rewrite the stars - jaywon

chapter 13

Jungwon had thought things might be smooth sailing after the lunchtime eruption, but once again his hopes were dashed. It only took until Language Arts for things to go to shit again.

It was poem presentation day, and after the first couple volunteers had read their works, the classroom went deafeningly silent when the professor called for someone to go next.

"Shit," Jungwon whispered, sliding low in his seat and praying not to be noticed.

His poem was only about a cat in a tree, but he still couldn't read it aloud in front of his entire class. It didn't mean anything, not at all, but it would still feel like he was reading a diary entry or something.

The professor called again for volunteers. The smile she'd worn after the first two students had volunteered was quickly wearing off. She was scanning the classroom, searching for her next victim, and her eyes kept landing on Jungwon.

"Sunoo," Jungwon reached across the aisle, when her eyes slid past him once again, "Sunoo, volunteer. C'mon."

Sunoo shook his head, violently. His eyes wide and fearful as he looked, not at the teacher, not at Jungwon but, for some reason, at Ni-ki.

"What?" Jungwon asked, not understanding, "She loves everything you write. What are you so nervous about?"

"Jungwon, please," Sunoo pleaded, with a tone of desperation. But in his desperation he'd spoken loudly, too loud.

The professor's gaze focused on him, "Mister Kim. Since you want to talk anyways, you might as well share your work with the class. Come up here and read your poem."

Sunoo smiled a tight smile and nodded once. Without looking back, at Jungwon or any of the rest of the guys, he marched to the front of the classroom as solemnly as if he was walking to the gallows.

Jungwon turned a questioning look to Sunghoon, who only shrugged, just as confused as him, then to Ni-ki.

Ni-ki didn't even acknowledge Jungwon. He watched Sunoo with an intense gaze, brows furrowed. His fingers rapped a harsh beat against the surface of his desk.

Sunoo cleared his throat, and Jungwon's eyes snapped to the front. Sunoo looked pale as a ghost, his face tinged slightly green.

"Okay, uh. This poem's called ' What I'd Do' ...," Sunoo's voice petered out and he turned with one last look backwards to the professor. In a whisper loud enough to carry across the silent classroom, he said, "Professor, I didn't know we'd be presenting these in class."

Unflinching, she jutted her chin forward. Jungwon felt something in his chest clench as guilt seized him. He didn't know what Sunoo had written, but it was his fault that Sunoo had to read it aloud when he so evidently didn't want to.

"Okay, then," Sunoo's voice was tiny, "What I'd do...," he began.

Then he looked up from his tablet, just a split second where he looked to the far back of the classroom, then back down to his poem again. It wasn't quick enough to tell where he'd looked, but Jungwon could guess. As Sunoo recited his poem, Jungwon watched Ni-ki out of the corner of his eye.

"What I'd do

Here's what I'd do to catch your eye:

I'd go around and flirt.

I'd talk to any and every guy.

I'd start a fight with you.

I'd pretend everything's alright.

That's what I'd do

to catch your eye.

Here's what I'd do to make you smile:

I'd tell jokes that don't land.

I'd make a fool of myself.

I'd run around in circles.

I'd pretend everything's alright.

That's what I'd do

to make you smile.

Here's what I'd do if you were mine:

I'd call you honey, baby, darling.

I'd call you every night.

I'd treat you better than she treated you.

I wouldn't have to pretend anymore

Because everything would finally be alright.

That's what I'd do

if you were mine."

Ni-ki's face cleared as Sunoo read his poem, transforming from intense in his single minded focus, to something softer, more delicate. After the third stanza, his fingers had stilled against his desk, going frozen. He'd looked paralyzed, still as a mannequin. He'd pursed his lips as he stared straight ahead, his eyes boring into Sunoo, who looked anywhere but Ni-ki's direction as he finished reading his poem.

"And uh. That's it," Sunoo finished, weakly. He bowed to the Professor, whose mouth was hanging wide open, "I've already sent you the file so, if you don't mind, I'm just gonna-- I'm going to the bathroom. Bye. I mean, thanks. I mean-- sorry."

Sunoo bowed to the class too, then took off, tablet in hand. The door slammed shut behind him.

The entire classroom was silent, all of their classmates watching either the still door or their stunned professor.

Ni-ki had unfrozen. He'd half-risen out of his seat. Sunghoon had a thousand-yard stare on his face. He was still looking at the empty spot where Sunoo had been standing.

Suddenly, Jungwon clapped.

Sunoo wasn't even there to hear his applause, but he hoped that, maybe, his erratic actions would take some of the attention away from his friend's flight.

Jungwon succeeded in drawing the attention away from Sunoo at least. His solo applause drew the eyes of nearly all of his classmates to him. Ni-ki fell back into his seat, but his eyes stayed on the door.

After a few painful moments, Jungwon stopped clapping and lowered his hands. Cringing, he said,

"That was just-- a really great poem! Wow."

His actions seemed to shake the professor out of her reverie as well as the class. She shook her head and looked at Jungwon, her lips pulled down into a frown.

"Would you like to present next, Mister Yang?"

Jungwon thought of Sunoo, probably hiding out in the bathroom at that moment. He thought of how it was his fault that Sunoo was even in that situation, his fault that Sunoo had had to reveal his feelings in such an unfortunate way. His little cat poem paled in comparison to Sunoo's. He stood up from his desk, grabbed his tablet, and started to walk to the front of the classroom.

— the end of chapter 13 ♡

nooo poor sunoo 😭💔

at least, we now know the true intentions behind his behavior in the previous chapters !!

i hope my fellow sunki lovers enjoyed this chapter! this one is for us guys hihi >.<