Belonging Season

6: The Brush And The String

The cafeteria was filled with the clinking sounds of utensils and the loud chattering of children. Many of the seats were already claimed by different friend groups, while a few students were adjusting wherever they could find a spot. Maybe the cafeteria is a place where friendships are made, because you never know when a group might call you over, and the very next day you're their sweet buddy. But it's also a place where rivalries can start-you can never guess when someone might dump a bottle of milk on you, and in return, they get a punch in the face. Unpredictable, isn't it?

Amidst the loud chaos, there were five students discussing a very serious topic that could make headlines tomorrow.

"Yoongi-hyung! Are you even listening to us?" Yugyeom said, trying to gain the elder's attention, who was busy chatting with his boyfriend under the table.

"Yugyeom, you know I use my ears to hear you, not my eyes," Yoongi replied with a blank expression and continued eating his food while texting.

With a blank expression, Yugyeom sighed before continuing, "You know, Hobi hyung, this muscle boy here still doesn't have the guts to confess his love for his hyung~"

Jeongguk, with furrowed eyebrows, replied, "Who said I don't have the guts for it? I can clearly confess to him, okay? I-I just need some time."

Hoseok gave a judging look at their useless banter and continued eating, knowing the brunette wasn't going to confess anytime soon.

The silent one was quietly laughing at their childish fights before shoving more snacks into his mouth. Noticing the absence of the rice cakes, the others turned to face the culprit, who was trying very hard to swallow the food he had already taken.

The next minute, Mingyu's face was covered in ketchup as he stared at his best friends, who were laughing at his red-streaked face. He quickly found himself chasing them with a bottle of green chili sauce in the playground.

This wasn't quite a rivalry, but it wasn't exactly the start of a friendship either-maybe something in between, like having fun after messing with your best friend, a bond that wasn't named at first but grew over time.

The break was over, and the three boys were laughing and having fun, unaware of the amber eyes admiring their happiness with a small smile. Sometimes people do find joy in the smiles of others, and it's truly beautiful to see those faces, full of countless reasons to smile, and eyes that shine like millions of stars, causing your own lips to curl into a smile.

Dusting off his clothes, the raven-haired boy gathered his things, including his guitar, and headed inside the school, feeling those brown eyes on him-certainly not for the first time. Why?

Entering his English class, where Mr. Lee was teaching the poem The Song of the Happy Shepherd, he reflected on its meaning.

The reality of someone's thoughts might make this poem feel positive to them. Stories and poems aren't made of facts or logic-they're magical, full of dreams, imagination, and creativity. The shepherd never liked modern life, as its focus drained the beauty out of everything. Sometimes, enjoying those stories written by great writers is about connecting with them, living within them, rather than searching for facts and logic that aren't really necessary.

The poem reflects Yeats's early interest in folklore, mysticism, and dissatisfaction with the modern world, where people live by facts and often ruin the raw beauty of everything.

The teacher droned on and on telling them the summary of the poem and how many of them can maybe connect with it while the raven head sitting at the last seat beside the window was staring at the blue sky, wanting to wrapped into the vaults of heaven and might outreach the abode of the angles and listen to the melody, angles often sing for him in his dreams.