Yeona's POV
The thing about arts highschool is you have a choice of either following a curriculum similar to regular highschools in addition to the normal arts courses in case you want to go to college, or take the normal curriculum with additional arts classes. I and all of my friends, Seungmin and Huijun included, chose the former. We still want to have that option of taking college entrance tests when we reach our third year. So this means, we have to take foundational subjects such as maths and science.
I am now in one of the regular classrooms where they teach these basic subjects. This room is for maths. It doesn't have any musical instruments or art materials lying around. They said it's necessary to help us focus on the subject at hand so we have to go to these classrooms for our regular subject schedules.
I have math everyday before lunch period. It's the first time we're using this room and without the decorations of our usual classroom, it's boring as hell. At some point, I start to doze off so I distracted myself by drawing.
I draw everything I could think of on my notebook-small flowers, leaves, a dog, a cat, a mouse, some characters, a bus station...I was gonna draw a bus to accompany it when the bell rang and I feel like I just jolted awake. I look upfront and the teacher is wrapping up his introductions. Today is just the subject overview so I think I didn't miss anything.
When he left the room, I close my notebook shut. That's when I see it.
I have drawn the tiny bus station, just about an inch big, on the desk with a ballpoint pen. I try to rub my thumb against the surface but the drawing stays intact. I start to panic. It could've been okay if this was our room and my desk, but different people will be using this room every period.
I give up after the attempt of removing it with hand sanitizer. Will I get into trouble because of this? I just hope nobody will report about it. Well, I hope they wouldn't give the drawing any attention at all. But that could be impossible.
Deciding I cannot do anything more, I take a deep breath and go out the room for lunch.
I've been having lunch with Seungmin for the past few days. No one was asking about where we're eating so we didn't feel the need to tell them anything. Eunchae probably thought I'm with my new friends. She's too busy with her own new friends to ask anyway, not to mention Huijun, and we're together every start and end of school so it wasn't really a big deal.
There are already a few people in class that I'm comfortable talking with, but it doesn't go beyond that.
As I walk the hall to the staircase, my phone buzzes in my pocket.
Seongjun
Where are you? It's already Friday and I still haven't eaten lunch with you.
Before I could reply, Seongjun's name appears on my screen. I turn to a corner and answer it.
"Hello?"
"Yah! Where are you? I'm in the Math classroom. You said you have math this period, right?" He sounded like he's in a hurry.
"What are you, my stalker?"
"You can call me whatever you want. I'm still eating lunch with you. I know you've been with Huijun's friend. I saw you guys yesterday."
I gulp. "You did? Does Eunchae know?"
"No, why?"
"Nothing."
"I'm starting to think there's something weird. Now, where the hell are you?"
I hear his voice from the hall and, just then, he pass by the corner where I'm in. He pause and did a double take at me.
"Hey." I said brightly as I lower my phone from my ear.
"Is there something going in with you and that guy?" Was the first thing he said after he taps on his phone, his forehead creased.
"No." I said calmly. Anyone would think that but there is really nothing. Seongjun studies me for a moment. "What?" I ask.
"There's really nothing?"
"Really nothing."
He nods. "Then tell him to go to the cafeteria. We're eating with Eunchae and Huijun."
"Can't we just..." I trail off. There's no way I can convince him out of this. "Fine."
We walk down the staircase as I sent a quick text to Seungmin telling him to meet us in the cafeteria because I've been kidnapped by Seongjun. They already met each other, but they haven't really talked yet; just the formality of exchanging names and shaking hands.
"You don't like him, do you?" Seongjun asked. I look up at him from my phone. "Huijun. That's why you're not eating with us? I can see your face every morning when he picks up Eunchae. Did he do something?"
Why do people think the reason I'm distancing myself from Eunchae is because I don't like her new boyfriend? Though I think that's a better assumption than my real reason. "No. I want to be independent."
He looked at me skeptically. "Oh. Your first week of high school and you already want to get rid of us?"
I laugh. "Mainly you, but yeah."
"You know you can't get rid of me that easily, right?" He had a mischievous smile on his face.
I fake grunted. "I know! You're like a leech which stick to us like a parasite."
He points a finger at me. "Hey, don't go on making a new nickname for me now. I go by fox even if that's horrible too."
"Alrighty, foxy." I teased.
"Just fox!"
I laugh. An irritated Seongjun is always a fun Seongjun.
We reached the cafeteria and took the seats across from the couple. Huijun already has a tray of cafeteria food in front of him and Eunchae's lunch box is already out.
"Nice of you to join us." She smiles.
I still find it hard to lay my eyes on Huijun, "I've been abducted by this leech."
"I said fo..." Seongjun sigh in defeat. "I'm not even gonna argue with you anymore."
I pat his shoulder in fake consolation as Seungmin arrived. He gestured for Huijun to move over so he sat across from me now.
"Seungmin!" Eunchae beams. "You're here."
"What's up today?" Huijun asked him. "You said you don't wanna join us."
"Yeona invited me."
"Yeona?" Huijun's eyes met mine. I quickly glance away.
"She did?" Eunchae said. "Since when are you guys close?"
"Oh, they've been-" Seongjun started but I stomped on his foot before he could continue. "Ow!"
"Was that your foot? I'm so sorry." He glares at me. "Aren't you going to buy lunch?"
