Seungmin

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     Seungmin's POV
     Same Day

     I stood beside the art room until it was unlocked by the professor. However, when I walked in, it lacked a particular person.

     "Seungmin!" A voice bellows at me. I whip around, shaking at the suddenness. Minho stood grinning with a basketball in hand. "What're you doing here?"

     My eyes studied him for a brief moment before peering back inside. "I was looking for Hyunjin. He's usually in here before the bell-"

     I'm interrupted by an elongated exhale followed by a quick laugh. "No he's not," he shakes his head, that smile still present. "He's painting."

     I didn't realize how little I knew of Hyunjin until Minho lead me up the flights of stairs towards the roof. Apparently, he'd gotten permission to skip homeroom to work in the pottery room on the second story. It was clearly a lie because we skipped the pottery room and began our climb further up.

On the third flight, we're stopped by Jisung, who I knew by Minho's excessive calling of the boy's name. The boy's eyes were like glass, marbles: round and full of color. However, it didn't dismiss the jolt of fear roaming in him.

     "What're your doing here?" He bounce passes the ball to me in order to occupy his hands with the other's.

     The boy nervously smiled. "I was looking for Changbin. We have to be in homeroom in ten minutes," he says, then glancing up at me. "Hi," he smirks.

     "I'm Seungmin," I bow to him. "Y'know, he might be with Hyunjin. The two got off the bus together now that I think of it," I say, recalling the image of the painter striding off with another boy.

     Minho seemed to only focus on the adventure aspect of my words. He beams with a bright, toothy grin and says, "then let's go find them."

     It wasn't long before Jisung and I were trailing behind Minho by a single arm. Depending on his energy boost, we'd skip a step until we reached the last platform.

     The two of us stuck to the wall, regaining our breath as Minho greets a pair on the other side of the door. "Is he usually this hyper?" Jisung breathes, a drop of sweat trailing down the side of his head.

     I couldn't say much as I loosen my tie and nod. "Good thing he's in basketball. He just can't seem to sit still." Our exhales drag into a shared laugh before finally gaining our strength to open the door to the outside.

     Morning traffic was the first thing to reach my ears, following the rustling of the few trees on ground level. The breeze cooled my neck and face from the climb. The view was short-lived, however, as I glanced to my right where three boys stood gawking at a magnificent mural.

     "It's amazing! And it isn't even done yet!" Minho gasps, trailing a hand over what was dry of the colorful field of flowers. I stood frozen beside Jisung, both of us taking in the work down by the younger boy.

     The boy that didn't tell me of this mural until today.

     "Hyunjin-" I stop short at him staring right at me. With his head turned, but his body still positioned before the art, I felt every burning passion from him. "It's very nice...most certainly against the rules but magnificent."

     He chuckles and takes my hand, pulling me closer. "I was planning on showing you when it was finished, but," he pauses, admiring a particular hummingbird perched on a daffodil with me, "you seem to have beat me to it."

     "Who cares if it's against the rules," the boy beside Jisung says. He was smaller than the rest of us, but it didn't matter when he looked up at the painting like a big brother. "This should be at an art exhibit."

     "Changbin, it's not done," Hyunjin stiffens the cutest of laughs. The smile on his face said enough, for I had never seen him smile so wide his eyes disappeared and his cheeks plumped out. "Too bad it's a destruction of property."

     Minho bounces his ball a few times before passing it to Changbin. "Why have we never gone to the roof before?" Minho asks, pretending to play Changbin like an opponent. It wasn't long before he joined the game, earning a happy sound from Minho.

     Hyunjin picks up a pot of paint along with a brush stashed behind his ear and continues working on a creek towards the bottom. A whole box of paint sat on the ground as well as bag of brushes on a stool. 'When did he have time to bring all of this here? And what if it rains?'

     So many unanswered questions, but none that I could ask when the artist was busy. "Hey, Changbin! You're pretty good. Why aren't you on the team?"

     I catch Jisung smiling at his friend playing with Minho towards the center of the roof. "When did you start this?" was the easiest I could go on him as I bent down to reach his level. His eyes stay on the paint strokes, making sure each one was placed with purpose and precision.

     He doesn't stop as he says, "the first day." I couldn't blame him. It was going to get cold soon, so better do it now than later. "It's," he continues, stopping as I regain my focus, "it's healing almost. The paper, the canvas...they were all too small."

     Indeed they were. No canvas could truly satisfy that of Hyunjin's imagination and creativity. "Han?" He says to the boy who reacts immediately.

     "Yes?"

     He points to a the tin box of paint. "Can you get me the white?"

     Jisung goes on all fours and begins digging through the towers of pots until a white one was recovered. My friend thanks him before leaning back, his bad posture getting the best of him. Looking back at the shy boy, he says, "I want to sketch you someday, if you don't mind."

     "Wh-what? No no no, I'm not the type for that sort of thing-"

     The more flustered he became, the bigger smiles resulted from us. 'Like a frustrated squirrel,' I sync the image to the junior.

"But your eyes are so pretty! They're big and eager for me to draw them." At that, Jisung paced around the roof with his palms to his red face. Laughter got carried away with the breeze and for a brief moment...I realized something.

None of us were familiar with one another, and if so, it was only with a couple people. When I looked at Jisung, I saw someone shy and broken glued back together. Changbin seemed well provided for and easygoing, but I wanted to know more. Same with Hyunjin and Minho. Although I've known them longer, time was all I wanted with them now.

What else did Hyunjin do in between classes? Does Minho get along with someone else as well as we do? What do they both strive for in their lives? What are their dreams?

My thoughts blow away by the slamming of the door. Everyone stops to look, and from the corner of my eye, Hyunjin throws a tarp over his mural.

Jisung's persona seemed to crack because of the fall into Minho's arms. The principal eyed us all with hateful spite in his eyes. "What the hell are you five doing up here?! It's strictly against the rules for students to be on the roof!"

Changbin holds the ball in his arms and goes over towards Jisung still trembling against Minho. "Sir, we didn't mean anything of it," Hyunjin says in a deep, mature tone. My throat bobbed as he approached the angered staff until they stood four feet away. He glances down at his watch, strands of dark hair falling at his eyes. "And homeroom doesn't start for three minutes. We'll take the tardy."

Jisung seemed to cringe at the word "tardy." I slightly did too, for I've never received such a mark that could take me down from Class Rep. However, I let it slide for the sake of Hyunjin's bravery in this minor situation.

At least I hope they make into a minor situation.

The principal seemed baffled by Hyunjin's remark because what he did next sent us all into a storm.

A slap echoes off of the walls and Hyunjin's head leans towards the side. "Hey!" I pounce for my friend, only to be grabbed by my tie. "Don't you touch him like that, sir-"

"Watch your mouth, boy," he spits. My head pivots towards Hyunjin, his hand pressed to his tomato colored cheek. I feel my heart plumpish the moment his stare lands on me, and a thick coat of tears covers them.

"My office...now!"

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