that boy | hwang hyunjin | ✔

Chapter 30

The next morning, I'm not feeling any negativity towards the upcoming day of school. With every day that passes, the situation with Hyunjin keeps getting better and more and more worries disappear into nothing as we're getting on better terms.

I've always liked school. Not only because I was away from home for a decent couple of hours, but also because I felt safe here and had fun with Felix. Then Hyunjin came and my school days were filled with worries and tension. For a short period, I dreaded to go to school. Scared of Hyunjin, and for what he might do. But now that everything seems to work out well, I can finally allow myself to enjoy school again.

"You're really looking better, Chaelin," Felix states as we walk side by side over the sidewalk, heading towards the school. I can see how relieved my friend is and it's only now that I realize how much the tension between me and Hyunjin affected him.

"Thanks, you too Lix," I reply, a relaxed smile playing on my lips.

"Look at you," my orange-haired friend exclaims, his eyes sparkling with joy. "You're even stealing Hyunjin's nickname."

"I'll admit that he came up with a good nickname," I shrug, but the smug look Felix gives me is impossible to miss. This is just typical Felix. Remember when I told you he would always wiggle his eyebrows when I would only look at a boy from the distance? Try to imagine how happy he is right now.

"Ah, I really love this fresh air," I blurt out randomly, raking my fingers through the cold nothingness. Felix slowly shakes his head in disbelief, muttering something under his breath. I just laugh it off and we continue our way like this until the school building comes in sight. For some reason, my spirits are lifted and I feel really happy.

"Is everything okay, Chaelin?" Felix reluctantly asks as I practically skip next to him, heading inside the school's main building. It's not like I'm usually a moody person, but being this cheerful is something that doesn't happen too often. 

We enter the building, joining the huge mass of students heading to their first classes. Without thinking, we open our lockers to store our coats for the rest of the day and enter the hallways that lead to our assigned classroom for our first period, Korean.

"Yah," I call out to my friend as we're halfway there. "I'm going back, I think I left my Korean textbook in my locker." I didn't take any books out of my locker a moment ago, and I'm fairly sure I didn't have my Korean book with me this morning. So I'm just heading back to make sure.

"Smartass," Felix remarks and I make a face before turning around and walk back to the locker hall, pushing my way through the crowd. It's not an easy task, going in the opposite direction as the others. Muttering sorry all over doesn't help much when you use your shoulders to create a path between them.

As I finally reach my locker, the hall is relatively empty. Much to my liking, after pushing through the crowded hallways. I take my sweet time to walk over to the lockers in the middle. It doesn't matter if I end up being a few minutes late. My Korean teacher isn't the type to fret over a few minutes.

I almost feel like humming a tune as I retrieve my forgotten Korean textbook from my locker. I close the bright yellow door -gently, for once- and lock it again before turning around.

But then I'm face to face with a small legion of girls. There are six of them, all popular girls from different classes. They are all frowning at me, their arms either crossed or placed on their hips. It definitely doesn't look like they came here for a nice chat.

It isn't hard to guess what this will be about. Or rather, who. I can't help but sigh. Ever since Hyunjin started to hang out with us, I'm getting nasty glares from my fellow female students and some of them even approach me. But six at once is a record.