Chapter 5

[17 years old] 

Ara’s POV

*FIIIREEEEEEE*, I was wakened up by my alarm that sang fire. I got up from my bed and stretched a little. I went to the bathroom. I looked at the mirror and sighed. This is going to be a long day. Today is my first day at my new school, Seoul High School. I’m going to meet new friends, new teachers or even new kingkas and queenkas, and if they have kingkas or queenkas, I hope their kingkas and queenkas are kind enough to welcome me on my first day. I took a shower while I hummed to some songs that I like. The water was cold and refreshing. I wonder what things that might happen later on my new school. “Will my seatmate later will be a boy or a girl?” “Will I get a friend on the first day?” “Will there will be a killer teacher?” “What does the toilet looked like?” “Will I bump into someone?”.

 

I went downstairs. I placed my bag on the couch and I went to the dining table. Appa and Eomma were already start eating. I pulled a chair out and sat on it. “Good Morning”, I said to them as I smiled at them. They smiled back at me. I was eating my breakfast. It was porridge that Eomma has made.

“Ready for your first day of school?”, Appa asked while smiling at me. My parents were excited for me, they hope I would do well at school as usual. Or even maybe I hope that I could be one of the best student at Seoul High School. I hope that I could find friends as fast as possible, because I am not really that social able to new people. And I hope all the students there are kind and good students. “Yes”, I answered Appa as I flashed a bright smile. Even though I was really nervous inside.

 

All of us had finished with our breakfast already. Me and Appa said good bye to Eomma who stayed at the house. Appa were driving the car and we were listening to some songs from the radio. I was looking out from the window. It was a pretty quiet ride. “Ara, don’t be too nervous”, Appa said as he patted my head with his right hand. I smiled at him as an answer. Appa I looked out to the window not because I’m nervous, but I’m still wondering where is he until now.... . I said quietly. It will be great if I could tell this problem to my parents but unfortunately, they knew nothing from the start. I decided to keep it by myself. The only people who knew that problem were only Me, Seulbi my seatmate from my old school and Doyoung himself.

I am not mad at him,

But I’m still wondering where is he until now?.

He was gone like…… ‘Bippity Boppity Boo!’, and he is nowhere to be found now. I wonder if he’s fine though.

We already arrived at the front of the gate. “Have a nice day Ara-ah!”, Appa said as he pecked my forehead and I smiled at him. I waved at him and went inside the gate. I saw Appa’s car already gone because it’s also his first day with his new job. Many students were walking to their class. Some of them were also still outside of the building. Some of them were talking while sitting at the bench. Some of them were also sitting on the grass while talking to their friends, leaning at the tree behind them.

I was amazed by the environment of this school. Even though there are many trees, plants and even a pond, it was so clean and neat. I guess everyone followed the rules here.

There was also a Sakura tree at the corner near the gate! The color was soft pink. It was the only Sakura in this school. It was beautiful. I saw a bunch of girls took a picture in front of the Sakura tree. Maybe, for the first day of school year memories. Seeing that Sakura tree, a flashback suddenly played on my head. I stared blankly at the Sakura tree for a while.

Flashback ~

“Ara-ah!~~”, Doyoung called Ara as he ran to her.

“Oh! Doyoung-ah!”, I shouted not really loud as I waved at him. He was riding his bicycle. He brought a box that isn’t really small and not big.

He parked his bicycle near the playground, and he gave the box to me.

“I got a present for you!”, Doyoung said cheerfully.

I looked at the box, wondering what could  be inside that box.

“If it is going to be a spider again or a cockroach I’ll sulk!”, Ara said as she sulked jokingly at him.

“Aniya! I’ll believe you’ll love it”, He said as he grinned childishly.

Ara opened the box slowly, she peeked a bit at what inside. Realizing it wasn’t an animal or other scary things, she opened the box calmly.

“Waaaa~, it’s really pretty!”, Ara said as soon as she opened the box from Doyoung. There were some Sakura flowers inside. Some of them are bright pink and some of them are soft pink. It was really pretty. I loved it!

“See! It’s not a spider or a cockroach! Hahaha”, Doyoung said as he grinned at Ara.

“Thank you Doyoung-ah, I love these!!”, she said as she still amazed by the Sakura flowers. Seeing Ara happy made Doyoung happy. Ara was still looking at the beautifulness of the flowers that Doyoung gave to her.

Flashback end

 

Since that time, Sakura is my favorite kind of tree until now. Not because of Doyoung but it is true though. Somehow if I see Sakura I feel like all my friends and families are supporting me. And I always feel peace whenever I see them. And sometimes, they could also represent the word ‘Love’. I continued to walk at the school building. I should find the principal’s office, of course I should know where is my class.

After not a really long walk in the corridor, I found a room that seems like the principal’s office. The room was bigger than the other room. And I saw a woman was sitting at a cushion, it can be seen through the blur glass window. Realizing the name tag on the table that said ‘Principal; Jeon Yeonjung’. I knocked the door.

