Kate

               "A cherry blossom is a flower of any of several trees of genus Prunus, particularly the Japanese Cherry, Prunus serrulata, which is sometimes called sakura after the Japanese," the professor said.

                   I yawned as I looked out the window. He was talking for hours about cherry blossoms. For all I know, he just got that from the Wikipedia or something. Suddenly, he continued, "If you like to enjoy cherry blossoms with a lot of activities in festival, you should go to the largest cherry blossoms festival in Korea named The Jinhae Gunhang festival."

           The Jinhae Gunhang Festival? That's like how many months more. When will I ever see them bloom with my own eyes?

                  The bell started to ring. We were all getting ready to stand up until the professor spoke again. "Before you go, how about i bring you some good news," he continued.

                 Suddenly, there was a lot of fuss inside the room. What good news could he possibly have brought?

             "The day after tomorrow, we'll be heading to... drum roll please," he said, as if he's emceeing in a pageant or something. "... we'll be going to Japan for your annual excursion."

                     "Wooh!" they all screamed, shouted and jumped up and down. They were all so excited. Everyone of them but me. I stepped out of the room feeling down and gloomy. No matter how much i wanted to go, i just couldn't. PITY ME!

After his big announcement, I just sat there speechless. All of the other students have already stepped out of the room except for Aiden and Marcus who were still fixing their hair which they normally do. Why did I even have to be on the same class as him? It’s really very unfortunate.

Suddenly, Aiden noticed me. “Kate-ssi, kwaenchana (are you okay)?” he asked, approaching me.

My eyes met Marcus’s. He looked away. What’s wrong with him? He’s acting like he couldn’t even see me. “Ne (Yeah). I was just about to go,” I said, standing up.

Aiden smiled and nodded. “Arasso.” Then, he went back to where Marcus was.

                As pissed as I was, I dragged my feet on the ground until I reached my only comfort zone which is at the Green Park. I sat under the golden tree (I named it Golden ‘cause it turns to a golden yellow color when the sun shines bright light at it). Suddenly, I heard my phone rang. “Yoboseyo?” I greeted.

                “Kate-ssi! It’s me. Ara,” she said excitedly.

                “Omo! Ara, how have you been? I’m sorry I wasn’t able to visit you more often than what I’ve promised you.”

                “Kwenchana (It’s alright). So, how are you?” she asked.

                “I’m good as always,” I said.

                “You sure you’re not being bullied again?” she asked like she’s acting like my older sister which she is.

                “Aniyo. They have been pretty good to me these past days,” I said.

                “That’s good then,” she said. Then, I heard some shouting from her phone. “Omo! Kate-ssi, I need to hang up now. We have customers,” she said.

                “Ne. Thanks for calling,” I said. “You take care Ara-ssi,” I said.

                “You too,” she said, hanging up.

                After that, I felt like drawing Ara’s face so I did. I tried to make it into an abstract kind of way filling her face with different emotions. Just remembering her made me feel gloomy aside from the fact that I couldn’t go to the excursion. There was something that Ara was keeping from me. I just couldn’t quite figure it out yet.

                I stopped sketching and placed it back inside my bag. I rested my back on the tree. I closed my eyes and felt the breeze touched my cheeks. Just then, I heard footsteps coming. When I opened my eyes, someone was looking at me, about 1 meter away from my post. He smirked as he approached me. Of all people, why did it have to be him?

                “Why are you here?” he asked me.

             I didn’t respond. Why was he even talking to me now when he just ignored me at the hallway earlier? I brought out my phone and pretended to listen to the music as I closed my eyes. Ah! Finally, peace again.

                Suddenly, I felt someone seated near me. I opened my eyes again and saw him looking at me. “Mind if I sit here?” he asked.

                “Why are you here?” I asked him.

                He let out a small laugh. “Haven’t I asked you the same question earlier?”

                I paused, thinking about it. Well, yeah, he did ask me. But still… I was the first one who sat here and this is my sanctuary – the only place where I could meditate.

                “So… you now owe me, right?” he asked again.

                I turned to him. What did he mean owe? What did I owe him for? “What??” I asked him.

               “You don’t remember last night? Don’t tell me you have memory loss?” he asked teasingly.

                Oh, right! But wait… he helped me and brought me to his house (I mean the palace) and he just left me there and sent Aiden to drive me home. Yeah, thanks for his help! And he acted like he didn’t even know me earlier at the hallway. Oh and the fact that he didn’t even tell me he was the prince. And now he’s here so he could slap in my face that he helped me? Unbelievable!

                He suddenly faked a cough. “I’m still waiting for your answer.”

                “Answer to what?”

                “If you remember what I did last night,” he explained.

                 Oh yeah! I did remember it alright. “I’m sorry. I don’t.”

                 “Aish! Jincha! Just a simple thank you would have been better than pretending not to remember.”

                 “Speak for yourself,” I said.

                 “What?” he asked in confusion.

               “You’re accusing me of not remembering last night, yet you’ve been ignoring me earlier like you didn’t even see me in the hallway and in the classroom,” I blurted out finally.

              He sighed. “Ah! So that’s what this is all about. Listen. I just didn’t want anyone to find out about last night. No one should know that we’re together that time. Or else I’ll be dead.”

                “That would be better,” I whispered to myself.

                “What?” he asked.

                “A… aniyo,” I stuttered.

