[ It's lunchtime, Hien's favorite time of the day, because he likes sitting on a bench in the lone corner of the school's courtyard, munching on his own sandwich in peace. He sits with a friend who takes a bite of their croquette. This school is a little unique compared to the typical high school, in which people start their majors early and have the option to ascend into their elevator university if they choose to. It's also rich. Super, stinkin' rich. Their courtyard is expansive in which they hold many events, whether it's funded by the school or the clubs alone. Every day is a loud day where something is happening one way or another. The headmaster seems to be an eccentric in which they prioritize the life balance of school life and a social life.
Hien, a senior in high school, barely gets by his academics. In fact, he's on academic probation and doesn't have many friends. He's in danger of getting kicked out if he doesn't get a decent score on his next exams.
The fact that he can leisurely sit on the bench while eating his lunch without a care is quite something. It's as if he has no worries while eating his tenth tuna sandwich.
"I wonder who he'll be going out with this week? He's basically got a horde of fans trailing right behind him... must be nice to be popular."
His friend, Rion Branciere, speaks up as Hien watches. It's not as exaggerated as Rion put it to be, but the guy does seem to have a big group of friends. ]
The rising star of the guy from communications? That's what they all say, but is that even his major...
[ "Kinda like you, except he can actually excel in whatever major he's supposedly in?"
Hien elbows them in the side. They sputter.
"Watch it! This is my last croquette for a while! And besides, he probably just dumped his most recent date. Wouldn't it be like a fairy tale to date him. or something. A one-week fairytale. They're really the shallowest of the shallow." ]
If you're so invested in his dating life, why don't you go date him?
[ "Wow... killjoy. What else do you want to talk about? About how your ranking account got banned because you--"
Rion gets elbowed again. Ough... their side. Their food!
[ it's lunchtime, aaaaand elysium's running late. terribly late. so very fashionably late, that the school gates have long shut—which means the only legitimate way in would involve pleading with the guard again to make it the nth time this month. extra awkward, considering he'd only barely scraped by without a punishment the last time with his wide doe eyes and a solemn i promise, really, last time, pinky swear and all.
so! absolutely not happening.
instead, he's here, scaling a stretch of wall he knows hardly anyone passes by, hopefully leading into what should be an equally desolate corner of the courtyard. stone rises up well above his height, obscuring his view of whatever waits on the other side, but once he hauls himself close to the top, all he wants is to be over already. and so he goes, throwing the rest of his body after himself without a second thought. who could possibly be on the other side? no one, he thinks, with all the confidence of the guy who has the audacity to call himself the hottest guy on campus and to date through a new person a week.
but as it turns out, life always enjoys a good prank. there is, in fact, someone on the other side. multiple someones, even! hm.
unfortunately, he's already committed. with momentum doing its thing and no time to course-correct, all he can do is blurt out— ]
Watch out—! [ wahoooooo!! ] Man incoming!
[ that tenth tuna sandwich might be the next casualty if hien doesn't move out of the way soon. ]
[ The first thing Hien does is reflexively raise his leg to kick something (or someone) that seems like a threat, but Rion, aware of Hien's violent reflexes, reflexively smacks him in time for that to stop. The result is a close call for Rion, who is just out of harm's way, but for Hien? He catches the trespasser in the fall, making Hien fall onto his back as a result. Ow. But at least someone acted as a cushion. Now that they have time to process what just happened, Rion looks on, amused.
"Oh, speak of the devil."
The tenth tuna sandwich is now on the ground. It's completely unsalvageable with the dirt and all. A casualty...
But despite what just happened, it doesn't hurt all that much. This guy is lighter than Hien expected him to be. ]
[ the landing is less than ideal and more inelegant than anything he would have wanted to be seen doing, but otherwise not the worst. or, well. that's still technically up in the air, because elysium's next immediate reaction after his little 'oww, ow, ow,' fingers pushing his hair out of his face, is to blink his eyes open and find himself staring straight down at the person beneath him, hands braced on the ground and effectively trapping him below.
he opens his mouth to say something, then seemingly settles on something else entirely. ]
'Speak of the devil'? That's a new one. Unless you mean it in the way I'm devilishly handsome.
