INSIDE [jaeyong]

[3]

[THREE]

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Johnny was minding his own business in the student's commons at eight o'clock in the morning, grabbing his mandatory coffee with two sugars before he saw a small figure hurdling towards him. He sighed and set his beloved coffee down, waiting for the minimal impact from boy named Lee Taeyong. He was about to laugh before the wind got taken out of his lungs once the boy collided with his chest.

"Hey—"

The taller discontinued his sentence once feeling a tiny fist hit him and watched as Taeyong stumbled back, a demonic glare inside his light irises.

"I hate you."

Johnny rolled his eyes — he heard that statement at least ten times a week. He knows that Taeyong isn't serious, he's just going through one of his several mood swings. Once 'collecting' himself from the shorter's weak punch, he noticed the slight difference in the boy's features and demeanor. Johnny's eyes studied the dark circles beginning to form underneath Taeyong's large eyes and the somnolence in his expression. This worried the older, mostly because he hadn't seen Taeyong in about a week and had no idea what the boy has been up to.

"You look tired as fuck," Johnny stated, staring at the boy gravely despite his humorous tone. Johnny tended to do that — he was such an animated, charismatic twerp that it often got in the way of what feelings he was really trying to convey. Taeyong knew the boy's in-and-outs, and thankfully could usually understand what he meant — even if it was easier not to.

Taeyong shrugged his shoulders, but his show of acting indifferent to the statement was thrown off when he started to rub his eyes uncontrollably. They stinged. "I said, I hate you," he repeated, glaring at the boy through his eyelashes.

Johnny took his coffee off of the table once he felt the coast was clear of hurdling Taeyongs. He smiled gently as he said, "Let's talk about it. Come and sit with me." He began to make his way to one of the tables for two, and surprisingly, the shorter actually took the initiative to follow him.

Taeyong plopped down on the wooden chair, afterwards crossing his arms on top of the table and resting his head in them. He preferred not to look at Johnny, but instead flutter his eyes closed and not see anything at all. "So, why do you hate me this time?" Johnny asked, taking a sip out of his cup.

Taeyong took a moment of resting before he answered, "You ruined my sleep schedule."

"I haven't seen you for like five days Tae."

Taeyong peered slightly over the fabric of his sleeves, his eyes mostly hidden behind his brown bangs. "I feel like shit. I haven't slept, haven't eaten, I haven't been doing anything except studying and that— that—," he stuttered, sitting up a little before continuing more desperately, "That dumb chatroom! Those stupid books!"

A few people looked over at the pair, snickering at Taeyong's outburst.

Johnny grinned a little, asking, "What? The one I told you about?"

Taeyong pressed his chapped lips together, nodding solemnly as he played with the string on his sleeve. "I didn't think I'd get so sucked into whatever those people were writing and them in general. It's so interesting. The books that they write actually aren't that bad and everyone is so nice. But then I remember that this is on the fucking dark web— like why the dark web? This couldn't exist on the surface web? It just throws me off."

Johnny listened, nodding at whatever Taeyong was rambling about. "I don't know why the dark web either, Tae. I really don't."

Taeyong's eyes of wonder shifted to a scowl. "You were the one who told me about it dumbass. You have to know something I don't."