Soonhoon

Chapter 10

His eyes were on the same painting that Jihoon talked about. His eyes fixed on the two figures in the field. Mingyu was really handsome. He had a good looking face, sharp jawline, beautiful tan skin and tall height. He could cook well and was super rich. He could be every girl's dream boy unless he messes everything up by opening his mouth. Yeah and then you start coming to your senses and end up wanting to hit him.
"I..." He started slowly and stopped.
"I what?" I asked frustrated.
He turned his head towards me and looked at me as if noticing me just now.
"Nothing. It's nothing at all." He said sighing.
"Liar." I spat.
"What?" He asked surprised at me getting worked up suddenly.
"Why can't you tell me if something's bothering you?" I yelled. "We're friends since forever but it feels like everyone has secrets. Seungkwan suddenly ghosted on us two years ago, Dino keeps distancing himself nowadays and you didn't even tell me you fought with Sunbae and yet didn't say anything when I kept making you hang out with him. Everybody has secrets now. And then you all suddenly leave me without words."
Tears were pathetically streaming down my cheeks as Mingyu stared at me stunned. I was standing by now. His eyes looked at me up in confusion. For a moment I had a flash of Jihoon sitting down just like Mingyu.
And to add the list was Jihoon whose name I couldn't take aloud. But I wanted to tell him how much I hate myself for liking him. Yet how much I like him.
"Hoshi..." We turned from each other to the crowd that had formed before us. There was everybody I knew in there. And everybody I mentioned right now. It was embarrassing and at the same time I was afraid what their reaction would be.
I had a a brief look of what their expressions were before I couldn't take it anymore and pushed myself through the crowd and ran away. I ran away as fast as I could without turning or hearing back. The path was blurry yet I could imagine students staring at me as I ran with tears in my eyes. Luckily there were no teachers to stop me as I made my way out of the school. I knew I'd regret running like this but I didn't have the courage to stop too. Everybody saw me running like this. I was embarrassed to death right now.
There was pity and shock in their eyes that I had never seen before. Jeonghan Hyung had a sympathetic look. He must be embarrassed to be called my brother now. And Dino who looked up to me so much must've thought I'm so weak. Jihoon had a confused look too. I embarrassed myself before him. And Seungkwan had the most shocking look on his face. God what if I was the only who cared about the fallout. I could even hear him right now.
"...shi." I felt like he was calling me right now. "You idiot! STOP RIGHT THERE." I tripped on a rock and fell on my face. The ground meeting my cheek luckily. "Hoshi."
I turned myself upwards and the first thing that I saw was Seungkwan's round face. His chubby cheeks making his face round and cute.
"Yah. Are you okay?" He asked Kneeling beside me. "Did you fall bad? Does something pain? Can you hear me?"
I shook my head sideways. "I can't hear or see over my embarrassment. I'll be made fun of for years."
He gave me look of disbelief before snorting. It soon turned into full laughing. "Did you hit your head hard?"
"I wish I did so I could forget today's day." I sat up painfully. "That damn rock nearly broke my nose. But instead I fell on my cheek."
He grinned pulling my cheeks." Good thing you have cushion here." He patted them.
I scoffed as I stretched his chubby cheeks too. "Don't be jealous. Yours are pretty stretchable too."
"It hurts." He whined hitting the back of my palms. "Leave them alone."
I left them. I did what they want-leave them alone.
"You really did?" He asked surprised at my submission.
"You told me to." I shrugged.
"Yeah...But I didn't expect you to." He rubbed his red cheeks that could be easily mistaken for tomatoes. "Anyways. Can you stand up?"
I nodded. "I can't go back to school now. I'll head home. You can go back."
He scoffed as he helped me stand up. "I can't go back either."
"What are you going to do now then?"
"What about you?"
"I'll have to spend time roaming somewhere until school finishes." I said dusting myself. "Mom would kill me if she seems me early like this."
"Me too." He sighed. "I'm hungry. Let's eat something. How about pizza?"
" I don't think I have enough money with me right now." I scratched the back of my neck.
"I have a little. We can fish." Seungkwan pulled with me to the nearest pizza Hut. Now that I was aware of my surroundings I was worried. I was running in the wrong direction. The complete opposite way to my home.
The place was empty. It was afternoon after all. I pointed at the table at the completely hidden part of the store. It was pretty invisible.
"What do you want?" He asked.
"Anything is fine." I shrugged and made my way to the back. There were still tears in my eyes and some were still dripping. I couldn't control them.
"It's fine. You can cry loudly. Nobody's here anyways." Seungkwan said sitting right opposite of me.
"I don't want to cry." I hiccupped. "Stupid tears."
He chuckled. "You're the stupid one after the show you gave today. Are you sure you can come to school after this?"
"And here I thought you were going to be all sweet over me." I sniffed. "Wait a minute. You're the worst, Seungkwan. Just so you know I hate you and after this pizza I'm never seeing your face again."
"I don't think you'll be able to face anyone after today. You seemed like Cinderella running away like that." He snorted again.
I glared at him. "I'm serious. How could you do this to me, You bastard. We were friends since we were in nappies. And you suddenly decided to ghost on me like I meant nothing to you. Is it because of Hansol Sunbae? Or did you always hate me?" 
Seungkwan passed me the tissue stand. He leaned on his hand as he stared at me wiping my face and nose.
"Gross." He mumbled.
"Shut up. You're worse than me." I retorted. He nodded mockingly making me want to smack him.
He let out a long breath before finally breaking the silence. "I'm sorry, Hoshi."
"And?" I pressed. "What about explanation?"
"You'll regret it, Hoshi. You'll regret listening to it." He said sadly. "We can leave it alone and be just like we were yesterday. Strangers in the corridor."
"I won't." I said determined. "I trust you."