               After that, no one spoke. Only the sound of the cold breeze could be heard. I glanced at him. He rested his head at the back of the tree. Then, he closed his eyes. Looking at him now, I could say that he’s better looking when he’s not frowning. His face seemed peaceful and calm. Really much better than earlier.

Marcus

            “Marcus oppa! Oppa, wake up!” I could hear someone calling me. But I couldn’t quite recognize if it’s from my subconscious or what. The voice seemed so near me. Suddenly, I felt a hand tapping my shoulders. “Oppa!”

                I slowly opened my eyes when I saw Jessica staring right in front of my face. I almost jumped from my seat. “Jessica, what are you doing here?” I asked.

                    “I was just looking for someone,” she said.

                I rubbed my eyes and stood up from my seat. Suddenly, I noticed that she’s holding a paper on her right hand. “What’s that?” I asked her.

                   “Uh… ne (Excuse me)?” she asked, as if she was startled.

                “I said what’s that?” I asked again, grabbing the paper from her hands. I unfolded it and saw a sketch of a face. At first, I didn’t quite recognize it. But, when I looked closer, I realized that it was me. My face was drawn on the paper.

                “Oppa!” Jessica said.

                I looked at her. “Is this me?” I asked her.

                She paused looking at me. “N… ne oppa!”

                “Were you drawing me when I was sleeping?” I asked her.

                “Ne. Mianheyo (Sorry),” she said, bowing her head. “I didn’t mean to disturb your sleep.”

              “Aniyo (It’s nothing),” I said. “By the way, let’s eat together sometime.” I didn’t know why I said it. Maybe I just wanted to know her a little better since I’ve found out that she was the owner of the sketches in my room. Then, maybe I could convince her to participate in the art exhibit.

                She smiled. “Ne oppa.”

“I’m going then,” I said, leaving her. Then, I realized I was still holding the sketch. I turned around to face her again. “Thank you for this!” I said which left a big “Cheshire cat smile” on her face.

               As I was walking, I suddenly remembered Kate. She was sitting next to me before I dozed off. Where could she possibly be? She didn’t even dare to wake me up and tell me that she’s going somewhere. Aish! That girl is really something.

               When I reached the hallway, I saw my other close friend, Vincent Lee fixing his things in the locker. I decided to frighten him. I positioned myself behind him. As soon as he closed his locker, I jumped out from behind him. His face got all red. I laughed so hard at him.

                “Yah! Marcus-ssi, don’t think you’ll get away with this,” he said, pushing me away.

                “I always get away with everything,” I said.

                “Ha! Maybe for now. Someone will be able to match up with you,” he said.

                 “And who might that be?” I asked still smirking at his face.

                “We just don’t know.”

                “That’s ‘cause it will never happen. Arasso (Got it)?” I said, tapping his shoulders. “By the way, have you seen Aiden?”

                “Ani (No). Maybe he already left,” he said.

                “Aish!” I mumbled.

                Suddenly, Vincent noticed the paper in my hand. “What’s that?” he asked.

                “This is nothing!” I said defensively.

                “Then, why are you hiding it? Come on Marcus-ssi, show that to me,” he said, reaching for it.

                I placed it behind me. But, his hands were so fast that the paper got almost torn apart after stealing it away from me. He opened it and looked closely. “Ah! So beautiful! Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)!” he said, still looking at the sketch.

                “Now give it back Vince,” I said.

                “Wait…” he paused. “Who is K?”

                “What?” I asked confused.

                “There is a K here at the bottom of the sketch,” he said, pointing at it.

                I recognized the same signature from her last sketches that I kept. “Ne. That K stands for Kim. Jessica Kim,” I explained to him.

                “I didn’t know Jessica could draw something like this,” he said, turning the paper front and back as if he’s checking something.

 Suddenly, as he turned it to the side, I saw some scribbles written on it. I quickly grabbed the paper from Vince’s hand. I looked closely and saw that it was some kind of a note which said: ‘Komawae-yo Marcus-ssi. Mianhe.’

Kate

                When I reached home, Aunt Ivy greeted me in the lounge. She was watching a drama in the television. I greeted her back and bowed my head as I walked past her. Then, I heard her say, “Andrew is not coming home tonight. I’ll be sending home-cooked meals for him, Kate-ssi. So, if you’re hungry just tell me. Arasso?”

                I smiled at her. “Komawo Auntie,” I said.

                As I ascended the stairs, I got upset after hearing that Andrew’s not coming home. I didn’t know why. I just felt bad that I haven’t even gotten the chance to pay him back yet after taking good care of me when I was sick the other day. I sighed before I opened my door. Suddenly, I thought of something…

                I ran back down the stairs. Aunt Ivy got startled when I approached her. “Aigoo! Kate, what’s the matter?”

                I panted for a minute. “Auntie, when will you be sending that to Andrew?” I asked her.

                “Right now. I’m just waiting for Ben (the driver) to get this. Wae?” she asked.

                “Can I… take this to him?” I asked.

                “Are you sure?” she asked me back.

                I nodded.

                “Arasso.”

∞∞∞

A/N: Thank YOU again for reading this chapter! :) My mind is so full of ideas right now but I couldn’t organize it well. Haha I wanted to fast forward it to the later chapters (if that’s even possible)…

                Anyways, please vote, comment, fan! Kamsa :D

                -theLEXical-