It turned out we didn’t actually have too much longer to wait before we finally got a break, and Chunji was given something to occupy himself with.

That being; the return of school.

Now, we weren’t really too sure on how things would pan out with our whole new ‘super-duper close and personal’ thing going on yet- particularly at lunch in front of all the other guys….

But hey, we had no other choice! So we decided not to dwell on it for too long-

Chunji couldn’t just skip school, and even though he wasn’t capable of any writing or completing his work- he was being granted extensions and exceptions left right and centre by the principle and teachers alike so long as he actually attended school. Attendance was vital in our schools, and hence Chunji was going to be in each and every class EVERY day- despite not doing anything but answering questions and taking all the heaps of study, assignments and revision home to complete once his poor hands did come right.

So it was off to school that we went together today;

Chunji carried his own bag into the building, slung over both shoulders and his disfigured hands down by his side as I walked him to his classroom.

I didn’t really have to go in with him; there were plenty of other kids in his class who'd easily rush to help him settle in and collect his papers for him.

But somehow I felt that was only my job- and I didn’t really like the thought of having to let others do it for me…

I would’ve stayed in all his classes with him if I could, but my own parents wouldn’t allow me to, and somehow I didn’t think my teachers would think very highly of the idea either.

Walking into the room we instantly had eyes on us, and everyone began staring at Chanhee’s cast as if something horrid had occurred, or like they’d never ever seen one before-

“Chunji, what happened man??” a guy to my right calls, and causing the brunets head to snap over as he gives a friendly smile.

“Oh jeez- dude what've you been doing??” Another cries, as we make it do his desk with people scattering like rats.

“Its fine,” Chunji reassures and looking around to everyone’s collective eyes and looks of shock.  “I just had a mountain biking accident. The cast will be off in a few weeks-”

“How are you meant to do your work?” a girl pipes in and looking down to his splintered fingers as I place Chunji’s bags down on the floor by his feet and look around at all the unfamiliar faces in his class.

“He’s been granted extensions on all classwork ‘till it’s healed.” I come in smoothly and trying to save the boy some of the attention as eyes whip up to me.

“You’re his friend, yeah?” a different girl asks now, and somehow recognising me as she glances between the pair of us.

“Yeah, from class B though.”

She nods, and some of the kids finally start to turn back to their own desks as Chunji settles into his chair.

“Aish, you’re so lucky you don’t have to do work now!” A boy from my chemistry class speaks up, and leaning his body in our direction in the row right behind me. “Why are you even at school then?”

“Participation….' Attendance record still gets checked despite the hospital trip.” Chanhee summarises with a bored expression and making me laugh as the boys around us chuckle at his expense.

“Ohhh, that’s gotta .”

“Yep… you said it.”

I knew Chunji was secretly glad that he was back here, but he couldn’t exactly say that to everyone else-

“Can you guys just help him pack away his gear the teacher gives at the end of the lesson?” I ask, looking particularily to the fellow next to Chanhee’s desk, a nice looking lad with square reading glasses that were two times bigger than he actually needed and which I highly suspected were because of the new ‘hip indie’ trend going around.

“Yeah sure,” the guy agrees easily, and smiling as he drops his attention back to getting his own equipment out for the session.

“Alright, you ok if I go now?” I ask, leaning a little lower to the boy and glimpsing down to his damaged hands.

What if he needed something when I was gone-?

What if he suddenly needed to pee again?? Or get a drink and he couldn’t undo the cap or find the straw in his bag?

Ok- maybe I’m panicking just a little too much right now-

But still!!

“Yeah, I’m all good.” He hums with a grateful look, and sending me a warm smile that had my stomach suddenly buzzing with nerves.

“O-ok,” I reply, and giving him one last touch of the shoulder as I quickly make my way from the room, hoping no one else would somehow notice the strangely confused expression now on my face.

                                                                                                               ******************

At lunchtime we sat down at a table together amongst several of our mates from other classes- and immediately we became the focus for everyone’s attention.

We both had a noodle dish and of course I still had to feed Chunji, so whilst I left my own dish before me- totally forgetting that it was going cold and unattended to, I fed my friend instead.

Whilst all the other guys just stared at us-

“Guys…. You know how odd you like right now, yeah?” Jett, a short boy from my maths class speaks up- as our other three mates nod in agreement.

Currently holding a fork up to Chanhee’s mouth, I glance momentarily across to them as the teen pulls the food into his mouth.

