✓LOVER BOY | hwang hyunjin

47. Assumptions Gone Wrong

When June arrived, school ended. Graduation was a bittersweet epilogue that followed.

Hyunjin had arrived too early. He felt his heart beat faster when he took a turn, and entered the lobby, instead of joining his peers in the ground. This felt like the ending of a circle. The walk down the path was heavy with dazing memories.

Hyunjin could almost feel the pictures of him and his friends running around the school, chests full of sweetness. The sunlight flooded in from the windows. Classrooms were vacant, except for a few where a bunch of students in gowns were talking. Their joy made Hyunjin feel an itch for his own friends.

He made his way to his classroom. He could vividly recall Yeseul handing him the letter. Or Jeongin and her deciding on their vacation jobs. This made him recall the days at the flower shop, and the drenching rain. The night at Yeseul's place, the coffee mugs, the nights at the beach.

There was a turn, where he stopped. His eyes were on the stairway that led up towards the sealed floor. He remembered his first time meeting Yeseul there. The memory although a sharp pierce to him, was now something that he wanted to detach from its darkness.

He had reconciled with Jihoon. Soji didn't wish for anyone to separate with feelings of hate in them. And Hyunjin's love for his sister was something that eased his soul. He talked with Jihoon, all the way from how they were childhood friends, to their fallout that happened because of Soji's accident. Jihoon confessed to blaming him for all that took place, just as he had blamed himself. Hyunjin forgave him.

"Hyung!" Hyunjin looked over his shoulder. A smiling Jeongin came running, his hand on the graduation cap to keep it from slipping.

"You look adorable." Hyunjin snickered, pulling his phone out to take a picture. Jeongin wasn't very pleased.

"Done playing mother?"

"No."

Jeongin didn't reply. He joined him, shoulder to shoulder. They walked down the stairs towards the gym. Jeongin pointed his finger towards the door. "You know," he tilted his head, smiling, "I showed Yeseul your song here."

Hyunjin was at a lack of words. "You did WHAT?"

"And she absolutely loved it." Jeongin grinned, winking at him. He pushed his hands in his pockets. "She wanted to support your music career, but I told her not to bring it up."

Hyunjin was softly hitting his head on the wall. "My songs are mad cringe."

"She listened to them every time we were at the library." Jeongin coughed in his fist. Hyunjin felt his soul slip out of his body. He was warm in the face. Jeongin pointed out his smile. "You act like you didn't commit an adult act at the party like two days ago."

"Adult act?" Hyunjin snapped out of his sweet moment. "What the fuck is this vocabulary?"

"Um. S. E. X?" Jeongin raised an eyebrow. Hyunjin was blushing rather too much.

"How could you accuse me of this?" He covered his body with his arms. "You need God."

"But- but you guys were acting in that manner!"

Jeongin stumbled back. Hyunjin was losing his brain. They were talking over each other. Jeongin felt embarrassed from owing so much confidence while making this assumption.

"WHAT ACTING!"

"LIKE YOU WERE ABOUT TO COMMIT ADULT ACTS IN A DARK ROOM."

"EAT GLASS."

"THEN WHAT WERE YOU TWO DOING FOR TWO HOURS?" Jeongin felt his blood pressure rise. He held his neck, stumbling against the wall. Hyunjin didn't care if he died right there and then. He was humiliated.

"YOU THINK I CAN CONTINUE FOR TWO HOURS? WHY WOULD YOU THINK OF THIS? YOU FILTHY RAT!"

"Shut up, I'm dying. Give me a hand." Jeongin tried reaching out for his arm.

"Guys?" A voice broke them apart.

Shit, shit, shit. Hyunjin turned around, his ears still pink.

He awkwardly waved at Yeseul. "Hey, you're here."

"Where have you two been? I was searching the whole building." She walked ahead, but her steps slowed down when she saw a pale Jeongin. He looked like he needed medical assistance. "Is he okay?"

"Yes, but not mentally." Hyunjin glared at Jeongin, his lips spread in an unnatural smile. "How are you?" His face softened when he looked at her.

"You both are acting very weird." Yeseul held onto the bouquet of tulips in her arms.

Hyunjin didn't like how he had just noticed them. His mind was so occupied right now, he couldn't even breathe properly near her. She looked ravishing.

"Yeseul, please take no offence, but just to ease my emotions, tell me what you guys were doing when you both left the ballroom." Jeongin looked through his messed hair, the look so serious, Yeseul felt like her answer could either cure his unknown disease, or make him taste death.

"Oh. We just hung around the house, then we were outside watching the stars, and we made too many dumb jokes. I honestly laughed my lungs numb." Yeseul smiled while reminiscing. "Don't laugh, but we made little dandelion rings for each other." Hyunjin caught her shy gaze on the tulips.

"And we are in a relationship." Hyunjin's eyes found hers. They both shared a smile that contained too much adoration.

Yet this scene ended too soon when Jeongin let out a pained groan. He slipped down the wall, making the pair gasp in horror. Then he held up a weak thumbs up.

"I'm okay. Just some water and space would help me. Ask Soji to forgive me."