“Hyuk,” my friend, Hongbin, calls out. “Can you do me a favor?”

I turn around to see him running toward me with exhaustion. “Do you know Lee Haerin?”

“My seatmate who never showed up to school? No, I don’t know her.” I answer bluntly.

“Anyway,” he says. “This is her address. Since it’s near your house, can you give her the handouts?”

“Isn’t that your task? Why are you giving it to me?” I ask with annoyance. I want to go home. I do not want to waste my time on those tasks.

“I need to go to work today.” Hongbin gave me puppy eyes. “Please. Pretty please do this for me.”

What is this?

I don’t care if he has to go to work.

I sigh. Since he is my friend, I guess it will not kill me if I have to waste fifteen minutes on the unimportance matter. “Fine.” I take the folder.

“Thank you so much, Hyuk.” He yells as he waves his hands while running toward his locker.

Honestly, I don’t want to do this even if he is my friend.

And the girl, whatever her name is, I don’t think she cares about the school anyway.

Don’t drag me into this matter again, Hongbin.

 

 

 

This is ten minutes I have wasted, and I still cannot find her house.

521.

523.

There we go, 525. I hope it’s the right house. If not, I am throwing this folder into the trash can.

This is such a pain in the neck.

I click the bell. Please do come out fast. I don’t want to waste any more of my time.

Suddenly, I hear something on top of me. I look up.

What the hell?

“Ooops.” The girl yells out.

The folder dropped from my hand. Due to the reflexes, I fortunately caught her in my arms.

“Are you okay?” She asks.

That is my question.  She is the one who falls down from… whatever she comes from.

“Yeah, I am okay.” I answer and let her go.

“Thank you for catching me. If you are okay, that’s a relief.” She says as she picks her bag from the ground. Without saying, she leaves.

“Hey, are you Lee Haerin?” I call out because her school uniform is from my school.

“Yeah.” She turns around.

I grab the folder and walk up to her. “Here is the handouts for the days that you missed school.” I politely shove it to her hands.

She opens the folder and looks through the paper. “Thanks.” She says and turns around to go whatever she goes, I guess.

Oh well.

My job here is done.

I turn my heels to the opposite way to go to home, but stop in my track when she calls out.

What now?

“Hey.” She runs up to me and asks “What’s your name?”

“Hyuk.”

“Are you in the same class as me?”

Why is she asking me questions?

And why am I answering them?

“Yeah.  I am your seatmate.”

“Oh,” makes an O-shape. “I just want to ask if you like cats.”

What?

What the hell?

“Yeah…” I answer slowly, not sure what is going on.

“Then come with me. I found a cute one down the riverside.” She grabs my hand. “I will show you.”

What in the world?

“I can walk by myself.” I shake away from her grip. “Just lead the way.”

What am I doing?

Am I wasting time for a stray cat?

Do I even like cats?

I stop in tracks as I catch her staring at me. “Is something on my face?”

“Nothing.” She answers as she smiles and walks in front of me.

Okay…

She is weird.

“Down here.” She yells as she runs toward the small box. She then sits down and takes out the sketchbook. “Isn’t she such a cutie?”

Sure. Whatever you say so.

I sat down near her and observed her sketches. They were pretty good. “You are pretty good.” I praise her.

She looks at me. A smile appears on her face. “Thank you.”

“Are you taking Art as an elective at school?” I ask her.

Why am I asking her?

I don’t even care.

“No.” She answers bluntly. “If I am in the class, I can’t draw whatever I like. I have to draw what they ask for, and I have to wait for everybody’s pace. I don’t have time for that. Moreover, school is boring.” 

What is she talking about?

School is boring?

She does not have time for school?

Is she kidding me?

I look at her sketching the cat happily as she communicates with the cat.

 She is completely different from what I imagined. She is unpredictable. To meet with her is like sudden encounter with unknown force. She is complete opposite of me. She jumps down from wherever she wants to. She skips schools, and pursues what she wants.

I feel envious of her.

I look at my watch.

Great!

It’s already 4:30 pm. 

“I am going to go home now.” I say as I walk to the direction of my house.

She smiles at me and asks a question that I never expect. “Will I meet you again tomorrow afterschool?”

No.

I just say goodbye to her as I continue walking.

 

 

 

“Where were you, Hyuk?” My mother floods me with question. I am a senior at high school. I do not need her to be worried about me for being late like thirty minutes.

“At the library, studying.” I answer.

“That’s good. But next time, tell me where you are. I was worried.”

I nodded okay.

Before I can go to my room, my father stops me with a question. “What did you get on your Math test? I heard the result comes back today.”

“I got full score on it.” I say. I expect him to congratulate me or say good job at least, but what am I wishing for?

“I expect nothing less from you.” My father bluntly answers.

Well, that answer is expected.

I do not keep the conversation going. I go to my room and close the door.

Another day is passed.

All my parents want me to be a doctor like my father. I never think of what I want to be or who I want to be. I study and study. I keep my first place. I work to be an honored student. All my life, studying is mostly what I have done.

Still I never seemed to get an approval from my father.

 

 

 

“Hey, Hyuk! I turn around.

