Chapter 1: Obvious enough?
Len's POV:
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A new day at Haneul High. Nam has been here for three weeks now, and I still can't read him. It just always feels so weird when he comes up from behind and hugs me so suddenly. Can I be honest? It’s like I’m about to throw something up—but not the typical kind of puke, something...tingly. When I think he's just teasing me because he's my classmate, the others always say,
"It's so obvious."
"What exactly?"
"Well, the thing between you two..."
"...But there is nothing between the two of us."
pause.
"We're just classmates."
I have the feeling I'm just convincing myself of what I want to hear...
Being in class with Chris on top of everything else is really the last straw.
Len walked through the school corridors, which were filling up with students. He had actually intended to simply head to the classroom—before running into a certain Chris—but when was luck ever on his side?
"Hey, Len,"
came the sound of his voice as Chris clung to him from behind.
Len blushed slightly at the moment. It was just the way he actually hugged Len—specifically, with his arms around his waist.
"So speechless to see me again?"
he asked with a slight smile, not letting go.
"You say that as if you’d been away for a long time. And yet, it was only 24 hours—to be exact."
Len protested.
"Well, for me, it's a long time."
Chris said, then finally let go and ruffled his hair, before striding off.
Len immediately set his hair right again, feeling quite embarrassed. He rarely does that sort of thing.
A little later, Len finally arrived in the classroom; everyone had already settled in. For the moment, he was damn glad he wasn't sitting next to Nam. Otherwise, his stomach really would have started doing that weird fluttering thing.
"Everyone take your seats, students
," Teacher Kim Song called out across the room as he entered. And that is exactly what they did. Students shouldn't mess around with a health and safety instructor. The lesson always began with the same routine regarding what one should do when in danger. No one could remember the last time anything of real consequence had happened at the school. Haneul High was orderly. If an incident were to occur, half the student body would likely die—that was a certainty. Still, Kim Song couldn't be faulted for his job; it was undeniably important. Using old-fashioned chalk, he wrote in large letters: "What to do when you are in danger," and underlined it heavily.
"Right then, get started, students. Who would like to begin?"
he asked, his eyes beaming. He truly loved his job. Many hands shot up immediately; Chris, naturally, tried to win the contest by competing with the boy sitting next to him to see who could raise their hand higher. Everyone laughed, and I did too—by accident. But only a little bit. Even that little bit, of course, made him satisfied again.
"Well then, please enlighten us, Chris,"
said Kim Song expectantly.
"Stay calm and line up in pairs to head to the door,"
he said ingratiatingly. That was deliberate. He probably would have said one should sit down at the table and have a coffee and cake get-together.
"So committed today?"
"I'm not that stupid."
Laughter broke out.
"I didn't claim that either."
"But it was hinted at."
"I am not discussing this with you."
That was exactly where Kim Song drew the line. Chris had to scoff; provocation was simply in his blood.
About half an hour had already passed; Len and the others were copying everything listed on the board. It was quiet—a different kind of quiet than usual. Then the announcement speaker came on, and everyone stopped writing.
»To all students: An unidentified person with a pistol has been reported in the hallway. Hide immediately and remain silent.«
sequel follows｡｡｡
