Title: Good Day

Characters: Kyungsoo and Ara (Formerly Hello Venus)

Poster by Korpride

“What’s up? My name’s Im Hyunshik.”

Kyungsoo smiled shyly at the guy, tall, broad shoulders, bright, open mouth smile. His new seatmate.

“I’m Do Kyungsoo.”

Every biological gift Kyungsoo had ever wished for in his life was present in this boy and still, Kyungsoo couldn’t help the relief of Hyunshik’s strong, firm handshake. He decided, split-second, to keep it simple. Kyungsoo was new, Hyunshik was nice and friendly, no pickiness in making new friends.

The teacher began assigning a series of calculus problems on the green chalkboard.

“Awh, Mrs. Son, chill out with those fancy derivatives…” Hyunshik muttered under his breath, scribbling the problems in his notebook.

Kyungsoo worked out the first derivative in a series of neat numbers. He took Mrs. Son to be a teacher who liked to pressure her kids into the more difficult methods of problem solving. His pencil worked away quickly. Position, velocity, and acceleration – his mind just ticked.

“Whoa dude, slow down. We’re not being timed here.”

Kyungsoo turned modest eyes toward his seatmate, the corners of his lips turned up. Even without his eyes on his paper, Kyungsoo’s hand jotted away, catching the lined space. 

Hyunshik elbowed Kyungsoo’s arm, grinning, comparing Kyungsoo’s pretty much finished problems, to his just started ones. Kyungsoo shrugged, playing with his pencil, thankful that he’d met a nice, chill seatmate.

He’d been nervous. Kids competing for grades and ranks in high school got scary; he’d heard endless stories, especially in the city like Seoul. But Hyunshik seemed more interested in how neat Kyungsoo’s handwriting was, rather than being pressured by the new smart kid. Hyunshik reminded him so much of his old childhood friends back in Goyang.

Whether it was by Hyunshik’s friendly help or not, the Seoul Academic Honors High School overall seemed to Kyungsoo welcoming enough, with clean, freshly painted walls, young, witty-looking teachers like Mrs. Son, and average-looking students in neatly ironed, navy and white school uniforms. Only the smallest traces of the regret he’d had at leaving his childhood home and his childhood friends behind lingered in Kyungsoo’s gut; the decision to move to the urban city of Seoul had been unanimous in the family, even his older brother, who was in military service.

There wasn’t a lot of discussion involved. Kyungsoo had simply understood that his parents always wanted him to pursue the most high-quality education. In turn, they had understood and appreciated Kyungsoo’s aspirations, to work hard like his parents wanted him to, to aim for the top, not accepting to fall anywhere short of Seoul University. The agreement to move had been absolutely mutual.

The new school Kyungsoo had moved to stood just a mile away from Seoul University itself, which assured and relieved the Do family. Kyungsoo had always considered himself a capable enough student; if he worked hard enough, he could do things. Striving forward. It was what Kyungsoo did best, in all circumstances.  

“We have a senior assembly today. As soon as the bell rings, everyone head down to the auditorium. The senior class president will be making an encouragement speech as requested by the principal, to cheer you guys on for your upcoming midterms. Make sure you all tell her to do well,” Mrs. Son announced, just before the school bell clamored.

“Don’t mess up Ara!” Some boy remarked sarcastically amidst scattering students and their school items.

Kyungsoo followed Hyunshik’s lead to the spacious auditorium. The senior class was huge, twice the size of the senior class back at Kyungsoo’s old school. Sitting next to Hyunshik in a row of cushiony chairs, Kyungsoo watched the people on stage mumble about as if they were doing something very important.

He recognized the principal, whom he’d spoken to with his parents before transferring. A row of teachers sat with their legs crossed, regarding the senior class with scrutinizing eyes. Next to the principal sat a student, wearing the same navy and white school uniform as everyone else, but somehow making it seem like the uniform did her more pride than it did others, by the way her back looked fixed permanently straight, and the way her simple smile never faltered. Kyungsoo presumed she was the girl named Ara.

No one paid much attention to the principal’s words. Some kids in Kyungsoo’s row had been immersed in the glows of their cell phones since the beginning of the assembly. The principal droned on and on for a good five minutes about the girl named Ara and all her achievements, emphasizing how diligently she had maintained her number one class rank from her very first year at the school as a freshman.

