Dreaming boys

★Every first day

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September was approaching, and with it, the inevitable return to school. Despite the new friendships and the serenity I had found in the community, the thought of going back to school terrified me. Past experiences had been far from positive, and I couldn't shake the fear of reliving those same moments of loneliness and discomfort.

On the morning of the first day of school, I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Seungmin was next to me, drawing as usual. He knew I was nervous, but I hadn't yet found the courage to talk about it openly.

"Hey, Hyeongjun," he suddenly said, breaking the silence. "I know you're worried about today. But remember, you won't be alone. There'll be me, Jungsu, Jiseok, and Jooyeon. We're all in the same boat; every first day is tough for me too. I have to get back into the swing of things." He chuckled.

I smiled weakly. "You're right, but I can't help thinking about everything that could go wrong."

Seungmin looked at me intensely for a moment, then nodded. "I get it. But remember, we're here to help you. And if you ever feel overwhelmed, you can always count on us."

Those words reassured me a bit, especially coming from Seungmin. Knowing I wouldn't be completely alone gave me a little comfort.

When we arrived at school, we headed to the principal's office to receive our class assignments. I was assigned to the same class as Seungmin and Jooyeon, which reassured me a lot. Jungsu and Jiseok were in another class, but we had decided to meet up during breaks.

We entered our classroom and sat down. I found myself next to Jooyeon, while Seungmin sat in the front row in the only single desk, which I didn't quite understand why he chose. It was the first day, and everyone seemed to be minding their own business, lost in their thoughts. Seungmin was also drawing and had his headphones on.

The teachers introduced themselves, and I tried to concentrate, but my mind kept wandering. After a while, Jooyeon turned his head towards me and caught my attention.

"Hey," he whispered, trying not to disturb too much.

I replied, and he started asking me various questions and how I was doing. He also talked about the school itself.

"Jooyeon," I called him, still whispering.

"Yes?" he responded enthusiastically.

"I wanted to get to know you a bit more. You've told me little about yourself, and I'm curious," I said, trying to sound casual.

Jooyeon smiled, his face lighting up with enthusiasm. "Oh, there's not much to say. I've had a pretty normal life, you know. My dad's a diplomat, so we've traveled a lot. I've been to over twenty countries!"

I was impressed. "Normal? That sounds incredible to me. What was your favorite place?"

"Well, I think Japan was the best," Jooyeon replied, smiling. "The culture is so fascinating, and the food is amazing. I even met a famous mangaka once!"

His eyes sparkled as he told his stories. I had no reason to doubt his words, and I listened, fascinated, even though part of me noticed something odd in his stories. However, knowing little about Jooyeon, I didn't question it too much.

"And you, Hyeongjun?" Jooyeon asked, turning the conversation towards me. "What do you like to do in your free time?"

I felt slightly embarrassed. "Well... I haven't seen much beyond Korea. I miss it."

Jooyeon nodded understandingly. "I get it. Sometimes I feel like no one really wants to listen to me."

I felt sorry for him. "Well, you can always talk to me," I said, trying to reassure him. "I'm better at listening than talking."

Jooyeon smiled widely. "Thanks, Hyeongjun. I really appreciate it."

We continued talking for the rest of the lesson. He told me more incredible stories about his life, and I listened, fascinated. Jooyeon seemed so sincere and eager to share his experiences that I didn't want to spoil the moment.

Meanwhile, Seungmin was immersed in his drawing, listening to music and seemingly unaware of our conversation. It was as if the outside world didn't exist for him. I couldn't wait to discover and know the real Seungmin, the one everyone talked about: the one who laughed and talked a lot.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of the lessons, I felt relieved. The first day had gone better than expected, thanks mainly to Jooyeon's company. We left the classroom together, ready to face the rest of the day.

During the break, I noticed the teachers talking among themselves, glancing over at Seungmin. It seemed strange to see him so quiet.

"I wish he was always like this. I'd cut his vocal cords every time he opens his mouth," said one of the teachers, laughing.

"Okay, he doesn't have parents, but at least his grandma could have taught him some manners," said another. "But of course, he probably doesn't respect anyone, not even his grandma," replied the first, laughing.

I heard a third teacher whisper: "He's drawing... I wish he could do that all year; I'd prefer it."

Seungmin, of course, knew that no one could stand him, and it hurt him because he didn't do it on purpose. He looked at the teachers, who immediately changed the subject, then went back to what he was doing. Seeing that he didn't react to the comments, probably because he was hurt, made me even angrier.

As we headed back to our classes, I noticed those teachers looking at me with disdain. They knew about my past as a thief, and it seemed they couldn't help but judge me for it. It was just Seungmin and me, as Jooyeon was in the bathroom and Jungsu and Jiseok were in their classroom.

"Hyeongjun, right? Try to stay away from the computer labs; we wouldn't want anything to go missing," one of them said sarcastically. I responded with an embarrassed laugh, and Seungmin frowned.

Another added, "We should put anti-theft devices on every computer to prevent anything from disappearing." They laughed again.

One of the teachers noticed Seungmin was nervous and tried to point it out to the others.

"Seungmin... behave yourself this year. We're tired of suspending you," he said. Seungmin turned completely red with anger and was ready to explode. I wanted to help calm him down, but...

Before I could say anything, he started shouting, "I SHOULD SHOW RESPECT TO YOU? DO YOU KNOW WHAT HYEONGJUN HAS BEEN THROUGH? DO YOU KNOW WHY HE STARTED STEALING? HYEONGJUN ISN'T BAD." I didn't know how to feel at that moment, but before I realized it, I smiled. Seungmin turned to look at me, returned the smile, and then looked back at the incredulous and already exhausted teachers. "I don't care what you say about me, but if you say anything else about Hyeongjun... I'll make your year so miserable that you'll promote me just because you won't want to see me anymore."

No one had ever stood up for me before, and for the first time, I felt important to someone. I started crying. I hadn't cried in a long time, but Seungmin managed to make me cry like a child.

We spent the rest of the day locked in the bathroom. No one wondered where we were, and we talked about everything and anything, except his story.

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