Do you remember when it started? Back then I don’t have any idea what this could possibly lead into. How about you?

We’re on our second week of classes. Our very first grouping was formed in English class. We’re asked to discuss topics by group. The school have 5 kiosk around the area we’re groups could use for discussions. The problem is if you’re 1st year it means you have to descend to the ground using the staircase. The pilot sections have harder lives as they always occupied the top floor of the buildings.

“So… you’re our leader?” Illhoon ask our leader when we’re all settled inside the kiosk.

“Unfortunately” answer Sehun dejectedly.

“You can’t blame them you came from an exclusive boys school aren’t you?” Amber said who was sitting beside me sharing cookies with me. We’re teammates in basketball since elementary so we’re quite close with each other.

“Expectation dude.” Illhoon added. In our area, if you’re dead serious about academics then it’s either all boys’ school or all-girls school that is if you’re up for the gruelling hours of studying. There’s little to none social life if you enter either one.

“So why did you transfer?” Jooyeon ask smiling from ear to ear. Sehun paid no attention as he scan the book on his hand.

“Good thing our topic is easy. I think we can pull this off.” he diverted the talk.

“Yes lucky us aren’t we?” Jungah said batting his eyelashes looking straight to Sehun.

“Yeah, ummm…” Sehun scratch his head a little uneasy. All the girls in our group have their eyes set on him since the beginning. Except Amber since she isn’t female by choice she always said.

“So, I’ll just make an outline then distribute it to all.” said Sehun as he focus his attention to his book jutting down notes in his notebook.

While girls continue to scrutinize the leader, bugging him with trivial questions, which he mostly dodges and segues back to topic at hand. Amber and I just start to eat chips and chocolate. We love to eat. Especially Amber, that’s why she’s a little chubby but hay the girl can be monstrous inside the court.

After a while our class president Jaekyung came to us to inform that our teacher is calling us back to the room.

We both decided to go last to give way to others. Before we can ascend to the stairs Sehun came walking beside us.

“Wait.” he called so we turned our heads

“Any of you has landline?” he called looking at us both.

“Yes” we both say at the same time.

“Can I have it?” when he said that I continue walking leaving Amber with him. Heck I know what he’s planning to do. He’ll ask for help for our topic. And no thank you I hate writing on paper using a pentel pen. It gives me chill and goose bumps plus my hand is a disaster in ink.

“But I won’t be staying on our place this week” I heard Amber said. Great.

“How about you?” he said notebook and pen ready to jot down my number.

“Ummm…” I begin reluctantly.

“Can I just call you? My brother will be calling today but no specific time.” I said to him.

“O-kay.” he said as he write down his number and hand me the paper.

“And yours?” he asked pen and paper ready.

“04X-XXXX”.

“Thanks. Don’t forget” he said putting his thumb to his ear and his pinky to his lips. ‘Call me’ that’s what it means. He race with the other boys as I climb the stairs but not before looking at the paper on my hand. 

Years past and will past by but those numbers can never be forgotten. Those precious numbers that I memorized by heart and engrave on our old coffee table…