8. Apocalyptic Landscape
Kim Teho
The first day of the semester was usually the best one by Teho's standards. The buzz coming back to the halls, the girls with their squealing, the boys with fun rumors from long, hot summer nights. The school came back to life again after a long pause.
His good mood lasted a while, lavishing in the loving attention everybody was so eager to give.
"Oppa, how was your summer?" one of many girls asked.
"Ya Teho-ssi, beer later, you in?" a boy from fashion design waved at him.
"Teho-ah I have this idea, wanna hear it?" another classmate chimed in.
The gorgeous boy preened, being finally wanted again after a long, unfortunately lonely summer.
The atmosphere shifted after going back to the photography studio where he would continue his seemingly never-ending argument with Jitae, the department assistant.
Here we go again.
Teho knew it would start once he opened the door and the awful flowery smell attacked his nose.
He really should change his cologne.
The uptight blond boy with pursed lips pestered Teho around the room as though his life depended on it, intentionally trying to get a reaction while the other boys laughed at the cheap theater they had been missing during the break.
"I should have bought popcorn," one boy muttered and the crowd rustled with chuckles.
"We need to reorganize," the blond assistant said, furrowing a brow at Teho, holding an afternoon coffee. Going for an unbothered look, a blue sweater laid leisurely on his shoulders.
"Right, Teho-ssi?" Jitae asked.
"I don't feel the need," Teho answered, sitting on the comfy old sofa, interrupted in the middle of his routine work review. He covered his anger at this intrusion with a joking tone.
I'm not letting him get under my skin so soon.
"You should, hyung. We talked about it last semester and you promised you'd clean your station after the exams ended," Jitae closed the distance, making faces over the pile of what once was Teho's workspace.
...
Yeah, it's a mess.
But I have more important things to do.
The surface was covered with all kinds of leftovers. What had once been a clean desk was now an apocalyptic wasteland. Cut paper from matte making, sketches both flat and crumpled lay between the trash pile of old and new film negatives, making Mad Max-ian hills. His laptop that was buried somewhere beneath hummed like a hidden generator holding everything together with some sort of forcefield. Boxes from food, cups from take-away coffees, vaguely reminiscent of dysfunctional robots left to die, decorated the landscape.
...
"Well look around, everybody else cleaned their spaces by the end of last semester. It's all nice and neat," Jitae folded his hands in front, determined to make the beautiful artist co-operate while praising the other boys for their endeavors.
Yeah, 'cuz you stood behind their asses while I worked the night away.
"I worked here the whole summer while you all were vacationing," Teho still calmly answered.
"It shows," Jitae hissed.
"Well, it should! And you should give me a medal for being such a diligent worker, damn. Maybe I'll win yet another contest and you can put the prize on your neat little display. It looks more like my shrine already anyway," Teho pushed the strawberry-haired boy's buttons, pointing at the glass cabinet near the doors, filled with trophy plaques.
"I should do what?" Jitae couldn't stand Teho's indifferent demeanor and it drove him even crazier.
"Chill, it's not like I made creative chaos in your bedroom," Teho laughed at him.
"Come on hyung, creative chaos, what the fuck is that?" Jitae reddened.
He'd promised himself he wouldn't be so easily angered, this year he would be a model professional for the photographers. Yet seeing no change in attitude from his classmate made him furious.
"Well clean it up, love," Teho purred, getting up and disappearing with haste after spotting Jitae running at him, rage in his eyes.
"Where do you think you're going? This space is our showcase!" Teho closed the door in Jitae's face.
"Working, and you should treat me like the prince I rightfully am, for it! Oh, and don't forget to sweep it up, Cinderella!"
Sounds of immense laughter permeated through the door at Teho's parting words. He ran down the corridor and slowed when he realized Jitae wasn't pursuing him. The daring boy imagined the others gently pacifying the blond and soothing him with promises of good behavior.
As he caught his breath, Teho opened his camera and kept reviewing the previous day's work. He strode energetically out of the building, needing to vent and calm down outside.
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😳 Author's corner 😊
️ Are you a messy student/ worker? ️
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🎨Illustrations of each chapter are available on my Wattpad acc, AO3 acc -klubickoArt🎨