[ an airy laugh as he takes a breath and scoots up. ]
You okay?
[ he peers down, probably a little too close for comfort, easing the rest of his weight off him while his eyes roam the rest of his body, searching for any telltale signs of discomfort. ]
I'll owe you for the sandwich, but I can't exactly pay away any injuries. … Lemme get you to the infirmary just to be safe. [ a glance over his shoulder to regard the other person, ] Sorry, senior, but you don't mind cleaning up here, do you? I'll return the favour—and if you've heard the rumours like it sounds like you have, you know I mean it.
[ Hien watches Elysium while being in this questionable position. When their faces are close, Hien notices things like how he smells, the texture of his hair must be really soft, and he seems cute in general. Maybe the little red streak in his arm is a charm point. He's cuter than Hien expected him to be, but he wouldn't say that Elysium is the hottest person on campus. He opens his mouth to say something, but Rion speaks up first:
"Sure, sure. Just get Hien over to the infirmary. Carry him in case something happened to his spine."
They're only a little serious about that last part. Looks like Hien doesn't get a choice. ]
[ okay well SORRY he hasn't lost all his baby fat yet…
still, that's one way to strike him with a sense of urgency, elysium suddenly rushing to scramble to his feet. he gets up so fast his head spins a little, but that's less important. ]
It looked that bad? Yikes!
[ just
scoops him right up in his arms. there's a surprising amount of muscle, maybe, for someone hien was just thinking was light. ]
Hien is surprised, but so is Rion. Still, they're not going to keep Elysium here, so they make a shooing motion. Git. They're not too surprised about the weight correlation to strength, because Hien also exists. Speaking of which... Hien surprisingly doesn't squirm in Elysium's hold, but he's thinking about some things. Something...
[ it's the way that hien hasn't said a word that makes this more concerning… he's just going to nyoom past the student body wondering aloud if this is his new date for the week. some even ask him directly—and if he were in the middle of literally anything else, it's a quick yes or no answer.
but that's just a little hard when he's like this guy better not DIE on god and is thinking about the various ways to take responsibility. if he ends up at the hospital, that's about two train rides away? if someone asks him out this week, he'll have to reject on account of wanting to make time for his visitation hours. hospital food sucks, as does the entertainment, so he could stop by the convenience store then keep him company and—
…
one would not be able to tell how stupid his thoughts are as his face is just blank and focused on the path ahead. ]
[ Indeed. Hien doesn't seem to be aware that those are his thoughts. He can hear the students asking if he's the new date and all he can think is, "Does this look like proper dating to you"... not that he'd know what that entails. He has never dated before.
They arrive at the infirmary and Elysium almost bumps into the head nurse there, because he's about to walk out. Good heavens. He takes one good look at Elysium, then Hien, and decides this should be fine and doesn't need his immediate attention, so he leaves. lol. Goodbye. ]
Hey. Sir! Señor! [ is he just some kind of exchange student now…? i guess. ] Shouldn't you at least take a closer look at him?
[ DON'T 'lol' HIM!!!! but then the guy is long gone so it just leaves him, hien, and this empty ass infirmary as he's left staring at his shrinking back. as much as he would like to make more of a fuss, they're naturally eye-catching—one, him being the resident source of so many of the school's rumours, and two, this just being a bizarre thing to witness in the first place.
…
okay. well. he might be used to attention, but who knows about hien. so he steps through, closes the door behind them, and gently lowers him onto one of the many beds. ]
… You don't know that. [ a little belatedly. ] You're growing a giant bruise right here.
[ This Hien... does not like attention from others. Gloomy ass senior. Solitary delinquent of the violence variety. Lone wolf. Whatever else. His reputation definitely does not exceed Elysium's, but that's what Hien is known for in the senior year. The other years don't really seem to care. These cases are a dime a dozen and has nothing to do with them. Not their problem. We don't need to talk about Rion yet. ]
I don't bruise easily.
[ The forehead poking does earn a bit of a squint though. ]
Thanks for carrying me here, but you can go. The nurse will take a look at me just in case if you're too worried.
