A few minutes before, Inseop was walking up the stairs, munching a Fire Burger.
Ugh, I'm so sick of the snack store bread, he thought, chewing lazily. Maybe I should just cut my hair short and start eating at the cafeteria instead…
As he turned the corner, he froze.Yang Jinsu was coming out of their classroom.
…What's that bastard doing here? Inseop narrowed his eyes. There shouldn't be anyone in there right now.
When Jinsu disappeared down the hall, Inseop stepped inside the classroom.
He glanced around the room. He didn't steal anything, right?
Then his gaze stopped at Seol Hyorim's desk.
A red sketchbook was there.
"…Huh?"
He walked over and picked it up.
Ji Suwon's sketchbook?
Curious, he flipped it open then immediately froze as his eyes widened.
A blood drip from his nose.
This… this is the real deal. His pulse quickened. Even if Suwon's gotten close to Seol Hyorim, there's no way he'd ever show her this…
He quickly closed it and slid it under his desk.
What's going on here…? he thought, frowning. For now, I should hold onto it.
Then it hit him. His expression darkened.
Wait a second… isn't this that jerk's doing?
Back in the present, we all gathered at the back of the classroom after hearing what Inseop said.
Park Dong crossed his arms. "So… you're saying Yang Jinsu left it behind?"
Inseop shook his head slightly. "Well, I didn't actually see him leave it, but that's what it looked like."
Park Dong frowned. "You sure about that? You don't have any proof, right?"
"…Even before," Inseop said quietly, "he once showed Seol Hyorim a drawing Suwon made for her. There's no reason to think he wouldn't pull the same crap again."
Hearing that, Park Dong had nothing left to say just let out a low groan under his breath.
The two of them exchanged a look before Suwon, still clutching his sketchbook tightly, finally spoke up.
"Anyway… no one else saw it, right?"
Inseop nodded. "…Yeah. I'm pretty sure no one was in the classroom."
Suwon let out a shaky breath, forcing a bitter smile. "Then it's fine… Thanks."
Inseop watched him, worry flickering in his eyes.
Suwon walked back to his seat, still gripping the red sketchbook as if it were his lifeline. "Man… that's a relief. I almost dropped out," he muttered with a dry laugh before slumping forward, resting his head on the desk.
The rest of us just stood there, staring at him in silence.
School was finally over.
Outside the convenience store, Park Dong sat at one of the plastic tables with Jiseong and Daegyu. An open can of coffee sweated beside his hand as he spoke into his phone, his voice tight with frustration.
From the other end, Yang Jinsu's laughter buzzed through the speaker."Ah, what the hell… he didn't get caught? I was hoping he would! Hahaha!"
Park Dong's jaw clenched. "So it was you, huh? You thought that was funny? Are you out of your damn mind?"
Jinsu snorted. "Why are you freaking out? Stop acting like it's the end of the world."
"Stop laughing, you psycho!" Park Dong snapped. "If that got found out, Suwon would've been done for!"
At the PC bang, Jinsu leaned back in his chair beside Cheolgyu, a cigarette hanging from his lips. "But he didn't get caught, so quit whining. Let it slide, man. What, you and Ji Suwon best buddies now or something?"
Park Dong's voice rose. "The hell does being besties have to do with anything?"
Daegyu, who had been silent, finally muttered, "That was kinda too much, dude…"
Park Dong glared at the phone. "You go after him 'cause he's an easy target, huh? Wow, you really went full-on bully. You're totally gone, man."
There was a pause. Then Jinsu's tone dropped, irritation seeping through."Ah… this bastard's got a lot to say now. What, Suwon's that important to you?"
"Heh, look at you twisting words," Park Dong shot back. "What, got nothing to say?"
Jinsu's laugh was cold. "Stop trying to sound righteous. You're no saint, dumbass. Who are you to lecture me? Maybe quit smoking and drinking first, huh?"
That shut Park Dong up for a second his hand tightened around the phone, knuckles white.
"Ha… You're acting like total trash, Jinsu," he muttered finally.
"Think I care about Ji Suwon?" Jinsu barked a laugh. "I'm pissed because you're getting dumber by the day."
