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H O U R  1 6

 

 

 

 

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 Jung Taekwoon.

 

"He has no mom and dad-"

Stop it.

"He can't be friend with us cause he has no parent-"

I said stop it.

"He's a freak with a lion eyes-"

No..

"I heard his two older sisters ran away from their house with their boyfriends a month after both of their parent were put in jail. Only the oldest sister is still with him to take care of him, what a poor child-"

"Hush! It were suppose to be our big secret to keep from public Mrs. Oh!"

Even the teachers are gossiping me...

Stop it....

Why did I keep hearing these voices all over my head.. Why did they keep talking about me.. Don't they ever feel guilty doing these sinful things just right in front of me? I don't want to hear this thing.. Cut it out...

"He's a freak"

"Creepy"

"Weird"

I said st-

"Hey! Leave him alone!"

The entire class went silence as a new voice boomed into the classroom. All of us were looking for the person who shouted in all of sudden.

"I said leave him alone!" He repeated.

The boy then looked at me and waved his hand cheerfully with those idiotic smile on his full lips, slowly walking towards me as he sat on a desk next to mine ignoring every eyes on him.

"How's the holiday!?"

Jaehwan?

"Oh before I forgot... Congratulation!" He do a (again) cheerful gesture along with his 'congrats' to I think that's for me, I stared at him confusedly; why?

"Congratulation for upgrading from an elementary school to a high school student!" He do the same gesture again.

Wow. He's weird, loud, and embarrassing me. What's wrong with him? I rolled my eyes in irritated receiving a quite giggle from the latter.

"Thanks.." He replied with a pleasure quite immediately which I tried to ignore him after that. 

It was a class time and everyone had their attention on the lecturing in front of the class, but I'm not so into the subject. So I've been decided to stare at the outside of a window admiring a beautiful autumn panorama, maybe that would be a great way to finish those two hours of boring class. Who knows...

Then, there's something disturbing me from my plan. I slowly twist my head to the one who poked my side lightly only to see that Lee Jaehwan guy was whispering at me.

"Hey, are you still sad?"

Oh, it was Jaehwan no other else. A friend of mine since kindergarten, also the only person who had those courage to talk with someone like me and the one who simply shook every rumors or truths off easily when someone tried to drag him away from his daily 'schedules'; which is tried to make me talk and make a looonnnggg fun conversation.

I put my index finger onto my lips.

"Keep quite. Teacher's ahead."

"But they bad talking about you before the class started."

"As if I don't experience them back then.." I rolled my eyes.

"But still that's way too rude, you know that dude."

"Why are you so defensive over me? Just watch your own back."

"What's the use of a friend then?"

One of my eyebrows rose itself automatically.

Jaehwan snickered. "Don't tell me you still think I'm a stranger after we're being friend for eight years!?"

A rolling eyes is the only way to answer him and as well grew him irritating pout. Sighed. "I'm fine. Don't worry too much about me."

"You sure?"

"Of course."

He crooked his eyes thin. "If I find out you're crying at a back of your house you're dead meat, Taekwoon-ah."

"The two of you at the back, could you please stand up."

. She aimed at us.
I shot a dead glare at the latter beside me who silently giggle with a nodded followed with both of us slowly rose on our feet, gaining everyone's attention. Urgh, this is so embarrassing. On a first day as high school student and we're already being punished in class.

"That's what you get when you talking in class." Mrs. Oh then resume her boring lecturing again.

"If you make me pissed off you're a dead meat, Jaehwan-ah. And unfortunately you are a dead meat right now."

"Ups. Sorrey."

 

 

 

 

 

[ Friday ; 12:13AM ; 16:13:01 ]

 

 

"Hey don't you think Hongbin was quite suspicious too?" Said Jaehwan in out of blue.

I'm sorry. What was that?

Jaehwan stop his track.

"I mean he just too quite for all the time and suddenly he stabbed Hakyeon's tight with no reason up there. Don't you think he just weird as Hakyeon either?"