[ He isn't Elysium's problem, is what Hien seems to be saying. ]
elysium has the gall to look vaguely annoyed before deciding to just go with it, fingers curling before he stuffs the hand into a pocket. someone doesn't get told 'no' often, it seems…… ]
Why wouldn't I know you? You're Hien Callias. I remember one of the presentations you had to give a while back to our incoming cohort because I thought you were nice to listen to.
[ the implication that he's known about him since freshman year… but he stands, stretches. there's a pop in his joints that causes him to echo a laugh. ]
If that's what you want, sure. I'll check up on you tomorrow.
[ Oh. Right. The thing he was dragged into by Rion. "It'll help your reputation," they said. "Maybe you can make more friends," they claimed. Nothing has changed since then except Rion is now the student council treasurer.
Hien stares at Elysium for a while, sighs and holds out his phone after unlocking it and going to the call screen. Here you go. The phone's home screen is a picture of a roosting parrot if Elysium catches a glimpse of it. ]
That was so long ago... you remember things like that?
hien can keep his phone, elysium's gaze just flicking to it briefly before he smiles politely. elysium had said he'd see him tomorrow, so hien will just have to deal. ]
Why wouldn't I? I remember everything. That includes all the promises I make.
But yeah, I'll catch you tomorrow. If you aren't where you say you are, I have my ways of being resourceful.
[ There's a long, slow blink as Elysium leaves and Hien looks down at his phone, still stuck on the call screen. Did he just wink at him? There's no way he could have mistaken that for a long blink, right? He frowns.
The head nurse comes back ten minutes and boots Hien out, because he's not in the infirmary for the usual reasons and therefore, he can go to class. He's perfectly healthy though, but sometimes you need to get treated for things after a fistfight and can't go anywhere else. Meanwhile, the student body and general acquaintances of Elysium try to badger him with questions. Who is that? Is that who you're dating for the week? You really could have chosen someone better. Did you want a challenge?
It's the next day during lunch. This time, Rion isn't with him, saying that they suddenly have tons of paperwork to do so their lunch time is being eaten up by that. Woe. Hien still owes them five croquettes. Anyway, it's not tuna sandwiches this time, but simply two bread with mocha cream filling inside. He's enjoying his peaceful silence... ]
he does end up in another relationship by the end of the day, with the caveat that there's one thing he needs to do during lunch the next day. when he mentions this, the person he's telling looks at him like he's lost his mind and asks if he's planning to cheat on her in that span of time.
he laughs, shakes his head. no, nothing like that. he just needs to pay back a quick favour, five minutes, at most, but he understands if it's a big ask.
she looks at him like he's even crazier and asks if he thinks she's crazy. he shakes his head again, this time with a trace of something else she can't quite place. either way, he brings up a hand to her cheek, tucks her hair behind her ear, and apologises, muttering that's just how seriously he takes this.
so when lunch of the next day rolls around, he shows up with her in tow, their hands laced together as they step into the quiet corner of the courtyard. as they draw closer, he leans in to whisper something in her ear. she nods, grinning from ear to ear. together, they approach hien, a plastic bag that's filled to its brim suspended by his wrist. ]
This is for the other day. [ … ] Your friend isn't around, but there's stuff in there for them, too. You're looking fine, so that should be everything. See you around.
[ —a marked difference in his demeanour from the other day. she murmurs something about that being more attention than strictly necessary, and he only smiles, answering back with an 'i know. sorry.'
with one last glance of acknowledgement at hien, he nods, turns to place an apologetic kiss on her cheek before stepping away.
they both seem happy, at any rate. the bag contains several of croquette and tuna sandwiches as well as one of basically every other thing in whatever bakery elysium had picked these things up at. extra, just like him. ]
[ Hien looks at them, not saying a single word from the moment they come and leave. He was about to ask about the shift in demeanor until he realizes what his current relationship looks to be like. It's only after they leave that there's a small tinge of concern on his otherwise expressionless face.
Honestly, Hien hopes that it doesn't work out with that girl, thinking to himself that it must be because he doesn't want to see someone in an abusive relationship. Sure, Hien. Whatever you think with that single brain cell of yours. He finally looks down at the bag, pulls out a tuna sandwich, but... ]
This is a lot...
