People Watching ★ 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐒𝐮𝐧

8: Jellybeans and Emos

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Imagine walking into a dimly lit room and finding yourself face to face with an elderly gentleman who looked like he should be in a retirement home, not working. That's exactly how Sunoo felt, and it wasn't what he had imagined today would go at all.

The principal stood before them, arms crossed as he let out a heavy sigh. "It's disappointing, but unfortunately this kind of behavior is all too common for Sunghoon," shooting a glance towards the troubled student. Then, turning to sunoo, he raised his eyebrows. "Sunoo, I have to admit, I'm surprised to see you in here. I always thought you were one of our best and brightest."

Sunoo couldn't help but roll his eyes as he glanced over at Sunghoon. Despite the tense atmosphere in the room, Sunghoon seemed completely unfazed, leaning back in his chair and surveying the scene as if it were just another ordinary day. Sunoo shook his head, muttering under his breath, "Typical Sunghoon."

The principal was growing impatient as Sunghoon sat there silently, avoiding eye contact. "Come on, let's get this over with. Who started the whole thing?" he rubbed his temples.

Sunoo was feeling pretty guilty, but he wasn't about to let anyone see it. He knew that the best course of action was to come clean and clear the air. So, he took a deep breath, "I di-"

Sunghoon's words flew out of his mouth at lightning speed, yet his nonchalant demeanor remained unchanged as he stared directly into the principal's eyes. "I instigated it. I punched Sunoo." Thanks to his hoodie, it was hard to discern any reaction on Sunghoon's face, leaving Sunoo unsure if he'd even left a mark. But who cared, anyway?

The principal looked disappointed and clicked his tongue, "Well, well, well. As expected, Sunghoon. But you know this is your third strike, right?" He paused, looked straight into Sunghoon's eyes, and then jotted down something on a piece of paper. "Listen, young man, one more strike and you're out. You understand what that means, don't you?"

Sunghoon didn't seem to care much and muttered under his breath, "Whatever."

Sunoo was in disbelief - did Sunghoon really take the blame for him? The thought of it made Sunoo uneasy. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but before he could say anything, a sharp pain shot up his foot. He looked down to see that the culprit was none other than Sunghoon's foot. What does this man want?!

The principal lifted his gaze "Alright, I'll work this out. You're dismissed," he said, before turning to Sunoo. "But, please, try to stay away from the bad crowd, alright?" Sunoo nodded his head and bowed respectfully, "Thank you for your understanding, sir."

Sunghoon abruptly rose from his seat, his movements silent as he strode out of the room without so much as a farewell. Sunoo quickly rose to his feet and hurried after Sunghoon, catching up to him only after they had put a significant distance between themselves and the office. With a hushed tone, Sunoo called out to him, "You there, halt!"

Sunghoon suddenly halted in his tracks, his right hand delving into his pocket as he pivoted on his heel to face Sunoo. "What's wrong?" he inquired, furrowing his brow in confusion. Sunoo moved closer to him, his tone lowered to a whisper. "What just happened back there?" he demanded, visibly agitated. " I hit you, so why did you do that?"

Sunoo's eyes flickered away as he hesitated before asking, "What do you want?"

Sunghoon tilted his head and let out a small chuckle as he walked closer to Sunoo. "Nothing... for now," he said, lifting his shoulders. "But I want you to keep in mind that I'm the kind of person who believes in giving and receiving equally. So, if I give you something, I expect something in return. It's just how I am."

Sunoo turned away and rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. "Just tell me what you want, dude. Money? A new phone? What is it?"

Sunghoon blinked and raised an eyebrow, amused by Sunoo's frustration. "Call someone poor, are we now?" he teased. "But let's just say if I ever needed something from you..." He leaned in closer, whispering into Sunoo's ear, "I expect you to be ready." With that, he pulled away, turned around, and raised a hand in farewell. "See you later, Jellybean."

Sunoo was taken aback, "Jellybean? What the hell?" he shouted, "I'm not a damn jellybean, you emo!" But his retort only made Sunghoon laugh harder. Sunoo racked his brain for a better comeback, but nothing came to mind besides calling Sunghoon an emo. I mean because obviously he was!

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For the lazy, by yours truly 8 ʚ(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )ɞ

Chapter summary: As they stood together at the principal's office, Sunoo and Sunghoon were both questioned about the altercation that had taken place. To Sunoo's surprise, Sunghoon took the blame for hitting him. It was at this moment that Sunoo's nickname, "jellybean," was born - a name that would stick with him for a long time to come.