Nahee's eyes were shrunk on the disgusted pool. In just one glance newmoon knew how much he was fed up with the so-called thing 'best friends'. And why wouldn't he? Ever since he sat in the class he had never seen a pair more often than he had ever seen in his entire life. Now thinking back he realized it.
Having listened to his gossip, Newmoon responds with just a long 'ohh' as a gesture of understanding. While in truth he was puzzled considering what to answer.
"However having said that, there is an exception pair though!"
Newmoon, "?"
"Woah! Didn't expect that from you!" Nahee tried to be impersonated in a newmoon tone.
"This thought must have reached you first right?"
Nahee laughed while having hit on the nail newmoon on the other side, coughed.
He wasn't wrong.
This time a faint of admiration and respect was glittering through his eyes which was undoubtedly unusual.
"Within the entire school, there is one pair who outstands from the rest of the crowd."
Pulling his chest, he began to continue, "Rumors have it, they've been close to each other since kindergarten."
For some unknown reason, Newmoon flinched, "…"
"Like would you believe that? Before I realized I thought this sort of shit only happens in the drama but no! Their case here is entirely on a different level. Not only do they look alike, but they're also even on the same level when it comes to academics, height, weight, and mesmerizing appearances as well. Now isn't that strange?"
For the first time in his whole life, Newmoon was struck with something..unfamiliar emotions and subconsciously got intrigued by it.
"Looking at them, the meaning of the best friend reflects in the utmost manner. Other students should learn from it. Everyone including me is swayed by their friendship and felt envious yet happy at the same time too! They're taken as a perfect example of friends."
Each word by word, newmoon unconsciously was dragged into the curiosity. All this time, he was all alone and barely managed to get to school due to family financial conditions as well as because of his excellent grade. And amidst it, forget about making friends. Even if he luckily made few of them, his dad who has a weird or god knows what belief system carried, his friendship would ruin for either one reason or another.
As if the dull memories floated around his mind, he dropped his small eyelids. Newmoon whose face shape was already small, now recalling the past made it shrunk even smaller almost like a cricket ball.
"…"
Meanwhile, nahee kept on chattering and chattering not until suddenly his tone converted into a serious one.
"Taking things aside, if you ever wanted to know or feel what true friendship looks like, then you should take a glimpse of them and you'll instantly feel the undesirable warmth of their love!"
Hearing the last sentences, newmoon was startled. It wasn't the case of being shocked or surprised rather it was something else.. ~badump~
as though he was wakened up from a deep sleep!
With a pause, before he could organize his thoughts, he blurted out straightly, "Are they here today?"
"Um..m let me think..!"
He put his hands on his chin and rubbed gently as though he was thinking seriously.
"I-I'm not quite sure. Cause if they were then, then the hallway would be crowded as fuck with a bunch of girls ya know-?"
"Woah! Our newmoon here is hella curious too!"
He jumped in enthusiasm.
Newmoon flushed and freaked out, "W-Well isn't it a given thing to become curious now when you're speaking about someone so highly and admirably? Isn't it natural?"
"I know I know dude. Unfortunately, your luck is bad today. Who knows if they will come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?"
"I see!"
Alongside his tone, his expression also faltered a bit as though he was disappointed upon knowing the assumption of here.
…
In the evening, a loud shouting and a weeping sound echoed in the entire house once again like the earlier morning. But this time it was john and dad instead of newmoon and dad. Mum rushed to the sitting room in agitated body postures. Hearing the ruckus already getting on her nerve and the increasing violet yelling and hiccups of john made her uncontrollable to withstand.
"Dad! Would you kindly stop shouting and beating him?"
Mum requested.
"Don't get involved mum. I'm trying to teach him. It's been half an hour already and yet he hasn't memorized a single thing of multiplication."
"And by beating he would learn it?"
Mum asked.
"Of course, he should! Either hook or crook! Now go away! He has to learn."
Dad insisted.
Luckily, newmoon was reading on her own on the balcony. Hearing the loud sound of beating and the ranged of his dad never failed newmoon to shudder. It was a blessing he learned the basics from his Jina noona, otherwise, it would have been the same for newmoon too. Back then, when they were small their dad used to work at the faraway capital and just recently returned after having saved a bit.
That was the main reason he was being saved from attacks of dad. Or who knew if his memories were blurred or lost from the direct hit of his dad beating too? Every once in a while he doubted it and sneakily used to ask the truth about dad to his mum.
John's face was covered with a nasal discharge, eyes teary, and a mark of five fingers on his both cheeks. Seeing such a poor and pitiful side of small john, mum's eyes twitched. Although it was important to study, still whose mother's heart wouldn't be throbbed after witnessing such a scene?
She carried little john and began to walk towards the balcony as though she wanted to cover for her husband's actions.
Dad didn't even bother to stop mum from taking away john because he knew she wouldn't listen to him when she was angered.
