longshot. || nct johnny [COMPLETE]

23

"hey, youngho," taeil approaches johnny right after their council meetings that discussed about school funds.

it kind stressed him out because he was currently the treasurer, and the president relied on him to be fair in budget distribution.

they're currently worrying about the theater club's funds because their president, seohee, keeps on demanding more money from them regardless of what's fair and not.

she keeps pestering him too. he's starting to get annoyed.

"i need you to go talk to seohee. she needs to understand that we're not willing to spend the school's money in favor of the theater club," taeil says, making johnny groan.

"why do i have to talk to her?! why can't sooyoung?! she's in the club already."

"she's practicing at the theater club as we speak, i don't want to interrupt her."

"ugh. fine." johnny grumbles, grabbing his stuff, evidence to show seohee that the money she's asking for is impossible to give.

just as he was about to exit the room, he almost runs into doyoung by the door.

"whoops, sorry," he apologizes and notices a figure right behind his clubmate.

doyoung covers saori with his body, taking johnny's attention from her. "sorry, can you let us through?" he requests.

johnny wordlessly sides himself, watching as saori follow doyoung like a lost puppy. her bands were hanging over her head, covering half of her face. and he was pretty sure he heard her sniff.

"is everything okay?" he asks softly.

saori pauses and doesn't look at him.

"it's none of your business, suh," doyoung warns him, pulling saori with him to her table. "sorry, taeil-hyung. can she hang around today? she can help me with the papers."

taeil mutters a complaint but doesn't reject doyoung's request. he hands saori a tissue, and excuses himself to buy a drink. (it's not for saori; he doesn't care about her, okay?)

johnny stares at the two best friends before he's reminded that he has to talk to snakehee.

when he arrives at the auditorium, he searches seohee among the theatre kids hanging around the stage. he spots sooyoung in distress, ranting to yeri about something.

"sooyoung!" he calls, waving a hand.

"johnny!" yeri beams at him, motioning him to come over.

"hey, i thought you guys were practicing?" johnny asks, glancing around the students who were chattering.

"we were but our director is scolding our writer right now. i think he's gonna get kicked out of the club," sooyoung tells him.

"that's too harsh, though!" yeri whines. "hanbin's been with the club for two years. they can't just kick him out like that!"

"it's not what you think, stupid. professor kim just thinks he needs a break. have you seen him? he looks so tired all the time. he's such a burn-out these days."

johnny racks his brain, remembering who the hell hanbin was. he's not good at remembering the names of people he's not really friends with.

"hanbin..." that's the guy jaehyun mentioned a few days ago, right? someone's boyfriend... "—saori?" johnny blurts out.

sooyoung gives him a 'wtf' look. "what? nakamoto?"

"i—" johnny blushes. "i meant hanbin! saori's boyfriend? she's my classmate."