𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙦𝙪𝙮 | chensung

Ch.15

"So, what's on today's agenda?" Donghyuck chirped as he and Renjun rounded the corner. The school day had just ended and they were on their way to the theatre, having shared the last class together.

"Well, I'm going to indulge in coffee while you guys slog away on stage."

The sandy-haired boy rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Where is your heart?"

"Buried beneath layers of scorn." He checked his watch while skilfully dodging the current of exhausted students heading home. It always felt weird to walk against the flow when it came to home time. When the hallways emptied to leave only the two of them, Renjun looked around cautiously before tugging on Donghyuck's shirt sleeve, making him stop walking. He beckoned him over to a corner, where he eyed the younger boy with a semi-irritated and semi-upset expression.

"What's...wrong?" Donghyuck frowned, unsure of whether or not he even wanted to know.

"I didn't mention it earlier because there were other students around, but do you remember when Ms. Jo called me out of our art class?"

He furrowed his eyebrows and nodded. "Of course I do."

"Well, she volunteered me for counselling because apparently," he spat angrily, "I'm too much of a control-freak not to be having some mental-health problems. Like, the audacity!"

"Oh god. Did you even go to the session?"

"Regrettably." He paused and leaned against the wall, recalling his attempt at scaring the woman away from trying to give him unneeded counselling...

~☁️☁️☁️~

"I suspect that I'm actually a ghost who lost his memories of dying and thinks he's still alive."

The counsellor looked sideways at Renjun and opened her mouth to respond but then swiftly closed it upon realising that there wasn't really a suitable response. "And...how does that make you feel?"

~☁️☁️☁️~

"I don't think I'll be bothered by her anymore," he said finally after his little mental flashback. "But anyway, that's my piece of news for today. Anything interesting to add?"

Donghyuck cocked his head to the side and scratched his chin. "Now that you mention it, I did see something bizarre. Jeno ran past me in the hallway during lunch today and the librarian was chasing him."

"What's so weird about that kid getting into trouble? I always see him in the detention room when I walk past."

"No, not that," the tanned boy shook his head. "I've never seen a seventy-five-year-old run as fast as that woman did. She must've had a seriously deep vendetta against Jeno."

"Or she has fake knees. Either are a possibility."

"I wonder which it is..."

The double doors of the school gym-turned-theatre materialised in front of them and Renjun suddenly felt drained. He didn't feel like dealing with the bratty cast today.

Donghyuck pushed the doors open as a draught encompassed them from the unheated hall. "The bloody radiators must've kicked out."

Renjun rubbed his shoulders and shivered when the doors closed behind them with a light click. The lights switched on but they were the only ones there. "Ugh. I hate being early."