The Prodigy Series

"So, that's it for our critical thinking project," Ji-Hun finished as the whole class clapped. Mrs. Rivers clapped as well, seeming rather impressed with our presentation. Ji-Hun had given the presentation for the project he, Aiyana, Ben and I had put together.

"Well, I'm impressed, I'll say that," Mrs. Rivers said as Ji-Hun headed behind her desk to unplug the laptop from the projector.

"Wait, can I have a copy of the slide and video? You guys really did a good job," I heard Mrs. Rivers mutter since I was sitting directly in front of the class.

I smiled when Ji-Hun turned to look at me. I watched him blush furiously before he turned away. Since school started this week Ji-Hun seemed different — shyer. I looked down at my fidgeting hands on the table very aware of the fact that it was partly because I hadn't come to a conclusion about how I felt. He hadn't asked me since then, but I knew he was anticipating my reply.

After a few more presentations by the other groups, the critical thinking class came to an end. It was the last period so we headed into the crowded hallway afterward.

"We're going to your place to practice right?" Ji-Hun asked, making me pause at my locker. I frowned briefly before my eyes widened in realization.

"No, not today," I mumbled, shaking my head. Ji-Hun frowned, watching me take my books out of my locker before closing it. Ben had headed upstairs to talk to our chemistry teacher, while Aiyana had gone for the debate team meet up.

"Can I ask why?" Ji-Hun mumbled when we started walking through the hall and towards the main entrance. I thought of not telling him but I shook my head. This was Ji-Hun, and telling him things even made me feel better.

"My cousin came in yesterday night. He'll leave tomorrow but I don't think I want you to meet him," I answered honestly. My cousin wasn't art inclined but he made up for it with his advanced knowledge and skill in literature and creative writing.

J-Hun nodded, narrowing his eyes at the intensity of the sunlight when we walked out the main entrance to the sun flogged parking lot.

"So we're not practicing today?" Ji-Hun asked as we walked out the school gates. The names of people who were taking part in the world education games had been posted on the notice board earlier today. They'd also given us our account information and they'd advised us to start practicing. It would be advisable to practice today seeing as more people would be using the platform now.

"Can we practice at your place?" I asked, realizing I'd never actually seed his place since Ji-Hun always stopped at the junction of his street. Ji-Hun seemed shocked by the question, his fingers tightening their grip on the straps of his backpack.

"Sure," he muttered, pushing his fringe out of his eyes. "This is sudden, but I don't think anyone would mind."

"Okay," I mumbled in reply as we continued on our way. The street was quite as usual, apart from the occasional chirping of birds that were sitting on lamp posts or shrub-like trees.

When we got to Ji-Hun's usual stop, he muttered something under his breath before gesturing for me to follow him. I looked about as we walked into the silent street. I hadn't been around this area before, although I'd been living around it all my life. The houses on this street were a little more customized unlike the replicas in mine.

Ji-Hun guided me to an apartment complex of what looked like three or four apartments. We walked into the building, heading upstairs to where his family lived. We stopped at the second floor, waiting patiently behind the door after Ji-Hun pressed the bell.

I looked about as we walked. It didn't look like the place had more than three bedrooms. I wondered how many siblings Ji-Hun had; he'd only mentioned his sister since I met him.

The front door soon creaked open and a female who I assumed was Ji-Hun's sister poked her head out the door. She had a bob cut that curved around her chubby round face.

She raised a thick brow at me before turning her attention to Ji-Hun.

"This is Wyatt, we can't practice at his place today so I thought we'd to that here," Ji-Hun explained, answering her unasked question.

"Oh, okay," she muttered, opening the door a little wider before disappearing into the house. I watched Ji-Hun kick his shoes off so I did the same before following him into the small living room with just two sofas and a TV resting on a small table stand.

"Sit somewhere, or are you going to Ji-Hun's room?" the girl asked, making me turn to her. It was then I noticed that the side of the living room she was on was a small inbuilt kitchen. She was behind the counter, eating something out of a plastic bowl with a spoon as her eyes moved away from me to focus on the K-Drama playing on the small TV screen.

"He'll go to my room," Ji-Hun muttered, heading behind the counter to search the fridge that was propped against the wall.

"You can go ahead. It's the first room after you open the door to the hallway," he muttered, pointing over at the door at the corner as his other hand searched the fridge. I nodded, heading to open the door before walking into the small hallway.

I wondered if I could even call it a hallway. It was more of the size of a walk-in closet. I looked down at the carpeted floor, spotting a pair if Ji-Hun favorite sneakers in front of one of the doors. I headed to the door, turning the knob before walking into the room. My eyes widened in surprise as I took in the tiny room. Ji-Hun's bed was pressed against the two ends of the room. There wasn't a table in sight but there was a small wardrobe at the corner.

I dropped my bag on the bed that was dressed in a pale green bed sheet before taking a seat at the edge of the bed.

It's so tiny. I thought, looking about his room — not that there was much to look at. The floor wasn't covered in a carpet, but it was tiled. The only window in the room was just behind me and the walls were free of any sort of posters or decorations. I wondered where he was going to sit when he came in. I mean, there's just the bed.

