Lockers.

Each student has their own locker assigned to them. Lockers are mostly used for storing purposes, but admirers of some do put gifts and romantic letters inside for the owner to see. But the letters Hyejin received is nowhere near romantic.

The letters she received were more of, funny. It’s been weeks since the sender of these letters started putting a bunch of jokes written neatly on a paper, folded and sealed with a bunny sticker. She isn’t bothered by this, but she’s curious of who in the world would try and impress her with the said method.

 

 Dear reader,

            Hey, it’s me once again. How did you find the last joke I sent you? Hilarious, isn’t it? Well here’s another one for the beautiful lady:

Hyejin flustered over the last few words.

“Very silly, huh,” she muttered under her breath before continuing to read.

            What do you call a guard who loves flowers?

            A guard-ener! :D

            ‘Til the next letter, dear reader!

 

Closing the piece of paper, she exhaled loudly, putting her hand over her face.

“This is a ridiculous joke, don’t laugh, don’t laugh,” she cited her daily mantra.

“Hyejin!” Hayeon panted after jogging towards her. Noticing the paper she‘s holding, she snatched it from her to read it.

Hyejin turned her back on the girl, an effect of second-hand embarrassment for the sender.

“So he’s still sending you letters?” Hayeon asked while snickering. she nods shyly before facing her once again.

“Damn, I want to meet this guy already. He’s funny. I like him for you already,” she mocks her.

Checking the time, - grabbed Hayeon’s hand with her free hand and hurriedly rushed towards their classroom, with her mind occupied with the letter she held. Scolding herself internally, for she was always distracted by the letters she receive every morning.

 

 

 

“I can’t believe she ditched me, this rat,” Hyejin huffed. She received a text message from Hayeon, saying that she won’t be able to go to their weekly library date, because of a boy she’s crushing on.

Hope you meet your funny admirer! ^^ She read the last sentence of the text she received.

Pocketing her phone, she went inside the library. She grinned the moment she saw the rows of bookshelves she could look over, never getting tired of scanning the same set of books every time.

Getting a book from the shelf, she scanned over its content while walking over to a table. Not noticing the guy sitting at the corner of it, she took a seat. The guy glanced over her direction, obviously startled as he recognized her. Finally, Hyejin noticed the movement coming from his direction, and made eye contact with the guy.

“I didn’t know you visit the library,”

“When I find the time to go, I always do. This is where I sit most of the time, actually,” he grinned.

Hyejin snorted, “Of course, you have the time. You’re one of the cutest geeks I know. I hope you don’t mind having me sit here,”

Junmyeon tried to hide his flushed face from her.

“Are you alright? D-did I say something wrong?”

Not wanting to embarrass himself any further, he responded.

“A-ah, it’s nothing. It’s from the book I’m reading,”

She glanced at the book he was holding.

“Well, that’s pretty handy when you’re trying to charm someone, ain’t it now?”

Not only then, he realized the moment she looked like she was trying to hold her laughter. Junmyeon cursed himself internally. He closed his book hastily before hiding it beside him.

“It’s no use hiding it, I already saw. Don’t worry; I’ll keep it a secret. I don’t get why you looked so embarrassed reading it,”

“The jokes are so corny; I couldn’t help but be embarrassed for the writer,”

“I know the feeling very well,” taking out the letter she got this morning, she sighed.

“Every day, I receive letters from someone. Thought it’s not those typical letters involving romance,”

Hyejin looked at Junmyeon, who was fixated on fiddling with the pages of the joke book, not looking at her. Thinking that he doesn’t like to make eye contact, she continued.

“I don’t know him and what his motive is, but I guess the jokes he sends me are pretty funny. Most of the time, I get embarrassed for his sake. I don’t mind thought. It’s become my daily morning routine to read his letters,” she folded the letter and placed it back inside her pocket.

“What if he doesn’t have a motive at all? He sounds like someone who probably doesn’t know how to befriend people he likes,”

He was now daring to make eye contact with her. Getting to see his eyes clearly now, she noticed his soft facial features and his lips that were slightly pouting. Slightly taken aback by the sudden words he said with determination.

“How would you know that?” she raised her eyebrows at the remarks.

“Coming from someone like him, I guess,” he lowered his gaze on the table once again.

Hyejin rose up from her seat.

“Well, thanks for the information. It was nice finally talking to you, Junmyeon,” she smiled at him, before going to return the book that she was unable to finish to its place.

Once he made sure she was out of the library, he gathered and placed down his materials he got from his bag; a piece of paper, a pen, and a sheet of bunny stickers.

