CHAPTER 38

Author’s POV

At the sound of the whistle, sounds of splashing water erupted inside the swimming pool area of Whimoon. Students started to cheer for their pick. The winner is guaranteed a skip on today’s class. Although all of them didn’t mind hanging around and helping the teacher facilitate the swimming lesson, skipping class is and will always be something a student will want.

“Kwon Yuri is leading! He isn’t just your ordinary Kwon, ya know!”

“That Yuri guy sure is something.”

“I heard he’s trained to be perfect. Being a part of that family must be so hard.”

“Ya! Doesn’t matter if it’s hard. His future is set. He doesn’t need to do anything”

“What a guy. Look at all these girls screaming their heads off for him. He doesn’t even need to try”

Yuri led the race without much effort. This day, this morning will be the second time he spent within the confinement of a pool. He has always found peace within waters. Whether it’d be in plain showers or in a gigantic Olympic sized pools, the touch of water has always had this certain effect on him.

Yuri didn’t want to join the swimming team because he didn’t want to make the act of being in waters, as something he had to do. Yuri wanted to be able to do it in his own free time and with the dictation of the needs of his complicated mind.

The race was short-lived and sure enough and it wasn’t news how Yuri won over everyone else. Yuri got out of the pool and was thrown first with a towel by their instructor.

“Great record, Mr. Kwon. I’ll see you next week.”

Yuri doesn’t say anything and bows his head in respect. He went his way towards the changing room and stayed there for a while to dry himself. The other athletes groaned and wanted to protest but they knew that Yuri won fair and square so everyone kept their silence.

“So does anyone want to challenge Mr. Kwon’s record? Just note that with this, he could’ve been part of Whimoon’s swimming team who have been champions for 11 years straight.”

This statement alone made no one even dare to try.

“Okay then. Let’s get started. Everyone! Get those lazy butts out of them bleachers and in this pool!”

The class formally started and as promised the instructor ran through basic swimming techniques before advancing. So far the seniors of Whimoon have vastly enjoyed this class. It was an opportunity to get away from the stress of school works and things. Right now they were just teenagers, inside a pool, trying to learn or re-learn swimming patterns and techniques.

There were a couple of on-lookers with the recent growth in Taeyeon’s circle of friends. The recent addition has gained a bit of an attention but just like most things, this issue will soon die once people get used to it. It was the ruthless cycle that invades every single place in this earth. Relevance is equated to time.

Choa was still on the fence of starting over and being the way she was before everything went down for her the previous year but right now all she could truly feel was the fact that she was having fun. For the first time in over a year, she didn’t think about how much a wreck she really was.

Right now these seniors were creating memories that would last them a lifetime. Creating memories to remember becomes important in an instant once they leave the comfort of high school life. With such an intense competition in getting into colleges, they could only have these little moments to remember to keep them going.

Yuri got out of the changing room but before going out of the area he stayed in one corner just to look at his classmates. With genuine smiles on their faces and sounds of laughter echoing, a feeling spread in his chest and finally a small smile landed on his lips.

“You did great out there.” Kris found himself standing beside Yuri and looking at the same picture

“Thanks.” It was a short and curt reply but Yuri meant it.

Both Yuri and Kris’ eyes caught Jessica. She was glowing with that smile of hers. Yuri took this time to really look at Jessica to remember her in this moment.

“I’m sorry.” Yuri suddenly says. Kris looks at him confusingly and asks

“For what?”

”I don’t think I can keep my promise.” Yuri says, still his eyes on Jessica.

It took a few seconds for Kris to remember what exactly Yuri was talking about. When he did, surprisingly he wasn’t mad. It may have been because of how Jessica regards him or just plainly how he sees Yuri but Kris that Yuri was a good person.

“If it’s you then you must have a good reason right?”

“There’s never really a good reason for hurting others.” These were Yuri’s last words before heading out and leaving Kris to stand there alone.

--

Jessica’s POV

The swimming class was a blast. I never thought I would have this much fun in a class. I think it’s the company that I kept and well kept me that really made it fun. It felt really satisfying for me to see Choa let loose and have fun. God knows she deserves it after everything that has happened to her.

The fun had to end when the class ended too. Seeing all the seniors was a bit refreshing. I recognize some of them from the the few times I’ve walked with Yuri along the hallways. I don’t think I’ll forget those piercing stares anytime soon. Surprisingly, ever since me and Yuri started not talking, the talk about us died down as well.

“I’ll see you at lunch, okay?” I say to Choa

Choa responded with a smile and just nodded her head. Taeyeon popped to my side and along with her were Sooyoung, Sunny and Hyoyeon. We all got out of the changing room and met up with Kris and Taecyeon outside of the pool area.

I notice Kris’ oddly dark expression but didn’t say anything. All of us went back to our classrooms and promised each other to meet at lunch. Taecyeon and Taeyeon went ahead and got inside our classroom. I pulled Kris by his elbow and dragged him to the side.

“Are you okay? You look really down. Did something happen?” My worrisome nature kicked in and before I realized, I sounded like a mother, consoling a 5-year-old child

“Yeah. I’m fine. The uhm… the whole swimming thing got me drained.” Kris’ answer sounded so shady but I didn’t want to press on further.

“Fine. If you don’t want to tell me now, tell me whenever you’re okay with sharing it.” I know Kris all too well and I definitely know that he’s not okay.

Kris didn’t say anything back and went inside the classroom. I was about to follow him but then I saw Yuri who was coming from the other side of the hallway.