My eyes moved to the door when the knob turned and the door creaked open. Ji-Hun gave me a small smile as he slipped in with a pack of biscuits in his hand and his back hanging on his shoulder by one strap.

"Okay then," he sighed, dumping his bag and the biscuit on the bed before getting on it as well. I felt my face flush. The room felt a whole lot smaller than it was before he came in.

"Are you okay? Do you feel hot? Oh, the window is closed," Ji-Hun said all at once before turning to open the window behind him. I cast my gaze to Ji-Hun's feet, afraid that my face would get even redder if I moved while he was in close proximity.

"There, so I think we should start," Ji-Hun sighed, sitting down when he opened the window and drew the curtains aside. He moved until he was sitting by the bed's headboard, creating a distance between us and allowing me to let out a breath I didn't even know I'd been holding.

I watched him take his laptop out of his bag before I decided on doing the same. He also took out a gadget I couldn't recognize immediately, but I muttered a small 'oh' when I realized it was a MiFi modem. It was like a personal Wifi you carried around and could prepay for. Ji-Hun flipped the switch on it before giving me the password. We then started to practice. We paused for a break midway when the server went down.

"Do you want some?" Ji-Hun asked, making me look away from my computer screen to look at him. He was holding out a biscuit to me. I shook my head, watching as he shrugged at my response. I turned away, looking at every inch of Ji-Hun's room again since we were taking a break.

"How many siblings do you have?" I asked out of the blue, as I remembered that I'd only seen three doors when I'd walked into the small hallway and I couldn't imagine more than one person sharing a room as small as Ji-Hun's.

"Just my sister," Ji-Hun answered with a shrug as he continued typing away on his computer. I smiled. Was he really taking his free time to code?

"Ah..." I trailed, awkwardly fidgeting with my fingers because I wasn't really interested in using my laptop or phone. "Where are your parents?

"Work," he answered plainly. "They both work as nurses in the same hospital."

"Oh," I answered, thinking about my own parents. They worked from home most of the time and got paid well by their patrons. It must be really odd getting back home and meeting nobody but your sister. Ben's dad worked at the tech shop which was just downstairs so he didn't feel that way. Did Aiyana feel that way? She only lived with her mum, and she worked through the day—

"What are you thinking about?" Ji-Hun asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Nothing really..." I trailed, before deciding to air my thoughts. "I—how do you feel about your parents not being around much?"

I complained about not getting along with my parents and siblings, but they were always right there unlike some people's parents and siblings. I started to wonder if I might be the one creating the barrier, or maybe I was just asking for too much.

Ji-Hun looked at me with a confused look. "I don't feel anything really. It's been like this ever since I could comprehend it so I guess I don't know how else I could feel about it."

I nodded at that as I watched Ji-Hun bite into the biscuit I'd rejected.

"Hey, I know you said I should give you time but have you thought about it?" Ji-Hun asked all of a sudden. I blinked, wondering what he was talking about for a bit before my face reddened when I realized what he was referring to.

"I..." I trailed as my mind failed me in regards to forming something to say.

I sighed, sitting up before running a hand through my dark brown hair. "I have a hard time processing all this... I don't know," I mumbled as I looked down at the pale green bed sheet.

I felt the weight on the bed shift as Ji-Hun crawled over to sit beside me. I couldn't bring my eyes to meet his so I just looked down at my grey socks.

"Wyatt," he called, making me raise my eyes to his. He was so up close, and the way he was looking at me made my cheeks burn. I can't put a word to the feeling.

I soon found myself gazing at his lips as they curved into a small smile.

"I like you, and I'm assuming you like me. Is it really that hard to figure out?" Ji-Hun asked. I shrugged, looking away from him to my neatly cut out fingernails.

"It's the first time I'm feeling like this. I guess I'm just nervous," I admitted. I felt his hand cup my chin, raising my face so I was looking straight at him. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were shining with a harsher intensity than before.

"It's your first?" he asked in a soft voice, making me nod. Ji-Hun let out a chuckle, making my eyes widen in confusion and a brief feeling of hurt.

"What? Why are you laughing?" I asked as I watched Ji-Hun pull away from me as he continued to laugh softly.

"I'm sorry, it's just... I've been wondering and worrying about the fact that you might like someone else..." he trailed before letting out a small sigh. I raised a brow at that, wondering how on earth he could think that.

"Who did you think I might like?" I asked, frowning at him.

"Well, I don't know... maybe Aiyana?" He muttered before laughing out loud when I rolled my eyes at his idiocy.

"Aiyana? Really?" I asked, shaking my head at him.

"Well, I'm sorry," he said in mock apology before scooting closer to me. I sat still as he took my face in his palms, cupping my burning cheeks as he let his thumbs brush away the small hairs on my face.

"Promise me that if I kiss you now you won't run away," Ji-Hun said as my cheeks began to flame.

"I won't," I promised letting my gaze fall to his lips. He gave me a small smile before leaning in and pressing our lips together. He started moving his lips against mine and we started kissing slowly. It seemed like Ji-Hun was trying not to scare me away, and I was grateful for that.

I let my mind fade into the kiss and Ji-Hun as I kissed back. It was warm, soft and it made my mind burst with a feeling I was trying to get used to.

I like Ji-Hun, I like him a lot.