Chapter Text
The familiar melody of gentle instruments flooded your ears as you walked down the aisle, a long white skirt draped around your legs that billowed with every step you took. You could feel the cushion of the carpet sink ever so slightly with every step you took, passing multiple pews before you found yours.
The chapel smelled of lavender incense, a distinct scent belonging to the dedicated morning worship. Students made their way in, mirroring your very actions with bowed heads as they quietly shuffled into their respective pews. Hair tidy. Clothes ironed. Shoes polished. A silent hymn of solemness dedicated to God.
As the final notes of music played, the melody faded off; the large wooden doors echoed with an ancient creak as the shy sunlight from dawn was shut out. Everyone remained silent, standing up straight as they obediently waited for the chapel's celebrant.
Father Han makes his way into view, eyes devout and serious as he steps into the sanctuary. A practiced few shuffle in behind him — altar servers with an elegant air of devotion. With trained minds the room focused, deafening silence slicing through the air as the chapel seemed to hold their breaths. Within moments he crossed the space, boys following behind as they bowed to the altar. He turned to the room, eyes not fully looking up as he signed the cross.
“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
“Amen.” the chapel sang.
“The lord be with you.”
“And with your spirit.” they echoed.
On cue, the crowd as well as the chaplain sat, eyes still trained to the front of the room as he proceeded. He offered his usual short prayer, praying for good health and for blessings among you and the other students.
“Amen.” the crowd chanted.
He finished with a welcoming smile, scanning the room as another male stepped onto the lector with practiced precision.
Straightening his vestments, Hongjoongs eyes remained on the lector in front of him, flipping through the pages with an air of disinterest. The white material rested perfectly on his shoulders, lighting up his sharp features almost angelically. His presence commanded attention, another beat of silence layering the room as he took his time. His eyes flicked up – quickly scanning the room as he cleared his throat for the first reading.
It was the same process every day — mass at 6:00, class at 7. You’d heard the same passages repeatedly, sang the same songs, and prayed the same prayers.
You scanned the room yourself, losing your dignified focus at some point. Hongjoong had been going on for a while and some people had their eyes closed, some people were fidgeting, and some listened with undivided devotion. Your eyes swept over the side of the sanctuary, where the altar servers were seated and quietly listened with full attention. Amongst your row, someone let out a quiet cough, catching the attention of one of them.
Amidst the room, your eyes met as his head turned ever so slightly. Kang Yeosang. You’d never had a conversation with him directly, but from what you could gather he was quiet, loyal, and devoted. As a perfect altar boy should be.
His expression didn’t falter as his brown eyes danced on yours, long black strands of his hair obstructing your full view of his face. He was sitting up straight, calculating eyes assessing you as he stared. You looked back at him with an equal poker face, but your cheeks betrayed you as you felt a gentle warmth creep onto them. Yeosangs gaze was alluring – dark chocolate eyes beholding yours as the readings continued. What was only a matter of seconds felt like minutes as you challenged his dark stare, only looking away when Hongjoong paused.
“The word of the Lord.” Hongjoong recites, bringing your focus back to him.
“Thanks be to God.”
Albeit your eyes focusing on Hongjoong, your mind wandered. It must have been quite repetitive being an altar boy wouldn’t it? Lighting the same candles every morning, always quietly following behind Father Han. You’d imagine it wasn’t much fun to the naked eye.
Service proceeded as usual, with Father Han wrapping it up towards the end. He finished off with a short closing prayer, the same one he said everyday.
“Lord, we thank You for the gift of this day and the chance to gather in Your presence. Please keep our students healthy and strengthen us to live according to Your Word. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
“Amen.” the church recited.
“Go in peace.” he says.
“Thanks be to God.”
Upon the chapels dismission, the chaplain moved across the sanctuary, altar boys trailing behind. One by one, you witnessed them get on one knee, making the sign of the cross before quietly proceeding into the sacristy. Yeosang was the last to kneel, bowing his head in respect as he did so. His eyes held no emotion as he turned around, white vestments flowing behind him as he disappeared along with the rest of them.
Letting out a small breath of air, you carefully turned, slowly proceeding out of your queue in line.
