My mind was set on one thing, avoid Sangmin to all cost. And to do so I needed to be alert all the time. Though, I couldn’t skip school. It was important for my future even though I absolutely didn’t feel like going there. But if I ever wanted an independent life for myself, then I needed to focus.

“Hwani?” I froze, that voice, I had heard it before. It had been so many years ago since I last heard that voice. Slowly I turned around while feeling how my heart exhilarated. I stared at the person in front of me. I wanted to cry, scream and jump around in happiness.

“Yong Sook.” I uttered his name in complete shock, what was he doing here? He took a few steps forward and where soon standing just inches away. His oh so familiar smile where plastered on his lips and I felt a trickle of happiness in my heart. It had been so long since I ever saw him.

“How have you been?”

I couldn’t answer that, my life after that I left the orphanage had been a living hell. And it wasn’t like I wanted him to know of it, mainly because I didn’t know whatever he would believe me or not. “I’ve been fine.” I lied as I tried to smile to hide my secrets. “So what are you doing here, at Kyunggi?” I asked him.

“Oh, I’m enrolling here today.” his smile became even brighter, though somehow I felt a nervous feeling tingling inside my stomach. It wasn’t like I thought something bad would happen, just that it was something bothering me.

The school bell rang loudly, indicating that all the students should hurry to their homerooms. “I need to go.” I excused myself and as I where about to bid goodbye he told me that we could talk later on. “Ah, yeh.” I awkwardly bid goodbye before I hurried towards my class. But that bothersome feeling wouldn’t go away. It must be because I where surprised to see him, it was after all a long time ago since I last saw him.

“Yeh that must be the case.” I murmured for myself as I slipped inside the classroom and went over to my bench. I hadn’t caught sight of Sangmin so far. Hopefully it would stay that way too. I shifted my gaze so that I where looking out through the window. It wasn’t until now that I noticed how beautiful the weather was. The sun was shining brightly, and thus making this day a bit better.

I turned my attention towards the teacher when he had spoken that a new student would join our class. My heart jumped slightly when I caught sight of Yong Sook, I where happy.

It may be hard to believe, but during my time at the orphanage I actually managed to get one friend, and that being Yong Sook. It’s weird, since he is a guy after all. But he was truly someone who I could rely on, just like he had done the same back then.

But unfortunately I got adopted, and he didn’t. I had no idea of what happened to him after that I left, was he later on also adopted? Or does he still live at the orphanage?

“Good morning class, we have a new student that is going to start today, his name is Im Yong Sook and I hope you will take good care of him.” Teacher; Myung Bok told us before he pointed at the available seat next to me.

“We met again.” Yong Sook laughed as he placed his backpack down on the hanger under his desk, before he sat down on the seat and turned towards me. “Do you mind showing me around later?” he asked and I immediately found myself nodding in response.

“Great.” And with that he turned his attention to Myung Bok and his lesson in history. It was quite boring actually. Like every class in this stupid school. Well except for my dancing. It wasn’t really ‘real’ classes, more like free time where you could do something creative, or more like, you where forced to do it. So you got a few choices, singing, drawing or dancing. Some did even have two creativity classes.

I wanted to ask him, if he got adopted or not. Curiosity got the better of me and I found myself scribbling down the question on a small piece of paper before I leaned myself towards his bench and placed it down. He immediately looked up and caught sight of it. He looked in my direction before he picked it up and started to unfold it.

It didn’t take long before he wrote something down on the same paper and then handed it over. It was only one word written, a semi-huge and messy no.

History and math went by quite smoothly, despite that I couldn’t focus. Yong Sook was constantly on my mind. I wondered why he’d come here, did he know that I where a student at Kyunggi and therefore he decided to enroll here.

Well I’m probably going to find out about that sooner or later. The bell rang once again, it was time for lunch. At least for those who had food with them or bought it. I had already decided that I would skip lunch and just show Yong Sook around, that of course if he didn’t want to eat first. Said and done, I asked him whatever he was going to eat.

“No.”

Well that was good, because then I wouldn’t have to worry about bumping into Sangmin, at least not for now. It would be worse later on, when school ended and all the students would rush towards the gates and their freedom.

As we where moving forward I constantly looked around, to the sides, behind us. Of course Yong Sook saw it and asked what I where doing. But I just told him that a friend and I where playing a game, a game where we were suppose to hide from one another. That if the other person saw you, you would lose. It was a lie, but he didn’t know that.

“So what do you do to have fun here?” he stopped and turned around so that he where looking straight at me. I couldn’t hide that it made me startled, and I took a few steps back in defense. It was just something that had been imprinted inside my head. That whenever a boy got too close it was only to hurt me. And therefore I would back away. I saw how he stared at me weirdly and before I made a total jerk out of myself I apologized, telling that it was a defense mechanism and nothing else.

“Oh, anyways could you show me the outside.” He didn’t seem too hurt by my actions, which was a positive thing for me. “Yeh, of course.” I tried to brighten up the situation by smiling as I lead him towards the school garden.

They where there today too, why does it feel like they are everywhere where I am. Are they stalking me? A cold rush of fear ran down my spine and I hurriedly made my way towards my hideout. He was Yong Sook after all. It wouldn’t hurt if he got to know about my hiding spot from the world, because he was just like me, a thrown away kid that no one wanted.