RULES. seungjin.

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ２】

Hyunjin strolls through the empty halls while humming a tune. He decides he might as well skip the rest of his classes. It is already sixth period after all, so might as well. Hyunjin absolutely hates school. Whether it be the teachers, classmates or the curriculum, school is just flat out unenjoyable for Hyunjin. He doesn't understand the need to be there if he is just going to graduate and get married in 5 years time. What is the point if most of their lives are planned out for them?

Sighing, Hyunjin proceeds on his way out. You would think that someone would try to stop him from leaving, but everyone knows that it is pointless, as the more you forbid him from leaving, the more ways he'd find to leave the school. He skips so much that at this point, everyone knows to just leave him.

Walking out the door, Hyunjin feels the cool breeze hit his face and the immediate smell of freshly mowed lawns fills his nostrils. He continues to walk out, taking out his phone and his AirPod Infinite (hard flex CAUSE ITS THE YEAR 2206//ALSO STAN INFINITE). He puts his Airpods on and chooses a song from his playlist. Hyunjin chooses Eclipse (STAN GOT7 TOO), as Hyunjin also enjoys how the song has a deeper meaning. Eclipse isn't just some boring love song. It is about the mental state of a person between security and insecurity. The song's meaning really hit Hyunjin hard when he first heard it. He connects to it. Immersed in the music, Hyunjin didn't realize that he has reached his destination, Moonlit Café. It is a popular and trendy café close to the school. His friends all work there, so Hyunjin finds himself going there often. He stands outside for 10 seconds before he sees a figure come towards the door through the tinted windows. The figure opens the door with a wide smile and attempts to hug him but he takes a step back, causing the man to fall to the ground. Hyunjin looks down at the figure below him.

"Ahh! Hyunjin~ why did you dodge?" Hyunjin's friend, Minho asks.

Hyunjin looks at Minho and sighs.

" Because unlike a certain someone I know, I hate skinship".

Minho looks up at him and pouts.

"Fine, but at least help me up".

Hyunjin takes a second before he sighs once more and puts his hand out for Minho to grab, pulling Minho back onto his feet.

Minho dusts himself off and walks into the café, Hyunjin following to go inside. As Hyunjin walks through the doors, he is greeted with the light sound of Fur Elise in the background and a beautiful café with a light scent of roses lingering. Moonlit café, as the name may suggest is usually open at night. At night, there is a retractable roof so that the café may be lit by the moon. Usually, in the afternoon, Moonlit café is being rearranged and being set up, as there is a new theme every day.

"Hyunjin!" a man with fluffy blonde hair exclaims.

Hyunjin, recognizing the owner of the voice turns towards the direction of the sound.

Facing him, Hyunjin says, "Hey, Chan-hyung!", giving Chan a big wide smile.

Then, popping up from underneath the table that Chan was painting, a bear-like man asks, "Hyunjin, aren't you supposed to be in class?"

Hyunjin looks at the man, disgust showing on his face by the question.

"Woojin-hyung. You know that I despise that place. Especially the class I was last in. We were informed about The Choosing, and I hate every single aspect of it SO much. It's stupid. Why can't I love someone for love, and not because of the government?"

Chan stops painting for a second to look at Hyunjin once more.

"I know you may feel strongly about this and I won't disagree with you, but rules are rules. Besides, look where it brought Woojin and me".

"It's different for you two though. You guys fell in love even before The Choosing," Hyunjin retorts.

"Hey. Hyunjin. I'm as angry as you are about this. I mean look at me. I graduated 2 years ago and I'm still waiting for my partner. I don't know anything about him or her, other than the fact that they are the same age as you. I've never met them, nor spoken to them, at least I don't think so. Hyunjin, you may think you're the only one who feels this way about the rules, but like Chan-hyung said, rules are rules and they're not meant to be broken," Minho says, giving Hyunjin a pat on the back quickly after.

Hyunjin thinks about what Minho just said and mutters, "I guess".

Minho, Woojin, and Chan all look at Hyunjin, giving him reassuring smiles.

Hyunjin looks at the time. He'd been at the café for a lot longer than he should have. Gathering his belongings, Hyunjin rushes out the door, screaming a loud "bye everyone!" on his way out.

Chan and Woojin continue to work on the renovations and Minho proceeds to create a new drink menú. Then, another boy walks out of the bathroom, clutching his stomach in pain.

"Urghhh. It hurts so muchhhh," he says.

"Well, why'd you think it's a good idea to put expired milk in expired cereal, Changbin?" Chan questions.

"Hey! To my defense, It was only 2 days past the date!"

Minho, skeptical of what Changbin says, looks at the expiration dates on the milk and cereal.

"Um... Changbin," Minho says.

"What, Minho-hyung?"

"This is a year and 2 days past... not just 2 days..."

"Why do we have milk that's a year and 2 days past?" Woojin inquires.

"I DON'T KNOW. IF I KNEW I WOULDN'T BE IN THIS MUCH PAIN," Changbin shouts.

Minho, Chan, and Woojin all cover their ears in pain from Changbin's shouting.

"Anyways, what'd I miss?" Changbin asks.

"Hyunjin was just here actually," Chan informs.

"WHAT? AND THAT BITCH LEFT WITHOUT PAYING ME BACK FOR HIS NEW AIRPODS?"

"I mean. We literally did just say that he was her-," Minho begins.

"I. Got that already Minho-hyung. I don't need your smartass answering my rhetorical questions."

Minho rolls his eyes and walks towards Chan and Woojin. The couple gets up, standing besides Minho.

"How about we all go out to eat lunch tomorrow with Hyunjin?" Chan asks.

"That sounds great!" Woojin replies, looking at Chan with a smile plastered all over his face.

"Who's going to pay? If y'all didn't already know. This bitch is broke," Minho says, gesturing towards his empty pockets.

Chan and Woojin roll their eyes and they both smack him over the head.

"Owwww," Minho winces while pouting as he rubs the part of his head that got smacked.

At this moment, Changbin looks as if he had the brightest idea in the whole world.

"I know who'll pay," He says.

"Who?" Minho brightens, excited that he doesn't have to waste a single nonexistent dime.

"Hyunjin will".