[ He mumbles to himself. Wasn't he an exchange student? Is he rich? It's not like he believed Rion's terrible lie, right? Bakery bread is so expensive... Hien sits there to enjoy his lunch. However, something catches his eye towards the end and he walks on over.
...
Rumors are often conversation starters, and this school is full of them. There are larger ones that circulate throughout the entire student body and some are only exchanged between two people. This one is only exchanged in the senior year and then some, because it's not very interesting. Something about a group of three friends, two get beaten up and the last one doesn't come to school the next day. Hien arrives to class with a square bandaid on his cheek. It's nothing new, but why them? The three seemed to be good friends... perhaps the last one escaped and Hien couldn't get them in time. ]
[ whereas hien hopes it doesn't work out, elysium does—each and every time, this current iteration no different. even for someone like him, there has to be love somewhere.
it's both easier and not when the other person already knows what they want. when all he has to do is fit the shape they've decided on and go through the motions. what would 'he' do? he doesn't know. at the very least, his life is capable of making others happy.
the girl he's dating is a senior, a year above him. even beyond years, his reputation precedes him. he's on his way to her classroom when she brushes past him and tells him to stay put; she needs to run a quick errand for her teacher. he nods, compliant, and claims a stretch of wall to lean against. people look—they always do, but they don't approach him here the way they do if he were in his own hallway, and that's fine. he gives them nothing unless they address him directly, and if they do, he offers a polite nod, a version of himself they can't fault or argue with. some of them are exes, most aren't. they just want to see if they can earn a smile, something he's supposedly known for.
it's while he's waiting that he notices hien filter out of his classroom. elysium catches his eye, tilts his head, taps where the bandaid would be on his own cheek and mouths, 'what happened?' ]
[ Hien has no idea that the girl Elysium is dating is in his year. He doesn't pay much attention to people who don't interest him, much less know their name.
But Hien is starting to take interest in the guy, watching him tap his own face and it takes a moment for Hien to connect the dots. Is it too much to initiate a conversation? From what he saw yesterday, he thinks it's because of the girlfriend. How restricting, he thinks.
"Bully," he mouths back and continues his way. It's lunch time, and he has three breads that Elysium bought in his hands. Hien is always at the same place, whether he's alone or with Rion. It doesn't matter. It's his little quiet place where most people don't bother to come, and that's fine with him. ]
[ sometimes, being tied down is one of the few ways you have any control of your life whatsoever. a life spent moving between countries, between schools, learning to speak in multiple languages.
at least, being in love—however briefly it lasts—is something he can call his own, an anchor from week to week.
but he reads his lips and furrows his brow. his girlfriend is as much of a socialite, so he asks her about it when she returns. she's far less invested in anyone outside her circle, and what she gives him is an objective rundown, delivered with mild annoyance and a scoff. they're people not worth bothering with, she says, which makes the whole thing rather uninteresting.
hmm. he thanks her anyway, explaining it easily as something he'd overheard while waiting for her. one gentle tug of her hand later, it's as if the topic is already in the past, leading her toward the cafeteria without fuss or further mention of it.
it'll be another few days before they cross paths again. in that time, hien receives a mysterious apology from the very person who gave him his wound. then, during an assembly, elysium catches his eye once more and——smiles, a little livelier than when they'd passed each other in the halls. weird. ]
[ The apology surprised him. It was out of nowhere, he thought. The three friends were just that at first, but the two had gotten really tired of the third one lately and started bullying him in a more hidden part of the campus. Hien, having caught them in action, beat up the two. The third guy transferred schools eventually. It sounded pretty bad, though Hien knows no other detail about them.
Which is why the apology was amusing to receive. Hien went and beat up two guys because he thought they were bullying someone and one of them came to apologize to him about it. Wild.
After a few days, the bandaid on his cheek is gone. It looks like he healed up fine. During the assembly, he finds that Elysium is actually really easy to spot with his tricolored hair. He vaguely wonders which color of the three are natural, or maybe it's none at all. He notes the smile on his face, seemingly better than before. Huh. Hien just thinks that Elysium is having a good day.
...
