Act of Benevolence

09

[a/n: hi. im so happy nowadays, long story short, im accepted in the National Honors Society, and my crush agreed to marry me for my project but— ha.]

"Hello? Are you going to pick up your phone?" Jaehyun caught Hobak in a trance next to her locker.

"Nice ringtone." He says casually smile with her, "Huh? Oh! Thanks! It's just— I'm a shawol." She gushed.

"Ahh! What a nerd!" Jaehyun teases and pats her shoulder, "That's cute, actually, don't be ashamed, I like EXO." He shakes his body laughing.

"Anyways, Hobak noona, do you want to celebrate with me still?"

"Uh Jaehyun, I don't think I can come today, I have to study." She closes her locker and rushes off.

"Wait, why does it seem as if you're running from me?" Jaehyun asks with a melancholic tone.

"It really isn't about you, I promise we can do this another time!" Hobak answers running off.

Jaehyun sighed, "Okay! You promised!" and he just smiled behind her.

-

Hobak rushed to her car as if she was being chased. "Okay, did you steal something?" Taeyong's voice startles her.

"No! I'm just going home." She shakily unlocks the car.

"Wow, your car is old. You don't have a button to simply unlock? Anyways, you're acting like you stole library books."

"Taeyong, I'm trying to get home, okay? End of discussion."

"Ride with me." he leans on his car.

"No thank you, I have a car— gosh! Why isn't it opening?!" She grunted.

"Your car is jammed, come on, seems important."

Hobak sighs in defeat and walks to the passenger's seat.

"Let me know if the car gets too cold." He says starting the engine.

"As if," she scoffed crossing her arms "why can't we ride with the windows down?"

"You like that? Hm, ok." He clicks the buttons and all windows are down.

"Enjoy the ride, but first," he leans towards her, "I have my seatbelt on! Move!" She exclaims.

"No, where do you live?" He laughs.

"We went to elementary school together."
Hobak simply says.

"I don't know what you're trying to say—."

"Taeyong, if I went to every same school as you, don't you think I live in your neighborhood?"

"Alright, if you say so princess." He turns on the radio.

"Don't call me that." "What princess?" he says backing the car out.

"Don't do that." "What? Call you princess?" he smirks.

"Seriously, you frog." She unbuckled her seatbelt, "Okay! Okay. Chill, slave."

"I'm not your slave." Taeyong just laughs, "I don't get why we weren't friends before."

They stop at the red light, "I mean, we grew up physically close, but —" he turns to look at Hobak in the passenger's seat.

Hobak was crying and sniffling. She kept cover her eyes, wiping her nose, and breathing heavily.

Not a beautiful sight.

"I don't have tissues but uhh.." he twisted his body to look at the back seat, grabbing his white t-shirt and holding it nicely in front of her.

"Use this." He awkwardly waits for her to grab it, till a honk scared him.

"We're near the neighborhood." He says, and turns in the street.

"You should tell me where to turn." He continues driving.

"Keep going." Is all she says to him.

"Well, if you were just trying to get to my house, we're here!" Taeyong complains.

Hobak walked out and went straight to the house on the right of his.

"No way... she did not live there." He whispers to himself.

Taeyong followed her, "Hobak-ah." The door slammed shut and he's about to knock, but he softly placed his fist on the door.

"See you tomorrow." Taeyong says and walked to his house.

"How did I not notice?" He exhales then walked inside his house.

Hobak was already at her bedroom window, and watched Taeyong acknowledge her house.

"What a jerk." She wipes her face. "Hobak, are you okay?" Her dad walks in.

"Yeah, I'm just overwhelmed with stress." she smiles reassuringly.

"Well, guess what! There's a fair that's being prepared at your school!"

"I know that, Dad." Hobak sits down on her bed.

"Well? Are you going with anyone? Eunhae? Eunjae?" Her dad lies on her bed.

"Her name is Eunhwa," she threw her pillow at him and he turned quickly to look at her,  "besides, I'm not sure if I want to go yet."

"Go with that boy." Her dad gets up and leaves the room.

"No! He's ugly!" She slumps on her bed and pouts.

Hobak looked at her phone and saw a text.

1 New Message!

Jaebae: hihi hope u had a gud day 2day. seeya
sent at 3:30 pm

Hobak smiled.

Such a sweet boy.

watchyobak16gurl: I did, thanks! I'll see you tomorrow Yoonoh.
read at 3:57 pm