Innocence // STRAY KIDS' Han Jisung

forty four

In which there are accidents 
a

nd awkward car rides.

•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•

"I will not get tired of saying that sports at last period on a Friday is not cool."

"What are you saying? It's the best!"

Mirae frowned, giving him a weird look. "Are you aware of what you just said?"

"Not everyone hates sports like you, okay?" He laughed.

"Who said I hate them? I just don't like chasing a ball for about an hour under the strong sunrays of the afternoon. I feel stupid."

"Are you saying all those professional players around the world are stupid for chasing the ball throughout the sport that give their life a sense?"

"Do not twist my words around, Hwang Hyunjin."

The tall boy chuckled, his eyes forming two small half-moons. "Come on, let's go to the rehearsal."

She nodded her head and followed him, frowning when he took the opposite turn when going downstairs. "Where are you going? The classroom is that way."

"Today is in the Auditorium," he answered. "We have to set positions and entrances and everything for tomorrow. Basically all the boring things before the show."

Oh, she thought as she nodded again, accommodating the bag on her shoulder. "Where are the other three?"

"I don't know," he shrugged with a small chuckle. "I think they mentioned something about going somewhere to eat, so I assume they're at the cafeteria."

"And why didn't you join them?"

"I'm not hungry, I ate a lot at lunch. What about you? Why were you alone?"

"Soyeon and Nora went home because they are in Paint class, so I'm basically always alone right before this," she shrugged, moving the bag on her hand around. "Whoa, that actually sounds sad."

"Don't worry, Jisung will make you company soon."

"You're going to piss off with that too?!"

She rolled her eyes as Hyunjin shot his head back in laughter, stumbling onto his own feet. She pretended to be angry by looking away with a scoff, but couldn't hold back her smile when Hyunjin laughed harder.

In between laughs they arrived to the Auditorium. Only when they were halfway through the eternal rows of seats they realized there was a mysterious silence floating around, so cold to the point where Mirae's arms got full with goose-bumps. She heard Hyunjin gasp loudly by her side, but before she could ask him what was going on he ran to the front of the Auditorium in a flash.

With a frown and feeling her breath choking up on her throat, she jogged through the Auditorium carefully so she wouldn't bump into any of the seats, but when she was around the first two rows, still a bit far from the stage, she saw it.

Well, she saw him.

He was being surrounded by literally everyone as he talked with Mrs. Wang. The woman, much to Mirae's surprise, had the most worried face as she covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide in shock.

"What happened to your foot?!"

Jeno's eyes looked back at her with a grimace, regret all over his eyes. "Hey."

His right foot was wrapped with some bandages and even if the only thing she could see were his toes, the way he was leaning his foot against the floor seemed as if it was painful. "What happened?" she asked again, her eyes on his foot.