Last One Hundred

"Why now...?"

"Hyunjoong wake up.. the teacher is already here.." called his classmate YoungSaeng.

Shaking his head, he allowed the sunlight to greet him. Straightening up from his chair, he was surprised to see the very familiar figure in front of him. It was Jung So Min.

She turned to look at him smiled and greeted him with a very cheerful, "Annyeong..."

He bounded up to stand, exclaiming, "How come you are back?"

She gave him another smile, it was unusual, but he still felt unexpectedly glad that she was infront of him again. There befotre his eyes and smiling.

The teacher reprimanded him in his outburst and their classmates snicker at his comical reaction.

The teacher ordered for him to sit down immediately as he explained the reason of Somin's three weeks absence from school, ".. the school has let So Min back to class after her family explained the recent developments on her sister's illness. I hope you guys would lend your support to her..."

"Yes teacher" was the united  answer of their classmates. 

He didnt bother to answer and just questioned her directly in a whisper, "Where were you?"

She smiled at him again and answered, "I'll tell you later..."

She was behaving unusually. 

She was behaving like a proper Daesung elite High School girl. THAT bothered him.

Jung So Min was far from normal. She was not like any ordinary high school girl much more Daesung elite. She was all that and he liked her that way.

Being unusual was a norm for Somin. Even their first meeting was far from orfinary. 

He hated the place...

He hated the school

He hated the teachers

...and he hated all the smiling students that annouced their happiness upon his arrival. 

They were all fake, he knew.

They were like all his other schools, calssmates and teachers. They were all fake and boring

He knew that shipping him in a far away boarding school was his fathers idea of 'taking care' of a meddlesome son like him. 

He was used to it. 

He had been casted away from one school to another since he was six years old. In each school he didn't stay long. His father had always had something he disapproved of on each school. His father's reason ranged from the most logical to illogical to bizzarre and to downright false.

His father's usual reasons range "too crowded", "too indepedent...", "poor lighting..." and etc.

In the end he decided to rebel on his own. He made chaos his middle name and making hell was his only motto.

But his father had said that Daesung Academy was the perfect school for him. An elite school where students were taught the arts and manners that befitted the future chairmans and wives of CEOs.

His father had stressed the part about befitting  future chairmans'. Someone like him, the only son of Chairman Kim, CEO of Shinhwa Inc.'

He hated it. 

He already decided that he would bring hell to the orderly and perfect system of Daesung Academy. That was his new mission --- Hell to the perfect system.

He was livid for that goal.

He slumped into his chair and closed his eyes. Ignoring the insistent call for his name by the teacher. He acted asleep with his eyes closed.

He knew it would take a couple of minutes before the teacher's patience would ran out. He was sure he would be scolded or punished.  But he didnt care.

He actually waited for it. They were going to scold him but he was going to give them hell, 'might as well start now. the earlier the better'.

but then...

He felt fingers crawl to his legs, slowly.

Then lingeringly moving from his right knee up to his thighs. It was a tentative touch meant to arouse any man. 

His eyes flew open and shouted, "What the ..." as he stood up, with his temper controlling each cell in his body.

It was then that he saw her. She was kneeling beside him and reaching for him.

The student then came to his side, as well as the teacher try to explain, "Ahhh Hyun joong-shi, don't be angry.."

He ignored them and he confronted the witless girl who had tried to harass him, "What are you doing..?"

She ignored him and reached futher. But her fingers moved further than his thighs and then to the desk. She took a notebook form under the table. She then stood up and looked at him straight in the eyes and smiled.

He was ready to pounce on her, as one one his classmates restricted him and explained, "No don't do it.. she means you no harm."

He threw them away, his sense of preservation being challenged by a bunch of preppy kids. He is a victim harrassed and everyone was protecting the suspect.

Yes, he maybe a man, and she maybe a girl, but he was still the VICTIM. He was violated and she was the culprit. 'damn if I don't get revenge and a proper apology.' 

He turned around ready to confront her but she was gone...

His teacher patted his shoulder and explained,"Let it go. She is harmless. And in the first place, you were in her chair..."

He couldn't believe it, the school who was renowned for being a perfect system in teaching CEO, future leaders of nations in the world, but they allowed harrassment. 'this is wrong...

He was perplexed as he remembered her smile.

But now when she smile it was different. She was behaving quite different from her peculiar self. She was behaving like a normal student and it was odd.

She looked at him and told him again, "I'll explain later"

Class continued like usual. The teacher continued to talk in front of the class about economics. The same old boring stuff that he hated to listen to. He focused all his attention on So Min as she quite normally copied the notes and listened to the lecture. 'so normal and proper'

He was really surprised that all of Somin's attention was in the class. In class he was only second in short attention span compared to her. and at the moment he was dead bored about the lesson.

The school bell rang...

