Chapter Text
Sangwon was late on the first day of his third year of junior high.
It was almost impressive, really. He had been studying at the same school for years, yet somehow, no matter how early he woke up or how carefully he planned his morning, he always managed to arrive late.
This year was supposed to be different.
He had planned to commute with his best friend, Jia Hao, just like they always did. But when the class lists were released a week before orientation, they found out they had been assigned to different sections. To make things worse, their advisers had scheduled orientation at different times, leaving Sangwon to make the trip alone.
"Seriously... first day already?"
Muttering under his breath, he tightened the straps of his backpack and hurried through the school gates, hoping he hadn't missed too much.
He rushed up the stairs while checking his phone to see which classroom he had been assigned to. Looking around the hallway, he was relieved to find that his classroom was just beside the staircase. He quickly stepped inside. Thankfully, orientation hadn't started yet since several students still hadn't arrived.
"Well, at least I'm not the only one running late."
Sangwon muttered under his breath as he caught his breath. He found a seat in the corner and sat down. Being alone didn't bother him too much—it was peaceful. Still, knowing that Jia Hao wasn't in the same class anymore made him feel like he had been pushed out of his comfort zone.
"Great... I have to survive this school year alone, huh?"
There were a few students in the room that Sangwon recognized, but he wasn't close to any of them. The rest were unfamiliar faces, probably new students, which only made him even more nervous about talking to anyone.
The teacher soon began the orientation with the classic "Introduce yourself" activity.
Sangwon already hated it.
Sitting quietly in the corner, memories of all his embarrassing introductions from his 1st and 2nd years of junior high played in his head. He remembered how his voice cracked before, and it made him feel cringed out all over again.
God... I'm such a damn loser.
He whispered the words to himself while watching his classmates introduce themselves one by one. He kept looking down at his desk so he wouldn't look at anyone.
Then... it was the new student's turn.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Lee Leo, a transferee from Australia. What do I like? Probably music."
Leo smiled at the class before returning to his seat. He looked so calm and relaxed. Sangwon couldn't help but stare. There was a cool, chill vibe to the new guy. Somehow, he found himself interested—and that surprised even him.
He likes music too...
Sangwon had always loved music. He listened to it all the time. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have someone new to talk about songs with, even if he was too shy to actually say hello.
A few introductions later, it was almost Sangwon's turn.
The closer his classmates got to finishing, the more nervous he became. His heart started beating faster. He silently rehearsed his introduction over and over in his head, hoping he wouldn't mess it up.
"Alright, thank you, James, for introducing yourself. And lastly... you over there. It's your turn."
His adviser spoke gently, but Sangwon still flinched when he heard his name being called. Suddenly, he felt like everyone was looking at him. He slowly stood up, his legs shaking a bit, and walked to the front of the classroom.
The moment he turned to face everyone, his nervousness doubled. The room felt way too quiet.
"Uh... hi, everyone. I'm sure most of you already know me, but for those who are new... I'm Lee Sangwon... and I enjoy music."
His voice came out so quietly that it barely passed the first row. It was a total whisper. His adviser had to repeat his introduction out loud for the rest of the class to hear, which was so embarrassing.
As soon as he finished, Sangwon hurried back to his seat, his face feeling completely hot.
AAAAAAA... this is so humiliating. Why did I sound like that?
He sank back into his chair, hiding his face and wishing he could just disappear.
Where is my best friend when I need one...? I'm losing my grip.
The adviser lets them have free time. Since it was still orientation week, there were no lessons yet. Sangwon quietly wrote in his notebook with one earbud in, working on the lyrics for a song he had been writing.
Then he felt a tap on his right shoulder. Startled, Sangwon quickly turned to his right. It was Leo. Sangwon's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting someone to come up and talk to him.
Leo smiled at Sangwon. "I see you're working on something?" He glanced down at Sangwon's notebook.
Sangwon slowly nodded, his lips trembling slightly. "U-Uh... yeah..." He couldn't help but stare down at his notebook, and all he could think was, Oh my God... please leave me alone.
Leo noticed the tension of the smaller boy and understood immediately. "Not much of a talker? It's okay. I'll leave you alone—sorry for bothering you." He spoke gently, not because he had lost interest, but because he wanted to respect Sangwon's space.
Sangwon was surprised by Leo's sudden retreat. He wanted to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat.
Dammit... I was that close to making a new friend...
He continued writing in his notebook. He just needed the school bell to ring already. Right now, he needs his emotional support best friend. Just as Sangwon was about to let out a sigh, the bell rang. The adviser dismissed the class and reminded everyone to enjoy their break and head home safely afterward.
Sangwon immediately packed his bag and headed to Jia Hao's classroom. As he walked through the hallway, he spotted Jia Hao walking out.
"Hao-ge!" Sangwon walked toward him with a relieved sigh.
Jia Hao smiled. "How was your first day, Wonie?" He pulled Sangwon into a side hug as they walked together toward the cafeteria on the first floor.
"Horrible. I don't wanna remember it at all..." Sangwon's shoulders slumped.
