[Neo Zone] Population: 23 Kids

Orange Nimon Cross!

Jaehyun took one look at the clock- okay it wasn't just one, he'd been checking it every two seconds- and knew that he wasn't going to make it through the remaining twenty minutes. Physically he was going to make it, but he'd mentally clocked out around five minutes ago.

In other words there was no way he was finishing the essay he was supposed to.

Rather than trying to force words on to the paper, his mind drifted to what everyone was doing after school. He thought he remembered Kun saying he had to help his Granny with something, and Ten's Dad needed him too, so that meant Jae was in charge of Mark even though they were going to end up with the kids from the other high schools anyways.

But he didn't feel like going to the cafe just to have to either help or be forced to do his homework. He needed something more... exciting.

As soon as the bell rang he handed in his not quite finished essay that would probably get him a decent grade and packed up his things as fast as he could. Ditching Mark without saying anything, he went out the side door and ran straight in the direction of the closest high school, dodging the people on the streets.

He spotted WinWin standing outside waiting for the others and skidded to a stop next to him.

"Run away with me."

"Done."

With no plan whatsoever they went running down the street and through a park, stopping when they were out of breath.

"What's the plan?" WinWin asked between breaths.

"There is no plan except no work."

"My favorite kind."

They took another moment to finish catching their breath, figuring out where they were and what they could do.

"Did you just leave Mark alone?"

"He's fourteen, he'll live. Hopefully. But what do we want to do?"

WinWin shrugged. This wasn't exactly how he was expecting his afternoon to go.

"Do we have money?"

"I've got enough for snacks from a bet I won." WinWin fished it out of his pocket just to make sure he did have it. It was indeed enough for snacks, and Jaehyun knew he didn't have anything to add to that.

"We could head downtown. I heard someone saying there's a whole festival going on. There's bound to be free samples and people busking to watch."

With not enough money for both food and transportation, they walked the whole way there. It wasn't too bad of a walk, maybe almost forty minutes, but it was enough to make them wish they could take the bus.

A street was already blocked off for the festival, people on ladders hanging paper lanterns across the street as vendors set up their tents. Just as they had expected, a section was left open for any street performances, and a guy with a guitar was already setting up his speaker.

"Hey kid! Can you hand me that tape!" One of the guys on a ladder asked, so Jaehyun picked up the only tape roll he found and handed it to him.

That somehow resulted in the two of them helping set up the festival, but it did earn them a cup of cider from an older lady who watched them helping and wanted to reward them.

The guy with the guitar started playing, the music audible down the whole street. The paper lanterns light up as it got dark, and random people from around the city started gathering in the street and talking.

WinWin and Jaehyun sat off to the side with their cider and churros they had ordered, listening to the music and watching little kids run around in a game of tag.

"We used to be little."

"Yeah but we didn't know each other when they were that little." WinWin corrected, and Jaehyun gave him a pointed look.

"Fine, Chenji used to be that little."

"And now they're getting too tall."

"You're not very good at this reminiscing thing." Jaehyun teased, leaning a bit so their shoulders bumped together.

"Well I'll one up reminiscing then. I heard there's a movie in the park tonight being projected on a screen."

"What movie?"

"Despicable Me."

Jaehyun smiled, standing up from the curb and holding his hand out to WinWin.

"Now we have to go."

WinWin didn't take his hand, but he did get up, smiling too. They ran off laughing to the park, sitting down in the grass just as the movie was starting. Everyone else had blankets to sit on, but they didn't come to any of this prepared, so they were stuck with the damp grass.

Halfway through the movie WinWin leaned his head on Jaehyun's shoulder, muttering something about this totally not being a kids movie.

It was late by the time they got back to the cafe, raiding the kitchen as they answered the million questions thrown at them before collapsing in bed.