RING!!!

The bell already ringing. That mean break has start. Students immediately run out of their class like their life depends on it. After the class empty, I walk out the class toward canteen. I wonder are they serving a good food today.

I step my foot into the canteen, like usual every eyes are going toward me. Same old, same old. Am I the new interesting statue at the museum or something?

I go to my usual table as I grab my lunch. I’m surprise that they serve western food too. I take a sit and begin to eat. It’s peaceful at first – at least I think it was. Until a tall brown-hair boy come, standing in front of me and say something that I don’t understand.

“Yah! Im Lami. Let’s break up!”

What the hell. I look at him with a face that telling are you crazy or something. He just come in the middle of my lunch and tell me to break up with him. Who are you, man?

“It’s been a week already and what do you think I am? Huh? Do you always did that to all your past boyfriends?” He says as his face turn furious. “I try to be patient because my friend told so, but I just couldn’t take it anymore!”

Aaaaah I see… I bet he’s the guy that asked me out last Friday. I just figure that out after all the babble he throw to me. His face telling me that he’s angry, but I don’t think he really is. I know why.

“And you know what? You never act like how usual girlfriend should do toward their boyfriend” he says again.

“So, just because of that you want to break up with me?” I ask him as I put my hand under my chin. “Don’t you know that I realize that you’ve been cheating on me this past few days?” His face look surprise.

“H..ow…. How did you…??” he stutter of his word.

“Don’t ask me how. I just know it. And you know what? I’m the one who breaking up with you. So just go and tell that girl of yours that you already free from your so-called-girlfriend.” I finish my word and giving him a smirk. My infamous smirk.

His dark face turn to red. Maybe his shame because of the volume when I say that he’s cheating on me. And like I say before – or not? The students’ eyes are always on me when I step the canteen. Hmmm no, scratch that! I mean anywhere I step in this school. I repeat always. ALWAYS! He then run away. Yeah. Run away like a little child that’s candy just been stolen from someone. How childish.

To be honest, I never want to date him anyway. He just so into it that we are. Okay, I mean that every boy that I date never last for like 2 days. And sometimes we even broke up without any declaration or just by phone. There’s one time that we broke up without any explanation and not talk with each other, not meeting each other, and then over. We’re over.  

It’s the longest record I get when I dating a boy. But maybe that just because he’s dating another girl too. Well, I don’t know and I don’t care anymore about him. So, why talking about him? I even forget he’s name. Who is it again? Let’s move on, kay!

When I spoon the last bite of my food – that people say is the most delicious part – someone come toward me. Again. To be exact. A boy. What’s now? Is he my boyfriend too? Am I dating two men in the same time now? Is he going to ask me what just happen? Or he want to break up too?

He just stand in front of me for a few seconds. Or should I say minutes now? What’s he doing there seriously? Because he’s taking quite times, I gaze at him intently from head to toe.

Hmmm…. First impression is… He is a nerd! Yap! Just look at him. He’s wearing a big frame glasses, and he’s uniform is super-duper tidy. Far different from most of the student in this school. And his face… Well it’s not that bad. He has chubby cheeks. Aww you don’t know how much I want to pinch it. I’m telling you! I have “something” with cute looking guy. But why his expression telling me that he want too…

“Let’s go out”

Yeay! My guess was right. He wants to ask me out. Cih… that kind of face! I see it quite often.

I eat the last bite of my lasagna – and know what? They right, it’s the most delicious part! Okay, it’s not right time to talk about it. So, this boy that-I-don’t-even-know-his-name is asking me out. It’s me we’re talking about so that mean the entire students at canteen know about it too. And they’ll start to gossip about me! I never care about their opinion. They’re no one to judge me. So it’s up to me what am I want to do. Right? Right.

I look back at him again. He’s eyebrow start to frowning and telling me to answer his question. Okay not a question, what it is? Invitation to be his girlfriend? Well he’s not that bad. I quite bored to date popular boy too.

I just answer him with one word, but his next expression is so priceless. It’s just like he’s just won from a lottery.

