Play my heart

Chapter V

Dawn brings him a snack at the end of all his practice lessons, saying something about keeping her violinist strong and healthy for the next competition. It's unfair, how she talks about Darren being hers in some way or another, yet never in the way Darren would like. It's unfair how, with all the pain his unrequited love is causing him, he can't help but feel at ease whenever she's around; can't help but feel like her favorite person in the world when she laughs at his jokes and bumps her shoulder into his.

The school falls silent for the rest of the week, and Lee's accusations at the back of his mind become mere echoes when he thinks that's the end of it: they've stopped bothering the Enemy, and everything is back to normal.

Normal, on a Friday after lunch, is the four of them sat on the front stairs outside the school, waiting for Dawn to finish her last class to go somewhere together. Adryan paces left and right, muttering his impatience under his breath. Connor and Caesar are busy playing a trivia game on Connor's phone, so Darren is left to entertain himself, skimming over the scores of a violin piece. 

"Hey, over there," Ceasar says.

Darren lazily glances up, expecting to find Dawn walking toward them. It's not. He does a double take, jaw falling slack.

"Oh?" Connor perks up, puts the phone down. Adryan stops his pacing and looks in the same direction.

Indeed, it's not Dawn. 

It's no one other than Lee Jung himself, in fact, ripped jeans and the school's uniform jacket, confidently walking up to them, mask of determination drawn over his features.

"Is he coming to apologize?" Caesar says, making Adryan stand straighter.

That sounds rather unlikely, to Darren even more than the others, but there's still no telling what Lee's intentions actually are. Darren's stomach twists with nervousness, and he stands up, just to be ready for whatever might happen next.

Lee Jung reaches their spot and stops two steps away from them. Darren holds his breath, and they all watch as the Enemy blatantly ignores Adryan's presence, his attention set on Darren. His mind starts catching up when the boy lifts a hand holding a plastic bag, and offers it to him.

Dread climbs up his spine the second Lee quirks a brow in a challenge, the promise of nothing good. And then he smiles.

"Here, your uniform. Thanks for looking after me, Darren."

One last flash of his smile, Lee turns around and walks away before any of them figure out how to respond.

Darren remains frozen on his spot, numbly holding the bag, eyes trained on the spiky brown hair getting away. Next to him, Adryan splutters his confusion and turns to give him a puzzled look. Connor throws his body forward and snatches the bag from Darren's grasp, he and Caesar hurry to see its contents.

"Your P.E. uniform?"

"The Enemy had it?"

"Looking after him, Darren?"

Ah, great.

"It's not what it looks like!" Darren says, finally gaining control over his body, flailing his hands around in a pathetic attempt to defuse the situation. Damn it. He sould've never gotten involved with that bastard. 

Adryan's glare weighs down on him.

"Are you fraternizing with the enemy?" Pun not intended, probably. "Do you wanna die?"

"What! No, it's, that is, it's all a- a terrible misunderstanding."

"Really? Cause it looks like Lee Jung borrowed your clothes," Caesar says. "What's the misunderstanding there?"