And the answer would be the same as always,
"Learning should be enjoyable, not forceful! If he did wrong, then you should use love language and emotions instead of violence."
It meant he should stop and not push him further.
The only thing he said in return was, "Because of you, one day all the children would take a wrong path! Remember that!"
Then, he walked away in anger.
As soon as his dad's figure disappeared, john started to cry his balls out. It was very obvious that he had been controlling himself from not bursting out in front of dad due to fear. Now he was distant from him and in the warmth shadow of mum, he got relaxed.
"There! There, john should listen to his father too and better pay extra attention to the lesson from now on okay?"
Mum's voice was much softer and gentler than the rays of the dusk sun at the moment. It was a rare sight to witness that. Newmoon only dazed at them from the balcony.
…
A couple of days passed out similarly. At school, the teacher divided the whole students into 3-4 sections. When nahee confessed the first day was the quietest day ever, then he wasn't bluffing at all. Newmoon witnessed it with his own eyes.
To talk about luck, nahee and newmoon were separated into two different sections. His one and only friend! With a heavy and pounded heart, he was compelled to be forced to accept the truth and moved on.
With the flow of pace, the classes began to start. It has been a week already and yet the whereabouts of the famous best friend pair were still unknown. There were rumors about how they were transferred to the other school and blah blah blah.
Newmoon could only hopelessly wait for the time to unfold the truth itself. Within this period, his curiosity also evolved to a much higher level. Whenever they got a break, nahee used to tag along and speak nothing more than the best friend pair. Naturally, it triggered a newmoon psychologically.
Extra more days unfolded in a snap of the finger. But for some reason, it felt like a month to newmoon. One morning when he was about to leave the home for school with his younger brother, His mum gave him a shout, "Newmoon! Aren't you gonna read your horoscope today?"
Back then, newmoon had developed an interest in a weird field. Since the day after the first day, he had been non-stop looking at the horoscope as though he was searching for clues for something. After looking through his horoscope, he would look forward to the day hoping to see the pair but every expectation turned into a disappointment.
With a pause, he denied in a down tone, "Nah! Forget it!"
Turning a deaf ear to him, the next second, mum yelled from the inside in a hurried voice as though she didn't want him to return from his way.
"Pieces, your day is going to be exceptional today! You'll be blessed by both gods as well as the universe. By divine grace, you are going to meet the most significant and precious person in your life who will undoubtedly change your life forever. Overall, the day will be in your favor. However, be aware of the mass number of people and do not make any kind of rash decision. Especially today, as it might lure unnecessary problems, losses, and obstacles in your upcoming future! Good luck!"
Taking a deep breath, mum finishes it.
"Did you hear it now..newmoon? Now go!"
__
Newmoon had long dashed away the moment he heard the first letter of 'P' from pieces. Somehow his belief got crushed while waiting for all those times.
It hasn't been a minute, and newmoon had plopped on his seat, and he heard the loud footsteps coming towards him.
Furious and frantic, Nahee popped out of blue. He gasps,
"Huff! H-Hey let's go! They have come! T-They are here!"
Newmoon,"?"
After gathering their breath, he announced, "The pair are here!"
The second newmoon heard it, his eyes shot up. Immediately afterward he stood up and followed nahee without questions.
With a 'tapa~tapa,' they headed towards the right side of the hallway. Each time newmoon took one step his heart thumped weirdly.
"Finally! The day has come. I get to see them. Finally- I get to see her-?"
His soul left the moment he saw the back silhouette of the two tall boys. They were circled by the huge crowd of girls.
"Huh???"
In a pale expression, he pulled the shirt of the nahee beside him, "H-Hey don't tell me it's a boy?"
"What are blabbering on?"
"It's a b-boys!"
"It is a boy-?"
Only when he saw the pale expression of newmoon which was white as a sheet of paper did nahee discover there has been a big misunderstanding between them. Quickly it was the nahee whose face turned white afterward. He pulled newmoon back at the end of the hustle and bustle and interrogated him.
"What a disappointed look in your eyes! Did you perhaps think I was talking about girls?"
Indeed it was. From the way, nahee was complimenting about the pair and complaining about the rest of the girl's pair surely hinted towards the girls right? He never mentioned the word 'boys'. And the way he was admiring with his little twinkling eyes, added a misunderstanding point to him.
Newmoon wanted to argue with the facts that he was the one who feed him the wrong points in the first place but held back knowing there was no point in talking.
Maybe his assumption also added a plus point. Until a few minutes ago, he had never thought boys would also be best friends at least from what he had learned and knew according to the others. But the reality hit him at home.
"H-hey? Why don't you answer my question?"
Right at that time, the bell rang and everybody started to move back to their respective class. No matter how much nahee tried to wake newmoon up he didn't. In the end, he left and returned to the class.
"I thought it was a girl?"