Exiting the chapel, you felt a wave of relief wash over you. Being cramped in a space all together every morning wasn’t exactly your ideal vision. The fresh sunlight hit your skin with a gentle warmth as the church bells resounded, serving as a warning to get to class.
The school looked the same as always — an older cream white building. The high ceilings were built into a vaulted cove, hallways lined with older unused furniture. Small tables, yellowing lamps, and colorful mosaics on the windows. It didn’t resemble a school, rather an old building that had been repurposed into one, judging by the lack of lockers and offices. It was just a cluster of different rooms that had been remodelled into classrooms.
Synchronized footsteps echoed in the stairwell as you made your way to your first class, where Sister Judy welcomed you with a warm smile.
“Goodmorning Y/N.” she greeted.
You returned her gesture with a small smile, but you knew why she greeted you so warmly. You were her favourite; a common factor among many other teachers.
Joining the school late the previous year, you didn’t expect your knowledge to be treasured as such. Teachers treated you like glass, always allowing you to lead presentations, calling on you, praising your work ethic. It wasn’t something you were against though, your grades were practically perfect in every aspect they could be — and you soon became the top student.
It had been a couple steady months of this. Everybody was aware you were the star student and almost every teachers favourite; though a certain group of students always managed to threaten your good standing. If you were the schools most prized possession, they weren’t far behind you. The altar servers were constantly praised by teachers, a common favourite amongst them as well. You could sometimes spot them passing in the halls; carrying themselves with devotion in every step as they carried out task after task for teachers. Unlike them, you weren't one to suck up to your teachers, or be quick to offer assistance – teachers simply liked you as you were naturally intelligent, quick to pick up on material as taught.
“Good morning Y/N!” Miya sang from across the room, interrupting your thoughts.
“Hi Miya” you greeted back with a warm smile, making your way over to her.
Miya was the only person you’d become close with throughout joining the school. She was your assigned next-door neighbour amongst the community your school lived in. The two of you started up a quick chat before Sister Judy began her lesson, mostly arguing over your assigned work that week.
“You said we could switch by now! I’ve been doing laundry for 2 days straight, my hands are turning into raisins, look!” Miya whined, dragging her last word out.
“Okay but you actually got assigned laundry duty” You laughed. “I just volunteered to take over when I wanted”
“Not fair.” She let out with a huff. “You said today!”
“Ugh, I’ll consider it if you leave me alone” you shot back. You had to admit, you did say Wednesday, but that argument could wait till later.
“Good morning class!” Sister Judy cut through the room, silencing your bickering and any external chatter. “Blessed be our day and may He protect us.”
“Amen.” The class repeated.
Sister Judy dove into the regular, announcing any school wide information before diving into a lesson. It was another trigonometry related lesson, and it didn’t take you so much more than a glance at the board to know what was going on.
You quickly lost interest not even halfway through, glancing at the clock. It was 8:06, and you couldn’t wait to switch classes. Mathematics were easy, all you had to do was memorize formulas and apply them – whilst rhetoric and composition allowed you to debate and have controversial opinions, albeit you didn’t have Miya with you. There was an upcoming presentation you were prepping for, and the thought of that excited you more than anything.
A knock interrupted moments later, turning your attention to the doorway. It slowly slid open, a hesitant demeanor masked by a calm face peeking in as Sister Judy turned to the door.
“Jongho! What brings you here?”
“I just have the books you asked for yesterday…I couldn’t get them until now.” Jongho mumbled shyly, clearly unwilling to interrupt the lesson.
You studied he way he carried a pile of books, strong arms shelving them with ease. His hair was slicked back, sleeves rolled up exposing his forearms. He only had a white dress shirt on, most likely opting to discard the other part of his uniform in favour of carrying the books. She continued on, but you were lost in examination as he continued shelving more books. He only took up a small corner of the classroom near the doorway, trying his best to not interrupt as the lesson continued.
Sister Judy called for notes to be taken, but your mind was blank as you watched Jongho during his heavy lifting session. You must have been visibly distracted, because Miya landed a heavy hand on your desk in front of you, finally catching your attention.
“Hello?!” she whisper shouted. “Is something of interest to you?!”
