Angels Die

Rumors

It’s been three months since the party, classes has opened again for the year and it was only until then that I realized we actually go to the same university, though taking up different courses, still the same community. And it had been during those times that I’ve began to hear rumors about him, unless there were a few other Jung Daehyun in campus, which is highly unlikely.

“Have you heard? Jung Daehyun of Lit department did it again, he was seen making out with a senior at the restroom – in broad daylight!?!”

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“Guess whose name got announced over PA by the SAO?”

“Who? And what for?”

“Who else, rumor has it, he was found drugging himself somewhere in the neighborhood.”

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“Is it true?”

“What’s true?”

“That Daehyun dude’s got some sex video or something!”

“Fuck off!”

“Seriously bro!”

Jung Daehyun, twenty-three years old, majored in English Literature, Top ten of his batch and a known homosexual who isn’t afraid to flaunt it off on campus or outside, especially at Itaewon, a place I just learned was where you can be who you actually are without much discrimination. I found it hard to believe. Daehyun doesn’t look the part of some promiscuous person for that matter. He was confident, and he was surely oozing a lot during that night but gay and showy about it? I shook my head when I heard Jongup said it himself.

“How could you say something like that about your own cousin?” I asked, curious and appalled by the lack of empathy thereof. It was a free period, a time that rarely happens now that we’re interns.

Jongup leaned on the table with his chin resting on his palms. “Because that’s the truth,” he simply said.

“Wow, what an empathetic cousin you are, and here I thought you guys have this strong family bond.”

Jongup laughed softly, as we were in the library. “And someone’s interested in someone,” he teased.

“I am n–”

I was cut off by the sudden intrusion of loud booming music from somewhere near the entrance. All heads turned to the culprit although he had caused a few gossips, the voices drowned out and died down in minutes as the other people in the library had went back to their previous actions – reading.

“Oh, there you are!” we heard the person yell from across the hall, as his eyes found us. He was again reprimanded by the scary, middle aged librarian and took his Ipod and headphones as punishment. Daehyun walked towards our table grumpily and dropped himself on a chair next to Jongup minutes later, grumbling and complaining about going to the Students’ Affairs Office again. Again? How many times has he been there anyway?

“Well, what do you expect?” Jongup said casually and amused, without looking away from his book.

“I wonder if they’d give me an award for most visits to the SAO?” Daehyun joked.

“Dae, you forgot to mention the Dean’s office as well,” Jongup helped.

Wow, they’re talking about being called for being a nuisance as if it was something to be proud of. Daehyun must’ve noticed me shaking my head as he chuckled and smiled at me, tilting his head to the side and said something insulting. But I’m not like anyone, yes, I think normally people would’ve kicked his balls for it but I couldn’t really care and I ignored him by putting on my headset.