He started writing; smiling at the interactions he had with her.

Dear reader,

 

 

 

Weeks have passed, and the letters kept on going. Hyejin honestly enjoyed having the time to read it the moment she opens her locker. Ever since she bumped into Kim Junmyeon, the guy who she has seen a couple of times before, she started looking forward to meet him by any chance. She concluded that he was the shy type of person, not interacting unless the other party acts first.

Hyejin had the urge to touch his soft, milky skin, his eyebrows which furrow from time to time whenever he’s reading something confusing.

His nose, I want to boop it.

“You want to boop whose nose, now?” Hayeon narrowed her eyes at the dazed girl.

Finally snapping out of her ridiculous daydream, she denied saying such things. Fortunately, Hayeon let it slide.

“So, are you still receiving letters from this ‘romantic’ guy?” she nudged Hyejin.

“Yeah, I still don’t know who he is,” an apparent pout appeared on her face.

“You should start thinking of ways on how to know this guy. It’s been a few months since he started writing you jokes on pieces of paper. Maybe you’d be able to track him,”

Hyejin took in Hayeon’s suggestion. She started to list down the ways she could possibly know of his identity, but a few hours has passed and she was only able to think of ideas such as going to school earlier, but she’s not really the morning type of person, and possibly trying the idea of calling him out as the funny guy who likes bunnies. She got the idea of the guy’s interest in bunnies because the stickers that were used on her letters were rare, according to the sticker forum she searched online.

Trying to write down more ideas, she went to the library thinking that she would be able to find peace and probably get help from there. But before that, she bumped into someone while she was distracted by her list.

A thud can be heard in the corridor. Not only did her letter fall on the floor, but the books of the person she bumped into also fell.

“I’m sorry, are you hurt?” hearing the familiar voice, she looked up.

“Oh my god, Junmyeon. I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking my way. Here, let me help you,” Hyejin frantically picked up his books along with her list.

“Ah, thank you. You better get going to where you should. Be careful next time, alright?” Junmyeon smiled at her, showing her his cute set of pearly whites. Her heart skipped a beat before looking away.

“I will,”

Just as she was about to go her way, she noticed a sheet of paper on the floor.

A sticker sheet with bunny character designs.

Hyejin inwardly gasped, recognizing the set of stickers she picked up. Smiling, she looked at the direction where Junmyeon went towards to.

I guess I don’t have to make a list after all.

 

 

 

 

Junmyeon’s mood was down for the whole day. He wasn’t able to put any letter inside Hyejin’s locker, for he lost his sticker sheet. He had looked everywhere for it. In the end, no sticker sheet was found.

So much for trying to impress someone, he thought to himself. That was a rare collectible too. He groaned while scolding himself in his mind.

In an attempt to raise his spirits up, he went inside the library. Getting a book that intrigued him by the foreword, he went to his usual spot. His normally empty spot now had a letter resting on it.

Wait a minute, isn’t this…

Picking up the letter curiously, he opened it.

 

 Dear funny-bunny writer,

            Since I have discovered your true identity…

Junmyeon unconsciously gulped. He was nervous for the fact that Hyejin, THE Hyejin that he took an interest to, knows that he was the one who sent all of those letters.

            … I’d like to pay back the amount of jokes you have given me. It may take some time, but I have an alternative payment for it. For now, here’s my first payment:
            What do you call the letters you have sent to me?

            It’s the alphabet! :3

            You’re welcome.

                        Signed by your dear reader

 

Reading the joke, he curled his toes for he was embarrassed. I guess this is what you call second-hand embarrassment, huh. He felt a tad apologetic toward Hyejin knowing that she experienced this whole bunch of times he sent her the letters.

While Junmyeon was having his moment, Hyejin slipped on the seat she sat before when they first had their conversation. Before, they only encountered each other when they were just passing by, stealing glances and giving shy smiles to each other.

“So, now you know my pain every morning,” she chuckled, gaining his attention from his trance. He looked like he was trying to hold his laughter in a painful way.

“Oh god, please don’t start on me,” he groaned into the letter that was covering his face.

“Don’t worry, for the most parts I actually enjoyed reading them,” she assured him, still amused by his reactions.

“I-i..“ he started trying to explain, but instead become a stuttering mess.

“So for the alternative payment,” Hyejin cut him off, causing him to look at her directly in the eyes. He started admiring her features, with her face adorning a small smile. Perceiving the situation, he grinned, happy with the outcome of his letters. Now both of them looked like two idiots smiling, smitten by each other.

 

“Would you like to be my friend?”