The Train Back Home:Chronicles of Chaos

After a long month of sleepless nights, tackling questions only God could answer, I'm finally heading home. You guessed it right—it's summer vacation, baby! And as someone who doesn't like going out, this is going to be pure bliss.

You might be wondering how I'm traveling. "Of course, I'm boarding a plane!" is what I'd love to say, but I can't afford that. So yeah, it's the train again.

Now, before I get into the train journey (as promised by the title), let me take you through how my last day of second year went.

Nothing out of the ordinary—I'm in the exam hall, scribbling down some Bullshit no Jutsu. If you don't get the reference, you need to watch more anime. Anyway, as I'm glancing around, I catch my friend, Sujin, copying answers from a guy who looks equally clueless. Great. Looks like we're both failing, again. It's almost tradition at this point.

After doodling enough to make the invigilator question my mental state, I submit my answer sheet. The invigilator gives me a look—one that says, "This kid is either dumb as a rock or a misunderstood genius." While I'm contemplating the possibilities, I bolt out of the hall and rush to the washroom. Guess I overdid it with the water this morning.

As I'm, well, relieving myself, who else but Sujin shows up at the booth next to me. I should probably introduce him properly—he's the friend from the exam hall. Sujin claims his name was inspired by some ancient Japanese emperor, but I'm pretty sure he just made that up. A bit delusional, that one.

"Nothing feels better than a piss after a long exam," Sujin says with a face of pure satisfaction. I give him a look like, Dude, why are you so weird?

"So, how was the exam?" I ask, even though we both know the answer. Nothing beats the comfort of mutual failure. Does that make me a bad person? Probably.

Sujin gives me a side-eye, as if to say, "You're really asking me that?" I roll my eyes in response. We finish up and head to the canteen, even though it feels like we just took a long break in the exam hall.

On the way, I notice Sujin staring at someone. I turn to see who's caught his attention—it's Lucy, the geek of our class. Now, you might think her name's out of place, but for confidentiality's sake, let's roll with it. Sujin's been obsessed with her since high school. He claims they're just friends, but I've seen that look in his eyes. He wants to be more than friends. Honestly, I don't get it, but hey, love is blind, right?

Now, if you're wondering why Lucy left the exam hall so early, it's because she's smart as hell. Pretty sure she aced that test. I nudge Sujin to go talk to her, and suddenly, he's full of confidence. He starts walking over, but before he can say anything, a tall guy—Athul, the muscular geek—steps between them, nearly knocking Sujin off his feet. Athul's a softie, though, and a cool dude. Sujin comes back, shaking his head, dejected.

"Cheer up. There's always next time," I tell him.

As we continue walking to the canteen, trying to shake off the awkwardness, the conversation takes a turn.

"You think she likes him?" Sujin asks suddenly, still staring at Lucy and Athul chatting in the distance.

"I dunno, man," I shrug. "Maybe she's just being nice. You know how girls are with the friend-zone thing. She's probably not into him like that."

Sujin sighs. "Yeah, but you don't get it. Athul's, like, the 'nice guy.' You think I stand a chance against that?"

I stifle a laugh. "Dude, relax. You just gotta talk to her more. Maybe try not being weird for once?"

"Ha, you're one to talk. She hates you," Sujin fires back.

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, well, the feeling's mutual."

At that moment, I hear a familiar voice. "Hey baby girl, got any plans after the exam?"

I turn around to see Nevin, the smooth talker of our group. He's so good with girls that I sometimes wonder how he ended up with us. Seeing him, Sujin perks up a bit.

"What would your girlfriend say if she heard that?" Sujin teases, wearing a cheeky smile. The girl Nevin was talking to looks furious and storms off. Oof.

"Man, you didn't have to do me like that," Nevin says, clearly caught off guard. "You guys jealous of all the girls I get?" He smirks.

I jab him in the chest. "Shut up. We're heading to the canteen. I'm starving."

As we walk, Nevin keeps talking about his latest "conquest."

"So, I was talking to this girl from electronics, and you wouldn't believe—"

"Dude, we get it. You're a ladies' man. Spare us the details," I interrupt, rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, Nevin, some of us are actually struggling out here," Sujin adds, still sulking a little.

Nevin laughs. "Maybe if you two stopped hanging out with each other and tried talking to girls, you'd have better luck."

"Says the guy who gets rejected more times than we fail exams," I counter.

"Ouch. That one stung," Nevin grins, clearly unfazed. "So, when's our train again?"

"10 a.m. tomorrow," Sujin reminds us. "You guys better not make me late."

"Heard that. If you're late, I'm leaving without you," I joke, although we all know Sujin's the only responsible one in the group.

Finally, we make it to the canteen, grab some seats, and order food. As we eat, we start discussing the journey home. By the way, we're all from the same hometown. I've known these two idiots since high school.

"I can't wait to finally go home after a year," I say, already looking forward to some peace and quiet. Little did I know, things were about to get much weirder.