La colère est un acide qui peut faire plus de mal au récipient dans lequel il est stocké que n'importe quel objet sur lequel il est versé.
Translation: "Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured"
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In the heart of the tight-knit neighborhood, where houses stood shoulder to shoulder, a sudden interruption broke the usual flow: the jarring sound of a luxury car grinding to a halt. Amidst the close community, where privacy was a luxury few could afford, the arrival of such fancy wheels was as unexpected as finding a pearl in an oyster. As the car paused at the neighborhood's entrance, its path blocked by the congested streets, Hyunjin smoothly applied the brakes, his gaze shifting to Aera beside him, her fingers restless with unease.
With a subtle raise of his eyebrows, the blonde captures her attention. As she lifts her gaze, she finds herself met by his curious stare. The luxurious interior of the car complements the blonde's stylish appearance perfectly, his branded clothing oozing wealth, making her stand out like a sore thumb next to Hyunjin. The blonde appears ethereal, his midnight eyes aglow with the radiant touch of sunlight, his plush lips resembling the softest, most velvety clouds.
Breaking free from her wild thoughts, she cleared her throat. "Uh, I'll just walk from here. Thanks for the ride." With a small smile and a shake of his head, the blonde responded, "Sure thing. Just go on inside. I'll be heading back."
Giving a nod, the girl clicked open the door and was about to exit the car when she turned back. "Are you going back to school?" she inquired. With a firm nod, the blonde affirmed, "Yeah, but I won't be going to class today. I've got to see Lix."
Hearing that, the girl's mood shifted. With a determined expression, she slammed the car door and moved closer to the startled blonde. Wrapping her arms tightly around him, she buried her face in his chest, taking in his comforting chocolate scent to soothe her racing heartbeats. "Hyunjin, thank you for everything," she whispered softly. "I'm going through a rough patch right now, and I really appreciate you being there for me and taking care of me. Now that I think about it..." Lifting her face from his chest and meeting his shocked gaze, their faces inches apart, she hesitantly stared at his lips. "I..... I owe you a lot. Since you're already here, how about coming inside?"
Collecting himself, the blonde pushed the black-haired girl aside, his lips tightening as he murmured, "Aera, I'm not comfortable with physical contact. Please respect that and don't do it again." Ignoring her gaze, he started the car and urged, "Please leave now, and take care."
Aera's heart sank, her determined facade crumbling into sorrow as tears filled her eyes. "H-Hyun, do you really hate me?" she choked out, her voice trembling with sadness.
Startled by the sound of sobbing, the blonde quickly turned his head, unsure of what to say. "No, no! That's not it at all! Please, don't cry," he said, his tone filled with concern. Aera shook her head, brushing away her tears with her sleeves. She placed her palms on his, intertwining her fingers with his, noticing how perfectly they fit together. Pouting, she questioned, "Then why won't you come inside? Is it because this neighborhood doesn't meet your standards and makes you uncomfortable?"
Baffled, the blonde shook his head, attempting to speak, only to be interrupted mid-sentence. "Hyunjin, please, just come with me. Let's grab some coffee, and then you can go," she urged. Letting out a heavy sigh, the blonde reluctantly nodded, his lips forming a thin line. With the girl now beaming with happiness, she hugged him tightly, declaring, "You're the best!" before stepping out of the car and gesturing for him to join her.
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Adjacent to the expansive cooking council room stood a lavish, modern kitchen adorned with the latest gadgets and luxurious touches. Hanging from the center of the ceiling was a stunning golden chandelier, bathing the luxurious space in a warm, golden glow. Within the vast space lay a smart refrigerator tucked away in the corner. Behind sleek glass doors, stainless steel appliances gleamed under soft lighting. With voice-activated assistants and smart home controls, this kitchen transcends mere functionality, it's a hub for creativity and innovation. The inviting ambiance enveloped everyone inside, inspiring them to turn every meal into a culinary adventure.
With a soft smile, the brunette glanced around the kitchen and sighed. "I should've come here earlier. It looks so inviting," he mused. Nodding in agreement, Harin stood beside him, humming softly. Their peaceful moment in the kitchen was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Turning around, they spotted three figures heading their way-two familiar faces and one stranger. The pair raised curious eyebrows at the tall, muscular boy with a nerdy hairstyle and glasses, whose appearance seemed to convey an unfriendly vibe.
