Pretty Like Poetry | TAEJUN

Taehyun stood outside the school, handing out fliers to students as they arrived. He wore a welcoming smile and offered warm greetings, but was largely ignored as countless students rushed past him, barely sparing him a glance on their way into the building or toward their friends. "I can't believe you talked me into this," he joked, shaking his head in disbelief.

Running a hand through his soft brown hair, his eyes wandered over the expansive school campus. With no less than eight hundred pupils, it was hard to understand why they hadn't hit double digits in students interested in the upcoming trip.

"What?!" his curly-haired friend Beomgyu exclaimed in mock defense. "Trips are an important part of our high school memories!" He laughed as he forced a flier into the hand of a student who didn't so much as glance his way.

The student glanced back briefly as the crinkled paper landed in their palm, exchanging a quick look with Beomgyu before returning to their conversation. The flier slipped from their fingers, blowing away in the wind before Beomgyu could retrieve it.

Beomgyu pouted, arms pinned to his sides, until Taehyun pulled him back into the conversation. "Yeah, but isn't this a bit early?" Taehyun asked, knowing Beomgyu liked to be organized. After all, it was early into their senior year, and here he was, handing out fliers months in advance.

"It's about securing a date, some students need a heads up!" Beomgyu replied cheerfully.

"How did you manage to convince the school?" Taehyun inquired, curiosity piqued.

"My history teacher mentioned the trip last semester. I asked if I could help out," Beomgyu shrugged, his head turning as he spotted another student passing by. "Oh—hey, Yeonjun! Interested in going on a school trip to Lady Liberty? Make sure to secure your spot; there are only forty spots available," he called out, pointing at the flier.

Yeonjun looked like he hadn't slept in days, his black hair messy and unkempt, dark bags under his half-lidded eyes, and his posture slumped. He needs someone to wrap him in a blanket and force him to take a nap.

He stared at Beomgyu blankly, struggling to catch up to the energetic boy's chatter. Yeonjun opened his mouth slightly, but as words formed in his mind, he quickly closed it again, appearing fed up before the day had even started. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Not really," he said, not bothering to mask his disinterest as he attempted to hand the flier back. Beomgyu wouldn't let him, pressing it into Yeonjun's palm. Yeonjun's gaze shifted to Taehyun and he could have sworn he saw his lips purse Beomgyu caught Yeonjun's attention again.

"Think about it," Beomgyu urged, eagerly holding out a hand to prevent Yeonjun from returning the flier as he began to walk away.

"At least he didn't throw it away," Beomgyu mumbled to himself with a sigh.

Taehyun shook his head, glancing at the stack of fliers in his hands. He felt a mix of disappointment and surprise at how many students seemed uninterested in the opportunity to visit Lady Liberty. He had thought students would leap at the chance to visit such a monument.

"Interested in—are you interested in—?" Taehyun tried to speak up, but a steady stream of students passed him by, growing increasingly frustrating. He let his arms drop to his sides, his brows knitting together. "Wow, people loved me before you had me handing out posters..."

With pursed lips, Taehyun flicked the colorful paper back and forth, trying to read the bright letters Beomgyu had crafted to grab attention—clearly failing.

Beomgyu chuckled, rolling his eyes in response. "Soobin! Please take a flier before I cry!" he called out as Soobin and Hueningkai approached the school grounds. Soobin took a flier, and both newcomers glanced at it.