Chapter 5
Keychain
Jungwon's point of View
Jay Hyung insisted on driving me to school today, too, but I refused him. I'm afraid that I'm troubling him too much. I feel like I do since the first day I moved in the dorm. I somehow felt apologetic and bad for him.
When I think of it, All he did these past weeks is to assist me, take me to places I need to know and make me comfortable while adjusting to this new world and life when he doesn't need to.
Honestly, I did not expect him to be such a warm person, Especially when we first met during my moving day.
When I saw him after the door opened, I would be lying if I said I didn't felt any intimidation because that's precisely what I felt. And seems like it's a feeling I will never overcome around him.
His presence is just too overwhelming for me. The cold aura he radiates that day to now still sends chills to me. He still does by just looking at me with those cold pair eyes of his.
I'm now looking at the keychain Jay Hyung gave me during my first day of school. I always think it's his way of saying 'good luck to me. He's a man of few words and instead expresses himself through actions. Staying with him made me learn that about him.
It's an eagle bird keychain that suits him. It's now dangling on my bag like what he wants me to do. Just like him and his appearance, the vintage keychain made out of metal also looks simple yet intimidatingly, strong at the same time.
"Jungwon, Professor Kim wants you to his office." A seatmate of mine, Dan, told me. I gave him a nod before walking through the office.
Miraculously making friends here isn't hard like what I imagined before moving here. I'm always anxious and worried about that.
I arrived at the office and saw Mr. Kim at his table. I knocked thrice before entering the faculty room.
"Dan told me you want to see me, Sir," I said politely.
He just nodded while checking the pile of papers on his table. "Help me distribute this to class and collect it before classes end today, give it back to me," he instructed, then gave me a handful of papers,
I gave him a small smile and nodded. "Okay, Sir, I will," I replied as I get the papers. I waited for him to dismiss me if he still had something to ask me, but he just signaled me to go, so I did.
I was now walking on the corridor when some guy blocked my way. I look at him in little surprise but not taken aback. He seems harmless even he looks pretty serious while eyeing me. Even though with that eyes, I don't really think I have to be on guard, Another thing is we're inside the school, and no one would obviously dare to create ruckus in a broad daylight.
"Do you need something?" I asked him, inquiring rather than sounding provoking and fresco.
His eyes blinked, but still looked at me with grimace. Puzzled, I only I could do is smile awardly not knowing what's that for and what to do. "Uhmm, if you don't need anything, I'll go first." I told him then showed him the papers. Personally, I don't like having things in my hands.
I was about to leave him when "You have this keychain, right?" He asked while showing his phone to me.
I can't help but frown in confusion while looking at him.
"Look at this," he added, then moved his phone closer to my eye level.
I glanced at him again when I saw the picture of the familiar keychain, No other than the vintage eagle keychain Jay Hyung gave me.
I don't even know why my heart is racing right now. I also feel nervous for some unknown reason. He doesn't look like a bully who steals things from his classmates or schoolmates, but it made me think twice about telling him the truth.
In the end, I decided to tell the truth " I have exact looking one." I answered instead of 'I have it." just in case he lost his and suspecting mine as his.
I could see frustration and annoyance in his expression, then he glared at me as if I did something wrong. 'What's wrong with this kid?' I can't help but say that at the back of my mind.
"What do you mean exactly looking one?" he asked upset, "Hyung is annoying," he whined.
I don't know who Hyung he is referring to, but if it's me, he's definitely more annoying.
"Nishimura! It's almost time for the next class." A boy called him, Not exactly in a friendly tone nor rude one, he looked at him then glanced at me again,
"I'm closer to him than you! Why he gave it to you instead?" he said, then ran away after glaring at me once more. If just glares could kill, I'll be probably lifeless now.
"Aish! that little, What is he even saying," I murmured, then went back to the classroom.
I distributed the paper. It was a survey form about school facilities... After giving one to everyone, "Kindly answer it now and give it to me when you finish. We need to submit it after class." I announced. They just nodded and started doing their own things.
I just sat in my seat when Dan handed me his paper. "Something happened?" he asked.
I'm thinking why he's suddenly asking me that, then I remembered what happened just a while ago. "Ah, that? you saw what happened in the hallway?" I asked him back.
He just nodded. "That kid, don't go close to him." He said, sounding like it's a warning.
