first snowfall | sunki

23: bus stranger

"Hey, coconut! What time will you come here? I thought we'll get our IDs together?" Jungwon screamed through the phone, clearly mad about Sunoo's time management.

Sunoo looked around the bus to see if anyone heard Jungwon. "Don't scream so loud! I'm on the bus right now after detention. Don't worry, Won! I'll be there in a while... I think."

"These detentions are making us waste our time! Oh well, it's too late to get angry at you. Just make sure you come here safely and properly fixed, okay?" Good thing Jungwon was just disappointed. He could never get angry at someone he likes so much.

"Mhm! I'll turn off my phone now. Bye, Won!" Sunoo ended the call with Jungwon as he sat back comfortably on the bus seat. He's already in his last year of high school and preparing for the next part of his life was not an easy thing. He'll be in college soon, though he never looked forward to it.

It was also the winter season already yet it seems like this year's snowfall will come in late.

"Hi, can I sit next to you? The bus is full right now except for your seat." A boy with messy hair and a dirty uniform came to Sunoo.

Sunoo looked at him up and down before allowing him. He wasn't going to allow him in the first place because from his perspective, messy clothes automatically mean a creep. He tried his best not to interact with the stranger but he kept leaning to his side.

"Excuse me, sir? I'm not trying to be rude but please don't lean on my side. I don't want my uniform getting messy like... yours." Sunoo bluntly stated, making the boy hide his face with his hands. He was about to face the window until he heard sobbing. "Sir, are you crying?"

The guy sat up straight, wiping his tears away.

"Sir, it was not my intention to make you cry! I— Woah! I'm just kidding, please!" Sunoo got a closer look at him. He was young, probably around his level. He then leaned closer to the stranger, trying to soothe him down. "I get my uniform messy sometimes too!"

Sunoo was already panicking but the boy just snorted, as if he found something funny. Sunoo brought his hand down as he watched the stranger laugh by himself. "You must be a psycho..."

"I think the psycho is the one who cut your hair like that."

"What?" Sunoo immediately held his hair and then hid his ID. "I was trying to comfort you and you make fun of my hair? Why does everyone make fun of my coconut hair, it's not even that bad. Anyways, are you fine now, Sir?"

The boy just nodded. "I'm fine. But don't worry, I'm not crying because of what you said."

"Oh." Sunoo locked eyes with the stranger but since this happened a few years back, he couldn't remember his face anymore. "Are you fine, though? You seem kind of rough."

"Ah, cheers. It's just a bad day, that's all. I'm going to college soon and everything's so stressful. I don't even know why my mom wanted me to skip two grades so I can be in college as soon as possible—"

"Wow! You're going to college too? Which one?" Sunoo's mood brightened up. "I forgot the name but I'm pretty sure it's the university next to the expensive restaurant."

The stranger's eyes lit up brightly as well after hearing what Sunoo said. "Really? I'm going to that school too! Woah, I know we're just strangers but we have a lot in common."

"We only talked about one thing and you say it's already a lot. What department are you going for?" Sunoo asked. "My best friend and I are taking arts."

"That's cool. My mom wants me to take something I don't want and she said she'll disown me if I don't follow her. That's why I'm heading to my friend's place after today so she doesn't get mad." The boy showed Sunoo his various dance medals. "I want to take dance!"