From the entrance, only a few classrooms were lit up. It was fifty minutes before school commence. It was the usual time for one particular girl to step her foot into the school. She climbed slowly to the third floor then trudged along the silent corridors until she reached her classroom. She was not surprised to see three other classmates already occupying their seats. She smiled at them and made her way to the table at the corner of the classroom.

 

Thud!

 

Lee Eunhye dropped her bag on her table, massaging her sore and slightly bruised shoulders. She settled down on her seat and looked out the window, watching as the sun rays illuminated the buildings across the school. It was her everyday routine. Except. There was something different that day. There was something bugging her mind. Or rather someone.

 

It was a very happy day for YG High. The school finally won the rival school in the boxing championship. It was truly a blissful moment because the school excelled in every other sports except for boxing. It has been 7 years since the last win. Excitement was in the air. Eunhye, on the other hand, thought it was not a big deal. She has never been involved in her school activities. She was there, that day, because she did not want to be at home.

 

“OMG, Kim Hanbin is the best!”

 

“Did you see how hot he was?”

 

“How come I never noticed him before?”

 

“That Hanbin boy was a beast in the ring!”

 

That was all she heard – boys and girl, old and young – alike. After the crowd had cleared, she made her way out of the stadium, hands digging into her bag for her cell phone. She finally got a hold of it and pulled it out from her bag.

 

OOOOF!

 

The next thing she knew, she was on the ground and her cell phone was nowhere to be found. She looked up to assess what had happened when her eyes landed on a boy balancing himself before rushing off.

 

“At least, apologise,” she mumbled under her breath, as she got off the ground, looking around for her phone.

 

“I believe this is yours. Are you okay?” she quickly turned around to see a familiar boy.

 

She extended her hand to retrieve her phone and finally recognized the boy. He was wearing a white over-sized shirt and baggy sweat pants. His black hair was wet and he has a huge duffel bag on his left shoulder. He was the boy that boxed flawlessly in the ring a moment ago. He was the boy that just made the school proud. He was Kim Hanbin.

 

“I’m really sorry but I’ve got to go.”

 

She watched dumbfounded as he turned and made her way to a group of people. She continued watching the boy. He launched himself to hug a man, who looked like an older version of Hanbin and a beautiful woman who has pride shining on her face. Then, he carried and spun a little girl around 5 years old, who was laughing together with him. He kissed her on the cheek and put her down. He then walked to a group of six boys who tackled him and teasingly punched him. Everyone was smiling so widely that Eunhye could not help but to smile along. She heaved a content sigh and made her way home. The idea slowly dampens her high spirits.

 

“Hanbin sunbae is here!” someone yelled.

 

Eunhye snapped out of her thoughts and slowly turned to face the other side of the room. There he was smiling and bowing politely as he made his way to his classroom which was three doors away from her. It has been two months or so since the win but the boy, who was two years her senior, was still the talk of the school.

 

 

***

 

 

Hanbin heaved a sigh before adjusting the strap of his bag and entered the school gates.

 

“Oppa, you’re so cool!”

 

“Sunbae, you’re the best!”

 

“Hanbin, my man!”

 

Those were the words that greeted him every day he entered school since he won the boxing championship. He appreciated the admiration, adoration and love but he cannot help to miss his life before the championship. It was amusing at first but he gradually started to dislike the excessive attention. Despite feeling that way, he would still bow politely and smile at every compliment he received.

 

He walked past the second classroom along the corridor. He randoml