Those Who Are Dead | KTH 🔞

13| White Lies

Paris grins at the idea, a dreamy look on her face.

"Ugh, just imagine all the fun I would have," she says, closing her eyes bordered in thick turquoise eyeliner, "I can already see it; me on a terrace somewhere with a glass of rosé and the Eiffel Tower in the background... Just one year left and I can do whatever I want! There is also such a romantic feel to a girl named Paris in a city that bears her name."

"Isn't it the other way around?" I chuckle, "You, bearing the name of the city, and not the opposite?"

We're interrupted when some guys run into the corridor, shoving everyone out of the way so they can race to be the first ones in line to get tacos.

"I seriously can't wait to be out of here," groans Crystal as she dusts her shirt.

We all enter the cafeteria together, or refectory, as the school calls it, and sit down at our usual table, near the windows. Our clique is part of the cool kids' group, so we have the privilege to sit in the brightest part of the cafeteria, away from the kitchen and stinky food fryers. A kind of hierarchy has installed itself over the years, and usually, the closer you are to the kitchen, the more socially inept you are considered.

Of course, the furthest table is reserved for the nobility, aka Taehyung and co. but they're not here yet. Another tradition is that they always arrive fashionably late to lunch, probably to take-in the effect they have on the crowd when they walk in.

"What about you?" chimes Crystal, looking at me, "What are you going to do next year?"

"I don't know," I tell her, nails clicking on the wooden table and looking down at my tomato sandwich.

"Is this about Hoseok?" Crystal asks and I grit my teeth, "Because you're way too smart to stay in this shit-town for the rest of your life because of a boy."

I press my lips together, holding my cheeks with my hands.

"It's not just about Hoseok. I don't want to leave my dad all alone..."

Crystal shakes her head, then takes a sip of her smoothie.

"I feel like every word coming out of your mouth is a huge downgrade for women's rights. You don't want to be that girl, staying behind for some men."

"Some men? give her a break," intervenes Paris, "If I was in love, I would never let him out of my sight. That shit is precious! Especially these days, with all the dumb fuckers going around," she pats my shoulder, smiling widely at me, "I think it's adorable you think about staying here for your two daddies."

I choke on my carrots, erupting in a fit of giggles.

"Please don't say something like that ever again."

"I'm sorry but she's right, Hoseok is totally a daddy," Crystal adds, smirking at me.

I shake my head, feeling myself blush.

"And you Crystal, what are you doing next year?"

She thinks for a second, eyes narrowed, and crimson lips pursed. Her short platinum hair is held in place by shiny pins on her temples, diamond studs glinting faintly every time she turns her head. With her pointy face and wide brown eyes she looks rather mischievous.

However, instead of answering my question, her gaze focuses on a point behind me, her lips parting in silent astonishment as she stares. I turn around, directing my gaze towards the door. As usual, the cafeteria suddenly falls quiet, people staring as they walk in confidently.

Taehyung is in the front, joking around with Jimin, brown curls falling over his forehead and delicate pianist hands holding the cardigan he should be wearing on top of his shirt but isn't. As usual, he's subtly breaking the dress code, but everybody, even the supervisors and the teachers, are going to ignore it. I take my sweet time to stare at him, my gaze drifting to his tall, statuesque figure and the way his shirt hugs his shoulders.