Chapter Text
Cho Sang-Woo liked the order of school days.
He appreciated the timely schedule, the teachers who did as they were told, and the meticulous foundation of it all.
Wake up, get ready, school, lunch, school, study.
Prefect.
Sang-Woo obsessively adored the predictability.
Waking up at 5:30 every morning, throwing something together for breakfast even if he never ends up eating it all, Gi-Hun picking him up at 6:30, class starting at 7 on the dot, and so on, up until the very last announcement marking the end of the day.
Most importantly, Sang-Woo was going to make it out.
Ssangmun-dong's golden child, this entire life he built off being the pride of this godforsaken town.
He was going to get out, and school was just the place to finally prove it.
Yet, there was one thing that typically disrupted the order of Sang-Woo’s lined-in days.
And that was none other than Seong Gi-Hun.
Gi-Hun hated order, and hated school.
The two things Sang-Woo thrived on.
Gi-Hun was quite the opposite. He despised a planned-out schedule; he saw school as more of a cesspool for dating, rather than his ticket out of this suffocating town.
Gi-Hun was unpredictable and unchangeable.
And Sang-Woo hated how he didn’t exactly hate that.
But now? Right now, he hated it.
As Sang-Woo’s entire school day has been fucked over, just because of Gi-Hun.
It started at 6:30 AM, Gi-Hun’s designated arrival time.
And he wasn’t there.
Sang-Woo didn’t think much of it. Gi-Hun being late wasn’t exactly unheard of for the disastrous man.
It’s happened before, Gi-Hun’s car trailing down the quiet street a few minutes late, Sang-Woo always sighing it off, and still managing to make it to class on time anyway.
But Sang-Woo started to grow anxious as the clock continued to constantly tick, the “6:30” numbers slowly creeping closer to “7:00.”
Sang-Woo paced, bag squeezed in hand.
He checked out the door, stood by the phone in case of an emergency, and most importantly,
Drove himself mad with the thought of his perfectly kept grades being on the line due to his friend's clumsy behavior.
Just as the black hand of the clock shifted over to that “6:55” marker, Sang-Woo heard the sounds of Gi-Hun’s outdated pickup truck, mowing down the street.
He ran out the door, jumping in the car before Gi-Hun even had time to stop.
“Sangwoo-ya! I’m really sorry, I got caught up-”
“Just go, we’re going to be late, please.
Gi-Hun scoffed at Sang-Woo’s flaky tone, pressing his foot down on the gas.
His bag was thrown in the backseat, piled upon unidentified boxes and button-down shirts.
Sang-Woo placed his bag between his legs, trying to ignore the crumbs covering the floor of the truck.
“Sorry, I was late. I got caught up in some stuff.”
Gi-Hun murmured, adding something to the silent car, the sounds of the radio tuning in and out.
“Caught up in what?”
Gi-Hun sighed, shaking his head.
Sang-Woo noticed the subtle shift of his hand on the steering wheel, Gi-Hun drumming his fingers as he makes a sharp left turn.
He’s never been one to be the safest driver anyway.
“Just stuff going on with business class. I failed a test the other day, and Mom's been nagging me about it.”
Sang-Woo nods, shifting his eyes out the window, watching the slow passing of Tuesday morning traffic surround them.
He knows that Gi-Hun has never been the best when it comes to school. His ambition and drive have always seemed to be lacking; nonetheless, his goals aren’t exactly helping his grades either.
And yet, as much as he’ll never directly admit it, Sang-Woo still loves him.
He’s always silently admired Gi-Hun's fun-loving nature. Some sort of deeper appreciation has plagued Sang-Woo; an appreciation and a twinge of jealousy that Gi-Hun is able to live the way he does, is able to enjoy as much of his time.
Sang-Woo’s proud of how far he’s dragged himself out of the mud, and yet, the animosity still holds high when it comes to watching Gi-Hun live in bliss.
Yet, Sang-Woo’s ego still holds tight.
His watch reads “7:00,” and he and Gi-Hun are still at least 10 minutes away.
Luckily, the traffic is light.
“Geez, always worrying about school. We’re almost there! Nothing to lose your mind over.”
Gi-Hun points out, noticing Sang-Woo’s nervous fidgeting and constant peering at his watch.
Sang-Woo rolls his eyes, watching as Gi-Hun scoffs once again at his stuck-up tone.
Sang-Woo leaned his head back as Gi-Hun talked continuously about some movie he watched the other day.