As their classmated piled out of the class, he cornered her, "Explain now..."

She smiled again and asked, "What do you want to know?"

"ahhh, well for starters, What is wrong with you?" he asked awkwardly

She smiled again and answered, "What do you mean, what is wrong with me? Nothing is wrong with me. I am perfectly fine..."

"But you are behaving quite differently from the way you used to...." he said

"You noticed my attentiveness to the lesson? Well, when I stayed with my family, my mother talked to me about taking school seriously..." she explained as she packed up her things

"Really is that it?" he asked worriedly

She nodded then added, "Anyway, don't worry too much about me.."

Carrying her backpack she asked, "Hey, want to go somewhere with me...?"

Her words relieved him immediately. It was her usual invitation to cause mayhem in school. This was what he was looking for.

She was back. The words she used in the past to start mayhem.

"Hey, want to go somewhere with me...?" the strange erted girl asked him.

He frowned at her and shouted, "Don't bother me, alien girl"

"Your loss mister..." the girl said as she slipped into the fire exit

He was battling with himself whether to follow or not. Lunch was going to end in 10 minutes. Classes would start again -- another boring discussion about how to multiply their money.

His curiousity won and he rushed to follow her as she climbed down the stairs.

He was beside her when he asked, "Where are we going, alien girl...?"

She ignored him as he continued to be annoyed at her deafness.

They had walked through the back of the school until they were in the clearing with the Suanga River a few steps away.

He thought she would explain the reason behind the adventure but as she turned to him. He was puzzled when she gave him her notebook. 

He started to complain at being made a servant when shocked over took his whole being WHEN she started to strip infront of him.

That had him stuttering, "WW--WWHhhhaaa--Atttttt aaaa--arrrrRRe yYyy--OOOuuu dooouuuu---iiiIIinnnNNgg...?"

She continued to take off her clothes from the school's blazers to her blouse then her skirt while looking at him. She then threw her shoes to the side. then followed by taking off her socks and underwear.

Now over his shock at having an alien girl almost in front of him, he composed himself "is this an invitation...?"

She smiled at him again and turned around. She ran fast towards the river and jumped...

It was all he could do to shout, "No..." for he knew how cold the water was during autumn season.

She didn't surface as he shouted for her,  "Alien girl!!!"

His heart slammed into his heart, fear consumming him, 'Is she trying to freeze herself under the water?'

"yah alien girl... are you trying to kill yourself..."?" he shouted again, now frustrated and growing angry.

He threw the notebook and started to strip himself. He knew that if another moment passes by without her surfacing, she would be dead.

He was ready to go in the water, walking at the bank of the river with the freezing water seeping to his bones.

Then she heard her shout, "my name is not Alien girl... just call me somin..." as she surfaced and swam like a fish in the middle of the river..

He cursed her for all that he was worth and she half heartedly listened as she swam like it was in the middle of summer and laughing at him, "your name is Hyun Joong right?...

But now she was back. Her words confired it. It was her usual inivitation. It was somin.

He walked beside her expecting another adventure in the river or play hooky at the rooftop.

But he was greatly surprised when she lead him to the school five start cuisine dining area.

"what are we doing here?" he asked confused

"well, its lunch dont you want to eat?" she asked as she took order from the waiter.

he was puzzled. 'what the hell is she thingking?'

"okay, but you know i think we should go to the headmasters room today. lets get his wig and attach it to the flag pole.." he suggested one prank.

she smiled at him and asked, "but wouldnt it land us at detention.."

"well yeah but..." he was getting more puzzled. 'Where was his partner in crime?'

"come on hyunjoong. I have only been back today. i think i need some time rest before we return to our usual activities..." she smiled and .

he let it go. maybe she just needed some time to be back from her usual self.

For the next classes he observed her. she went to class, listened attentively and took notes. She was behaving like the rest of the students. she was behaving properly and she was behaving like any other student in their stupid school.

At the corridors in between classes she talked to classmates, teased them and questioned teachers. she seemed interested in school.

she was behaving normally. and it was odd.

it was the end of classes when she accidentally knocked her bag and all her things spilled over the floor. he went and helped her and saw her favorite notebook.

He asked, "you still carry this with you?"

She stiffened and said, "give it back..."

"why did you write something new now..." he asked as he flipped the first page

she exploded and snatched the notebook away, "I said give it back.."

"what the hell?" he exclaimed shocked at her hostility.

"you're not allowed to read that notebook anymore.." she stated

He frowned, that never happened before. Somin was his partner in crime and her notebook was her journal and planner for all their pranks. it hadnt been off limits too him until now. 

Going angry at her oddity from the first day of class until her animosity now, he snatched the notebook back as she complained, "GIVE IT HERE hyunjoong...!!!"

