Just like every other night, he'd wake up to the noise of his mom and dad fighting downstairs. It was nothing unusual, his mom would be drinking and his dad would return home after several days from his so-called work. They both knew that his dad was having an affair and was staying with his mistress, however, his mom is in denial and drinks the pain away.
I wish I was not here, I wish I could run away but I can't. I can't leave my mother like this, not when she's suffering because of Dad, not when I'm all she has left.
The mornings after those nights are always quiet, perhaps because his dad is gone for work and his mom is asleep, but that doesn't matter because summer break is now over and a new school year has yet to start.
You'd think going to school is better than staying in this toxic household, but not when you're starting a new school year in a new school.
As if being the only child wasn't lonely enough, they had to relocate to Busan and begin a new life, leaving his only friend in Seoul behind. Now here he is, going to school in a city he isn't familiar with.
He had problems socializing with people, so he doubt he'd make friends easily. I guess he has to stay lonely until then.
Walking by the school halls would always be fun, but it was different this time. This time he did not have anyone to walk with. After five whole minutes of trying not to get lost, he finally found his classroom.
Students were already seated when he went in, so he just compiled and sat himself down. Everybody seems to already know each other; therefore, no one sat beside him.
Class has now begun, and guess what they were instructed to do? Self-introduction, typical first day.
"Mr. Hwang, introduce yourself to the class," his homeroom teacher, Mrs. Park, instructed. He stood up and walked. Being in front of the class gave him a complete view of all the students- the students looking at him, the students whispering, and the students who were silently judging him.
The thought of eyes being laid on him gave him anxiety.
"Uhm... Hello everyone, My name is Hwang Hyunjin, but feel free to call me Hyunjin." He spoke.
"Any interesting facts about yourself, Hwang?"
Why does this teacher want to know so much? "I like art and astronomy; other than that, I'm not very interesting." He sat back down while everyone else introduced themselves.
"Thank you, Ms. Yoon; please introduce yourself next, Mr. Kim."
silence...
Still no answer. Seconds later, a student who looked breathless from running entered the classroom. "Excuse me, is this Mrs. Park's class?" the student asked. "Certainly, I'm assuming you're Mr. Kim?" says the teacher. He just nods his head in reply.
''Reason for being late?'' The teacher asked. "I got lost while looking for the classroom, I apologize." He bows. "For a new student, that is completely understandable. Please introduce yourself instead." So he did.
"Good day, everyone. My name is Kim Seungmin, but feel free to call me Seungmin. I uhh... play the guitar! I enjoy riding boats and going to the beach." He certainly knew what to say.
"Great introduction Mr. Kim, now have a seat-...'' Every seat seems to be taken. The teacher's eyes roamed around the classroom until they landed on the table with two chairs and one unoccupied seat.
''There, next to Mr. Hwang.'' He silently made his way to his seat and sat down. Hyunjin was trying his hardest not to be awkward.
They were both new students. Seungmin was a year younger than Hyunjin, but that didn't matter, Hyunjin still wanted to be his friend- "Mr. Hwang, for the second time, please answer the question." The teacher interrupted his train of thought. The worst part is that he didn't even hear the question- typical Hyunjin.
"What was the question?" Gosh, that was embarrassing.
"Anyone else?''
Seungmin raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Kim, please answer, and Mr. Hwang, please listen" first day of school, and he already humiliated himself. Seungmin confidently answered while Hyunjin stared at him, noticing he had braces on.
Hours passed, and finally, the bell rang, indicating it was lunchtime. The cafeteria was filled with students by the time he got there. He ordered food and looked for a place to sit, but he didn't bother staying given the number of students there. He got his food and went out. He saw benches and tables where he could eat peacefully.
Eating alone reminded him of every day when he had to eat by himself because his dad was not around and his mom was too drunk to even think. He just missed the times when they would eat dinner together, when his mom wasn't alcoholic, when his dad didn't cheat, when they were happy, when he was happy... He did not plan on crying today, but here he is.
He didn't bother going to class after his little crying session; instead, he explored the school grounds and discovered the library. No one was in there; it was quiet, yet he still proceeded to enter. The library was huge, with books everywhere. He grabbed a book and sat himself down on one of the bean bags.
The autumn star He flipped to the very first page when the sound of footsteps gradually became louder. "Why would a student be here during class hours?" He thought to himself. He took a glance to see who it was and saw that it was the guy sitting next to him during homeroom class. He seemed to notice Hyunjin's existence but chose to ignore him.
"Skipping class on the first day of school, students?" Since when did the librarian get here? Hyunjin was too astounded to speak when- "You've been mistaken, ms. librarian; my classmate and I here were just getting books for our literature class, right Hwang?" Seungmin affirmed, Hyunjin had no choice but to agree.
YOU ARE READING
ASTRONOMY | SEUNGJIN
Fanfiction"You said, 'Distance brings fondness', but guess not with us." It all began when Hyunjin moved to Busan and met Seungmin. What happens when they encounter each other again five years later? Will everything still work out? Just two individuals wit...
