A scream pinched Changjo's nerves, his eardrums close to being damaged. “Are you crazy?! Better book an appointment with the mental hospital!” Niel sneered, locking his palms around the younger's throat as the both of them engaged in battle. L.Joe rubbed his eyes then tried pulling the pair apart, “Let go of him, you idiot!”
“Why did you hurt Junhong?!” he intrigued, pulling the other using a handful of his hair as the third boy attempted prying Niel's fingers away from murder by scratching and clawing on his wrists to release the other. They were successfully broken apart with his help. Their chests and shoulders fell, tears stinging behind Changjo's eyelids. A teardrop or two streamed down L.Joe's cheeks as he wiped them quickly, his voice a stutter, “Stop it! Both of you!” he begged. “Why can't we talk things out?! Why do we have to hurt each other?! God!”
It was after school and they were in the center of the corridor. Everyone had left, or so they had thought. Niel was just leaving his classroom when Changjo went for the attack, but thank the Heavens Byunghun was passing by otherwise someone's funeral was to be held in a day.
Fury burned as an inflammable fire in Jonghyun's eyes, his jaw clenched, fists still balled tight to show his knuckles, white. He was glaring bullets into the other's skull while the latter did the same. “What did Junhong tell you?”
“You hit him. Niel hit him, L.Joe.”
“How do you know he's not lying?”
L.Joe was fairly calm in situations as these. He loved peace and harmony and hated fights and war and all that. He believed that fighting was merely a sign of illiteracy. “What on Earth, Lee Byunghun— Don't make me–”
Walking up to him, he cupped the younger's face and brushed his thumbs over his cheekbones, his friend's eyes widening at the action. “You don't know him well enough. Unless someone tells you... Someone else tells you, as an eyewitness. Then you ought to believe them.”
----------
“Sir.”
Chanhee quietly walked up to Bang Yongguk, their Chemistry teacher as he sat at his desk in a random classroom he'd usually find him in, his rectangle-framed glasses slipped down to the tip of his nose, a red thin-point gel pen fiddling between his fingers as he silently read what the student had written. He answered with a hum before placing a tick mark in front of the statement.
“Sir... Is it alright if I asked you for some advice?” his voice seemed quieter than usual.
Hearing these words, he immediately sealed his pen and placed it neatly beside the notebook, his glasses pushed up to the bridge. Yongguk placed a palm over the other as he looked up, a gentle smile gracing his lips, “You know you can always come to me for advice.” His voice mellow yet it had a light grin to it.
The blonde found himself returning the smile (it was impossible not to) before lowering his gaze, “Well... There's this boy, and his so-called...” he quoted the air. “Friend.”
Yongguk hung on to every word, listening carefully as if he were mentally analyzing each letter which left the young man's lips. He was fairly young himself, about 26? 27? But he had not married, nor had he a lady in mind. There was no time for that, but Changjo thought otherwise.
There was something off about it.
Anyway, Chunji went on, telling him about how this titled "boy" was being played by the other anonymous character and he had a fight, but because of someone...who had bribed his best friend into committing a sin.
By the time he was done, the teacher's gaze was fixed on particularly nothing but air. There was a silence, interrupted by the ticking of a clock...tick tock tick tock...on and on and on it went, and the pupil was honestly getting very annoyed by it. Yet he waited.
Waited for the teacher to speak. His deep voice kind to the listener, advisory, soft.
“Mr. Lee,” he finally began after what seemed like eternity. “That boy you speak of, the other who is not trusted must prove his trust to him.”
Blinking once, he stammered, “How?”
“For starters, by not bribing. Bribery is sinful and wholly wrong. I pity him, and the person he was advised by. Furthermore, apologize, but from the heart. Forgiveness is a beautiful thing, don't you think? And it'll do the both of them good. He must also be there for him. What's the point of caring when a person does not plan on showing it?”
“But he'll never believe m– him.” Close call!
Noticing his slight error, his eyes narrowed in suspicion just a bit, “He has to try, Chanhee.” Placing his palm gently on his arm to show a sign of support, he never took off the beam he wore, “I have faith in him.”
“But you–” Chunji looked frightened now, but a pat was all it took for his fear to wash away. Yongguk concluded, “Don't think I don't know who you're talking about, young man. I understand, and I'm aware of what has happened.”
Chanhee panicked but managed to keep his cool. He trusted his teacher, and knew he would not go around gossipping about this. There was no point, nor was he in the position to comment. “Can I trust you?” the blonde made a second assurance.
“Not unless I've earned it.”
------
“So Chanhee came up to me today and –”
“What did the scamp want?” Minsoo interrogated, sitting across from his brother at the dining table as the both of them ate their supper: vegetable stew, silently.
They were not poor, nor were they rich and they did not wish to be; they were perfectly happy with what they had. The brothers had moved out of their house after the passing away of their father and their mother re-marrying to some clerk whom they did not approve of. Yongguk would contact her now and then, though, to make sure she was happy...but Minsoo. Minsoo was the type of person who wouldn't give a damn about anyone if they didn't give a damn about him.
Yes, she was their mother — but Minsoo believed if she had considered them her sons, she would never have left them in the first place. She would have taken care of the boys, pampered them as a good mother does, and they would have returned the favor. But she did not.
Yongguk would usually argue with him on this topic, pleading him to forgive her and if she was happy, that was all that mattered. However, it was Bang Minsoo. And Bang Minsoo did not go down that easy. Hearing this, it would be a routine for Yongguk to end up crying and locking himself in his room where he would cover himself in a bundle of blankets and sob softly until he ended up choking, then passing out only to open his eyes to a new day.
He was known as the 'sensitive one' of the two. Owning a heart encased in crystal-clear glass, which people found strange as he was two years senior. Yet, his heart was plated with pure gold alongside.
“That's not nice,” Yongguk scowled, an expression which was foreign to his features, swallowing another spoonful of the mouth-watering deliciousness. “Anyway.” The elder knew he wasn't being listened to, but nevermind. He figured he might catch his attention at some point. “Jonghyun and Daniel. They fought in the halls this afternoon.”
With his head snapping up in bewilderment, Minsoo gulped, “What? I don't believe you.”
“Then so be it. I only speak the truth, and what my eyes behold. I saw them, Minsoo. It wasn't pretty. Thankfully Byunghun was there to break it up.”
“Byunghun... He was late the other day.”
“He's such a nice boy. So well-mannered,” he continued, finishing what was the remainder of his food and wiped the edges of his lips with a napkin. “I would've done it myself, but... Who am I to interfere?”
“You're a teacher, Yongguk.”
“I know, Minsoo. But they're grown boys, for the love of God. They can think for themselves. God gave them a brain. It's their choice if they want to use it or not.”
With a small pause, Minsoo's raspy voice replied, “I don't understand you at all sometimes.”
A affectionate grin pulling his lips gently upwards, Yongguk excused himself as he began tidying up and placing the dishes in the sink. But before he could even roll his sleeves up to his elbows, there was a loud crash, followed by a thud.
Yongguk had collapsed.
