And soon followed by the 'THUD' sound of someone hitting the floor.
The slipper he wore coming there was a mile away from his original body exactly under newmoon's feet. He flew far away.
Witnessing the door knob moving on its own was already creepy enough for him too scared and then out of the blue a newmoon's ghostly face? No wonder he threw himself far away in shock.
One hand was placed on his heart and the other pointed at his face. He shuttered, "Y-You what's that dark colors under your eyes?"
Newmoon touched gently and circled his eyes bags while taking a quick short glance at the inside mirror which was joined in the bathroom, "Oh, these are dark circles. I haven't been sleeping these days maybe that's why?"
He muttered to himself.
On the other side, Aiden sneakily lowered his gaze down to his chest and silently closed his eyes in relief, "Thank god it is beating. I almost went into a cardiac arrest."
A second passed and somehow familiar feelings resurfaced in his heart. His memory swiftly shifted back to the place where he had a similar near-to-death experience when newmoon encountered the truth. It sure was the worst nightmare in his whole life. Thinking about it, Aiden could only shudder as if he wanted to brush it off from his memory for once and for all and hurriedly smacked his hands away from his chest.
Newmoon walked out of the bathroom with some sort of notebook. Once again it catches Aiden's attention who was already on his feet by then.
"What's that?"
He asked.
"It's a notebook: a collection of some highlighted key points!"
"?"
A long silence fell upon them. A minute later, Aiden's face turned pale as a sheet of white paper.
"D-Don't tell me you were pooping while studying?"
Newmoon glanced at him with an unsurprised face. His expression shows 'And what's wrong with that? Isn't it like killing two birds at once?'
Aiden, "…"
From that day onwards Aiden was left speechless by every behavior he would see from newmoon time to time. He always finds various notebooks glued to the newmoon's hands despite the location for example, while brushing, getting ready for the exam day, and even when cooking. An actual 'nerd' he had never got interacted with. The only spot where he didn't keep his notebook was when eating. And the reason?
"Because..there's a saying that 'If you read while eating, then all of your knowledge will go down on your stomach along with food, get digest and come out as a stool instead of going into the brain!'"
"In one word, It goes 'waste.'"
Hearing such words from his mouth, Aiden almost got choked on his food.
His eyes widened with a huge question mark and the phrases 'WTF? A myth?, A saying?, Whose saying is that?, A quote? How come I've never heard off?' kept on evaporating from his expressions.
Little did he know what he had seen was just a trailer and not the whole picture.
…
One morning, Newmoon finished his meal earlier than usual, and immediately the next second he hop out. Maybe he was running out of time.
Yeah! Other than that no theory could support his actions. Aiden believed that too. Both grandma and Mrs. Songs were out of town during that period leaving only Aiden and newmoon at home. A few moments later, Aiden decided to head towards his room lazily from the kitchen where his entire body even his tiny body hair stood to its end.
As far as his memory served him, newmoon who was supposed to be in his way was still standing in front of the door, facing the door off course.
"??"
The fact he had been in several shocking situations made his heart somewhat stronger. Neither he flew away in horror nor did he shout. Just his heart skip a bit.
The moment he was about to open his mouth, he halted as he heard somebody muttering.
And it was coming from newmoon's body.
Forget about asking! He slowly approached him perking his ear more than his body as if he was trying to hear it.
"…"
It almost sounded as though someone was casting their evil spell, mumbling the entire process. Now he was scared. Though he didn't believe in the superstitious part still anybody would go crazy after finding and living with newmoon.
Taking courage he puffed his chest, "W-What are you muttering, N-Newmoon?"
The whispering stopped in a second.
Without turning around, Newmoon spoke with a pause, "I was just revising some theory."
Then he left. Obviously, because he interrupted in the middle of her revision ritual. Once again, Aiden was left speechless with a pale blank expression.
Sentences hardly escaped through his tightly shut lips, "..He is crazy!"
…
Similarly, Days passed on without looking back. As for newmoon, it was the same as usual. After he had encountered that incident, something inside him changed overnight. All the hard and negative feelings would be carried with him vanished without a trace. Maybe he lacked ambition after all. Right at the moment, His only goal was to ace the 1st-semester exam and showed it to his noona and the so-called family. He couldn't compete with them with money and property so the only thing he could and had was an 'education.'
For them, it was the only way to slap their face without touching their face and shut their mouth without bothering to close their lips.
And the days of reaping crops were over. Newmoon got out of the exam hall holding an expression of 'On the verge of dying on his face.' Suddenly he felt a huge ton of weight being attached to his legs making him extremely difficult to take a step forward. Although he was tired and exhausted the other day too, still the aftermath wasn't this worse. Maybe cause his body and mind had finally given up.
Seeing the bench on the other side of the corner, he decided to sit down for a few minutes to gain control of his legs.
