Wake up.

A loud ringing sound filled my ears.

Wake up!

Where am I? It’s dark here.

The ringing continued, growing louder and louder every second. It’s beginning to be irritating.

WAKE UP!

My eyes snapped open as I felt something hard hit my forehead. I squinted my eyes as the blinding light entered my room from the gaps between my window’s blinds.

“Do I have to throw another book at you for you to get up?!” Seokjin hyung’s voice echo from the corridor.

I let out an exasperated sigh as I pull myself to sit. Man, my body hurts. Is this because of the judo training? But my muscles were not sore before I went to bed.

I swung my arm in a circular motion as I looked at the alarm clock on my bedside desk. I don’t remember ever buying one. Must be one of Jimin hyung’s unwanted stuff, I thought as I picked it up and turned it off, restraining myself from throwing it across the room. Why does he dump his trash in my room all the time?

My ears are still ringing both from the annoying alarm and the stinging pain on my forehead.

I suddenly remember my dream. Dark forest, swords, crazy creatures…. I might be playing my games too much.

The girl.

I smile to myself as I recall the girl’s face. Her doe eyes staring deep into my soul. It could’ve been better if it were Jieun sunbaenim. I smirk as I tried to lie down again.

“Jeon Jungkook! Don’t wait for me to come back there!” I hear Seokjin hyung’s voice again.

__________

My name is Jeon Jungkook, a first year high school student, and I am late for first period.

I run as fast as I could, sprinting past the almost-closed school gates. I hear the school guard laugh as I pick my shoe that flew some feet ahead of me. My shoe understands our current predicament—I have to hurry and get in my classroom as I do not wish to get another detention. I think I’ve had more hours of detention than all my hyungs combined. I dash across the open field and enter the building into the lockers section, changing my shoes in a record-breaking time of three seconds. (Yes, I keep track of my records. I have the Golden Boy reputation to maintain.)

The bell rings, signaling that students should be inside their rooms and that this Golden Boy is officially not late for school. (I do a little victory dance in my head. I deserve it!)

Above all the giggles, the chatters, and the shuffles of feet, I hear her sweet voice. I smile as I enter the corridor, running my hand through my hair in the efforts of looking cool and actually untangling the strands—I wasn’t even able to comb my hair as Seokjin hyung kept nagging me for being late again.

There, across the sea of freshmen, stood my angel, ushering everyone to go in their classrooms. Her soft, black hair sway as she turned around. Her porcelain skin shines as the sunlight kiss her face. Her eyes twinkle as her lips form into a smile. She is my dream, my motivation.

“Lee Jieun sunbaenim…”

There she is, the princess of the seniors, standing in front of me, staring into my eyes. My throat forms into a tight knot as I feel butterflies in my stomach. I can hear the bells ringing. Is it church bells? Bells from heaven? Bells from the Middle School Bell Band? (Yes, there is such a thing.)

“Yes, Jungkook? Can I help you?”

It is only then that I realize I called her name out loud, and that it is only us left in the corridor, and everyone else is in their rooms. I was caught in a trance.

“Uhh… I…” I’ve daydreamt of this moment for so long. Now that it is here, I have no words to say. “Sunbaenim…”

“Jungkook, why are you still outside?”

And my dream moment ends there, with the sound of the Discipline Officer, Min Yoongi’s voice clashing whichever sound of bells I was hearing. He walked closer to us, his cat-like eyes as if zooming into my face one hundred times, judging me in his head with the rest of his face expressionless. “You’re late again. Where is your necktie? And why is your polo not buttoned properly?”

I look down and see my polo buttoned in the wrong holes. I try to fix them as fast as possible. I pull my crumpled necktie out of my pocket—I just stuffed it in as I ran—and fumble with my fingers as I tie it around my neck. I feel my cheeks burning as I hear Jieun sunbaenim chuckle. Screw the grumpy cat for ruining my moment.

“Jieun-ssi, it’s also time for our class,” Yoongi hyung says.

“Arasseo,” Jieun sunbaenim says. “See you later, Jungkook!”

I dare not look at her, and simply bow as I made my way in the room. I bolt straight to my seat, not minding the classmates that greet me. I look outside, replaying my sweet moment with my angel over and again. I promise I will be smoother next time.

My trail of thoughts is cut when our class adviser came in with an announcement.

“Everyone, we have a new student joining your class today.” She looks at the door and signals for the person to come in.

She walks in with a spring on each of her step. Her shoulder-length hair swings, but her bangs that cover her forehead to her eyebrows seem to stay in place. She looks around with doe eyes and flashes the biggest, happiest smile I have ever seen.

My eyes grow wide in realization.

She bows when she was prompted to introduce herself. “My name is Lisa.”

The girl in my dream… is real?