He stood up. "I should probably do before I run out of energy from all your weirdness. Really, what's with you today?" But he just continues to walk away. "You guys can eat first."
I took out my lunch box-boxes and start to remove the lid. Eunchae did the same with hers.
"You should go buy your food too." Huijun told Seungmin.
"Nah, I'm good."
"You're not eating?" He asked. That's when I pushed one lunch box in front of Seungmin. "Oh." Huijun looks surprised, then he tentatively looks at me.
"Yeona gives me free food. We're free food buddies."
Eunchae smiles teasingly. "Ooh, what's this? Since when are you making lunch boxes for anyone?"
"Her mom's making them." Seungmin said before I could speak. Today's menu is dumplings with a bunch of side dishes. He shoved one to his mouth.
"It's supposed to be my brother's but he decided he's too cool for lunch boxes now." I explained. "He doesn't want to tell mom so he's making me take it. That works well for Seungmin."
"Yeah, don't forget to thank him again today for me." Seungmin said.
"Wait, so you two are eating together?" Eunchae asked. "Since when? Why didn't I know about it? Do you?" She asked the last one to Huijun.
"No."
Both of them turn to me. Why won't they turn to Seungmin? As if I have all the answers. He ate another dumpling before he realized what was happening. "Since the first day." He said.
"What?" Eunchae exclaims. "And you didn't tell me? You said you're with new friends."
"He is a new friend." I said. Technically, this time, I'm not lying.
"Yes, but why didn't you guys just join us?" She asked.
Seungmin and I locked eyes as if arguing on who should tell them why. But before any of us speak, someone addressed our small group, specifically me.
"I see you have new friends." Minjae was walking over to us. He stood at the space beside me. "Oh, you still hang out with the Diva."
"Shut up, Minjae." Eunchae glowered at him.
Diva was the nickname he gave Eunchae. She had loved it, but when she came across its negative meaning on the internet-a self-absorbed person-she had cursed Minjae everyday of his life.
Minjae nodded at Huijun. "Boyfriend?" They stare at each other. For a split second, I thought there was something odd about it. Like they know each other.
"Hey, aren't you in my class?" Seungmin asked.
Minjae turns to him. "Yeah. You're that shorty who got scolded this morning for being late four days in a row. And it's only the fifth day of school. Nice."
"Yep, that's me. The one and only." He said proudly.
I suppress a laugh.
"Looks like Drawer likes your humor." Minjae said.
"Do you even know our real names?" I snapped at him.
"Sure I do." He said. He pointed at us one by one. "Eunchae, Yeona...uh, shorty..."
"Seungmin. My name is Seungmin."
"Great. Seungmin. I'm Minjae." He said. "And..." His finger pointed at Huijun. "Noh Huijun." He said his name softly like there's a story behind it.
"You know each other?" Eunchae asked.
Minjae and Huijun are in some sort of staring contest again. "No." Huijun said, looking away. "I don't think so."
The upside of being a liar myself is that I can somehow recognize who's lying too. Right now, I know what Huijun just said isn't the truth. He knows him.
Minjae just nods. "Yeah, I think I just heard your name from somewhere." Another liar.
"Really?" Seungmin asked. "It's almost impossible for people to talk about him."
"I think he can be quite popular." Minjae said. Eunchae was about to say something but Minjae started to ruffle my hair into a huge mess.
"Hey!"
"Well, that's just me greeting my old pal." He said, grinning at me like he's pleased on what he'd done, and turn to walk away. "See you later, Drawer!"
I brush my hair down with my fingers. "Is there a way to not see him again? I really can't deal with him anymore."
"Why does he call you drawer?" Seungmin asked.
"Same reason why he calls you shorty?" I said.
He thinks for a moment. "Oh."
Huijun laughed a little at us. "I don't think he gets it."
"Well, do you?" He asked him. I caught myself anticipating what his answer would be, but it never came.
"It's just Minjae's thing." Eunchae said. "He gives terrible nicknames to everyone."
Seongjun puts down his tray on the table and retrieved his seat beside me. His hand went to the back of my head. "You missed a spot here." He said and brushed to tame whatever hair is still sticking out. "Is that the guy you kept complaining about the whole of last year?"
I sigh. "Yeah, I guess highschool will still be awful with him walking around."
"How about we all go out tomorrow so highschool wouldn't be so awful." Eunchae suggested.
"I don't think that's how it works." Huijun said.
She gave him a look. "Are you in with me or not?"
He smiles at her fondly. "Of course I am."
She returned his smile, and then turned to all of us. "So?"
"I'm in." Seungmin chimed. He looked at me for assurance. "It'll be fun."
"Fine, I'm in." I said.
"Well, I don't want to be with a bunch of first years, but if Yeona's going I'll go." Seongjun said.
I'll put myself at risk again. It's hard enough to not look at him from across the table today so I won't notice his every action, like the way he leans in to Eunchae every five seconds. If I put as much physical distance from Huijun as possible, will I be able to go through the whole day tomorrow without giving myself away?
~•~•~•~•~•~
As you already noticed, I changed their ages. Huijun, Minjae, and Seungmin will be same age friends and Seongjun will just be a year older. 😊😊 And for a spoiler, Junhyuk will be a year younger than the three of them. 🙃