Chapter Text
032 had never anticipated his mathematical expertise would capture many attention among his fellow students.
The first time it happened was when two boys approached him shortly after he had settled on his seat. They handed him their notebooks, scribbled with equations and tons of scratches of ink to cover up what appeared to be mistaken, he eyed them in perplexity before staring down at their handwriting. He ended up pointing out the incorrect solutions, elaborating on how to get the number the easy way without multiplying repetitive numbers, then returned the notebooks to their respective owners once he was done.
They looked at him as if he was a legend that arose from fiction.
006 told him that the better he was at school, the more people would like him. The more he'd be able to fit in.
Does in order to fit in must be in the center of attention?
Math lessons came, and he instantly received the sharp gaze of the professor. However, Isak was unfazed. He was then called to the front to solve the first problem, which was far different than the given examples, but then he still drew the chalk across the board to mark it with his equations. The result left the class in amusem*nt and some even clapped their hands. Even if he could care less about it, he felt a small smile when he caught Dayeon smiling broadly in his direction.
He knew Dayeon was a brilliant person as well. People often talked about how she was among the smartest people in her grade. Isak knew he shouldn't have been surprised to discover the person who showed nothing but undulated kindness to him was academically competent, but who could blame him? He saw another reason why 001 was willing to destroy anything that came against his sister.
"Hey, Isak!"
He looked up and saw a group of his classmates gathered around his desk. All flashing him with their smiles. Feeling a bit weirded out, he let out a blink or two.
"Do you want to hang out with us after school? We are going to the newly opened street food, so I'm thinking if you could join us," a girl explained.
"Yeah!" A heavy hand suddenly touched his shoulder. Isak almost flinched against his seat. "We could use another smart person in our group anyway."
"Dayeon is friends with you guys also?" Isak asked.
A girl, curly-haired and had blue colorings — what were they called again? — behind her eyes, scoffed. "She always refuses our invites with that candy smile on her face. Urgh, it starts to become annoying."
Huh. Isak thought. Then, he shook his head and began to get up from his chair. "I'm afraid I cannot go with you guys."
"What?!" A few gasped.
"Just hold on a second—" the same boy grabbed his other shoulder. Gritting his teeth, Isak grabbed his hand and twisted his wrist, releasing a yelp from him. The rest stared agape as Isak squeezed himself through them to make his exit from the classroom, not shameful of what he had done.
Isak could see why Dayeon did not want to hang out with them, and he was glad she knew her boundaries and which people she must surround herself with. He, on the other hand, had a far different story. He never got to choose which people he must include in his life, they were just purposely shoved in and he was left to adapt, losing touch with what a true life could've been if he wasn't in an underworld place like Grian.
Yep, he was still new to this lifestyle.
Once he got into the hallways, Isak came to an abrupt halt. His snacks were in his bag. What was he supposed to eat now? As always, his instincts as a mercenary came in before anything else. Isak let out a sigh and snuck his hands into his pants while he continued his gait, wondering what should he do to feed his stomach or survive the remaining time of his vacancy.
"Isak!"
He looked up and saw Jinwu heading toward him, his pair of circular glasses glimmering at the brief passing of light. Isak greeted him in an impassive tone. "Hey."
"Something's wrong?" Jinwu's face dropped into a curious frown.
"Not at all." He shook his head. "It seemed like I forgot to bring my food with me."
"Oh, well, there's a cafeteria you can go to."
"Cafeteria?" Isak blinked.
Jinwu flashed him an odd look. "Yeah. . . A cafeteria."
Twin pools of ruby just stared at him.
"You know, the place where there is food and everything else you can eat?"
"Oh, is that what it is?" Isak said, now letting the words dawn on him.
"Uhm, yes?" Jinwu shrugged one shoulder. "Wow, Isak, I feel bad for you. It's like, you don't have things like this in your old home."
Isak chuckled. Of course, he didn't. He couldn't even tell what childhood he had before, it seemed as though they got erased the moment he got recruited under Mad Dog — let alone going to places like school and discovering new words like cafeteria and library.
