A H R E U M

2 weeks have passed since I came back to school, nothing has changed,not that I know of except the note-worthy growing closeness of Mingyu and Ara. The two us- Soyeon and me, haven't caught up with Ara for awhile since she's been hanging out with Mingyu recently. Although I do not have a single right to be hurt, I wonder why it stings.

"Jung Ahreum," the teacher calls me when I was dozing off, I'm still staring out of the window not noticing that everyone's eyes are on me. Our home room teacher recently changed our seating arrangment. It's been 3 days and I'm already loving the view outside the window, to think I was needlessly worried when he assigned me a seat by the window, in the front too.

A force strikes under my chair from behind, that's when I realize that the teacher calls me twice already and everyone is staring. I look behind me and sees his left foot under my chair. Maybe he kicked my chair in order for me to get back to the world. I give him a thanks-look.

"I'm sorry Sir,"I say apolegetically. I press my lips together and closes my eyes for a second due to embarrassment. My English teacher sighs and scans the page before looking at me again.

"Read the first paragraph in the article since you have so much time appreciating the view outside," he's being sarcastic and I can see him trying not to smile. I wonder what's funny. I hear snorting and look at everyone who's almost laughing. I gaze at the aricle he tells me to read and a split-of-second realizes why,the title of the article reads 'lookism'.

If it was the Ahreum before,I would be badly hurt but I've changed a little. If reading this makes them happy then they're shallow people, practically, I shouldn't be wasting time dealing with these 'people'. Might as well read this and get over it.

"One of the most prominent problems in Korea is the growing rate of plastic-"I'm not so good in English but I do understand what it says. Again. And Again.

"I want to read it," I stop reading and my heart starts beating a little faster. I know whose voice it is. I look at the right side of my row, he is basically seating three seats after me to the right. That guy. Who keeps my head play a song everytime I see him. Everytime he does things like this I can't help myself but get excited, why would he even bother to help me? I can't understand. Some of my classmates start whispering at each other,as I glance over Ara who sits on the third row of the last column she gives me a pained look.

-

It was lunch time when I decided to thank Mingyu for helping me again, he's been saving me always.

I wait at the front door as my classmates are going out one by one,they look at me and smiles like I'm doing some funny gag.I try not meeting their eyes.

"You okay?" I see a pair of shoes stopped in front of me while I was looking down. I look up and realizes that it was the guy behind my back, he's quite popular too and it's the first time we talk. I remember his name being in english. I kind of forget but his surname ia definitely Kang.

"Yeah, thanks for that,"I am referring to the kicking that he did in order to get my attention.

"Yeah no problem," he says dashing after his friend while waving his hand.

What was that?

Mingyu finally passes by a minute after but I don't think he sees me as he continue walking until I call out his name.

"Mingyu," I hesitate for a moment remembering his rule: not to talk to him in public as he don't like to be associated with me. I was going to say never mind when he walks back to my direction and stops in front of me.

"If you're going to thank me then make sure you're doing it right," he looks into my eyes which makes my heart flutter not only because of that, he's too close to me and I am literally looking up because of our height difference.

"H-how," i stutter. I've been looking at him but one can't really deny how handsome Mingyu is, his face is almost perfect except for his teeth which is a little crook which make him more handsome. I can cry.

--

I found my self staying inside the gym after the classroom. Basically Mingyu asked me to stay with him every bastketball practice in order for him to