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Left panting with a bruised lip, he digs his hand into his pocket, searching for his cellphone.
“Ahh, shit.” Humin groaned, realizing that his phone had broken mid-fight.
Juntae shakily stands up, battered and bruised but still concerned. “What’s wrong, Baku?”
Humin hummed, “Nothing, just… my phone. It broke.” he pulled the device out from his pocket, met with a shattered screen and green lines across them. “Fuck, and where the hell am I gonna get the money?”
After an awkward silence, Sieun raises a brow. “Well, you’ve helped around enough, saving everyone and stuff. Want me to pay for the repair?” He offers, digging through his bag, finding his wallet. “Let’s look for a repair shop tomorrow after class. I have cram school today.”
Juntae worriedly stammers, “What?! Sieun, you’re going to cram school like that? At least patch yourself up!” with Sieun responding with a nod, “Of course, Juntae.”
Humin would nod, “Thanks, Sieun-ie. Appreciate it, lots.”
Sieun nods back, “No worries about it.”
Before the group would part into separate ways, Humin would throw an arm over Hyuntak’s shoulder, yelling a loud and happy— “Well, see you all tomorrow!” Dragging Hyuntak along his way home, faint bickering heard as they got farther and farther away.
With only Juntae and Sieun left, they’d bid farewell to eachother and split up aswell.
By the next day, the group was called into the teachers’ office.
“You punks again? Have you guys not learned from the past?” The teacher sighed. “The best thing you guys can do right now is participate in another volunteer—”
“Another?!” Hyuntak would cut the teacher off. Baku’s hand clasps over his mouth, Hyuntak retaliating by pulling it off by his wrist, “..Sorry.”
The teacher clears his throat, “Eh-em. As I was saying. Volunteer work. Again, this weekend. You four.” He summed up, staring deeply at the group; it wasn’t their first time, hence the disappointment and lack of trust rousing within the faculty.
“We are all sincerely sorry, sir!” Humin exclaims, forcing both Sieun and Hyuntak’s heads down into a bow, Juntae following with little delay.
As the group walks out of the faculty, Juntae could only whine, “Oh, man! Not again..!” he clenched his fists, pouting. Hyuntak’s brows furrowed, sighing exasperatedly. “There’s really nothing we can do about it.” He’d shake his head.
Humin’s lips break into a smirk, “Yeah, because of someone who couldn’t control their temper.”
Hyuntak hissed, “Yah!? Well, if it weren’t for you, it wouldn’t have gotten this messy, huh?!”
“But it all started with you!” Humin retorts, crossing his arms. “Can you at least try next time, Gogo? Look at poor Sieun and Juntae, always having to look after you before I get to the scene!”
“Nobody told you to play superhero, Baku!” Hyuntak refused to back down, at this point, yelling. Juntae would have to hold the leaner man back to at least cool him down—”Tak-ah, you’re just proving his point like this..” He’d whisper.
Hyuntak rolls his eyes, “Like that idiot knows what I do for him..” He grumbled quietly, arms crossed. Sieun glanced at him, expression slightly changing. He quickly looks away, choosing not to deal with some angry-volcanic-Hyuntak-explosion.
The group of four enter the mall, Juntae and Hyuntak heading to the arcade whilst the other half—Sieun and Humin roam around to find a cellphone repair shop. It didn’t take long, nor was it above Sieun’s budget. It took around an hour for it to get fixed.
While waiting, the quadro spend their time against one another in the arcade’s games. Hyuntak and Humin play numerous rounds on the basketball machine; Sieun and Juntae challenging each other on Street Fighter.
The hour’s passed, and the squad walks out of the arcade. While Sieun and Juntae give each other tips on their game, Humin and Hyuntak argued and quarreled next to them.
Picking the phone up, the mobile technician alerts, “O-Oh, and sir! I couldn’t do anything about your SIM card, so I suggest you get a new one. It only costs a few bucks here.”
Humin nods understandingly, “Well, take my money! Thank you for your service, mister!” slapping his own wad of cash onto the counter, insisting Sieun need not to pay more than the repair itself.
What used to be a weekend for rest, now a weekend for work. 'Cause of that damn fight.