The same question was still in his thoughts to the point he didn't hear the big bell ringing in his ears.
"I had my hopes high for nothing?"
While he was muttering underneath, his eyes unconsciously got swayed and locked on one of the pair that he saw the back of the person earlier.
He was hella tall, with short thick black abyss hair and a pale complexion. A v-shaped face with brown eyes. Undoubtedly, at first glance, the word 'So handsome' popped into his head. He never knew the thick common black hair would suit anyone until he saw that person. Maybe because of his pale skin? He didn't know!
Seeing newmoon on the outside of the window, that person calmly smiled and sat down.
"…"
Before this, He was never so much invested and focused on either something or somebody. Gradually, his eyes once again shifted to the left side of the person beside him.
As far as his memories served him well, that person must be his pair. He had only seen a back of them, but he knew the other was him.
A tall figure, similar short thick black hair, and a milky complexion. His eyes were brown too but his face counter was oval shaped. Other than that he looked the same as his pair. It would be unbelievable if somebody says they aren't a twin. Both of them seemed to be in the middle of the talk of something when the left side smiled softly.
The cheeks slowly lifted upwards as his lips gradually turned curved. A deep dimple appeared on the right side of the cheeks. And the fact newmoon could only the saw the right side of it, he witnessed the only right side of it. It was the most calming and heartwarming smile he ever saw. It was almost the same when he felt it from the tone of mum back on the balcony.
It a such a rare smile.
"…"
~Badump~
It was the first and last unusual heartbeat he had ever felt.
With a 'twack' sound, the teacher hit the newmoon's head with his notebook.
"What are you standing here for? Didn't you hear the bell ring?"
Finally, in the end, he woke up and instantly looked around in search of these and other students, but it was too late to search for them.
"Now go to class already! Which class are you in?"
Before getting into a deep conversation which might leave him in an unpromising situation newmoon fled away.
…
He returned to the classroom before the homeroom teacher. He sat on his chair and began to mumble underneath, "H-How can they? How can they resemble so many traits with each other?"
Just as nahee predicted, with a faint glance he realized why and how they were able to protect their bond for such several years.
…
At lunch break, One more time, here and newmoon got together and began to discuss the same matter as always. While newmoon's condition was similar to the earlier morning.
"H-how can they? How can they resemble so many traits with each other?"
At this point, he had been chanting it more than ten thousand times.
"How can one distinguish them?"
Listening to it, nahee replied, "If you take a good look at them, one of them has a deep dimple on the right side."
Hearing the 2nd sentence, newmoon perked his ear and he recalled the same dimple that he saw on one of them.
Yawning over, nahee stretched his arms and said lazily, "Though it took me a few weeks to notice that difference."
"What's their name?"
Newmoon wonder.
"Oh! The dimple boy is named 'Yoo Minhae' and the other one is 'Is Ahn Oasis'!
Newmoon nodded with a long 'I see'.
"And about that absence, I heard oasis's grandpa died! And Minhae didn't come to school because he accompanied him and waited for him to join the classes together."
"Now isn't that a pleasant thing to hear?"
Their nahee goes being fanboying to them.
"How lucky they're to meet each other? Minhae waiting for oasis and vice-versa. Their friendship is what lacks in today's world. Gosh! I wish I would be in their section too!"
Raising his eyebrows, newmoon questioned him in a puzzled state, "Come to think of it, didn't you say there is always a seat management system here? Then how come they're always-
"- It's because the whole teacher adores them!"
"?..Is it valid to discriminate?"
"Listen, the first and foremost thing that needed to be the pupil of the teacher's eyes is academics boy academics! If that requirement is settled then you're in the advantageous part. And in the case of Minhae and Oasis, not only they excelled in their studies they were also disciplined, obedient, and most importantly handsome! That's why they are always free to sit whenever they want."
"Then, they must be exceptive."
Newmoon secretly thought.
The words 'best friend' and 'friend' were like a foreign word to him. Only for a brief period, he felt the bond though most of it was a theory presented by Nahee. In a normal person's eyes, those pair weren't something big, just a medium to feel envious or pleasant like how nahee viewed them but there was something else that feed the curiosity of newmoon, a magnet that attracted them.
As they were returning to the class after roaming here and there and patiently waiting for lunchtime to be over, they encountered some incident on the way.
Without taking a mere glance at it, Nahee pulled newmoon's elbow in the opposite direction as though he sensed something wrong.
Newmoon, "?"
Before he could open his mouth to ask about his weird behavior, he heard the loud 'Thud' that echoed from the backyard of the building.
God knows what hit him at that time, did he decide to walk towards the sound?
Nahee couldn't stop him. Leaving him there, only he went to the backyard.
When he reached the destination, his eyes bulged out in bewilderment. A bunch of big, bulky boys whose height was like a tall poll was busy beating the crap out of one boy.