that boy | hwang hyunjin | ✔

Chapter 7

We finally made it to lunch break.

And lunch break was definitely something else today.

Just like I expected.

The cafeteria is loud, much louder than usual. Makes sense, seeing as Hyunjin is sitting only two tables away from me and Felix. And of course, he's surrounded by many girls from many different classes.

It's like the girls are having a contest of who can make the most noise. All of them are squealing, blurting out obviously fake laughs and talking way too loud. As if that would impress or attract Hyunjin.

They are still firing him with questions, getting closer and closer as they invade his personal space and not even giving him the chance to eat his lunch.

I internally cringe as another wave of fake laughter echoes through the cafeteria, my fingers tangled in my hair in utter frustration and annoyance as I stare at my lunch with gritted teeth.

As I look up again, all the girls collectively flip their hair, probably gasifying Hyunjin with all the stuff they put into it this morning. It soon gets too painful to watch and I avert my gaze again. I can feel a small amount of pity and compassion for the boy. Small, but definitely there.

Felix, however, keeps looking at the scene with a clear disgust written on his face. The corners of his mouth are pointed downwards and his eyes are narrowed.

"Look at him," he growls, causing me to look up again. Felix never growls.

"Can't they see that he's hella uncomfortable?" my friend continues. "It's so obvious and it's painful how oblivious those girls are."

Felix sighs in annoyance and I take another glance at Hyunjin. Indeed, he's looking rather uncomfortable but he's trying to hide it by smiling widely. But if you look behind that smile you can see it; how he's trying to back off, how he shrinks when one if the girls gets too close, how he's looking everywhere but at the girls surrounding him.

"You're right," I admit before taking a sip of my cheap soda.

"I'm going to save him," Felix states and I almost choke on my drink.

But before I can even react, the boy leaves his chair and makes his way towards the crowd of girls, leaving me wary of what's going to happen next.

The girls fall silent as Felix approaches them. "Hey girls," he greets them, using his Australian accent because he knows they like it. "I'm borrowing Hyunjin for a second, don't mind me."

Then he gestures Hyunjin to follow him, which the boy gratefully complies to. And before the girls even realize what's happening, their prey has been taken out of their reach by the Aussie boy they once adored.

But that can only mean one thing. Hyunjin will join me and Felix at our table and I'm definitely not ready for that. I feel myself growing nervous and I gulp as I watch the boys approach our table.

Felix plops back in the chair next to me and Hyunjin reluctantly sits down in the chair opposite of us.

"Now you can eat in peace..." Felix starts, but then he frowns. "How old are you?"

"Thanks for saving me," Hyunjin breathes with a relieved chuckle. "That was... suffocating. I'm 18, by the way."

Felix nods a few times. "I'm 17, well hello hyung."

They both laugh and I look away, not content with how this is going. Many girls are staring at us. And with many, I mean Hyunjin's entire fan club -which contains a lot of fangirls already. Some are looking pissed off, some are obviously jealous but many girls seem to be unsure of how to react. The doubt is written on their faces, sharing hesitant looks and questioning each other whether it's a good idea to follow Hyunjin here or not. Most of them stay away but some are daring enough to inch closer every moment we aren't paying attention.

Hyunjin being here is already enough and I honestly don't want all his fans here as well. So I give the approaching girls a bored yet annoyed look, hoping to scare them off. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not saving Hyunjin from his fangirls, I just try to save my own lunch break as much as I can.

But I only receive more vicious glares and it looks like my plan has failed miserably. So I turn towards Felix, the one who has started this mess we're in now.

"Felix," I complain, not amused by this situation. "They're staring at us. I think you just started World War III with stealing him from them."

Both the boys glance around the cafeteria. Felix frowns as he notices the many stares. Just like me, he doesn't like overdoses of attention so the entire cafeteria staring at the table he's eating at is kind of unsettling for him too.

"Oops," Hyunjin mutters.

"Oops is a good thing to say right now," I reply, just not loud enough for Hyunjin to hear it. The boy gives me a confused look, one that I delicately ignore as I focus on my food again.

I know Felix told me to act a little nicer. But I can't seem to get myself to do that. A quick glance around the cafeteria heals all the possible guilt that might show up sooner or later. Several dozens of girls are staring at Hyunjin as he's eating his lunch, their sparkling eyes and longing gazes making me cringe. He's got plently of girls drooling over him, basically getting them on their knees with one simple smile. It doesn't matter if one simple girl like me doesn't join his fan base. It won't hurt him.

And that's how lunch continues. Hyunjin looking around the cafeteria with a worried expression, Felix trying his best to reassure him that it's fine and I'm just eating in silence. All the while, girls are still cirkling around us like a swarm of hungry bees. They try to approach him more than once but every time something seems to stop them. So they just join the swarm again until the next girl makes an attempt.

It's getting annoying, their glares and outraged whispers getting on my nerves. I honestly can't wait for the next class to start.