"Hm, if that's the case—" Jinwu grabbed Isak's arm. A beaming smile now invaded his face, rivaling the puzzled look from his student. "I'll show you everything you haven't tried before!"
"Wait, really?" Isak widened his eyes at him.
Jinwu nodded. "Obviously! In my old school, I never got this much freedom to do whatever I wanted without fearing somebody. When my sister got me away from those people, it felt like a second chance. Just like you— you moved here because your family probably wants to pursue a different life."
A second chance? Isak wondered at one part of the statement. But before he could think of anything else, his body got dragged across the hallway.
The cafeteria was a crowded place. Students from all grades blended and scattered throughout. It made it difficult to spot a familiar face, seeing all of them loiter at every corner while they laughed and jabbered. Isak felt like a pole in the entrance, and it all had to take Jinwu to drag him once again to the counter where an array of various foods were served by the chefs; he didn't know which one to pick. Not everything was found at the convenience store he often go to whenever 006 was out.
He was such an outsider.
Jinwu, patient and bright he was, opted to suggest to Isak some of the meals that would satisfy his stomach. Isak let him do the talking and then watched beside him. The chef soon served the two boys a pair of hamburgers and cups of soda placed in one tray, they expressed their gratitude with a dip of their heads as Jinwu grabbed the tray to lead the both of themselves off the counter.
Thankfully, there were a couple of available tables left. So they settled at the corner where they sat across each other and began to indulge in their meals. Isak unwrapped the parchment to get a glimpse of the burger's meat and a couple of vegetables sandwiched between the golden-brown bun, quickly swooping in for a bite— which was surprisingly delicious. The ingredients blended in a blissful flavor. It was unique from the store-bought sandwiches and toasts his adoptive brother had "attempted" to make.
He should probably tell this one to 006 and see if he could learn how to make it.
"Isak? Can I ask you a question?"
Isak looked up, not realizing he had a smile on his face, so it faltered a little. "Yes?"
"What's your family like? If you don't mind me being curious." Jinwu said.
"Oh, I— I don't mind." Isak cleared his throat. "Well, uh. . . " How was he supposed to answer? He had no recollection of his biological parents either. "It's. . . It's just me and my older brother. My parents were, uh, out of the picture, I guess?"
"You mean you don't see them as often?" Jinwu tilted his head.
"Something like that. . . "
He frowned. "Then what's your brother like? I presume he must be the one who's been looking after you, yeah?"
Yeah, even though I barely see him in the camp since he's doing business with people. Isak shook the first thought off his head. "He is. But most of the time, I usually take care of myself since he's busy providing for us to survive."
"I have a sibling too! Well, older sister." Jinwu chuckled and stole another bite of his burger. "I don't know if you are familiar with her, but she's actually a famous person. And being a famous person meant a very busy life. There are days when she couldn't come home because of shooting a film, but she always does her best to see me."
Isak hummed in understanding. He was no stranger to seeing those people perform various acts on the television, but he was not entirely as fond as 006 who would stay up all night watching and creating different reactions that would make Isak question if he was living with the same person who faked his death and left complicated tracks.
"So. . . Do you know anyone else in this school?"
You sure do like to talk. Isak stifled a laugh, then spoke. "I do. One of them is my classmate, actually. Her name's Yu Dayeon."
"So it's a girl." Mischief glistened in Jinwu's eyes.
He flash him a sharp look. "And?"
"Nothing." Jinwu snickered. He brought his straw to his lips and sipped the soda. "Okay, it's your turn to ask a question about me."
Isak pursed his lips. How does one ask a question like a normal person? This was different than how he communicated with those older than him. Jinwu was close to his youth, innocent and spotless from the horrors on the other side of life.
He looked at him. Deep in thought for a moment. "What are the things that make you happy?"
