'Can all passengers willing to disembark from platform one please make their way to platform four as exits on the first end have been shut off due to road works. I repeat, can all passengers willing to disembark from platform one please make their way to platform four as exits on the first end have been shut off due to road works, thank you' said a woman over the speakers scattered across the train station.
After what seemed like forever, the school day had finally came to an end and Seungmin was finally left alone by Changbin and his pink pen. Not much had happened, but one thing that didn't ring with him was the fact that he had not seen Bangchan at all today. No sight, no words from Han that he was present and most interestingly, no texts from the guy himself. He has been sick during school before, and the majority of time, all he did was spam Seungmin with a bunch of ping pong videos and wolf emojis.
But not today. Definitely not today.
Today was much more silent than Seungmin initially expected.
Standing next to a red vending machine full of Coke and Sprite, Seungmin opened his messages app only to come face to face with no new messages or replies. He clicked on his inbox with Bangchan, but nothing was new. The most latest one being the messages he sent before they met up the night before.
Maybe he didn't want to turn up because of Seungmin. Maybe because Seungmin really has screwed over big time.
'Hey Seugmin' a voice said from the entrance to the platform, making him turn around to see Hyunjin with his brown satchel on his left arm.
Holy-
What on earth is he doing? Why is he even talking to Seungmin in the first place after what he did?
'You...you never do this-'
'Do what?'
'Talk to me. This is the first time catching the train that-'
'I decided to talk to you? Yeah, that is true. Jeongin told me it's best to start talking to you considering what happened last night. He thought it's best if I "strengthen" my relationship with you rather than run away from it considering we do catch the same train'
Jeongin? That eleventh grader is really telling Hyunjin around? The Hyunjin? What on earth is happening between them to make Hyunjin this soft in the process?
'Jeongin? The eleventh grader from our school, he's the one that is making you do this? Why though, of all people?'
'I have to pay him back anyway-'
'Pay him back with what? A leading stand in the social circle of our school or a book on calculus?'
'It's...it's not something you want to know about' he replied, watching as their train started pulling up to the platform they both stood on.
'Are you sure?'
'I'm quite sure, Seungmin. By the way, I think you're phone's going off' Hyunjin replied, looking at Seungmin's bag as the train slowed down to the same pace as a normal person walking.
Seungmin could also hear the sounds of notifications popping up on his phone, and it wasn't until he took it out of his bag, that the train had opened it's doors to the public. Hyunjin walked in but stopped as soon as he saw Seungmin outside, trying to turn his phone on. Pressing the on button, Seungmin could see not one, but multiple text messages from the same person and at the same time.
Any guesses who the person may be?
'Bangchan' Seungmin said to himself, as the train's horn went off too signify that it was about to leave and close it's doors.
What on earth was he doing texting at hours like this? And why so sudden after such a long break of silence between the two?
Seungmin had hundreds of questions to type to him, but the train and Hyunjin had different ideas. Much more different ideas.
'Seungmin, come on and get in. The train's going to close it's doors now!' Hyunjin said from the closest door to Seungmin, making the guy look up only to find the conductor going into the train.
Shoot.
The doors began to close right before Seungmin's eyes and Hyunjin started drifting out of view from where Seungmin stood. And it was without hesitation that Seungmin bolted for the door Hyunjin stood at that he just slipped through before the door closed. His impact also shook the carriage as well, and it made an old lady look over in quite a scare with her husband right beside her. Seungmin let out puffs of exhaustion and Hyunjin did'nt seem all that impressed.
'Is your phone really more important than the four o'clock train?' Hyunjin asked, watching as Seungmin put his back against the train's left wall in tiredness.
'He...texted me' Seungmin replied, stopping for breathes in between his words.
'Who's "he?"
'Bangchan...you talked to him when you were smoking last week I think...'
'Oh right...what's up with him then? Has he been ignoring you or something?' Hyunjin asked, crossing his arms as they stood there beside the entrance while the train began to pick up speed.