We stood in front of each other, not knowing what to say or do. I looked at him and he looked at me. There was no one at the hall except us two and as seconds passed, I felt like the walls around us started closing in.

I felt like both of us were waiting for the other to say something. Silence remained until the very last second. Yuri looked away first and headed inside. I heaved a sigh because that is all I can do right now.

Endless chattering filled our room as my classmates got in and settled themselves. Talks of excitement for the next swimming class and the upcoming culture festival were the topics of the day. Our next class should have started but our teacher has yet to arrive. The chatter continued and made the overall atmosphere inside the classroom cheerful. I look at the back and see Yuri in his usual trance of looking outside the windows, not caring about anyone or anything else.

When our teacher finally arrived, he requested everybody’s attention because of an important announcement.

“As you all know, as part of the new school code, all year-levels will have an assigned counselor. The new senior batch counselor is here. Let’s all welcome him warmly to Whimoon.”

Our teacher then heads over to the door and opens it. Revealing the very last person I would ever want to see in the 4 corners of my school.

“Good morning everyone. My name is Dr. Kim Dohan. I am Whimoon’s senior batch counselor.”

My heart stops and my breathing gets distorted. Dr. Kim looks over to me and the eye contact made me shiver. He switches his gaze and looks at the back where Yuri was. He smiles again but it was different. It was almost evil.

For whatever reason, Yuri didn’t even seem surprised. He gave Dr. Kim one look and then went back to looking outside the window. The man that was responsible for a whole lot of things was standing in front of him and yet he doesn’t seem interested enough to at least give it a thought.

“As your new counselor, please feel free to consult me anytime. It doesn’t need to be about anything. It could be just a random visit. My office is located right next to the infirmary. Also, I would like to announce that the whole senior batch will be having a psych evaluation test tomorrow. This test will help me get to know our little senior family better.” Dr. Kim whips out his smile again.

There wasn’t much reaction from our class. Only a few heads nodding and a few murmuring here and there about how Dr. Kim looked young to be a doctor.

Our teacher escorted him out of the classroom and went back inside to start his lesson. My focus went flying out the window when I saw Dr. Kim. How can he just… I don’t know what’s happening but I’ll be damned if I don’t find out.

--

Author’s POV

Morning classes ended and a flock of students were exiting the academic building for lunch. Yuri was fixing his things but even so he felt the unnecessary stare he was getting from someone up front.

“Jessica? Jess? Jung Jessica?” Taeyeon snaps Jessica back to reality. Taeyeon looks over to what Jessica was looking at and immediately understood.

“Do you want to talk to him?” Taeyeon asked in a hushed voice

“I do but…” Jessica trailed. She paused as her two eyes see Yuri walking towards them.

Yuri stopped right in front of Taeyeon and Jessica. Kris and Taecyeon were a few steps away from them too.

“If you’re free, meet me at the bleachers near the soccer field.” Yuri said nothing more and went on his way.

Taecyeon and Kris joins in on the conversation

“What’s up with him?” Taecyeon annoyingly says

Kris looks at Jessica and all of a sudden Yuri’s words rung inside his head. He wasn’t sure what Yuri meant but nevertheless it was about Jessica.

“You guys go on ahead. I’ll catch up later.” Jessica smiles and hurries off to follow Yuri.

“Those two should really just go out with each other.” Taeyeon mutters under her breath. She looks at the two tall guys she’s stuck with and heaves a sigh.

“Let’s go boys!” Taeyeon pushes Kris and Taecyeon towards the exit and all three of them head out to the canteen to get their lunch.

--

Yuri sat down at the bleachers, patiently waiting for Jessica. Another decision has come forth to him to make. He looks up to the sky as if it to look for a sign or any kind of hint but nothing showed up. All he saw that day was a clear blue sky.

It wasn’t new how unhappy he was. Yuri thinks he has always felt unhappy. It was either that or just pure nothing. Year after year it has always been the same after the incident. This year, though, he has a shot at happiness. Pursuing it was the only question. That question will only be answered if Yuri will answer the first and foremost question.

Does he deserve to be happy?

“Yuri?” Yuri looks to his right and sees his chance at happiness standing right in front of him. He smiles and asks her to sit beside him.

Yuri kept his eyes on the skies for a minute or two longer just to make sure that there was absolutely no sign of any resistance from the universe about what he has decided to do. When he convinced himself, he looked to his right again and saw happiness in a form of a girl who didn’t know any better.

“How have you been?” Yuri starts out the long awaited conversation. This was his first words to Jessica for weeks.

“I-I’m okay. You?”

“I’m not sure but I think I’ll be okay.”

Yuri noticed the uneasiness written all over Jessica’s face. He knew that it was the news about Dr. Kim working at their school now that was bothering her.

“Don’t worry about him. I didn’t call you out here to talk about him anyway.” The smiling face of Yuri didn’t put Jessica at ease at all. If anything she was more worried than ever.

“What if you found out I was a really bad person would you still feel the same way about me?”

Jessica didn’t take time to answer because at the bottom of her heart, she already knew the answer.

“You’re not a bad person, Yuri. And even if you were… bad people can change. Anyone can, if they want to.”

Yuri nods his head. He was inches from taking a leap of faith and he couldn’t be anymore sure of jumping. His plans and decisions all lead to this. This minute. This second. This moment.

“Then will you do something for me?”

“Will you help me change?”