The sounds of his voice had some sort of soothing effect, the same one Sang-Woo’s grown-up feeling when it comes to Gi-Hun.
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Thirty minutes late.
Exactly forty minutes too late for Sang-Woo’s taste.
As soon as the two got to school, Sang-Woo was out of the car before Gi-Hun had even parked.
His biology teacher accepted his late arrival with an apology and a promise to stay ten minutes after class.
He was able to stay on track for the rest of the day, his schedule luckily not being too messed up.
The rest of his classes came and went like usual, piles upon piles of homework being added upon each other, not to mention the late work Sang-Woo owed.
Sang-Woo took a deep breath, sliding his glasses back up his nose.
Today was going to be a long day.
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Lunch came, and Sang-Woo reunited with Gi-Hun once again.
Sang-Woo, despite Gi-Hun’s most desperate efforts, still held a bit of a grudge after that morning's debacle.
“Sangwoo-ya! You look stressed!”
Gi-Hun smacked his plate down on the table, his echoing voice earning the two a few dirty looks from the groups beside them.
Sang-Woo sat with his lunch tray pushed to the side, the rice and beef soup still steaming.
Instead, he opted to splay his psychology textbook across the table instead.
His hand clutched around the pen, the lines of his dingy notebook filled with words, his handwriting neat and perfect, as expected of him.
“Geez, have you ever put the book down?”
Gi-Hun laughed, scooping a mouthful of kimchi onto his chopsticks.
Sang-Woo peered at him over the wire frame of his glasses, the smallest scratch at the top of the lens warping a bit of Gi-Hun’s face.
“Listen, hyung, I’m sorry I made you late!”
Gi-Hun takes a sip of his chocolate milk, waving his hands around as he speaks.
“But honestly, you’re fine! You always are.”
Sang-Woo would never admit the way Gi-Hun’s endless rambling offers a quiet comfort to his worries, the promise of him “being fine” easing something inside him.
But yet again, Sang-Woo’s never been one to analyze his own feelings, always opting out to study the ways of those around him,
Anything to keep the mental pressure off himself.
“Yeah, I know.”
Gi-Hun picks up Sang-Woo’s plate, his own already halfway finished.
He slides Sang-Woo’s book away, dog-earring the designated page before closing it.
He places Sang-Woo’s plate in the empty spot, pushing it towards the boy across from him.
“Eat. This school stuff will work itself out! You’re Ssangmun-dong's golden child, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
Gi-Hun’s admiration of Sang-Woo has always led the boy to feel a sort of pride when they’re together. The idea of having someone to fall back upon, someone of whom remains proud of him, even when Sang-Woo deems there's nothing about himself to be proud of , is always lurking in the back of his head.
He forgets the way his stomach surges with some internal heat like a young child whenever Gi-Hun admires him.
He ignores the endless thoughts he refuses to think.
Sang-Woo picks up his chopsticks, taking a hold of a few bites of kimchi.
Just as he chews, a young woman approaches the two.
Their table is mainly empty, a few lingering fellow losers sitting in their pairs off to the edges, and still, the girl stays set on Sang-Woo and Gi-Hun’s area.
“Hello.”
Her cheerful voice interrupts Gi-Hun’s endless praising of Sang-Woo, assuring him, “You’ll have no problem getting into those big schools,” and “Your grades are just fine!”
Gi-Hun looks up, giving the girl a friendly smile.
She wears the typical gray and blue school uniform, her top button loosened, showing a small silver chain wrapped around her visible collarbones.
The girl is petite and skinny, Sang-Woo estimates her to only be about 160 centimeters tall.
Her hair is done up into two pigtails, the black color shining in the dimly lit lunchroom.
Her legs are pressed together nervously, her hands wrapped around her tiny waist.
She anxiously toys with the silver ring covering her left thumb, a bit of the copper color underneath beginning to show.
“Hi! How are you, Ji- Ji-”
Gi-Hun trails off, holding his smile tight as he struggles to remember the girl's name.
“ Jo Ji-Yoon.”
She finishes for him, giggling as Gi-Hun replies with an exaggerated “ahh” sound.
Sang-Woo can tell that whatever it is this girl desires, it’s nothing good.
Gi-Hun always tells him he’s too quick to judge.
The girl, now named as Ji-Yoon, anxiously darts her eyes, sweeping over Sang-Woo to land on Gi-Hun once again.
“You can sit down!”
Gi-Hun gestures to the empty chair beside him.