Well, maybe he just couldn't accept things happens to him still and tried to collect pieces of puzzle of his senses to the current situation. Although I don't get it why does he have to do that one. I hand language him with a shrug escaped me.

And he's muted. Can't you remember? I continued as I told him.

Tons of invincible brick hit his head as soon as he pictured Hongbin's condition, he snapped his forehead in embarrassed. He just nodded and continue to walk.

He then clicking his tongue no longer as if he still wasn't satisfy with the thoughtful of his, he stopped and stared at me again.

"But he stabbed Hakyeon unnecessarily..."

 

I stopped too. 

He's got another point.

 

Bringing my thumb to massage my chin, I tried to rethink the reason why did that flawless boy acted like that. Jaehwan was right. There was no reason for it.

We'll try to find him and ask him later. He nodded again as he received my message.

We keep moving forward climb down the staircase to the storey where I leaved Mr. Wu a while ago, it was quite and chilling breeze hit my skin ever slightly. 

"So freaking cold..." Jaehwan shivered.

I know, this blazers were already no use when it reached midnight. It was 12AM and minutes past, if we're at home right now I bet that none of us would be walking around at this hour like we currently did.

"And dark.." He ended with a sneeze.

Hush, you prick. People might hear you, I stared at him.

"Ups. Sorry.."

 

'Clang!'

 

We both stiffen ourselves in quite unison.

What the hell was that?

 

Jaehwan looked at me and I looked at him with a same gaze.

Should we go there? 

Jaehwan doesn't know how to react but proceed to take a step forward anyway.

Then we heard a terror screamed from the cafeteria.

We stopped again.

 

Wait...
That's....

"Wonshik.." Jaehwan breathlessly mumbled.

Without any hesitation we both ran towards the large dinning room few rooms from where we at looking for a person who just screamed no longer ago.

"Wonshik!? Wonshik!? Where are you!" Yelled Jaehwan.

There I saw him in a middle of a wide space of the cafeteria with someone by his side who looked as stiff as a pillar.

"M-Mr. Wu!?" 

The old man turn around with round eyes.

"L-Lee Jaehwan.. Jung Taekwoon.. Yah, what is happening with this school..?" I can hear that he stutter so much. We ignore his represent as we bumped him over to sit right next to Wonshik's bleeding body.

"Oh my gosh, what was happening to him!?" 

"H-he... And Lee Minhyuk fought and was stabbed by a knife on his chest..."

I stared at a boy below us tried so hard to calm his breathe to a normal form, but knowing that his effort was in vain as I saw he clenched his eyes and gritted his teeth tightly. How the hell does this happened to him!? That ing Lee Minhyuk. At first you killed our friend Sanghyuk and now you attempt on him too!? What a ing psychopath!

"I-it's okay, we'll figure it out how to stop the bleeding..." Jaehwan roamed his eyes to the wounded area with round eyes.

I raised my gaze on him with 'how', he just kept staring at a bleeding wound in clueless. Or more correctly; he's fully out of clue. 

Oh wait.

To the nurse office.

I pulled his shirt sleeve telling him to lift him up on our shoulders, he nodded as he seems to know my hidden message when I rapidly fast walking to the room where all a first aid kit tools we needed is there.

I don't give a damn whether Mr. Wu was following us behind or wasn't. He can save his on his own, right? Pfft. Almighty Mr. Wu my .

We bumped into the nurse office set Wonshik down on a patient mattress, he hissed in pain but we could do nothing about that. Jaehwan immediately went to the boxes of a medical equipment carbinets searching or the liquids that worked to stop the bleeding faster. Bandages, tapes, and whatsoever I don't know what it called was taken out by Jaehwan as he set them on a table next to Wonshik.

"Okay, this might hurt a bit."

He shove a cloth into Wonshik's mouth without warning before he pour the liquid onto the wounded area unhesitant, the way Wonshik clenched his eyes along with his teeth bit tight on a cloth to prevent him from a terrified scream (if he tried which he is) prove that the pain he currently had was unbearable that he couldn't even scream, excepted for the silent groan left from his shut mouth. Jaehwan is still angry at Wonshik, I know it. But I tried to ignore it anyway. Jaehwan then told me to hold the bleeding firmly with a towel onto the place he just killed and wiped the bacterias a while ago, I just complied it quickly like nurses in hospital would do, my eyes were always on him so I wouldn't miss any signals from the latter.