But with eager enthusiasm, the two walked forward and introduced themselves before Yeonjun could open his mouth. "Hy, you must be the new student. I'm Han Jisung. Nice to meet you, sunbae," Jisung said with a wide grin, extending his hand for a handshake and accompanying it with a polite bow. The muscular boy adjusted his glasses before muttering, "Hmm, Kim Minjoon," while glancing at Jisung's hand without bothering to shake it. With furrowed eyebrows and tight lips, Jisung withdrew his hand, a hint of disappointment evident on his face.
Clearing her throat, Harin stepped forward, bowing 90 degrees while tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. With a warm smile, she introduced herself, "Hello Minjoon sunbaenim, I'm Lim Harin, Yeonjun oppa's cousin. Nice to meet you." With a cold nod, the muscular guy walked off without further conversation. Dumbfounded, the two looked at each other and then back at the guy.
Shaking his head, Yeonjun stepped forward and said, "Well, he isn't the friendliest person, so I suggest you both don't expect too much from him." With that, the taller boy walked ahead, leaving the three behind.
Munching on a chocolate bar, the younger boy shook his head as he approached Harin and Jisung. He whispered, "It's not just about being friendly. That guy is creepy. Keep your distance from him. The less you interact with him, the better." With a shiver to accentuate his point, Soobin walked on ahead.
The two glanced at each other, and Jisung let out a sigh. "Well, since we're already here, let's not give up hope just yet. Maybe he'll warm up to us sooner than we think." With a determined nod, Harin moved closer and exclaimed, "Yeah, let's stay positive. We're not backing down. We've got this."
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With a satisfied sigh, the puppy-faced boy placed his plate on the cafeteria table, joining the other boys except Jisung, Felix, and Hyunjin. "I'm starving. Feels like I haven't eaten in days, especially with Mrs. Park's never ending lectures draining my energy."
Nodding in agreement, the youngest boy chimed in while feeding his tired boyfriend. "Hyung, chew your food! You look so thin. Please don't overwork yourself." Resting his head on the youngest's shoulder with a pout, the oldest replied, "Innie, I can't help it! With Jisung not around and all this unfinished work, I can't help but overwork."
Glancing at Chan when Jisung was mentioned, the chestnut-haired boy asked, "What do you mea-?" only to be interrupted by a loud voice exclaiming, "Chan Hyung?!" Sitting up straight and looking around, the oldest spotted the fellow Aussie and stood up from his seat to greet the freckle-faced boy. He was enveloped in a tight hug. "Hyung, I missed you so much. Glad you're back," the younger exclaimed.
Patting his back, the older smiled softly and replied, "Yeah, it feels like forever. Nice to see you again, mate. I've heard about Hyunjin from Innie. You're strong, Lix. And if you wanna talk, always find me yeah? I'm not gonna leave you behind." With glistening eyes, the blue-haired boy blinked away his tears and gave a soft smile to Chan, nodding in appreciation. They distanced themselves and sat back down at the table.
After everyone recovered from the sudden emotional moment, Lino asked curiously, "Where's Jisung?" Furrowing his eyebrows, the blue-haired boy countered, "Didn't he go with you? I thought he was with you. I haven't seen him in class. Figured you two were together." With a shake of his head, the chestnut-haired replied, "Nope, haven't seen him since this morning." Curiously, they exchanged glances before Seungmin, still chewing, nonchalantly remarked, "Ah, he's probably in the cooking club."
Lino furrowed his eyebrows as he asked, "Cooking club? What's he doing there?" The youngest member of the group answered, "He joined the cooking club with Harin for the upcoming school festival."
A loud "WHAT?!" erupted from the two brothers, who were dumbfounded, before the blue-haired boy exclaimed, "With Harin? They're both amateurs. I wonder how high Yeonjun Hyung was when he decided to take those two in." Accompanied by the chestnut-haired boy, who muttered, "The last time he cooked for our anniversary, Mrs. Han ended up in the hospital with food poisoning."
