metal straw | ast. cha eunwoo

eleven

"This is fun!"

A sudden yell awoke Eunwoo from his quick nap at the bus stop. He shifted forward wearily to see Soyeon walking down the pavement with a crowd behind her. For the first time, he saw his former cleaning partner, Heesung, with his so-called gang coming after Soyeon. They had smug looks on their faces as they threw in more words for her to hear and none were something she would want to hear. They were mocking her.

"Let's save the turtles!"

"These things are expensive, you must be loaded!"

"Give us some cash, we wanna buy them too!"

"You know using metal straws won't actually help the turtles, right?"

"They're as useless as you!"

Without any warning or whatsoever, Soyeon was suddenly pulled into a bus. She yelped at the immediate kidnap. However, the first thing she saw when she raised her head was Eunwoo. He held her wrist but his eyes shot daggers outside. He didn't say anything then. He tightened his grip around Soyeon's wrist as the culprits causing her humiliation, which was what she assumed she was feeling of the situation. Perhaps anxiety along with it. The sweet moment was cut short when they heard overfamiliar voices yelling out with stomping footsteps coming closer.

"Let's go," Eunwoo muttered, pulling Soyeon towards the back of the bus. Just as they did, more odd footsteps gradually followed. She looked behind her and immediately had regret washing over her. The same boys were still following her, despite having Eunwoo pulling her away.

"Are they still following?" Eunwoo asked, stopping halfway to the back of the bus. He felt her nod rapidly next to her.

"How helpless! You need a man to protect you?" one of them yelled out, laughing right after with his group.

"Dumbass."

Just when Soyeon was about to speak out, she was once again pulled to the side and suddenly, she found herself off the bus. The cold weather hitting her skin immediately, sending her chills. She saw the door closed and the bus started moving away with the boys, heading their way to school.

"Are you cold?" Eunwoo asked, seeing how close she was standing next to her as if she was trying to find warmth in him. She immediately stepped away the minute she realised what she was doing.

"Thanks..."

Eunwoo then gestured his head to the side of a way of saying they should get going. Soyeon bobbed her head before she began wandering in the same direction as the bus did. She watched her foot stepping in front of the other, thinking over what just had happened until she realised she could only see her feet on the ground. She turned around to see Eunwoo walking the other way.

"Cha Eunwoo, school is that way!"

"Are you hungry?" he questioned her, suddenly catching her off guard.

"I'm not hungry-"

"Then just come with me," Eunwoo cut her off. He waited for her to say another answer. There was an awkward silence between them, despite having cars driving and people walking passed them.

Soyeon tried to think of everything through. Thanks to Eunwoo, she didn't have to suffer on the bus from the comments she was receiving all morning. If she goes to school, everything would repeat. If she doesn't, she would have to face her parents' wrath.

"Then... I'll just have a small taste."