"Lift him up quickly."

I put both hands under the thug's armpits lifting him up on his hips so Jaehwan could wrap the bandage around the wounded area. It eventually stop, but I could sense that the boy was still out of his vision. Well, he just fainted.

"With this deep injury, he won't last long without a proper treatment.."

Jaehwan's sudden statement gained me a round eyes stare at him, his blankness confirmed everything when his usual humorous face was not even to be seen at this rate.

 

I-Is he going to die just like that?

 

Jaehwan took a deep breath and sighed.

 

Then a door slid open in a middle of a silence.

"Tell me, what the hell is going on in this building? Why even Jaehwan and Wonshik are here? Why Lee Minhyuk was here and why does Wonshik suddenly appeared and cut Minhyuk on his neck with a carving tool when we're just came into a cafeteria and why does Minhyuk stabbed him on a chest? Why does this school went dark? Where's the generator? Where's the security guard? Where's the-"

"Calm down, Mr. Wu. Let me expla-"

"Just how the hell am I suppose to calm down!? Kim Wonshik was just about to die right in front of me!" Roared the old man had muted the two of us rather immediately, I could see that the latter beside me jumped a bit when a loud voice echoed the small room from the corner of my eyes. 
 

Okay.

Discipline teacher just got mad.

At that time, it was us who got ourselves into a tense 'question and answer' session by that older man.

 

Great.

 

That just ing great.

 

 

"You have got to be kidding me.."

"Well, you asked. Then I answered. That's it. You have to believe us."

"You two must play some kind of stupid joke right now. I knew it."

Damn it, do our faces looked similar as funny clowns telling a funny story? No old brat, we aren't!

"I know that I like to tell jokes in school but not on this kind of situation!"

I nodded at my best friend.

Mr. Wu snickered in disbelief.

"What an imaginary kids.."

Ohhhhh I can't take it anymore! You don't  want to believe it? Fine! This is the last time I see you around mister! I hold Jaehwan wrist as I drag him to the slide door so we can leave him all alone (with Wonshik) behind. I heard Jaehwan muttered 'where are we going' and 'are we going to leave Wonshik just like that' behind me. I mean, hey! You just saids that we could do nothing much and he's gonna die anyway, so what's the point of sticking around with him any longer?

I don't know why. But in this very night, every unexpected thing happens to us.

Like... We were brought back to school at night; three of us we're put to shut their mouth; Wonshik saw a guy was chopping things at a back of a cafeteria's kitchen; I saw a guy with those creepy grin right below where we stood at an emergency staircase; realizing that we're separated right when I woke up from my short 'sleep' at a rooftop; Jaehwan and I met with an unbearable sight which is Sanghyuk's eyes were.... You know what it is; then we bumped with Hakyeon; and I met Mr. Wu at a school office along with that Lee Minhyuk guy which that I really don't expect that to happen; and found out that Lee Minhyuk guy either was the psychopath that do all these s to us which I don't expect that one too!: Later when I came back to the classroom I left my friends and Hakyeon I found a crying Jaehwan and a limped and already cold Sanghyuk on the latter's lap; A-and an injured Wonshik...

 

And this time?

 

We met with Hongbin right when I slid the door open.

 

"Oh my god you startled me!" Jaehwan rubbed his chest in round motion calming himself down.

We could see that below of his eyes there were dried tears painted on his cheeks all over to his chin; he was scared going through all of these alone, I guess.

"Where have you been man!? You scare a all of us when you leaved the rooftop all of sudden that time!" Hissed Jaehwan worriedly.

Hongbin ignored the boy behind me as his eyes gave me a message as he keep staring at me. Just maybe I can understand it, just maybe. Well, I think I did.

I gave him some space so he can enter the small room.

Okay, minus Sanghyuk and Hakyeon everyone has gathered here.