“Come in”, the principal’s soft voice welcomed me. I went into the room and closed the door slowly. “Annyeong haseyo, I’m Yoon Ara”, I said after I bowed at her. The principal seems kind and friendly. She wears a black blazer and a white trouser. “Ahh, you must be the new student, am I right?”, she asked as she smiled at me. “Yes”, I answered her as I smiled back at her. I was thankful that the principal is not a ‘killer principal’, and she could be considered really friendly for a principal. At least she did not make a ‘not really talkative new student’ like me become scared to go to school.

“Alright, come on I will show you your class”, she stood up and lead us the way to the class that I will be staying. We walked quietly, since I knew nobody here. I guess I looked stiff enough for a student that tried to walk not awkwardly. “Don’t be nervous, it’s ok you’ll meet new friends and I’m sure they will like you”, she said as she gave a smile to me. I smiled and nodded at her. Do I really look like I’m nervous? I said that to my own brain quietly.

The bell rang when we were still walking on the corridor. Many students were running to their class. While now, I’m still walking calmly with the principal in front of me. She stopped in front of a class room. 11-2. I read the class name quietly, there was a tag on the top of the door. The principal opened the door and mouthed something to a teacher that was standing in front of the class. The teacher walked to me and the principal. It seems she was like doing some kind of introduction to the whole class.

 

 

“She is the new student that will stay in your class Mrs. Ahn”, the principal said to the teacher softly. I could see the students in the class were looking at us. The principal smiled at me once again.

“Good luck”, she said softly and patted my back, I smiled once again as my answer. Mrs. Ahn bring me in front of the classroom while I could sense all the stares already.

“Guys, we have a new friend from Daegu. Ara please introduce yourself.”, Mrs. Ahn said to me and she smiled. I stepped to the front a bit and bowed in front of the class. “Annyeong haseyo, I’m Yoon Ara and I’m 17 years old.”, I said to them in front of the class. Some of them were staring at me from head to toe and, some of them were gossiping already. “Ahh, she’s from Daegu” “From her appearance, I think she’s smart” “Waa, she’s pretty” “Her voice is good” “I want to introduce myself to her!”, I heard them talking about me, the new student. I guess they were trying to know me further though. I hope it will be a good thing of course.

“Ara, you will sit beside Kang Hyerin”, Mrs. Ahn said as she pointed a table that is empty. I finished my introduction already. I walked towards the table and I still could sense stares that pointing towards me.

The abnormal thing is that there was a boy who stared at me since I introduced myself in front of the class until now. I sat on my chair and smiled at my new seatmate. But his stares ended when his seatmate slap his shoulder. It was weird though, but that is not the thing that I want to focus on today. Come on, it’s my first day!

“Annyeong! I’m Kang Hyerin”, Hyerin said as she smiled brightly at me, and we handshaked. “I’m Lee haru!”, said the girl that sit behind me. “Hi, I’m Park Hara!”, said the girl that sit beside Haru. “I hope you enjoy staying here!”, said Hyerin with her cheerful tone. They are the first friends that I made, while I still didn’t know the other’s name. I guess I should force myself to socialize more this time. It seems that Hyeri, Hara and Haru are cheerful and good students though. Kekeke.

“Alright guys! Because it is still the first day! let’s know each other better. Since not all your friends here were staying at the same class at you. And as you could see we also have a new student here.” Mrs. Ahn said in front of the class as she gave the students a grin. She was really friendly for a teacher and cheerful for her age. She distributed a paper to each of us, it was personality questions.

 

Doyoung’s POV

“Annyeong haseyo, I’m Yoon Ara and I’m 17 years old.”, the new student said in front of the class. Everybody’s eyes were on her, including mine.

Yoon Ara? Is she Ara? My Ara? But there are hundreds girls that might have Yoon Ara as their name. But this new student is also from Daegu. No no no no way. She’s not my Yoon Ara. I said to myself quietly. Without myself realized, that I’ve been staring at the new student until she sat on her seat at the back. We made a small eye contact until….. Ten....., one of my close friend slapped my shoulder.

“Yah!”, I yelled at him, not really loud. I rubbed my left shoulder that has been slapped by Ten. I looked at him with confused and ‘WHAT?!’ looks. His expression was like he was going to punch me or something.

“Bro, I know that maybe she is your ideal type and she is that pretty but,………THE WAY YOU LOOK AT HER IS LIKE YOU WERE PLANNING TO HIT ON HER OR  SOMETHING WILDER THAN THAT, CAN YOU NOT, ……..and if you’re planning to do that don’t make it too obvious would you.......ugh.........”, Ten said as he patted my shoulder repeatedly, ‘WHAT DA FRICK’ looks is still on his face. I looked at him with ‘WHATEVER’ looks as I was still rubbing my shoulder that Ten has slapped before.

“Who said that I’m planning to hit on her? Ugh…..”, I said to Ten while I was trying to read the question on the paper that Mrs. Ahn has distributed. “Friend, you have to be thankful that Ara doesn’t bite. If I was her I’ll slap your eyes.”, Ten said as he shook his head at me. I sighed, nodding slowly at him.

After a short argument with Ten. I was trying to focus on the paper that Mrs. Ahn gave to us. I looked at it and found out that it was about our own personality. Well, it’s not tiring though, I said that quietly, and I started to write my answers on the paper. While my memories with Ara was still playing on my head.