Sorry but this is very messy. ;;;;

I just want to get to the good parts. lol!

Chapter 7

It felt like everyone knew what had happened in the shed; even though it was absurd. Chung Jae felt humiliated, like he was a circus freak, when Eric glowered at him deadly, hugging Sun Ho tightly and rubbing his back; to be just friends they had gone further faster than Chung Jae and Sun Ho had ever. The eyes were moving from Sun Ho to Chung Jae, and when the boy stood up from the wet floor, he daren’t say a word and ran to the opposite way.

“CHUNG JAE!” the teachers shouted.

Sun Ho let go of the new student and saw the receding back. He knew there was nothing that could make Chung Jae come back and talk.

                ~~OO~~

Chung Jae did not come to school on Monday. Teachers noticed it, students noticed it and Sun Ho noticed it, but he had no idea where his best friend was. Eric had been the nicest of supports as he had been by Sun Ho’s side, held his hand (all the time) and his face tenderly. The slightly older boy did not know what had happened between Sun Ho and Chung Jae.

“Sun Ho ya,” a teacher came to the boy. “Could you please take the homework to Chung Jae?”

“Of course,” Sun Ho stood up from his seat. “I’ll take them.”

If Eric ever found out about that small, meaningless kiss – even though Sun Ho did remember that that kiss had been his first ever – he would have asked a lot of questions about it; how was it; did it mean anything; did Chung Jae do it well and so on. Honestly, Sun Ho wanted to forget it. He had been thinking about it the whole weekend already.

“I come with you,” Eric mumbled lowly.

“Ah, I think it’d be the best if I went alone,” Sun Ho smiled at the older boy – even though the suggestion had made his heartbeat faster – and walked out of the classroom.

                ~~OO~~

“Is Chung Jae home?”

Charlie Park looked over his shoulder at the teenage boy, who watched television absentmindedly. He had been staring at the screen the whole day and if someone asked what he was watching, he just shrugged and continued being silent. Sun Ho seemed hopeful when Charlie turned his head back at him.

“I’m sorry but…Chung Jae has left.”

“What!? Where?!” Sun Ho gasped loudly, his whole face shocked.

“Umm…” The father rubbed his neck. “A football camp. Some guy had seen him play and had suggested that to him.” He explained.

Sun Ho let the bag drop over his shoulder, the strap sliding down, the heavy books slamming to the floor and keeping noise in the corridor. Charlie felt awful for lying to his son’s only friend, but he knew the reason why Chung Jae was like that was obviously Sun Ho. The dad did not have to be a genius to read his son’s anxious expression.

“Did he…” Sun Ho sounded sad. “Did he leave because of me?”

“Well…” Charlie Park tilted his head. “He told me he needed some distance over things, but I am sure he did not want to harm you.”

“He never does,” Sun Ho sobbed.

The old man put his hand on the boy’s head and ruffled the hair. Sun Ho looked messier than he had ever looked – and he was from a good kind of a family – and somehow the atmosphere in the corridor wasn’t what it used to be like.

“When will he come back?” Sun Ho interrogated, eyes teary.

“In three weeks.” Charlie smiled.

“When he comes back…te…tell him that…I’m not mad…at him or anything.” The boy stuttered. “And…and that he is still my best friend…”

Chung Jae bowed his head down and nibbled the pillow he was hugging. He felt the warm tears rolling down his cheeks every time Sun Ho sniffed; he was not away, yet, but they had informed the school already that Chung Jae would leave with the early bus tomorrow. It was too painful to tell Sun Ho, and it was too painful to see him.

“And tell him…” Sun Ho whispered. “That I really…really – ah nothing…just tell him that I don’t want him to feel hurt.”

                ~~OO~~

Chung Jae stepped out from the bus, his huge bag making him bend to the side, and looked around at the big cottage and the yard. Some kids were running, some kids were having a chat, and some kids were just playing with their phones, while some were just like Chung Jae – new and nervous. The fair-skinned boy gulped and followed some of the new kids into the cottage.

“Hello! My name is Kim Dongwan!” A 15-year-old boy bowed to them all in