 

~~~###~~~

 

RING!!!

Waaah time sure flew fast. It feels just 5 minutes ago we study my favorite subject, Physics. Well, every subject is my favorite. But physics is the most! I replace my glasses position and then I stand up from my chair and go to the library. On my way to the library, as usual, all students are ignoring me. I always living under the rock. No, the people in here, always treat me like I am a rock. They never even want to glance at me once. Because I’m a rock, I don’t know the news or gossip from outer too.

Oh! By the way, I’m Kim Minseok. Class 11 and nice to meet you. You might be wonder of what happen and why am I so aware of this. Well, I just realize it when I’m in my second semester in grade 10. That maybe because my good grade so they’re think that I’m a nerd. I’m not the person that can adapt well and not so socialize person. That why I don’t have any friend. I’m sad too at first, but what can I do?

I stop in my locker first to take out my books then continue my way to the library. I bring about five thick books with my hands. I want to review our lesson for tomorrow exam. I sit in the end of the table and put my books. Our library is not that big. There’s just like twenty bookshelves. In the middle of the bookshelves there’s a long and big table that can consume around twenty people. It’s just when I put my books, two girls that sit not too far away from me – that I expect to be here not to study – start talking about someone.

“Are you serious?” ask one girl.

“Yup! I hear it from one of my friend. She said that Jaehyun sunbae wants to break up with Lami sunbae” say the other girl.

“Why?”

“Maybe because Lami sunbae never act like his girlfriend. You know right! That Lami sunbae never interact with her boyfriend.”

“Yeah right! But I hear a rumor that says that Jaehyun sunbae is cheating on her!”

“I heard about it too! But I don’t believe it. I’m always in Jaehyun sunbae side. After all Lami sunbae is alwa---”

I immediately walk away from the library. Leaving all my books and the 2 gossip girls. I run toward canteen, the place I know when she having a break. When I open the door, the atmosphere I feel is so tense. I can’t handle it. But when my mind start wonder about Im Lami, I directly realize what I’m going to do and start searching for that girl.

I don’t even have to see through around the canteen because I know very well the usual place that girl take when break time. There she is, with a half-eaten lasagna – it’s her favorite food by the way – with a boy that standing in front of her. I know him! Ahn Jaehyun. By I know, I mean just his name. He’s our lovable Im Lami boyfriend that I expect will be just an ex in just minute now.

“Don’t you know that I realize that you’ve been cheating on me this past few days?” Lami says. That mean the 2 gossip girls are true.

“H..ow…. How did you??” Jaehyun stutter with his terrifying face.

“Don’t ask me how. I just know it. And you know what? I’m the one who breaking up with you. So just go and tell that girl of yours that you already free from your so-called-girlfriend.” Lami finish her word. Wow. She’s so cool… Maybe that’s why many boys chase her.

That Jaehyun boy run away. I know he embarrass. He must be. Who will not? I move to a pillar standing not far away from me and stand behind it to watch Lami finishing her lunch.

Now, let’s talk about that girl. That girl is one of my classmate in grade 10. She’s the prettiest girl in this school. And that’s not just my opinion. The student council did a survey and she’s chosen. The result is post on our school’s bulletin board. Aaaah she’s really really beautiful! me! She’s the first girl to approach me in this school. Maybe, will be the last too. Even though her intention was just to ask who’s our headmaster name. But it was the most incredible moment of my life.

After that time, I start to watch her out more intensely. I start to know her daily subject at school and what’s her favorite things. Just like me, she doesn’t make friends to anyone. All I know is all her past boyfriends that I’ve been always jealous of. I’m happy that Lami isn’t the person that love public affections. She never show her closeness with her boyfriend even once.

The one thing I don’t really like about her is, why it’s so fast that she’s getting a new boyfriend. Like before, she’s dating Kim Joonmyun, our student council president, it’s just last for a day. Then, Jaehyun ask her out and she immediately accept it, when I know that she never know about Jaehyun. There’s many more from before. I remember it easily as I remember the physics formula.

Wait, isn’t she accept Joonmyeon 2 days after she broke up with Kris too? Is she a type that can easily move on? She accept Jaehyun a day after Joonmyeon too. And now she’s broke up with Jaehyun. That makes her single now…

Aha! I have an idea. I fastly comb my hair with my finger, tidy up my uniform and try a line ‘Let’s go out’ like a several time. I want it sound as usual as ever.

But… I drop down my hands and think. Is she want to be my girlfriend? I remember all her past boyfriends again. All of them is either the most popular boys in school or the hottest guys in school. Who am I again? Just a rock that love to be in library very much. Lami is a popular girl herself.

Just when I want to turn out the canteen and went to library, a boy that I feel been in our canteen’s door says: “She’s pretty” as he looking toward Lami. What I say? She’s really beautiful! Even a newbie will fall in love in the first sight with her.  

I investigate him, from the bottom to the top. And sad to say, he’s handsome. Nooo…. I’m not gay okay. I just saying the truth. But he’s not wearing a uniform. Is he new in here?

Hell no! I won’t let anyone especially a new student to get Lami. And of course Lami won’t reject this boy if he’s going to ask her out. And I’m not going to let that happen! So I’m walking toward Lami as if I’m going to go to a battle field.

And that’s how I fell it is.

 

~~~###~~~

 

“So you say you’re name is Luhan.” Say the old lady that I realize is a vice head master. She’s sitting down in her chair behind a big desk while looking at my document. She always look back and forth from me and to those document. As she’s not satisfied to my background. I’m gulping when she’s look at me intently. As if she wants to eat me alive. Sorry a bit to exaggerated. That’s why I’m quite surprised of her next comment. “For a young man, you’re pretty hot”

Well… I don’t know how long before the break time, but the whole time becoming very very very awkward.

