o5 You Are Not Alone

Her eyes are like the ones of a midnight cat as she stares out the window. The sunlight beaming into the room made her dark locks glisten and her soft complexion glow. Her slightly rounded face is accentuated by her usual habit of leaning her face on her palm, her naturally pouted lips protruded out even more so than usual as she is lost in her own thoughts. She blinks.

“What do you think she is thinking about?” Kwon Soon Young leans in to whisper to Seung Cheol who is seated next to him at the long glass table where it is usually designated for their meetings. Since the study hall incident there hasn’t been much activity going on—which only makes one worry if it is the calm before the storm. Nevertheless, the students of S Class passed their days in leisure since Hwang Na Bi is added to the class. The girl is not very bold with her presence and rather seemed more like a lurking shadow than what they thought is someone who would change up the chemistry in the class. It did not change…Sometimes it seems like Hwang Na Bi isn’t even there. Thus, Soon Young and Seung Cheol watch her as if they caught sight of a rare sighting of a wild cat.

“Maybe I should go talk to her…Does it not seem like she’s been avoiding all of us?” Seung Cheol whispers back as the second year boy beside him as his eyes glued to the first year girl sitting by the window. Mostly it had been Ji Seo Woo that spoke to Na Bi about the works of S Class but even she complains that the first year always conveniently disappears when it comes time for her to do training with Ming Hao or Ji Hoon.

Just when Soon Young was going to reply Seung Cheol Na Bi’s sluggish cat-like gaze fell on them, causing both of them to look away and pretend as if they had not been staring at her for the past ten minutes. She leaned back on her office chair now cautious and aware of the two boy’s attention on her. “…Going to get some fresh air…” Na Bi mumbles as she leisurely gets out of her seat and makes her way up the exit staircase.

`

Na Bi closed her eyes and lets out an exhaled breath. Her body leaned dangerously beyond the railing of the rooftop balcony. The light wind blew on her as if caressing her softly…this is the most familiar feeling she had all week. The most consoling…

“I’d be careful leaning that close…If you fall I can’t save you.”

Na Bi opens her eyes and glanced over at the boy who once again disrupted her peace. Yoon Jeong Han leaning casually on the railing with his backside. His long blonde hair cascading pass his shoulders casted in the direction the wind blew. He had ditched his red Il Yang blazer and only sported the white button down shirt underneath—tie abandoned and first two buttons ed. He did not look like his usual put together self. Na Bi had long figured out this guy had a personality gap, on the outside he seemed and acted like a gentleman, a model student, but in reality…

“I don’t need you to save me.” Na Bi snips back.

Jeong Han looks down and chuckles. He pulls his weight from leaning on the rail and leisurely trails closer to Na Bi—Now only about a foot away. He stares into her eyes almost intrusive, not forceful but as if he could see what is on her mind.

“Na Bi-shii, don’t hate me so much…don’t you think you’re being petty over a small incident?”

Na Bi stares at Jeong Han in annoyance; he is obviously still teasing her. There is nothing-regretful sounding in his soft voice. Na Bi glared at him, this Yoon Jeong Han seems to have underlining intentions that doesn’t match his angelic appearance.

“…Were you jealous? Did you harbor feelings for me even though we had never spoken?” Jeong Han asks steadily, steadily testing her patience as he inches closer every word. “…Did you fantasize about me? You fell for this face didn’t you?”

Na Bi glared up into his mischievously twinkling eyes.

“I feel sorry for you sunbaenim…”

Jeong Han halted in his actions, his slender fingers just halting before contact with Na Bi’s soft dark tresses. Her eyes were mocking him back.

“…You must feel lonely,” Na Bi shifted her gaze, her hair slightly falling over her eyes, “with all those girls being infatuated with you, with all the attention you get from your appearance, with all your friends in S Class…I can see that you still feel lonely. For someone who has all of it as apposed to I, a ‘nobody’ to anyone…I think you are more pitiful. At least I don’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not.”

Jeong Han stares at her and leaned back. He let his hands gently fall against the lines of her cascade of long dark hair and chuckles drily.

“…You think so?”

Na Bi looks back up at Jeong Han’s unfaltering gaze on her. She just cannot put her fingers on the likes of Yoon Jeong Han. Her comments were blunt and she meant to say them to offset him besides the fact that she does think its true. However, he does not even flinch. He continues to look at her with a mocking demeanor.

“I don’t think you’re wrong Na Bi-shii. Only another lonely person can see someone else’s loneliness. Am I right? Are we not of the same kind Na Bi-shii?”

“There’s a difference sunbaenim. Some people choose solitude whereas some others seek for attention to fulfill their sense of lonesomeness. We are different sunbaenim.” Na Bi retorts back firmly.

Jeonghan smirked. She is a stubborn one.

`

“Have you guys seen Hwang Na Bi?” Seo Woo asks as she treads into the S Class classroom. Her fierce eyes scanned around the area to see all of her other classmates but Hwang Na Bi. It is like the frustration never ends with this girl. Now that she is in S Class…It still didn’t seem like she is actually a part of them. Whenever she was supposed to start combat defense with Ming Hao or have gadget lessons from Ji Hoon she would disappear. It has already been stalling past a week. Seung Cheol had suggested leaving her alone but Seo Woo thinks differently. That girl wasn’t going to miraculously mesh with the team if she just leaves her segregating herself. How are they able to fulfill future tasks together?

“I think she was up on the balcony earlier.” Soon Young suggested, remembering how Na Bi had caught both him and their fearlessly leader’s stare and left.

Light footsteps descended from the metal fire escape stairs. Seo Woo and Soon Young look up to catch the sight of Jeong Han leisurely making his way down with his hands in his trouser pockets.

“Yah Jeong Han, did you see Hwang Na Bi?” Seo Woo immediately inquired.

Jeong Han melted onto the long glass table as soon as he sat down and glanced up at Seo Woo while propping his face up with the back of his hand. “Uh…Yeah I did.”

“Great. Is she still up there?”

Seo Woo was just about to make her way up the stairs.

“Mm…No, she left earlier than me.”

Seo Woo rolled her eyes as she instinctively placed her palm on her forehead. How can she trust these boys to do anything properly when she is not around? Here is Jeong Han being a total sloth on their meeting table, Soon Young clueless as ever, the usual obedient Ming Hao having the disputatious side of him make an appearance whenever something has to do with Na Bi (he seems to have something against her)…And freaking Won Woo passed out on the couch in deep slumber as if he has no worries in the world. They don’t seem the least bit bothered about the first year girl not fitting in.

“Can you guys please keep an eye out for her?”

“Neh…” They all moaned back. Of course all except Jeon Won Woo who is currently having the greatest sleep of his life.

`

They didn’t actually bother her…All except for Yoon Jeong Han, maybe. She also isn’t exactly trying to avoid them like a plague. Well maybe a little when it comes down to Ji Seo Woo hunting for her to try and shove those ‘special’ lessons down . Na Bi didn’t want to admit it but she just felt an immense amount of pressure thinking about those lessons—hypothetically accepting those lessons would really mean there is no way turning back. No way back to the normal. The normal that gives her comfort to her abnormal self.

Na Bi splashes cold water on her face and stares at herself in the mirror as the droplets slides down her eyebrows to her nose and fair cheeks. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and sighed. She never really paid much attention to her appearance when she went about her days in school before but she couldn’t help but notice the emptiness her eyes exuded. They were like a pair of dark abyss…lost.

SPLASH!

Na Bi gasped once a fury of ice cold water hit her from above. She could barely gasp for air as a second bucket of the pinching cold washes over her