It’s her again.

I gradually slowed my footsteps as I neared her. Gazing at her from afar, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized.  

She threw out her arms as she leaped gracefully into the air. Landing lightly on her feet, she brought her arms down before performing several consecutive pirouettes. I marveled at her feat. She didn’t do those yesterday. Must be something new she wanted to try. I chuckled as she stopped turning. Panting heavily, she faced the river and the streams of sunlight that burst through the clouds overhead illuminated her features. She smiled as wind stirred and blew her hazelnut-brown hair away from her face. In that moment, I swear she was so beautiful. Like an angel that had descended from the heavens.

She is the epitome of beauty, elegance, and grace. The first girl to make my heart race; my first love.

I casually strolled through the school gates just as the bell rang shrilly throughout the school grounds. The teacher on duty glared at me which I returned with a shrug.

“Yah Mark! Over here!” I turned and saw a group of boys standing at the doors of the school building. One boy was waving his hands enthusiastically at me whilst the others were talking among themselves. I ran over and high-fived the one that called me. “Finished your homework, Jackson? Or did you spend the entire night watching fencing competitions?” I pulled him into a bro-hug as the others guffawed at my comment. Jackson pouted. “I did, alright! Though I did watch several competitions before finally starting on the homework…” He mumbled as Jinyoung swung his arm on my shoulder. “C’mon, we’re going to be late! Let’s go.” He directed me into the building just as someone bumped into my shoulder, hard.

“O-oh, I’m so sorry!” A voice squeaked as I saw a mess of hair in front of me ; hazelnut-brown hair. The girl ran off, her brown locks swaying with every step she took. I raised my brows as Yugyeom leaned onto me. “Who’s that? I’ve never seen such hair in this school before.” I glanced at him. “Never?” He shook his head. “Never. Everyone’s hair colours are either blonde or the colours of the rainbow. No one has such a conservative colour. And I should know because I’m a genius.” He smirked which earned him a light whack on the back of the head from me.

I yawned as my homeroom teacher strode into the classroom. Trailing behind him was a girl whose face was hidden by hair. Hazelnut-brown hair. Interested, I sat up straight which piqued Jaebum’s curiosity. “Mark, why are you sitting u- Wait, isn’t she that girl from just now?” Not tearing my eyes away from her, I nodded. She stood on the teacher’s podium and lifted up her head. The girl wore a hideous pair of spectacles and her hair was disheveled. If anything she looked like a lioness in nerd mode. Her skirt was way below her knees and her uniform was prim and proper. Her shoes were shined so cleanly that they sparkled. I couldn’t help but snicker loudly which caught the teacher’s attention. “Something funny, retainee?” My face grew dark at his comment.

Sure, call me a retainee. Having played too much during my last year of high school, my grades weren’t exactly desirable to enter college so I had to repeat a year. Fortunately, I had Jinyoung, Jaebum, and Jackson in the same class as me. It ain’t so bad now that I’ve got study buddies. I might, might just be able to scrape into a decent college.