"Hi, Yuri. I got you a muffin from the cafeteria" Soobin approaches me with a dimpled smile as I leave the library.
He is wearing the school uniform, crisp and pristine, with not even a single crease on his entire outfit. I'd like to know if he wears the clothes only once before throwing them away and then wears a new set.
I don't think a shirt can look this white unless it is new, no matter how expensive the detergent you use.
But I can't ask him about which detergent he uses. That is absurd. Not like he would know it anyway.
"Thanks but I already had my lunch Soobin" I shrug. He has been trying to make an effort with me since that night at the shop but I am still angry.
We bumped into each other a lot lately. Sometimes in between classes, I had a 1-1 minute brake or in the library when both of us had free periods.
He always made small talk and offered me whatever snacks he had on him. I was cordial with him but his act lingered in the back of my head. It would take me some time to get back to normal with him.
My anger was not just bias from hearing Yeonjun's side but more so the fact that his entire act of coming over to my house unannounced felt like a violation of privacy.
He had the means to get my address, he had the means to get all sorts of information on me but that didn't make it okay for him to do it.
The entire ordeal kind of made me uncomfortable. And I just couldn't find a way to get past that.
"Are you coming to the weekend trip? I didn't see your name on the student list" he speaks up again, matching my strides as I try to walk away.
"Nope, not going" is all I say. The school organized a weekend trip to the beach for recreation since the mid-term was hectic for the students. San told me that they do it every year. After mid-term and end-term.
It is a way for the school to reward children for working hard and studying. Making sure the future of our Nation knew that achieving goals came with rewards and whatnot.
But the reward was not free.
Even after compensation, the price was too high for me to afford. I mean, the hotels and cottages booked were top notch and I hardly believe they would feed us convenience store food so the price made sense.
It was just too much for me to spend on a weekend trip.
San usually didn't go to these either but he saved up money from his pocket money and since this was his senior year, he wanted to experience it once before he left for college.
I can't blame him but it did bum me out a little bit.
"Why not? It is really fun. This will be your first school trip. Don't miss it. Here, take this itinerary. Don't share it with others yet. The official announcement will be by the end of the week. I am on the planning committee. I thought maybe a sneak peek at the activities will help you make up your mind" he shrugs and smiles hopefully.
'Thanks, Soobin but I am not sure if I want to go. I have the stuff to do and I can't just take three days from my work. But I'll think about it" I take the sheet of paper and the muffin from his hand.
"Do you want to hang out later, after school?" he asks hopefully.
"I can't. I have a tutoring gig and then closing shift at Hive" I answer honestly.
"Do you want to go see a movie tomorrow?"
"Same schedule as today. I am swamped pretty much the entire week" I make up an excuse. I would have said yes to the movie or even hung out with him but I was still angry at him.
I knew my anger would calm down in a few days. But I needed that time and space to calm down and reason in my own head before I could go back to being normal with Soobin.
"I am trying Yuri. Come on, you've been like this for the past week. Please, let's just start afresh" he pleads and stands in front of me, blocking my way.
I see a few bystanders passing looks my way and it further makes me uncomfortable. Soobin might be used to the stares but I am not. And it is not a welcoming feeling.
I think he understands the stares make me uncomfortable because he gently presses a hand on my elbow.
"Hey, we can go somewhere and talk. Your class does not start for another ten minutes right?" he questions and I look up at him with a question in my eyes.
"How do you know when my class starts?" I ask and he drops his hand.
His warm smile is replaced by an all-so-familiar guilty look.
I rub my temples and focus on my breathing to stop myself from screaming at him. I don't want to attract any more attention than what I am already getting.
He did it again. He went behind my back to get my schedule.
"Soobin, how did you get a hold of my schedule? Is that how you have been finding me at school for the past week?" I ask. I am not sure if I want to hear his honest answer.
I never paid much attention to how he was always meeting me in between classes when I had some time off or how we found each other with the same free period in the library.
"I got it from Beomgu-"
"Unbelievable! Don't you see how that is not okay? You are doing the same thing again" I am fed up with him. I don't understand why he cannot see that going behind my back to get information about me is not right.
"I just asked Beomgyu about your schedule. You share most of your class with him anyway" he gets defensive and my patience is wearing thin.
'Soobin, just - I know you're used to living under the microscope and people knowing everything that is going on in your life so it might be a little hard for you to understand but normal people do not live that way" I continue before he can speak.
"You want to know something about me, ask me. And if I don't give you an answer then, it means I don't want you to know at that point. You have to be okay with that" I spit out the harsh words before I can take them back.
He seems a little taken aback but I stand my ground. He needs to understand what he did and continues to do is wrong. It may not seem like a big deal but continuously doing this is not right.
"You can't keep doing this Soobin. If you really want us to be friends you have to give me space and you have to understand personal boundaries. You can't keep doing shit like this. It is just not okay!" My voice is louder than I expected but I can't think straight right now.
"Yuri, is everything okay here?" Yeonjun comes to stand next to me.
He is wearing his school uniform like the rest of us but he has the same leather jacket as Soobin. He has confusion on his face but puts his guard up as soon as he sees Soobin take another step towards me.
"What is going on here?" Yeonjun asks, not to me but facing Soobin, meeting his glare head-on.
Soobin's demeanor changed in an instant. While he seemed polite and warm when he was talking to me, now he stands tall, his eyes cold and jaw tense.
Two brothers, so different, yet so same.
Soobin is slightly taller than Yeonjun but he is more built than Soobin. Both mimic each other, staring and holding their ground.
People speak in hushed tone as they pass by some make some excuse to stay behind and watch what is happening.
I feel mortified.
"Yeonjun, there's nothing going on. It's okay. You don't have to be here" I whisper. I don't want things to get out of hand. And I definitely don't want him to get into trouble because of me.
"Yuri, these are not your words. It's because of Yeonjun. You are biased against me because of Yeonjun, right? Is that why you have been like this?" Soobin says and I can't believe how ugly he looks to me right now.
I take a step back in surprise.
Is that what he really thinks? Does he still not understand where he is wrong?
This is not the doe-eyed boy I met before. This is not the kind of guy who lent me a helping hand when I struggled. This was not the vulnerable boy who hugged me and told me he did not like the noise.
I feel so stupid that I wanted to believe him and give him a chance so that we could be friends.
"I don't even know who you are anymore Soobin if you can't even understand what you are doing and saying is wrong. Please just let me go and don't try to talk to me anymore" I say shaking my head in disbelief and walking away from him.
Thankfully he doesn't follow me anymore.
A/N: Dun Dun Dun! What do you guys think of this new chapter? I know I have not been regular with the updates but life happens. I have no other excuse. I have the net few chapters lined out so hopefully there will be another update before this week ends.
I want to know what is going on in your life? Tell me. Tell me. Tell me.
Also, I have been digging I'll see you there tomorrow. What is your favorite song from thier new album?