8 alone

Laughter and babbling resonated throughout the once empty hallways as students walk together in groups. Jeno pulls out his earphones again, and plugged it to his player. He tunes into Young Heretics' Noah's Ark, blocking all the noise and letting himself wallow in to the melody.

He heads down the stairs, avoiding everyone who attempted to approach him; he didn't feel like talking to anyone, he just wants to leave as soon as he can possibly do so.

He reached the gate and continued to walk, some of the students were running with their peers to who knows where.

The sun was starting to set down the horizon. The sky turning into a mix hue of pinks and oranges, of pale blues and purples.

Jeno knows that darkness will take its toll and envelope the sky before anyone can even tell the sun is long out.

Jeno would've stayed longer and waited for the sun to set to appreciate its beauty, if it weren't for the tall buildings that blocked most of the sight. The buzzing and rustling noises of the busy streets that didn't make it any peaceful either.

"I'm back."

Jeno feebly shouts upon setting foot inside their house, his relative's house. Footsteps coming from the kitchen can be heard, the sound nearing and it turned out to be his uncle.

"Jeno! Welcome home, sport. How was your class?"

His uncle was wearing an apron, it made him look a bit funny, Jeno thought to himself. He took his earphones off his ear and flashed a petite smile at the elder.

"Nothing much. Class was noisy like usual. Hallways crowded before and after classes. It was tiring, honestly. But everything went okay."

Jeno answered monotonously. And the older never failed to notice the tone.

"Oh, Jeno. It seems like there's something bothering you, hm?"

Jeno eyed the other, before gently shaking his head.

"Come on. I know it's still hard for you."

His uncle walked towards him and rested a hand on his shoulder, as if it was to console the boy. However, it only made Jeno jerk away and take a few steps back from his uncle.

"Don't act like you know how much I went through, uncle. You know little to no information at all. Neither anyone of you does. Please, just put the act down. I know you're just being forced to pretend. I'm not as dense as all of you thinks." Jeno hissed.

He ran upstairs, leaving his uncle dumbfounded and hurt as the words the boy left started to replay inside his mind.

Jeno locked the door behind him and sighed as he sits down.

"No one knows how many bullshits I have gone through and they dare pretend like they care. Fucking assholes."