“What? No- what are you talking about?!” you whisper shouted back.
“I was asking you if you were going to take notes like she asked us to!” Miya answered in a more urgent whisper shout.
Almost instantly, her eyes straightened to the front of the room. She sat up, clearing her throat as she flipped through her papers. Following her lead, you glanced at the front and caught Sister Judys smile, which didn’t quite reach her eyes. For a moment, you think she’ll tell the both of you off for your not-so-quiet whispering.
She only lets the silence hang, leaving you and Miya to aimlessly flip through your notes as heat begins to creep up on your cheeks.
“Very well, continuing on.” She finally remarks, allowing you to exhale a breath you didn’t know you were holding.
In the corner of your eye, you spot Jonghos movement, head turning as he spots the cause of silence. His eyes meet yours, though he doesn’t let the moment last long before returning back to his dutiful work.
Proceeding back to the lesson, you mindlessly take notes as Sister Judy rambles – there was nothing that you didn’t already know.
+
When more dreadful minutes pass, mathematics finally ends. The bells chime, and you make your way down the hall, books in hand as you and Miya walk side by side. As you passed by other classrooms, you peered in out of interest. Most students were already gone, just arriving, or preparing for their next class. There was a student sat facing the board, and his long overgrown hair reminded you of Yeosangs. The way Yeosangs bangs covered his eyes a little bit, obstructing your view as you shared eye contact.
Right. The chapel this morning. Yeosang had an intense gaze for someone so quiet, sharp eyes digging into your soul. You shuddered slightly just thinking about it.
“Hey Y/N?” Miya asked.
“Mhm?”
“Why were you so distracted in class earlier?” she mused, a small smirk creeping onto her features.
“Miya- are you seriously insinuating something right now?” You asked in disbelief. No way Miya was assuming Jongho was an object of interest right now. If anything, you were just glad you had something to watch while Sister Judy rambled.
“I’m just saying there’s nothing wrong with thinking he’s hot!” Miya smiled mischievously, a fully wide grin lighting up her features. “The way you were staring at those biceps-“
“No.” you cut her off simply. “I do not think Choi Jongho is hot Miya.” You added, ensuring your tone dripped with sarcasm. “In fact, ew.”
“Hey don’t say that!” Miya elbowed you in the ribs. “Just trying to get you to find interest in someone, sorry for being a good friend” she rolled her eyes playfully.
“Whatever, see you at lunch.” You grumbled, rubbing at where she’d struck you.
Walking into your rhetoric and compositions classroom, you took a seat at the back after nodding at your teacher. You pulled your notes out, dropping your head into your hand as the bells tolled.
The class hushed, and the last person to walk in was Seonghwa. Another one of Father Hans loyal altar boys, Seonghwa was the very nature of one. Like the others, his uniform was always ironed straight, head held high as he carried himself confidently. He was modest and calculating, and you’d spoken to him a few times, being as he was in your class. Seonghwa was always polite to you, but despite your kind interactions you’d been a little afraid of him. It all felt planned, and you could swear his expression would turn dark when he thought you weren’t looking.
He flashed a polite smile at Sister Marie, aiming for the seat at the very front of the class and laying his belongings down.
Sister Marie started by bringing up your research presentation tomorrow, and continued to cover ongoing topics. You listened with interest, a stark comparison to your attitude last class. You had to admit, this was probably the only class you liked out of your current schedule.
+
Dragging yourself to the dining hall, you found Miya waiting by a mural, your usual meeting spot everyday.
The two of you grabbed your lunches, greeting the lunch ladies and taking a seat at your designated spot. The dining hall was a long hall, accompanied with 4 long tables that had benches on either side, a classic old school layout. The head of the dining hall held a tall wooden cross, and scattered on the sides of it were the food pickup lines.
Miya had quickly struck up conversation, remarking the highlights of her classes. It was mostly random topics that filled the air, sometimes Miya was in her usual habit of bugging you about boys you had no interest in, sometimes she had gossip about other students. Miya was like every other extrovert, and you wholeheartedly appreciated it – though you sometimes wished you could talk about deeper topics and controversies. She seemed to be as sheltered as the other students here, and it made you miss home. As in, home before you’d been sent to this school. It was secluded away from outside life, a so called “all inclusive religious program” that you and your parents agreed on. You had no choice but to try and have fun with your time here, though you missed living with them. Living alone wasn’t as fun as you’d expected.