'It's not that...well, sort of-'
'Excuse me, gentlemen' a man said, as he stood between both Seungmin and Hyunjin at the same time. He was in a full uniform fit for a worker, and both of the boys could tell he wasn't here for nothing.
'You too are blocking the exit so please, make way. And I want to see both of your tickets present so I can verify them' he continued, getting a device from his belt and holding it out for both Hyunjin and Seungmin to use.
Without protesting, both of the boys held out their tickets and the man scanned them straight away before clipping the item to the side of his belt once more.
'Now, you too should go find a seat before you both fall over on the turn coming up'
'Right, we will now' Hyunjin replied, bowing slightly down before holding Seungmin by the arm and pulling him over to the next row of vacant seats. And away from the conductor who had just approached them.
'He gave me a shock' Seungmin replied, putting his bag down to where his feet sat, rooted to the carpet floor.
'Yeah, same for me. Now, continue your conversation or I'll pop a smoke'
'Excuse me?'
'You heard me, I want in on the gossip. But if not-'
'Then you'll pop a smoke yeah yeah okay...wait, isn't smoking not allowed on closed trains though?-'
'Come on Seungmin-'
'Okay fine, but let me see what he said first' Seungmin replied defiantly, finally turning on his phone to see what Bangchan had typed just earlier.
Opening the messages app, Seungmin could not help but feel surprised at the message right before his eyes. For one thing, it was awfully simple and a lot less longer than what Bangchan sends him on a day to day basis. Secondly, he didn't even seem to turn off the common passage like normal and instead, he was straight to the point and precise (no "how are you going" or "are you alright today" present in the text.
It was just a simple sentance, nothing less.
"Meet me at the park where we dumped the wine and make it quick. You can't turn me down now, I've already asked a thousand times" Seungmin read, making Hyunjin try and look over to the screen which Seungmin blocked him from doing.
'So, what did he text?' Hyunjin asked, sitting back down in his seat comfortably.
'He...'
Shit, shit shit shit. No, there is just no way Hyunjin can get in on this now.
'He...he wants me to come over to his place tomorrow evening' Seungmin replied, turning his phone off while saying so.
'Really? He talks to you that direct after what, how long of ignorance again?'
Slightly ignoring what Hyunjin had just said, Seungmin took his time to peer over rows upon rows of seats only to find the next stop coming up. And to his luck, it was one of the main ones.
And also the one that lead straight to the park.
Looking to the window that showed the stop coming up, Seungmin put his phone in his pant's pocket and put his satchel's strap on his right shoulder, ready to get up and disembark.
'This is my stop, Hyunjin. I'll see you later' Seungmin replied, getting up with his satchel and leaving Hyunjin at the row of seats without looking back.
'What? No it isn't, ours is after this one, Parkway-'
'It's a last minute call, bye Hyunjin' he replied, standing next to the door they came through as the train stopped ever so slightly.
'But, it's like a five kilometer walk home and it's nearing twilight-'
'Bye' Seungmin said, as he turned around and waved to the boy who seemed nothing but visually lost before him.
'Bye Seungmin' he replied in an unsure voice, as Seungmin disembarked from the train without looking back to see his face.
The situation told Hyunjin that Seungmin could'nt of heard him and so in response, Hyunjin lugged his satchel onto the vacant seat to his left and flipped out his phone.
The situation also told him it was a great time to text Jeongin.
And a good time to reply to all of those hearts he sent just before hopping on the train.
╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮
As soon as Seungmin walked down the concrete steps after departing from the train, he could already tell that time was slowing walking away from his eyes. The sun had already began to set and looking around the park, all of the children, mothers and fathers were already gone before his very own eyes. Not a single person was in the park besides the train station and looking back as the train took off, Seungmin could'nt help but feel a bit uneased. It seemed so cold and lonely after stepping onto the concrete path as he made his way through the park by himself.
Maybe Hyunjin was right, maybe it was best if he got off at his normal stop. Maybe then he would of had Hyunjin to keep him company for a bit.
'Bangchan owes me big time for making me do this during the night' Seungmin thought, as he crossed his arms to stop himself from freezing.
'He owes me big time for making me walk all the way to that park...'