When we reached at our lecture hall, our lecturer was already in front of the students, whiteboard full of scrabbles I couldn’t make out its meaning…yet. Since I was standing far away from the whiteboard.

                “Now you’re here, Miss Areum and Miss Irene. Can you please tell us why are you late? Do you mind?”

                I looked down at my flat shoes, admiring the red-black ribbon I’d acknowledged for years or maybe just months. What should I say?

                “I was late since…since…there were a traffic jam in the city. So..my bus arrived a little bit late. I’m sorry, sir.” I apologized without even being bothered to take a look at him, my Chemistry lecturer. As I was so embarrassed, all the eyes were on me. If it wasn’t because of me coming late for his lecture, I’d feel like a star already.

                “Are you sure, you came here by bus?”

                “I’m perfectly sure. It’s the same bus I usually take every time. Just it got stuck in the traffic jam.”

                He chuckled. Why did he chuckle? Is he in a really good mood or something? I mean, he never laughed in our class, let alone when his students come in late. The hairs on my neck rose.

                “I seriously don’t think you came here by bus. Are you going to call my Mercedes…a bus?” He chuckled again. And I blushed. I looked up and there he was, standing right before me. Again, Oh Sehun. What was he doing here? I thought he should be at his company? Where’s my lecture?

                He walked closer to me and whispered. “Your lecturer are transferred to another university. So it’d be me, teaching all of you Chemistry. Maybe I’m going to teach you until you finish your Degree.” He stood up straight again, his mouth quirked up at the corners.

                I turned to look at Irene. And it was weird. It’s Oh Sehun standing before me, and she didn’t bat an eye at him. Was she blind or what? I was 100% sure she’s going to scream like a moron if she saw Sehun here. But instead, she looked straight towards Sehun and looking blur, the usual expression when we’re late and got scolded.

                “I’ll tell you later, Miss Areum. Now I’m in a good mood, so I’m not going to punish both of you. You may get to your seat now, don’t waste any time. I’d like to start teaching now.”

                He turned around and walked away, towards the whiteboard. He reached for a whiteboard marker and quickly wrote something on it. I stared at him, hoping that he’d explain it to me now, but he didn’t even bother looking at me. Seeing how fast he was writing, I quickly rushed to my seat, pulling Irene along with me. I didn’t want to miss anything…at all.

                So I took out my book from my sling bag and immediately placed it on my table. Irene still didn’t say anything, and that’s peculiar. Irene is a talkative girl, she just wouldn’t stop talking. Even if you asked her to shut up, she’d still whisper to you. Different from me, I don’t talk that much. I shook my head and touched her shoulder.

                “Irene, are you okay?”

                She looked at me, although there was a faint look of confusion on her face, she looked better than before. “I’m fine. It’s just…weird that he doesn’t punish us. Remember our first day for Chemistry class? I remember having to write three essays in a day and that’s not pleasant at all. And now we’re here, worriless about our punishment because he doesn’t give us any. Wow. Just wow.” She started writing the notes given on the whiteboard.

                “Irene, don’t you see who’s standing in front of us? At our lecture’s rostrum?” 

                “What? It’s Mr Lee. I got bored from staring at his face and I don’t want to look at him for so long. Although Mr Lee is … handsome. Did I tell you he’s handsome? Oh, I just did.” She still didn’t get the idea, did she?

                “It’s Oh Sehun.” I whispered, not wanting to disturb other students.

                But she did. “Where?!” She yelled, her eyes scanning the whole lecture hall and frowned when all the students looked at her, look of dissatisfaction clear on the face. Sehun looked at us, a questioning look was given to me. I just shrugged and looked at Irene again, who wouldn’t stop pouting.

                “I’m sorry, sir.”

                “Well, it’s okay. Let’s continue to finish all the questions here. And you may go.” Everyone was so busy solving all the questions as all they were thinking was to go home faster.

                After the chemistry class, we got out to grab something before going to our next class. That’s when I caught Irene staring, no, glaring at me.

                “What? I didn’t do anything, I didn’t hide anything from you, what’s wrong? Or is it because you’ve to pay for my food? I left my purse! I would pay for it!” I said, munching my kimbab.

                “Not that.” Geez, this girl just won’t stop staring at me until she tells me what’s wrong, I sighed.

                “What, then?”

                “You said there’s Oh Sehun in our class. And you have no idea how embarrassed I was! Thank God you’re my best friend. If not, I’d already kill you!”

                “But I was sure, he’s in front! He’s the one teaching us!”

                She quirked up her eyebrows. “Are you leaving Byun Baekhyun for Oh Sehun, now, Areum? Are you so crazy in love with Sehun? He’s mine, okay?” She rolled her eyes, her dark brown irises were completely hidden.

                “But-“

                “Enough of that. Mr Lee Taemin was the one who taught us Chemistry today. And he’s going to teach us until we finished our Degree, okay, Areum? Now it seems like it’s you who are head over heels with Sehun, not me,” she sighed, slurping her smoothies, “but deep down I really hope that I could meet him, huh.”

                I looked at my cheap watch.

                “Next class is going to start soon. We should go now. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be late for this class too.”

                She looked at me, a horror expression on her face. “What subject?”

                “Biology. Our favourite subject, forever, and ever.” I imagined Miss Taeyeon’s face, reddened with anger and I shuddered. Wow, she’s fierce like a lioness, I tell you.

                “I haven’t finish the ‘homework’ she gave two days ago! I’m going to die! I don’t want to die young!” She tugged at my shirt, crying out, but of course, with no tears.

                “What were you doing all this time?”

                “I was out…watching new movie at the cinema…and shopping…and…spa.”

                I sighed, this girl’s really a pain in the arse. “It’s okay. You can borrow mine. Make sure, you change the answers a little bit. I don’t want to be dragged into your problem.” I walked away, leaving her dumbfounded with my answers.

                Her heels clacked on the floor, indicating that she’s chasing me. “You’re my best friend ever, I love you, Areum!”

                As usual. We laughed and walked towards our lecture hall again, revising everything in our head, as Miss Taeyeon liked to ask questions before she started teaching.

But I was still curious about what happened before my eyes. Was it a reality, or was it only an imagination?