optical ↠ the boyz

one

"There doesn't have to be anything," it was her turn to mock his voice, making the man smirk as she picked up the red pen he was using.

"That pen has been in my mouth, and you're touching it," he points out, watching her face as the corner of her lips turned downwards. "Aren't you disgusted?"

"Not any more than I am of you," she lies, making the boy chuckle. "Now, can you help me?"

"You stole my pen."

The two wandered from the library to the car park, although Nari intended to walk the other way, Sunwoo had other thoughts.

"You shouldn't walk home when it's getting dark," he says, looking over his shoulder at the girl. "It's dangerous."

"I'll get the bus," she shrugs. "I'll be fine."

"I'll give you a ride," he says confidently, as though he wasn't giving the girl an option. And weirdly enough, he wasn't - and he didn't know why.

Nari scoffs, followed by a small laugh. "I'm sure it would be more dangerous getting in your car than it would be walking the streets."

"What do you think of me?" He stops, making the girl halt behind him.

"Is that a serious question?" She tilts her head, watching as his eyebrows furrowed and his bottom lip began to pout outwards.

"You don't even know me," he points out. "Yet you think so lowly of me."

"I do not," she huffs. "What makes you say that?"

"You think I'm germy," he pulls a face, wriggling his fingers as though they were dirty. "And you think I'm dangerous."

"Well you are dangerous," she argues back, beginning to walk as it was Sunwoo's turn to trail behind her. "And I have legitimate reasons to believe that."

"That's just my reputation," he shrugs. "I could say things about you based on your reputation."

"Oh really?" She stops, turning on her heels as the boy stopped before her, a slightly smug smile playing on those lips and his eyes dimmed lowly at her. "And what would you say?"

"That you're too smart for your own good," he starts. "That you never have fun, because your only friends are your brother and his friend."

She blinks a few times, her face slightly dropping at his words. "None of that is true."

"You don't like being friends with your brother and pretty boy?" He pouts, as Nari snarled and began to walk away, making him chase after her.

His words somewhat stung her. Is that really what people thought about her? If Sunwoo was the only one brave enough to say it, then surely people thought somewhat worse.

"I have a friend," she speaks up, striding away from the boy. "And his name is Eric."

"I know," he nods even though she can't see him, her head held too highly above her shoulders. "And I know you're smart, that's why I was glad we were partners."

"Okay," she says bluntly, opening the door to exit the school grounds as Sunwoo stopped her with his arm. "Move."

"Do you have fun, then?" He looks down at her, his stare making her more nervous than his words.

"I do," she nods confidently, or at least tries to, as Sunwoo chuckles. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"I don't believe in things I cannot see," he says truthfully, looking into her eyes as hers widened.

"And you will never see," she shakes her head, attempting to slip under his arm, yet failing. "Move, Sunwoo."

"Let's hang out," he says casually as Nari stopped attempting to escape. "Just one night."

"And then what?" She looks between his eyes. "The project is finished, then we just pretend that we didn't hang out."

"I'm asking you to hang out, not go on a date," he points out, making the girl scoff. "What's the big deal?"

"I don't have to prove anything about myself to you," she bites.

"And I don't have to prove anything to you either," he argues back. "But it would be fun, right?"

The girl furrowed her eyebrows, looking between the boys soft eyes, which hid a series of memories.

He had experience. He had lived life the way only she had wished to. He had experienced danger, disorderly and drunkenness - he was miles ahead of her.

Was it all that bad to let herself go?

But it was bad to let herself go, in the presence of him, where the night became red.