"Haa~"
He exhaled a long, very long sigh.
Finally, his body felt a little light compared to earlier. His arms and legs all were in their position and direction as though they had taken control themselves.
His tired and half-opened eyes fall on the bunch of students where they're busy returning to their fellow destinations. He could hear the hustle and bustle of their rapid movements and the noises of the crowd. Surprisingly, His eyes then followed the rays of sunlight that were reflecting and shining so brightly on the forehead of some respected golden statue in the garden which caused his eyes to shut abruptly.
A red gush of sunlight appeared when he closed his eyes. He subconsciously pulled his face upwards and faced towards the direct sun in a way as that he didn't want to let go of the blood-red light from his eyes. It was meant to be dark but the fallen rays made his pupil go bright for a while. It's been a while since his body and mind were blank for good. His muscles around the eyes got warmed, and relaxed, and his chest was relieved as though he was absorbing the positive light from his eyes. An unfamiliar warmth dissolved in his whole body.
"…"
Little did he know all of these actions were creepy as well as strange in the eyes of others. There wasn't a single living soul who didn't turn over to him or pointed their fingers at him. Some laughed, probably making jokes about him. While the rest of them only stared and wonder what the fuck he was doing. Was he sunbathing? A moment of silence for peace? For deceased soul? Directly absorbing vitamin D? Everyone thought differently. Those who failed to contain their curiosity and laughter ended up taking his photos too.
Still, Newmoon could care less about them. He still stayed unmoved.
"OI…?"
A familiar voice woke his eyes. The soft smile pitifully came to an end.
Following the voice, Newmoon turned left while still unable to open their eyes fully.
Although he couldn't recognize the face cause his eyes were still blurry from the direct hit of light. It took a minute to identify the person's face.
As assumed, It was April.
Her eyes were dazzling brightly like a night star. He contracts his legs and maintains his sloppy posture straight.
"How did your papers go?"
She asked excitedly as she sat casually beside him.
Seeing her out of a sudden threw him off guard. He should at least be thankful that he didn't see her during the exams or else.
He nodded, "Um, Thanks to you, It was good!"
The sentence, 'Thanks to you' referred to a whole lot of things. First of all, he was thankful she listened to his advice at the Han-river, second; He was thankful she was living her life best and third he was thankful she was there for him when he was at worst. There were a lot of trivial matters that he still owe and felt thankful that she trying to be friendlier to him.
But he was focused on the main key points now. He didn't get to say these words cause he was busy with his own goals and so was April. He thought so.
April immediately protested, "No-No! Don't say that. If anyone should be saying that then it should be me! I'm Thankful for you instead."
Somehow the next sentence that got out from her lips was a little surprising set, "You might not know but I-I owe you!"
It wasn't her words. There was nothing wrong with it. What was wrong and surprised me was her expression. Not only it sounded heavy but her eyelids were as well.
"..What was that?.. Is it only me or she seems somewhat guil-?"
A voice in his mind responds to the reaction.
She quickly retracted her eyes and smile enthusiastically.
"…"
Newton just stared at her. Seeing how she was able to smile even after going through much scratched his curiosity.
"W-Wait there is something on your lips!"
April commented with naïve, wondering eyes.
Newmoon, "…"
"Yes, She is indeed strong. I envy her courage. She is opposite to me."
Falling into the deep thoughts of his assumptions, he unknowingly leaned forward as if he wanted her to give him a hand.
"…She who is bright as a flower and I are nowhere near to?????"
He flinched.
A cold finger pressed his warm lips. Instantly waking him up from his dream world. The next second he finds himself frozen on the spot unable to even blink let alone about movement.
Pointing at her fingers, She blinked, "There was eyelash laid on your lips."
Suddenly Newmoon's whole face turned red as erupting volcano, cracking the ice internally. Somewhere inside his heart skipped once and began to beat hard as though he was about to have a cardiac arrest. It was a familiar feeling that he had once experienced before When she lowered her umbrella for him and when he locked his eyes with her at the very next second. The other time when she suddenly clasped his hand and dragged him to her working place.
Undoubtedly, he has woken up. He hadn't been in such a clear awoke state as he was in that time. Adding the fuel to the fire, his face flushed.
"…N-No way!"
He felt hot in the ear area and face to the point where he knew he had completely lost his cool. He turned to the right side as quickly as possible.
Once again his gaze halted when he spot another familiar face not too far from his position.
To talk about luck, That person happened to stare at him right back at the same moment too!
Those shivered gaze was non-other than from 'Haemin'!!
"…"
"…"
The honest phrase, "I'm fucked" was vividly hung in his face.
As though haemin on the other side understand that he turned his gaze and walked beside him silently.
"…"
In an instant, all his redness and flushed face vanished in min. He was back to his original body and posture. The only missing piece was his soul.
