Episode 3: Sunyoul

A few days later, at lunch time, Deok Soong sat at her desk, a heavy look of concentration on her face as she heavily scribbled something on a piece of paper in front of her. Hye Rim bent over her shoulder, lollipop in mouth, but only had time to notice a couple of miscellaneous stick figures on the sheet before her friend crumpled the paper and threw it away in frustration.

“Arrrrghhh!!!! I can’t draw!!!!!” exclaimed the ponytailed girl in frustration.

“Well that’s nothing new.” replied her friend placidly, “But why the sudden interest?” she asked, sitting on the top of her desk and letting her legs dangle to look at her friend?

Deok Soong didn’t turn around but only pulled out a new sheet of paper, staring at it in disgust. “Because,” she sighed, “we have to design the class flag for the festival.”

“But you can’t draw.” the shorter girl said, matter-of-factly, switching her lollipop’s side in .

Deok Soong threw up her hands. “I know!”

“And Kuhn?” asked the younger-looking of the pair.

Her friend finally turned around to stare her down with a look.

“Guess not then…”

Deok Soong’s shoulders sagged and she slumped in her seat. “I guess we could just have the class number in big print…”

“Or…. you could just ask him.” said Hye rim.

Deok Soong looked up at her friend and saw that she was pointing at a boy who sat a little way away from them, by the inner wall of the classroom. It was the free time after lunch time now so most of the desks were empty, and those who weren’t had clusters of students chatting and laughing around them, but this boy sat alone, quiet - a white page under his pen as he drew.

“Sunyoul?” she asked, and her voice expressed both surprise and dread all at once. Sure, the boy was always drawing in that sketchbook of his, but he also never talked to anyone that they’d ever seen of. Deok Soong was almost scared to approach him.

Hye Rim shrugged but looked at her pointedly. Deok Soong took a deep breath and stood up.

“Omg, you’re really gonna do it?!” her friend exclaimed, quietly.

Ignoring her, Deok Soong walked slowly towards the pretty, black-haired boy until she stood right next to him. She waited a few seconds, but since he never looked up she cleared and called out, “Hum… Sunyoul-sshi…”

“No.”

“Huh?” the tall girl was so surprised she had to add, “What?”

“No.” the high-pitched voice repeated, on exactly the same tone, never even looking up at her.

“But I didn’t even…”

“You want me to draw a picture for the school flag for you.” he said, interrupting her, “No.”

She just stood there dumbfounded, and before she could even snap out of her surprise, he was packing up his book and getting out of his chair, making for the door.

“But why?!” she only had time to call out after him, before he’d disappeared into the mass of students outside.

She walked back to her own desk, where Hye Rim still sat watching like it had been the most entertaining thing ever.

“I guess that was a bust…” she complained, dropping into her seat.

*

Later that day, Deok Soong was walking slowly on her way home. She was so depressed, she’d been entertaining thoughts of skipping cram school today and just going home to sleep. It was already 6pm anyways. Since she couldn’t do anything about the flag, and Kuhn had to attend to his Basketball Captain duties today, she’d decided to go check on her own club and had stayed late helping one of her dongsaengs on a project. It had been fun, but the stupid flag still hung in the back of her mind. She hated not being able to do things herself.

There was a big park not far from her house and, at this time of the day, there were a lot of children playing in it, waiting for dinner she supposed. She smiled, looking at them. So little, without a care in the world. Sometimes she wished she could go back to that. She was just about to carry on when she noticed a figure in uniform sitting on one of the benches; a large, flat book in his hands, sketching. The uniform was from her school.

She was so surprised that they lived in the same neighbourhood, she just stood there observing him for a moment. All she knew about Sunyoul was that he was a shy, quiet boy, but there was a light in his eye as he drew now; he looked like a completely different person. He was so focused, he seemed completely oblivious to everything around him. She hesitated, but thought this was probably a sign that she should at least give asking him for help another shot.

So, quietly, she made her way to the spot where he was sitting until she stood right behind him and peered over his shoulder to look at what he was drawing. He wasn’t working on one picture, but several little sketches; mostly of the few kids who were playing on the merry-go-round a few paces away. His pictures were simple but had captured their childish exuberance. They were beautiful.

As if he suddenly became aware of her presence, he looked up and saw her behind him. She smiled but a look of fright crossed his features in return, and he made to stand up and run away but she pushed him back down by the shoulders. “Not so fast, bucko.” then she climbed over the bench smoothly to sit down next to him. He  just stared at her in wonder.

“Why do you keep running away from me?” she asked, looking him straight in the eye.

In the few seconds while he was still staring at her, before he quickly turned away and resumed his usual behavior of shy avoidance, Deok Soong looked at him. His eyes really were huge, and though they were completely black, they were beautiful. He was beautiful. He looked so pale, and pure, and innocent… she imagined that’s what angels must look like.

But she also imagined angels wouldn’t run away every time she opened .

“I won’t draw the flag.” he said, quietly, but firmly.

Deok Soong was surprised, but she just shrugged. She had already given up on that anyways.

He was holding his sketchbook tightly on his knees. As if it was his most prized possession. And Deok Soong thought it probably was.

“Those are really good” she said.

He opened his mouth, expecting to argue again, but since she’d surprised him, he turned to look at her in stupefaction, before quickly looking away again when he realized what he was doing. A slight flush tinting his pale, smooth cheeks.

“Will you draw me?” she asked suddenly, getting up, so that when he looked at her she towered over him, a pretty smile on her face before running over to the swings set.

He looked down to his left and she’d left her bag on the seat next to him, and his conscience gnawed at him that he couldn’t just leave it there unguarded. He turned to look at her again. She wasn’t even looking at him. She’d sat on one of the swings and started twirling herself around; twisting the chains together. His book lay forgotten in his lap.

Once she’d twisted the chains as far as they could, she pushed her feet up and let go. In a moment, she started spinning, and let out a squeal of delight; Just like those children he’d been drawing a moment before. He stared at her in wonder as she turned round and round on herself. She looked so happy. He opened his sketchbook and picked up his pen.

Deok Soong looked up at him after a minute and when she saw that he had started drawing again, she smiled. She pushed herself on the swing to go one more time. And after that she went to play in the slide. And on the monkey bars, calling out to him from the top, and he actually laughed at her. Or at least, she thought he did, it was too quiet for her to hear. She even played with the children too. Forgetting all her worries, just like them. Until one by one they were called by their mothers to head home for dinner, and she realized the sun was hanging low in the sky.

Finally, she skipped back towards Sunyoul, her cheeks flushed with exertion, and plopped down on the bench next to him. He looked up at her but his face didn’t hold as much fear as it seemed to have only a few hours ago.

“Aaaaahh…. I haven’t played like that in a long time!” she exclaimed, before giving out a loud chuckle and closing her eyes.

Sunyoul looked at her and thought there was something radiant about her. She was so different from him - so loud and bright - but somehow it enticed him. He wanted to pick up his book and draw her like that, every line of her face, but he was afraid she would open her eyes any moment now. So he looked away. It was hard, that. Looking away.

“I’ll do it.” he said instead, and his voice was almost a whisper.

“What?”

“I’ll do it.” he repeated, “Your flag picture. I’ll do it.”

“Omg, really?!” she exclaimed, and the happiness in her voice made him blush and look away as he nodded.

“Thank you…”

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