Hyunjin didn't want to do it. No one could make him do it. There had been too much disappointment already in one day. However, obligation won out, and he found himself trudging into chorus hoping Seungmin wasn't there.
They had a little over a week before the fall concert. This was the only class Hyunjin wished he had attended since the beginning of school. He could catch up on math and literature, gradually learning things for the final test, but chorus was different. He couldn't make up the lost rehearsal time as it depended on other people.
Perhaps that would be his weekend activity, considering there was only so much he could do in the living room, and he needed to memorize five pieces in two Tuesdays. He could pull out the old keyboard and plunk out notes. It would be tedious, but it was something. Better than practicing those triangles and whatever complex shapes his math teacher had moved on to in the past two days.
Without seeing Felix, he might even be able to read the play they were studying in world literature. It blew Hyunjin's mind how Changbin kept up with that class, let alone his others. He slept through the class most days this week, but he could answer every question and knew what page to open to automatically. His homework was always complete, although sometimes wrinkled from his standard bus rush. It amused Hyunjin to see the messy handwriting. Changbin had only written a short note in front of him before, but even his slow pace and careful penmanship ended in long lines and jumbled scrawl. He must have been one of those kids the teachers constantly reminded to write neatly or else there was no telling what he wrote.
It seemed like a better fate than Hyunjin's though. His mother had been an advocate for learning cursive extremely early. His elegant series of swirls were misinterpreted as belonging to a girl for as long as he'd been in public school. It wouldn't have been so bad if there wasn't a female Hyunjin at his old school. Their papers kept getting mixed up by this one teacher and this girl somehow managed to get a few points higher on every assignment. It ticked Hyunjin off.
Thankfully, this school had no fellow Hyunjins, and he hadn't been mistaken as a girl as of now. The worst he got was from Seungmin, which was similar to Jeongin plus a bit of snark.
Hyunjin dropped his bag by his chair and removed his choir folder, the aforementioned boy nowhere in sight. Hyunjin glanced up at the board where their rehearsal schedule was written and pulled out the pieces they would need for the day. As he arranged them in order, a chair was placed on either side of him. He rifled through the pieces again, trying to ignore the nerves building in his stomach. However, he couldn't stop his fingers from fidgeting with his lips as he sat down. He glanced in Seungmin's direction, only getting a glimpse of the wavy, brown hair before a loud voice interrupted his worrying.
"Yo, Jinnie!" Hyunjin's attention was drawn to his other side where Chan had placed his seat and proceeded to clap Hyunjin on the back. Hyunjin smiled, slightly confused why Chan decided to change his seat. There was no doubt Seungmin would be pouting about it if he stayed there the entire class.
"Hey, Chan." Chan dropped onto his chair.
"So how's our Lix?" Hyunjin raised an eyebrow, "I know he's out to heal, but I've also heard some other things. Buddy privileges."
"I only know what Changbin's told me. It's probably the same things you know."
"But aren't you looking after him?"
"Um, well, yeah. I was. It's just... it's embarrassing." Chan hummed.
"Is this about you being grounded?"
"Wait, wait, wait," Seungmin cut us off, "what did you do?"
"I snuck out too many times." Seungmin scoffed.
"Good job." Hyunjin pushed him.
"I didn't ask for your opinion. I couldn't help it. Felix needed me." Chan rubbed Hyunjin's shoulder.
"You did what you could. So what did Changbin say?"
"He's getting better physically, but the emotions are getting worse, or at least they did last night, and he's struggling with having to leave us and everything else. I can't tell you much. I wasn't there, and I don't really understand."
"Do any of us?" Chan sighed and slouched in his chair.
"I suppose not."
"Wait a second. Does your grounding include walking that dog?" Hyunjin winced. Here it comes.
"No?"
"So you can come to the park today." It was a statement, not a question.
"For five minutes? I can't be gone too long. But!" Hyunjin held up a finger to silence Seungmin, "he can pet Kkami for a second and everything will be fine?" Seungmin crossed his arms, and Hyunjin grimaced.