“What…?” I query seriously, and looking back to Chunji’s own expression as he chews on the sweet honey flavoured food. “I have to help him- how else is he gonna eat?”

They give me this look, and Chunji rolls his eyes in irritation.

We knew this would happen….

“I guess…” Changjo conceives, flickering his eyes down to Chunji’s casts.

“What, you’re saying you wouldn’t help a mate out?” I challenge, and stirring back through his food to get some chicken.

“No, of course I would-!“ he jumps in quickly, realising just how cold that would look.

“Just, isn’t it awkward-?” Ricky cues in, as I turn my whole attention back to Chunji once more-

“No.” he answers for me, and flashing me a grateful look as he opens his mouth.

And he was right…. it wasn’t awkward anymore.

“Well, I think Chunji’s gonna owe you big time when he’s all better.” Alex pipes up, our resident blonde of the group and casting me a big grin.

Laughing, I shake my head and go back to help prodding through the other teens bowl as the topic finally veers away from ourselves.

He wouldn’t owe me anything…

“Dude- you totally have to eat your food too,” Chanhee reminds me around his next bite and dropping his eyes pointedly to my own full plate. “You’ve barely touched it!”

Fighting the sudden vulnerable emotion rise inside me I give a half smile, as I shake his concerns away. “I will, I will. I’m just not that hungry yet…”

I didn’t wanna tell him that this wasn’t exactly true, and that I would much rather spend my time looking after him instead…

Because how would he react to such a weird admission-?

“Aww, you know you guys are gonna get those creepy girl followers on to you soon!” Sungyeol jumps in with a mischievous smirk, as he looks around to the rest of the guys.

“Huh?” Changjo asks in confusion.

“Oh gosh, you don’t know??” he cries and chuckling as Jett, Ricky and Alex lose it across the table.

“No we won’t-“ I deny quickly, and trying to dislodge the sudden anxious feeling that was now rising in my chest.

Oh god... what if we did??

“They’ll be all like- ‘Aww, look at L.joe feeding Chanhee~~ that’s so cute!” Jet adds in and bursting into hysterics once more as Chunji himself catches my eye with humour.

“Wait a sec- they actually do that?” Changjo continues, the ever obvious lad amongst us.

“Duh!!” Sungyeol jabs with a teasing smile, “Remember when they were picking on you and Ricky here? Just cause you happened to hug that one time?”

“Urghh…” he moans, his mouth dropping open in horror as Ricky flushes with embarrassment. “I know now!”

Yeah, that’d been a funny day… even I admit that-

“Yeah well, that’ll be nothing to what awaits these two soon~” Sungyeol continues evilly, as a smear of sauce crosses Chanhee’s chin and I automatically pick up the napkin to wipe at his face.

“God, you’re gonna get it bad….” Jett muses.

“Shut up,” I mumble, only adding fuel to their laughter and making that unease in my gut swirl around even more.

“Ahh, and they don’t even deny it~”

Frowning I avoid looking at them altogether and instead just concentrate on the boy setting right beside me, so close that I can feel his knee pressed against my own and the way our arms sometimes touch when I prod around in his food-

I didn’t care what they wanted to say or think…

I was doing the right thing by my friend, and that was all that mattered.

“Guys, just leave it alone,” Chunji speaks up, silencing the laughter by a notch as he cues in to my dropping mood. “I don’t wanna starve and if you keep being annoying that will happen.”

“Aish, ok ok-“ Sungyeol relents and waving a hand across at us, as they drop back into their previous discussion.

Looking back to Chanhee, I give him a small smile and watch as he chucks them a frown of his own-

“Thanks man,”

“It’s cool,” he says quietly.

“But don’t worry- I won’t let you starve. Don’t think scrawny would suit you very well-”

The brunet chuckles, and reaches out to prod me with his splintered fingers.

“Don’t make me hurt you!” he warns, jokingly.

“Oh yeahhh~” I tease happily, and giving him an intimidating look. “And what would you do to me right now?? Kick me to death?”

“Yah!” he cries in retaliation.

The boys are looking back up at us here, but we ignore them as we continue our light hearted bickering-

“Nah, you know what- I’ll just make you spend like 20 minutes fixing the temperature tonight~“

Bursting into laughter, I drop his fork back down to the table, as he too loses it beside me and those across from us simply have no idea what the hell we were talking about.

“Aish… you’re so evil!” I say breathlessly.