There goes Baku, arms open and ready to flirt with the female students from the school nearby, Hyuntak following closely behind. Juntae and Sieun had to stick to the stage, taking pictures with kids, adults, teenagers.
Hyuntak had to leave shortly, going to the restroom. A medium-length haired girl approaches Baku, coming to ask for directions.
Humin immediately notices her, spinning around, “A-ha! Hello, beautiful. Are you lost? Would you like me to redirect you to your heart?”
The girl’s eyes narrowed, “Damn, that was hella corny.” She’d roll her eyes, Humin could only laugh, “Oh, please—I didn’t even try on that one. I have better tricks up my sleeve.”
She raised a brow, “Hnf. Well, I saw a video saying that there was a really nice restaurant around here. Could you help me find it?”
“Sure! What’s it called?” He took his phone out, a map of the venue incase he hadn’t familiarized himself with the directions enough. “After this, let me get your number.” He winks.
She shrugged, “Ah, I guess it’s only fair..”
When they arrive at the spot, she quickly takes his phone from his grasp and types in a number. She’d name it— “Yeong-i Cutie.” Humin’s eyes lit up with joy and excitement; this definitely wasn’t a call center or some random number now!
She pushes his phone back to his chest, “Thanks, big guy!”
Humin proudly stared at the number in awe, ready to flaunt it infront of his friends’ faces when they eat together.
Finally, break time—
The group met at a nearby spot, the one in the food court.
They all eat quietly, until Humin arrogantly announces—
“Okay, everyone! I scored a girl’s number today!”
Hyuntak laughs, “What? Another call center agent’s?”
He was barely concealing his jealousy, damn.
“No, a real one! I glimpsed at her phone number and I’m pretty sure it was identical!” Humin insists, arm gently bashing against Hyuntak’s.
“Pfft, sure, keep lying to yourself, Baku.” He rolled his eyes, “Go, text it—call it. I won’t do it for you, I wouldn’t want to wilt a flower.”
He’d rather not end up hearing a girl actually chat with Humin enthusiastically.
Sieun and Juntae watch in silence as Humin hurriedly picks his phone up, tapping quickly against the screen.
Me 16:40
Hey, you’re the girl from earlier, right?
A quiet buzz comes from Hyuntak’s pocket. Sieun notices, and Juntae’s brow raises at that.
Hyuntak smirks, “Aaaah, look at you, ghosted again.” Thank God—
Humin barks, “She’s probably just busy! She looks like she was going in for an interview, anyways.”
Juntae giggles, Sieun proceeding to eat as the other two continuously bicker next to them.
“Seriouslyyyyy!? Go, double text! Show her you’re dedicated!” Hyuntak urges, Humin already going in to type another message.
Me 16:45
It’s me, the one that helped you find your way.
Another buzz from Hyuntak’s pocket. This time, Sieun glanced at it—He and Juntae lock eyes, then look away from eachother. They had one thought in their minds: these idiots.
“You know what? I’ll give you a chance, hah. If she doesn’t reply by later, you’ve gotta call her tonight.” Hyuntak dares, Humin grinning and taking it, “Hell yeah I will, damn you! I’ll prove to you that I can actually talk to girls, unlike you, Gotak!”
As evil as it sounds, Hyuntak was praying to whatever heavenly being existed that she wouldn’t answer his texts, or calls.
A few beats of silence, Juntae closes his eyes tightly shut, trying to regain composure from the absurdity of it all. Sieun sighs, exasperatedly. He gathers his trash, Hyuntak following. Humin threw his trash at Hyuntak’s side earning a growl, while Sieun offered to throw Juntae’s own.
The two men stood up and left to throw their squad’s trash.
Humin scoots over to Juntae, a snarky grin plastered on his face. “Well, Juntae? Should I call the number right now?”
Juntae’s eyes slightly widen, a small blush entering his face. He stammers, trying to say that it wasn’t a girl’s number, but Hyuntak’s—Yet his words fall out in a jumbled—
“O-Of course you should!”
What!? How farther away could that been from his original thought!?