"It's not fine. Now I have to deal with a whiny four-year-old just because you are bad at sneaking out!"
"Sorry." Hyunjin hung his head.
"Look, Loser. I should have known you wouldn't be good at keeping promises, but I don't know how much more disappointment Jeongwoo can take. I don't care, but he for sure waits for Friday like a dog carries the whole world's happiness. I guess I'll just tell him that Uncle Jinnie is lame and doesn't want to play with him." Hyunjin gaped at him.
"You wouldn't."
"Oh but I would. He deserves to know the truth. He can't get his little heart broken forever."
"He's four! And it's not the truth!"
"Well you're abandoning him!"
"It's two weeks!"
"Two weeks! This is why you can't be trusted. If he hates you, don't blame me." Seungmin waved a hand dismissively.
It wasn't a dismissive topic for Hyunjin. He didn't want the child to hate him. He didn't want that at all. The child lit up his world; gave him something to look forward to every week. Hyunjin couldn't always make his friends smile, and he had lost hope on his mother being around, but a child? A beautiful being full of wonder and joy at the prospect of a simple dog? Hyunjin couldn't wait to make him smile and giggle and perhaps he would get a hug at the end of their time together. However, this week it wouldn't happen, and as much as Hyunjin was upset, he could only imagine what Jeongwoo felt. Hyunjin needed reassurance that Seungmin was joking.
"Hate me?" Hyunjin pouted and hugged Seungmin's arm. "Really?"
"Will you stop that? You act just like him when he's trying to suck up." Hyunjin pulled back in offense. He may be dramatic, but he wasn't four.
"Hey, hey. Be nice." Chan interrupted.
"Pretty boy is leaving me with a wild child, and my best friend has decided I'm not important enough to sit with, so I think I can be whatever I want." The corner of Seungmin's lips raised in a defiant smirk as he swung one leg over the other.
"Uh huh." Chan did not seem convinced.
"Why are you sitting there anyway?"
"Isn't it obvious? I wanted to talk to Jinnie."
"Well you've talked to him. Now come back to me!"
"Minnie, your problems are a little less relevant right now, sorry." Seungmin rolled his eyes and reached into his backpack.
"Whatever, it's fine. I'm just being abandoned too, don't mind me." Chan snorted and shook his head, only returning his attention to Hyunjin when Seungmin was peacefully reviewing his music.
"So he's sort of okay?"
"As far as I know."
"Mm, I wish his mom could see him. The school called her yesterday. They said she was pretty shaken up. I don't think she knew the full extent of his injuries." Hyunjin nodded along to the new information.
He had conflicting feelings about Felix's mother. On one side, sure she should be able to see and care for her son, but on the other side, she was an accessory to abuse. No matter how motherly she was, she still let it happen. It angered Hyunjin that Felix had to take all of that while his mother watched like there wasn't a life at stake.
"Didn't she notice that he hasn't been home for almost a week?"
"Noticing and doing something about it are two different things."
"That's insane."
"Well, regardless, I'm glad he's safe right now, and hopefully they find him a good place to stay." Something sparked in Hyunjin.
"Can he stay with you? Your family is awesome, rich, nice-" Chan chuckled.
"I doubt we could figure all that out in a week, but it would be ideal if it's someone he knows. We'll see."
Hyunjin's eyes glittered. He hadn't really considered Felix staying with him. His family situation wasn't perfect, and they would have to sleep in the same room, not that Hyunjin minded. What he did mind was how close Felix's trailer was to his house. The danger being so close was unsettling. It was unsettling already with him being at Changbin's, but at his house he would be responsible for whatever happened to Felix. It was a bit much.
However, Chan lived in the nice side of town, had plenty of space for Felix, and had a caring, complete family. It was a perfect solution. If only the law was not a part of this, then things could be solved in less than a day.
"And now he's replacing me!" Seungmin flung his hands in the air in mock exasperation. Chan leaned forward and narrowed his eyes at the boy.
"Since when do you come to my house?" Seungmin stayed silent. "Exactly. Nothing will change."
And with crazy new fantasies running through Hyunjin's head, chorus began.
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