“I’m so excited for retreat this year.” Miya said, eyes lighting up dreamily. She had her head in her hand as she glanced around the hall, daydreaming in her wake.
“What’s the fun of it?” you asked curiously. You’d never experienced a retreat – let alone a retreat at a religious school.
“Oh you know you get to make bonfires, sing songs, sleep in cabins together…” she trailed off, smiling. “Its fun, seriously!”
“And the religious aspect?” You asked inquisitively.
“Well- we get to confess our sins, share things amongst each other, recite passages in the woods, you know!”
You thought to yourself. It must have been refreshing to be free in the nature after being stuck in the same repetitive routine everyday. You yourself were surely getting tired of it.
“Anddd…” Miya continued, dragging the word out. “The guys look really good when they’re not in uniform.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
“Oh my Miya please” you rolled your eyes at her, albeit a smile creeping up onto your face. “If you’re talking about the Hongjoong you’re actually crazy”
“Of course I am! How could I not, he’s so good looking and well behaved!”
“Is it just because he’s an altar server?! He’s not even that good looking Miya...” you trailed off. In the distance, you could see their group sitting all together. They ate like gentleman, quiet chatter surrounding their section.
“Whatever, you’re blind.” Miya bluntly shot back, spooning some soup into her mouth.
Continuing with your meal, you wondered what Miya saw in Hongjoong of all people. He showed about as much personality as the rest of them from what you could see, quiet and painfully devoted. You couldn’t see what made him special or different from the rest of them.
+
Lunch ended swiftly and you and Miya got in the crowd to return your trays. It was always like this – messy, loud, full of people shoving as they rushed to put their trays away and get to class timely. Amidst the chaos, someone must have accidentally pushed you to the right, and a pair of hands caught your arm before you could fall.
“Thank you, ugh” you clamored, trying to straighten out your uniform and gather yourself properly. The hand still holding your arm remained there, easily closing around it fully. His large fingers squeezed again, catching your attention as you looked up at him. Oh. Interesting.
“Are you okay?” Hongjoong asked, though his brown eyes didn’t hold much concern. From your close proximity, you could assess every detail of his face without trying to. The way his baby pink lips hung slightly open as he towered over you, and messy brown hair perfectly tousled.
“Y-yeah I’m fine…” you stammered out, flustered at your realization of how this all looked.
He let go of your arm, the spot slightly stinging from how hard he held onto it. He must have been that concerned that he accidentally squeezed too hard, right? You didn’t have time to appreciate the gesture behind his actions, because sooner than you knew it you were at the front and you returned your tray, turning on your heel and maneuvering your way out of the crowd.
Miya seemed to be unaware of the exchange, probably whisked away in the chaos herself, so you opted not to feed her delusions today. It was just a simple interaction after all.
+
Finishing school was easy, just a few more hours of listening and taking occasional notes you most likely didn’t need.
You headed home on your usual route, Miya had decided to hang back since the laundry duty schedule wasn’t too long after school ended, and you only had to clean out the storage rooms this week – which you could do anytime as long as it got done. It was arguably one of the easier jobs, and if Sister Judy was in charge of assigning them that week you knew you’d get storage cleaning.
It wasn’t long till you reached home, settling in as you inhaled the comforting fragrance of your plants, the scent instantly soothing your brain. You always repotted them, taking good care in ensuring the soil was fresh – it gave you something to do amongst your stay there.
Flopping into bed, you decided to take a nap before dinner, you were sure Miya would wake you up.
As you began to drift off, a slight rustle in the bushes outside your window alerted you. Sitting up almost instantly, you could’ve sworn your eyes were playing tricks on you. The wind must have picked up as it blew by. Nonetheless, you groggily got up, shutting the blinds and proceeding back to bed.
+
You were correct. A gentle hand shook you, stirring you awake as she softly cooed.