Sang-Woo wants anything less than this girl at their table, but he knows he has to bite his tongue in the sake of not getting scolded by Gi-Hun.
The girl gives a slight bow and an acknowledging nod to Sang-Woo before pulling the chair back.
She lowers herself into it, leaning a bit too deeply over the table as she settles her body lower.
“Oh! Ji-Yoon! This is my friend, Sang-Woo!”
Sang-Woo gives a tight smile to Ji-Yoon before staring back at his plate.
Ji-Yoon seems uninterested in him, her loving expression softening for the seconds the two look at each other.
But Sang-Woo couldn’t be bothered.
“So, Gi-Hun,”
Ji-Yoon begins.
“I was wondering, what are your plans tomorrow after school?”
Ji-Yoon has found a stray straw wrapper discarded on the table to fidget with, wrapping it around her fingers, and pulling the plastic tight as she avoids eye contact with Gi-Hun.
Gi-Hun looks caught off guard, his expression changing suddenly.
“Oh, well, I’m free. Why?”
Ji-Yoon perks up, a joyous smile hitting her face.
“Would you like to go out with me?”
Gi-Hun and Sang-Woo exchange glances.
Gi-Hun looks apprehensive, his answer swaying in his head.
Sang-Woo’s eyes widen, his eyebrows raised as he tries to subtly direct him towards the “no” answer.
Gi-Hun seems to understand Sang-Woo’s implied comments, their feet brushing swiftly under the table.
Perfect,
He’s going to say no.
He doesn’t have time to worry about girls, and dates, Gi-Hun should just-
“Yeah, I’d love to!”
“What?”
Both Sang-Woo and Ji-Yoon say in sync, Ji-Yoon is more enthusiastic than the other man, but both are just as equally stunned.
Gi-Hun shoots Sang-Woo a stern glance, similar to that of a parent scolding their child.
“Yes, I want to go out with you!”
Gi-Hun rephrases upon Ji-Yoon's disbelief.
Sang-Woo phases out as the two lovebirds chat about their upcoming dates, while Ji-Yoon trails off about her disbelief of Gi-Hun’s approval.
Sang-Woo can’t understand why.
Why he still feels some sort of deeply internalized jealousy when Gi-Hun goes out with girls.
He should be used to it by now; he knows that Gi-Hun is one of the biggest heartthrobs of their small-town high school.
He’s used to watching girls line up behind him, giggling in groups as he passes by.
But something about it gives Sang-Woo some deeper possessive intent within his body.
Deep down, he knew Gi-Hun would say yes to Ji-Yoon's offer, the same exact way he said yes to Eun-Jeong’s flowers, or Hyun-Oh’s note, or even the box of chocolates Young-Sui got him for Valentine's Day.
Not to mention all the other nameless girls who pile themselves upon Gi-Hun’s heels with every breath he takes.
And yet, Sang-Woo stays, watching.
He’s always the silent loser, observing the compliments Gi-Hun receives, and analyzing the reaction he returns.
He’s memomized the way Gi-Hun prefers to be called “pretty,” rather than “handsome.”
Something about the word “pretty” makes his eyes crinkle up and his face flush with the slightest tint.
Or rather, how Gi-Hun appreciates it when girls talk to him, rather than send notes from afar.
He appreciates the formality, the first impressions of it all.
Sang-Woo has observed his every move, pin-pointing the flaws in the few women Gi-Hun rejects, while obsessing over the perfections of those of whom he accepts.
It’s a perfectly calculated formula, a drawn-out graph of which Sang-Woo has mesmerized,
Yet his numbers remain of no use.
His words remain unsaid, as he pushes himself past piles of women, just to walk beside Gi-Hun.
In some deeper setting, the few times in which Sang-Woo allows his mind the explore the useless pastime of a daydream or fantasy,
He questions just how good of a girlfriend he could be.
He knows.
He knows more than Ji-Yoon could ever.
The two finish their conversation as lunch draws closer to an end.
Ji-Yoon and Gi-Hun’s flirting is luckily cut off, as Ji-Yoon retreats to her lunch table filled with giggling teenage girls.
Gi-Hun sits in silence for a second, watching Ji-Yoon settle down at her table, a few lingering glances directed his way.
Gi-Hun sighs before turning back to Sang-Woo, his face plastered in a smile.
One that is quickly replaced by a frown upon notice of Sang-Woo’s distasteful expression.
“Hyung? You alright?”
