Chapter Text
Frustrated, Hyunsu takes off his giant headphones and exits out of his game. The other team was obviously cheating. It bummed out his mood to play. He sets his headset down on his desk beside the keyboard. With an exasperated huff, Hyunsu stands up.
He’s supposed to start at a new school tomorrow. His last few months of high school at a new school where no one knew him. Maybe it’s for the better. Maybe things will improve there. He can only hope. People will probably think him weird for changing school in the last few months of school. It’s not his fault though.
Three weeks ago his family died in a car crash, leaving Hyunsu all alone. Left with all of his family’s money, he moves across town. There was no way he was going to stay in the house, the neighbourhood where all of his trauma had occurred. He finds himself in a little run-down green apartment complex. It’s not all that bad, he thinks.
He’s renting a small studio apartment with just enough space for a mattress and his desk. The mattress merely lays on the floor with no frame to support it. His desk is along the same wall as his small kitchen. It’s not great, but it’s just enough for him.
His neighbour is loud. The walls are thin. She’s always talking on the phone, arguing with someone or gossiping loudly. Above him is a girl that makes music. He’s encountered her once or twice in the elevator.
Hyunsu doesn’t mind the music she makes. It’s actually pretty nice.
A warm breeze blows through his half-open window and he’s reminded that the outdoors does in fact exist and he should probably get some actual fresh air. He scrunches his nose and stands up off the floor.
Maybe he’ll go down to the store on the main level and get some snacks and go for a walk. Or he could go up to the roof, bask in the sunlight while overlooking the skyline of the city. Maybe he’ll do both. Maybe not the walk part though, just the snacks and the rooftop part.
With a sigh, he grabs his wallet off his desk and heads to the front door. He slips on a pair of shoes and heads out into the hallway. Hyunsu lives on the fourteenth floor. That’s a few too many flights of stairs to walk down in his all-knowing opinion.
So he walks over to the elevators and presses the down button. Hyunsu doesn’t particularly enjoy taking the elevator. Too many little things to account for. Like people. God, he hates the awkward silence of elevators, even more so, he hates when the person in the elevator with him tries to strike up a conversation with him.
He’s become a very soft-spoken person so they always end up getting frustrated by not being able to hear him properly. The stairs mean fewer conversational opportunities, however, it means exercise.
The elevator dings and he steps inside. To his fortune, the elevator is vacant. He can descend in peace. Or at least he could until the elevator stops, opening the doors with a ding on the fourth floor.
Hyunsu winces mentally as someone steps into the elevator with him. He doesn’t make eye contact nor does he greet the person. They’re only a few floors from the main floor, there’s no point. Still, he tries to identify the person by looking at them in the mirror on the sides of the elevator. He sees a guy about his age whos just a few centimetres shorter than himself. The other male is dressed in khakis and a blue and black flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He also has on a pair of thin circle frame glasses. He looks so much more put together than Hyunsu does with his overgrown hair, days-old black zip up and grey sweats.
He should really do something about his hair before school tomorrow.
Luckily the unnamed male doesn’t try and strike up a conversation with him. He’s thankful at least for that. The doors open on the main floor and Hyunsu lets him step out first. They part ways and Hyunsu heads over to the little store. The little bell on the door rings when Hyunsu pushes the door open.
He silently greets the older woman behind the counter. She gives him a soft smile and goes back to her crossword puzzle. The ambient buzz of the refrigerators fills Hyunsu’s ears. It’s a rather calming noise if he’s being honest.
Hyunsu picks up a bag of honey butter chips and walks up to the counter. “Just this,” Hyunsu says, trying to project his voice to the best of his ability. “Alright,” the older woman, Seonyoung, says. She scans the bag of chips and the price pops up on the little monitor. Hyunsu pulls his wallet out of his pocket and hands her ₩3,000.
“Have a nice day,” Hyunsu manages as he grabs the bag of chips off the counter. “You too sweetie,” she says as the teen leaves the store. Hyunsu walks back over to the elevator and unfortunately for him, there are already a few people waiting to go up. Once again, taking the stairs is out of the question. He’s trying to get to the roof after all.
So he relents and waits for the elevator along with the three other people waiting. One of them, he notices is the girl that lives in the apartment above his. She also seems to notice him and sends him a smile. “Hey Hyunsu,” Jisu says, motioning for the teen to come stand beside her.
Hyunsu furrows his brows in confusion but stands beside her nonetheless. “Do you start school tomorrow?” She asks, tilting her head at him. Hyunsu nods. “Taewook High School,” he tells her. She makes a hum in reply and nods her head. “That’s the school right down the road from here right? Just past all of the construction?”
He nods again. Jisu seems to understand he’s not much of a talker. That’s okay though, she can do the talking. “Cool cool,” the elevator dings and a couple steps out, making room for the four of them to step in.
If Jisu thinks it odd that Hyunsu doesn’t get off at his floor, she doesn’t mention it. She gives him a quick ‘Bye Hyunsu’ as she leaves the elevator and then he’s all alone again. When he gets to the top floor he steps out and heads to the staircase to the roof. He notices the door to the roof is propped open but doesn’t think much of it. Hyunsu slowly walks up the steps and the August air hits his face in a warm wave.
In retrospect, wearing a black zip-up hoodie was probably not the smartest idea. He isn’t known for his brilliance.
The breeze feels nice though. The sun is a tad harsh on his eyes but he’s sure they’ll adjust soon. They always do. He walks over to the wall at the end of the roof and leans his weight on it. Hyunsu exhales, closing his eyes just for a moment.
“I thought I told you not to kill yourself here,” a voice says from above him. It startles Hyunsu and he immediately opens his eyes and turns to face the voice. Oh. It’s the ballet dancer he met on his first day here. “That’s not why I’m here,” he manages to say and he just hopes she heard him.
She gives him a look, her eyes narrowing in on him. She nods but doesn’t look convinced. “If you say so,” she then says, hopping off the higher ledge she was seated on. The girl walks right up to him. She’s a fair bit shorter than him, having to crane her neck upwards to look at him properly.
“I’m Eunyu, Lee Eunyu.”