"no, until you explain this sudden change in you. i will read all the dirty dark secrets you wrote in this notebook..." he said

he flipped through the pages and saw the pranks she had written in the notebook

• pretend to be a nun
• kiss a total stranger
• swim in a river
• drop a water balloon on a teacher
• steal a classmates underwear

There were hundreds of written pranks on the notebook and almost all were crossed out. some done by somin alone before he came to school. The rest they did together. that brought a smile to his lips. all of the things written in the notebook brought happy memories to him.

He flipped and flipped, teasing somin about their exploits, "hey look here, do you remeber my first stay here. you stripped in front of me to swim in the river. i thought you were giving me an invitation..."

But somin wasnt budging from her stand as she tried to reach for the notebook.

He flipped until he reached the middle part of the notebook where a couple of things were written but wasnt crossed out.

• fall in love
• dance at prom
• get married
• swim from Jeju to seoul

He fell silent and lossen his grip on the notebook.

Somin grabbed it and chouted, "YOu prat hyunjoong..!!!"

He looked at somin, he was confused and asked, "Somin, what is the meaning of those...? I thought you told me that it was your journal of pranks. but why are those written...?"

"i dont want to talk about it..." she said as she put all her things in her bag.

he grabbed her arm and asked, "get married...? that is not a prank? what is the meaning of that..?"

"i dont want to.." she struggled against him but he was stronger

"Somin, I am warning you. My patience is at the end... explain.!!" he warned

she shook her head

"SOMIN...!!!" he shouted, he was getting angrier and angrier

"okay.... i'll tell you... it is a bucket list.." she said

His heart sank. 'bucker list why?'

it was no use to jup into conclusions, he needed facts first. and athe facts can be given by somin herself.

he calmed his palpating heart, "bucket list, what do you need a bucket list for...? you are not..."

he couldnt continue his words. He would not believe that she is dying for she is standing so healthy before him.

"its for my sister..." she said

he sighed, 'thank god it is not her...' relief washing over him...

"so you mean to tell me that your sister's illness is terminal?" he asked carefully

Tears spruted from her eyes and she nodded

"but then why were you doing the things in the list...?" he asked

Instead of answering she said "you know she had the last one hundred to go. she had promised herself when she was diagnosed with her heart condition 3 years ago, that she would accomplish all 1000 things on her bucketlist.."

She was already sobbing, "she only had the last one hundred... but she..."

"she what..?" he asked

she sobbed some more as she answered, "she..."

"if you dont want to tell me take your time, but tell me this, why are you the one doing the things on the list?" she asked

Her sobs were rocking her body and he was getting paralyze with the coldness that was spreading to his entire being.

"swim in the river, drop a water balloon on a teacher, steal a classmates underwear... why were you doing all these.. why were we doing it?" he shouted

He needed answers. he was confused and he was scared.

She was sobbing until he spoke, "i am sorry hyunjoong..."

"somin I am sorry.." she spoke

"what are you saying, why are you saying sorry to yourself? " he asked his heart palpated hard.

"why..." he asked again, his knees were getting weaker

She was slumped on the floor crying her heart out as she asked for apology..

He couldnt stand it and he went to her. she shook her for all that he was worth and shouted, "damn it somin...!!! tell me what is wrong?"

"I am sorry... hyunJoong" she hicupped she said again.

"what.. why.." he ashed

"I am not somin..." somin said in stuttering and hiccuping voice

"what are you saying? is this anotherr prank?" with his fear rising, anger was its companion

"really funny somin.. really funny" he said, his voice hoarse. the prankster SOmin is back again

Somin shook his head and said, "I am not somin, I am her sister, Jomin...."

"she told me to come in her place. she didnt want to let you know she died. I promised her that i would fulfill the promise she could never make..." she said

"no this is another prank..."he shook his head, unbelieving the news..

"I wish this was another joke. I wish she would be here to say 'Got you', i wish she is alive.. but..." she said explaining.

"NO!!" he denied as he slowly saw teh difference in the movement between her somin and this girl infront of him who had somin's face.

"i am sorry... she wanted to fulfill the promise she made to you to come back here so you wouldnt be bored..." she tried to explain incoherently.

she continued, "....she said it was more important than the last one hundred things in her list" with her sobbing

Denying the truth again, he contradicted her, "NO!!! you are lying, you are somin and this is just another PRANK...!!"

"God i wish it were true. God i wish my sister is still alive, but she is not. she died 2 weeks ago.." she said

As he looked at her crying in the floor. He watched her and suddenly she was seeing some things and features that was in somin but was in the girl before him...

He sat down on his chair and tears flowed as the truth finally sank in his heart, "No...!!!"

"why now?" he asked while looking at the sky.

"please no..." he cried

punching the wall he shouted "...I havent even told her I love her... NO...!!!"

He cried for all the missed moments. he cried for all the stolen time. He cried because he never got the chance to tell somin he loved her with all his heart....

- the end -