Sang-Woo begins to gather his stuff together, picking up his half-eaten lunch tray and tucking his textbook under his arm.
Gi-Hun lingers for a moment before grabbing his things, his eyes held tightly on Sang-Woo’s slightly slouched posture.
Sang-Woo tries to keep emotions out of relationships; he sees his feelings as the easiest target.
When he’s upset, he just pretends he isn’t.
It’s as simple and straightforward as that.
But this entire day, the late arrival, the day dreaming about Gi-Hun, and now this moment of his guard not being fully up,
Has just screwed Sang-Woo’s mood over entirely; it’s becoming just a bit harder to push it all away.
“Hyung-”
Gi-Hun grips him by the shoulder, Sang-Woo almost out of the lunchroom doors.
“Do you even know this girl?”
His voice is calm, not an ounce of breakage from his deeper emotions.
“What-”
Gi-Hun looks taken aback by this.
“Who even is she, Gi-Hun?”
Upon the ringing of the bell, the two make their way over to their locker.
Yet, instead of doing his typical turn towards the east wing of the building, Gi-Hun follows Sang-Woo, trying to keep close past the sea of people.
“Yeah? She’s in my art class.”
Sang-Woo stays silent, his fingers sweating as he twists in his locker's code.
“Sang-Woo, how about we go out for a walk tonight, yeah?”
Gi-Hun leans closer to him, the stinging smell of his cheap cologne sticking in Sang-Woo’s head.
“I have to-”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, you have to study.”
Gi-Hun cuts him off, his free hand waving, while his other one stays tight on the door of Sang-Woo’s locker.
“Sang-Woo, you study every day! Just this once, let's get out!”
Sang-Woo places his textbook away on the top shelf of his locker, now reaching for his English book on the bottom.
Gi-Hun’s fingers drum on the door of his locker, chipped paint and a note Gi-Hun wrote saying “Go get 'em!” decorating the inside of the door.
“Sangwoo-ya.”
Gi-Hun repeats, more serious this time.
The crowds around them start to fade as their passing time comes closer to a close.
Sang-Woo checks his watch, realizing he is two minutes late from the usual time he begins walking to class.
He takes one thought on Gi-Hun’s offer, figuring his day is screwed over enough.
He might as well just let go at this point.
“Fine.”
Sang-Woo shuts his locker, Gi-Hun’s fingers almost getting caught.
Gi-Hun lets out a “yes” in victory, happy to finally make a dent in Sang-Woo’s stuck-up demeanor.
Sang-Woo begins walking down the emptying hall, his class luckily only a few doors down.
“See you tonight! Dinner’s on me!”
Gi-Hun yells from behind, his hand waving in the air at Sang-Woo.
Beside him, a teacher scolds him for his loud volume, Gi-Hun giving a small bow before darting off in the other direction.
Sang-Woo can’t force the slight smile off his face.
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As the last bell rings, Sang-Woo begins to gather his stuff. Teachers have always appreciated the way he is always the last to leave and the first to arrive. As the other students anxiously rattle in their chairs during the final five minutes of class, Sang-Woo sits patiently, up until the verbal alarm. He’s been labeled a “teacher's pet” each class, time and time again, but Sang-Woo never thinks much of it.
Besides, he knows he’s the best. The highest scorer in each class, one of the highest GPAs of his grade, and hell, even all the teachers' favorites. He’s getting out of here,
And he’s leaving them all to rot behind.
This routine is no different for Sang-Woo’s final class of the day, and his personal favorite, economics.
Once again, Sang-Woo is the last to leave. As he gathers his textbooks and folders, the remaining lingering groups of students make their way out the door, eager to end their days.
The only thing Sang-Woo has a bit of excitement for is his walk with Gi-Hun.
He slips out of his seat. Mrs. Yu has always been a favorite teacher of his. She’s extremely observant and calculated, similar to Sang-Woo. Yet, she always sees the best within her students; she’s able to analyze their emotions and fix whatever bothers them, before it takes control. She’s always been friendly and fun-loving, and Sang-Woo admires her for it.
“Goodbye seonsaengnim, see you tomorrow!”
Sang-Woo calls out to her as he walks past her desk, papers and tipped-over photo frames decorating her space.
“You as well, Sangwoo-ssi!”
He gives her one small bow before exiting the door, only to be greeted by two faces.
One: Gi-Hun. Excited, anxious, Gi-Hun. Per usual, his bag is already tossed over his shoulder, and his patience to leave school is wearing thin.
