Crowded hallways are the loneliest places

For outcasts and rebels

Or anyone who just dares to be different

And you’ve been trying for so long

To find out where your place is

But in their narrow minds

There’s no room for anyone who dares to do something different

Hugging a thick novel against your chest, the empty halls welcomed you into the building with just a few lights highlighting the different hallways you let your eyes wander allowing your mind to slowly move from one thing to the next. Your feet took their usual route to your favorite place within the whole school, a small alcove with brick columns on three sides and a window into the student lounge in between the two brick columns. Arriving at your place, you slipped your weighted backpack from your shoulders and eased yourself down with the book still between one of your arms. Leaning back against your backpack pressed against the brick column, you happily leaned back while your fingers danced over the binding to find your bookmark between the pages.

Bringing your legs up slightly, leaning your book against your legs you happily began to read immersing yourself in the text and story line. Turning the page slowly, your eyes lifted a moment to see the once empty halls begin to fill slowly with students arriving for classes. The talking within the halls grew to a soft roar, pulling out your headphones, you slipped them into your ears just to be able to focus on your book. After a few more page flips, the starting bell sounded, everyone quickly scampered off to class as you gathered your things and made you way to your first class.

Pulling the door open to your first class of the day, you found your seat and rested your backpack against the leg of the table as you found your spot once more within your book as everyone else began to find their seats around you.

Hidden behind your book, your eyes followed the printed letters on the page, your legs crossed at the knees under your desk while your favorite jacket tried to conceal you from the hectic high school around you. The deathly tone of heels clicking against the tile floors captured all of your attention, your lips slowly, your eyes closed praying that they would just pass you by. Girly giggling got slightly louder as your eyes opened but stayed down in your text as the chairs around you were pulled out from under the desks.

Sitting down in the desks in front of you, the most popular girls continued to talk extensively concerning the most minute situations and gestures. Feeling your heart beat quickly in your chest, you bravely peered over the top of your book to see which “popular’s” were sitting before you. Cautiously taking in their appearance you recognized every single one of them, with a twisting in your stomach you knew all too well what these girls could be capable of. Dropping your eyes back down, the classroom filled with chatter before someone cleared their throat slightly to capture your attention.

Pressing your thumb against the line of text that you were currently on, you lifted your eyes to the tall man that stood at the edge of your desk.

“Is someone sitting here?” Yongguk questioned tapping his fingertip against the tabletop signifying that he wanted to sit next to you.

“No one is” You shook your head slightly from side to side recognizing his face as well.

Yongguk slid the chair out from under the desk and slid into the seat before pulling out his books. Your eyes stayed on him for a moment longer before he whispered a small, “Thank you.”

Nodding your head the teacher stood in front of the class and began the lesson, marking your spot in your book, you slid the novel to the corner of your desk while your pen slowly jotted down some notes onto the line paper. Glancing over at Yongguk from time to time, you couldn’t believe that the most popular boy in school chose to sit next to you. From hearing all of the whisperings of the girls over the years, of how handsome, courteous and kind this boy was. You looked over from time to time making sure that he was still sitting next to you and that this wasn’t a dream.

“This will be your assigned seats for the rest of the year, make sure you introduce yourself to your neighbor” The teacher’s words snapped you out of you swimming thoughts.

Standing in front of the class, the teacher jotted down the seating chart as students turned to the person next to them and introduced themselves. Watching the specimen sitting next to you turn to you, he gave you a soft but sweet smile.

“I’m Bang Yongguk, what is your name?” His beautiful voice quietly whispered to you as you swallowed trying to moisten your dry mouth.

“________ enjoy” One of the popular girls turned around, singing your name as she slid a folded note across your desk.

Dropping your eyes to the note, Yongguk did the same before the popular girl smiled and moved her chair back under her desk.

“So… your name’s _______?” Yongguk turned your attention back to him as you nodded your head, your eyes slightly fixated on the note. “Are you going to open it?”

Lifting your eyes up to his beautiful brown gems, you shrugged your shoulders lightly.

“Are notes really that scary?” He chuckled not knowing the weight of his words and the past experiences that you have had.

