Keep Me Company

3

Taehyun lazily jogs down the hallways, he has no energy to deal with the buzzing students around him. He did not expect for someone to put their foot out and trip him so he nearly stumbles to the floor for that.

He looks to the culprit, blond with a mischievous smirk on his face. Choi Beomgyu, Choi Yeonjun's best friend. Known to be a true troublemaker in school, causes problems every day and finds himself in the disciplinary teacher's office every other day.

Taehyun huffs and walks away, wanting nothing to do with the delinquent. "Hey weirdo! What's the problem? can't walk straight now?" he laughed out loud, but Taehyun couldn't be bothered, he's used to it. "So sad, punny little weirdo, no friends, no family, no nothin'! Hear that everyone? He has nothing!!"

This made him halt, a wave of anxiety washed over him. Everything else is okay for him, talk shit about anything and he wouldn't give a damn but this? He feels called out, exposed. In the corner of his eyes, he sees Hueningkai watching from afar face guilty with fear.

Hueningkai was too scared to defend or help him, years ago when people pushed him around for fun and even now. Yeonjun walked over to him and tug Hueningkai away from the scene, there's an apologetic facial expression on his face, fake or true, Taehyun would never know.

Fuck it, he never expects Hyuka to help him out back then, so why start now?

Taehyun takes a deep shaky breath, the whispers of other students start to get louder by the minute. He makes a beeline for the door and exit the school; the weight of things did not sink in till once he reached the doorsteps of his home.

He skipped the rest of the days’ worth of class, it's going to tarnish his perfectly clean record. The school might call his dad too, 'It'll be a miracle if he cared' Taehyun thought to himself.

He goes up to his room and notices his phone is buzzing. He sighs when he sees the name, why does he even bother?

SunshineKai

Tyun?!

Tyun are u ok?!?

Tyun Im so sorry

Taehyun pls Im worried

Im fine

at home

oh my gosh

Tyun im just so sorry

i know u heard this a bunch of times

but I swear I do wanna help u

focus in class Hueningkai

Tyun are u mad at me?

seen just now

Tyun??

seen just now

Tyun im just so sorry

message sent

Taehyun tosses away the phone onto his bed, he drops to the floor and hugs his knees tightly. Beomgyu's harsh words ringing loudly in his ears, it pains, it hurts so much he was so sure his heart is bleeding.

He hates his life so much, his dad doesn't care, his mom left when he was 12, he has no other people in his life to call a friend other than Hueningkai who sticks by him out of pity and mostly tolerates him.

Taehyun waited so long, he waited for his life to get better, and tried his best to make things better. He was always the top student, but his academic achievements barely gave him any happiness.

All his life, all Taehyun knows is a constant hollow feeling in his chest. His true best friends were loneliness and a switchblade to numb away the pain occasionally. Who cares about the angry red lines on his arms? Nobody.

Taehyun cried silent tears in the darkness of his room, it felt so pathetic of him. His phone buzzed again, he just had about enough of Hyuka's bullshit. Ready to call the other to leave him alone like everyone else because obviously it'll make things easier for both of them.

But it wasn't Hueningkai, no one else knows his phone number other than Hyuka and his dad and few teachers.

Unknown Number

Hello?

I sure hope this is the right number

I'm sorry

do I know u?

I'm Choi Soobin

the guy who would like to apply for the job?

I'm afraid u have the wrong number Soobin shii

Oh dear!

this must be so sudden

i'm so sorry

Its fine

Ah but now u know my name

it's only fair I know yours

or are u an old cReep?!

Excuse you but I'm a high school student, 02 liner

and my name is Kang Taehyun

Highschool student?!?

Wow a baby!

I'm a 00 liner hehe

nice to meet u Taehyun but since I'm older

u have to call me hyung haha

I don't even know u?!

U know my name

so that means we are acquaintances now

u are strangely persistent about this

maybe I should block

wHAT

NO PL EASE

huhuhu pls dont block

none of my friends ever talk to me

oh

can't relate

eye-

cuz i don't have friends

EYE-

REALLY?! ur so fun tho

well that's a first

This won't do

from now on I shall be your friend

I still don't know if I can trust u Soobin shii

u could be a kidnapper for all I know

THAT'S SOOBIN HYUNG TO YOU

AND I AM NOT A KIDNAPPER

whatever

Taehyun wipes away some of his tears with the hem of his sleeve, a small smile crawling up to his face. this random stranger just talked to him, did not ignore him and said he was fun? A rare bubbly feeling bloomed in his chest.

I shall be your friend

He did not know he needed to hear that, or maybe he did know but had already accepted no sane human in this world would say it to him.

No one was ever that eager to be his friend, but Taehyun knows he still needs to be careful. Anyone can say whatever they want behind a screen, sadly he doesn't know if he should do something about this.