“Hellooo? Y/N? It;s almost dinner time…”
Eyes peeling open, you discerned your surroundings before choosing a course of action. Your bright overhead light had been switched on, casting a blinding glow into your wakening eyes. Squinting, you managed to turn your head and process Miyas face, sighing in relief at the recognition.
“Good evening!” Miya greeted cheerfully. “Lets get to dinner, laundry has me tired and hungry!”
You allowed yourself to let out a small huff in response as you slowly forced your body awake. Taking a quick peek at the clock mounted by your desk, the time read 5:54. Ugh, great – now you had to rush.
You couldn’t be bothered with appearances, opting for a dark red hoodie and a pair of open legged grey sweats. Miya sat on the edge of your bed swinging her feet, completely unbothered as she scrolled on her phone. She was the only person with direct access to your house through a spare key, albeit a higher up must have had a copy as well. You combed through your hair with your fingers, wincing when they caught on a knot and tugged painfully.
Miya led the way out, tossing you your keys and pocketing hers.
+
Upon entering, the aroma of food smelled different. It was more savoury now, the scent wafting into your nose and picking up, like a bee discovering the first flower of spring. The layout looked slightly different as well, flowers subtly lining the tables in soft pastels. The difference wasn’t overwhelming, but it was enough for you to pick up.
“Miya what’s going on?” you asked as you leaned into her side.
“Oh! They’re just prepping to announce Easter dinner! Nothing special.” Miya remarked.
Right, Easter! Easter was one of your favourites, as your family would gather to eat delicious home cooked meals and celebrate God. It looked like this year would be different though, your first Easter with the program.
“I totally forgot, I guess all these past few months have felt the same that I forgot to keep track of the days.” You replied. You had honestly. Save for Christmas, not many eventful things happened during the month of January to April.
“Don’t worry it’s just a big dinner night!”
Grabbing your dinner, you couldn’t help but be curious. A big dinner night? Would it be as big as Christmas? Christmas Day was huge, the dining hall was lined with white tablecloths and red decorations, and a Christmas tree as tall as the ceiling adorned the head of it, where the cross normally sat. Gold lined the normal plain white plates, complimenting the gold confetti streamed around the place. A huge wreath sat at the entrance of the dining hall, blanketed in snow along with the rest of the exterior. A select few of the foods were unlike anything you’d tasted before, and you couldn’t believe someone’s hardworking hands managed to craft such a delicacy. You had to bless whoever was in charge of food that day.
You and Miya headed for your seats, and you eyed the food in hunger as you walked. Looking up, you found yourself passing the section where the altar boys sat, although only a few of them were gathered at the moment. You recognized San, Seonghwa, and Yunho – seated with their food although it was left untouched. Yunho had his fists tucked under his chin, looking around the table as if to pass time, and Seonghwa was spacing out, eyes locked onto the area you were passing. Although San had his back to you, it was easy to tell it was him from behind, his broad shoulders stretching his black shirt thin across them, and his black hair in a perfect cut fitting his structure.
Pause. You’d been noticing way more of them than you’d wanted to, and it was starting to bother you. You hated to admit it, but they slightly irritated you, always trying to get on the teachers good sides.
Letting out a small sigh, you continued to your spot across the room with Miya. As you two settled and put your trays down, you propped your head in your hands, staring the food down as you waited. If someone stared at you hard enough, they could probably spot hearts in your irises, hunger bubbling in your stomach. It couldn’t be long before the short reflection started.
The lights dimmed slightly, and on practiced cue, every students head simultaneously turned to the front, immediately hushing any ongoing conversation.
“Before we give thanks for this meal, I’d like to address our annual Easter dinner. This Friday, we’ll be gathered here to celebrate our Lord Jesus Christs resurrection and the new life it brings. The heart of our faith. We’d like to invite each and every one of our students to celebrate with food, fellowship, and reflection as we celebrate this joyous day.” Father Han slowly spoke, raising his glass at the end.
You listened carefully, raising your glass as he did so.
”May this season of Easter remind us of hope and renewal. Blessings to you all as we share this meal”
“Amen.” You held your glass, taking a swig as he did. It was only pomegranate juice as opposed to wine, but you felt the excitement wash down your throat as you swallowed it. Another celebration, with good food. After hearing the announcement, you were certain it wasn’t as huge as Christmas, but thrilled you were nonetheless.