I let out a little laugh. "So that guy is really a bully?" I commented, Still can't believe he is when he looks like a normal harmless one even with those sharp eyes.
"He's not!" he corrected firmly while looking at me with those dead eyes of him.
I stopped laughing when he said that, but there was still glimpse of a smile on my lips until he said, "But the opposite."
I'm on my way now to my part-time job but still thinking about that guy.
Dan did not say it directly, but I know so well what he means when he said "The opposite." That guy is apparently being bullied.
I tried to get it out of my head, I continued walking together with other students wearing the same uniform. I decided to just listen to music, but before I could even pull out my earphone, I suddenly felt heavy arms wrapping around my shoulder.
I was about to confirm who it was, but before I could do it, he put all his weight on me and jumped, making us almost lose both of our balance and dive on the ground.
I glared at him after I recovered. It was the guy a while ago, the keychain guy with a Japanese name, I couldn't remember.
What does he want from me this time? He looks at my bag and looks at me again. I tried to remove his arms around me, only for him to wrap it again on my shoulder, so I just let him be.
He seems calmer right now and his eyes was a lot more friendlier than a while ago. "You really have it, huh? Lucky you," he said while looking at the eagle keychain dangling on the side of my bag.
I was again reminded of what Dan told me just a while ago, I'm aware he told me not to involve with him, not to be bullied with him, but instead of feeling afraid of those things, I actually felt nothing,
Maybe because those feelings aren't new to me, and I experienced it myself, the hostility of people and being bullied.
Perhaps I learned something scarier and cruel than those, and I know so well he's going through that right now.
Maybe I knew so well being alone and not having someone by my side are scarier than being bullied.
Other students kept looking at us. I checked our back if there was something suspicious or bad eyes around us. Gladly it was just eyes.
"Oh! Sorry, right.. you must be afraid too," he said and distanced himself from me.
I continued walking but noticed he stopped walking from there when I turned my back to check him.
For some reason, it doesn't just feel right to me. Looking at him with that okay expression on his face when he's clearly not, I find it very uncomfortable to watch.
The more I look at him, the more I realize that he's upfront is strong enough to cover it, but his eyes aren't.
I halted walking and turned back to face him. "Afraid of what?" I asked him casually, "If you want to walk and talk with me, you can just do and say so." I added enough for him to hear. "Why do you need to cling on my shoulder? that's risky." I continued sounding like scolding him.
I saw him suppressing his smile but failed miserably. He ran to me like a child who's excited to have a new playmate. I just laughed and waited for him.
We're now halfway to the convenience store where I am working part-time, he said he's going to eat there for a bit before going home, so I just let him tag along.
"Hyung, why you changed your mind?" He asked in almost a dead tone seems like sinking in his own thoughts.
I peeped at him and saw him looking at the ground, Nothing on him says he's having a hard time, but the way he acts tells me he does. I gave him a gentle pat on his back.
It's not that I changed my mind. I never made a decision in the first place.
"Because I know someone has to do it," I replied. "If it's not me, you're still going to wait for one, don't you?" I asked him, he just stayed silent, "So I decided instead of making you wait for more, I will be that one instead." I added.
I know because I did myself as if it was my last hope to survive.
This time he smiled and turned his back at me for a second, I saw him simply wiping something on his eyes, but I pretended not to see it.
After minutes of silence, "He said you will do it no matter what." Suppressing a smile with watery eyes, "Hyung said I should try and find you to see." he added, then laughed.
I was about to ask him who he was referring to, but he started panicking and checking his body even before I could do that.
He pulled out his phone and said, 'Oh! I'm doomed! Hyung, I need to go. My mom is looking for me!" in a hurry.
I don't even know if he's lying or not, but I just nodded and let him go and watch him run away.
He looked at me again in the distance and shouted, "Hyung! I'm glad I did!" as he waved me goodbye once more before continue running again.
Just then, things became more clearer to me,
He didn't lose his own keychain. It's not the keychain he's after at but me. It was the keychain that gave us connection, and he's referring to Jay Hyung.
I don't even know why Jay Hyung did that, Nor why he's so sure and confident that I'm not gonna push him away.
I'm just thankful that he's seen me as a good person, that he believes and trusts me enough to share and entrust his friends and people with me.
And I really do, meant that.