immeasurable obsession

C9: Cookie boy

C9: Cookie boy

Sun Hee

I ran out of the class and saw him breaking down in the corridors.

I slowly approached him and realised he was sobbing.

He had an expression of resentment, anger and shame.
(Only the real ones know what this means)

"Are you... okay?" I gently tapped him. Suddenly I felt blank and didn't know what to do. I'd deal with my own panic attacks, but I feel... weak now?

"Go away..." he mumbled. I stood still, unable to respond. "I SAID GO!" he yelled.

He started crying again, and fell to the ground. I could see he was feeling hurt. All I could see, was him covered with tears.

"Why aren't you going... why, why do you stay? Why... why didn't you leave!" He looks at me with his eyes shining from the light's reflection on his tears.

I took steps closer to him and hugged him. "I'm not leaving, Jay. I'm right here, right beside you." I kissed his head to comfort.

He cried even harder as he heard me say that, and he took my arm. I caressed his hands as I felt him leaning on my shoulder.

A few seconds passed and the bell rang. Before students could flood out of the classrooms. I took Jay's arm and ran.

"Yah! Where are we going!!??" He asked as we headed to my secret hangout place. "Just run along with me, okay?" I replied.

"Okay." He said as he was gasping for air and panting from a short run around the school building.

We ended up near my secret hangout. "Where are we?" Jay asked in confusion. "Just pick anything you like okay?" I gestured him to look at our secret candy stash, that Ni-ki had set up for Ha-rin, Ni-ki and I.

"What is this place?" He asked as he wiped his tears. "See, that's better!" I smiled at him, as I saw that he was finally getting distracted.

"This room is an unused staff room, that used to be the student council's office before. No one really comes here and it's just filled with boxes and files with dust on them. All of the teachers prefer to go to the staff room at the top floor, so we hung out here often" I answered his question and he replied with an "Oh!" as he nodded in understanding.

"Oh and, there are chocolate chip cookies in that box, eat some if you want, cookie boy." I winked at him.

"Ahh, jinjja!! You're gonna keep calling me that!?" He smiled! "You smiled!!" I exclaimed, but not too loud.

I set up a place for us to sit, as he picked what he wanted to eat. "Are you sure we won't be caught skipping class here?" He asked as he opened the wrapper. "No chance, no one comes here except Ni-ki, Ha-rin and I. I guess you're the only person to know about this place except us!" I smiled at him.

Silence grew between us, and I didn't know what to say. "Wh- Why were you... umm, crying?" I fiddled with my fingers because of the nervousness. He didn't seem to respond. "It's... fine, if you don't want to... um, talk about it." He gestured he had a cookie in his mouth.

"I just had... a bad dream. Don't worry about it. I get those often. I often have trouble sleeping because of it." I just nodded my head in understanding. What else could I say? He has those dreams often? How often? Is he okay? "Are you okay?" I blurted out, finally escaping my overthinking.

"Yes I'm okay, pabo. Stop worrying." He paused and furrowed his brows. "Yah! Were you worried about me? Huh? Huh!" He gently hit me with his elbows.

Was I- no I was not. Why would I? "I wasn't worried, I just needed somebody to buy me ice cream later today." What am I even saying-

"Sure, I'll take you out for ice cream after our study session. Deal?" He asked and I nodded "Deal!".

"I'm joining too!" Ni-ki blurts out as he rushed into the room, panting a bit loudly. Both of us were surprised to see him here.

He took a seat beside me "Yah, it isn't fair you showed our hangout to the cookie boy!" Jay was clearly annoyed. "At this point, y'all are just annoying me instead to consoling." He pouted like a baby.

"Aigooo, well I'm glad hyung ('older brother' mainly used by men to refer their seniors or older brother) is treating us to ice cream, when we should be the ones doing that." Jay ruffled Ni-ki's hair.

"I know right!?" All of us giggled and laughed together and later headed to class.

The day eventually came to and end and it was already time for our evening study session.

Ni-ki, Jay and I usually walk together to the cafe, but Ni-ki said he'll be late.

Jay and I reached the café and continued working on the project.

It had been a while and Ni-ki didn't show up. "I got a text from Ni-ki saying we should go without him." Jay said as he stared at his phone's screen.

"I think he might be working on his own project. Oh well, you've got one less person to treat ice cream to." I elbowed him "Gaja!" He started walking.