RING!!!

“Ehem…” I tried to cool down the awkward moment.

“Luhan, the school break already starting. You should round around to get used in this school faster” I nod my head and exit the vice head master room. Huff~~ finally escape from that e kind of lady. You should know the way she’s smile. That was the dorkiest smile I’ve ever seen.

Okay, enough talking about that lady.

I walking around the school hall. As I walking, people start to notice me and… how to describe it? Admiring me??? Huhh, I get many back then in China too. I bet Korea and China not that different after all. When my old school announce my exchange program to Korea, I got so many love letters and gifts from girls. Even though I still get them on normal days, but it explodes at that time. I almost shoves aside when I open my locker that day.

Aaaaahh…. I’m pretty hungry now. Where the canteen anyway. I just see classes and hallways. That’s all. When I turn to a corner I see a room that I can say is a library. At first, I want to go in because I’m curious but I cancel it and walk straight away from the library.

*Sniff sniff* Hmm… Smell’s good. I walk towards the food direction and I arrive at a big hall that I suppose is a canteen by the food sales and how much table and chair in there. And why are they seems like somehow frozen? I though. I look to most of students’ there and my eyes travel toward a boy and a girl that are talking right now. Hmmm that seems pretty normal. So what? Why do people in this part of school look so anticipate their next move.

“Don’t ask me how. I just know it. And you know what? I’m the one who breaking up with you. So just go and tell that girl of yours that you already free from your so-called-girlfriend.” Says that girl.

So, all of them was just staring at a couple that not anymore a couple. Exactly that they’re must be pretty famous in here. I should befriend with those kind of people.

But it’s pretty ashamed. Broke up in front of many people. That boy must be very embarrassed. That’s why he run away.

I watch intently as that girl back to her food as if those incident never happen. She looks very happy when she eat her lunch. Hmm… She’s pretty.

A chubby cheeks boy that stand near a pillar look at me. Is he heard what I’m saying? Wait, am I saying that out loud?

That boy – that I assume want to exit this canteen turn around. I watch him as he start walking – with an awkward movement – toward that pretty girl.

He’s standing in front of that girl for minutes. I’m not sure what’s he going to do but something in me telling me that it’s gonna be fun. By the way, who is that girl huh? Why every eyes in this room just going toward her?

I watch the two of them, or to be exact the girl one finishing her lunch prettily. That boy… Why in my eyes he’s seem… Should I say it? Hmmm nerd. The next thing is pretty shocking but maybe, just maybe, students in here already expect it.

Or not?

“Let’s go out”

Wow! That boy sure has a guts. She just asking a girl that recently just broke up. What are people going to say about him? The more important, what is he thinking?

“Okay”

WHAT THE FU--- That moment sure shock me. I just want to pity this girl because her boyfriend is cheating behind her, but how...why...what... Aish! Is she just accept it because that boy ask her in public so that he won’t be shame? But she already did it to her ex why not again? She answer that boy with her bright smile. What is she planning to do? To make her ex to feel jealous? Huh~ I’m not even officially enter this school yet, but I already watch a drama in here. Is it gonna be fun? Just forget about it. I frustrated myself.

The chubby cheeks boy that wear a glasses look very happy. I bet he’s just fly to the seventh sky.

RING!!!

Aaaa… The bell that signify that the break already over ringing. Students in the canteen start to go to their specific class room.

Kruyuk~~~

Ahhh… I’m forget that I’m hungry. It’s all that girl fault! I must know her name! And maybe even a phone number. Huaahahahaha… Nope. She’s already taken. But I will make move if they already broken. Doesn’t mean that I want to make them separate. I still have a year in this school, there still a lot of time.

I look at her again, she’s already making her way to exit the canteen. Leaving his new boyfriend. My eyes following her. What? Now she act cool toward him. Whoever you are young lady, I will inspect everything about you!

When I want to buy some food at the food stall, I see that chubby-cheeks guy exiting the canteen with a girl beside him. Hmm… Okay.

Because I’m reallllyyyyy hungry, I don’t mind about them anymore and start buying my food.

