swxtched. | jhs

FOUR, come with me.

GREEN MAKES THIS barely-contained urrrrgggh sound at the back of her throat when she notices her body tittering from side to side by the school entrance.

She can't believe Hoseok is standing like that. She can't believe he isn't even trying to act like her. She can't believe she tried so hard to walk like Jung Hoseok from the library up to this point, making an incredibly valiant effort to act like him and erase all suspicion until they're far from school grounds, far from anyone they know— and that will be precisely when Green will lose it.

"Geurin-ssi," Hoseok calls out to her.

Geurin-ssi, says "Min Geurin" to "Jung Hoseok."

Green resists the overwhelming urge to smack her forehead. She doesn't understand. Is this really happening? Did the forces of this universe balancing time and space and Jung Hoseok just make her, of all people, switch bodies with him?

At the very least, there aren't that many students around outside, to Green's relief. But even still, a few heads turn towards "Geurin." About half of a sports team look over. A few familiar faces (a.k.a. classmates) look over. If it weren't for her robot arm, hardly anyone would pay attention to her. Unfortunately, the unknown forces also took away her arm this past year, so Green can't simply pass the halls without curious glances and pitiful looks and judgmental gazes and nosy glares. She's stupidly infamous.

So for her to call out her own name directed in a flashy manner towards Hoseok—

Maybe the rumours are already going around about what happened earlier today. Green doesn't want to think about it.

Maybe we can communicate with our minds, Green considers. She's at her wit's end. She tries it out. Say Hoseok, idiot. Hoseok, Hoseok, Hoseok.

She's possibly never going to get used to hearing her own voice and seeing her own body move around without her controlling it. Hoseok probably feels the same way. It's far too surreal to be real. But a merciless self-inflicted pinch here and there reminds them both that this is their reality, and the shock goes past skin-deep.

Green walks faster over to her body and hisses under her breath, "Are you braindead, Geurin-ssi?"

"What did you just s— oh. Wait a minute." Hoseok lets out a shaky laugh, taking a step back from Green's dark smile. "Sorry. I forgot."

"Forgot what?" Green bites her tongue and laughs in such a broken manner, they both stand there stiffly for a moment.

Then they both take fast, long strides past the school gates to the sidewalk, trying to leave the school grounds with record speed. 

Green outruns Hoseok without a thought, while Hoseok starts panting in about two minutes, bewildered at his weak body. "What the heck?" he wheezes, astonished. "Why's my body—"

"What about your body?"

"Uh, nothing."

She glances behind her and huffs, pacing more aggressively. "Honestly, I was hoping you wouldn't—"

"Have you ever exercised before?"

"— ju— uh. Yes. But, um, not— not lately."

"Oh." Pant. "Wow."

Green flushes, brows knit, eyes looking down at her long legs. After a moment, she slows her pace. They start walking side-by-side. "Sorry," she says after a minute. Though she doesn't know why she's apologizing.

"No, no, it's okay! Really," Hoseok insists. Green holds back an eye roll.

Out of habit, Hoseok tries to stretch his arms over his head. He flinches at the unnatural feeling of his right arm and frowns, lowering his gaze. He doesn't mean to make it obvious, but it's painfully obvious that he's staring at the prosthetic, twisting his arm a little to figure out the controls.