LUNCHBOX FRIENDS | changlix

.03

"i can't believe i did this," jeongin sighed over his brand new school schedule. head hanging from his shoulders and arms limp by his sides, jeongin was the picture of a defeated man. "applied chemistry is way harder than biology."

they'd just finished choosing their classes, and both obeyed miss yang's orders, though for different reasons. jeongin was bribed with chicken nuggets for dinner for the whole week. felix, however, was blackmailed with his own secret.

felix couldn't even keep his mind on this planet. it wandered like a nomad, switching from everything miss yang had said the night before, and all details he now knew about... well, everyone.

not one of wasting time, miss yang had been quick to take his cellphone and plug in an usb storage device, containing a plethora of precious information. it flooded his phone's memory and left it slower than felix's own mind.

he was kind of disappointed he didn't get to keep the old phone. it felt like it had history.

jeongin didn't seem to need an enthusiastic engagement to keep rambling.

"i mean, you guys just have to... what? open up frogs and stuff." he winced, suddenly, "ugh. on another thought, i'm actually glad i don't have to do that. good luck, by the way."

"yeah, yeah," felix mumbled, not quite registering the words.

jeongin stopped in front of him, confused and worried. he looked down at him, "felix, is there a problem? you don't seem very... oh! there's a crowd on the announcement board! do you think it's—?"

jeongin bolted towards it, leaving felix behind, alone.

felix had more turbulent thoughts, but his head spun so fast with them that he couldn't differentiate one from the other.

not much time had passed before jeongin came back, still looking defeated — if not more! there was no drama club announcement, apparently.

-

one day later, however, felix was on jeongin's bed again, with the other boy moaning about how the teacher had already assigned them a group project. felix did not envy him in the least. he had still to have a biology class, which he wasn't very excited to attend. not specifically for the subject, but for the task given to him.

"you're excited aren't you?" jeongin mused, "opening up frogs and whatnot?"

felix let out a deep sigh. he wished that was the biggest of his problems.

"you know me, aways up to spreading a frog wide open on a table!" he said, which earned him a weird look coming from jeongin, for some reason.

but the other was quick to change subjects: he groaned, "i'm partnering with hyunjin."

"can't believe he's your project partner," felix tried to sound empty-minded. throwing a lollipop into his mouth (sugar always helped him think), he grabbed his phone and mindlessly scrolled through it like in a rehearsed mechanical movement. he was a robot, beep boop. "aren't you guys sworn enemies or what?"

"we're nothing," jeongin protested, then went on about something that completely missed felix's ears. something else caught his attention.

on his phone screen, something very unusual was happening. the pixels danced, twisted, pulsed, like what felix saw when he rubbed his eyes too hard. he watched, hypnotized, as the acid trip simulation finally came to a halt, taking peculiar shapes.

once the screen didn't make felix's eyes hurt (as bad), he began to understand what he was seeing. that was... jeongin's room? it opened his camera app!

"i hate him."

alarmed by jeongin's voice saying such a weighted statement, felix turned the camera so it was pointed to jeongin.

the screen automatically scanned his face.

yang jeongin
aquarius
172cm
favorite food: junk
[...]

felix almost let the phone fall to its metal death. oh, heavens, what was that?

his eyes couldn't leave the screen, though.

yjg #23928: has been in love with hj since 5th grade. push-and-pull sort of flirting. pretends he doesn't enjoy hhj's presence, but, in fact, he does.

"okay," felix said, not really buying it. if felix learned anything from his years with public education, was that he should believe in anything written out. so, by association, miss yang's creation was right. he had his suspicions, anyway.

ooh, damn, jeongin's mom knew who he had a crush on? that must be embarrassing.

"get out. you're not helping."

felix ducked his head before a pillow could collide against it, laughing at jeongin's clear embarrassment at having his feelings in the open.

he felt a bit hungry. the loads of tuna salad miss yang shoved to them surprisingly didn't fill him enough (it seemed that the chicken nuggets deal didn't start until tomorrow). he wanted meat or, even better, mcdonald's. he almost never ate those things lately. back home, never, only if he bought it pre-cooked. felix could do lots of things, but prepare the gross, slug-like mess that was raw meat wasn't one of his best skills.

but, as he was about to make it downstairs to raid the yang family's fridge, his phone vibrated with a message.

are u there?
xoxo jw

jw? who was that?

it's miss yang, felix
xoxo jw

??? could jeongin's mom read minds?

come into my office (room)
i have something to show you.
xoxo jw

felix was... scared.