Finally, the principal called her up to the podium. She stood up straight from her chair, head held high, and strolled to the podium in long strides, flashing a smile full of teeth at her classmates as if they were welcoming her with a standing ovation. The applause she actually received couldn’t be characterized as more than a mild and off-rhythm shower of lazy and uninterested hand movements.

She spoke with a clear, feminine voice, articulating her words in a precise, paced manner.

“I don’t have to tell you guys how important these upcoming midterms are, because you already know. And of course, I know how much you guys want to just sit back and have fun with your friends, instead of being cooped up in your room, studying until five in the morning.”

Even the pause she took, regarding her audience with her unfazed, serious look, seemed carefully planned out.

“But fellow students and peers, you have to focus here! Your midterm grades don’t just help or break you for college; they practically foretell your work ethic for the rest of your life. Blow off one crucial exam in high school, and it’ll be that much easier to blow anything else in your future. Listen to me, you guys. Get ready to study! You’ll be surprised how much improvement comes from one week of studying. If I could give you a few pointers about studying…”

Someone behind Kyungsooverbally groaned. Bored and unconcerned whispers scattered across the senior class audience, but to Kyungsoo’s surprise, the girl on the podium continued her speech, her passionate voice booming as if the security of the nation was at risk.

“Nobody ever listens to Ara’s advice on studying,” Hyunshik whispered beside Kyungsoo, “All she ever does is basically tell you to just get off your and study, because it’s so easy for her. No one here really cares about being number one, because Ara is so obviously going to be it, every time.”

 Hyunshik smirked before returning to his game of Cookie Run. Kyungsoo nodded and looked back up at Ara. She was gesturing in the air, her eyebrows molded in concentration, addressing an audience of people she knew did not give a damn. Kyungsoo had to give it to her, she had determination.

Kyungsoo leaned his face against a fist, his body relaxing in the comfortable auditorium seat. He had probably been the only senior listening to what Ara had been saying, but now, even he began to zone out. He blinked lazily at the straight, swishing black hair dancing around Ara’s face whenever she turned from one side of the auditorium to the other. Her eyes were intense from concentration, and moved very systematically, forming words so clearly, a deaf person could read her lips perfectly. The neat, navy and white school uniform seemed made for her, complimented by a glittering silver headband in her hair. She was pretty, Kyungsoo decided. Really pretty, for a number one ranked bookworm.

Hyunshik eventually dozed off with his arms crossed in his seat, head bobbing up and down. The guy snored too, and even though it was funny, Kyungsoo decided to sit up a bit, to make sure people didn’t think it was him.

Kyungsoo was pretty sure that the only people who applauded at the end of Ara’s speech were him, and the faculty. Still, she beamed like she’d just been awarded the Nobel Prize, then returned to her seat, prim uniform spotless, all the way down to her dazzling white sneakers.

The slightly impressed, slightly bemused smile on Kyungsoo’s face at the end of the assembly, didn’t wipe off until he got in bed, to wrap up his first day at his new school.

Something about the clear, spotless, blue sky made Ara turn on IU’s “Good Day”. The chorus burst in her earphones like freshly squeezed orange juice, and she had to force every nerve in her body to not skip her way up the steps to the school entrance. She was right on time, just the way she liked it.

Slipping her morning books out of her locker, Ara straightened up, turned, and almost ran into a student. She jumped back just in time to see the new, golf ball eyed boy’s huge, round eyes, literally exact circles from surprise.

“Oh, hi Ara.”

“Hi golf- I mean, Kyungdo? Was you name Kyungdo?”

The boy laughed, cheeks scrunching, lips forming the heart shape that gave the new kid his school nickname. Ara only now remembered, ‘Heart lips’.

“Kyungsoo. It’s Do Kyungsoo.”

“Oh, Okay that makes sense. Sorry about the confusion.”

As Ara made her way past golf ball eyed boy, she caught the handful of male voices fondly calling the boy by his infamous nickname.

“Heart lips!”

IU’s “Good Day” still drummed in . Ara greeted Kaeun and took her friend’s offer for a cracker.

“Are you ready to see your mid-term grades?”

At the question, Kaeun’s arms dramatically fell on her desk.

“Ara, I have a bad feeling about this. I don’t wanna see these grades. Seriously, those mid-terms were damn hard.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine! So what if you lose a couple of points on a few hard problems. You’ve been doing well enough it won’t affect your overall transcript for university, Kaeun.”

“Still…”

Even as she watched Kaeun tangle her hair in frustration, Ara couldn’t help the “Good Day” lyrics cozy on her tongue. It was something about the weather.

