Two-faced

- his advice -

The bleachers are pretty full since our school's basketball team is rumored to actually be good. But I can't even focus on the game because I'm sitting smack in between Sunwoo and Jacob.

None of us had said a single word this whole time, afraid to make the others uncomfortable. I bounce my knee from nervousness and Jacob takes his jacket off and offers it to me.

"I got it." Sunwoo interrupts, taking his own jacket and laying it across my lap.

"Thanks," I say, and I don't know which of them that was aimed at.

It feels like forever before our team wins and we can go back to the dorms.

"Thank god," I mutter as we stand up and slowly make our way back to the dormitory building. It's dark by now and we walk in silence.

"Well that was fun!" Jacob says, attempting to make it less awkward.

"Yeah..." Sunwoo and I say.

Sunwoo's phone rings and he pulls it out of his pocket. "Shit." He says, which seems to be code word for my mom is calling.

He glances at the two of us and I look at him worriedly. His mom's scolding's are on another level.

"I was gonna walk you to your door," Sunwoo says to me. "But she hates when I ignore her calls,"

"No, it's fine!" I tell him. "I'll just go with Jacob."

Sunwoo parts his lips and pauses before he says, "yeah. Yeah you two go."

I stand on my tip toes and peck his lips before walking off with Jacob (the professional third wheeler.)

[ Sunwoo pov ]

"What is it now, mom?" I ask when I answer the phone.

"I heard through the grapevine that you have been slipping through the cracks in terms of star student mentality." She says with a serious voice.

"What? What the hell does that even mean?" I run a hand through my hair.

"It means that not only are you slacking off in school, but you're being rude to classmates! Sunwoo this is not how I raised you, and what will people think if their first rank student is not a model kid. You need to be more like- like Jacob."

"I'm sick of hearing about Jacob!" I shout in frustration, and my mom pauses because she knows there's something else going on.

But of course she doesn't care and says instead, "you want a bright future dont you? You want to bring honor to your family dont you?"

"... yeah. Yeah mom that's really my dream in life sorry lemme just add that to my bucket list while we're at it!" I say with bitterness in my voice.

"Young man I will not have your attitude. I am your parent and you are the child. You listen to what I say and you do what I tell you or I will go to your school and rip out all the people you care for from your life. Are we clear?" She says.

Sometimes I wish I was just never born into this family. This family where expectations have overcome my sense of value. Where I'm not aloud to have my own goals or interests. When my future is planned out for me.

"... yes," I respond. Because there is no other response in my household.

"Good." She hangs up the phone and I punch a nearby tree. But the tree fights back and gives me tens of splinters and bloody knuckles.

"Dammit!" I shout to nobody. I'm all alone out here in the night, but I feel so trapped.

Once I calm down I take the elevator to my floor, ready to kiss Daeun goodnight. The one light in my life.