Two: Ji-Yoon. The short bits of excitement that filled Sang-Woo are quickly crushed when the smaller girl appears behind Gi-Hun. She’s so hopelessly love-struck, she can’t even take her eyes off of him.
Sang-Woo wonders what her GPA is.
“Hey, Sang-Woo! You ready to get going?”
Gi-Hun asks, his tone is breathless and nervous, per his typical demeanor. Ji-Yoon follows close behind as the two boys make their way towards Sang-Woo’s locker, Ji-Yoon chatting about her math teacher, whom she apparently hates.
Sang-Woo scoffs under his breath.
He’s always liked Mr. Jun.
Sang-Woo never minded Gi-Hun’s other friends all that much. He tends to keep to himself as Gi-Hun socializes with the entire school on a daily basis, standing silently to the side until Gi-Hun throws him headfirst into the conversation.
Sang-Woo doesn’t have many friends, and that's exactly how he wishes to keep it.
So, he’s never minded waiting.
Waiting for Gi-Hun to catch up with plans and gossip with his other friends, some of whom Sang-Woo recognizes, others he’s never seen before.
But in today's typical fashion, his mood is different.
For possibly the first time in three years, Sang-Woo feels a twinge of embarrassment peaking up at him.
He feels excluded.
He’s used to excluding others from his topic choices, always quick to answer teachers' questions and hiss at his peers' lazy responses on group work. Somehow, it hits him in an entirely new light to be on the other end of things.
He’s let himself feel more jealousy in this seven-hour school day than he has in his entire seventeen years of living.
Ji-Yoon and Gi-Hun socialize so naturally, their words flowing together perfectly, the contrast within the tones of their voices offering a soft symphony of sorts to the whole ordeal.
And Sang-Woo’s never been more desperate to join.
Yet, he was never blessed with the socialization skills of Gi-Hun and his fellow peers.
So, he opts to walk silently, a slight drag in his feet and a ring in his ears as he slides his fingers over the lock of his locker, Ji-Yoon still yapping behind him.
Sang-Woo slowly guides his books into his bag, making sure they’re in their correct numerical order before he zips it closed.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Ji-Yoon, Sang-Woo and I have a date tonight!”
Gi-Hun calls out to the girl.
Ji-Yoon giggles, wrapping her arms around Gi-Hun’s waist as the two embrace in a hug.
“ A date.”
Sang-Woo is used to ignoring and brushing off Gi-Hun’s immature jokes, but his guard is far too down today.
They’re going out to eat, walking in the park, and then Sang-Woo will be dropped off at his door past his curfew.
What exactly about this isn’t a date?
Is it the lack of some perfectly placed feelings? Spoken words or a kiss on the cheek?
Perhaps it’s the lack of acceptable flirting, or maybe the inappropriate thought of two men.
Sang-Woo doesn’t like to think deeply about himself.
He sees it as a waste of time.
There's no point obsessing over the unchangeable; he sees himself as an unmovable object in a constantly rotating world.
There's not much to him; he’s not worth the energy of an analogy.
His attraction is simply that,
Attraction.
It never leads to relationships, nor ever even crosses the lines of flirting.
But today,
It’s nice to imagine.
“See you tomorrow. Bye, Sang-Woo!”
Ji-Yoon gives him an over-the-shoulder wave as she makes her way down the hall; her steps are filled with bounce, and the movement in her hair is there to prove it.
Sang-Woo shuts his locker as he and Gi-Hun start heading in the opposite direction from Ji-Yoon.
“What’s on your mind, hyung?”
Sang-Woo can’t give himself up that easily.
“Just school.”
Gi-Hun laughs, turning around to face Sang-Woo as he walks.
“Geez, that's always on your mind.”
Gi-Hun gives Sang-Woo a playful punch on his shoulder, leaving the other man smiling under his stone-faced expression.
“You need a drink or two, huh?”
Gi-Hun lowers his voice, a few teachers still lingering in the hall.
They part the school doors, the almost-empty parking lot appears in front of them.
“The genius, Cho Sang-Woo! We need to get you in a better mood!”
Gi-Hun is now almost screaming, leaving crowds of people around him to slowly back away awkwardly.
Sang-Woo can’t hold his laughter anymore, earning him a shit-eating grin of glory from Gi-Hun.
“Let's get you drunk.”
Sang-Woo shakes his head, Gi-Hun only laughing harder.
Maybe he will finally let go tonight.
Or at least, a little bit.
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