YUJU

Slowly some moments become more vivid as time passes by. We would notice things more. Find out that the smallest thing would matter so much. Yesterday’s encounter and those last goodbyes would flash before your eyes. Sometimes you would think that, that moment even existed before. Or it was just a false delusion. Everywhere I went. The alley and crossway I walked through were all meant to lead me somewhere. Which is when I realised the immense beauty of life. And it only took one person to make such a difference. I don’t care if all this turns out to be a dream in the end. Because this is where I choose to be.

SINB

I look up into the sky and asked myself “What am I doing here?” Too bad I never get the answer. I had to look for it. Why were the happiest moments in my life an usher of sudden fear? Because what happens if I look back, knowing that all along underneath the bright and beautiful world in front of me, lay my deception. Soon everything would collapse with the gush of light wind. No matter how much I run and turn away that swarming hive of lies would always be two steps ahead of me. Should we all go back? To the time where we could change things? Maybe then happiness could be ours to keep. Even though many summers have passed, there will always be that one place we cannot reach. And I’m afraid. But I know I should love you with no fear. I know I should love you with no hesitation. I should face those fears head-on. So that my heart would not swim half-heartedly.

YUJU

Staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror I can’t think of anything to live fore right now. Transferring to another school. Again. The flow of thoughts rushing through my head and the voices whispering constantly within my mind was one thing I would go die for. Concerned with my character I asked myself whether I should build a reputation. Then I realised I had thought to much of what other people would think of me. Will there be a person that will learn all about me that no ones else sees? School hasn’t even started yet and I’m going crazy already. I don’t know.

SINB

I inch my eyes open for a little bit and rolled onto my side to check the time. The red glowing numbers read 7:40am. I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer and closed them.

"Sh*t! I have school in 20 miuntes!!! Sh*t! sh*t!" I threw off the sheets and was confronted by the chilliness of the morning of spring day. I jump straight out of bed, ran to the laundry room, thinking my uniform should be there. I look inside the basket, to only find it empty. Where could I have put it?

I went out to the balcony. There it was blowing in the wind. My school shirt. Skirt. Blazer.

"You’ve got to be kidding me, how could I forget that I have school the next day to wash my clothes. I’m so stupid."

I pulled my uniform off the line and put it on. From that moment I encountered my first day of winter in the middle of freaking spring. Running to the bathroom, I looked at my toothbrush and toothpaste. 

" Stuff this no time", so I squeezed some toothpaste in my mouth and chugged some water and spat it out.

I grabbed my bag and slipped on my shoes and ran out of my apartment. I looked at my watch it was 7:50am. "Why? Why? Why?" I slammed the door shut and went to press the button, waiting for the elevator. I look at the stairs and back at the elevator. Stairs then elevator. I had my first ever mental breakdown: deciding on whether I should just use the stairs, but I was on a hungry stomach and won’t eat till recess.

Nope I’m not waiting, I’m taking the stairs. I ran at the speed of light down the flight of stairs and didn’t stop until I reached the doors, I continued down the street, turning left and then right, I have memorised these roads. My school was a long way from here and if it takes 2 seconds each 3 metres then it would take me. I can’t math, it doesn’t matter I have to get there until it reaches 8:00am and it’s 7:56am I can do this. I got there at 8:07am. While catching my breath I saw a line of students standing there, holding their bags above their heads, probably late as well. And there was Mr Sung-Kyu, the sports teacher. 

"Why did he have to be on morning duty today." I curse under my breath, while looking for alternative routes to escape. 

“GET ON THE GROUND NOW!!! 50 PUSH UPS, COME ONE HURRY UP, YOU DOWN ON THE GROUND.” His voice booms across the whole campus. The hairs on the back of my neck starts to prickle up. I peek at him from the side of the front gates. The frowns on his face is so deep I could see the intense wrinkles forming on his forehead and at the corner of his eyes. I turn around to head the other direction. But. No. Not. Today. Must be great ain't it, with so much luck and great timing. 

“Oh look. Looks like we have a new member so excited to join the club, turn around Miss Hwang- Eunbi, tryna make a run aren’t you? Why don’t you join with these late-comers and run with them around the school.” He says, with a smile in his voice. 

I hate school. I hate him.

“Come on! Get to your feet, faster! Too slow! are you a bunch of grandmas, making their way downtown? Come one pick it up. Three laps!!!" He yells at the top of his lungs and the veins on his neck pops up, if he were to yell any more, it would burst. 

I was so tired making my way down the school halls to my locker. Beads of sweat was dripping down the side of my face, there’s sweat running down my back, there’s sweat even behind my thighs, there’s basically sweat everywhere!

“Ahhh there she is, our one and only, sprinter, Hwang Eunbi. WOOOOOOOO!!!!.” Sowon screams from a far, clapping loudly.

“There she comes, the greatest Olympian.” Umji joins her waving her arms like a lunatic.

"Umji don’t join in with her" I said between my panting. she giggles

“Ya! It’s the first day of school and you can’t even get your in on time? seriously."  Yerin scolds.

“Sorry, sorry. Did I miss out on anything much?”

“Well I don’t know, you missed out on a lesson. I don’t know SinB.” I glared at her. Looks like I have to deal wth her and her sarcastic once again.

“Nope, not really. Oh wait there was one thing.” We all turn to look at Sowon.

“What?” I say.

“We have a new student." she said then hits Eunha, "Wake up!"

“Owww”, rubbing her arm in pain. “Why do you have to hit me?"

“Guys come on, we’re all in the same class and you didn’t pay attention to the new student. Jesus Christ.”

“Oh Yeah, I don’t know what was her name? Yunha, Yuba, Yusa, something.” Yerin crinkles her forehead thinking hard to remember her name. “Nope I give up."

