✓LOVER BOY | hwang hyunjin

12. Hazy Joy

"Yeseul." Jihoon raised an eyebrow when he watched the blank expression of Yeseul slowly put itself in that of anger. "It's been so long. You don't even greet your own friends now."

Yeseul turned away, eyes gazing around at the secured silence of the place, students busy with heads in books. The last thing she wanted was to make a scene in the library. That would put her duty at risk. So all she did was walk off towards her own row, ignoring the boy who tagged along, the smug look barely leaving him.

"Are you mad at me?" Jihoon blocked her way when they arrived in an empty space. Yeseul could feel the suffocation slowly creeping it's way in between her head. But she pushed down at the feeling, eyes gazing stubbornly in his.

"Walk away before I do something to you."

"I would actually like to see you try it, Yeseul. You know how much I adore you." His drawled his words, trying to tease the girl by leaning closer.

Yeseul stepped back, trying to walk past him, but Jihoon cursed, grabbing her arm before yanking her back. "You really think Hyunjin is a good person, don't you? Aren't you even a slight bit worried about the cause behind him barely having any friends?"

"I don't care, Jihoon. Why can't you just leave me alone?" Yeseul raised her voice, pulling her arm out of his hold.

Jihoon watched her for a moment, chuckling to fill the gap. "Hyunjin has befriended girls like you, and discarded them off when they realised that they were nothing other than a bait."

"Get the fuck out of my face." Yeseul stepped away, but she couldn't make it far when Jihoon grabbed her shoulder, turning her around with a jolt. The box in her hand fell down, papers spiralling all over the floor.

"Park Jihoon!" Hyunjin turned towards the secluded area the two were in. He walked ahead, unmindful of the papers he stepped on before he swung his arm, throwing a punch in Jihoon's jaw. Yeseul just stood there, dazed, before Hyunjin pulled her wrist gently, giving her a soft push so that she stood behind him.

"Hyunjin," Jihoon looked up, grinning maliciously, "You really broke out of character today." His fist wickedly hit Hyunjin, but he shielded his face, his arm taking the blunt force. For a second Hyunjin felt surprised about how deep the pain resonated through his arm, but he didn't give a chance for the next blow. Hyunjin swiftly turned his body around, his left leg swinging high towards Jihoon's unprotected neck. He stumbled, the laugh from his crooked lips not taking a break.

"What's all this anger for? A weak girl that you would hurt next?"

"Jihoon, stop it. I'll call the teacher." Yeseul shouted, the sudden clamour making the students to slowly gather around. "Hyunjin, leave."

Hyunjin grabbed Jihoon by his collar, pulling him close, his eyes watching the bleak emotionless gaze of Jihoon. "You better stay away from my friends."

"You like her?" Jihoon joked, throwing his head back. "She's just a replacement. You know that here. In your dead heart."

"Hyunjin!" Yeseul grabbed the boy's arm, pulling him away from Jihoon. When Hyunjin looked around, mind still clouded by a lasting rage, he saw the whispering students, and the librarian, all the audience of his actions. He had lost control, and he found it even harder to silence it away. He yanked his arm away from Yeseul, rushing out of the place.

The girl followed him behind. "What the hell, Hyunjin?"

Hyunjin sighed, his steps halting as he reached the end of the lobby. It all felt like a bizzare happening. He couldn't visualize in his right mind that he would once again let himself hit someone. And that too when that someone happened to be Jihoon.

"Why would you do that?"

"What do you mean why?" Hyunjin turned around. He felt guilty to reply back in such a tone, but he couldn't help it. "Do you mean that I should have just left you to deal with that person!?"

Yeseul scoffed. "I didn't want to make a scene. Of course I'm not grateful that you hit him. That too in the library out of all the places, in the middle of rush hour."

"Yeseul." Hyunjin could barely feel the air in his lungs. It hurt him. All that flashed in his mind like an unending movie. Grief felt like a freshly cut wound, still bleeding out the life of him. He closed his eyes briefly. "I'm sorry. I understand if you too want to leave me."

Yeseul walked close, the pallid look of the boy worrying her. "Hyunjin. I just... don't want you to hurt yourself because of me."

The boy smiled uncertainly. "Too many wasted bandages, huh?"

Yeseul suddenly felt her heart open in a gaping hole. She tried swallowing, but the fighting sadness beat her to it. She didn't think much when she found herself closing the distance between the two, her arms warmly holding Hyunjin's waist as she pulled him in a hug.

A soft gasp left his lips, the throbbing slowing down as if hesitant that Yeseul might grow aware of what he felt.

"Don't make me waste bandages on you."

Hyunjin straightened up, his palms resting on the girl's back, pulling her closer in that fleeing away moment that might not return for him any sooner.

In the infirmary, the nurse helped Hyunjin with the wounded arm. Yeseul sat on a chair, waiting for him to be done but her phone buzzed with a call. She looked up at the boy, smiling before she left to answer it.

"You both grew closer after the incident?" Miss Ahn glanced at Hyunjin, smiling.

"Huh? What incident are you talking of?"

"The switching of your glasses. You know. I saw her return your glasses in the office."

Hyunjin choked, an uncontrollable smile overtaking him. The door opened, the light leaking in along with the girl's appearance. He looked up at her, the hazy joy in his chest not leaving.