who’s calling. I sharpen my ear to catch their conversation, but failed. “Yeah. Okay. I see you tomorrow.”

            “Hakyeon?”

            “Yeaps. And he’s not home. And he said he is going to come to school tomorrow. So, let’s go home. We need our energy to spat him and yell at him tomorrow,” he said. I chuckled. “Bye, Taek. See you tomorrow.”

            I wave at him who went to the other side. I kind of disappointed though. I am expecting to see where he lived. But then again, what is the point going there if the person we want to see is not there?

            Hakyeon is a mystery, like I've been thinking before. Now I know. Even his old friends thought so. He is like an open book but not his mind. He keep it for himself, that’s what Woohyun said. I feel my curiousity get bigger and bigger. No matter how close they are, Hakyeon’s mind is the secret he would never tell. His mood is for other people to know. But he is so smart to hide what he really feels. Well, I can see that before. When he look uncomfortable with me but then getting closer to me on the same day.

            “I’m home,” I park my bike and close the door behind me.

            “You’re late,” I hear mom’s voice from dinning room.

            “Yeah, practice getting longer,” I take off my shoes and socks before joining my family to the dinning room.

            I see my dad already sit in the table with all my family but me. I sit across the table right in front of dad. Mom is on the left and my youngest big sister is on the right. Dad put his newspaper on his lap and ready to eat dinner.

            “How’s school?” he asks. His eyes on mine while mom put the rice in front of him.

           “Good. I adapted well.” He smiles. I can see relief in his face. Maybe about me finally being a social person.

            The dinner is going well. I am still being my quiet self but I talk more than ever. My family look grateful with the new me. I am too actually. To be who I am now is more than what I ever dream of. But I can’t just talk much, step by step. Baby step, mom said. Maybe later, I will be like Ken. But just imagine that, I am suddenly scared.

*

            “Good morning,” I greet Ken who sit on my seat this morning. He looks somewhat troubled and I hope it's not about me or Hakyeon or about anything in particular. His mind is weird. Well, he is weird. I think I've said that before.

            “I just thinking. We need to find a nickname for you, Taek,” Ken says when I just sit on my seat. I look at him oddly. Why all of the sudden…

            “What do you mean I need a nickname for?” I ask as I put out my homework on the table.

            “Just a thought. You are going to be a famous soccer player. With all the good look and skill, I can guarantee that. That’s why I think you need one. Like me,” he pats his chest. I snort. Pout, he sat on Hakyeon’s seat. “Is it weird? To have a nickname? Or popular name?”

            “No. It’s good for you. But I guess not for me, Ken. Just let it be,” I pay attention on my unsolved question for math’s homework. These two question was hell hard.

            “You can use this formula for those questions,” a voice I haven’t heard for almost two weeks says and I can see a tanned finger point a formula from the book. Ken and I look up and find a grinned face in front of us. What the hell, he is really back.

            “CHA NNNNNNNN!” Ken yells out his lungs. “You bastard. Where the hell have you been, huh?”

            “Away,” he say still grinning at us. Ken locks his head with his right arm and smack his head. Hakyeon just laughed whole-heartedly. I never saw this situation, maybe because I never saw their interaction before. I remembered Ken told me, on the day I moved to his class, he was slept. And he hid behind the book. Old trick but sometimes it works. That's why. And now, I finally can see them act like a couple of idiots. But in my heart, I feel a warm feeling growing. Maybe this is how it feels to have friends who accept us for who we are. I hope so.

            “Away, my . You were missing! You never left school for this long. Are you insane?” Ken sits at Hakyeon’s table and let Hakyeon sits on his seat, chuckles.

            “Hahaha… sorry for made you worry. I have some problems… back then. But it’s… solved now.” He smiles. “Owh, you worried? Really? How nice of you Jaehwan…”

            “Don’t call me Jaehwan, N. I’ve told you,” Ken hisses.

            “Then don’t call me N unless I’m on stage,” he says as he turn to me. Expression changed suddenly. He look… sad? “Hey, Taekwoon. I’m sorry I’ve left you the….. Other day. I don’t mean to. But I have to.”

            I search his eyes, but he looks away. It’s so obvious that he avoids my eyes. It makes me pissed. “You don’t have to apologize. You have no need to do it. Don’t mind.”

            Back to the unsolved question, I avoid Hakyeon’s pleading eyes. He finally looks at me. But I have nothing to say anymore. I feel like a fool.

            “I am still insist to apologize. Please?” he pleads. I sigh and drop my pen. Thank god, finally I could solve the problems. I put away my homework and back to Hakyeon. He is now looking at my eyes. I can see his regrets, honesty and… I don’t know what else. I don’t want to forgive him that easily. Not that he did something too bad for me but I felt ignored. Ignored by him right after he offered his friendship to me.

            “Forgiven. But not forgotten.” I finally say. He still looks a bit sad, and I feel a bit bad for it, but then a small smile appear.

            “Well, I was jerk last time. Left you alone right after you opened up to me about yourself. Sorry,” I nod and he smiles wider. “By the way, which club did you join in the end?”

            “He is now a winger for the soccer team. Can you believe that?” Ken answers that question for me. I can see amusement in Hakyeon’s eyes and he smiles ear to ear.

            “You listened to my advice?” I look away, avoided his eyes. , I am embarassed. “Then you’ve met Dongwoo, Howon and Woohyun?”

            “Howon?” who is he?

            “It’s Hoya’s real name,” Ken rolls his eyes to Hakyeon. “He tends to call others with their real name eventhough we already give him our nicknames to call us with. Annoying.”

            “Hey, that was name that your parents pick for you. You HAVE to treasure that. Why pick another name for your name? Right, Taek? It's ridiculous. Please do not accept the nickname they give to you later. Woohyun and Dongwoo are fine without them though,” he says.

            “YAH! What's that supposed to mean? You also have a stage name. So what the different with me and Hoya?”

            “Well I don't use it daily, you silly. While you and Howon make people to call you with that, I don't. THAT's the different.”

            “UGH. Whatever, Hakyeon, whatever. But still. CALL ME KEN!!”

            Hakyeon just laughs at Ken who still pissed about his MIA status plus about the nickname he rejects to use. But as I’ve been told before, his mind is just for him, not for share. He tell us the story about the past week. But none of them was what is in his mind. I can feel the real story was remain untold. But, being nosy is not me, so I stay shut.

            After a lot of chats and all, the bell rang and teacher came, the chat was over. At least for a while.

*