= × =
A fiery orange glow glazed upon the towered stories of the school building, stretching across the land it could touch as the blazing sun began to prepare for its rest. The atmospheric aura drifted into something gentle and soothing. The wind danced above the leaves and some had made their way to his bare neck, causing soft shivers to claw down to his spine, but Isak didn't mind it. The day was done and he had this feeling of. . .Relief— the kind of one where teenagers stretch their backs after a long day of listening to long lectures in class.
Jinwu walked next to him, sharing stories of what happened in his classes. Isak listened with intent, he even laughed at some parts and created snide remarks while jabbing Jinwu's arm with his finger. Somehow, the boy didn't seem to care about his choices of words to describe people or events, rather he was curious about them and wanted to know how Isak could grasp such words most adults would be shocked to hear.
The former, young mercenary just shrugged and told him that his old home was surrounded by dangerous, sharp-tongued people. It was true, but looking from Jinwu's view, his statement probably meant that he was raised in a terrible community that was full of gangs. Although, Isak had quite a fun time seeing Jinwu's priceless reaction.
Oh, how fun it was to be around a person who had no idea about his true identity.
The pair eventually stopped walking when a black car paused in front of them. A muscular man, clad in a suit, shuffled out of the driver's seat and stared at the two boys through his sunglasses. Jinwu patted Isak's shoulder and bid his farewell before he made his way to the backseat the driver had opened for him. Right, his sister was rich and famous, therefore there had to be someone to pick him up.
Isak chuckled to himself, then continued his way across the road while it was still empty and not a lot of vehicles driving along.
He arrived at the apartment and took the stairs as he usually did. Taking a ride in the elevator was not his cup of tea. However, climbing the stairs would give a handful of benefits to his stamina since he could never allow himself to be physically weak just because the apartment had come with a second option to go to another floor. Isak made his way into his respective door and shuffled his feet out of his shoes, placing them on the small shelf in exchange for a pair of slippers.
The air felt cozy and warm. It was nice to be back.
A familiar scent waved at his nose, and Isak found himself heading to the kitchen. Several voices were echoing from the television. There, he spotted a boiling pot with the smell of crab and parsley evaporating from the lid. The countertop was littered with remnants of the ingredients, a chopping board, and a knife. All that was missing was the one in charge.
"Ah! Welcome back, 032." 006 walked into the kitchen, wiping a towel on his neck. His hair was pulled in a ponytail to keep it from touching his soaked skin.
"What are you making?" 032 asked.
"A crab soup. I saw the recipe on a poster when I was going to the market." 006 said, then grinned. "It smells nice, right?"
"Hopefully, the taste would be nice as well."
"Hey! I also asked some old ladies for tips and wrote them down. I can guarantee it'll taste like heaven."
"Didn't you say that before you add way too much salt the last time you attempted to make soup back then?"
"That was only the first time!" 006 seethed. "And besides, it's not like we're always going to eat noodles on cups while hiding in that apartment."
032 laughed and slowly twisted the knob to curtail the flames. When 005 was staying with them, 006 decided to create a handmade dish as a small celebration for the three of them for surviving such a long way. The highlight of it was how 005 smacked 006 in the face at the bitter taste of the soup and demanded if he did that on purpose; regardless of the answer, 006 had to sleep on the floor without a pillow and blanket while 005 stole his room.
"How's school? Anything interesting happened?"
He shook his head. "Not really. But I do have a couple of homework to do, especially those. . . What are they again?E-says?"
"Essays. And those things are a pain in the fingers from what I heard." 006 said. "Now, go get yourself cleaned up and I'll call you once dinner is done."
"Sure thing." 032 nodded at his adoptive brother.
He made his way toward his bedroom, taking his backpack off his shoulders to fall aimlessly to his wrists. 032 tilted his head to the side until he heard a quick crack on his muscles; it earned him a grin of satisfaction as he got past his door and began to push it closed with the back of his feet, hearing 006's furious yell across the room.
"HE DOESN'T EVEN LOVE YOU ANYMORE! GET OVER IT, WOMAN!"
