youth | chensung

4

"Jisung, do you want breakfast?" I woke up from my sleep when Aunt Jihan knocked on my bedroom door. I jumped out of my bed, leaping towards the window in search of Chenle, only to see a Mercedes-Benz driving away. 

Aecha must've just left. I thought. I wasn't very familiar with the girl, but I was talking to one of her friends at one point during the last semester and had my handful of run-ins with her from time to time. "Jisung?" Aunt Jihan called again. I stayed there, staring out my window until Jihan let herself in. 

"Oh, you're up." She seemed happy that I wasn't planning to spend all my time away from school sleeping. I turned around to greet her. Her shoulder length hair was in a ponytail that swayed slightly as she walked further into my room. She stopped infront of me, brushing my untamed bangs out of my eyes.

"Good morning, I made breakfast if you're hungry. I was just about to go to work." She walked over to my bed, making it for me. "Gongsung is staying home from work today, so he'll be here if you need anything." She added, adjusting my pillow. "Thanks." I said, quietly. I didn't know why I always felt awkward when Aunt Jihan did nice things for me, but for some reason I couldn't just accept her kind actions like a normal person. 

"Well, I'll be going now." She paused. "Have a nice day." She smiled before leaving my room. I stood there, blankly until she was out of sight and the door closed itself behind her. After I heard Aunt Jihan close the front door and watched her walk to the car and drive away, I quietly snuck into the kitchen to get breakfast. 

I really didn't feel like having an awkward, one-sided conversation with Gongsung, so I stayed as quiet as possible, creeping into the kitchen. Just as I started to think that I had succeeded in sneaking away, Gongsung approached me.

"Morning, Kiddo. I'm gonna head out for a hang out with 'the boys' later. Care to join us?" He was dressed casually in a navy Polo shirt and khaki pants. Gongsung put a firm hand on my shoulder just for me to brush off. 

"No thanks. I'll pass." I said, carrying the plate of breakfast to my room. "Oh, you must be hungry. I can wait for you to finish eating if you want." He smiled at me in a friendly way, but I could see right through his act. 

A few nights ago, I overheard Aunt Jihan talking to Gongsung about how I don't hang out with many boys and she was worried I wouldn't be able to make guy friends, so she asked Gongsung to invite me to go with him and his friends the next time they hung out. I knew Gongsung didn't like me, so he honestly surprised me by making the effort of asking, though he knew I would say no.

"I'm good." I replied, dryly. "You sure? C'mon, we never hang out together as two guys. I think you'll have fun." Gongsung insisted.

I knew what his friends were like. All of them drank too much alcohol, their words were always slurred when they weren't busy sniffing cocaine. 

I though back on how Aunt Jihan was worried about my social life and gave in. "Fine." Gongsung grinned. "Sookyung will be here to pick me up in an hour." He pat me on the shoulder and left me to go do something else. Probably to sniff more cocaine.

After going back to my room to eat, I though Gongsung had forgotten about me until he came knocking on my bedroom door. "Are you ready?" I heard him call from the other side of the wall. "Yeah." I answered, lazily, getting off my bed and swinging the door open. I was not looking forward to this, at all. 

I stepped out to see Gongsung standing in front of my door with a heavy-looking backpack slung over his shoulder. "What's that for?" I asked him, considering the fact that he never left with any kind of bag. "You'll see later. Are you ready?" I shrugged. "Let's get going then."