TOTCF content because my brain go brr

Food

He was dreaming again, wasn't he? Cale felt like sighing. Is this going to happen everytime he fell asleep?

—-

 Kim Rok Soo wasn't a popular kid. He was small, dirty and fully covered in bruises. He made his own lunches, never paid attention in class. He was troublesome, he was annoying, he was not enough. 

Kim Rok Soo knew these things. He spent most of his school lunches alone, hidden away in nooks and crannies. If the librarian liked him, he'd spend lunch in there, but he had no likeable qualities. He would be lying if he said he wasn't lonely.

Kim Rok Soo popped open his worn and dirty, but trustworthy lunch box. After nine years, the lunch box still worked. Sixteen-year-old Kim Rok Soo didn't have many belongings just for him, but with his uncle asleep most nights and him away working most days, he was able to keep this little thing a secret.

Kim Rok Soo lifted out the yellow papernote that sat on top of his rice.

'Fighting' was what was written on it in a red permanent marker. There was a small smiley face too. Everyday without fail, he had a similar note with his lunch. 

Probably because he was the one to write it. Every morning, he would make his lunch and write himself a note. He remembered exactly how and when he wrote this note too. He took the pen from the container next to the cash register. He also used one of their infinite supply of yellow sticky notes. His rice was still waiting in the rice cooker when he wrote the note. He had paused in between doing his tie. It was 6:47. 

This note he wrote for himself kept him going through the school years. And if the note itself wasn't enough, he'd lie down and pretend he was in a different world. Sometimes it was his uncle who wrote the note, or his mother, or his father. Or even an imaginary hyung. 

He looked down at the note before folding it and putting it in his dulling blazer. He kept every note he wrote. He then looked down at his food. It was still steaming. 

Pieces of yolky omelet were rolled next to the rice. He had slightly undercooked them, so he drizzled it in ketchup to hide it. There was a salad with dressing in a different container. Pieces of fried salmon were boxed in a different section. He was pretty proud of his lunch today. He was finally reaping the fruits of his labor.

"Hey, what are you doing here by yourself?~" A voice trailed in. Condescension fueled the words but it was said with laziess. He saw a few boys the same age as him walk close. 

Fuck. 

"Awww, did you make yourself lunch? Why? Mommy can't pay for school lunches?" A nasally voice. Kim Rok Soo scrunched his face. He couldn't remember who these guys were or their faces. Did this guy recently get in a fight?

"No mom, remember? No one taught him to cook, clearly."

"Here, let me do you a favour." Kim Rok Soo flinched as his lunchbox was stolen from his hands. Then he felt it dumped on his head. His runny egg felt slimy as it slipped down his shirt. His salmon was stepped on until dirt filled every crevice. His salad was dripping down his face. His rice was piled on his lap. His perfect lunch ruined.

Kim Rok Soo could hear the sound of the camera shutter and their loud laughter. A blur then he felt his head slam against the wall. His nose crunched as he breathed out hard but evenly in pain. He scrunched up his eyes as pain rolled around in his head. 

Their laughter slowly faded out as they walked away. His lunchbox was no where to be seen. He knew they took it, probably threw it away too. Those fuckers. He sighed as he felt rain drip down too. He wiped it from his mouth before making startling realisation.