A Beautiful Butterfly

Chapter 2

Lying on his stomach under the warm duvet, Jinyoung tried to force himself back to sleep but his conscience was nagging him because it was about time he had got up and made ready for the classes. Worse, hearing his roommate moving about the room, was shaking his resolution not to go to the classes today.

"Jinyoung, are you still asleep?" Wonpil, the roommate, asked, while deciding what to wear in front of his open wardrobe. "Don't you have morning classes?"

"I've," Jinyoung said, his voice muffled by the pillow, "But I don't want to attend any today."

"What? Did I just mishear? Finally, you've adopted that habit?"

Jinyoung groaned; he had never skipped any classes for a non-essential reason and did not want his roommate to think that he was doing now. He looked at Wonpil, who had just finished dressing and was now looking for his socks.

Wonpil had a lean body and was a good-looking one, but Jinyoung had never felt any sexual desire for him, no matter how often he had to see Wonpil walking around only in shorts or a towel.

He had been honest with Wonpil since the very first time they had met and come out to him, who gave him a positive reaction. It was because Wonpil was not a judgmental type that Jinyoung had been able to open up to him.

"Park Jinyoung, do you hear me?" Wonpil shook Jinyoung's shoulder as Jinyoung had been staring into nothing and lost in his own thoughts. "I asked why you're skipping the classes."

"I don't want to retell anything. It was embarrassing."

Jinyoung sat up with second thoughts. Suffering alone felt more unendurable. Maybe, he should share what had happened with Wonpil. At the moment, he really needed some encouraging words.

Jinyoung gave him a brief account of the yesterday incident and at the end of his words, Wonpil said, "Why would they do that! So you don't know who left that note?"

"Someone who knows that I like Mark," Jinyoung said.

"Jinyoung, you should go to the class. If you don't, they'll just be more satisfied and think of you as a coward."

"But I'm," Jinyoung said in misery, "I don't want to face Mark. We have the same class this morning."

"Yah, Jinyoung. If you continue acting like that, they'll humiliate you more in the future. Now, go. Just listen to me once." Wonpil hauled Jinyoung up off the bed and pushed him to the bathroom.

Jinyoung grumbled the whole way till he was inside the bathroom. Wonpil closed the door and shouted, "I'll be waiting for you in the dining hall. I'm not leaving if I don't see you there!"

When Jinyoung got to the classroom, Mark was already there but with none of his friends in sight. It was a little better but still Jinyoung kept his gaze downward, afraid of meeting Mark's eyes.

He continued to his seat and had no idea that Mark was following him. Only when he sat down, Mark's standing figure before his desk startled him.

This was a sign of confrontation he had been dreading the most. But he did not see any hint of mockery, anger, disgust or pity in Mark's expression.

"Jinyoung, I'm sorry for yesterday," Mark said in a hurry because the lecturer could appear any moment, "It was all my friends' doing. They should be here apologising to you. I'm sorry."

So Mark's friends knew Jinyoung's crush on Mark and by now, Mark must have also realised that. Jinyoung was dismayed. But the fact that Mark had bothered to come and say 'sorry' to him, gave him a sort of pleasure.

"It's okay." It was not. But seeing Mark's face brightening up with a smile, was worth the lie. For a moment, he wondered why Mark was so different from his friends.

"I promise they won't ever do anything like that again." Just then, the lecturer came in and Mark returned to his seat. Once he was seated, he turned back and gave another smile to Jinyoung, who had been watching him and blushed, before facing the front again.

Both of Mark's friends entered the room only when the lecture was started. Although the sight of them angered Jinyoung, he enjoyed the entire period as he indulged himself in taking occasional glances, which often turned to long gazes, at Mark's back.

Jinyoung finished all the classes at 2:30 in the afternoon and made his way out of the classroom. It was a little windy outside and there was a ruffling sound of the leaves on the campus, once in a while. He loved the soft wind, especially the feel of it against his face, but it was quite annoying that his long hair was more messed up as the wind touched and tossed it.

He was struggling with his restless hair when he heard hurried footsteps behind him. He did not bother to turn and have a look because whoever it was, they were not coming to him, for sure.

But he was wrong because his name was called, just as that person caught up with him and walked beside him. Jinyoung was more than shocked to find that it was Mark.

"Going back home?" Mark asked, "Is it far from here? I mean, where you live."

"N-No. I live at the dorm."

"Oh, really? It's great. You don't need to worry about traffic every morning then," Mark chuckled softly. Jinyoung looked at him, still finding it strange that Mark was talking to him and mesmerised by Mark's charming features.

"Are you still feeling sorry for me?" Jinyoung mumbled, half hoping Mark could not hear him.

"It's just that you're always alone, and I wanted to get to know you," Mark answered, "And I feel a little guilty. My friends shouldn't have done that to you or anyone. Worse, using my name. Are you still mad? I'd be if something like that happened to me. I'm sorry."

"No...no, I can forget that." Another lie. He was sure he would always be daunted by that incident and would feel embarrassed every time he was reminded of it.

"That's a relief. My friends can be jackasses sometimes. When they want to," Mark looked at the car park and said, "I think I must go now. My car's there. See you tomorrow, Jinyoung."

Jinyoung watched Mark turning away and made a small wave although Mark could not see him. He was all smiles as he continued his way, replaying every word Mark had said to him.