THE SUN AND HIS STARS ✓

01.

Seoul was a beautiful place when the sun was out. Bees buzzed, flowers grew, children laughed as they played on playgrounds and their parents smiled as they watched.

This was not one of those days.

The rain poured as an 18 year old boy walked to school. Thunder clapped, and he involuntarily flinched.

Grow the hell up, Hoseok, he scolded himself. You're not seven anymore.

He passed by two girls holding hands and walking together under an umbrella. They seemed happy. Hoseok really, really didn't want to do it, but...

He hummed a small tune. It was the same one he hummed every time, to the tune of that song he remembered from his childhood, You Are My Sunshine.

Some of the happiness faded from the girls' faces, and they released hands, shoving them inside their sweater pockets instead.

Hoseok walked past them quickly. They'd become happy again as the day went on, he knew, but the guilt still ate away at him. Pulling the hood of his thin jacket up, he lowered his head and continued the walk to school silently, the only sounds being the splashing of water as his shoes hit the ground with each step.

-

"Hey, Hoseok!" someone called.

Hoseok scowled and lowered his head, attempting to walk faster. But the other boy always caught up with him. Hell, why did he even try anymore?

Taehyung caught up with him and smiled brightly. "Morning! Did you finish the History assignment?"

Taehyung was the type of kid who smiled when he saw butterflies, or stopped to pet dogs even if he was late. He was happy. Too happy. So happy that Hoseok, for some reason, could never bring himself to take any happiness from him.

"No," Hoseok answered shortly.

Taehyung let out a breath. "Oh, thank god," he said, "I didn't finish it either. At least we'll get detention together, yeah?"

"Why do you talk to me?" Hoseok mumbled. Or at least, he tried to say it without anger, but it came out angry anyways.

The hurt showed on Taehyung's face as they entered the school. Taehyung ran a hand through his wet hair and shrugged, eyes meeting Hoseok's.

"Why shouldn't I?"

Because I'm cursed. Because you'll never be happy around me. Because I'm not meant to have friends like you.

Hoseok didn't reply.

-

"Mr. Kim, Mr. Jung, may I ask why you didn't finish the assignment?"

They were held in after class when the teacher saw they didn't have their assignments with them.

Hoseok shrugged in answer.

Taehyung smiled sheepishly. "My dog ate my homework...?"

The corners of the teacher's lips twitched. He was fair, but he was strict. Taehyung's bubbly personality could cause anyone to smile, though, and Hoseok wondered how the teacher held himself back this time.

"You don't have a dog, Mr. Kim," the teacher said. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and sighed. "Detention for both of you at the end of the day, unfortunately. Do the homework next time, okay?"

Taehyung nodded. Hoseok shrugged again and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

As they left, Taehyung asked, "Hey, Hoseok hyung, d'you wanna eat lunch with me and my friends?"

Hoseok shook his head and headed in the opposite direction, leaving Taehyung behind. He had to steal more happiness, and he couldn't do it if Taehyung was around.

-

Everyone was really happy at lunch. Thank god for that, because Hoseok was able to get enough happiness for the day. He leaned against the wall, the familiar feeling of dizziness setting in. He knew he had enough happiness when he became dizzy.

The sun would rise the next morning. He made it through another day.

Swallowing hard and pushing himself off of the wall, Hoseok headed to his next class. He passed Taehyung in the hall, who looked like he wanted to talk, but then decided better of it and settled on waving at Hoseok instead. Hoseok nodded at him, and they parted ways.

Despite being in the senior year, Hoseok was ignored. No one knew there was a Jung Hoseok in their class. It was only Taehyung, a year younger than him, who acknowledged his presence in their shared History class (the school was short on teachers, so Taehyung's History class and Hoseok's History class were combined).

Hoseok was used to being ignored, really. Not just in school, but out in the streets, too. Having ran away from home after his parents died, he kind of liked being isolated (or that was what he told himself, anyways).

When he had run, a family relative tried to find him and take him in. They gave up when Hoseok ran away repeatedly, and resorted to only paying his school fees. Hoseok was grateful to be left alone, and had found a small abandoned house to live in.

Now that he was 18, Hoseok was looking forward to buying an apartment. His parents had left a fortune behind for him. Hoseok paid for his own school fees now. That feeling of independence was exhilarating for him.

So he remained independent wherever he went, not relying on anyone or anything. It was easier that way, at least.

-

Taehyung leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Can't believe we got detention again," he whispered.

Hoseok shrugged.

Taehyung tilted his head, wondering why Hoseok was so quiet all the time. He had never questioned it before, but he found himself rethinking lots of things lately. Hoseok was an odd kid.

But Taehyung wasn't going to judge. He wasn't perfect, either.

"Hey, Hoseok hyung, let's go do something fun, yeah?"

Hoseok raised his eyebrows. "We're in detention," he said dryly.

"Yeah," said Taehyung with a shrug. "But there's only, like, a minute left. Besides, I have some friends I want you to meet, and they're waiting for us!"

Taehyung saw a flash of fear in Hoseok's eyes, but instead of saying anything, he waited for an answer.

Hoseok slowly nodded.

"Great!" Taehyung chirped. He got up and extended a hand to Hoseok. "You're gonna love them, I promise."