“As you all know, today’s the day you get back your mid-term grades.”

Mrs. Son had a twinkle in her eye that piqued Ara’s interest. The teacher laid the stack of grades on her podium carefully. Around Ara, the kids let out sighs and groans.

“It turns out, from our mid-term grades this time around, that our senior class had a class rank adjustment.”

It was as if Mrs. Son’s words had slipped in Ara’s left ear, and floated straight out through her right. The slight smile on Ara’s lips remained delicate and still, and she didn’t quite comprehend the air of eager curiosity from her classmates.

“What kind of adjustment are you talking about Mrs. Son?”

The kids seemed to have all forgotten about their own grade worries.

“The senior class has a new number one student. And luckily enough, he’s a part of this class. Everyone, let’s congratulate Do Kyungsoo on his excellent job on these mid-term exams.”

Mrs. Son began clapping. Booming male voices from the guys roared in admiration.

“Whoa! Heart lips!!”

Mouth slightly parted, Ara turned in her seat to crane her neck toward the new kid. The golf ball eyed kid whose name she couldn’t remember earlier, had newly claimed the number one spot. Her number one spot.

His heart shaped lips had formed into their full shape again, shy, corners tucked by the sides of the plump heart, eyes looking around in slight anxiety against the full attention of the classroom.

“Awh, Kyungsoo, c’mon!”

Ara felt stiff, spellbound, motionlessly watching the golf ball eyed boy, getting a friendly shove from Hyunshik, followed by various pats from outreached arms.

“Can’t believe Heart lips beat out Ara! No one’s done that our entire school careers!”

Some of the boys had the nerve to cheer. That was when golf ball eyes turned to her. Ara couldn’t decide if she physically jumped. His huge pupils caught at her fixed sight, and stayed, light shimmering on the glazed surface of white irises.

The expression that spread on his face, though, began to boil in Ara’s ears. It was nothing along the lines of apologetic, not even shocked or confounded. The golf ball boy’s eyes expressed amusement, to Ara’s understanding, in an almost prickling way.

As if he had the nerve to find it amusing that he’d caused this situation, that he’d caused Ara to lose her long-defended spot, the first rank.

The dark circles under Ara’s eyes were the most hideous things she’d ever seen. In the past, when her school friends had shown up to morning exams with them, the deeply caving, shadowed spots of fatigue, Ara had smiled at the meaning behind them. That they had taken valuable slumber time, to actually study.

But she couldn’t feel more betrayed, now, by the monstrosities hindering her features. The golf ball heart lips boy had forced it on her. The guilt of her decline to second rank, the weight of the university admission officials’ eyes on her shattering failure, haunted her every thought. So, she had refused to sleep, studying extra and making sure to cram more information in her brain than golf ball eyes.

“Anything else you need, dear? More breakfast?”

The worry in her mom’s voice seemed to make Ara’s dark circles sink even further. For a time, her mom had actually taken to blaming herself, for Ara’s shocking fall to second rank. Listening to her mother’s worries about how she’d been too relaxed for Ara’s exam periods, failing to provide meals and snacks to stimulate her brain, etc, etc, it all just made Ara want to brood with anger. Specifically, toward the golf ball eyed boy.

“I’m leaving, mom.”

The hesitant attempt for Ara’s mother to emanate encouragement from her eyes, failed miserably, leaving Ara with only the unpleasant image of her mother chewing her lips away until Ara’s grades got home.

Shaking the bad and even the good emotions off, Ara boarded her bus, pressing her iPod headphones into her ears. She shuffled for calming songs to help herself settle, to relax.

The way the kids looked at her, then at golf ball eyes, then back at Ara again, made her agitation grow wild.

“Don’t be a fool and read through the questions too quickly. Give yourself time, and you’ll all ace this exam. Ready?

Mrs. Son’s usual last-minute advice, slightly strict tone contrasting with her leisure stroll through the desks, handing out exams, jarred Ara like icicles. If only on those last mid-terms, Ara hadn’t been so confident, hadn’t been so sure she’d do well.

This time, it would be different. Mrs. Son swept past Ara’s desk, but she made no note of it. Her brain began clicking away. She’d prove that golf ball eyes had just been ridiculously lucky, his very first mid-term at his new school.

[A/N:]

Happy (late) Valentine's Day~♥

Hope everyone is studying hard like Ara! =^•^=

I don't know about you guys, but writing the first few parts of this story really reminded me of this picture of Kyungsoo. So here it is, for your enjoyment ^^