HYYH 1 Notes (ENG)

End of Summer, Beginning of Solitude

TaeHyung
20 March Year 20

I ran down the hall making a clumping sound and took a slide at the end. NamJoon was standing in front of "our classroom". Our classroom. That's what I called the classroom-turned-storage room. The classroom for all seven of us. I quietly tiptoed up to NamJoon to try to knock his hat off.

"Principal!" I heard the urgent voice through the slightly open window of our classroom after I'd taken about
five steps towards NamJoon. It sounded like SeokJin. I stopped there. SeokJin is talking with the principal? In our classroom? About what? I heard my name and YoonGi's name and saw NamJoon breathe in heavily. Sensing our presence, SeokJin threw open the door. He had a phone in his hand. He appeared startled and flustered.

I hid myself in one corner and watched them. SeokJin was opening his mouth, seemingly to make an excuse for himself, and NamJoon interrupted
him. "It's OK. There must've been a good reason." I couldn't believe it. SeokJin told the principal what YoonGi and I were up to the last few days. About how we ditched class, climbed over the school wall, and got into a fight. And NamJoon was saying it was OK.

"What're you doing here?" I turned around in surprise to find HoSeok
and JiMin. HoSeok gave me a look
that said he was even more surprised than I was and put his arm around
my shoulders. He dragged me into the room. NamJoon and SeokJin looked over at us. NamJoon beamed at me as
if nothing strange had happened. At that moment, I sorted out my thoughts. NamJoon must have his reasons. He's much more knowledgeable, intelligent, and mature than I am. And this is our room. I walked towards NamJoon and SeokJin, smiling that silly-looking smile of mine that everyone called "a square smile." I decided not to tell anyone about their conversation that I just overheard.

NamJoon
15 May Year 20

I cut across the classroom-turned-storage room,
which served as a hideout for the
seven of us, straightening up some chairs along the way. I picked up an overturned desk and wiped the dust   off it with my palms. Today was my
last day at this school. My family had decided to move two weeks ago. Dad had developed "complications", which we couldn't afford. Our rent had been overdue for months. Our neighbors' goodwill and the pay from my part-time job at the gas station couldn't cover it all. We had to move before our deposit ran out.

I folded a piece of paper in half, put it on the desk, and picked up a pencil. I had no idea what to write. Minutes passed. While I was scribbling on the paper, the pencil lead snapped. I must survive. That was what I put down without realizing it before fragments
of black lead scattered all over.

I crumpled up the piece of paper, put
it in my pocket, and stood up. Dust rose when I pushed the desk. Before walking out of the room, I blew on the window and wrote three words. No farewell message would be enough to let the others know how I felt. At the same time, no farewell message was needed to make myself understood. "See you again." It was a wish, rather than a promise.

JungKook
25 June Year 20

I smoothed down the piano keys with my fingers, dust covering my fingertips. I pressed the keys more strongly, but I couldn't make them sound like YoonGi did. It'd been two weeks since YoonGi stopped coming to school. Rumor had
it that he was finally expelled. HoSeok didn't say anything, and I didn't ask.

On that day two weeks ago, YoonGi
and I were the only ones in the room
when the teacher came in. It was open
house day. We went there without any
plan, we just didn't want to stay in our classrooms. YoonGi didn't look back
and went on playing the piano. I was lying on two desks put together with my eyes closed. Something about YoonGi and the piano didn't seem
to match, but the two were actually inextricable. I had no idea how much time had passed. Suddenly, the door bust open with a thundering sound
as if someone had broken it down.
The piano stopped.