Stranger

.FIVE.

Silver Valley School of Arts
________

Seojun skipped his lunch and went to stay in the class he had after the lunch period. He sat on the piano bench and stared blankly at the keys. Suddenly, the memories of childhood flashed in his mind from when he was peaking through the door to watch his mother play the piano beautifully.

~ flashback

Chunhua's eyes were focused on the keys but a little smile tugging at the corners of her lips contradicted. Then, she chuckled softly upon hearing little footsteps from behind the door.

"This is Beethoven. You can come out of your hiding spot, Seojun," Chunhua said.

Seojun slowly opened the door with a creek and walking over to his mother shyly. She lifted him onto the bench to sit next to her.

"Your music is very nice, mummy," Seojun said and played with his mothers fingers.

Chunhua chuckled, "Just nice?"

"No, very nice," Seojun corrected and Chunhua gave him a kiss on the head. "Will I be like you, mummy? I want to play like you."

"Ha... a boy playing Beethoven?" Beomseok said as he stepped into the room with his hands tucked behind his back. He stumbled slightly and his face was flushed red.

"Let him be. He needs to explore his interests," Chunhua said and held Seojun closely. "Mum will teach to how to play-"

"No son of mine will be involved with such a thing," Beomseok interrupted. "He will learn from my brothers and I how to be a man, how to have a firm hand, and how to run a business. That way he can hire someone else to pay piano for him."

"But I want to play, appa-"

"You will not!" Beomseok shouted, making Seojun jump a little.

"Don't use that tone," Chunhua warned with clenched teeth. "Do not talk to our son like-"

"Like what?" he interrupted again. "You dare to talk back to me like this?"

It was clear that he was drunk and Chunhua refrained from rolling her eyes at him. She glared at Beomseok and Seojun began to tear up.

"Why are you crying? You are a man! Behave like one!" Beomseok said and yanked Seojun away to make him stand. "Stop crying!"

Chunhua got up and took Beomseok's hands away from Seojun before standing her ground in front of her son.

"Don't touch him like that-"

A slap stopped all conversation, and Chunhua didn't let the impact shake her.

"Mummy," Seojun cried and hugged his mothers waist.

"Seojun... go to your room. Mummy won't be able to kiss you goodnight today," Chunhua said, trying not to let her voice break as tears streamed down her face.

Seojun stayed a little longer until but eventually listened, and ran out of the room. After shutting his room door, shouting was heard and no number of pillows can block the rumble.

"... Don't you think for a second I'll let you near him! He is my son!..."

"... Every time you are together, that faggot becomes more of a woman. He wants to go shopping, he wants to pour tea. How embarrassing for..."

"... His name is Seojun!... Seojun... Seojun..."

~ end of flashback

"... Seojun?" Jennie said and lightly touched Seojun on the shoulder before he flinched and turned away.

Seojun blinked then quickly rubbed the tears from his face. He stood up to leave but his legs began to shake, resulting in him falling on his knees.

"Here, let me help you," Jennie said and pulled him up.

Surprisingly, Seojun didn't refuse her help as he stood up and kept wiping the tears with his sleeve.

"What's wrong?" she asked and touched his arm gently.

Seojun wanted to saying something but he was crying so much that he could barely breathe.

"It's okay. You can cry," Jennie reassured and Seojun cried harder.

Suddenly Jennie began to tear up as well. It was never easy for her to hold back her own emotions as they reflected the ones she saw.

"Just let it out, Seojun..." Jennie said and cried with him. She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back. "You can cry, Seojun. It's okay."

After a long moment, Seojun began to settle down so Jennie let go of her hug.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked and he nodded but still wiped remaining tears. "That's good. Now, try taking some deep breaths."

Seojun listened and took a few deep breaths with her guidance. When he regained his composure, he realized there was probably snot all over his clothes.

He took his jacket off and flipped it inside out, then searched around the room for some tissue to blow his nose in. He looked over at Jennie who's eyes glistened with tears as well and awkwardly offered a tissue.

"Thanks," she said and smiled weakly.

"Don't tell anyone about this... please." Seojun barely looked at her again and kept his head low.

"Don't worry about that. I won't. I just came to give you your hat back. Your friends said it was very important to you so I made sure to keep it safe."

Jennie offered Seojun his hat with both her hands and Seojun just stared at it with sadness in his eyes.

"... Thanks..." he said and held it in his hands.

Jennie nodded and opened her arms for a hug.

"I gave you something back, so you should return the favour. You didn't hug me back just then..."

"No."

Jennie's hands drop to her sides before she put them back up, "Too bad. Hug me!"

Seojun tried to pass her from the side but Jennie moved with him. He then shoved the BlueJays cap into her hands.

"No," Seojun repeated.

"Oppa!" Jennie said then smirked when he didn't like it.

Seojun rolled his eyes and she was about to speak again but he pulled her into a hug. He squeezed her tightly, enough to suffocate her a little.

"Ah, okay- okay, Seojun, that's enough. You're going to break my spine," Jennie said with a strained voice.

Seojun let go and opened the classroom door to find Doyun on the other side.

"Seojun!" Jennie said then jumped a little when she saw Doyun.

"Seojun... J-Jennie," Doyun stuttered and pointed a finger from one person to the other. "Hyung, what were you doing in there? What were you two doing in there... together?"

Seojun walked away leaving Jennie to stand there with nothing to say.

"... Nothing. I just returned his hat. I have to go to class now," Jennie said with the hat in her hands and hurried away.

"But lunch isn't over..."

"I like to go earlier to study," she lied on her way out.

Doyun obviously knew it was a lie since he saw her sitting in the cafeteria everyday and never went to class early. Besides, Jennie didn't even have a class after lunch...

— Stranger —