THE RACE, txt

05

five.
LIVING UNDER
A ROCK.

sometimes i feel like the world is against me. i mean it's possible, but i also feel like the world is on my side. my plans always go my way, but there's always the ups and downs to it.

as for right now though, i may be at one of the downs.

i have a wood shop class filled with students of all grades, which is a good thing. i get to try and grab everyone's attention so that i get more recognition. it suits perfectly with my plan, as this is one of the moments where the world may be on my side.

i sit at a table of five with 2 other seniors and 2 freshman. one of them conveniently being, kang taehyun. he is a person who i've been struggling to figure out. he's too quiet and maybe even always aware of everything around him. it's quite intimidating, really, but that won't ever stop me.

i was scribbling down notes on my notebook till something that my teacher said caught my attention.

"so, we will be having a partner project next week. keep in mind that i WILL be choosing your partners and it'll be announced at the end of this week." i could already sense that my classmates were mentally complaining, but something like this isn't what i would complain about. it honestly was just perfect.

the teacher let us discuss what we were thinking of doing with our table mates and right away the classroom got quick, like what you would expect from this obnoxious school. but i'm not too annoyed with my table mates, they were all pretty close in the first place and made me feel welcomed. once again though, i'm not here to make friends.

"ugh... why a partner project?! i know i'll end up doing everything myself." one of the seniors, jiyun, looked like she was going to give up on life.

"true that." the other senior replied.

"yea hyeongjun, you KNOW it's true cause that's what you did last time you prick." hyeongjun whipped his head towards jiyun.

"excuse me?! you're one to talk."

"SHUT UP! YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID-" they both started screaming at each other.

"HEY! IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOUR GRANDMA WANTED TO HAVE US-" hyeongjun was cut off till the freshman, minjae, chimed in acting like it was normal.

"alright alright guys, keep it down. look, taehyun's trying to study. again." he looked at taehyun, who looked back up at minjae.

"and the problem with that is?" taehyun said, ever so listlessly. like usual.

minjae sighed, "no no.. there's no problem with that. come on tae, we're supposed to discuss the project now."

"yea speaking of it, who do you want your partner to be tae tae?" asked jiyun, resting her head on her hand while looking curiously at taehyun. the rest ended up doing the same. it seems like they also think taehyun is a mystery.

"i don't really know yet, honestly." taehyun looks back down at his notebook.

"oh come on. you're always looking at your books, but i just KNOW you're sneaking a peak at the sophomores. you know, upperclassmen.." hyeongjun winks at taehyun, who looks confused.

"and how do you know that?"

"quite frankly, i have a powerful sixth sense. i could sense the impossible, and this-" hyeongjun looks at taehyun's notebooks and back up at him concerned, "isn't too impossible to sense."

"shut up jun, he just isn't a simp like you." jiyun snickers at minjae's remark. hyeongjun gasps, looking offended. why though? i was confused myself.

"what's a simp?" i looked at everyone and they all raised their eyebrows at me.

"you don't know what it means? jeez do you live under a rock?" minjae, who sits closets to me, leans in.

jiyun scoffs. "shut up, he just asked what it means dimwit." minjae rolled his eyes.

"it basically means a male who submits himself to a woman." i squint at hyeongjun's answer. "can it also be the other way around?"

"um, i guess- maybe- actually i don't know-" hyeongjun stutters out.

"yeah don't ask jun stuff, he's too dumb to know the answer." jiyun says sarcastically.

"JIYUN I KNOW YOU DID NOT JUST-"

"CHANGING- the subject... so, do you know who you wanna be partnered up with now taehyun?" minjae cuts hyeongjun off again.

taehyun sighs, "still no. i don't care who i'm paired up with."

minjae turned to me. "what about you then soob? anyone you wanna be with?"

i contemplate if this would be alright to say, but sometimes i act before i could think.

"i would want to be paired with taehyun."

maybe the world turned my own self against me as well.

don't mind me,, just updating after a literal year..... IM SORRY GUYS😭 i had a whole writers block for a year and straight up forgot about this app LMAO i'm back to updating now tho!! since quarantine :'D ik everyone forgot about this story tho rip