“Last year, we had this stuffing that Chef Mina prepared, it was so good I almost cried!” Miya said excitedly, picking up her fork and going for a bite.
“If there’s food I will most certainly be there.” You laughed, mirroring her actions and picking up your fork as well.
+
Dinner finished swiftly as the pair of you chatted about the upcoming Easter dinner. Grabbing your trays, you proceeded to return your tray like you did lunch, except during dinner time everyone had more time to eat. It wasn’t as crowded but there was of course the scatter of students surrounding the place.
“Sorry, can we pass?” you asked politely, trying to squirm your way to the front. You hadn’t looked up at who it was, but once you realized who was blocking the way you wished you didn’t.
Seonghwa moved aside without so much as a second glance, realizing his fault and allowing you to pass him. “Sorry Y/N.” he said quietly. He was previously lost in conversation with Jongho, oblivious to where he was standing.
“O-Oh no its fine…” You mumbled, immediately looking back down at your tray and avoiding eye contact. Your shoulder made contact with his arm, brushing past each other as you passed him.
Miya eyed the pair of you, turning back over her shoulder to look at him as you pulled her away arm in arm. “First name basis huh?”
“I swear Miya, you’re driving me crazy today. You literally know he’s in my class!” you protested helplessly. It must have not been as convincing as you’d liked, because she turned to you with a small smirk. Saving graces, prayers answered and whatnot, she chose not to pry.
“Sister Judy said she wanted the yards storage room cleaned out, did you already do it after school?”
“Huh..?” you trail off helplessly.
“I knew you didn’t hear her earlier! You were soo zoned out the entire class.” She enunciated. “Go do it before she chooses a new pet.” Miya said teasingly.
“As if.” You joked back. It was half true, besides you in her first class she most likely didn’t have a particularly bright or willing student – though the case would probably change if someone like Seonghwa was in your class.
Parting ways at the doors, you dragged yourself to the yard, not too far across from the dining hall. The programs main facilities and such were all huddled down the road from the general housing area, a walkable distance from each other – besides the animal shed – which every week only 1 or 2 students were in charge of maintaining. Being most teachers favorites, you’d only been assigned to it once, when Father Lee was in charge, and it was not a great week.
You cross the yard, slowly taking in your surroundings as you did so. It was mostly crops, and you could see the animal shed lying far in the distance. The sight was scenic at this time. The soft breeze filled your senses as you watched the flowers shake along with it. Soft spring colours adorned your surroundings as the sun slowly set, a gentle orange hue in contrast to the greenery around you. Maybe you could get used to this, simplicity was a change but not necessarily a bad one. Just different, and not as intellectually stimulating as your life before.
Opening the door labelled "YARD STORAGE", you found that the shed was dimly lit by the sunset. You stepped in and shut the door behind you, shutting out the breeze that slightly rattled the inside. Scanning around, it wasn’t as bad as you’d assumed – a few tools were out of place and needed cleaning, and a soil bag had been spilled and negligently left for you to clean.
As you were in place to move, the door swung open, heavy wood swiping painfully across your back as you toppled forward slightly. You whipped your head around in shock, as a confused head popped in looking around.
Spotting you, his eyebrows raised in concern as he lifted his hands up feigning innocence. “I didn’t know someone was in here, I-I’m sorry!”. He was distraught between reaching out to comfort you and putting his hands on someone he wasn’t well acquainted with, and you quickly straightened up upon noticing.
“Ah don’t worry, I’m just cleaning the storage room…” you mumbled, mustering up a small smile at your awkward encounter.
“Oh, I’m also in charge of storage rooms this week!” he smiled brightly.
Conflicted, you weren’t too sure how to respond to his statement. “Sister Judy asked me to clean the yard shed specifically this morning”. Well, according to Miya at least.
“I can help you!” he responded, a bright smile still gracing his features. You recognized him as one of the altar boys, although he didn’t seem to have as much participation as the rest of them. He wore a bright smile, long black bangs covering his eyes in a way similar to Yeosangs. His hair was even longer in the back though, a bit of a grown out mullet paired with a mole under his left eye that gave him a charming appearance, radiating with kindness as his smile never faltered.
