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Hungry…
Gihun swallows, clenching over the space of his stomach.
This sucks… if he didn't have to wait for Sangwoo to leave class, there could be a plate of hot tteokbokki in front of him…
His lips loudly smack.
He peers over to Doyun, a boy in his grade, prowling around the back-dumpster, shouting and shoving a boy with glasses around. Sangwoo's cheek looks swollen-up red, like a fist landed a proper punch. Minjun, another boy, kicks aside Sangwoo's bag.
"Yo! Where's your money—I ain't got all day!"
Doyun twirls a pocketknife. He places it under Sangwoo's chin, backing him with a THUD! against the dumpster.
(Is he kidding? Is this really happening?)
Gihun knows even if the teachers saw the confrontation, they would pretend it wasn't happening. Figures for this damn town. Sangwoo is gonna get out, Gihun tells himself. Sangwoo is gonna become famous and stinkin' rich and pay for Gihun's car fee. He's sure of it.
Sangwoo knocks his hand to Doyun's arm, and there's rage brewing in him. Cold. Stormy. Unforgiving and treacherous.
The pocketknife slashes in the air, nearly hitting Sangwoo's nose.
Gihun tenses.
He can see it… the metal blade piercing into Sangwoo's dominant hand, lodging in his palm, erupting blood…
No…
Minjun encourages a cruel-eyed Doyun to jab Sangwoo, silent and furious and glaring, with his knife on the forehead. He does.
A trickle of bright red appears.
Sangwoo's head jerks from the force of the pain and shock, hitting lightly against the dumpster.
Gihun aims his foot for the nearby iron-water pump, tapping it noisily, getting everyone's attention.
He whistles cheerfully, strolling up.
"I wish, I wish…"
"For a bit of that fish…"
"Sir, please give me all you have…"
"Piss off, you—!"
Minjun yells this at him, and then he stumbles onto his ass when Gihun's elbow crashes suddenly into his throat.
"—AAH!"
"PLEASE!" Gihun singsongs at the top of his lungs, his hands in his uniform's pockets, turning in a circle with his eyes bulging wildly. Spittle flies out of Gihun's lips. "GIVE! ME! ALL! YOU! HAVE!" Doyun and Minjun quickly take off running, cursing him.
"What are you, Gihun—a child?" Sangwoo mutters, eyeing him with a little disdain.
"Oi! Not a very nice thing to say to the guy who saved you!" Gihun complains, frowning. "I could have let them slaughter you!"
There's only silence.
Sangwoo dabs his forehead, examining the blood and frowning more severely than Gihun.
"Ah… you're hurt pretty good, huh?" Gihun approaches him, looking over the bruised-red cheek. "We need something to ice that. Really fast. The nurse's office is on the other side of the building though. Count yourself lucky if there's no black eye."
"There's no we, Gihun," Sangwoo says quietly, glancing away. "You're getting ahead of yourself once again."
Gihun exhales, rubbing the back of his neck as a displeased Sangwoo retrieves his bag.
What a pain.
"How will you explain this to your mother?"
"I don't know." From what he can see of Sangwoo's expression, it tightens. Gihun reaches out, grasping onto the other boy's shoulder, and Sangwoo doesn't bother shaking him off. "She might think I got into a fight and lost. Mom expects more of me."
"Ah. I see." Gihun nods. "How about you say… I wrestled you, and you told me to stop," he suggests, "so then, it's my fault?"
Sangwoo peers over to Gihun's dopey, smiley look, his brows furrowing.
"You won't be allowed over if you do that," he admits, sounding so uncertain.
Gihun believes him. Sangwoo's mother can be as terrifying of a parent as much as Gihun's own mother.
"She's always mad at me for something!" Gihun declares, laughing and slinging an arm on Sangwoo's neck. "Who cares—who cares!"
He beams at Sangwoo's faint smile, knowing this is right, knowing this is better. Sangwoo is gonna be the pride of Ssangmun-dong, unlike everyone else who left. He's the soon-to-be SNU Business Administration graduate. He's already the best part of Gihun's life.
Sangwoo…
Pulse pounding, Gihun licks his thumb.
He hears a confused grunt from the other boy and wipes the drying blood off Sangwoo's skin.
"Let's go home already," Gihun says dismissively, ignoring Sangwoo's amused huff of breath.
Gihun's face flushes.
"…oi, you got any money for curry-tteokbokki, Sangwoo?"
"Piss off."
*