frosted | hoonki

two

niki had just completed his first two periods without any issues. math and english went by smoothly, leaving him feeling grateful. however, when the bell rang for break, he felt a bit lost. with no friends yet, he decided to head to the canteen alone, hoping for some quiet.

he scanned the crowded corridors, trying to find his way. the school's maze-like layout made it harder than he expected.

frustrated, he sighed and approached a nearby classroom. he knocked gently on the door and peeked inside. "excuse me, ma'am, could you tell me where the canteen is?"

the teacher, busy at her desk, looked up with a kind smile. "sure, just go down this hallway, take a left, and it'll be on your right."

"thanks a lot," niki said, relieved. he hurried off in the direction she indicated, eager to find his lunch.

the canteen was lively, and the noise made him feel a bit overwhelmed. he took a moment to gather himself and noticed a line forming, which gave him some direction. he joined the queue, his stomach grumbling as he looked at the food options.

while waiting, he overheard snippets of conversation from other students, which was oddly comforting.

when he reached the front of the line, the lunch lady greeted him with a smile. "what can i get for you?"

"just a simple lunch, please-a sandwich, a drink, some fruit, and if you have any, a chocolate," niki said gratefully.

"of course," the lunch lady said cheerfully, preparing his meal quickly. "here you go. enjoy your lunch."

"thank you," niki replied, taking the tray and finding a quiet spot to sit. as he unwrapped his sandwich, the aroma of freshly baked bread and savory fillings was comforting.

taking a bite, he felt content. the sandwich, drink, and chocolate made him feel a bit better.

as he finished his meal, a tap on his shoulder startled him. turning around, he saw a boy with a bright smile and a teasing glint in his eye.

"hey, mind if i join you? or are you saving this spot for someone special?" the boy asked, pointing to the empty seat.

niki hesitated but nodded. he didn't want to make the boy feel as isolated as he had earlier.

"i'm sunghoon. what's your name?" sunghoon asked with a playful grin.

"niki," he replied, shaking sunghoon's hand.

"so, you're new here, huh? what's your story?" sunghoon asked, his tone teasing but friendly.

"yeah, just moved here with my family. today's my first day," niki said, feeling a bit awkward.

"welcome to the chaos," sunghoon said with a chuckle. "it can be overwhelming at first, but you'll get used to it. want me to show you around?"

their conversation flowed easily, covering school life, hobbies, and interests. as the break ended, sunghoon asked, "can i see your schedule? or are you just going to keep wandering around?"

niki handed it over, and sunghoon reviewed it with a smirk. "hey, looks like we have pe together. hope you're ready to get sweaty."

niki, slightly distracted by his admiration for sunghoon, quickly snapped out of his daydream. "oh, that's great," he said, trying to refocus.

they left the canteen together and headed toward the gym. niki decided to ask about sunghoon's interests. "so, what do you like to do in your free time?"

sunghoon's face lit up. "i love ice skating! have you ever tried it?"

niki shook his head but expressed interest in trying it. their chat about hobbies continued effortlessly. niki appreciated how easy it was to talk to sunghoon.

before they knew it, the school day was over. despite having different homeroom teachers, they parted on good terms.

sunghoon smiled warmly. "i'm really glad we became friends today."

niki smiled back. "me too. i didn't expect to make friends so easily, but you made me feel welcome. thanks."

"no problem," sunghoon said, giving him a teasing wink. "so, can we walk home together, or will you leave me hanging in the rain?"

niki's heart skipped a beat. "yes, i'd love to!"

sunghoon suggested they meet at the school gate after homeroom. niki eagerly agreed. "see you at the gate!" he said, watching sunghoon walk away.

as the bell rang, signaling the end of homeroom, niki was about to leave when an unexpected rain shower started. realizing he had no umbrella or jacket, he felt frustrated. determined to meet sunghoon, he stood in the rain, hoping for the best.

suddenly, sunghoon appeared, holding an umbrella and wearing a smirk. "thought you could use this. wouldn't want you to get soaked on your first day, right?"

niki, embarrassed, stammered, "oh, i'm sorry. i didn't mean to-"

"it's fine," sunghoon interrupted with a laugh. "just didn't want you to suffer. we're walking together, so let's make sure we're both dry."

niki felt a rush of gratitude. "thank you, sunghoon. i was worried about getting wet and missing our walk."

sunghoon handed him the umbrella. "don't mention it. just thought i'd save you from an unfortunate end to your first day."

walking together under the umbrella, niki looked up at sunghoon, who smiled back.

"you're really kind," niki said. "i've had such a great time today because of you."

sunghoon reached for niki's hand as they walked, pulling him closer. "i'm glad. i'd hate to see you have a bad day."

feeling a surge of emotions, niki leaned into sunghoon's embrace, realizing how much he cared about his new friend in such a short time.

as they walked, sunghoon leaned in closer, his voice warm. "thanks for today," he said quietly, his voice brimming with emotion.