You Can STAY |H.HJ|

11

"Okay next is Jong Sungjoo. Come up and give your presentation" The math teacher announced, pushing her glasses up her nose bridge.

Aura was getting nervous by each passing second. Her turn was about to come. She was constantly fidgeting with her pen, biting her lip and shaking her legs. She literally wanted to disappear. One thing she was sure of is that she was gonna embarrass herself. She would either stutter or fumble.

Hyunjin, who was already done with his presentation, looked at his crush sitting beside him, who was definitely nervous to death. He kept his hands on her shaking ones and Aura turned to look at him. Hyunjin shaked his head, asking her to stop fidgeting and Aura acquiesced.

Since he realised nothing was helping Aura to calm down, he took a sheet of paper, and passed it to Aura.

"Doodle on it" Hyunjin instructed Aura. He had read somewhere that when feeling anxious or on the verge of hyperventilating, doodling helps to calm down and relax.

Hyunjin shifted his chair even more closer to Aura's, letting no space between them and leaned back a little to be just behind her so she feels warm and safe.

"Don't worry, you'll really do well... Am gonna sit in the middle row on second seat so you just look at me and speak. This way, you'll be less conscious." Hyunjin whispered to her while she was busy drawing random figures on the sheet of paper.

"And don't panic please. You're strong. Do well and I promise I'll buy you as many chocolate doughnuts as you want." Hyunjin added.

Aura looked at Hyunjin, and flashed a nervous smile, earning a bright one back from him.

Honestly, Hyunjin was himself nervous. This was the first time Hyunjin was dealing with someone suffering from severe anxiety and he wasn't certain what to do exactly to make Aura feel better. Sure, he had been friends with Seoyeon for long, who herself was socially awkward, but it was never this worse for her.

Once the Sungjoo kid was done, another student went up to give the presentation. That's when Aura started hyperventilating. Next turn was hers and she couldn't seem to be any less anxious.

It might, to others, seem like a presentation isn't a big deal, but for people like Aura, who were severe anxiety patients, it definitely was equal to fighting a war.

Aura started having difficulty in breathing, her chest tightened and it seemed like she wanted to burst into tears. She started taking deep breaths, however she was still not able to become normal. Hyunjin constantly tried to rub her back and her hand. Luckily enough, the seat they sat in wasn't somewhere someone paid attention.

When things seemed to go out of hand, Aura quickly took her medicine out and gulped a pill. A tear rolled down her cheek but she was quick enough to wipe it off. She unconsciously held onto Hyunjin's hand more firmly, trying to prepare herself for the shitty presentation.

Hyunjin saw Aura visibly relaxing and he calmed down a bit. This was the first time he had seen Aura that way. He had always seen her coping with things well. But for the first time, she seemed different, she seemed fragile, as if she might break if held onto a little too tight. And this made Hyunjin want to protect her and love her even more.

"Okay Lee Aura, you turn" the teacher announced, making Aura flinch. She looked at Hyunjin and he blinked, giving her a soft smile.

Hyunjin got up to let Aura pass through and go to the front, moving behind her to the front seat.

"Where are you going Mr. Hwang?" The teacher interrupted.

"Miss please let me sit in the front, just till Aura presents" Hyunjin pleaded.