Chapter Eighty-one (1/2)

Wonwoo looked up at Renjun who entered the study room.  His expression was the same as that at the dinner table the night before.  The boy bowed and took a seat, looking at Wonwoo for a moment before down at the table again. "Your mother told me you made an A on your exam today."  Wonwoo said, looking at his phone for a moment.  "I hadn't even taught you much, you know."  He chuckled. Renjun shrugged.  "Here, make me a paragraph."  Wonwoo put the paper and pencil on the desk for the boy.

The boy calmly reached for the pencil.  "You know, before you start that,"  Wonwoo held his hand, "what's making you act so differently?  Ever since you were at the dining table and now, you seem.. not Renjun."  He said. The boy put the pencil down on the paper.  "I get hyper when I'm excited or don't take my pills."  He said.  "But my mom made sure I took it today instead of just throwing it in the pond on my way to school."  Renjun explained.

Wonwoo was speechless.  "Oh.."  Is all he could say. "Meet the serious and mature Renjun."  The boy said.  "I will write your paragraph now."  He picked the pencil up once more.

Wonwoo folded his arms and watched the boy write.  He didn't erase once and looked away when he was finished.  He handed the paper to Wonwoo silently.  Wonwoo cleared his throat.  "Let's see what Renjun did today."  He smiled at the boy. "Yesterday, my mother hired a tutor for me.  His name is Jeon Wonwoo, and he reminds me of my dad when he used to live with us.  He taught me verb tenses and how to separate thoughts that do not go together.  I met his family at dinner.  I enjoyed the chicken and Dino's company the most.."  Wonwoo read aloud, unknowing to him that Renjun was already opening the door to the study room. "I received an A today for my grammar test.  Like I told the teacher the day before, I do not need a tutor.  Is it wrong that I made a bad grade just to meet kind people..?"  Wonwoo looked up from the page. He dropped the paper when he realized that Renjun wasn't in the room.  "Renjun?"  He called out. He opened the door and looked around.  He went down a flight of stairs and saw the boy exiting the school building.  He quickly made his way to the boy, holding his hand gently.  "Renjun.."  He sighed.

"I'm sorry for wasting your time on me, teacher Jeon."  Renjun bowed.  Wonwoo shook his head and walked Renjun to a table nearby.  He doesn't exactly know the layout of this high school, but he knows well enough that this is a table students use during their breaks.  "Renjun,"  He started, "don't feel bad, okay?"  He said. The boy just looked at the table.  "You weren't a waste of my time.  No student of mine will ever be a waste of time."  He promised.  "You faked being bad at grammar.. But why?"  He asked.  "I'd like to know.."

The boy put his arms on the table and put his chin on his arms.  "I don't know.. It was something I did off my pills."  He said.  "I'm always so.. Stupid when I don't take them."  He pouted. Wonwoo shook his head.  "Honestly, it was hard to keep up with you, but I liked the playful Renjun better."  He said.  "It's not my place to tell you what to do, but.. Just take care of yourself."  He requested. "You seem to really like Dino, too."  Wonwoo mentioned.  "He's looking forward to baking with you."  He said.

Renjun looked at him with a raised eyebrow.  In Wonwoo's opinion, the boy is still acting as cute as he was yesterday.  "Is.. it that noticeable?"  He asked. Wonwoo chuckled.  "I've been in love my own self, and I still very much am."  He started, leaning back against the chair while silently tapping on the table.  "It doesn't take looks for someone to feel a connection.  Rather, it's more of an emotional attachment that makes us feel a certain way toward someone. "For example, you find me like your father.  Perhaps that's not a bad thing, but I made you feel a certain way that you're not the happiest about.  However, you don't hate me."  He said and the boy nodded.  "And Seungcheol intimidates you.." Renjun nodded.  "He sort of reminded me of my mother."  He admitted.  "Whenever she's around.. I just get so stiff.  Like I did something wrong."  He held his waist nervously. "But Dino.."  Wonwoo said.  "Dino made you comfortable.  Maybe your other friends here make you comfortable, but Dino made your heart at ease, didn't he?"  He asked.

The boy nodded and started lightly tapping on the table.  "Right..  I'm still nervous around my friends, but Dino really made me happy."  He said.  "You'll have to tell him I'm sorry that I can't bake with him today."  He started silently tapping the floor. Wonwoo sighed.  "He's going to be upset.. He's really looking forward to you being his taste-tester."  He said. "I'm sorry, teacher Jeon.  I just know I can't."  He stood up.  "I gotta go.."  He bowed and started speed walking away.

