{ chapter eleven }

‘our turn’

Two weeks of preparation for the most awaited foundation week passed by, and everyone found themselves in the well-groomed field, with booths and stalls surrounding them. The school was open for everyone for one week, kids, teenagers who clearly didn’t come from their school and other parents came in to see what they have to offer.

Class eleven’s dessert stall was one of the hits. Mostly because they sell food, sweets to be specific, and almost all people love it. Thanks to those three students, whose habits are baking pastries. The eleventh graders’ another booth, photo booth, was going good. They heard that the class, who had most booths, four booths to be exact, is the class ten. Couldn’t blame them, they were the class who had the most number of students, thirty five students. More people, more work.

Also, the past two weeks were really busy. Most of the girls of the class eleven were the planners and the doers, and the boys were off to training for the two-day sports festival. Kim brothers, except for Min Seok, and Baek Hyun play basketball. Min Seok’s interest is soccer, on the other hand.

Though she’s been living the ‘rich’ lifestyle for months, Jin Hee still couldn’t help but to be impressed by her classmates’ connections and riches. Their number one problem was time, not funds. If there was an easiest problem they could solve in just a snap, it’d be funding.

That’s why they easily had the things for the booths. For the photo booth, one classmate of hers just contacted a family friend of theirs and requested for this equipment and then, voila, in front of them were the things requested. Same for the desserts stall.

Jin Hee looked around her. Numerous unfamiliar faces were everywhere, enjoying the booths they built. Meters away from the field, there was a stage and a band was playing songs. Jin Hee suddenly patted Jong In beside her upon seeing the stage. She remembered that the guy will dance in front of everyone later.

“Do your best, my child.”

Jong In laughed and nodded, “Yes, mom.”

Their group decided to stay with the photo booth. Eight people were enough to operate, look out and promote the booth, while the rest helped with running the desserts stall.

Stephanie gently bowed to everyone that passes by her and gracefully handed them a pamphlet, stark contrast to Alex few feet away from her who kept yelling.

“LADIESANDGENTLEMENMADAMSIRWELCOMETOOURPHOTOBOOTHWHEREYOUCANHAVEYOURMEMORIESWITHYOURLOVEDONESNOTFORGOTTENBYHAVINGANACTUALCOPYOFIT!” Alex said, without even breathing.

“God, he’s so embarrassing. Can someone shut him up?” Jin Hee face-palmed.

“No, no, he’s actually getting people to come at our booth.” Joon Myeon commented.

She snorted, “That’s Stephanie’s doing. Look at Alex’s direction!” Jin Hee pointed at the kid whose lips quivered in fear and reached out for his mom’s shirt, “He’s scaring them off!”

“Why don’t you do it yourself, Lee?” Baek Hyun challenged.

“I’ll do it if you also do it.”

“Forget what I said.”

Jin Hee laughed loudly that it captured others’ attention, including the attention of the senior who was approaching.

“Excuse me?” the senior guy asked Jin Hee.

She turned to him and was greeted with those familiar doe eyes.

“Oh!” she pointed the guy, “you’re that guy!”

The guy chuckled, “’That guy’?”

“I mean that cute guy in the bus! I asked Baek Hyun for your name but he didn’t give me that. Instead, he told me you’re Chinese.”

He nodded, “I am Chinese.” He offered his hand, “I’m Lu Han, senior. You are Lee Jin Hee, right?”

She accepted his hand and shook it, “Yes, you’re right. So, what do you need?”

Oblivious to them, Baek Hyun’s eyes were shooting lasers to their direction. He was amused on how well Jin Hee could handle this kind of situation. Friendly tone, friendly smile. It was irritating for him.

“I’m here for the photo booth.” Lu Han said.

She nodded and walked to the entrance, “Okay, just get inside and there’s a monitor that’ll tell you—“

“I want to take a picture with you.”

Baek Hyun abruptly stood up, but both did not see it. The Kim brothers quietly chuckled at his action.

She was taken aback, but then laughed, “Me? Why?”

Lu Han shrugged, “I just feel like it. Think of it as a remembrance since I’m graduating next year.”

“Okay, sure thing. Let’s go.”

The two got inside and Joon Myeon couldn’t help but to tease his friend.

“That senior Lu Han… he’s known to be a sweet talker. Like any girl he talks to, he gets to date them.”

Baek Hyun cleared his throat and sat down, “That’s bull.”

“What? You don’t believe it? Remember when he and Seung Wan were caught talking? Days after it, they were already dating.”

“Maybe he just forces them to do it so he could keep up with that image.”

Jong Dae ignored Baek Hyun’s remark and turned to Min Seok, “Is it betting time? Jin Hee would date Lu Han or nah?”

Jong In put his hands up in surrender, “I’m not joining that.”

“You never did, Jong In,” Jong Dae rolled his eyes.

“No one,” Baek Hyun tightened his jaws, “is going to make a bet, okay?”

Jong Dae shrugged, “If you say so.”

Meanwhile, inside the booth, the two had come up in an agreement of taking two rounds of pictures, one for Jin Hee and one for Lu Han. She slung an arm to his shoulders and he had to bend awkwardly just to meet her height, and their faces had dork expressions. For the second take, Lu Han went behind her and loosely wrapped his arms around her neck.

As they examined the pictures, Lu Han spoke.

“You still remember your first encounter with Baek Hyun?”

Jin Hee nodded, “Yes. What about it?”

“You remember that guy who laughed when you told Baek Hyun that you were not asking for his father?”

“That was… you?”

Lu Han chuckled, “Yeah.”

Jin Hee laughed at the sudden and out of nowhere confession. She clearly did not expect that.

“Well then, thank you for laughing when everyone was shocked to silence.”

When they got out of the booth and the Lu Han guy walked off, her friends were throwing her looks. Kim brothers were slyly grinning at her like she’d just done some nasty