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Chapter Eighteen

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I imagine this all night every day…

… Because it’s a meaningless dream, anyway?

 

Just one day, if I can be with you

Just one day, if I can hold your hands

If only we can be together

I hope I can be with you for just one day.

 

—BTS, “Just One Day”

 

 

A

 

fter New Year’s, holiday break winded down quickly and soon enough, Beth was back in school and back to her day-to-day life as a university student at NU.  It was quite bothersome at first—Beth was pretty irritable during the first week back.  Then, that weekend, she met up with her friends and things got better.  She went thrift shopping with Mari and had a coffee date at the Nook with Kyumin.  Kyumin, chipper as usual, enthusiastically described how he spent his holiday in vivid detail.  Beth was glad to have been able to catchup with him.  She had missed him more than she realized and wished that he had been able to come to her memorable Christmas “party.”

            This term, Beth had Creative Writing every day except Friday, Shakespeare’s Contemporaries on Monday and Wednesday, Philosophy taught by Prof. Blakeley on Tuesday, and the usual Art and Drama taught by Mr. and Mrs. Kwon on Friday like last semester.  She had elected to take a break from mathematics and sciences until her junior year—not that she hadn’t enjoyed Taehyun’s tutoring sessions.  Unfortunately, none of her close friends were in any of her current classes, except Taehyun (of course) who had also opted for the new course on Shakespeare’s fellow dramatists of the time period, and the Creative Writing course as well.  He seemed very pleased, in a way that only he could express, that Beth was in those classes, too, even though the teacher of both was the same lackadaisical Prof. Yoo who had taught his Poetry course last term (how did such a dry, boring individual become a literature teacher?).

            Of course, Beth was rather giddy over the fact that they would actually be classmates this time around, too.

            Both of Beth’s English courses, in fact, were taught by Professor Gong Yoo.  Beth decided early on that liked Prof. Yoo enough.  Taehyun thought he was a bit too chill; which was far too blasé for his personal taste, but Beth found his odd quirkiness pleasantly amusing.  He dressed like a wealthy man half his age would dress…in the 1970s.  His hair was thick and somewhat disheveled, a style that a younger man also might have back in the 70s.  He had a very deep voice and his interests included black coffee, Legos, and pandas.

            Beth found his unpredictable personality to be quite entertaining—and refreshing.

            “Creative writing is like swimming in the ocean.”  said Prof. Yoo, as part of his introductory lecture.  “Some people are really good at it because they’re just good swimmers, others are good at it because they have the strength and determination to brave the waves.”  He sat on the edge of his desk with his sandaled feet crossed over one another and his arms crossed. “On the flipside, there are those who lack the motivation and/or the inspiration to even test the waters, and there are those who just can’t swim.”—Beth had glanced over at Taehyun; she could tell that he was mentally rolling his eyes, over and over again—“But that’s cool.  Everyone is different, and creative writing definitely isn’t for everyone.  If you’re a number one, I’ll sit back and let you do your thing.  Number twos, I’ll just give you a little push.  I’ll be a little more forceful with number threes—maybe a kick—in the right direction, of course.  And for you number fours, I have a superabundant supply of literary floaties and water wings to help you out.”  He laughed at his own joke.  Beth smiled.  She wanted to laugh with him, but no one else in the class did.  “Bottom line:  I won’t let you drown in words.  Ask, and I’ll throw you a line, okay?”

            It seemed like a perfectly simple and effective approach to something like creative writing, at least to Beth.  Taehyun wasn’t convinced, however.

            “What do you have against Prof. Yoo?”  Beth asked him one afternoon, at the library.  The two were working on a writing collaboration project. 

            “I have nothing against him personally.  I just don’t like his teaching style.”  said Taehyun, matter-of-factly.  “He treats writing like community college instructors do—as just a means towards getting a piece of paper that says you’re as smart as the next over-achiever.”

            “Well.”  said Beth, taking a sip of her mocha.  “I didn’t realize that you had such strong feelings about writing.”  She caught his pen freeze against the paper for a split second before he cleared his throat and kept writing.

            “It isn’t just writing.  All subjects should be taught for what they are and what valuable knowledge can be gleaned from them—not simply as a means to a common end.  It’s only logical.”

