Push

Monopolize

The teacher’s on leave, ah, that must be why everyone doing their own thing and blatantly disrespecting the class representative, well, the male half at least. The girls are all over him.

-Bang!-

Everyone became silent and looked my way, looking with scared, apologetic and even shifty eyes as I glared back at them. Slowly, awkwardly they moved off desks and went back to their seats. The girls flirting with him left with dissatisfied faces too. They’re pouting, muttering and stealing, which I’m sure of, attempts of death glares.

Coincidentally, the door opened and the substitute teacher came in, he was surprised and impressed to see the class quiet and behaved and praised the class rep who ineptly tried to give the credit to me and failed. I don’t understand him at all, he’s bright and yet he doesn’t use his mind properly. That’s why he’s a pushover. And I hate it, seeing people taking advantage of his kindness makes me want to kill somebody. I don’t know, I just have this sort of feeling  - that I should only be the one to push him.

“Tch! That Daehyun is really a troublemaker,” one of my classmates said, I happen to be hiding from class duty. “I thought he’d start exploding or something.” And the other girls laugh and Jongup just smiled. I can’t see him but I can hear it, his faint half-hearted smile even if he defended me, to do it so weakly would just make him more lovable and me detestable. I don’t mind, I don’t want any others but his kindness anyway.

I heard rustling of leaves, I might just be found out but I don’t care.

“Thanks,” it was Jongup. That startled me. “Don’t worry I won’t rat on you, I also won’t tell that you’ve been taking care of the Cosmos growing near the library.” And he left with that smile, a radiant one this time.

Hey, Jongup, why don’t you stop being a puzzle so I’d stop thinking about you? Then again, why am I so obsessed about understanding him, he is just a classmate who smiles non-stop. Hey Jongup, I want to monopolize you, if I say that I wonder how he would react.

The leaves near me are shuffling again, and like spotting a Cheshire cat, a playful smirk first greeted me. “Are you done hiding?” Zelo asked, a few pink locks escaped his beret. I hummed and stood up languidly.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in detention because of that abominably pink hair?” I asked.

“That’s why I’m telling you to hurry up, you’re as slow as a turtle Daehyun,” he retorted. Zelo is my childhood friend, we practically grew up together and are actually living under the same roof ever since his parents died in a freak accident. People used to compare us too, and wonder how someone so boringly ‘black’ like me be friends with Zelo whose personality is close to bubbly, stunning pink hair. Then they stopped and branded us the yin-yang brothers.

Despite how Zelo was nagging at me for being as slow as a turtle I kept my pace and Zelo being a stubborn kid that he is, found his name being yelled out loud by the disciplinary teacher, Kim Himchan, halfway back at the school’s entrance. Zelo stuck out his tongue before giving a sprint away.

“Why… didn’t… you… stopped him?” Himchan asked, breathless. He was bent over, a hand clutch over his side.

“Should I?” I bluntly asked. Himchan groaned, yeah students don’t add a ‘mister’ to his name, he doesn’t even mind. I tilted my head before leaving but a heavy hand held me in place.

“You don’t belong in any clubs, do you?” he asked.

“I belong to the no-clubs club, sir,” I replied.

“Okay, starting tomorrow you’re part of the Disciplinary Committee.”

“Wha –?” Did he inhale enough oxygen for it to reach his brain?

“People are afraid of you ergo they’ll listen to you whether they like it or not.” He pats my shoulder with a chuckle.

“No.”

“Then would you like to clean the boys’ bathroom for a month? You’re a troublemaker yourself too, Daehyun.”

This guy… is scary. He places a mask on his face, a mask that smiles brightly and enticing, I thought Zelo was such a chicken running away from a softy like him now I know why. And I didn’t have much choice, my shoulder would probably break if I said no.

“Good, be here by six forty-five,” he said good humouredly as he pats my shoulder again and I had to fight back the urge to wince from the pain. “I have to tell Jongup about his new partner too,” he said as he turned and went.

If I heard it right, then I don’t mind being a fucking disciplinary committee member.