"Lee Eun-mi! Lee Eun-mi! Lee Eun-mi!"

                      

Everybody was cheering on me. Some even brought placards with them, shamelessly showing their support to their school's best public speaker. My foot lands in the stage, and the whole crowd goes into a rampant. They seem to be more excited than I am. I tighten my grip out the microphone, and carefully and accurately, I delivered the speech I had been practicing for a month. My mouth quivers at first, but I became familiar to the scene, until the words sprouted into my mouth flawlessly. I end my speech with a simple bravado, and the people clapped earnestly after coming to their senses. I go down to the stage to find my classmates waiting for me, congratulating me for my great delivery.

 

Except that it never happened.

It was when we were in Grade 8, and our school, Althea Public School, was the venue for the annual Althea City School's Literary Contest, which was the second biggest contest in the city related to academics. All the schools in the city, including the private ones, are sending their students to represent in different fields of literature.

 

I just sighed when I looked at the auditorium once again. I stood tallest among the other participants because I was standing in a platform for the winners. Few cameras flashed as they took photos of us.

Smile. Click. Smile. Click.

After the photo session, the students crowded over the participants of extemporaneous speaking. The smile I planted on my face slowly faded as I look at them. The crowd seemed to have been parted by me. Everybody is being congratulated- even the girl who didn't deliver her speech but just cried saying she forgot her introduction- was surrounded by their friends in their schools.

I stood there idly, looking like an island beside continents.

A hand patted my back and I strained to look up, hoping it will be a colleague. Slight hope seeped through when I saw Mrs. Mournet looking at me. Mrs. Mournet was our principal. Prim and proper, she was the most feared persona in the school. She ought to bring out the best in everyone, although we all know that it is also beneficial to the school, and what ever is beneficial to the school, is also beneficial for her. A woman aged 50, she still has clear eyesight and her lips are always drawn to each other, forming a tight line, which made her seem pissed everytime.

She looked at me, clipboard in hand, from my face towards my feet. I saw her gaze stop at my hand, which was holding a golden book shaped trophy. She wrote something in her clipboard, and I took a peek, curiosity gnawing at the cat. She wrote my name in their, and added the words WINNER. After she finished writing, she gave me a death glare, angry that I was brave enough to invade her personal space.

I was hoping she would tell me how I would bring glory to the school, after bringing home the beacon, like how she did to the previous winners. Maybe she did, but the wording was just expressed differently.

"Don't go home yet. Wait until they have traveled away, and clean the auditorium." Mrs. Mournet said.

 

***********

"If you would be a basketball player, who would you be and why?" I said, mimicking a hoarse voice as I spoke to the air.

Several hours had passed since the time Mrs. Mournet instructed me to clean the auditorium. It was getting dark, and I had just finished cleaning. To relieve stress, I stood at the podium and pretended to be in a beauty pageant, and it was my turn to answer in the question and answer portion.

"I don't know any basketball player, since I am not a fan of it, so I would just say that I would be anyone, for as long as it is not Kim Namjoon, because I know for sure that my life won't be-" I answered to my own question.

From the back of the auditorium, someone answered. "Your life would be what?"

I knew immediately from the husky  voice that it was you, long before you emerged from the dark. You walked from the aisle towards me. I could not move because our eyes were locked to each other. Your hands were buried deep into your pocket. Who you were then looked like who you are now, just more defined and older looking.

"Your life would be what?" When we were just a few inches away from each other, you asked again. Your eyes as black as night pierced mine which was as brown as a coppucino coffee. You took a step forward and I took a step back. An evil smirk forms in your face, showing enjoyment with this little trick of yours.

Forward. Backward. Forward. Backward.

It was like we were dancing tango, our footsteps the only thing heard despite the large area. We continued our dance until I felt my back pressing into the concrete walls of the stage. You took another step forward, but I cannot move backward anymore. Our faces were just inches away from each other. You remained stony faced, oblivious to our closeness. I heard your shoe lift in the ground, threatening to take another step.

Panic sweeped through me. Just as you were about to put your shoe back to the ground, I shouted.

"Yah, Kim Namjoon!"

"Yah, Lee Eun-mi!" You replied. Your voice was louder than mine, so my names were echoed through the whole auditorium.

You held up your hands and I closed my eyes, afraid that you would slap me for speaking informally. But that smack never happened. I opened my eyes and Ty first thing I saw was a medal, hanging from your hand. It took me seconds to realize that it was my medal.

"I knew you would be careless, but I didn't expect you to be this careless." You sighed, finally stepping backward to give me the personal space you invaded, and room to breathe.

While cleaning, I didn't realize that I lost it. Without saying anything, I grabbed the medal and put it in my pocket, where it would be safe from being lost one again. I look up to see you still staring.

"Yah, Lee Eun-bi!"

"Wae?" I said in a defeated voice. The medal was heavy in my pocket. It reminded me of the sleepless nights combined with anxiety I had while preparing for the contest, but it all seemed useless, seeing no one has appreciated my efforts.

Another smile formed in your lips. "Congrats." You said, your smile turning into a grin.