DRAMA CLUB | hyunin ✔

.44

it was not a surprise when jeongin failed english also.

with all the absurd stuff happening in his life, only witchcraft could make him pass freshman year of high school, apparently. chan had not only not teached him enough, but also turned out to be a criminal! he only wished his english teacher could understand that, but life was unfair.

jeongin was currently sitting on the same secret spot him and felix claimed for confidential business. after receiving his angry red f, jeongin had taken hyunjin by the hand (the hand which wasn't holding his own exam with a decent grade, the bastard) and led the other boy to the constant empty flight of stairs before he began to cry.

it felt stupid to cry over a bad grade, but the whole thing was just the last drop to make jeongin completely lose it. it felt like his problems were snowballing, on the way to crush him, and it would only get worse as time went on.

hyunjin didn't speak anything, but jeongin preferred it like that. the silence was comforting, and just the warm pressure of his large hand on his back was enough to calm him a bit.

he couldn't believe he was crying at school, hated that his eyes would get red and swollen and everyone would be able to guess he'd been tearing up at school. so embarrassing.

then hyunjin asked, "do you want to practice a bit?" clearly trying to brighten him up, but it had the opposite effect: jeongin didn't feel sad anymore. he felt angry.

"for what?" jeongin scoffed, indignant. he irritatedly wiped his nose with the back of his hand. "what will happen if we lose it or not? it's not like it matters. just a stupid school play. meaningless."

hyunjin paused for a moment. jeongin wanted to see how his face looked like now, suddenly guilty for snapping at him like that. hyunjin was clearly just trying to help. but he kept his head down, looking at the hallway floor. his position was uncomfortable: the hard surface of the stairs flattening his butt and it just seemed like there was no ventilation, the whole hallway closing on him. han jisung's electoral poster glued on the decaying wall seemed to get closer by the minute.

then hyunjin rose to his feet all of a sudden, and jeongin finally lifted his head to take a look at him.

there was a finger pointing right at his face.

"i can't believe you just said that," hyunjin said, abruptly, as if the words had just unconsciously slipped out of his mouth.

jeongin just stared at him. hyunjin's brows were furrowed, mouth slightly open, he continued: "you've been working on it like a madman for months, and you... you're what? giving up now?"

jeongin dropped his face on his hands, so his response came muffled: "there's no point anymore."

"yes, there is! what the hell are you talking about?" hyunjin's voice was becoming louder and louder, "we have something big to shoot now! a damn competition! and, yes, we have to work harder and there's more stuff to memorize, but so what?"

jeongin showed him his graded exam, the bold f letter clear for him to see, inside a red circle like a target.

"this! this is what happens when i try to do something! and it's not the first time, or have you forgot chemistry?" jeongin inquired.

hyunjin gulped. he clearly remembered their chemistry disaster of a project, that was too traumatizing to forget. jeongin clearly had a point: he failed twice in a row. third time is the charm, but... three times is also a pattern. what if it all was a sign from the universe that the play would be a disaster, too?

maybe it was from the crying, but jeongin was beginning to have a headache.

a hand fell on his shoulder. then hyunjin's face was mere inches away from his. his sigh slightly fanned jeongin's bangs away. jeongin instantly felt his cheeks go warm.

"look, don't base your worth on results. especially on... high school tests," hyunjin took jeongin's exam from his hand, glanced at it, and then threw it in the air behind him, papers chaotically flying around, "our intelligence doesn't fit inside a box! we are unique individuals, and we have unique minds!"

jeongin opened his mouth to talk back, but hyunjin didn't look like he'd been ending his speech anytime soon, so he quickly shut it.

"maybe you just... aren't really great at working with other people, if you think about it. in our project, we didn't really do a great job, but maybe because chan was always starting something. and, now, english! he was also always looking for a fight, that morthef—"

hyunjin cleared his throat, pausing for a second as if to gather himself.

"well, it seems like really it was all chan's fault, if you really think about it. there was no problem when we were rehearsing alone," he concluded.

jeongin personally wouldn't say there was no problem when rehearsing alone with hyunjin, it was pretty distracting, especially that time when they kissed... jeongin let out an awkward laugh. it was an ugly laugh, since he had just cried for a few minutes, snot on his nose and all. he sniffed.

"so, where are you going with this?" jeongin asked.

hyunjin closed his eyes and grinned, all self-righteous. he was so hot.

"practice your lines by yourself from now on, and then with... us together." hyunjin scratched the back of his neck. he looked hesitant. "it's... fun to rehearse together everytime, but i think it's for the best."

he had a point. maybe jeongin was just a lone wolf, thriving by himself on god's green earth. but... it really was fun to do it with hyunjin, it only became so awkward when chan began hanging out with them and—

oh, wait, but didn't seungmin say that he had to be alone with chan? in his room? without hyunjin there?

he sighed. there was too much going on. what had he done in the past life to deserve all of that mess?

jeongin looked at hyunjin again. he had the most gentle expression, and jeongin knew he meant well. but jeongin kind of wished to have him by his side on this. what if chan was really dangerous? a murderer? even with cameras in his room and seungmin and felix monitoring him, only hyunjin's presence could really calm him down.

but, nonetheless, jeongin had many responsibilities. he couldn't fail anymore. neither on the play, nor on this investigation.

sighing again, jeongin tried to muster a genuine smile to him.

"okay," he said.