DAYTIME STAR
chapter five - the reckless leap.

AS SU-JIN FOCUSED ON HIS DRAWING, he suddenly heard a sound. Looking up, he was surprised to see a couple kissing behind the trees.

"Oh my!" Su-Jin said, his face turning red. He quickly started packing up his things, feeling very uncomfortable.

"Why are they doing that here?" he muttered, feeling a bit annoyed and even a little jealous.

He pouted and sighed.

Wanting to find a better place to draw and take pictures, Su-Jin went to the library, thinking it would be quiet and peaceful.

But when he got there, a student came up to him and handed him a cup of coffee, saying "Good luck with your studies!"

Su-Jin cringed. "I'm not studying, I'm trying to draw and take pictures!" he said, feeling frustrated.

Disappointed, Su-Jin left the library and kept looking for a good spot. The school was busy, and he really missed the quiet area near the gardens.

"Why is everything so complicated?" he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "All I want is a peaceful place to do my art, is that too much to ask?"

As Su-Jin kept looking for a good place to draw, he suddenly thought of Sun-Jae, the boy he had met earlier.

"Why is he in my mind?" Su-Jin muttered, feeling embarrassed that he had assumed Sun-Jae knew him.

Then, an idea came to him. Maybe the gymnasium, where Sun-Jae and the others were training, could be a good place for him to draw. Feeling hopeful, Su-Jin headed to the gymnasium.

When Su-Jin entered the gym, he immediately saw Sun-Jae and the other trainees working out hard, their bodies glistening with sweat. He was impressed by their focus, which was very different from the couple he had seen earlier.

Shrugging off his earlier discomfort, Su-Jin went to the bleachers and sat down, opening his sketchbook.

"At least the noise here is reasonable," he said to himself, starting to draw the flower he didn't finish in the garden.

"Not like those two lovebirds in the garden."

As Su-Jin was completely focused on his drawing, he didn't notice that Sun-Jae was stealing glances at him from across the gym.

At first, Sun-Jae thought he was imagining things. "Is that really Su-Jin?" he murmured, rubbing his eyes to make sure.

But as he kept watching, he realized it was definitely Su-Jin, sitting on the bleachers and drawing intently. Sun-Jae was impressed by how focused and skilled Su-Jin looked, his pencil moving gracefully across the page.

Sun-Jae found himself smiling at the sight, feeling a sense of fondness for the other boy. But when Su-Jin's gaze suddenly turned in his direction, Sun-Jae quickly looked away, the tip of his ears turning red.

"Yo Sun-Jae, are you alright? Your ears are red?" the other student who is training asks him. Sun-Jae turned around and smiled and just nodded.

"Yeah, it's just hot today."

AS SU-JIN WAS FOCUSED ON HIS DRAWING, he suddenly heard footsteps. Looking up, he was shocked to see the girl who had almost been hit by a car and ruined his favorite which is Strawberry jam bread.

His eyes widened, and he couldn't help but glare at her. "You!" he yelled, startling the girl.

The girl turned to face him, her own eyes widening in surprise. "It's you!" she exclaimed, taking a step towards him.

Su-Jin couldn't believe this was happening. Out of all places, he had to run into this reckless girl in the gym where he was trying to find peace. Well, a reasonable peace, he means.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, frowning.

The girl approached him with a sheepish smile. "I was actually looking for someone," she admitted, glancing around the room.

Su-Jin rolled his eyes. "Of course you were," he muttered, tightening his grip on his sketchbook. He sighed and closed it and put it in his bag. He pushes his glasses up because it's already on the tip of his nose.

"Didn't you learn your lesson last time?"

The girl's expression changed to one of regret. "Look, I'm really sorry about that day," she said sincerely.

"I was in a hurry and not paying attention. I'm glad you were there to help me."

Su-Jin's annoyance started to fade, replaced by understanding. "Well, I couldn't just let you get hit," he mumbled, looking down.

An awkward silence fell between them, and Su-Jin didn't know what to say. He had never been good at confrontation, and this unexpected encounter had thrown him off.

Ah! Like he just needs to ask for compensation! Like a Strawberry milkshake or something!

But then, to his surprise, the girl extended her hand with a warm smile. "I'm Im Sol," she said.

"Nice to officially meet you."

Su-Jin hesitated for a moment before shaking her hand, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Su-Jin," he replied softly.

Im Sol slightly taken back, 'Is this kid a kpop idol also? He's pretty and has a nice voice!'

In that moment, as their eyes met and a connection formed between them, Su-Jin felt like this chance encounter could lead to something special.

As Im Sol and Su-Jin were engaged in their conversation, the unmistakable smell of cigarettes suddenly wafted through the air, catching their attention and distracting them from their previous discussion.

"Do you smell that?" Im Sol asked, her nose scrunching up in distaste.

Su-Jin nodded, his own senses assaulted by the acrid odor. "Yeah, it's coming from over there," he replied, and pointed towards a window. They both go out and see a group of boys huddled together in the outside of the gymnasium.

Curiosity piqued, the two decided to investigate the source of the smell. As they drew closer, they could clearly see the tell-tale glow of lit cigarettes in the hands of the boys.

Just then, a figure emerged in their sight. It was Kim Tae-sung, a student known for his always present in every fight in the school.

Tae-Sung kicked the person in front of him. And the other two people also intervene, Tae-Sung swiftly manages to avoid all the punches and kicks from them.

Im Sol couldn't resist the urge to intervene. From their vantage point at the top of the gymnasium, she and Su-Jin watched the scene unfold.

"I'm going to jump."

Su-Jin's eyes widened in alarm. "What? No, no, no, we should just stay out of it," he protested, but his words fell on deaf ears as Im Sol suddenly leapt down, landing on one of the bullies' bodies with a thud.

"Is she nuts? I told her not to be reckless!" Su-Jin muttered under his breath, his eyes widening in disbelief at her bold actions.

Inspired by her move, it's kinda cool, Su-Jin found himself following, jumping down and landing on the same person. Im Sol couldn't help but feel so proud at Su-Jin.

As the bully struggled to regain his footing, Su-Jin immediately stood up and apologized profusely, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me!" he exclaimed, bowing repeatedly.

The bully glared at the two, his anger palpable. "You little punks!" he spat, his fists clenching at his sides.

Im Sol, undeterred, stepped forward and scolded the boy for his cigarette habit. "Smoking is bad for you, you know!" she chastised, wagging her finger in his face. "It's not good for kids like you!"

Su-Jin couldn't help but agree with her remarks, though he couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of a student like Im Sol sounding like his grandmother. "She's got a point, you know," he said, trying to defuse the tension.

Unfortunately, their confrontation had drawn the attention of more bullies, and in a moment of urgency, Tae-sung grabbed the arms of both Su-Jin and Im Sol, urging them to run.

"Come on, you two, we've gotta get out of here!" he shouted, his voice tinged with a rare hint of panic.

Without hesitation, the trio fled, weaving through the corridors and finding a safe hiding spot to catch their breath. Su-Jin couldn't help but feel a mix of adrenaline and trepidation, his heart pounding in his chest.

As they huddled together, he couldn't help but wonder what possessed him to jump down and join Im Sol in her recklessness. But deep down, he knew that he couldn't have stood by and watched.

It was pretty cool and thrilling, hehe.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You could have gotten hurt! Ah! I almost hurt too, ah wait let me check my camera first." Su-Jin exclaimed.