shades of yellow » han seojun ff

45. tuscany

YEONWOO'S MOTHER WAS WORRIED. Today, it was that day. Given the circumstances, she wasn't sure whether her daughter would be okay to go to school.

It was morning. She paced the floor outside Yeonwoo's bedroom, contemplating what to do. Should she be waken up? Or should she be allowed to sleep peacefully for at least a few more minutes? 

She was just about to knock when the door burst open. Yeonwoo had been awake for the past hour, but her mother didn't need to know that.

Her mother gasped, raising a shaking finger, "Y-Your hair—"

"I cut it this morning. Sorry I didn't tell you, but I thought change would be nice. Don't you think so?"

Gone was her long, beautiful sheet of thick hair. Now, both sides were jagged and uneven, one side cut slightly below her ear, the other around her chin. Her hair looked even more black against the paleness of her skin. Her eyes were rimmed with purple, but her uniform was perfectly buttoned and adjusted.

Yeonwoo was absentmindedly playing with the locket around her neck, the one with both her and Seyeon's photos that she had worn ever since his death.

She smiled assuringly, but her mother was thinking that this wasn't something done in a completely calm state of mind—and she was right. Yeonwoo's mother took a step back, horrified at what she had let pass underneath her roof.

She should have known.

Yeonwoo made to move past her mother and down the stairs, but her mother stopped her. "Honey—" She hesitated, worrying that Yeonwoo would snap if her mother dared make a reference to what day it was. "Do ... do you want me to make both sides even? It's so jagged." 

It was a peace offering. However, Yeonwoo refused it. "No. It's alright. I'm going to school now."

Once Yeonwoo left the house, her mother crumbled to the ground and sobbed.

—

In classroom 2-5, her classmates sat around a desk, huddled around something and whispering. A student stood by the doorway, on lookout patrol. It was early in the morning, much too early for Mr. Han to be present. Suho, Jugyeong, Sua, Jugyeong, Seojun, and even Taehoon weren't at school yet.

Unfortunately.

"How did you find out?" Sihyun asked Hyunkyu.

"I saw her file a few weeks ago."

Another student asked him, "Do you think she'll come to school today?"

Hyunkyu shrugged. "Who knows?"

The student on lookout yelped, "Hey, hey! She's coming!"

As Yeonwoo entered the classroom, they leaped out, yelling, "Surprise! Happy birthday!" 

A student brought forward a cake, flickering with candles. It was gorgeous, heart-shaped and iced with sage-green icing and dusted with matcha powder. In the centre were the words in cursive, Happy 19th Yeonwoo!

She stumbled backwards, terrified of the sight of her classmates edging closer towards her, faces glowing by the light of the candles.

Hyunkyu cheerfully said, "Happy birthday Yeonwoo! You don't turn 19 every day. Go on, blow the candles!"

"I-I—"

He kept on going, oblivious to her growing terror. "Why did you cut your hair? It used to be so long and pretty. And it's kind of uneven."

"Yeonwoo, are you alright? You look like you're about to throw up," Sihyun said worriedly.

Yeonwoo's face was beaded with sweat, and her hands trembled. Tears slipped down her face. Without saying anything, she ran out of the room and straight into Seojun.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, in his shock at seeing her so unhinged, forgetting the coldness that had developed between them over the weeks. "What happened?"

She whispered, "I can't do this anymore. I can't—" Stifling a sob, she pushed past him. He tried to follow her, but she suddenly screamed at him, "Don't you dare follow me!"

Seojun stormed into the classroom to find his classmates puzzled, still holding the blazing cake. 

"I don't get it," Hyunkyu said. "Does she not like matcha or something?"

"YAH!" Seojun throw down the cake with such ferocity, the flames extinguished themselves before the cake even hit the floor. A mass of green icing and sponge cake lay on the floor, crushed and broken.

To the shock of the rest of the kids, he took hold of Hyunkyu's collar and pinned him against the wall, hand balled into a fist and ready to smash into Hyunkyu's face.

"Seojun, no!" Luckily, Suho and Taehoon had gotten there in time to pull Seojun away.

"I'll kill you, you insensitive idiot!" Seojun yelled, still trying to kick Hyunkyu.

Hyunkyu wailed, "What did I do?! Does she hate her birthday so much?"

In a low growl, even scarier than his yell, he said, "It's her birthday, you idiot. And it's his birthday too—her dead twin brother's."

At this, Hyunkyu's eyes widened at the realisation of how much he had fucked up. The other students who had also partaken in the birthday surprise felt horrified at their insensitivity and obliviousness.

"Where is she now?" Suho demanded Seojun.

Seojun grimaced. "I don't know. But I"m going to find her."

—

a/n: btw, I just want to say that ALL of your comments are so nice to read, esp ones that tell me how much they're enjoying the story!!! i wish I could reply to all of them, but I have no idea what to say hehe

love you all!!! stay safe xx