Unexpected News
Title: Unexpected News
Author: andersenmom
Claim: Coed School
Prompt: Table 4: 23 - Mourn
Fandom: rpf: Coed School
Rating: G
Word Count: 694
Summary: Bad news means the end.
Notes/Warnings: Part of the Mutant!verse created by dizzy_grace and I.
Written for 50ficlets.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not true.
Table
Class usually came to a stop when the door opened. KangHo looked up with the rest of his classmates, and his heart sank when Dana's eyes found him far too quickly. The school counselor didn't talk to him, of course; she went to talk to the teacher.
"KangHo, Director Shim would like to speak to you."
"Bring your books," Dana-sshi added from the doorway.
KangHo moved slowly, putting his books away, and carefully didn't look at anyone. Everyone had heard about what he'd done to HyungJoon, and he had to wonder if the Director wanted to see him for that reason. Certainly everyone else thought so. But he wouldn't have sent Dana-sshi for that.
She waited patiently for him at the door, and he joined far too soon. Without another word, she led him out of the classroom and down the hallway, toward the Director's office. "Am I in trouble?" he asked when she started up the stairs.
Dana glanced at him, and the compassion in her eyes unnerved him even more. "No," she said. "Your pranks did no harm."
He sighed his relief and didn't ask any further. She left him at the office door. "I'll be out here, if you need anything," she said. He bowed, even more confused, and knocked. At the Director's invitation, he opened the door and went in.
The Director looked up as he closed the door, and gestured to a chair. KangHo sat down, trying not to feel quite so nervous. Not that he could hide it from the Director, but he still tried. "I'm afraid I have bad news," the Director said. He stood up and walked around his desk to sit next to KangHo. "Your father just called. There was… an accident."
KangHo stared at him. "An… accident?" he repeated, starting to feel sick.
"Yes. I'm sorry," Director Shim said. "Your mother didn't survive."
KangHo stared at him, stunned and disbelieving. "My mom…," he started, the office blurring as his eyes filled with tears. "My mom… is dead?"
Director Shim lay a hand on his shoulder. "I'm very sorry," he said quietly.
KangHo brushed the tears off his face, focusing on something else. Anything else. "What… um. What do I do now?"
"You father wants you to come home for the funeral," the Director said. "He didn't specify anything else."
KangHo nodded, swallowing hard. The tears still pressed on his eyes, but he didn't want to cry right now. "How does he want me to get home?"
"We are making arrangements," Director Shim said.
"Thank you," KangHo said, and stood up. The Director's hand slid from his shoulder. "I… can I go back to my room?"
"Yes," the Director said, standing as well. "I will tell your teachers that you're excused for the day, if you prefer not to attend today."
"Thank you," KangHo said.
The trip back to his room happened in a daze, and he barely remembered it. He locked the door behind him, and then wedged his chair under the knob to keep his roommate out. Still struggling against the tears, he dug his phone out and called his father.
****
The chair clattered to the floor and woke him up; blinking in the light that came in through the open door, KangHo sat up. His eyes and throat hurt. "What?" he rasped.
Shindong climbed to his feet. "I'm sorry to wake you," he said. "HyunJoong needed to get in."
KangHo rubbed his eyes. "Oh. Right. Sorry," he mumbled, and lay back down. He knew they saw his suitcase, packed and ready to go in the morning, but neither asked about it. His father would have (hopefully) explained to the Director. He just couldn't come back. His father needed support. Maybe another year, maybe… some other time. But he had an idea of what he could do, and he had some ideas on how to train himself. He had more ideas on how to stay hidden, and he'd use those.
He'd go home tomorrow morning and not look back. He and his father would mourn, and then their lives would go on, emptier than before, but they would go on. Somehow.
Author: andersenmom
Claim: Coed School
Prompt: Table 4: 23 - Mourn
Fandom: rpf: Coed School
Rating: G
Word Count: 694
Summary: Bad news means the end.
Notes/Warnings: Part of the Mutant!verse created by dizzy_grace and I.
Written for 50ficlets.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not true.
Table
Class usually came to a stop when the door opened. KangHo looked up with the rest of his classmates, and his heart sank when Dana's eyes found him far too quickly. The school counselor didn't talk to him, of course; she went to talk to the teacher.
"KangHo, Director Shim would like to speak to you."
"Bring your books," Dana-sshi added from the doorway.
KangHo moved slowly, putting his books away, and carefully didn't look at anyone. Everyone had heard about what he'd done to HyungJoon, and he had to wonder if the Director wanted to see him for that reason. Certainly everyone else thought so. But he wouldn't have sent Dana-sshi for that.
She waited patiently for him at the door, and he joined far too soon. Without another word, she led him out of the classroom and down the hallway, toward the Director's office. "Am I in trouble?" he asked when she started up the stairs.
Dana glanced at him, and the compassion in her eyes unnerved him even more. "No," she said. "Your pranks did no harm."
He sighed his relief and didn't ask any further. She left him at the office door. "I'll be out here, if you need anything," she said. He bowed, even more confused, and knocked. At the Director's invitation, he opened the door and went in.
The Director looked up as he closed the door, and gestured to a chair. KangHo sat down, trying not to feel quite so nervous. Not that he could hide it from the Director, but he still tried. "I'm afraid I have bad news," the Director said. He stood up and walked around his desk to sit next to KangHo. "Your father just called. There was… an accident."
KangHo stared at him. "An… accident?" he repeated, starting to feel sick.
"Yes. I'm sorry," Director Shim said. "Your mother didn't survive."
KangHo stared at him, stunned and disbelieving. "My mom…," he started, the office blurring as his eyes filled with tears. "My mom… is dead?"
Director Shim lay a hand on his shoulder. "I'm very sorry," he said quietly.
KangHo brushed the tears off his face, focusing on something else. Anything else. "What… um. What do I do now?"
"You father wants you to come home for the funeral," the Director said. "He didn't specify anything else."
KangHo nodded, swallowing hard. The tears still pressed on his eyes, but he didn't want to cry right now. "How does he want me to get home?"
"We are making arrangements," Director Shim said.
"Thank you," KangHo said, and stood up. The Director's hand slid from his shoulder. "I… can I go back to my room?"
"Yes," the Director said, standing as well. "I will tell your teachers that you're excused for the day, if you prefer not to attend today."
"Thank you," KangHo said.
The trip back to his room happened in a daze, and he barely remembered it. He locked the door behind him, and then wedged his chair under the knob to keep his roommate out. Still struggling against the tears, he dug his phone out and called his father.
****
The chair clattered to the floor and woke him up; blinking in the light that came in through the open door, KangHo sat up. His eyes and throat hurt. "What?" he rasped.
Shindong climbed to his feet. "I'm sorry to wake you," he said. "HyunJoong needed to get in."
KangHo rubbed his eyes. "Oh. Right. Sorry," he mumbled, and lay back down. He knew they saw his suitcase, packed and ready to go in the morning, but neither asked about it. His father would have (hopefully) explained to the Director. He just couldn't come back. His father needed support. Maybe another year, maybe… some other time. But he had an idea of what he could do, and he had some ideas on how to train himself. He had more ideas on how to stay hidden, and he'd use those.
He'd go home tomorrow morning and not look back. He and his father would mourn, and then their lives would go on, emptier than before, but they would go on. Somehow.