School Bell
Tied to the StarsC H A P T E R // 0 0 1
Do you believe in fate? They've told me that you can meet your soulmate anywhere; at the coffee shop that you've been to almost every morning, or at the park whilst feeding the pigeons, or at the library on a weekend.
Wherever it may be, your fingers accidentally brush and your eyes lock and your lips betray each other but no word would ever be strong enough to fit the moment. You can also meet your soulmate whilst searching for a bench to spend the night, or on the edge of the highest bridge. They are scattered all over this Earth.
Sometimes, I wouldn't bet my trust on fate or destiny, but if things depend on them, then I will be looking forward. Looking forward to the farther journey of me finding my significant other. Although I can't see the red thread of fate or briefly called the red string but I can feel his presence.
My name is Im Youngmin, and this is a story of how I met a strange guy named Kim Donghyun.
The other kids seem to come alive in art class, amongst the pastels and fine charcoal pencils, but for me the sight of the music and dancing studio was the heaven I craved. Art was amazing, art was beautiful, but not when drawn by my own hand. By my hand it was like a three year old with a broken arm was given a crayon and told to have fun.
The halls were crowded with people, and the chaos was so perfect, like a movie.
We had changed our classroom, grade and year toward the upper top. Freshmen would be busy registering, meanwhile the rest of sophomores, juniors, and seniors went crazy about conversed and reunited with their schoolmates again. Same goes to myself who've been upgraded to the senior year for the first time.
Speaking of school, there were groups of labelled students going viral. About ten feet farther down, there were cliquey girls and jocks. Opposite them, the parade of band geeks with their huge instrument cases, and between them, were the aerospace tech kids who never did anything but make paper airplanes and the fashion kids that wheeled mannequins and clothing racks down the halls.
But I'd never fit in any of those popular groups. I created my own world of musics. I'd prefer entertained my own self and composed everything with my own ideas. Except, I joined a dance academy right after I've finished my classes. That was the only moment I befriended people without hesitance.
“Yo Youngmin! Have you done your homework?” asked a manly voice came from someone who sat behind me, Dongho. I've been writing down some notes, copying what the teacher have written on the black board and I've always tried to neglect his questions but after knowing the fact that he would bother me until forever, so I got no escape from this whiny brat.
“Yes yes, I have,” I answered in a frustrated manner when he started to kick my chair on the back.
“Stop that, dude. I'll settle your homework after this,” I had to whisper a bit louder and quickly switched my attention back on writing when the teacher turned around, suspecting a noise.
Within the entire twenty minutes, we had to pause temporarily and stood up to greet the Principle.
“Good morning, Mr. Park,” we uttered in unison while performed a polite bow towards his direction. He respond with a nod, gesturing us to take our seats back and approached our Mathematics teacher, Shin Yoonmi.
“Good morning, everyone. And good morning to you too, Mrs. Shin. I bring a new student to be introduced to the class. I don't have much time left but please take a good care of him,” he explained in a hurry.
“Oh sure! It won't be troubling at all. Please come in,” she was gladly welcoming the new face.
They ushered him to step inside the classroom and everyone else was amazed by a fresh feature. Principle excused himself first. I wasn't paying so much attention because I had to conclude the problem between me and the person behind me. We've been whispering for quite a while since I took the safest step by refusing to handle his incomplete homework but he kept pushing his notebook against me and I had to avoid as much as I could.
Until my gaze accidentally landed on that unfamiliar person.
“Hello, my name is Kim Donghyun. I came from Changwon. I hope to be able getting along with all of you,” he said then bowed a bit slightly in front of the class. He must be feeling lowkey nervous.
“Nice to meet you, Donghyun. Please take your seat next to...” she hummed randomly to observe the class, scanning for an empty table. I was also curious that I glanced over my surroundings and figured out that the seat lined up on my left side were empty. I heard one of our previous schoolmate transferred during the last minute before it begun.
Without any protest or waiting for anyone else that will offer him a seat, especially among the wild girls and bullies, I hurriedly lifted my hand up.