“Oh sure…” you mumbled again, a little startled by his personality. Apart from Miya, nobody else tried to get close to you or even strike up a long conversation — let alone a guy — probably due to your star student reputation.
If your lack of enthusiasm bothered him, he didn’t show it, brushing past you to grab at the dirty tools. Without looking back, he started again, uncaring if you were the talkative type or not. “My name is Wooyoung, it’s nice to meet you!”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Y/N” you replied back, walking to the back and grabbing a broom. The shed wasn’t very large, so the two of you could have a conversation across it while slightly raising your voices.
“Yeah I know! You’re new right?”
Of course he knew. “I joined at the start of the school year so kinda? I was here for thanksgiving and Christmas and all.”
“So I’ve heard!” he continued. “I guess our paths don’t cross very much, because I don’t see you often!”
With your new acquaintance made, the two of you continued the polite chatter, with Wooyoung reciting some old stories from before you arrived there. None of them sparked immediate interest, but you listened, nonetheless. It was nice having company after all.
The sun was almost fully set by now, further dimming the shed as you and Wooyoung diligently worked.
Wooyoung stepped outside, with you following suite as he made his way around the back. He carried two rakes in one arm, insisting on you not getting your pants dirty as you cleaned.
“Okay seriously Wooyoung, my pants already have soil all over the hems, I can clean one and you can clean one!” You followed behind, shutting the door as you went.
“I’ll let you hold the hose how about that?” he smiled to himself, leaning down to untwist the hose with one hand and handing it to you.
“Fine, fine” you grumbled, letting him have his moment of pride as he giggled and walked a little further away. He held one of the rakes out and you pointed the hose at it, effectively watering and washing away the dirt buildup.
“I feel like a plant…” Wooyoung remarked, and you surprisingly let out a small chuckle at his words.
Wooyoung seemed outgoing, and he didn’t seem to tread his words or be careful with what he said around you, which you appreciated. Like other altar servers, you’d expected him to be prim and guarded – always airing elegance and putting up a devoted facade.
You quickly finished up with the last of your cleaning, the sun now fully set and a chill replacing the previous warmth. Wooyoung cracked the door to the shed open, leaving the rakes in their original corner and latching the outdoor lock shut.
“It was so dark I couldn’t even see in there, jeez.” Wooyoung stated, turning on his heel.
The evergreen forest lay not far behind the shed, encapsulated into a black shadow as the night set in. You shuddered, being within that proximity of such darkness wasn’t an ideal way to spend your night.
“Remind me to not clean the yard storage at night…” You said, taking a last glance at the woods behind you before walking away.
You and Wooyoung walked back together in comfortable silence, crossing the field as you did earlier.
Reaching the clearing between the residential housing and the common buildings, Wooyoung paused as his foot turned in the opposite direction from you.
“It was nice meeting you Y/N” he gestured with a nod of his head, paired with a warm smile.
“Aren’t you going home?” You questioned. “I’m sure its past 8 by now…” You didn’t want to walk home with him or anything, but it spiked your curiosity what he could be doing so close to curfew – which was 9 on normal days.
“I will! I just have- preparations to do at the chapel!” he managed, pointing at the chapel with a smile that turned his eyes into little crescent moons.
Your body leaned to look past him, in favour of eyeing the chapel. It was a dark pitch black from what you could see, the long unilluminated building standing eerily in its wake. Interesting…
You opted not to pry, it was most likely for Easter preparations or something.
“Well see you around Wooyoung. Thanks for helping me today” you smiled politely as you switched your focus back to him.
“Don’t worry about it! It was my assigned work too.” He replied. “Goodnight!”
With that, both of you turned in opposite directions, with you aiming for the houses.
You made your way down the gravel road back to your place, and walked in mere silence. The street was empty and quiet, dimly lit by the lanterns on scattered on lampposts — no students in sight. All you could hear were your own footsteps, dragging against dust and pebbles as you walked.
You turned over your shoulder, spotting Wooyoung once more. The motion detecting lantern lit up the chapels entrance as he heaved open the heavy door, stepping into the dark space and disappearing.