I tried to look over Mr. Wu for his reaction, as I thought he was absolutely speechless. His mouth was hung open wide enough for bunch of flies flew into the cave of his throat, I bet he acted like that because of Hongbin's condition or more correctly: his fugly sewed mouth.

"You still don't want to believe us, Mr. Wu?" There was a hint of annoyance in Jaehwan's tone.

That was a first time I saw his ego drifted far away from his usual face. If it's not because of this disaster, I would have laugh at him for all day pointing my fingers to his priceless expression.

 

If it was a fine night.

 

 

 

"We have to call the cops." Stated the older man in hurry just right after he witnessed Sanghyuk's body in one classroom where we had stopped for a while ago. Why are we here? Easy. Mr. Wu simply did not satisfied with our small evidence, so we had to show a bigger one which is right before our eyes right now.

"But we don't have cellphones! Someone took them away before we awaken!" Whined Jaehwan at a back, I saw Hongbin's face was panicked as well behind him.

I blinked my eyes as a new word came into my brain system.

Cellphone?

Just wait a second.. Mr. Wu.. Cellphone. He has it! My hand immediately pointed at the older's trouser pocket.

"Oh yea. Don't worry I have it. Just let me.... What the- No no no... The signal! !"

.....

Wow.. Mr. Wu just swore in front of his students.

"W-what are we going to do then?"

"We break the glass window." Mr. Wu took the nearest chair as he swung it to the glass. It broke, Mr. Wu took a glance to the surrounding ouside through a hole he made a while, he pull his head back inside as his eyes scanned for us. "We're one floor from the ground, but I think it's safe to jump from here. Just target on a bush so it would hurt less and safer. Come on kids, get out through here."

 

Ton of invincible bricks hit my head rapidly.

Why aren't we think like that sooner?

 

"What are you waiting for? Hurry!" Mr. Wu urged, Hongbin was a first person who climb out through a shattered glass.

"You okay, Hongbin!?"I heard the older man yelled and nodded sooner. The older do a hand gesture for us to follow the latter's lead.

"You first. I'll follow behind." Said Jaehwan.

I pushed him towards a broken window. 

"Hey what the hell!?" 

'Go first, I'll come right after.' Mouth me at him. He wanted to argue but nodded anyway. He knows that there were no use on fighting me back, he jumped out after sending me a 'you better be' glare, Mr. Wu whistled me in a middle of my daydream. "Are you coming or not?" hissed the older man.

I looked at the boy who lied limply on a bed, then at the older man in front of me. What about him? We can't just leave him here. Or throw him out just like that with his deep injury.

.....

Pfft.

I just said to leave him behide a while ago and now I had an intention to save him? What the hell is wrong with me, really? Aren't I that hypocrite?

 

"I'll carry him. You go first."

I shook my head furiously.

Ohho ho. What the is wrong with my body? Why can't I take every of my unspoken words I've said earlier? I don't give a damn to him but I still, actually, care about him?  . Where's my old ignorance attitude go?

He groaned with a rolling eyes, walking pass me as he told the rest outside to call for helps. "You, come follow me tight." I picked up some good things, went to the broken window to hand language to Jaehwan that I'll use another passage and one last scan before leaving a room.

 

 

 

 

 

"This kid is pretty heavy for a boney figure.." Muttered Mr. Wu quietly, I snorted inaudible for the older to hear. They both looked pitiful. I rolled my eyes as I continually follow the discipline teacher with his lead. We're currently at a ground floor, a story of teacher offices; cafeteria; nurse office and a gymnasium. Wait, a gymnasium?

 

"Hmmm......" The limped boy on Mr. Wu's back groaned weakly. 

"Oh, you're awake Kim Wonshik? That was very soon."

"The is happenin- OWW-!" I slapped his mouth shut in rapid pace, quiet. 'Just keep quiet will you?' He nodded and I let go of his ugly mouth. 

"W-why am I on this dude's back.....Mr. Wu's back? Yucks.." Wonshik tried to draw a distance from leaning on the older's back, but obviously failed.

