strange world | asadodam

butterfly

"woah, so you and asahi were from the same middle school? that's pretty cool!" 

the new learned name, jihoon, exclaimed in enthusiasm of the discovered information. doyoung found the reaction a bit over the top contrast to both him and asahi who acknowledged it silently. doyoung let out a breathy awkward laughter to fill the air as a kinder response to jihoon's remark. 

though, doyoung guessed, it was just the way jihoon's talkative extrovert-personality worked. because judging by the fact that both him and asahi liked their silence and personal spaces but also didn't mind the talks, they wouldn't be able to hold a conversation for twenty minutes if it weren't for jihoon's curiosity. at least just yet. 

"oh, I just remembered that my next class is on the other side of the building. I better get going so I won't be late." jihoon said in one go as he stood up and collected his trash on the table to his tray. 

while he did so, he stopped on his track to face doyoung. "thanks for the company, it was nice meeting you, doyoung!" jihoon then proceeded to face asahi and patted his back. "I'll see you after school, bye asahi!" 

and with the last farewell of the day, jihoon left. both doyoung and asahi spent two minutes watching jihoon's figure disappear joining the crowd in the dishwasher area where the lunch utensils were returned.

doyoung heard asahi cleared his throat in front of him. "so.. which class were you in?" he was taken back by the question. but after he processed the words that was said, creased eyebrows started to form out of annoyance. 

"mr. jung, class  does that ring a bell?" doyoung replied sharply after jugging the last few decilitres of water left down his throat. 

the older happened to immediately connected the dots, realised it and gave doyoung an apologetic look. doyoung wanted to do more but he didn't have the heart to humiliate asahi further. besides, it was over something small that wasn't either asahi's fault. 

doyoung had always been a part of asahi's class. but what he didn't know was that doyoung had always been invisible. he always had his lunch alone. despite achieving good grades, it meant nothing to the younger if you had no one to celebrate his success with. nobody wanted to be near him. his seat mate ignored him in all of his semester. doyoung had always been the outcast.

doyoung shot another look to asahi before he left the cafeteria along the ringing bell.