✓LOVER BOY | hwang hyunjin

51. Stories Untold

Yeseul was drowsy. The low hum of the air conditioner was lulling her to sleep. Her professor was talking about her disloyalty by cheating. She felt dissociated. Every passerby, every horn, every bunch of paper being stapled together made her concentration thin out.

"What do you think about it?" Mister James leaned ahead, fingertips connected, eyes eager.

Yeseul shifted in her seat. She didn't know what the question was. She took a deep breath. "I- I did do wrong by cheating. It shouldn't have been done. I apologise for that. It won't be repeated."

He waited for more, but judging by the look of her face he spoke again. "And? What about the extra hour you attend here, near the T.A?"

Yeseul didn't want to argue. She sighed, nodding her head. "Yes. That would be of great help."

Mister James stood up grinning. He held out his hand for a shake. "You are a good student. This will help you a lot."

Yeseul smiled taking his hand. "Thank you."

_

The night sky was engulfing away the light. Venus was bright as a jewel, hanging in the sky. Yeseul sat in the tennis court, looking up, reminiscing as she sipped on chocolate milk. This brought back all the memories from her school days. Especially the day when Hyunjin and she met for the first time, and how he tended to her wounds. A swarm of butterflies were in her stomach. She missed him so much. She felt pathetic for blocking her friends just because they were busy with their own lives now.

She was acting childish. But she felt like she needed some time to think everything through.

"Hi." Yohan.

Yeseul's head jerked up. She looked away. She couldn't bear looking at him when her insides were a mush of emotions. She spoke instead. "I got an F."

Yohan sat silently beside her. The space between them close enough for them to feel the awkwardness. "I figured."

Yeseul let out a chuckle. "I won't be a meanie and blame you 100%. I asked you to write the essay for me. I'm also at fault."

Yohan didn't tear his eyes away from her face. He breathed softly through his nose, nodding. "I was called in too. They gave me a good scolding. For heaven's sake this is university. Who cares?" He laughed, looking at the sky merging into purple hues. "I miss Korea."

"A very prestigious one. I'm sure they don't want to put their reputation at risk because a hustler decided to be an essay dealer on campus." A short silence. "I also miss home."

Yohan looked down at his shoes, clicking them together and apart. "I was asked to visit the T.A from tomorrow." Yeseul looked at him, confused at his sad eyes. "I had plans."

"Well– " Yeseul bit back a snarky remark. "I was asked to do the same thing. Although it was for different reasons. I wasn't doing good in recent tests. I needed tutoring."

Yohan nodded. The silence fell around them like a blanket. Ease was filling the spaces, and Yeseul felt a bitter melancholy rise inside her. "You look like someone I know."

"I do?" Yohan smiled. "Your high school sweetheart?"

Yeseul didn't reply. She sat up, dusting at her pants. "I gotta go."

Yohan was confused, but he could see an intricate story woven behind her dismissal. His thoughts came to a crash when his phone buzzed, jolting him.

Incoming call from "hyunjin"...

"Hyung!"

"I'm in New York."

"You disappeared. Where have you been?"

A sigh followed silence.

"No disappearing again. I promise. Now pick me up, I'm cold."