April was bewildered by his reaction too.
Another familiar voice sounded far, "Newmoon oppa~"
Newmoon, "?"
Only when he saw sanghae did his soul return.
"Are you okay? Oppa?"
By the time she came near, her face wrinkled in worried.
"I'm fine!"
He answered in a normal tone.
"Really? But your face says otherwise, especially your eyes?"
She was referring to his dark circles. His dark circles evolved largely and spread down to the cheeks almost touching the fine line of the lips.
April, "…"
Shanghai was oddly happy for some reason.
Her eyes reflected light, "You know I have a hunch you and haemin Oppa will ace the exam."
*COUGH*
Newmoon almost got choked hearing her assumption. It wasn't like he lacked confidence in his exams but the way she joined his name along with haemin. It bought the bitter memory of earlier.
Swallowing his saliva, he replied with a small smile as if her words captivated him, "Ahem! Let's not go that far."
"Instead, Tell me about yours. How did it go?"
As soon as she heard it, she paused and widened his eyes as if she didn't believe what she just heard.
April on the other side kept on glancing at them in surprise, "…"
"O-Ohh me?"
She rubbed her back, "Let's hope it will be ok?"
That means she didn't want to talk on that topic. The smile she was wearing covered her awkwardness. As someone who once went through the same point as her, he felt her and stop.
Sanghae kept on standing and asked the same question to April too. She was excited and more talkative than way before. And why wouldn't she be? Finally, She was able to melt the newmoon's heart and be able to talk with him for the first time after several failed attempts of being simply friendlier.
"Sanghae!! hurry up! We're gonna leave in a min!"
One of the girls shouted sangha from far away. 3-4 girls were standing at the corner. They probably were waiting for her.
She returned a gesture of "Oh sure! Just a min!" to them.
Immediately afterward, she took out her phone,
"U-Um Can I get your number Newmoon Oppa?"
Newmoon, "?"
She flushed and quickly defend herself as if she thought she was been taken wrong, "N-No I don't have any ulterior motive though!"
Now that was unexpected. For newmoon, he never wanted to be that close to others so he hesitated a little before he opened his mouth. He was in a tight position. He wanted to reject but the fact she had already handed her phone to him and they seem to talk fine too..? if he reject after all then won't he seem like some flirty guy? But…
"U-Um"
Sanghae quickly hands her phone to his hands so that he can't deny it. Maybe she read his aura and came up with a full-proof plan so that she can't fail.
Newmoon looked at her, "?"
Sanghae didn't say anything but kept on cunningly smiling.
Newmoon typed his phone number hopelessly and secretly regretted his decision of talking to her too.
"OH, thanks a ton, Oppa!!"
She shone in a joyous tone.
"But- I warned you that my phone is currently dead."
"SANGHAE…!!!! HURRY UP!"
"WE'RE LEAVING"
The others girls were running out of patience.
"-So, my phone might not be available when you-"
Sanghae placed a small piece of paper in his hands, "Then, why not you keep my phone number too? Just to be secure. Once your phone starts to work then let me know about it. Is that alright?"
"Are you seriously asking that?"
Which was what he wanted to say but he held back. He wasn't given room to choose in the first place. In the end, he could only nod and accept it.
…
Only when she left did April open her mouth in a long silence, "I never knew you have his side too!"
"…"
He forgot for a second that he wasn't alone.
Dusting off his butt, he stood up, "I'm surprised too!"
April smirked.
"Anyway, let's call it a day! Take care!"
Then he heads on his way.
April,"…"
"Our little newmoon has grown in these days. I like this side more!"
…
After walking for a bit, newmoon sat on the bench waiting for a bus at the bus station. While looking for the bus in a faraway direction he somehow saw the familiar silhouette from beside him.
It was haemin.
"…"
He sighed in silence.
Haemin on the other hand was playing on his phone. The atmosphere became stiff in a split second. Newmoon slowly retracted his legs once again and curled to the edge of the bench.
His soul screamed in embarrassment.
He scrunched his brows and thought, "What the fuck he is still doing here? Didn't he leave a while ago?"
At home, he was compelled to live and eat with two witches and on the outside..there hasn't been a day where he didn't get contact with embarrassment. Look at now, until a while ago it was April and now a new person had joined the chat to make him uncomfortable.
"Why can't they leave me alone?"
Poor him. What could he even do in that state? His legs had long given up and so was his head too, now all he wants was to rest for a while. The fact all of the sleepless nights he had spent finally was showing its side effects now.
He slowly laid his back head on the pillar of the bus station and finally let his glued eyes stitched together.
In his heart humming, "Let's just sit like this for a few min. and when the bus comes then i--….."
Just like that he slept….!
Haemin who was busy playing God knows what suddenly dialed someone, "…Hello?"
His voice was hoarse, expression reserved.