Humin’s grin widens, “Hehe, I knew you’d believe in me, man. One moment~” He clicks on the contact, already having changed the nickname to ‘loml’. He presses on the call button expectantly, Juntae could only smile awkwardly, trying to cheer his friend on.
~
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
Buzz, buzz, buzz.
“Isn’t that yours, Gotak?” Sieun points out, Hyuntak nodding.
“Oh, yeah. You’re right. Who the hell could be calling me right now..?” He bit his lower lip confusedly, taking his phone out from his pocket. “Huh. Unknown number. Should I, Sieun?”
Sieun’s lips closed into a thin line, looking back and forth between the oblivious athlete and his phone.
“Sure. Go ahead.”
“Back me up when it gets heated, ‘kay?”
Hyuntak answers the call. He turns speaker mode on, hoping for Sieun to listen in.
“Oi, Juntae, she answered! She answered! Record it so I can show Gogo!” Humin’s voice excitedly echoed from the speaker. “Hey, what’s up? It’s me, that guy from the venue..” He starts.
Hyuntak clasps his mouth with a hand, barely holding a laugh in. He mutes himself, staring at Sieun, whose eyes crinkled to the subtle smile.
“I know I kinda seem desperate right now, but damn, you were pretty! How was the restaurant? Maybe I could treat you there, too, sometime. Just the two of us.” Humin eagerly chatted on, a few of Juntae’s awkward stutters barely heard.
Hyuntak heaves, eyes closed in disappointment.
“Park Humin..?”
“Yup, that’s m—! GOGO?!”
“Damn, that girl really scammed you..”
“What!? But I could’ve sworn…”
“Maybe she mistyped something.” Hyuntak chuckles, “You damn loser.”
“But I swear she did! She put it in so surely, like—My God, no way. Juntae, did you know about this?” Humin deflatedly whined, Juntae humming on the other end of the line. “Y-Yeah, I kept trying to tell you.. but you kept cutting me off..”
“Agh, now I’ll have to mourn what could have been..” Humin continued his pathetic whining, Juntae trying to comfort him. “She had like, medium-length hair and those cute lil’ bangs, and her hair had like those pink ends and stuff…. She was also very confident, soooo my type.”
Sieun discreetly jolted.
“Before I changed her contact name, she put it as like, Yeong-Ji? Yeong-a? Oh come on, my luck can’t be this bad!”
Sieun chokes on his own saliva - please, God, don't tell me it was who I think it is. - Hyuntak raises a brow in concern, “You okay, Sieun-ah?”
“Oh, well, this must be a sign from the heavens themselves. Looks like I was meant to face my feelings for my Gogo~” Humin suddenly confessed, “Gotak~ go out with me, the universe clearly wants it to happen!”
“What!? Are you insane? That’s weird for two best friends to do!”
“Don’t act like you don’t want it, Gogo, I see the way your face drops every time I mention a girl, y’know? Yer not slick, idiot.”
“Gh—You observant jerk..!” He clenched his fists.
“Well, I’m not hearing a ‘no’ right now, Gogo.” Humin laughs, Juntae softly clapping in congratulations.
“It’s not a yes either, fool.” Hyuntak states. The call abruptly ends, and he’s met with the most recognizable voice he’s ever heard, screaming his name.
Two people running towards them, one faster than the other.
“GOOOOOTAK!” Humin leapt, hugging the leaner man. “Gogo, c’mon. Best friends, you said? We can change that!”
Juntae followed closely behind, settling beside Sieun quietly. They both looked quiet peeved.
Hyuntak grunts, “Hell no, you stink—! What would our teammates think? ‘Oooh, captain and vice-captain are a thing now~’ Can’t you see how ridiculous that sounds?” He smacks the bigger man’s back, “Plus, there’re rumors about us since… forever, damn it! You think going out on a date would solve this..!?”
Humin smirks, “Well, you never really did anything to change their perspective.”
Hyuntak lost, punching Humin’s chest weakly in defeat. “God, fine.. but don’t get too corny, alright?!”
Among the other two, Sieun looked the most distressed. Juntae could only rub his back comfortingly.
“Yeong-i..” He grumbled, face-palming.