Amor de mi Alma || 2Jae

Chapter 25

The following morning Youngjae gets dropped off at school five minutes after the bell for second-period rings. He makes his way to the band room with Jaehoon's help. He can walk fine on his own for a few seconds, but the brace around his leg makes it hard to move and he has only finished his first therapy appointment at the local healthcare center and he still needs the help, to say the least.

Jaehoon drops him off by the band room before rushing back to his Math class. To be completely honest, Youngjae's a bit nervous to go back in again. It's been a month since he last saw most of the people in this room (except for Jaebum and maybe an eleventh-grader here and there who was told to bring him his homework).

When he walks into the room he is greeted with stares, a few going to his face (where a large bruise has formed on his cheek going underneath his eye) but most go to the brace around his leg before they look at Mr. Divins.

"Welcome back Youngjae, glad you could be here again," Mr. Divins smiles. "Just put your backpack where you usually put it and stand by Jaebum, I'm sure he'll help you out as to what we're doing."

Youngjae nods, face growing red when he realizes some people are still staring. His eyes travel to the saxophone section. Jinyoung and Yugyeom sit together, Jinyoung's eyes cast on the ground out of embarrassment and Yugyeom flashing Youngjae a smile before Mr. Divins signals to put their instruments at the ready again to play.

While the brass instruments start out the song that sounds like they've been working on for a while now, Youngjae drops his backpack beside Jaebum's on the risers and limps his way to where Jaebum is already sorting through some music sorted out on the timpani. He greets Youngjae with a smile and a sweet, quick kiss to the cheek hidden behind the bass drum from the other percussion players. Mr. Divins might've seen them but the director doesn't let it show.

"Glad to see you walking again," Jaebum says, smiling brightly at Youngjae. "We're just practising some songs for the Graduation Concert in two weeks. We got this piece yesterday - it's called Fate of the Gods - and I took the timpani part and saved it for you."

"Thanks," Youngjae says. The Graduation Concert, it reminds him of the fact that Jaebum will be graduating in two weeks, along with Jinyoung, Mark, and Jackson. Youngjae hasn't even talked to Mark and Jackson yet. They haven't unblocked him on Instagram and Snapchat yet.

It takes a few minutes for Youngjae to get back into the flow of the band but he manages to do so with Jaebum's help. A few minutes before the bell will ring, Mr. Divins silences everyone.

"Before you all pack up your instruments and go, I have a few announcements to make," he says. "I've been asked if I could bring my senior band to some of the middle schools around town like last year, as that was a great success. I am planning to play this piece, along with an easy piece and I am looking into the last piece we'll play. The end of the year awards are in three weeks and we'll play this song, maybe an old song, and maybe something fun, I'll look into that. And Youngjae, I have to talk to you so stay behind for a few."

Just then the bell rings and while the rest of the band begins to shuffle around to put away their instruments, Youngjae attempts to help put away all the percussion instruments used that day but Jaebum instead tells him to stay where he is. 

"You did great," Jaebum hums, returning to Youngjae hurriedly while the percussion section is leaving. "I'm sure you'll catch up before those two middle-school performances next week."

"I'm not worried about that," Youngjae mumbles. "I'm more worried about how I'm going to face Jinyoung and Yugyeom and Kunpimook and stuff again. I haven't seen them in a month."