“Those absolutely precious times

Each and every one is special to me”

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Da Young was the only girl who was not into social interactions in her lively class.

She was seated at the edge of the classroom; her table against the wide windows that allowed immerse light into the dim room. She was happy and energetic but did not feel like interacting with her classmates at all. So, she just took out her small journal that she always had beside her and started to write.

It was just drabbles. It would consist of her thoughts about classes, lessons, boredom, and… anything at all! She loved to do that, because of one reason: it relaxes her mind and takes all her worries and stress off her shoulders. She was so into it, that she never realized her blond friend was seated next to her.

“Yah,” Yena nudged her seatmate, only to not get a response back. “Yah.” She nudged a little harder, causing Da Young to wobble a little, nearly hitting her head on the window frame.

“Woah,” Da Young exclaimed, being brought back into reality. She glared at her friend and pressed her lips together. “Yah, what was that pushing about?” She asked, slightly pouting.

“You were too into your drabbles that you don’t notice… anything at all?” Yena crossed her arms across her chest and leaned on her chair.

“What?” Da Young glanced around her lively classroom, only to come back with a frown on her face. “What is it? I don’t see any teachers coming into the class or anything…”

“Try again, Young,” Yena encouraged her friend.

“What i- Wait… why is the class so quiet all of a sudden?” Da Young’s eyes widen. She scanned across her empty classroom where there were no more students sitting down. Instead, she saw a group of girls surrounding a lone table that had longed been empty ever since her previous semester. “What is going on there?” Da Young asked.

“Apparently the new… ‘wink’ boy takes biology and he is in the same class as us,” Yena replied, nodding her head.

“And how are we lucky enough to get Mr ‘Wink’ boy in the same class as us- when all we need is Mr Ong who stupidly chose Physics for his first period instead of bio,” Da Young sighed before twisting back to her place. She was doing so well, just when her brain decided to remember what had happened last night.

Last night! She inhaled sharply, unable to register everything into her brains. Yesterday… she thought to herself.

She groaned and smacked her head onto the wood table, creating a slight ruckus, earning a few looks from around. But she never cared at all.

Yena gasped before pulling Da Young off the table to prevent any more injuries from occurring. “Yah! Ar-are you okay?” Yena asked, looking at the dazed girl. “You are never like this unless you do something idiotic-“

She paused. And glanced at Da Young for a brief minute before retreating.

“Don’t tell me you did something embarrassing!” Yena squeaked.

“I… I hate you so much… Park Ji Hoon,” Da Young gritted against her teeth with her eyes shut tightly.

She desperately wanted to escape the room that locked Ji Hoon and her together but she knew it was impossible- when their bio teacher entered into the room and started her introductory lesson.

She could feel everyone dispersing from Ji Hoon’s table but she knew that Ji Hoon had his eyes on her who was sitting a few tables behind of her. She tried to ignore him but she could feel her heart beating faster and faster at that known presence.

✩✩✩

By the time school was over in a blink of an eye, Da Young was already out of school, rushing towards her sister’s kindergarten school to fetch the little kid.

She was out of breath when she reached the large building after a couple of intense running. As she stopped in front of the school to take a few deep breaths, she could feel her heart racing and it ringing intensely in her ears.

“Unnie!” She heard a scream coming in front of her and she glanced up, at the voice to find her little sister running to her, holding the wrist of a boy, dragging him as well. Da Young couldn’t help but smile as she watched her little sister being all energetic and happy to see her.

Da Rim released her grasp on her friend and jumped into her sister’s arms. The jump was so strong that she nearly toppled behind. She giggled and looked at her little sister again. She lightly hit the younger girl’s head and gave her a slight frown.

“Yah!” Da Young pouted. “What did I tell you about staying in the school until I come to get you? Don’t you know how dangerous it is to be roaming outside of your school?”

“Sorry unnie,” Da Rim pouted as well, wrapping her arms around the older girl. “I was just too excited to show my new friend to you.” She jumped out of her sister and walked over to the boy who she had dragged. Da Rim enlaced her small hand into his and dragged the shy and quiet boy towards the older girl. She then smiled and glanced at the equally tiny boy. “Unnie, meet my new friend, Ji Woon, Park Ji Woon!”

Da Young glanced at the boy and smiled immediately. She reached her hand out and gently patted his small head. “Hi there, Ji Woon,” she greeted. “Nice to meet you, I’m Da Young noona.”

“An… annyeong… noona,” Ji Woon bowed his head slightly, his hands still clasped together tightly. Da Young knew that he was rather stiff and uncomfortable in this situation with a stranger who just introduced herself as his friend’s sister.

“Well, alright then,” Da Young concluded and stood up, holding Da Rim’s hand while her other hand was holding tightly her new friend’s. “Where do you want to go now?”

“The park!” Da Rim screamed.

At the word of ‘park’, Ji Woon immediately looked up, his eyes glistening with interest and curiosity.

Da Young giggled and bent down to reach his height- who was a little less than half her height. “Do you want to go to the park?” She asked.

Ji Woon nodded immediately without saying anything and Da Young gave him a big smile. “Let’s go now, shall we?” She asked.

Da Rim jumped in joy immediately and ran forward, dragging her sister and friend behind her. “Lets go!” She screamed and the trio started their journey.

✩✩✩

Ji Hoon stood in front of the entrance. His eyes falling onto the empty ground in front of him. Buzzing students surrounding him were pushing past him to get back home- only he was stationary at his place.

It continued for a couple of minutes, after all the students have left, leaving him the only one standing there. He did not know how long he had been standing there until someone tapped on his shoulders- rather hardly.

“Ow!” Ji Hoon went back to reality, tearing his eyes from the concrete ground that lead towards the gates of the school, when he felt a pang of pain on his left shoulder. He immediately held his painful left shoulder with his right hand to try and suppress the pain before whipping his head behind. “Yah! It hu-“

“You’re blocking the way,” the person who had tapped on his shoulder told him.

Ji Hoon pressed his lips together and tried to understand the situation that was happening behind him. But he was too slow, and the brown-haired boy who had called him pushed him onto a wall. Ji Hoon opened his mouth to protest but he was cut when he saw a bunch of students moving a couple of instruments in a trolley passing past him. Some were giving him nasty looks.

“You were lucky I was here to get you out of the way,” the boy shook his head, releasing his grip on Ji Hoon’s shoulders. “If not, they would get very angry and would bash your pretty little head off.”

“Oh…” Ji Hoon realized. “Why… thank you…” He drifted off.

“Woo Jin, the name’s Seoul boy,” the boy replied with a smile.

Ji Hoon could see his snaggletooth as he smiled. He started to like the boy and his cool natured attitude. “Than