Now that he thinks about it, does he even know the guy's name? He's heard "Elysium" before, but that sounds incredibly fake. He can't deny the possibility of that being his real name though, since he knows that some parents are just eccentric enough to give out names that are totally out there. Whatever the case, he ends up thinking about it so much that he tunes out everything that was said in the assembly. ]
[ hien might note that the guy who apologises looks fearful, even. there's no one behind him when he looks over his shoulder after saying it, but surely that's just him being strange.
at any rate—
the assembly finishes. as rows and rows of students take their leave, hien will feel a knock against his head. ]
Wake up, senior— [ he isn't asleep, but he sure looks it. has he mastered the art of falling asleep with his eyes open? that'd be funny. he leans forward, whispering conspiratorially. ] Before you get in trouble with the teachers. You're lucky they're so distracted right now.
[ following the trajectory of his gaze reveals a student who'd gotten in trouble for dozing. and by the time he looks back, elysium might literally be gone. blink and you'll miss him. ]
Hien would think it's weird, but didn't pay any more attention to the guy's behavior more than he had to. All sorts of things happen all the time. It might not make sense in general, but they still happen. He's too open-minded about this.
He feels the knock on the head and turns around to see Elysium there. Huh. It's him. He blankly looks over to the direction of the gaze, watching the student get scolded. When Hien turns back to speak to him, he's gone. He's not there. Huh. No matter which direction he looks, he can't find him in the sea of students despite how his hair really stands out.
...
He feels like he just hallucinated an angel on his shoulder, but no matter. Hien exits like everyone else. If that Elysium was real, he's just looking out for him, yeah. He's friendly to everyone. Sure. Hien has never thought to be special for anyone in his life--not his parents, not to his siblings, not to the single friend that he has--no one. And he's fine with that.
And what was that again... he liked the sound of his voice? His flat and deadpan voice that most people found to be disrespectful? It's hard to believe.
...
Hien sighs and goes to the bathroom. He needs to snap out of it, so washing his face might do him some good. ]
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✧ — seven days au
Hien, a senior in high school, barely gets by his academics. In fact, he's on academic probation and doesn't have many friends. He's in danger of getting kicked out if he doesn't get a decent score on his next exams.
The fact that he can leisurely sit on the bench while eating his lunch without a care is quite something. It's as if he has no worries while eating his tenth tuna sandwich.
"I wonder who he'll be going out with this week? He's basically got a horde of fans trailing right behind him... must be nice to be popular."
His friend, Rion Branciere, speaks up as Hien watches. It's not as exaggerated as Rion put it to be, but the guy does seem to have a big group of friends. ]
The rising star of the guy from communications? That's what they all say, but is that even his major...
[ "Kinda like you, except he can actually excel in whatever major he's supposedly in?"
Hien elbows them in the side. They sputter.
"Watch it! This is my last croquette for a while! And besides, he probably just dumped his most recent date. Wouldn't it be like a fairy tale to date him. or something. A one-week fairytale. They're really the shallowest of the shallow." ]
If you're so invested in his dating life, why don't you go date him?
[ "Wow... killjoy. What else do you want to talk about? About how your ranking account got banned because you--"
Rion gets elbowed again. Ough... their side. Their food!
"You owe me five more croquettes after this." ]
I don't owe you shit.
no subject
so! absolutely not happening.
instead, he's here, scaling a stretch of wall he knows hardly anyone passes by, hopefully leading into what should be an equally desolate corner of the courtyard. stone rises up well above his height, obscuring his view of whatever waits on the other side, but once he hauls himself close to the top, all he wants is to be over already. and so he goes, throwing the rest of his body after himself without a second thought. who could possibly be on the other side? no one, he thinks, with all the confidence of the guy who has the audacity to call himself the hottest guy on campus and to date through a new person a week.
but as it turns out, life always enjoys a good prank. there is, in fact, someone on the other side. multiple someones, even! hm.
unfortunately, he's already committed. with momentum doing its thing and no time to course-correct, all he can do is blurt out— ]
Watch out—! [ wahoooooo!! ] Man incoming!
[ that tenth tuna sandwich might be the next casualty if hien doesn't move out of the way soon. ]
no subject
"Oh, speak of the devil."
The tenth tuna sandwich is now on the ground. It's completely unsalvageable with the dirt and all. A casualty...
