glassy eyes - dotae

everyday

Piercing ringing fills the room as Taeyong reaches out for the source of the noise. It was none other than the alarm clock, one of the birthday presents he had gotten two years ago. No matter how much he adored the small star patterns on the timepiece, he always resorted to abusing it every weekday. A constant reminder that he would have to get out of bed and face the world. If you asked Taeyong, he was definitely a night owl, meaning that mornings were his kryptonite.

"Taeyong? Taeyong~" He could hear his mother's voice from the kitchen below. If it were any other time of day, he would easily have said that she had a voice that reminded him of soothing ocean waves. However, he was dazed out of his mind and far too tired to think straight.

He sighs, much louder than he intends to do so. "Five more minutes-" he tries to call out but is cut off before he can finish his thought.

"No excuses, get down here right this instant," his mother says, in a much firmer tone than before. She wasn't going to give into Taeyong's arguments today.

After hearing his mother's serious tone, he immediately jumps out of bed, scared for his life if he doesn't do so. Even if Donghyuck, his brother, was the source of most of their mother's frustrations, it didn't make him any less scared of her. She was the last person on earth he would want to disobey, especially in the morning. One wrong move could tick her off for the rest of the day.

He was trying his best to keep his morning routine as quick and straightforward as possible, ensuring that he would be downstairs in the kitchen by the nick of time. However, even if he does spend a few minutes on his useless thoughts, he still makes an effort to get down before his mother can lecture him.

Before his mother even knows it, he's downstairs in the kitchen. "Look who finally decided to come downstairs," a snarky voice exclaims from the dining table. Of course, such an annoying and sarcastic voice could only come from Donghyuck.

"Don't eat with your mouth full," Taeyong complains, wishing to erase the image of toast and eggs falling out of his brother's mouth. Words couldn't begin to describe the hatred he had for people who had no concern for other people's appetites. This list of people would include his younger brother for sure.

"Listen to your brother. It is basic table manners," their mother reprimands. She then turns her attention to Taeyong once again. "I left your plate beside Donghyuck's, have a great day at school!" His mother beams.

"Thank you," he says, a smile plastered on his face as he rushes to the table, sitting next to his brother, who was still refusing to close his mouth. Taeyong tries his best to ignore the catastrophe of breakfast food from his brother, focusing on his plate instead.

Once they both finish and wash their plates, they bid their goodbyes to their mother before embarking on their walk to school. It had become a daily routine; Taeyong wanted a sense of organization in his life above everything else. The feeling that his day was at least a bit normal made his smile just a bit wider. His morning was no exception.

Considering their walking speed and the time of departure, they always make it to school mere moments before the bell rings. They've always thought it was pretty lucky that they were never once late. The two were notorious for perfect attendance almost every year.

Taeyong's life was, at times, considered mundane to him and his friends. He enjoyed the sense of predictability, the fact that every day felt familiar in one way or another. He was the type of person to connect the past to the present, grasping onto any loose similarities to guide him to the correct solution. However, even if there was a sense of predictability, he likes the unscheduled events that happen too. It's what keeps him on his toes, what gets him through the day.

He gets to the first period, slinging his bag behind his chair as he sits down. History was one of the far more predictable subjects of the day. It always felt familiar, uncanny similarities stacking up over time. The teacher had no passion for the subject, making his lessons dull. The only thing to brighten up the class would be his deskmate, Jungwoo.

Taeyong doesn't know how Jungwoo does it, but he brings sunshine and positive energy no matter where he sets foot. His friend is one of the few reasons he still has a will to show up for history in the morning. Their quiet conversations and note-passing when the teacher wasn't looking had become one of their favourite pastimes. They still try their best to pay attention, even if watching the teacher teach is similar to watching paint dry.

Things do get better after he's done with history, though. Taeyong adores the rest of his teachers. Their teaching style, their enthusiasm, it's all so engaging. It's also the unpredictability factor. He never knows when the Science teacher will pull out a pop quiz or what new concept there is to learn in math.

Some find it weird that his eyes light up at the mention of the pop quiz, but they aren't exactly correct. After all, it's not the pop quiz itself, rather the fact that it popped out of nowhere.

Even though Taeyong adores his classes, he also does enjoy the lunch break in the middle of the day. The way he can just relax for a few minutes with his friends is quite therapeutic. It reminds him to take things slow in life, that no matter how hard he works, he always deserves a break once in a while. It's just how he looks at things, his perspective on life.

He enjoys listening to his friends talk about the latest dramas they have watched. Taeyong promises to watch them if he has time, but he always forgets somehow. That doesn't change the atmosphere his friends have during this half-hour, though. Sometimes it's just bickering, and sometimes it's an actual discussion. It's another event he can't predict, another event to be left to a dice roll.

Once the final bell rings and dismisses them for a day, Taeyong does feel relieved.

Afterschool is when his life has less of a routine, though. He's not involved in many extracurricular activities. Sure, he's part of a few school clubs, but most only require time on weekends or during school. This means that after that last bell has rung, he can spend his time doing whatever needs to be done. Occasionally, he'll study for an upcoming test if he has one. However, if there isn't a test, he spends it at a local park, cooking in the kitchen, with his friends, or with his girlfriend, Eunji.

The two of them don't get much time together during school as none of their periods line up. They may bump into each other during lunchtime, but they still have different social circles. Nevertheless, none of these factors have harmed their relationship, and for the past year or two, it has been going reasonably smoothly between the two of them.

They had the type of relationship everyone else wanted. People idolized them in a way. Their relationship was the talk of the school, the high school sweethearts that would be together forever. His friends don't fail to notice the ditzy look in his eyes at the bare mention of Eunji's name. It was the definition of young love.

After an evening with a family dinner, Taeyong picks up on a recently started novel. He puts on his glasses and begins engrossing himself in words. Ever since he was a child, he had always had a knack for reading. So not only was it fun to immerse yourself into a lovely novel, but it also helped him sleep.

That's why he always read before night only if there was school the next day. If it wasn't, he couldn't care less about sleeping at an acceptable time. So, instead, wasting his energy on the computer, probably playing some competitive game with his friends.

However, one part of the routine would never change, and that was that he would always do his nightly routine before tucking himself into his warm covers and dozing off into a heavy slumber unbeknownst to him that it would be one of the last peaceful nights he would have.