extraordinary disaster || baek kyung

14. hopeless

Kyung's jaw clenches, and he feels the urge to lunge for the boy.

"Kyung?"

Something switches within him upon the soft enquiry. Lila tugs his elbow, and the tension in his shoulders dissipates as he looks back.

She smiles encouragingly. Baek Kyung sighs, rolling his eyes. He steps away from Haru.

"Let's go," Lila instructs, surprised at the fact that he allows her to pull him away from the two extras.

"They're acting like the protagonists now." Kyung scoffs.

Lila releases his arm when they reach the end of the corridor.

"So far you haven't exactly been the nicest person on or off the stage. Haru's just being protective."

Kyung chuckles humourlessly. "Haru this, Haru that. That's all I've fucking heard today."

"Watch it. That's my cousin."

"Since when? A few stages ago." He scoffs. "Lila get a fucking grip-"

"You see." She sighs exasperatedly. "This is why I try to distance myself from you. You're just mean."

Kyung baulks at her confession. Lila folds her arms. "Apologise to Dan Oh when you next see her. And stop your hostility with Haru. You think what you want but my dad and I love him a great deal so I'd appreciate it if you left him alone."

She shoulders past him with a withering glare.

✎✎✎✎✎✎✎

"Lila-ah, the exams are out." Lee Yangsam shouts from the classroom window.

Lila glances up from watering the trumpet creepers.

"Coming." She calls, setting the watering can down.

She couldn't care less about exams, none of them had a future anyway. Nevertheless, she had promised Dohwa to be more involved with the school in the shadow.

"I bet Namjoo came first again."

"Wasn't Namjoo was busy at a Seuline event?" Lila drawls

Her classmates immediately part around the board as they notice her presence in the doorway. She makes her way throw the gap, halting in front of the board. Lila glances at the top and smirks.

As if no one could read the results until she entered, the class suddenly erupted with shock.

"Kyung didn't come first."

'Who did then?"

"Lila of course." Yang Il scoffs.

"And...Haru?!" Soochul gasps as he bursts through the crowd.

"That reminds me," Kim Ban Jang, the class president, directs at Haru. "Teacher told me to have you fill in Dan Oh on the stuff she missed."

"I'll do it." Kyung declares.

"But our teacher-"

"He asked me. I'll do it." Haru determines.

Lila rolls her eyes. "I'll do it. I came first."

"So did I," Haru complains.

"I came joint first with Namjoo last time too. Beat my streak and then come talk." Lila smirks.

Hijack!

Lila frowns as Shin Saemi collapses on the floor, Dan Oh's heart monitor beeping like crazy on her wrist. Baek Kyung races towards the crowd.