“There is an available seat on my left side, Mrs. Shin,” I announced bravely.
Even Dongho was surprised. He thought I wouldn't dare enough to raise hand in the class and spoke up because he knew I was never liking the idea of busybody or interrupting. I didn't realized it.
“Why...–”
Then I met his eyes. He was smiling. It gave me a mini heart-attack or something I don't know what do people call it but I felt like my heart pumped up too fast, nearly blasted through my flesh and bizarrely warm, even though the windows were widely flung open the whole time to let the cold breeze roamed the class with flying curtains.
He bowed at the teacher before walking toward the seat and settled down his backpack. I watched several movements he made uncontrollably and noticed the details— his brown slightly curly hair with a styled and separated fringe, neatly shaved on the back; those puffy cheeks and plump lips; attractive eyes, those eyelashes and original straight eyebrows; fixed uniform and just no single untidy hint from him.
“So, you're Youngmin?” he asked, nodding at the direction of my nametag on my school blazer.
I woke up from my short daydream and shrugged everything off to return to the reality as I offered him a handshake. “Ah yes, I am. Im Youngmin from the music and performance art club. It's a pleasure to be your classmate. Welcome here,” I said with a bright and friendliest grin ever.
He accepted my handshake.
“Sure it feels so great to be your new classmate as well and I hope we can get along. I'm Donghyun as you've heard from earlier,” he replied with a small chuckle.
I got shocked.
My eyebrows furrowed.
Just... why do I feels like we've seen each other for a very long already? I don't know why but.. this feels so weird. I just happen to think that I've known him. I knew him. He was not a completely stranger to me.
“What... is this...,” I thought.
After classes got terminated much earlier on the evening, I grabbed my backpack as I filled in my tools back inside before I slung it on one shoulder to push the chair under the table and divert my attention to the new person. We were not as awkward as I'd expect because I tend to be motherly when it comes to eating lunch with a company.
I was shamelessly brought him a carton of strawberry juice and he liked it so much. Then I treated him some snacks on the way back to the classroom during recess. I've toured him around at the same time but it was too short because we had to return to the class before the afternoon lessons. I learned that he was timid and a bit of shy, however, he dared himself to point a statement sometimes. He was never afraid to throw questions when he got clueless.
Whenever we talked, I felt strange. Was it because of Donghyun's personality or his vibe? Or was it just my illusion? An hallucination maybe? I probably didn't get enough sleep for helping my parents to run their porridge shop from day and night when I had a long school break.
“I shouldn't be thinking too much,”
“Um, where do you live?” I asked as soon as we cleaned our chairs, shut the electricity off and closed the door tightly.
“Oh, I just moved to Hansung Resident. How about you?” He answered and it took me awhile to recognize that location's name. We walked through the path of the gateway and passed by the guardhouse.
“Wait... Wow, you are one of my neighborhood!” I was at first excitedly declared but soon cleared my throat when he looked at me with those blinking eyes as if he was just meeting an insane cheerleader boy wearing Pikachu costume. I rubbed my nape in embarrassment and glance elsewhere but him.
He suddenly bursted into laughter, “I was just kidding! I'm sorry if I made you feel embarrassed and of course, I am also excited to be your neighbor,” he uttered in his happy tone then swung his arm comfortably around my shoulders.
Truthfully said, it feels like I just got glued back to someone I've lost.
“You better not do that again,” I jokingly warned him then followed by a chuckle, swinging my arm around his shoulders and fastened our pace for no reason to stroll down the subway station. We rode a train instead of using legs because I felt too exhausted even just for the first day as senior.
We offered some seats for the elders and disabled people as we decided to just stand up instead. Holding onto the metal handles for safety reason since it would be a little too fast and jumping from one station to another.
I thought I was the only drowsy one, but then I saw Donghyun kept trying to lift up his head from falling a lot and his eyes got heavier. They seemed to be forcing his eyes to shut down immediately. I continued to stare at him and he was just standing beside me unconsciously with all those silly motion.
I emitted a silent laughter with shaken shoulders and shook my head, “How cute.”
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