But despite what just happened, it doesn't hurt all that much. This guy is lighter than Hien expected him to be. ]
Get off already...
no subject
he opens his mouth to say something, then seemingly settles on something else entirely. ]
'Speak of the devil'? That's a new one. Unless you mean it in the way I'm devilishly handsome.
[ an airy laugh as he takes a breath and scoots up. ]
You okay?
[ he peers down, probably a little too close for comfort, easing the rest of his weight off him while his eyes roam the rest of his body, searching for any telltale signs of discomfort. ]
I'll owe you for the sandwich, but I can't exactly pay away any injuries. … Lemme get you to the infirmary just to be safe. [ a glance over his shoulder to regard the other person, ] Sorry, senior, but you don't mind cleaning up here, do you? I'll return the favour—and if you've heard the rumours like it sounds like you have, you know I mean it.
no subject
"Sure, sure. Just get Hien over to the infirmary. Carry him in case something happened to his spine."
They're only a little serious about that last part. Looks like Hien doesn't get a choice. ]
no subject
still, that's one way to strike him with a sense of urgency, elysium suddenly rushing to scramble to his feet. he gets up so fast his head spins a little, but that's less important. ]
It looked that bad? Yikes!
[ just
scoops him right up in his arms. there's a surprising amount of muscle, maybe, for someone hien was just thinking was light. ]
no subject
Huh.
Hien is surprised, but so is Rion. Still, they're not going to keep Elysium here, so they make a shooing motion. Git. They're not too surprised about the weight correlation to strength, because Hien also exists. Speaking of which... Hien surprisingly doesn't squirm in Elysium's hold, but he's thinking about some things. Something...
... ]
no subject
but that's just a little hard when he's like this guy better not DIE on god and is thinking about the various ways to take responsibility. if he ends up at the hospital, that's about two train rides away? if someone asks him out this week, he'll have to reject on account of wanting to make time for his visitation hours. hospital food sucks, as does the entertainment, so he could stop by the convenience store then keep him company and—
…
one would not be able to tell how stupid his thoughts are as his face is just blank and focused on the path ahead. ]
no subject
They arrive at the infirmary and Elysium almost bumps into the head nurse there, because he's about to walk out. Good heavens. He takes one good look at Elysium, then Hien, and decides this should be fine and doesn't need his immediate attention, so he leaves. lol. Goodbye. ]
... They were just exaggerating. I'm fine.
no subject
[ DON'T 'lol' HIM!!!! but then the guy is long gone so it just leaves him, hien, and this empty ass infirmary as he's left staring at his shrinking back. as much as he would like to make more of a fuss, they're naturally eye-catching—one, him being the resident source of so many of the school's rumours, and two, this just being a bizarre thing to witness in the first place.
…
okay. well. he might be used to attention, but who knows about hien. so he steps through, closes the door behind them, and gently lowers him onto one of the many beds. ]
… You don't know that. [ a little belatedly. ] You're growing a giant bruise right here.
[ he is not.
but elysium pokes his forehead anyway. ]
no subject
I don't bruise easily.
[ The forehead poking does earn a bit of a squint though. ]
Thanks for carrying me here, but you can go. The nurse will take a look at me just in case if you're too worried.
[ He isn't Elysium's problem, is what Hien seems to be saying. ]
no subject
…
elysium looks conflicted for several seconds before he just sighs and holds out his hand. ]
Can I borrow your phone?
[ demands shit in both threads. sorry. ]
no subject
Why? You don't even know my name. If you need to see me another time, just go to that same place during lunch.
[ Hien is just making this difficult now... ]
no subject
elysium has the gall to look vaguely annoyed before deciding to just go with it, fingers curling before he stuffs the hand into a pocket. someone doesn't get told 'no' often, it seems…… ]
Why wouldn't I know you? You're Hien Callias. I remember one of the presentations you had to give a while back to our incoming cohort because I thought you were nice to listen to.
