textbooks - jeongcheol

twenty three

During the week of jeongcheol's demise.

"it just feels so fucking weird, not being here with jeonghan and having to be stuck with you instead." jisoo mutters to seokmin, who's playing basketball with him on the court, and then he quickly adds, "no offense, but you know what i mean."

"yeah, none taken," seokmin responds, dribbling the ball. he shoots a hoop and jisoo sighs, grabbing the ball before it bounces away.

jisoo rolls his eyes, shooting and scoring without even aiming. "why would i miss him when he's the one who betrayed me."

"maybe because he's been your best friend since you were in diapers?" seokmin suggests and jisoo gives him a withering look. "i don't know. I think you guys should just make up."

"i would if he'd apologize." jisoo grumbles.

"he apologized a trillion times, why don't you apologize, too?"

"because he was the one who was in the wrong!"

"so you're just going to ignore him and avoid him like the plague until you graduate?"

"no, i'm going to avoid him for the rest of my life."

seokmin looks like he wants to say something else, but doesn't. "well, what's it going to be, jisoo hyung? are you going to shoot the ball, or are you going to pass it?"

jisoo groans. "ugh, fine. i'll pass it to you, so you can suck at this sport."

"that's rude."

jisoo laughs, passing the ball and watching seokmin fail at shooting another hoop.
once the two are done they make their way to the locker rooms to change and after they head out of school.

"you want me to walk home with you so you don't feel lonely?" seokmin says and jisoo snorts.

"fuck offff." jisoo says but seokmin smirks, he bumps his shoulder against his. "let's go together pleeeeaaaaseeee."

"i hate you."

"no, you don't."

"yeah, yeah, shut up."

they walk together and talk about everything and nothing it was mostly seokmin making the conversation and jisoo just nodding.

they ride the bus together because they both didn't have a car and even though seokmin lived far away from jisoo he still didn't let him go home by himself.

"you could've just left." jisoo says.

"and have you sulk the whole way home because you were lonely? i don't think so."

seokmin shakes his head and jisoo scoffs. "you need someone to be there for you, too, jisoo hyung. don't push everyone away just because you don't want them to be there for you because they actually are."

"that sounds kind of cheesy."

"it was supposed to sound cheesy."

jisoo snickers. "thanks, seokmin."

"no problem, hyung."

"and i'm sorry for making you be my replacement friend."

"hey! i'm not your replacement friend! i'm the one who's always been there for you and i'll be here no matter what."

jisoo grins and the bus arrives to his stop. he gets up and they both make their way to jisoo's home.

"hyung you mind if i use your bathroom before i go home?" seokmin asks, watching jisoo walk up his steps