 Not another task.

I want to go home today.

“Do you want to hang out afterschool? Soohyun said that she won’t go unless you come.” The guy who I forget his name asked.

Who is he?

Who is Soohyun?

“Sorry.” I smile. “I have to…  I have to give handouts to Haeri. She is absent today as usual.” I continue. “I am going to go now.”

Great!

Now I am going to waste fifteen or thirty minutes for nothing again.

“Hongbin, give me the handouts for Haeri.” I ask him.

“Wait, what?” He is bewildered by my statement. “You are actually doing this for me before I ask you.” He wipes away his fake tears. “Thank you so much, Hyuk! You are the best.” With that, he hugs me.

Really?

I push him away. “You’re welcome.” I took the folder again and headed to the riverside where I know she would be.

 

 

 

“Haeri.” I call her name.

She turns around. Her eyes seem to sparkle when she sees me. “You are back.” She squeals as she hugs me.

Oh god!

Why are people hugging me today?

I push her away and gives her the folder. “How about you start coming to school tomorrow? More than riverside, there are a lot of things you can draw. Student interacting, playing, and studying.” I suggest.

But why am I suggesting?

“Mhmm, you are right.” She agrees.

 I stretch myself and breathed in some fresh air.

I am already tired, but I have to walk home.

I sigh.

Tomorrow, I don’t have to waste fifteen minutes for her.

I turn around and think about heading home until I feel someone pushing down to the ground.

I look at the person and no other than Haeri is on top of me.

What is this?

Is she harassing me ually?

Oh god!

“Take a rest if you are that tired.” She say as she lies down next to me. “You always look like you are tired. I feel bad for you.”

Feel bad for me?

I don’t reply to her, and instead I stare at the sky.

 Okay, I must confess that this is actually relaxing.

 I closed my eyes for a second, and when I opened them, it’s almost dark.

“What time is it now?” I say as I stand up immediately.

“6 o’clock.” She replies as she finishes her sketches.

Holy Macaroni!

“I have to go now.” I grab my bag and started running but stopped when I heard my name.

“Hyuk,” she runs up to me.

What does she want now?

I am already running late.

“Look at this,” she shows me her sketch and my eyes rounds in shock.

It’s a sketch of me sleeping.

“You look so happy and peaceful while you are sleeping.” She smiles.

What is this?

I look at her.

Her smile.

Her eyes.

What is going on?

“I will come to school tomorrow.” She closes her sketchbook. “See you tomorrow, Hyukie!”

My train of thoughts stop when I hear my upgraded name.

Hyukie?

Are you for real?

I look at the figure which was running the opposite way, and I can’t help but look at her.

This is my first time I stare at something and smile to myself.

I must be crazy.

 

 

 

 “Hi, Hyukie!” I look around as I hear a familiar voice. “Good morning!” She squeals in my ears.

I would have been irritated by it, but since she is an exception, so I just smile and greet her back. “Morning.”

“Look at this.” She takes out her sketchbook and shows more the drawings she did. I look at her drawings, but sometimes I feel like my eyes are following her more than drawing. Without thinking, my hands suddenly reached up to her face, and tucked a stand of hair behind her ear.

She looked up with a surprise. Her cheeks are burning red. Her eyes are also red. Before she can say anything, the teacher comes in.

I stop looking at her and focus on the lessons. Sometimes I feel like she is staring at me, but I do not look at her to confirm that.

Then the bell signals the start of the break. I close my book and think about going to the bathroom, but stopped when she pulls my shirt.

“What?” I turn around and look at her.

“Ta-dah!” She shows me what she draws during the lesson.

It’s the sketch of me looking at the teacher. “You look handsome when you are focusing. You look peaceful and happy when you are relaxing. You look annoyed when you have to do the things you don’t want to. You like to study, but you are annoyed about something.”

I stare at her, not knowing what to say.

Nobody, nobody has looked at me the way she does.

She has found something that I don’t even notice of myself.

I always think deep, but never finds the answer of I want. She only knows me for two days, and instantly, she knows what is going on.

I laugh. “One point for Lee Haeri.”

She laughs back and says something I never expect anybody to say. “School is boring, but when I am with you, it’s fun to be here.” She continues. “And you are right. When I come to school, I find so much things to draw. I can draw different angle of you every day.”

“I feel the same too. It’s fun to be with you.” I reply with a genuine smile this time. Those words come from my heart.

“Hyukie.” She calls my name.

“Yeah.”

“I like you.” She confesses.

What?

My heart beats in the speed of lighting.

“I will wait for you until you can give me the answer.” She smiles.

I look at her and smile. “I like you, too. But I don’t think I understand about this concept of feelings.” I answer honestly.

 My life is dull. There is no emotion. There is no feeling.

Her eyes sparkle. She lunges herself toward me and hugs me tightly. “We have so much days to spend together. We will make memories that we can look back and smile.”

I smile, bringing her into embrace.

The trees turn green again. The sky turns blue again. The cherry blossoms turn red again.

My whole world bursts in vibrant color once again. 

 

 

A/N: I hope you enjoy this one-shot. I have so much writing this short story. Feedbacks are much appreciated!