Redamancy

03

"So...?"

The deafening silence was too loud and obviously unusual for the kid like Eric who definitely did not have any seal on his mouth. Sunwoo found it abnormal to have his friend in this state - brows knitted, eyes squinted and lips partly agape.

But, what exactly he expected? He was the reason of such a sight.

Between the classes they had today, the two decided to fill their stomachs with cafeteria's foods in which of course were paid by Eric. Upon entering the area, Sunwoo's breath hitched in his throat, making him look like a fish without water just because of the glimpse of the girl he had fallen in love with.

And so, here the two were, stalking. They obviously could've walked to the table Soobin was sitting at and maybe greeting her like a normal human instead of being a predator behind the bush, eyeing for their prey.

However, that seemed impossible because the girl wasn't alone and her male friend - the squirrel look-alike, was with her in the most scariest picture. It seemed like there was an imaginary bubble hanging over his head, written inside; Beware, he bites.

Well that was scary.

To answer the curiosity why they ended up stalking: Eric kept claiming that Soobin was a familiar face.

"I'm sure I've seen her somewhere.." Eric pondered as he tried to recall where and when had he seen her. "Why can't I remember the details?"

"Look again," Sunwoo draped his arm around Eric's shoulder, pulling him closer as their eyes darted on the girl who was reading while her scary friend was eating. "Look thoroughly Eric. That expensive style on that cute face. You definitely have seen her."

"Really?" Eric looked at him.

"Mhm.." Sunwoo smugly confirmed, pointing towards Soobin's direction. "My future girlfriend. You're looking at her."

Eric scoffed before he hit his friend on the chest, "shut up! You're no help."

"I'm saying the fact," Sunwoo rubbed the sore spot, his full lips protruding as Eric flipped his hair to express his disappointment.

What a great combination - a delusional boy and a drama king, perfect.

It was then, the real situation happened when Soobin and her friend rose up from their seats to leave. The two did the beeline towards the exit in which with no other choice, they would be passing by the boys' table.

It would really be a question and would raise a suspicion that the two were stalking her - if she noticed them there, because why would they sit there without any foods on the table?

And they definitely couldn't get caught.

As her figure came nearing, Eric had pulled his hoodie up, hoping that his handsome face would be covered well. But Sunwoo definitely didn't have such a thing, thanks to his plan to wear a leather jacket to campus this morning.

"Give me something," he nervously requesting just for anything his friend might have, but obviously Eric couldn't help.

Maybe if the two stayed still, not doing unnecessary movement, none of the older would've noticed them there. But the damage had been done, Soobin's squirrel friend who had very keen eyes, immediately noticed the loud kids.

"Aren't you the weird boy?" his halt by the table as he pointed towards Sunwoo had Soobin halted along, sparing a glance as well. "Right Chae...?"

He also was calling her surname, the first thing Sunwoo caught.

"He's the boy right? The one who ran into you the other day," the older male paused before adding, "who look like an alligator."

Eric snorted at the given nickname, while Sunwoo bitterly chuckled, "I'm sorry w-"

"Changmin.." before Sunwoo could complain any, Soobin called her friend with a tone that obviously was warning. She shook her head as their eyes met, before she sternly said, "didn't I tell you to be nice with people?"

That squirrel guy - Changmin, had his weight supported by the table as he bent forward, both hands against the surface. His glare was kinda sharp that it might kill the boys in an instant.

"I can't trust youngsters that easily," his gaze flickered from Eric who was gulping, then to Sunwoo whose pupils were wavering. "I can smell troubles from them."

"Excuse me.." Eric hesitantly raised a palm in the air, hoping to be given a chance to speak. Changmin granted him one in which the younger asked, "what are you? A lion? How can you smell something unseen?"

The flare all over Changmin's body obviously was visible and it was bright red. Hadn't it, Soobin might have not pulled her friend farther from the poor boy and Sunwoo won't be covering Eric's mouth with his palm.

"Sorry about him." Both Sunwoo and Soobin said in unison which had earned some weird looks from the other two.

Eric, whose mouth was being covered by Sunwoo's hand sharply eyeing the two, while Changmin pondered, not quite registered why Soobin was now cackling.

"Didn't know we are sharing the same brain cells," she joked.

"I don't mind sharing anyways..." Sunwoo added in a very low tone, meaning in to be private and confidential. But Eric definitely heard him, the boy almost throwing up.

It was then, Changmin chose to be an evil, pulling the girl away from the table, in which Sunwoo's smile dropped almost instantly, as well as his palm over Eric's mouth. The list of why he hated this squirrel guy unfortunately had been added with a new line.

Sunwoo probably was thinking that Changmin just wanted to mess up. Nonetheless, the real reason was: it just didn't feel right to see Soobin smiling ever so endearing towards strangers.

"Sunwoo is not a stranger," she assured the boy who had a tight face after questioning how she knew the name. "He's working with Chanhee. Now, calm down Changmin."

Like he was some sort of robot that had been programmed, he obeyed, the tense expression was now calm. At this, Sunwoo couldn't help assuming that Chae Soobin really had a power. A sassy type like Chanhee, and the irrational type like Changmin also gotta be controlled so easily by her, it piqued his interest to see more in the future.

What kind of surprise would she bring?

It was then, Changmin had his hands pocketed as he looked down at the two youngers. The deep dimple on his cheek suddenly made its appearance when his smile outstretched across his face - such an effort to look friendly.

"If you guys are not strangers, then I should be welcoming you well," he said that honestly didn't seem logic in the two youngers' point of view. But of course, none of them were brave enough to retaliate out loud.

"He's insane..." Eric however, managed to whisper into Sunwoo's ear.

Maybe Soobin was sensing the same thing, her face was telling. The way she scrunched her face as her eyes darted to the high ceiling were too obvious to conclude that her friend was rambling. Or Changmin was trying to find something to look cool.

To prevent any unnecessary thing from happening, Soobin tugged on Changmin's sleeve, beckoning him to leave.

"They surely have few classes after this, so we should leave now," she effortlessly pushed him forward, the boy himself almost seemed like flying. Soobin glanced over the other two, an apologetic expression on her face. "See you later at the cafe, Sunwoo.."

Heart attack.

Sunwoo could feel his heart skipped some beats in every steps she made leaving the place. He felt like flying as well, unable to stand on the hard ground. Was it a dream? Chae Soobin wanted to see him again at the cafe?

"She's just saying because it's the routine. You two will be met again in the same setting later," Eric pointed out, disagreed with the daydream Sunwoo had. "Don't be delusional."

Delusional? What was that? A snack to be eaten? 

Because what had he seen was only a bright future, a completion: the beach for the sea, the fleshes for the nails, the beats for the heart, the moon for the stars, the clouds for the sky.

And above all, the Soobin for the Sunwoo.