Jia Hao chuckled. "You always say that every first day."
"It's always horrible for me, Hao..." Sangwon whined.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's forget about that."
The two walked downstairs to the cafeteria. When they arrived, they found their usual spot and quietly ate together.
Halfway through eating, Sangwon noticed Leo sitting alone at another table. He felt bad, but he couldn't bring himself to walk over and talk to him. Jia Hao noticed Sangwon staring, then looked behind him to see a guy he had never met before.
"Sooo... does my Wonie like someone?" Jia Hao asked with a cheeky smirk. "You're staring at him pretty hard."
Sangwon immediately snapped out of it and blushed. "No??" He quickly looked back down at his sandwich, but the blush lingering on his cheeks betrayed him.
"No? Hmm... then why are you blushing like that?" Jia Hao teased.
Sangwon glared at him.
"Alright, alright, sorry." Jia Hao laughed. "But seriously, why were you looking at him?"
"He's the new guy in my class. He likes music too, so I got curious. But I didn't have the guts to... y'know... talk to him. Then he actually came up to me, but I got so startled that I didn't even say anything. Ughhh..." Sangwon buried his face in his hands. "I'm such a damn loser, aren't I?"
Jia Hao's expression softened. "Oh, my Wonie~ You'll eventually get along with him. It just takes time." He stood up, walked around the table, sat beside Sangwon, and gently patted his back. "Don't overthink it, Wonie, okay? Let's just focus on our hangout for now."
Sangwon lifted his head to look at Jia Hao and slowly nodded. "Thanks, Hao-ge. I'll just forget about it. Future Sangwon can handle that."
Then he looked up and saw Leo staring at him from the other table. Sangwon immediately looked away with a slight blush.
"...Or maybe he'll be haunting my thoughts for now," Sangwon whispered quietly enough that only Jia Hao could hear.
Jia Hao sighed with a chuckle. "Okay... now you sound like you've got a crush on him."
Sangwon's eyes widened, and he immediately shook his head. "No, I swear—not even close. I just... wanna be friends with him, that's all."
He pouted. Jia Hao gently pinched his cheeks.
"Ayyy."
"Stop that! I'm being serious."
Sangwon continued pouting while Jia Hao laughed.
"I'm sorry, you're just too cute. Okay, okay! I'll be serious. Wonieee~ It takes time to get along with people, just like we did back in elementary school." Jia Hao gently patted Sangwon's back again.
"Let's walk home together after break, Wonie."
Sangwon quietly nodded.
The school bell rang. It was now dismissal time. Jia Hao and Sangwon walked out of the school together, passing groups of students. Some were playing nearby, some were chatting with friends, while others waited for their school service.
While walking home, Jia Hao talked about a guy he thought he might start to like, but he hadn't even caught the guy's name, which made Sangwon laugh.
"No way! You didn't even try to remember his name?"
Sangwon couldn't help teasing Jia Hao as he poked his side.
"Ah! Look, I was distracted!"
"Distracted?" Sangwon giggled. "By his face?"
Jia Hao took a moment before answering.
"...Maybe? But hey! I was busy rehearsing my introduction in my head."
The two laughed together as they continued walking toward their neighborhood.
When they arrived at Sangwon's place, Sangwon had to say his goodbyes to Jia Hao. Sangwon turned to look at him. “What time do you come to school tomorrow?”
Jia Hao went into his phone and checked his schedule. “9 a.m., you?”
Sangwon brightened. “Finally we got the same sched, let's walk together—I don't wanna be late again.”
Jia Hao chuckled. “Even if we walk together we’ll still be late, so sleep early, Wonieeee!” Jia Hao playfully made an angry tone.
Sangwon chuckled as he opened his door. “Yeah, yeah! See you tomorrow, Hao.”
Sangwon waved at Jia Hao. “See ya!”
Sangwon entered his house and took a deep breath… Ugh, finally home. I miss my summer break. Sangwon walked over to the living room. No one was home yet, his sisters were probably at school and his parents were out at work. He made his way to his room.
He settled his bag down near the side of his bed, then changed his clothes before he flopped down onto his mattress.
“Ahh, finallyyyy. Me and my bed alone.” Sangwon made a content sound before he went to find his phone at the side of his bed. He saw a new group chat for the section. Of course… Sangwon went to look into Leo’s account.
“Lee Leo….” Sangwon whispered as he stalked Leo’s account. He saw some selfies and song covers, and it made Sangwon even more interested.
“Okay, maybe tomorrow I’ll try to talk to him. If I can… Ugh, why am I always nervous around people??” Sangwon turned off his phone and flopped it down onto the bed.
“Just like Hao-ge says, it takes time… I’ll believe in that.”
Sangwon turned back to his phone and scrolled through social media. As he was scrolling, his mind already replayed Jia Hao’s words back at the cafeteria…
“Sooo... does my Wonie like someone?”
“As if I might like someone. I already got rejected by…..” Sangwon sighed as he turned off his phone again and stared at the ceiling.
“I'm making new friends, nothing special. This will be nothing.”