            Beth nodded.  “I suppose you’re right.  Well, I do like him.  I think we can enjoy his sense of humor, at least.  I can talk to him without feeling like I’m talking to a highly intelligent brick wall.”

            “Like Dr. Misaki.”  said Taehyun, not looking up from his paper.  He smirked a little and Beth laughed.

            “Exactly.”

            Taehyun finished writing a sentence and then sighed.  “Your turn.”  He pushed the notebook towards Beth.  Prof. Yoo’s assignment was to write a page long piece of flash-fiction, any genre.  It was an exercise assignment.  The curveball was that each student had a partner, and the two had to take turns writing the sentences that made up the finished piece. 

            The two had decided that Taehyun should write the first paragraph.

            Beth read over what he had written.

            There were paling skies and dark grey clouds with no silver linings.  There were orange blossoms and a grassy hill that invoked memories of warm summer days and friendships that would last forever.

          So they were going for a lofty, poetic approach.  Figured.  Beth thought for a little bit before she wrote her sentence.

             Sometimes, it’s difficult to tell if nature is sympathizing with us, or trying to make us feel better.

          Taehyun seemed pleased with the sentence.  He leaned back in his chair and tapped his lip with the tip of his pen.

            It had been a year since I saw her.  A year exactly—an anniversary of sorrow.  On this day, three hundred and sixty-five days ago, I stood beside her on that hill.  We made promises that day.

            Ah, a human relationship.  Pieces were coming together.  Beth shifted in her seat, tucking her legs underneath her.  In the padded chair, it was a very comfortable sitting position.  Darn that Lee Taehyun, turning the story in a romantic direction.  …What could she write now, that wouldn’t be awkward?  She felt that he had done that on purpose, just to see what she could do with it.

            Life goes on.  It bends and curves and meanders through the realms of reality and fantasy and often, we forget which is which.

          Taehyun glanced up at her, clearly annoyed with her beautifully vague continuation.  She refrained from sticking her tongue out at him.

            I held onto her words.  The moment her hand slipped from mine and she said all of the goodbyes, so that I didn’t have to.

          I held onto these things because they were all that I had.

          But I’ve gotten stronger.  Older, wiser.  So much can change in a year.  Dreams become memories, and hopes and wishes become dreams.  Sun and clouds become moon and stars.

          Miracles happen every day.  They don’t have to be supernatural.  They just have to be extraordinary.

          Just as the sun was setting, I turned to take my leave.

            Her arms welcome me home.  THE END.

            “Aish.”  Taehyun said, tossing his pen on the table.  “This is ridiculous.”

            Beth put her hand over her heart, pretending to be hurt.  “Why?  I think it’s lovely.”

            “It’s…fluff.”

            “What’s wrong with fluff?”

            “It’s like a fanfiction.”

            She was unperturbed.  “What’s wrong with fanfiction?”

            Taehyun rolled his eyes.  Beth finished her mocha.

            “I’ll start again.”  he said.  He picked up his pen and sat forward, but Beth waved her hand.

            “We have until Monday to finish it.”

            Taehyun was getting impatient. “But we met up to do this assignment.”

            Now Beth really was hurt.  “…Do we have to have a reason to ‘meet up’?”

            He cocked his head to the side.  “No.”         

            “Okay then.”  she said.  She put her books into her bag.

            “Need any help with any of your other homework?”  he offered.  Beth raised an eyebrow at him.

            “Nope.  I’m good.”

            He clicked his tongue.  “Have I made you angry?”

            She stood up and zipped her backpack.  “Nope.” 

            He leaned over so that he could see her face.  “…Are you sure?”

            She couldn’t help but smile at the cute gesture.  She dropped her backpack and sighed.  “I’m sure.  Let’s go.”

            “Where?”

            “We’re going somewhere.”

            “Oh really.”

            “Mm-hmm.”  She swung her backpack on and adjusted her hair.  “Let’s go for walk.  In the woods.  We’ll go to the river.”  she proposed enthusiastically, as the two exited the library.  “I haven’t been there in a while.”

            “Why?”  asked Taehyun.

            She made a face.  “Do you have to have a reason to do somethin