𝗬𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗘 ─ 𝗬𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗝𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗪𝗢𝗡

XXIII. Gloom

Minji waved her hands in front of her chest.

"Ah, no no." She said with a smile.

"That's all for you. There's some samgyeopsal in there, and a few other side dishes like kimchi. Eat up okay? You need to get better immediately. I don't want to see you sick." She said with a bright smile on her face.

Jungwon smiled a little. He smiled knowing that someone for sure cares about him and his well-being.

"Ahh...thank you. Uhmm, would you like to come inside for a while?" he asked.

"Oh no no, it's okay. I have to get going actually. I might be late to school."

"Ahhh I see, well would you at least want a glass of water before leaving?" Jungwon offered.

Minji smiled.

"Sure."

---

"You okay? You were in there for about 10 minutes." Jake said.

Levi timidly smiled and nodded at Jake's question.

"You seem like you've had a big emergency there hehe." Jake jokingly said as they started walking again.

Not knowing what to do, what to say, or how to react - Levi just awkwardly smiled and avoided eye contact as they walked.

Not long after, they reached the laboratory that is often used by the science club. Jake told Levi to wait by the door while he asks the other members about the situation. Levi nodded and decided to pass the time by staring at a group of students. These students look younger than Levi - they were probably 8th graders.

The experiment involved a frog that was pinned to a tray using pin needles. The frog struggled to move. It was still trying its best to hop - the tray constantly moving and even bouncing at times. This made the 7th graders have an even harder time in conducting their experiment.

Levi sluggishly walked towards their table. He squinted his eyes at the young students who don't know what to do.

Shoulders down, messy curly hair, bored expression - You can see the laziness and gloom in his eyes and even in the way he walks.

"Add more pins. One on each hand and leg won't work. Make it three. Add duct tape on its face."

"W-what??! Isn't that a bit too much??? W-won't the frog get hurt????" a female student shockingly asked.

"You're gonna cut its stomach open and take out its organs, right? You're gonna kill it anyway. Why bother?"

The students looked at Levi in horror. How can someone say that with such a straight face?

"Or you can use chloroform." Jake said as he appeared with a bottle of the said substance.

He put a little amount of the liquid onto a cotton pad and then put the pad on the frog's nose.

"Chloroform causes living organisms to feel sleepy. Giving the frog some would help you do your dissecting process much more peacefully." Jake said with a smile as he guided the younger students.

"Local effects following inhalation of chloroform include shortness of breath and irritation of the nose and throat. Acute inhalation can cause systemic effects such as excitement, nausea, and vomiting followed by ataxia, dizziness, drowsiness." Levi said in his monotone voice.

The younger students looked at him in awkwardness and fear. Even Jake was a bit shocked.

"Yeah, so don't try to smell the chloroform okay? Otherwise, you'll end up feeling...those things." Jake added.

After those events, Jake did his best to orient Levi. Jake showed the younger all the things they have in the lab - as well as told him specific things such as meetings and activities.

Jake and Levi eventually finished their business inside the lab.

"You said a bunch of things back there." Jake looked at Levi fondly.

"Really? I recall you talked most of the time during the orientation." Levi replied with the same monotonous voice he's always had.

"No, I meant back with the 8th graders. You said a lot about the chloroform. I'm guessing you know a lot of things."

"I'm sorry..."

"Huh??? Don't be!" Jake said as he assured Levi that he didn't mean it like that.

"That was a compliment." Jake added.

"Ahhh..."

Jake had offered to walk Levi back to his class. Levi said it was unnecessary, but Jake insisted on doing so. Levi was too lazy to argue, so he just let the older do as he pleases.

"Hey by the way...do you know someone named Park Jongseong??" Are you perhaps...close with him?" Jake asked anxiously.

Honestly, he's still a bit scared that Levi is not who he seems to be. Part of Jake still thinks that Levi is an agent sent out by Jay's parents. But then again, why would Levi be a legitimate student of the school if he was just an agent in disguise.

"I don't have friends." Levi said abruptly.

"Oh-" Jake said, his mouth open because of shock.

"Sorry, that was unnecessary. No, I don't know anyone named that."

"Ahh I see." Jake nods as he said his response. He doesn't know if what Levi was a joke or it's real, but he kind of felt bad for the younger.

There was an awkward silence as they walked, neither of them knowing what to say next.

They eventually reached the hallway where the room of Levi's class is.

"I'll get going. Thank you." Levi said straight-forwardly as he bowed his head to show respect to his senior.

Levi walked with his bag but he stopped as soon as he heard Jake say something. He turned around to hear what Jake has to say.

"Levi, do you perhaps want to join me sometime? To eat lunch maybe." Jake asked with concern.

"I'll give it some thought." Levi responded before turning back again.

Jake smiled. "I'll take that as a yes." he said to himself.

---

It was nighttime. The darkness once again has shrouded the land. It was quite peaceful though. The shining stars complemented the dark grey shade of the night. The night is the perfect time for many things to hide.

Although the beautiful stars up in the sky hide in the darkness, many people believe that many dangers hide in the dark.

Levi walked across a dark street. The street lights weren't working - so the already dark environment became even darker.

He walked, and walked, and walked.

Until he reached an even darker alley connected to the dark street.

He looked at the alley.

Then looked to his right.

Then to his left.

And then behind.

The gloomy boy entered his gloomy world.

----

author's note:

omygod im alive and this book is finally alive again