try-hard •sunki au•

ten

Sunoo fiddles with the phone in his hand, wondering whether he should call home or pretend like the dream he had last night didn't bother him.

It was so bad he couldn't go back to sleep again. The image of his father gasping for air keeps on flashing back in his mind.

He knew it was only a bad dream but it didn't feel right. He wanted to call home and ask how they're doing. However, it was something that Sunoo refuse to do for years now. He was in tenth grade when he stopped communicating with his parents, and up until now he didn't want to meet them.

When he entered college, he never returned home and stay alone in the dorms.

The only person he was talking to was his sister. She was the only one visiting him in dorms, giving him the allowance and some packed food.

“We're late,” Jungwon said as he emerges from the bathroom. “I thought it's a good thing you woke up early, but it's not.”

Sunoo didn't speak as he took his bag on the bed and stood up, getting ready to go to their first class. Both him and Jungwon left the dorms in rush, running through the light snow falling from the skies.

They soon part ways as Sunoo turned to his building and Jungwon continued running off.

“Sunoo!”

Sunoo couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Everyone's rushing to their room and there's this freshman still waiting for him in the hallway.

Sunoo looked around, he finally slowed down when he sees no student around the corner.

“You shouldn't say no to a gift,” the freshman said as he pushed a neatly wrapped box in Sunoo's hand.

Sunoo couldn't even argue as the freshman placed his finger on his lips.

“I'm late, bye,” The freshman said before Sunoo could even speak.

The freshman ran away, leaving him confuse on the hallway. His eyes staring at the box covered in black wrapper sitting on his hand.

+++

The first thing Riki did upon entering the cafeteria is finding the table where Sunoo and his friend is sitting. A smile formed on his lips as he saw the box placed on their table.

At least, Sunoo didn't threw it away.

“Everytime I see that smile, I'm having bad feelings. What is it this time?” Jay asked, purposely bumping into Riki's shoulder as he walk past him towards their usual table.

Jake stood beside Riki, scanning the crowd as well.

“I also do nice things, you know,” Riki said, following Jay.

“That I never know of,” Jay said.

“Jake, side on me,” Riki pleads, looking back at Jake.

The three men sat on their usual table with their tray of food.

“I never received anything from you except that one salvaged doll last Halloween,” Jake said, shivering as he remember the face of the doll.

Jay laughs as Riki only rolled his eyes.

“I'll feed your dog chocolates one of these days,” Riki said, pursing his lips.

“Riki!”

“Yes, I'm not doing it,” Riki gave up as soon as he saw Jay's glaring eyes. “You're no fun, doesn't know how to joke.”

Jake only laughs at them. He's totally used to these kinds of bickering from the two.

+++

Sunoo stopped writing as soon as his eyes caught the black box sitting on the corner of his bed. He still didn't know what's inside and he's kinda afraid to open it.

He stood up from his seat and walks toward his bed. He picked up the box and tried to shake it near his ear. A plastic can be heard from inside.

Sunoo  sighed as he sits down on his bed. Jungwon was out somewhere again, probably to check on the stray cat he always visit outside the university.

He delicately removed the black wrapper, revealing a plain box. He slowly opened it with one of his eyes close. He can't trust the freshman, what if something scary is inside?

“Nah,” Sunoo said as he opened his other eye.

He took the plastic out, it's a black jacket. It was not too thick but not thin as well, just perfect for the current weather.

“From Riki,” Sunoo reads what's written on a small sticky note.

Sunoo was about to try and fit the jacket, until a familiar voice rings on his head.

“Black suits you, it will make you invisible from the crowd and no one will ever see you again.”

He stared at the jacket in his hands.

Sunoo doesn't like black clothes.

He used to wear bright colored clothes. He likes to shine whenever and wherever. He loved attentions and praises. He was friendly and nice. Not until one person gave him a black shirt as a gift.

Sunoo started wearing the same color of clothes, hoping it will make him hidden from any attentions of people.

Receiving it again gave Sunoo the flashback of sad and painful memories from the past. As if someone wanted to crush all the confidence left in him. A confidence that he tried to build by himself for years.

Sunoo shoved the jacket inside the box, not even bothering to make it neat. His tears already falling off his eyes to his cheeks.

Nothing is more painful than everyone wanting him to hide away from the things he dearly loved. Why is everyone against his existence?

+++

A/N: As I move chapter after chapters in writing try-hard, I am rethinking my decision of not tagging it in a matured content. I myself gets emotional in every revelation there is in the plot.

I hate what I write but I can't help it. Books can't be good if there's no hurdles in characters life, right?

I take back what I wrote on the disclaimer, it will be angst but not until the end.

tengyu_