glass | gyuricky

four.

To: rickyshen@gmail.com

Subject: homework

here's the stuff you wanted to see. i haven't decided on a pose for the sculpture so there's just a bunch of anatomy study in there.

4 attachments

11:47PM, Sunday

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From: rickyshen@gmail.com

Subject: Re: homework

Gyuvin,

I really like these ideas. Thank you for submitting your work.

I sense that you're interested in sculptures from the renaissance period. Here's some of my favourite ones for you to take a look at, if it helps with your inspiration. Have a good week ahead.

3 attachments

Regards,

Ricky Shen

1:25AM, Monday

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To: rickyshen@gmail.com

Subject: are you okay

why are you looking at my work at 1am???? do you not sleep? answer honestly

1:32AM, Monday

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From: rickyshen@gmail.com

Subject: Re: are you okay

Gyuvin,

Part of my job entails that I get to look at your work at whatever time of the day I want. But on the slim chance that you're actually concerned about me, I do sleep. Just not when I have work to ponder over. I suppose I have you to thank for that.

On another note, you should be asleep. If you're late to class tomorrow again, I'll know what you were doing.

Regards,

Ricky Shen

1:41AM, Monday

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To: rickyshen@gmail.com

Subject: well

sleeping? before 3??? who am i, a child? i'm only productive at night anyway. that's definitely the only reason i submitted my work at 1147 (not in any way because i forgot i had homework until 11)

on another note, me being late to class is not at all contingent on what time i sleep. i'd probably be late to the end of the world. on the other hand, don't elderly need more sleep? just some fruit for thought.

1:45AM, Monday

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From: rickyshen@gmail.com

Subject: Re: well

No excuses. 7-9 hours of sleep per night is optimal for youths under the age of 25 for a myriad of health reasons. Do you want to die early? On second thought, don't answer that. I'm more productive at night too, but I'm allowed to do whatever I want because I'm an adult.

Haha, funny. I'm going to pretend I didn't see that. No age jokes allowed until I start to have gray hairs, which might actually be accelerated because of people like you and your classmates.

Please rest early.

Regards,

Ricky Shen

1:54AM, Monday

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To: rickyshen@gmail.com

Subject: okay fine

i don't think i've had more than four hours of sleep this entire year. but okay, since you asked so nicely. goodnight

1:57AM, Monday

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"And good morning to you too, Gyuvin," Ricky greeted, pretending to tip his hat at Gyuvin as he sidled into the classroom, three minutes late as usual. "Glad you decided to grace us with your presence."

"Like I always say," Gyuvin shrugged, smiling. "Better late than pregnant."

"I...don't think that applies to you?" Ricky answered, confused, but still laughing. "Alright, take a seat. I was just telling the class about the field trip we're going on in two weeks' time, to the National Museum of Korea. It's a precursor to your first assignment of the year."

Groans sounded from around the class again, and Ricky pretended to look rueful for a second. "I promise it'll be fun, guys. You get to spend a day at the museum and pick one artwork of your choice to write a paper on. And before anyone asks, no you're not allowed to choose historical artifacts. I want a paper on art history, not history. It's gotta be something created by someone, okay?"

The classroom was beginning to buzz with chatter. Gunwook tapped him on the shoulder. "Didn't you hear? We get to stay in a hotel for a night because the museum is too far away from here for us to make the trip back before it gets dark," he said excitedly. "We get to spend a night in the city. Aren't you excited?"

Gyuvin thought about the years he'd spent living in downtown Seoul when he was younger, before his family had moved to this town; he'd remembered nights out on the streets of Gangnam and Itaewon, clubs lining the streets, bright lights illuminating the silhouettes of buildings everywhere he went. As much as he'd gotten used to small town life, where the shops closed before nine and the streets were quiet in the night, he couldn't forget the liveliness of the Seoul cityscape he'd grown up amidst. Not to mention, a day off from school. Who wouldn't be excited?

"When is that again?"

Gunwook glanced down at the little calendar in his notebook. "The Thursday after next week."

"It's gonna be fun, right?"

"Hell yeah."

"Ricky, are you going to be chaperoning us?" someone from the other side of the class piped up.

"If you think Mrs Lee could handle the lot of you on a day trip to Seoul, you are sadly mistaken," Ricky answered, laughing. "Yes, unfortunately I will be chaperoning you. No more complaints, please, you'll hurt my feelings."

He had on a dark gray vest today, on top of his regular collared shirt and straight-cut slacks. The tuxedo-cut kind, clearly tailored to his exact proportions, not the casual knitted ones that were more common. Gyuvin searched his face, as he started talking about the history of surrealist art, for any signs that he'd been up late last night, looking over Gyuvin's work, answering Gyuvin's emails. He almost wished for a sign; dark circles, or a yawn, for proof of the tiny little connection they'd had to show on his face. Some proof that it was real. But Ricky looked flawless, as he usually did, and Gyuvin let his eyes fall before Ricky could catch sight of him staring.

He wondered suddenly if anyone else in the class had Ricky's email. He poked himself, in response to the mental question, hard enough in the hand with a pencil to dispel the thought from his mind.