“pftt. Yeah I don’t remember either.” Sowon laughs.

“Okay then, hey guys I need to put away my stuff. “

“Oh before you go, were planning to go out altogether tonight to celebrate, the first day of school.” Umji says

“Coming SinB?” Umji says, looking at me with her puppy eyes

“Celebration? Why out of all the days? I don’t think I can make it tonight, I have to do something later after school, sorry guys.”

“Awwww”, they all say, while I stare at their sad faces.

“Guess we will celebrate without you then.” Umji sadly responds

“Cheer up Umji, it’s cool, we’ll find time, okay?” Umji looks at me.

“Okay?”

“Yes", she says looking up at me with that smile.

I make my way down to my locker, that we are back to school , the feeling makes me hurl on the inside. I haven’t gone to school for such a long time I forgotten what holding a pen and paper feels like. And guess what I can sense (down these overly cleaned floors to damn hospital grade) the smell of depressed student suffering in the battlefields of calculus and exams papers. The thought makes my whole body shiver. Amen brothers and sisters. I stand there with my eyes closed and hand over my heart for a while. My moment of silence was broken when the sound of the locker opening. I glanced over to see who it was.

"She had long black hair, her skin was milk white and her eyes, God her eyes were amazing, like she could hypnotise you with them. My eyes run down towards her lips, they were pink and if someone were to kiss them it would be so pleasurable." In that very second she turns her face in my direction.

“Thinking out loud, Narrator?” she said with a smirk on her face.

I laughed nervously, “ ha, sorry”. I turned away racing (just like my heart right now) to my class. Why did I do that? Cringe, cringe, cringe. I went to take my seat at the back next to the window, covered my face with my blazer and contemplated whether I should go knock my self out dead or, live and have that same very moment replaying again and again in my head for the rest of my life.

Next to me I feel the chair squeaking against the floor before a body lands in it. It must be the new girl, SinB breathe, breathe, calm yo down. Okay just say hi, state your name and return to your normal position. (Chill, I mean like I have a ing blazer over me, so not weird.)

Suddenly someone slaps my arm. “ Yah, what are you doing SinB? I pulled off my blazer. I look up to see Sowon glaring at me with her firing eyes, and returning back to her designated seat, next to Eunha. My eyes landed down at the person next to me, and I can not explain how embarrassed and how hot my face was. It was burning. Literally.

“Oh hello Narrator” she smiled.

“Hello”, I was so done, I faced the front and stayed like that.

I was in that position for a solid 3 minutes before the teacher walks in. He banged his lectern, to gain our attention.

“Okay get it together! Looks like we’re going to have an amazing year together. Am I right?”

“Yessssss.” The students responded.

“ Some of you have had me before, I’m Mr Nam-Kang and I will be your homeroom teacher for the year. Any disagreements?” he smiled, maybe a bit too fresh and I could feel the tension.

“Nooooooo” we respond once again, less enthusiastic this time.

“Okay lets start our class shall we, since I’ll be your maths teacher for today, how exciting!”

There were some groans, upon hearing the news. Great just great, I say in my head.

The rest of the class was a blur, I look around the room, most students were lifeless, especially Yerin, who has her head on the desk fast asleep. I hate this, humans are such robots, ruled by logic not by emotions.Wake up, sleep, eat, repeatig the process.Were we just scared of the vastness of the Machiavellian world that we have to live like this? 

 I take a brief glance at the girl next to me. I don’t know her name yet, I want to, maybe not now. My face blush red upon the recall of what happened earlier. She was so immersed into the lesson, nodding to everything word the teacher was saying. Like how? I can’t even concentrate for 3 seconds before something else distracts me. I’m convinced I have ADHD.

I look out the window, and into the blue sky thinking to myself “When will my life get exciting?At least some fireworks or something. Just something." I whisper to myself.

Teachers come in for the next lesson and go, before I knew it the bell rung, finishing the first day of school.

“Lesson’s over, don’t forget to complete the following assignment, due in 2 weeks” Our science teacher says, waving the assignment in the air hysterically.

I let out a long sigh. "Of course. Homework. Because being here at school wasn't enough to keep us busy."

The girl, my seat partner didn't say a word except the ocassional, sh*t and sorry. I understand being here transfering schools is hard, but it wouldn't hurt to speak. I'll never understand how she feels but I knew what hard meant.

 She packs her stuff up and my eyes follows her until she disappears out the classroom. 

 Umji wakes up Yerin, slapping her hard on the back and Yerin jerks her head up, rubbing her back, eyes half open.

“Ya, what’s the time?” she asked, stuck between the life and death.

“ Good afternoon, how was your sleep?” Umji laughs and Yerin resume putting her head down.

“That was the longest day of my life, seriously!” Sowon letting a yawn, followed by Eunha.

Silence. Awkward silence. We were waiting for someone to say something. And it's not going to happen anytime soon. I don't have anything to say to them. 

“ Guess, I need to get going, you guys enjoy your celebration" I walk backwards waving to them, exiting.I walk down the hallway, as their chatter fades, I start to feel sorry for them. Feeling sorry for people was my hobby. I think a part of me enjoys doing that. Maybe it was the way I grew up. You know? Like it was always been a part of my life. I don't know how else to think of myself. An only child? Now with no mother, no family. Without having somebody to talk to kinda . Really bad. I have all these things that defines tragic. Which is why it lead me to feeling sorry for people, who had to deal with me. And being eighteen didn't help. Sometimes I think that being eighteen was probably the worst tragedy in my enitre time in this universe.

I race down the stairs; I need to get home before work. I can’t be a late again. Never. 

A/N

Hello :) First chapter done.