"If you're not hurt anymore can I release you from my grasp? You're heavy. Oh and you're welcome." Spatted the older back.

Wonshik clamps his fist firmly on his chest, ". It hurts... I feel like dying..." The thug hissed painfully.

"You lose too much blood, just shut up and rest on my back, will you?" Wonshik groaned again, then I heard some audible mutters left from the latter's lips.

I hold his uniform, making Mr. Wu stopped his steps as well. "What's wrong?" Mr. Wu asked.

What did you say Wonshik? I sent an eye-contact to the thug.

"What? You wanna get a good kick?" Threatened the latter. Me being threatened by this dying thug before me? Hmm, not so much anymore.

'Did you say Hakyeon was with Lee Minhyuk?' As I asked that, Mr. Wu finally gets an interest to join as well the tense 'conversation'.

He scoffed.  "Yeah. So?"

I looked at him in the eyes, Wonshik slowly loose his cool as he continuously stare at my eyes. I smirked.

 

 

You'll going to tell us everything you know about everything you saw, won't you?

 

 

 

 

 

"Alright so now we have both of you, Lee Jaehwan, Lee Hongbin, Han Sanghyuk, Lee Minhyuk and Cha Hakyeon in this building? Firstly, how can you all get in here was by a kidnapping, excluding Lee Minhyuk. Secondly, you guys just suspected Lee Minhyuk is the criminal of these matter when we don't have a good evidence of his acts. Thirdly, you Kim Wonshik just told me that you heard a short 'conversation' between Cha Hakyeon and Lee Minhyuk in a secret room? What? You think that new kid was complotting something with Lee Minhyuk?" Mr. Wu asked in disbelief. Urgh, he's onto that again....

"It's not that I suspect them to co- Hey! Aren't stabbing on my chest is clearly an evidence to arrest him?"

"But either you do a violent gesture towards Lee Minhyuk so you as well might be a criminal in this case, according to public eyes perhaps. You may be innocent if you don't do that reckless act that time. Plus, you're the first attacker. You get another point of being disadvantages."

"Come on Mr. Wu! Stop being a man by a ing book a.k.a theories-such-man and lawful person my ! That's just a crap of s in this kind of situation-!" Wonshik chocked within his yells. I see, he just forgot that he was in a deep injured. I can't help myself but found this scene is quite funny. Heh.

"I know we all want to get to justice but despite of our proves, we've got none. We have to follow the laws to win a case. We can't just attack him so carelessly."

"We don't have proves, but we have witnesses. Isn't that already enough? I don't think we need both to actually start the operation. We can at least capture him and brought him to the police station, although I hate cops. Or at least hold him until morning before we drag him there?"

I was speechless as I keep an eye to both figures in front of me. Mr. Wu was taken by his words, unexpectedly. I blinked my eyes. When I first met this thug I always thought that he was a brainless brat who don't give a to his atmosphere or such. Regardless to what he was saying, he's pretty wise for such a background. I was impressed a bit.

"These guys can help me get out from the suspect lists since they got their eyes on me for almost the time we've been here, right deaf boy?" He looked at me as he ended his statement. 

Tch. Shut up you maggot. 'deaf boy'? Still with that play-role, huh? Let's see till when you gonna act so tuff-ie like that.

I take back all of my words.

He's still son of a .

The thug sighed deeply. "Sometimes we can't do things by the law, Mr. Wu."

Within the time I locked my eyes on him, a realization hit me when I saw the same guy's eyes went weak almost suddenly. Immediately jolting myself from a chair I sat, I brought myself to knee beside him. I was full of concern when tears started to flow off his weak eyes, especially when he's on a critical state. Is the wound hurt that much that he cried? Of course it is, Jung Taekwoon. Even yourself felt that years ago on your throat. That was a hell one and I'm not going to experience the same unbearable pain again. Ever.

Wonshik brought both of his palm to shut his eyes in embarrassed, Mr. Wu gently asked if he's hurt anywhere or else, the boy broke into a violent tears even more as his whole body started to shake. What the....

 

A school thug is....... crying?

