Craving (JJ x James)

15.

The bell had just rung for lunch, and all the students in Justin's mathematics class were relieved. The lesson had of course become completely boring and unbearable, and most of them lifted their tired bodies up almost immediately, ready to go to the cafeteria.

Justin got up from his desk slowly then walked out of the classrooms to get his cell phone from his locker so that he could text James to meet him. He probably needed him at lunch time to sit with him in the cafeteria. Aside from that, Justin really wanted to see James. Even though they had just seen each other a few hours ago, he missed him.

He opened his locker and took his cell phone, laughing at his silliness of missing someone who probably didn't miss him. But maybe James missed him as well, who knew?

"Hey, where are you?" Justin sent the message to him. He closed his locker and leaned on it, waiting for a response, but there was none. He waited for a few more minutes, perhaps James hadn't even taken his phone out of his locker. Without a way for them to communicate, he decided to just give up. He probably stood a better chance looking for James and bumping into him rather than simply waiting next to his locker. With that conclusion, Justin made his way to the cafeteria.

As he grabbed his cafeteria tray, he noticed James in front of the line standing with Wonyoung and her friend, his metal in his hand as he conversed with them.

'James,' Justin cried as he walked over. 'I was looking for you.'

'Oh hey,' James replied. 'I just left class and came straight to the cafeteria with these guys.' he pointed at Wonyoung and her friends, who didn't seem pleased to see Justin.

'Oh cool,' Justin looked at them then back at James. 'I was hoping we could sit together.'

'He's sitting with us,' Wonyoung seemed to have decided for James. 'I thought you like sitting alone.'

Justin could tell Wonyoung really did not like him. 'Yes but I have a friend now, so I can sit with him.'

'James trust me, you're cool. You should sit with us, not Justin. He's kind of lame.' Wonyoung assured him.

James laughed. 'It's fine, I'm sure Justin doesn't have a problem with me sitting with you guys since he's used to sitting alone. Right buddy?'

'Oh,' he tried to hide his disappointment. Come on October_Rooster, why do you care so much about being cool in real life? It's just not you. He thought to himself. But he couldn't say that out loud. 'No problem.'

James then smiled at Justin one last time and turned back to Wonyoung and her friends. The four of them started conversing about other matters which did not include Justin at all.

Sadly, Justin returned to his spot in line and waited for his turn. He watched as James happily talked with his new friends, exeduating his charisma as they all seemed to be invested in whatever he was talking about.

'Hey Justin,' Yorch, the school president, announced as he stood behind Justin with his tray, waiting for his turn in line. 'Welcome to the new semester.'

'Oh hey Yorch,' Justin smiled at the only other person who talked to him almost like a friend in school. 'Thanks.'

'I don't mean to pry,' he leaned in. 'But is that guy your friend? I saw you two together in the morning and now you were talking.' he pointed at James with his eyes.

Justin sighed. 'Yeah, I guess.'

'How is he your friend? He looks like bad news.' Yorch asked in surprise.

'Yeah he just looks like bad news, he's not.' Justin assured him.

'Really? Hmm. I don't trust him. Stay safe.' he warned.

Justin wondered whether it was good for him to take that warning to heart or not. Probably not. Everyone else saw the surface of James, none of them knew him to the extent that Justin did - not even his best friend Sangwon.

Once Justin had received his lunch, he sat down on a table alone. He watched James painfully as he seemed to be enjoying his time with his new friends. Had Justin already lost his new friends to the cool crowd? It looked like it, but he had to trust James. They were not October_Rooster's type.

𓆩♡𓆪

The next day, Justin waited on the bus stop, minutes earlier than the time James would start off. He had simply decided to wait there because James didn't answer his message on whether they would leave together for school or not. Either way, Justin wanted to go with James, so he decided to wait.

James had delayed once more, walking over to the bus stop a few minutes just before classes started.

'James!' Justin immediately exclaimed the moment he had seen him. 'You're late.'

'I didn't tell you to wait for me though.' he answered rather bluntly.

'Well you didn't answer my message so I figured out that you didn't see it and maybe...'

'I did see it.'

'Then why didn't you answer?'

'What's the point of us going together to school now anyway?' he placed his hand on the strap of his backpack. 'I know the place now, thanks for walking with me to school on the first day though.'

Justin looked at him silently, that didn't sound right. 'I thought we're friends. Shouldn't friends walk together to school?'

James rubbed his nape like he was looking for something to say. 'Justin we're so different. I just needed you for the first day of school so I had no choice. But I don't think we can really hang out. Look at us man.'

It sounded like an indirect rejection. Indeed, Justin knew he wasn't cool and in ordinary circumstances he knew someone like James wouldn't want to be friends with him. But he wasn't just James. 'Aren't we more similar than you're willing to admit?'

'No I think I'm more similar to Sunghoon and Jungwon.' he answered. 'Sorry if I made you think we could be friends back at Sangwon's' he shrugged, 'to be fair, that was before school started. We're cool right?'

'Uh...ye...yes.' Justin answered unsurely, still trying to process what was going on.

'See you around.' James said then quickly started to walk off, it seems he wasn't even willing to walk with Justin even though they were going the same direction.

What had just happened? Since when was he so shallow?

Craving.

a/n: I apologize for taking so long to update but I am back!