Moonchild ∞ pjm

四

Classes have officially started. Staring down at my school I.D. makes everything real, I'm finally a student at my dream school and I did it all by myself. I did it without my father, without a mother, this was all me.

My first class was painting, the professor was a sweet old woman who had to use a cane to walk around the classroom. Her room smelt like coffee and acrylic, but it was calming. She spoke quietly and insisted on everyone to get to know each other. She said the best art comes when you're comfortable and no one is comfortable in a room of strangers.

The class only had twenty people in it, the majority of them were women but there was a good handful of boys in here. All of them seemed the same, they all had the American vintage look and by the looks of their portfolios their art style was limited. But I'm not really one to talk when all I draw is the human body. But there was one girl who sat in the back of the room the entire class.

She had jaw length black hair with straight across bangs. She had dark freckles covering her face, but they couldn't hide her bright pink cheeks. I excused myself from the group, seating myself in front of the mystery girl.

"Hey, I'm Asteria."

"I'm not interested in making friends." She was quick to respond while glaring at me through her eyelashes. She smacked her gum between her teeth as I laughed.

"I don't recall ever saying I was initiating a friendship. I'm just telling you my name, and asking for yours." The girl rolled her eyes before leaning her elbows onto the table, she finally looked up revealing her full face to me. Her left eye was a crystal blue, nearly white while her right eye was black. "As you've probably noticed, everyone in here is dressed like a cliche. You're lucky you weren't just talking to them for 30 minutes."

The smallest of smiles broke across the girls face making me smile along. She leaned her body to look at the group of students behind me. She laughed once before looking back at me.

"I'm Yun." She was smiling wider now as she spoke to me. We talked for the remainder of the class about anything and everything. She basically told me a shortened version of her story life. 

She's from America, and moved to Korea mainly for the Academy but also to help her mom. They run a bed and breakfast type place and after her father passed away her mom couldn't handle the up keep by herself. She's sweet and her personality is her own, not a photocopy of every other girl walking around the art department.

Today we both only had two classes, painting and ceramics. We walked to our classes together, still talking about random things. The entire class we kept to ourselves in the corner of the room. I told her about my dad and his work.

"I can't believe your father actually works at that place." Yun shook her head with a face of disgust. "Makes me sick."

"I know." I was embarrassed of my father. Times were becoming more and more liberal and the older generations were still stuck in their conservative mindset. It doesn't help that world politicians have been promoting those conservative ideas. It's coming down to a thin wire, soon fights are going to break out and protesters are going to stop their peace full agenda. "Hey, I have to stop by my dorm. Come with me? Please."

"Yeah of course. Bad roommate or something?" I forced a smile on my face as we headed in the direction of the dorms.

"Yeah something like that."

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I took three deep breaths before opening the door to my dorm and when I finally did I regretted it. Yoongi was laid across Vega's bed while she took pictures of him. There was a small rainbow that was shining across his face, it made his usual pale skin seem tanned.

"Hey girl! Long time no see." Vega turned around to me and when she saw Yun her smile grew. "Yunnie!" Is there anyone she doesn't know?

Vega practically jumped onto Yun wrapping her arms tightly around her neck. Yun had a big smile on her face, the biggest smile I've seen from her all day. I slipped behind the hugging duo making my way to my side of the room. My bed was littered with folders full of art work and art supplies, it took me a while to find what I was looking for but as I searched through the clutter the three didn't waste time to catch up.

"I haven't seen you in like a year! How is your mom doing?" Vega was beaming as she held Yun's hands in hers. When Yun didn't say anything the room grew into a stiff silence. Looking up from my cluttered bed they all shared a somber glance at one another.

"I can send Hoseok to go see her." Yoongi said as he inched close enough to Yun to lightly squeeze her forearm, Vega still had her hands enclosed in hers as Yoongi's hand fell into his lap.

"She'd refuse, but she probably needs that." Yun said quietly before looking over to me.

I know that we are barely 5 feet away from each other but I still feel like I'm listening in on a private conversation. So I try to avoid her eyes when she looks over by looking back down at my bed and searching through the mess more diligently.

In the midst of the heavy silence Yoongi's phone erupts in noise. He fishes in his back pocket for the device, he doesn't pay much attention to the screen before answering the call.

We all watched as his smile grew and then fell, he was left with a confusing expression on his face. I wasn't entirely sure if he was upset or excited, there was a mix of fear mixed in his eyes as well. The words he spoke into the phone were short; quick yes or no and the occasional okay. When he hung up the first person he looked at was me, for a split second I could feel him.

It made me feel crazy, it was a feeling so brief yet so distinct. I was apart of him or maybe he was apart of me in that moment, but I knew what he felt and I was right he was absolutely terrified but somewhere deep down he held excitement.

"You guys should come over to Taehyung's tonight. He's having the boys over for a small party." Yoongi and I maintained eye contact as he spoke before Vega walked across the room breaking our line of sight.

"Yeah of course." Yun said while leaning against my bed frame. "Asteria?"

I moved a stack of papers over on my bed revealing the paint covered paper I was looking for. I grabbed it quickly folding it in half before anyone could see it and shoved it into my back pocket.

"Sounds fun." Yoongi looked relieved that I agreed to go.

I was growing more and more uncomfortable the longer I stayed in the room. Everytime Yoongi and I met eyes I could feel him, I could hear his thoughts. I didn't spend much longer inside the dorm room, I quickly exchanged numbers with everyone before excusing myself out of the room.

Yun stayed behind, and by the look on her face she stayed for a much bigger reason than to just catch up with Vega. I forgot to ask how they met each other, but they must have been close if they knew about her mother. I wonder why Yoongi said he'd send Hoseok over to meet with her, I don't even know who Hoseok is so the fact I'm so curious frustrates me.

Once in the safety of my car I pulled the folded paper out of my pocket. I stared at it, the paint from the other side of the paper was roughly visible through the folds, I knew what I had painted and yet if I looked at it I would have to accept it. Accept that there is something going on that I don't understand.

It's hard to believe in something you don't understand and by opening this painting I'd be doing just that.

I unfolded the paper quickly, knowing if I took my time I would never get to opening it. When the face that was painted with red and orange was revealed in front of my eyes I didn't feel relieved like I thought I would.

Sitting so perfectly on the paper was Yoongi's face, the numbers written in black ink on the top of the paper dated the painting to three years ago. I looked up from the paper to look out through my windshield. Small drops of rain were beginning to fall from the sky and in the distance I could see him looking out the window of my dorm room, our eyes met and it happened again.