 

"Because of those ing law, my younger sister's death case was uninhibited. Heh, what kind of law is that to let those ing erted business men escape from their waiting punishment? Have money and power, they can do whatever they wanted because of that factors. Does this world always this unfair, Mr. Wu?" 

 

I slowly take a glace over the mentioned man, he had his gaze down on a tile underneath--.

"TELL ME MR. WU!!!" He screamed angrily, had startled both of us.

 

The hiccup noises echoed the entire classroom we stayed, it was as if the time has stopped for a moment. Mr. Wu and I was in absolute useless in this state. Mr. Wu was the type of -in to people personal stories in his discipline teacher career, but now I could see the older man was clearly tried to not to step in to the latter's comfortable zone. I'm not so into people sad story or whatsover, it's not that I'm that heartless and not wise enough. I somehow just put some respect to people personal life matter, and now I'm gonna do that to this brat. I hate to admit it but for a moment, Wonshik really need a space to calm himself and I willingly give that.

 

That time, I take back every words I've said earlier about him being so tuff-ie guy.

When I looked again at a same guy, he wasn't that tuff anymore.

He was weak,

so emotional,

so.....

human.

 

"That's...... that's why I hate laws. Because they're bull..." That what was Wonshik spoke weakly between his sobs.

 

A heavy sigh slipped out from my lips, trying to get away from this awkward situation. I looked at the outside through a window as my mind remembering someone.

 

Jaehwan.

 

An annoying guy who always there for me even though I screamed at him to stay away from me for most of the time.

Always help me even though I'd never ask once.

But now, I need them. I finally need your help, Jaehwan-ah. And I really hope you can do this for me.

 

I hope you find some help to get us out here. All of us, even Sanghyuk.

I just.... I just wanna go back and cuddle to my blanket and sleep peacefully. I can't take this anymore, Jaehwan-ah..

Please, I beg you. Find some help to stop all of these miserableness.

 

I blinked my eyes, . I was crying too?

Wonshik was whipping his tears away after a violent sobs, Mr. Wu was trying to collect is coolness at a back when his face already show that he was in terrified.

Haha. I guess every one of us are messed up now, huh?

I scoffed. I don't think that even a big deal anymore. None of us will laugh at each other anymore since we're at a same condition.

 

Right?

 

Well, I don't think anyone would bother to answer that, either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[A/N]:- It's been around 4 months and I'm finally back! Sorry guys, I was so deadly busy with those huge assignment projects back then! Two huge painting project, one huge sculpture project, over than 10 sheets of A1 sized drawings, three project of printmaking class and a rotoscope project at once. WOW. I WAS WONDERING HOW CAN I STILL SURVIVED THAT HELL FOR A WHOLE SEMESTER, REALLY. 

 

Alright, drop that off for a bit! So how's the new chapter going? Does this 'comeback' satisfy you enough? Of course you wont. Cuz you guys still don't know what was Ravi listening from those secret 'conversation' between Minhyuk & N. Are they plotting something? Are they actually a partner in crime? Who knows, right? And aww~ Ravi was stabbed on his chest by Minhyuk! That bastard! Is he going to die? Ravi has a very bad background, eh? Maybe that's why it leads him to live in thugs lifestyle. (TT3TT) As for our Leo, aww does he miss our Ken? I think he needs a group hug from us! *tight hug attack!* Will Ken & Hongbin really get help from the outsider? I wish they will! Good luck, guys! And the discipline teacher Mr. Wu, he's quite annoying, aren't he? I just thought he should be the one get stabbed, not Ravi! hahahaha

 

For your information! I was thinking that some of you might thinking why are they jumping out from the school building on a first floor instead the ground floor, am I right? Heh. This is the right time to tell you very clearly about the school construction!

The first ground of the school was completely sealed/cover with steel gate; the windows and the doors. So that's why they don't give a damn about escaping through ground floor since it was completely useless.

 

Am I get things clear? If it is then good! My semester break was within this two months and I'm gonna payback of all of those pending stories/chapters so you guys will be keep on updating to this story! <3

 

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