"If you're going to talk, then just... Whisper to me."
Wonsik was caught off-guard by the request, his cheeks dusting a dark pink that was barely visible in the dimly lit room. He grabbed Leo's hand, moving it away from his face. The other boy looked content and calm in the comfortable tension of the room.
"You're shy, Sik-ah." Leo whispered once again, giggling to grace his bright smile. He rested onto one of the empty desks in the otherwise barren room, taking out an apple danish that he'd bought in the lunch hall. "So-" Leo started, and yet was immediately cut off by the jarring ring of Wonsik's phone. It was loud. Too loud. Leo covered his ears in haste, shuddering slightly. No furniture, no carpet, no students. The ringtone just echoed feverishly.
Ravi jumped over to Leo's side, rubbing his back and quickly picking up the call to silence to ringer.
"Yes, Lee Jaehwan?" Wonsik spoke quietly, yet coldly, internally cursing his friend for calling at such a time. Luckily, Leo, was calming down; he had stopped covering his ears and slightly lumped into Ravi's side.
"Hey, Ravi! Why are you using my full name? You only do that when you're furious or something."
"Because I am f-"
"Anyway! Lunch is almost over and you and that cutie never came back with the food. You ok? Oh no- don't tell me-"
"No. It's fine. But do not call him that again." Wonsik growled into the phone, angered by the pet name Jaehwan had given the boy. He quickly hung up and turned back to Leo carefully, expression softening as soon as their eyes met.
"W—who's Jaehwan? And why were you... S—so angry?" Leo asked quietly, almost not wanting to look at the boy in front of him. Yet, Ravi didn't answer. He pet the boy's hair and stood up, holding his hand to guide him from the room.
"Let's go. Lunch break is almost over. I can take you to your next class." He whispered sweetly, not wanting to startle the boy more than he already had.
Leo only nodded, following submissively. He wanted to smile at the kind tone and gestures of the younger, and yet his angry scolding voice replayed in his mind. It was unsettling to hear him so angry again, after all.
——
"Here's your class. I wish I could stay with you, but at least Hyuk has this with you." Wonsik informed the other boy slowly and sweetly. "And, uh... O—one more thing.. Can I have your phone?" He muttered, shy and blushing. That wasn't normal for him, what was wrong?
Leo chuckled again, handing over his unlocked phone to the boy for him to presumably put in his number. "Why'd you need it?" He asked, acting oblivious.
"Hmph." He huffed, handing the phone back, now with his number in. "You can text or call me whenever; I'll pick up." Leo took the phone happily, smiling so brightly that his eyes turned crescents. He quickly saved the contact as "Sikkie-ah" before looking up proudly for Wonsik's next comment. "And don't private message anyone else. Not without asking me, ok?"
Leo's smile only widened. It was cute to see Wonsik so shy, even possessive if that's the right term for it. Then, he looked into the classroom and around the halls. Needless to say, quite a few people were staring at the two. Despite all the people watching intently, Leo giggled and happily said, "Got it, Sikkie-ah! See you after class?" Surprising to the whole class was not only the comment, the nickname, but how Ravi just smiled and agreed. It was like the man wasn't an experienced heartbreaker.
Once Wonsik strolled away from the boy, heading for his class, Leo's smile dropped. His features were now cold and expressionless, jawline and cheekbones looking sharper without the bright smile the students had seen him donning just seconds before. He walked stiffly through the room, avoiding eye contact with anyone and letting his hair cover his already dark eyes. At last, he sat near one of Wonsik's friends, Sanghyuk.
"Hey, Leo, you ok? Why do you look so... scary?" A light chuckle was tacked on at the end of the statement to seem less prying. Though, the boy only flickered his cat-like eyes over Sanghyuk, not bothering to answer as he took out his supplies for the class. Hyuk was easy to let up on the question after, not asking anything more.
——
At last, Leo's class had ended. Though, while he was expecting Wonsik to be at the door waiting for him, there was no sign of the boy anywhere throughout the halls. Leo looked unsteady and almost disappointed that Ravi hadn't shown, but it was understandable. He had his own classes and friends to worry about after all.
"Room 0206. He has gym next, but it's not like he ever attends." Sanghyuk whispered from behind Leo's broad shoulders, a smirk curling through his lips. "Go get him. He'd probably sit in with you for your next class."
Leo's cheeks lightly flushed pink, a shy grin spilling onto him as he hit Hyuk in the chest. Embarrassed and called out, Leo quickly muttered, "Yah, it's not like I need him. I just met him." This gave Sanghyuk another smile as he jokingly recoiled from the weak hit. Both of them knew Ravi had a soft spot for the transfer, for whatever reason it would be, and they were going to make sure both of the boys were as happy as could be.
"Yeah, yeah, sur-"
"Excuse me, are you Leo?" A short girl stopped in front of Leo; she had her head tilted down, biting her lip. Auburn hair fell around her frame gently, long enough to flow half-way down her chest. The uniform she wore has fitted tightly, the skirt barely reaching the bottom of her thighs. 'Just a shallow model wannabe,' Sanghyuk thought, hoping that Leo wouldn't answer her. "I've heard a lot about you, hun-"
"Yeah yeah. You want my number?" Leo said bitterly, tone unlike how he had spoken to Hyuk just a second before. The statement startled the other boy greatly, to say the least. He wasn't really going to give this... girl his phone number, right? "It's too bad. I'm not into girls..." He paused for a second, knowing he should continue. But what do you say after something like that? "T—that only have their looks going for them." Phew, a save.
"Are you serious? That's your fault then!" The girl scoffed and turned her back, making sure to have her hair whip Leo. Unknown to the two in the catfight, Sanghyuk had started recording the ordeal. Even before Leo uttered his first clap back. "I'll make you regret this, Leo." She muttered cruelly.
"Oh, don't worry, I won't regret this. And I won't waste my time think about it either, because you don't deserve the headspace." Leo delivered the last clap back and strutted away, calm and confident, making sure to run into the girl on his way past.
"Oh, goddamn... That was harsh!"