 

~~~###~~~

 

“Haera-ya!”

I smile toward Sara as if that’s my reply toward her greeting.

“Let’s go to the canteen together!” she invite me.

“Let’s go” I answer it and stand up from my chair. I remember my past memory with ‘her’. I’m the one who used to invite ‘her’ to canteen when the break start. I smile as I make my way to the canteen.

Sara that’s been walking beside me nudging my arms and ask. “Do you know what today menu is?”

I make a face as if I’m thinking. But I give up. “What is it?”

“It’s your favorite Lasagna!!”

Aaaahh lasagna. How I miss that time.

As the two of us arrive at the canteen, I immediately sit down in our usual place – not too far from the entrance. Its five tables apart.

“Do you want me to grab your food Haera?” she ask me.

“Hmm… I can grab it later” I say. She look surprise.

“It’s lasagna Haera! You never reject your favorite food!”

“It’s okay! Just take it without me. I’m not in the mood anyway!” I assure her. Her eyebrows frowning, sign that she doesn’t believe me. “I’m alright. Go without me!”

“Okay then, if you say so!” she still smile in the end. I smile too to reply her friendliness. She then go to the food stall and queuing to take her food.

From the end of my eye, I see her again. Walking with her chin raise up high. She’s really different. Far different from the Lami I used to know. She walk toward the food stall and take her food without queuing. And sitting down in her usual table. In the center of this canteen. Two desks away from the popular students table.

You know why right! She’s our almighty Im Lami. No one dare to stay close to her. With her beautifulness and strong personality. And the gossip about her that say she always accept anyone that ask her out.

And sad to say I know the reason why she’s act like that.

She doesn’t befriend with anyone too. There’s this one rumor about her that she reject the queenka and kingka group invitation. Because of that, the queenka really despised her a lot. But the kingka, well they feel that Lami is interesting so they one by one date her. I know it sound so weird but that’s the fact.

I watch her intently until Ahn Jaehyun – the leader of the theater club – standing in front of her. Isn’t he Lami’s latest boyfriend?

Before Jaehyung say anything, Sara come back from the food stall and sitting down in front of me. I still can see the two of them. Sara – that notice what I’m doing – look at Lami and Jaehyun direction and give me a knowing look.

“Why every time someone approach her, the canteen lost their sound?” she whispered to me. I give her understanding smile and continue what I’ve doing. Sara just start eating and doesn’t mind what happen.

“Don’t you know that I realize that you’ve been cheating on me this past few days?” Lami says loudly and make the canteen start to uproar. What else? They must be start gossiping. About Lami of course!

“So just go and tell that girl of yours that you already free from your so-called-girlfriend.”

“Waahhh Jaehyun must be pretty embarrassed right now!” Sara comment as we watch how Jaehyun running toward another canteen door that lead to the school garden.

Then I back to watch Lami eats her favorite lunch. She’s look so happy when she eating it like nothing had happen.

“Are you sure you don’t me to grab your lunch? It’s okay though the queue is gone anyway.” Sara say with worried face.

“It’s alright. I’m already full from watching you eat!”

“Hmm… Watch me eat or watch Lami eat?” she ask as she point at Lami with her fork.

“…” I sighed.

“It’s been 2 years Haera! I know that she already getting over it”

“That’s impossible.” I say pessimistically.

“At least talk about it with her. That what the two of you lack of. Communication!”

“Huff~~ It’s not as easy as you think Sara! And you say it yourself. We never talk to each other for 2 years. That must be pretty awkward!” I exclaim.

Before Sara can say anything, the noise in this canteen die down for the second time. I look toward Lami again. And there’s a boy standing in front of her. Wait… Isn’t he…

“Minseok? Cih… What’s our school nerd want from Lami?” say a student near my table.

“Isn’t it going to be fun? Our school prettiest girl going out with a nerd boy” say his friend.

“Yup! I guarantee that Lami accept that boy” say the other.

“It’s Im Lami we’re talking about guys! Ahh I’m one step behind. I should ask her out faster” say the person that talked first before.

Before I knew it, the school bell ringing again. Our break has over. The students start to throng out toward their own classes. I and Sara still stay in our table. I watch as Lami look didn’t care about Minseok. That boy probably will make a big feast and invite anyone that he even don’t know to celebrate this day. I pity him.

She just slurp her drink and walk toward the door. Minseok himself, keep wondering in his own world. I think about something and I have an idea!

“Sara-ya! Just go to the classroom first I’ll go there without you!” I say to her and bit my goodbye she do vice versa. I watch as she make her way to our classroom.

As the canteen start to empty, I walk toward Minseok and pat his shoulder. “Hey!” I greet him.

He look shock at first but still reply me a “Hey” and a smile.

“I’m Lee Haera. We’re classmate right” I offered him a hand.

“Well… I remember you. You always get zero in Mr. Park class right!” He says brightly as he accept my hand and he shakes it. If it not because I don’t know him very well I’ll punch him right on his stomach. Why of all thing about me, he just remember about my score?

Unbelievable.

“Aaa yeah… He he he” I say with an awkward smile. “Soo… shall we get going? Mr. Park class is after this! I want to focus at his subject this time, I don’t want someone I just know later just remember my score that really bad” I joke. Then we laugh as we make our way toward the classroom.

~~~####~~~