Park Dong trembled, his anger boiling over. "You're just mad 'cause Yoon Seojin's seem close with Seolhyo, right? You can't do anything to him, so you pick on Suwon instead. Hah, what a joke."
He spat the final words, his voice shaking with rage."You can't face Seojin, so you take it out on a loser? You're the real loser here, dumbass."
Park Dong shot up from his seat, his flip phone still pressed against his ear.
"Where the hell are you, you bastard?!"
Park Dong voice exploded sharp and furious."I'm at a convenience store you bitch!!"
Park Dong barked back without hesitation, "At the convenience store, dumbass! Come here if you've got the guts!"
Daegyu groaned, rubbing his temples. "Ah, what the hell are those two doing now…"
Jiseong just sighed as Park Dong stomped a few steps away, still yelling into his phone.
"This is why Heejun beat the crap outta you, you know that?!" Park Dong shouted.
A beat of static silence followed before Jinsu yelled back, indignant, "W-who got beat?! That was a fair fight, asshole!"
Daegyu turned to Jiseong, lowering his voice. "Hey, Jiseong."
"What?"
"Those two are seriously gonna throw hands again. We should stop it before it blows up. Maybe… set up a hangout or something."
"A hangout?" Jiseong look to him. "Like what?"
"Drinking, obviously," Daegyu muttered. "If they sit down and talk while chilling, they'll probably cool off."
Jiseong shook his head slowly. "I don't know, man. Park Dong's really disappointed in Jinsu this time."
They both looked toward Park Dong, who had walked farther away, still pacing and cursing under his breath into the phone, his temper far from fading.
Daegyu sighed. "Either way, let's set something up for the weekend. Maybe it'll help."
"Yeah… alright," Jiseong finally agreed.
The convenience store sign buzzed faintly above them, the night air thick with tension and the sound of Park Dong's angry voice echoing down the empty street.
Inside his room, Ji Suwon shut the door behind him with a dull thud. The air was still, the only sound the faint rustle of paper as he crouched by his desk. From the bottom drawer, sketchbooks dozens of them, stacked neatly, each one filled since middle school.
ill just hide it among my the notebooks I've been drawing since middle school, no one will notice it
He slid the red sketchbook in between the rest.
His head bowed, his expression twisted. His jaw clenched, lips pressed into a thin line.
Slowly, his fist curled tight against his knee, knuckles whitening. His shoulders shook faintly, not from fear but from rage swelling just beneath the surface.
**********
Seong Heejun popped one of the bottles, eyebrow raised. "You actually bought alcohol and you haven't even opened it yet?" he teased.
"Wait a sec. I invited someone." He glanced toward the door with a small, nervous smile. "Yang Jinsu and Yoon Seojin."
At the mention of Jinsu, Park Dong's grin curdled. He pushed to his feet. "You're kidding, right? I'm not staying if he shows."
Daegyu held up both hands, stepping between them. "Hold up. You two can't just bail. I get that Jinsu's a pain, but we've been together since middle school. We're not letting one fight ruin that." His voice was steady, the kind that tried to weld things back together.
Park Dong crossed his arms but didn't sit. "Fine. But if he pulls any crap I'll leave"
Heejun muttered. "If he says one dumb word and I'll Walk out. Or worse give him another beating."
A tense silence hung there for a beat, the rooftop suddenly smaller. Then the stairwell door squeaked open and I walked out, shoulders loose against the sun. I stopped short, taking in the stiff poses and the cooler like I'd wandered into someone else's family argument.
"So," I asked, sliding my hands into my pockets and forcing a casual tone, "what's going on? Why'd you invite me?"
All eyes swung to Jiseong at once, the weight of their stares heavy.
Park Dong curious why I'm here. "Why did you invite him?"
Jiseong. "Well, I thought it be good to hangout all of us??"
No one answered, but the air prickled with unease.
I glanced down at the cooler and the unopened bottles scattered near it. With a wry chuckle, I said, "You guys know I don't drink, right?" Still, I lowered myself onto the ground with them, crossing my legs like it was just another after-school hangout.
The tension held for a few minutes. Then the stairwell door creaked open again.
Yang Jinsu stepped in, left behind him came Chulgyu, hands shoved deep in his pockets.