first snowfall | sunki

10: step back

"The number you have dialed is currently busy. Please try again later."

Jungwon slowly placed his phone down as he stared blankly at his incomplete artwork. It was late at night and it was only him in the art room so he can continue doing his artwork for the winter festival.

"Who could Sunoo be calling at this hour?" He sighed, taking a paintbrush to start painting. However, his mind was filled with different things that happened today so he couldn't focus properly. "Nishimura Riki... Again, why did I step back?"

"I know, right? That was so coward of you." Jungwon suddenly got shocked after hearing someone talk back to him.

Jungwon blinked in confusion as he turned around to find a familiar person behind him. "Hold on... Aren't you that student from psychology? You kept following me wherever I go! Don't tell me you're here to stalk me again!"

"Oh, no! It just happened that you were also staying late at night at our school. Our classroom is next to each other so I came here after seeing the lights turned on." The tall and slender boy replied, laughing awkwardly as he approached Jungwon. He then offered his hand, asking for a handshake. "I hope you don't find me weird. I'm Park Jongseong, by the way!"

"Weirdo." Jungwon took his coat, wrapping it around him as he stepped out of the art room. "Don't you dare follow me!" He commanded, glaring at Jay intensely.

Jay stood there for a while, not knowing what to do so he just followed Jungwon even if he was told not to. "I don't want to be alone in the building! Wait for me!"

Jungwon and Jay stood across from each other under the snowfall. "I told you not to follow me!" Jungwon remarked, sitting down as he hugged his knees. He then played with the snow on the ground, creating a tiny snowman.

"Why did you head out? It's very cold right now." Jay walked towards Jungwon, kneeling on his level to observe the younger. "I think we should head back."

"Head back in there by yourself. I'm staying in here." Jungwon then faced Jay with his pouty lips, sprinkling some snow on the elder's face. "Why do you keep following me? I have a crush on someone, you know?"

Jay scoffed, taking off the snow from his face. "I know that! That's why I was expecting you to accept your best friend's offer into fake dating. I don't know why you stepped back though. Also, who said that I like you? You must be imagining things."

"Imagining things, my ass. You've been wandering around me for the past 4 years." Jungwon lay down on the snow, flapping his hands and feet to make a snow angel. He sighed, looking at the snowflakes falling gently on his face. "I wonder if things between Sunoo and Riki will go smoothly..."

"I didn't know you were close enough with Ni-ki to call him by his first name now, haha." Jay laid down next to Jungwon, still staring at the person he's liked for 4 years. "For real, though. Why did you step back? That could've been your chance to have something between you and your crush."

Jungwon rolled his eyes, locking eyes with Jay. "Why would I tell a stalker about that, huh?"

"I'm not a stalker! That's very rude of you!" Jay took off his earmuffs as he placed them over Jungwon's ears so he'll feel warm. "Can you at least tell me? I won't tell Riki. Especially Hee."

"Tsk." Jungwon avoided Jay's gaze as he placed both his hands under his chin. "Honestly, I don't know either. It was like I wanted to do it but at the same time, something was stopping me. It was more of the universe controlling my actions earlier. That's why I don't know why I stepped back."

Jay nodded his head, ruffling Jungwon's hair. "That's right. It could be the universe. Kim Sunoo and Riki were both under the first snowfall while you were away."

Jungwon's eyes grew in shock, dropping his jaw. "Are you for real right now? You're also lurking around me even if I'm off-campus?"

"I—I promise, I'm not that weird! I've only started watching you off-campus when you were with Riki. He and I are pretty close, you know." Jay remarked, nudging Jungwon for leaking such weird assumptions about him. "Anyways, I think it's the First Snowfall."

"You think so too? I also think so. Even if I don't want it, it feels like fate has something in store for them and nothing for me." Jungwon looked at Jay for a few seconds before he laid his head on the latter's shoulder. "Now that I've thought of them, I wonder what they're doing right now..."

—

Ni-ki laughed as he stared at the ceiling. "You've got to be joking. You're not just a loser but a total fool for Park Sunghoon too! Haha~"

"Eyy, stop mentioning that jerk. Fine, I admit it. I was a fool for him. I don't even know what made me fall for him! Ugh..." Sunoo remarked through the phone, not realizing that it's been 3 hours since he started this call with Ni-ki. "Oh, Nishimura Riki. We've been calling for 3 hours already?"

"Really?" Ni-ki looked at his phone and noticed how much time has passed. "Gosh, you're right! I can't believe I'm having a 3-hour call with a disgusting brat!"

Sunoo scoffed, fighting the urge to curse at him. "If it weren't for this fake dating, I would've slapped you with mean words already. I seriously hate you, you know? I totally, extremely hate you."

"Haha! The same goes for me, duh!" Ni-ki laughed once again as he sat up from his bed. "You'll always be Kim Sunoo the loser to me no matter what the situation is."

"Whatever!" Sunoo exclaimed fiercely, taking a deep breath before starting a new topic with him. "Anyways, can you tell me more about your family?"

As soon as Sunoo mentioned family, Ni-ki's mom barged into his room, surprising the younger. Ni-ki anxiously lowered his voice while talking to Sunoo. "I'll call you again later. I just have to do something right now." He then ended the call, placing his phone under his pillow as he stared at his mother.

His mom looked at him suspiciously as he held her liquor bottle tightly. "Who was that? You never laugh that hard with your good-for-nothing friends."

"It was just my classmate, hehe." Ni-ki laughed awkwardly as he sat properly, gulping before things take a turn. "Is there something you need, mom?"

"Mom?" His mom scoffed, gawking at her child. "Who said you can call me your mom? After all the things you've done to me? You call me your mother?" She dropped her liquor glass on the floor, creating a huge glass-breaking sound. Then, she ran towards Ni-ki as she tightly gripped on his hair with her right hand, slapping him with her other hand. "Piece of shit."

Ni-ki closed his eyes as his mom left the room, staring at the mirror across his bed. "She's right, I guess..." He muttered to himself as he sighed, taking his phone under his pillow. At this point, having a phone and a social life is his escape from reality.

—⛄—
lol idk what i just wrote but heyy at least we've got jaywon in here ^0^