[ the implication that he's known about him since freshman year… but he stands, stretches. there's a pop in his joints that causes him to echo a laugh. ]
If that's what you want, sure. I'll check up on you tomorrow.
no subject
Hien stares at Elysium for a while, sighs and holds out his phone after unlocking it and going to the call screen. Here you go. The phone's home screen is a picture of a roosting parrot if Elysium catches a glimpse of it. ]
That was so long ago... you remember things like that?
no subject
hien can keep his phone, elysium's gaze just flicking to it briefly before he smiles politely. elysium had said he'd see him tomorrow, so hien will just have to deal. ]
Why wouldn't I? I remember everything. That includes all the promises I make.
But yeah, I'll catch you tomorrow. If you aren't where you say you are, I have my ways of being resourceful.
[ winks and
leaves. gooby. ]
no subject
The head nurse comes back ten minutes and boots Hien out, because he's not in the infirmary for the usual reasons and therefore, he can go to class. He's perfectly healthy though, but sometimes you need to get treated for things after a fistfight and can't go anywhere else. Meanwhile, the student body and general acquaintances of Elysium try to badger him with questions. Who is that? Is that who you're dating for the week? You really could have chosen someone better. Did you want a challenge?
It's the next day during lunch. This time, Rion isn't with him, saying that they suddenly have tons of paperwork to do so their lunch time is being eaten up by that. Woe. Hien still owes them five croquettes. Anyway, it's not tuna sandwiches this time, but simply two bread with mocha cream filling inside. He's enjoying his peaceful silence... ]
no subject
he does end up in another relationship by the end of the day, with the caveat that there's one thing he needs to do during lunch the next day. when he mentions this, the person he's telling looks at him like he's lost his mind and asks if he's planning to cheat on her in that span of time.
he laughs, shakes his head. no, nothing like that. he just needs to pay back a quick favour, five minutes, at most, but he understands if it's a big ask.
she looks at him like he's even crazier and asks if he thinks she's crazy. he shakes his head again, this time with a trace of something else she can't quite place. either way, he brings up a hand to her cheek, tucks her hair behind her ear, and apologises, muttering that's just how seriously he takes this.
so when lunch of the next day rolls around, he shows up with her in tow, their hands laced together as they step into the quiet corner of the courtyard. as they draw closer, he leans in to whisper something in her ear. she nods, grinning from ear to ear. together, they approach hien, a plastic bag that's filled to its brim suspended by his wrist. ]
This is for the other day. [ … ] Your friend isn't around, but there's stuff in there for them, too. You're looking fine, so that should be everything. See you around.
[ —a marked difference in his demeanour from the other day. she murmurs something about that being more attention than strictly necessary, and he only smiles, answering back with an 'i know. sorry.'
with one last glance of acknowledgement at hien, he nods, turns to place an apologetic kiss on her cheek before stepping away.
they both seem happy, at any rate. the bag contains several of croquette and tuna sandwiches as well as one of basically every other thing in whatever bakery elysium had picked these things up at. extra, just like him. ]
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Honestly, Hien hopes that it doesn't work out with that girl, thinking to himself that it must be because he doesn't want to see someone in an abusive relationship. Sure, Hien. Whatever you think with that single brain cell of yours. He finally looks down at the bag, pulls out a tuna sandwich, but... ]
This is a lot...
[ He mumbles to himself. Wasn't he an exchange student? Is he rich? It's not like he believed Rion's terrible lie, right? Bakery bread is so expensive... Hien sits there to enjoy his lunch. However, something catches his eye towards the end and he walks on over.
...
Rumors are often conversation starters, and this school is full of them. There are larger ones that circulate throughout the entire student body and some are only exchanged between two people. This one is only exchanged in the senior year and then some, because it's not very interesting. Something about a group of three friends, two get beaten up and the last one doesn't come to school the next day. Hien arrives to class with a square bandaid on his cheek. It's nothing new, but why them? The three seemed to be good friends... perhaps the last one escaped and Hien couldn't get them in time. ]
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it's both easier and not when the other person already knows what they want. when all he has to do is fit the shape they've decided on and go through the motions. what would 'he' do? he doesn't know. at the very least, his life is capable of making others happy.