They exchanged bewildered glances, trying to wrap their heads around the situation.
With a dismissive shake of his head, Seungmin shrugged and said, "Well, I'm just as clueless as you are. You know how stubborn he can be. Once he's got an idea in his head, there's no changing it, no matter how much we try to persuade him." Sighing, he took a sip from the drink Changbin had handed him.
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Softly nudging Harin and gesturing towards the muscular guy, the brunette subtly mouthed "go" with a nod, the brown-haired girl approached the guy with cautious steps. "Ahem, Min Joon sunbae, do you need any assistance?" Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, she blinked, offering her help. The man grumbled a curt "no" and resumed mixing the dough, his demeanor stoic.
Struggling to engage the guy's focus, she tried again, clearing her throat softly. "Um, you know, the school festival is coming soon, and there's this cooking competition next week. All the famous chefs will be there. How about you and I team up for it?"
The abrupt crash of a plate against the counter filled the room with a jarring noise, causing Harin to flinch and cover her ears with both hands, her body instinctively cowering. The three figures in the room looked visibly startled by the sudden outburst. "F***ing stay away from me! Wasn't I clear from the beginning? I don't wanna do anything with anyone!" With those words, the guy stormed off, snatching his bag in anger.
The others shook off their shock to see Harin trembling. With widened eyes and concern, Jisung hurried towards her, gently gripping her shoulder. "Harin, hey, breathe," he said softly. It took a moment for the brown-haired girl to regain her composure. Slowly lifting her gaze to Jisung, her eyes shimmering with tears, she whispered, "Oppa, he's scary" with a worried nod, Jisung patted her back, casting a glance at the door that had been slammed open.
"What the fuck is up with that guy?" Soobin exclaimed, his frustration evident in his voice, while Yeonjun stared ahead with a disappointed expression.
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Glancing at the time, the blonde sat restlessly, his legs shaking impatiently as he waited for the black-haired girl to finally wrap up her endless monologue. She had been talking nonstop for the past two hours, leaving the blonde struggling to keep up with her while his thoughts about a certain blue-haired boy wandered aimlessly.
As the girl continued her animated discussion about her future and the qualities of an ideal husband, Hyunjin found himself drifting further away from the conversation, a sense of detachment settling over him like a heavy fog. Suddenly, a loud door slam broke the room's calm, bringing the chatter to an abrupt halt, and Hyunjin silently thanked whoever was responsible.
The blonde rose from the couch in the living room and bumped into Harin's older brother, whom he had met when they first joined school. Before Hyunjin could greet him, the guy beat him to it with a blunt question, "Are you two dating?" The abruptness of the question caught Hyunjin off guard.
Before he could respond or even deny any dating rumors, Aera spoke up, her voice tinged with shyness, "Oppa, please, you're making him uncomfortable. We're just getting to know each other. There's nothing going on between us." Despite her words, a hint of amusement danced in her eyes, suggesting a hidden playfulness beneath her calm demeanor.
Meanwhile, the brother's teasing nature seemed unfazed as he stepped closer, his hand landing on Aera's shoulder in a playful manner. "Does that mean you two will date?" he teased, his tone lighthearted yet probing. Aera's response was a gentle slap on his arm, her smile bashful as she pleaded, "Oppa, stop teasing me."
Throughout the exchange, Hyunjin felt a wave of discomfort wash over him, wondering why the girl didn't deny the implication and instead acted as if they were entering a dating phase, despite his lack of interest.
Before he could even open his mouth to clarify, the older guy patted his shoulder and said, "Look after her, she's yours now." A sudden surge of anger flashed across the blonde's face, his fist tightening instinctively. However, before he could utter a word, the girl intervened, grabbing his fist and swiftly leading him away.
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Once outside, exhaling sharply, the blonde snapped, "Aera, what the hell is this? Don't you know I'm already in a relationship?" Anxiously, the girl tried to explain, "Hyunjin, please help me. Could you be my boyfriend?"
Shaking his head with a scoff, the blonde walked towards his car and exclaimed, "Don't bring this kind of crap and throw it in my face. Next time, know who you're dealing with, and sort things out with your brother. Bye." With that, he slammed his car door and sped off, leaving a crying girl behind.
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