Play my heart

Chapter IV

He refuses to interact with him, so he leaves the stupid strawberry milk box on what he's been told is Lee Jung's desk, and gets out of the classroom as if it was on fire. He hides in the concert hall for the rest of the day, sight reading violin pieces in search of one that will grant him first place in the next competition.

It's Dawn who finds him, of course, sporting that soft smile of hers and listening to him in patient silence. She already knows about the Enemy beating him again, judging by the comforting manner she uses to address him. When he finally grows tired, they both sit at the edge of the stage, and she pats the top of his head, repeating "it's okay, it's okay" as if talking to a child. A soothing warmth runs over Darren's whole body, and he closes his eyes and takes all the affection offered.

The moment ends when Dawn's phone rings, and Adryan's name shines on the screen. She takes the call and her smile goes from comforting to teasing in an instant. Darren stares at her profile while Dawn and Adryan have some petty argument about one thing or the other, until agreeing to meet somewhere for dinner. It softens his heart to see her glow like this when it comes to Adryan.

Yes, it's still a mystery why they even like each other, or how they manage to keep their relationship going; and yes, they have a lot against them, including the very powerful woman that is Adryan's mother and their own clashing traits; and yes, everything would be easier if Dawn would only choose Darren, and still.

"Go on," he says with the most sincere smile he can manage, picking up his violin once more. "We don't want to make his Majesty wait, now do we."

"He can die waiting for all I care," answers Dawn, but she buttons her coat and bids him goodbye anyway, trotting her way out of the concert hall.

Darren plays mindlessly in the dark hall, and sunrise is already clearing the sky when he finally makes his way home. He spends the first lessons of the next day yawning every few minutes, and after lunch he can't keep his eyes open anymore. He foregoes afternoon practice to take a nap instead, comfortably folded into a ball in one of the forgotten stairwells.

A familiar voice drills through his head, making him stir in his dreams until there's no sleep left. The voice keeps blaring like a fire alarm in his ears, and he groans as he rubs his eyes and gets up to see what's going on.

He takes a turn outside the main building and finds a scene known and new at once.

Lee Jung is yet again surrounded by a small crowd, but this time everyone's silent; it seems to be his turn to yell at them. And boy is he good at yelling. Darren creeps closer to listen, one of Shostakovitch's pieces starting in his thoughts.

"When will you all get the damn message? No matter what kind of hell you break down on me, I'm not gonna fucking bend or give in. You're all truly pathetic and I'll be damned if I lose against a bunch of idiots like you," shouts Lee.

Upon spotting him in the middle of the crowd, Darren frowns. The guy's uniform is covered in a weird mixture of eggs and reddish dirt. It's almost funny how the students won't touch an egg to cook for themselves, but they will to pester someone.

"All of you, changing your way of thinking and acting, according to Wang's whims, hating whoever he hates and fighting whoever he tells you to, like some kind of puppets. You make me sick! How can you guys stand living within your own skin, with no other purpose than to please some asshole who will make any of you the next target the moment you cross his path? How can you live with each other knowing that these same people will be the ones giving you hell if Wang says you deserve it? And you call each other friends?" A round of stunned whispers rushes through the crowd when Lee pauses to take a breath. "When was the last time you had a thought of your own? When, if ever, was the last time your names meant something? How long until you realize you're actual people, and start fucking behaving like it?"