the girl he's dating is a senior, a year above him. even beyond years, his reputation precedes him. he's on his way to her classroom when she brushes past him and tells him to stay put; she needs to run a quick errand for her teacher. he nods, compliant, and claims a stretch of wall to lean against. people look—they always do, but they don't approach him here the way they do if he were in his own hallway, and that's fine. he gives them nothing unless they address him directly, and if they do, he offers a polite nod, a version of himself they can't fault or argue with. some of them are exes, most aren't. they just want to see if they can earn a smile, something he's supposedly known for.
it's while he's waiting that he notices hien filter out of his classroom. elysium catches his eye, tilts his head, taps where the bandaid would be on his own cheek and mouths, 'what happened?' ]
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But Hien is starting to take interest in the guy, watching him tap his own face and it takes a moment for Hien to connect the dots. Is it too much to initiate a conversation? From what he saw yesterday, he thinks it's because of the girlfriend. How restricting, he thinks.
"Bully," he mouths back and continues his way. It's lunch time, and he has three breads that Elysium bought in his hands. Hien is always at the same place, whether he's alone or with Rion. It doesn't matter. It's his little quiet place where most people don't bother to come, and that's fine with him. ]
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at least, being in love—however briefly it lasts—is something he can call his own, an anchor from week to week.
but he reads his lips and furrows his brow. his girlfriend is as much of a socialite, so he asks her about it when she returns. she's far less invested in anyone outside her circle, and what she gives him is an objective rundown, delivered with mild annoyance and a scoff. they're people not worth bothering with, she says, which makes the whole thing rather uninteresting.
hmm. he thanks her anyway, explaining it easily as something he'd overheard while waiting for her. one gentle tug of her hand later, it's as if the topic is already in the past, leading her toward the cafeteria without fuss or further mention of it.
it'll be another few days before they cross paths again. in that time, hien receives a mysterious apology from the very person who gave him his wound. then, during an assembly, elysium catches his eye once more and——smiles, a little livelier than when they'd passed each other in the halls. weird. ]
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Which is why the apology was amusing to receive. Hien went and beat up two guys because he thought they were bullying someone and one of them came to apologize to him about it. Wild.
After a few days, the bandaid on his cheek is gone. It looks like he healed up fine. During the assembly, he finds that Elysium is actually really easy to spot with his tricolored hair. He vaguely wonders which color of the three are natural, or maybe it's none at all. He notes the smile on his face, seemingly better than before. Huh. Hien just thinks that Elysium is having a good day.
...
Now that he thinks about it, does he even know the guy's name? He's heard "Elysium" before, but that sounds incredibly fake. He can't deny the possibility of that being his real name though, since he knows that some parents are just eccentric enough to give out names that are totally out there. Whatever the case, he ends up thinking about it so much that he tunes out everything that was said in the assembly. ]
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at any rate—
the assembly finishes. as rows and rows of students take their leave, hien will feel a knock against his head. ]
Wake up, senior— [ he isn't asleep, but he sure looks it. has he mastered the art of falling asleep with his eyes open? that'd be funny. he leans forward, whispering conspiratorially. ] Before you get in trouble with the teachers. You're lucky they're so distracted right now.
[ following the trajectory of his gaze reveals a student who'd gotten in trouble for dozing. and by the time he looks back, elysium might literally be gone. blink and you'll miss him. ]
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Hien would think it's weird, but didn't pay any more attention to the guy's behavior more than he had to. All sorts of things happen all the time. It might not make sense in general, but they still happen. He's too open-minded about this.
He feels the knock on the head and turns around to see Elysium there. Huh. It's him. He blankly looks over to the direction of the gaze, watching the student get scolded. When Hien turns back to speak to him, he's gone. He's not there. Huh. No matter which direction he looks, he can't find him in the sea of students despite how his hair really stands out.
...
He feels like he just hallucinated an angel on his shoulder, but no matter. Hien exits like everyone else. If that Elysium was real, he's just looking out for him, yeah. He's friendly to everyone. Sure. Hien has never thought to be special for anyone in his life--not his parents, not to his siblings, not to the single friend that he has--no one. And he's fine with that.
And what was that again... he liked the sound of his voice? His flat and deadpan voice that most people found to be disrespectful? It's hard to believe.
...
Hien sighs and goes to the bathroom. He needs to snap out of it, so washing his face might do him some good. ]
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