Chapter 2: 

Out of my League 

As far as I can still remember, the unfriendliness that she felt towards me started after our first major examinations. 

“Oh, why are you frowning?” I heard our classmate, Lee Chaerin asked her. I think she’s the only close friend Sandara have. “How was your grade?” 

Sandra sighed, hiding her phone. “Not high.” 

“Also, not that low.” She giggled. “Let me see.” 

Actually, I’m also curious about her grades. Sandara is a brilliant student, I must admit. She always participate in the recitation and got almost perfect results in our quizzes. And she’s always on-time when it comes to deadline. I also heard that she entered the University with a scholarship. And our University isn’t that nice when it comes to granting scholarships. 

Everything about her is so brilliant. She is very intelligent but… very serious. Boring. 

“Ohh! 93! Damn, I’ll die happily if I’ll get grades like this.” 

Sandra sighed. “I can’t die with grades like this.” 

“Chill.” Chaerin giggled. 

Why are they even friends? I mean, I know they came from the same High School but Lee Chaerin and Sandara Park are complete opposite: Chaerin is the smiley, breathe of fresh-air and bubbly person. Sandra, on the other hand, is the type of person who is strict, prim and proper and serious. I heard that she even have daily schedule  to follow. I don’t know where that rumour started but with the way I see her in our classroom, I can’t even disagree to the rumour. She’s giving a vibe. 

“You know I can’t chill…” Sandara sighed. “I need to protect the scholarship. I need to excel to be recognised.” 

“Recognised by who?” I in. “How was the exams results, Sandara?”

Sandra pouted. I never saw her do that. “My grades aren’t that high. How about you?” She asked. 

I scratch the back of my head. “Just fine. I didn’t fail.” 

“Really? What is your grade?” Chaerin asked. 

“Nah, I’m too shy to let you see it.” 

“Let me see.” Chaerin insisted. I also saw Sandara’s eyes sparkle. I know, she’s curious too. Chaerin grabbed my phone opened the school site to see our grades. “What—this isn’t just fine, Jiyong! Holy cows!” 

I looked away. I observe Sandara who’s eyebrows are now furrowed while thoroughly scanning my grades. “T-This is your grade?” She said, still with the same facial expression. 

“Y-Yeah…” I admitted, shyly. 

“Woah! We have a genius here!” Someone exclaimed. 

“You should have told us that you’re a smart-!” 

I don’t want to actually brag about my grades. I mean, everyone is smart in their own ways. I always tell myself that I am just very lucky.

“Tch.” Dara is now bitting her lower-lip. “Y-You could have said that your grades are good.” 

“No, no.” I chuckled. “Grades isn’t something to brag about.” 

“It is though.” She commented. “The University system is all about good grades, Jiyong. If you have failing grades, they will force you to either transfer school or shift to another college. That’s how it is.”

“A-Ah, D-Dara. You shouldn’t say things like that.” Chaerin said, uneasy. “Besides, your grades were high too.” 

“It is true.” 

“Oy-oy! Enough with grades stuffs.” I said, trying to lighten the mood. I can hear murmurs from our classmates. “I’m not genius! Geez! You are all over-reacting.” 

“Tch. She’s just jealous Jiyong is a genius.” 

“I know right. Jiyong’s grade maybe were higher than hers that’s why she’s being salty…”

I looked at Sandara and saw her looking straight at me. And I know the meaning of that look: hatred and envy. I don’t think I deserve that look but I just gave her a smile. She sighed and murmured. 

“I will graduate with grades higher than yours….” 

I sighed at the momentarily flashback and realised that it’s not that she hate me. She simply just hate me. And now it’s our last year. Few months from now, we will graduate. We will have our separate ways. 

“When will you stop asking for my grades?” I murmured while she’s holding my phone and scanned through my grades. 

“Until the day of our graduation and makes sure that I will graduate not just with flying colour but grades higher than yours.” 

“You’re still obsessed with that?” I exclaimed.  

“Yeah. And that’s why we can’t be friends.” She commented. “You are my enemy. Academic enemy. And enemies can’t be friends.”

“How about—“

“Please give-up the ‘Julius Caesar and Brutus’ stuffs.” 

“You kept on saying that we are not friends but dude, you have an easy access to my stuffs and right now, you are holding my phone. Technically, it means we are friends.” I chuckled. “Do you want to eat fries?” 

“Your treat?” She asked, ignoring my rants. “Yes! I got 3 subjects with grades higher than yours.” 

I chuckled. “Are you happy with that?” 

“Of course.” Flashing her genuine smile. 

I chuckled. She still not consider me as her friend even if I’m the only one who she can comfortably talk to? How come she kept on insisting that I am not her friend when I am the only person she can eat lunch with, every single day? I do get that she has ‘other friends’ from the Student Council and our classmates but considering me not part of her ‘friends-list’ is a bit hilarious. 

“How’s Chaerin doing?”

“She’s doing fine in the U.S.” She commented. “ And Ice Coffee please. Argh, I need Coffee.” 

“It’s sad that they migrated last year.” 

“I know.” She said, while returning my phone. We are now at the Cafeteria buying snacks. The teacher just asked us to submit a report so Sandara and I decided to eat snacks before heading towards the library. It’s so difficult being her friend. I am forced to study too. I mean, I do have other friends too but it seems like if I leave her alone, she’ll be lonely. 

“Damn. I’m such a loving friend.” 

“What are you talking about?” She asked, placing her T-square on the table. 

“Nothing.” I said while tapping her head. “Just stay here, pumpkin. I will bring food.” 

“Tch.” 

Many people will say that we are a good pair. Both intelligent. But they don’t know, I can’t date her even if I admire her for her brilliance. I mean, I can’t date a very serious person. She’s close to becoming a nerd if it weren’t for me! Geez! Yes, we should all admit Sandara Park is a very beautiful person. The person who says otherwise might be blind or plain stupid. And I do like her…but not to the point of liking her that much. More than a friend? Nope. Not gonna happen. 

She’s not my type. My type were model-like figures and flirty. Not dorky and introverts. And she is both. Plus, serious. Geez, I can’t stand people like that! 

Also, I know that I am not her type. I know I am handsome, it’s very visible, but if she have other feelings for me, she can’t date anyone! And for the past few years that we’ve been classmates, she’s been active in exclusively dating someone. And her ideal-guy? Sporty and intelligent. Funny how an introvert like her date: library and coffee-shop date. And it isn’t really…my ideal date. 

I am the only guy she can talk freely so it’s natural to have fondness but it seems she’s not in that page yet. Maybe she will admit that she likes me being her friend after…graduation. 

I went back to our seat and saw her writing on her To-Do list for today in her planner. The rumours  about her having weird habit is true, it took me a year to know that. 

“You changed my schedule.” She said, in gritting teeth. 

“What did I do?” I asked, dumbfounded. 

“The moment you eavesdrop, you wrecked the schedule.” 

“It’s not eavesdropping. It’s what you call ‘accidentally being there’.” 

“Whatever.” 

See? She’s a nerd and a dork at the same time! I don’t know if it’s appropriate to combine them or what. Really, she’s waaaaay out of my league.