“Sometimes” You told him, your voice almost as quiet as a mouse.

“What makes them scary?” Yongguk slowly ran his tongue over his pink lips awaiting your answer patiently as the sound of everyone packing up at the end of the class caused the class to roar once more.

“The things that are written inside” You replied with a slightly shaking voice, fighting a personal struggle within, to read the note or not.

“I am sure that it isn’t anything bad” Yongguk reassured you as he stood to his feet. Following suit, you pushed your chair under the table and lifted your backpack on your shoulders.

“Maybe…” You sighed softly gathering your book between your arms leaving the note on the desk.

“Should I read the note for you and tell you if it is good or not?” Yongguk chuckled not knowing how a little note from a fellow classmate could ever be bad.

“I’m not going to stop you if you do” You told him, hugging the novel against your chest while you watched him lean over and drag the note across the table to pick it up.

Carefully unfolding the intricately folded note, smoothing it out between his hands, his eyes started at the beginning of the light blue inked note. Lowering your eyes, you shifted your weight from one foot to the other, glancing up to see his reaction. Watching his eyes move across the page, they widened as they came to the end already knowing that the note wasn’t a positive one, due to the source it came from.

“Not all notes are good” You told him the harsh reality as his eyes lifted and looked at you. The bell sounded saving you from further explanation, falling speechless, you bowed to him before making your exit.

Slowly turning around, he watched you exit the classroom as his thumb brushed over the paper note still in his grasp. Once you exited the classroom, he brought his eyes back down to the note, trying to read it once more. Not making it to the end of the note, he quickly folded the note back up and slipped it into the front pocket of his jeans before making his leave.

With a heavy heart, he walked the halls, navigating through the crowds to get to this next class. Slipping his hands into his pockets between future classes, his fingertips brushed against the paper note that still resided in his pocket. The words rolling through his mind while he thought about you, the quiet girl with the nose always in a book, incredibly smart yet misunderstood and pushed away from the students that resided between the halls.

Over the next few weeks, Yongguk pulled himself back from being in the spotlight and slowly backed into the shadows. Noticing more people and making more genuine friends, he spent more time watching and listening than talking. Arriving to the class he shared with you, he sat in his seat as you walked through the door soon after the bell sounded.

Allowing you to sit and pull out your book, he tapped your shoulder as your eyes lifted up and looked over at him. “I was wondering… do you have a book that you would recommend?”

Widening your eyes at his question, you felt your heart slightly swell not having anyone ask you for advice before.

“I have a few” You told him with a nod, leaning down, you pulled out a few books from your backpack. Fanning them out on the desktop, you pointed to each one, giving an overview on each one with an added opinion on what you thought of the book and giving a recommendation.

“I really like the sound of this one” Yongguk tapped the cover of his chosen book as you slowly slid the book towards him.

“You can borrow it, just make sure that you bring it back in one piece” You smiled shyly at him as you gathered the other two books up and slid them back into your backpack.

“A-Are you sure about this? I know you treat your books with the highest honor” He replied, hesitant to take a beloved book from you.

Nodding your head, you pushed the book over to him more as he smiled and whispered a genuine thank you while the teacher began the class. Watching him open the front cover, he began to read in class rather than working on the assignment. Doing the same, you heard everyone begin to pack up at the end of the class quickly approached.

“Enjoying the book so far?” You questioned as you handed him a ripped slip of paper from your backpack to mark his progress.

“Yes, very much!” Yongguk nodded his head enthusiastically before sliding the book into his backpack.

“I’m glad, let me know if you don’t get a part or something, I have read that book hundreds of times” You blushed as you stood up and lifted your backpack onto your shoulders.

“H-H-Hundreds?” He stammered, his eyes widening in surprise.

Nodding your head with a genuine smile, “I got it back in middle school and have read it in every new class within each school year since.”

“That is a lot of times…” He rubbed the back of his neck as he lifted his backpack up onto his shoulders.

“Please enjoy the book, I know it has helped me throughout some rough patches in my life.” You explained as he nodded softly.

“I am sure I will, I’m enjoying it so far” Yongguk smiled as the two of you headed out the class together.