Updated: 021015
Words: 2582

"Right here, there should be a hole, a hole caused by a bullet."

I've seen Minseok. But there were too many versions of him. Each one was fading as another one reappears. His mouth in all the versions of him was moving in sync. His voice echoed in my head as he says the same statement over and over and over.

I want to shut him up.

"there should be a hole,"

I reached for the closest version figure of him since I strangely lost the ability to form words and tried to cover his mouth. But my hand just went through him, as if he was a ghost.

I moved my hand back and forth and the results were the same.

I repeated it with another figure, which was a little further, and it was no different.

"Right here, there should be a hole, a hole caused by a bullet."

"Shut up," I managed to say. I was surprised how moving my mouth to say these two words and finding my own voice was too exhausting. Like I just carried 40 kg and my muscles were getting ripped in the process.

"there-"

It's like I got accustomed the weight I'm carrying. "Shut up!"

"-should be-"

And it's like I don't care if my body got ruined. "Shut up, shut up!"

"a hole-"

"Shut up, shut up, shut uuuuppppppp!"

His mouth was still moving and my lungs were off limits. As I look and listen closely, Minseok's mouth was speaking something entirely different. Meaning, my little efforts finally worked.

"Relax, Daran,"

I wanted to spit in his face. He wants me to relax? Yeah, he is not the one who recently discovered that there is something wrong with them. Something supernatural and we only see in superheroes comics.

But I realize that he was calling me, and his voice seems strange. It is a female high-pitched voice. It was familiar.

I felt something in my shoulder, a hand, and all Minseok's versions disappeared. I blinked too fast and in a breath.

Oh. I was in the infirmary and the hand belongs to none other than the doctor's.

Once she saw my eyes open she handed me a glass of water. She chuckled as I drank it all at once. "You were shutting me up this whole time,"

I couldn't smile. I'm still under the shock. My hand was on my shoulder, as if it hides that little bulge indicating that there is a bullet under my skin. As if I suspect the doctor to see through me, but she won't see through my hand.

I stood because I am not ready for a questioning session. And with whom? With Miss Eunri. Yeah, I would look forward to this if I wasn't Daran, Gil's daughter with a newly discovered strange ability.

I realized that I was stripped from my blazer and left in my white shirt. It was neatly folded near the pillow, which is now wet due to sweat.

It was hot or I was nervous while sleeping. I would be, of course, if Minseok's face didn’t fade from my unconscious as it slips into my dreams.

My eyes travelled to the infirmary's window whose view is the football field next to the sport hall. There was a team playing there. Their noise can reach our ears, me and Miss Eunri.

I asked without looking at her as I wore my blazer. "How long I have been in here?"

"Three hours?"

"WHAT??"

She chuckled softly as if not expecting this reaction out of me. "Don't worry, I already wrote you a paper for your teachers."

I wanted to laugh. She thinks I'm afraid I would skip my classes. She thinks this is my primer concerns now, not to skip my precious lessons because otherwise I would up my exams.

Poor Miss Eunri.

"By the way, I'm going to tell Mr. Kim that you woke up and you're fine. He's the one who brought you here along with your classmate."

"Classmate?"

"Yes, the newly transferred? I guess you will know everything once you're back to your class."

Oh, wow. Mr. Kim and that were the ones who found me.

I guess I shouldn't show that I'm paranoid and I'm gonna pee myself. I must show that I am fine. I should lie and say it is due to period. Girls get that a lot.

The best thing to do is walk out of this room and head to my class like nothing happened.

Act normal.

Yes, I should always utilize this method.

It works on everything.

Miss Eunri exited and I stood immediately. I took my blazer, I wore it but I was stopped midway.

I felt someone's presence behind the white curtains. My heart dropped.

But Miss Eunri came right away. "You can leave, Daran."

.

The method was working.

I did well convincing Jun that it is just my period and this is normal. I joked that it was better to do this from time to time. I even recommended him to do the same sometime. Sleeping in the infirmary is the best. I successfully avoid Mr. Kim's gaze as I smiled at my classmates like nothing happened. I made sure that I talk with Jun loudly so he would listen to our conversation. I also made sure not to lift my eyes and meet with Hyungwon's. I basically don’t want to look at the boy, nor have a little conversation with him.

He exceeds the limits of being annoying and creep.

My little method was working too well, but not until I realized I didn't bring any food with me. The lunchbox mom made this morning was left there, on the table where I walked out and forgot it.

I sighed. I'm hungry as if I was starved for days.

I needed to go to the cafeteria, or the vending machine.

Ah. I could've avoid doing that.

.

The vending machine was out of service, like everything else in my life. This doesn’t make sense at all, I know.

I headed to the place I hate the most. The cafeteria.

Before I stepped inside, I got a message from my mom.

'We're having dinner at the Lees. Cancel all your plans.
It is important.'

I internally canceled going to my part-time job, the library, and even home because I had something else in mind. I need a ing explanation and the only one who can probably do that is Minseok. Once I opened my eyes, I had planned to leave to the hospital right after school.