Wonwoo saw the boy walk up to a woman.  She had a water bottle with her as well as a medicine bottle.  I shouldn't be watching..  Wonwoo's eyes narrow on the woman who pushed the pill into the boy's mouth.  He took his glasses off, thus making it so he can't see that far away.  He sighed and stood up. He retrieved his things from the study room and then made his way back home.  By the time he set his bike in the garage, it was just about dinner time.  He looked around at the others and noticed Dino looking around him.  "Renjun isn't here."  He said.  "He got an A, so my time with him came to an end."  He said as he sat down at the table. "Wow.."  Dino faked a smile.  "I guess you really are a good tutor, Hyung."

Wonwoo nodded slowly.  "Yeah.."  He looked around the table before picking up his glass of water.

*** The week passes by, making it Saturday.  Jeonghan taps on his arms as he has memories coming to him.  He looked at Woozi with an upset glare, a pout more like it.  Woozi noticed the upset glare.  He put down his book and raised an eyebrow.  "What's up with you?"  He asked. "For some reason.. I keep having this vision of me shouting at Sungjae.."  He said.  "Aren't you usually with Yeosang?"  He asked. Woozi sighed and closed his book.  "He's working at his mom's tailoring shop.  And Dokeyom's up in his room doing vocal exercises."  He replied.  Jeonghan hummed.  "For some reason, I really wanna punch Sungjae in the face.."  He muttered.  "Should we go see him?"  "You do know he lives in Suji-gu, right?"  Woozi asked with an interested glare. "You do know I can drive, right?"  Jeonghan replied with a sassy tone and a raised eyebrow. Woozi chuckled and stood up when the parent did. "Looks like Jae will come to an empty house then."  He said with a chuckle.  "Let's go."  He walked to the front door.

Jeonghan slipped his shoes on, unlocking the van for Woozi to sit in the passenger's seat.  He then started the engine and put Sungjae's address in his phone.

Woozi is surprised to say the least.  Jeonghan usually isn't one for violence, so for him to literally drive an hour and a half to go to a boy’s house to punch him is very unusual.  Woozi would be foolish to not come along, especially with the parent seeming to be at the boy's apartment the other day.

Yeosang mentioned it to him yesterday that he knows for a fact that Jeonghan went into the apartment with Sungjae.  Woozi can't argue that doubt is in his mind.  Doubt that he was actually at the apartment, and doubt that he wasn't at the apartment.  Vernon was busy with his farmer aesthetic, making it easy to not notice Jeonghan absent.  He followed the parent to the front door.  Jeonghan rang the doorbell and was greeted by the man of the house.

"Mr. Yoon?"  Sungjae was surprised.  "Come in."  He made room."I'd like to talk to you if you have time."  Jeonghan said as he took his shoes off. Sungjae looked back at them.  "Unfortunately, I need to make a call with a client."  He said.  "But it shouldn't take too long.  Go ahead and look around while you wait."  He permitted, knowing that the adults would be kids and snoop anyway.

"Anywhere?"  Jeonghan asked with a playful smile.

Yuhp, he's a kid.. "Sure, anywhere.  Just don't tell Dokyeom what's in the basement.  I'd rather it be a secret until the next time he comes over."  He said respectfully before bowing.

Jeonghan watched the boy go upstairs.  He looked at Woozi.  "Well obviously we're going in the basement."  He pointed to the door.

Woozi smirked and followed the parent once more.  He was speechless when they saw what was displayed right in the center of the large basement.

Jeonghan's eyes go wide seeing it.  "He made a wood carving of the cherry blossom tree from stork school.."  Woozi stood closer to it.  "He and Dokyeom used to spend their class breaks under the tree while Yeosang and I went to a large oak tree."  He explained.

He noticed that every leaf was hand painted carefully.  "Why did you spend your breaks outside the buildings?"  Jeonghan asked.

"Everything was the same,"  Woozi started, "the classrooms all looked the same.  The schedules were the same.  The classmates were the same.  And the rude and tiresome teacher made us stress over everything."  He signed.  "Once in a while, we needed a break, and so we would just sit quietly.." Jeonghan furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the grass under the tree.  "Although I really dislike Sungjae, sometimes I want to thank him for making Dokyeom smile.."  He said, looking at a dove that was being made on a countertop.  "After finding out we were crows and doves, everything changed for us.

"Dokyeom was really depressed.  I'll admit it, even I wasn't so happy.."  He looked at Jeonghan.  "Sungjae always knew he wasn't wanted, but he did everything he could to keep Dokyeom smiling.." Jeonghan looked at the tree once more.  "We should go up."  He said, walking to the stairs.