"뭐야 ?"1 said the sleepy boy. He talks in Korean and it makes the other boy startled. He understands though, but he doesn't bother him again after that. Maybe the boy in yellow jacket is just that one lazy boy in every class.

The other boy though, focusing back to the cupboard on the front. He's a diligent student after all. His pen scribbles fast at what's important to take notes. He's smart, always been a star in the class. It doesn't matter that he transferred in the middle of the year; the teacher is already swoon by him. He's the type of kid that would make his friend's mom jealous, wanting him to be his son, and makes you mad at him. Just because he's that shiny.

The sleepy boy in the yellow jacket is in the contrary. Never has he lifted up his finger when the teacher scans the class after throwing questions. He always looks bored and his drawing seems more interesting than the actual class. He's loud; always throwing jokes that makes the whole class break out in laughter. He's the kind of boy that your mom would not allow you to play near, yet always have a lot of friends.

They know each other, but it doesn't arrive yet. They're both Korean in a sea of American, that's what they know. They don't know that they have same taste in music. They don't know that they both dance well. They don't know that day by day they will be side by side in the future, will still holding onto each other though they run the opposite. Because love, their love, hasn't even reach the first letter yet.

1 뭐야? = What? // muoya

***

'No one beat Matt in swimming'.

The whole class knows that. The whole year of '95 knows that. Mr. T, the gym teacher, loves Matt when it comes to swimming because he's the best. Mr. T wants him to join the school swimming team, but Matt refuse because nah staying at home is better and swimming is just for fun. Matt is still going through puberty, so his body is skinny. Maybe that's what makes him a good swimmer. Among tall white kids in his class, his body and tan skin will make you see him twice.

'Ricky is pretty'.

Though Asian is very common in Hawaii, you don't see face like him every day. He's little and he's always smiling. Teachers get fond of him, probably because he's smart, plus he's such an apple in the eye. If you're a girl and he walks past you, you'll definitely turn your head twice.

Everyone cheers when Mr. T ask Matt to jump in the water. Matt is a good surfer so swimming it's just as natural as breathing for him.

"How about you new kid, Ricky right? You're a swimmer? Jump in the water, boy"

Girls cheer loudly this times, the boys don't. Is not that the boys hate him; they're just jealous of this new, idol-like, pretty kid.

Ricky jump in the water with ease, now side by side with Matt. They didn't even glance at each other because it's kinda awkward. They wear swimming glasses and head cover, both ready after warming up their body. The whole class cheers when Mr. T's whistle goes and both swim surprisingly excellent. Only 2 people in silence, both fighting water from entering their lungs or else they'll be dead.

Matt can feel that Ricky is catching up beside him. Damn, he's pretty good, he thinks. So he put a lot more effort than usual because he doesn't want Ricky to win.

They both turn around on the end of the pool and the cheer goes louder because they're perfectly in sync, almost identical that you wouldn't know who will win. After just a few seconds full of tension, Matt arrived at the end. He's leading by 1 second difference. Boys and girls losing their because damn that was cool. Matt smiled to Ricky showing his honest-teeth, but Ricky just looks at him with a shock.

'Okay weirdo,' Matt thinks.

Matt was going to climb up and having a victory time when suddenly everyone screams in horror. He's so confused and doesn't know what happened. When he sees to his left, Ricky says something but he couldn't hear it. He takes off his head cover and only then he realized.

"Your head" Ricky says.

And yes, his head. It's bleeding. It makes the water in the pool turn red that he feels like fainting. Matt bumps his head on the pool wall and there's blood dripping from his forehead. He must have not felt if since it's under water.

"Everyone calm down!" says Mr. T. "Matt, climb up please" Mr. T reach out to him but he feels dizzy. Ricky help to push him up with much force because Matt just stood there freezing. Then Mr. T gives the boys towel and send both students to the clinic room.

"Ricky, you go to the clinic with him. I'll handle the other first."

Mr. T just sent Ricky, a new student, which notably isn't that familiar with the school, with a bleedingintheheadanditsemergency boy, alone to the clinic room. Both boys still drenched in water, now walking out in the corridor of classroom. Ricky pushes Matt but Matt is just freezing. Looks like he's the kind that isn’t very glad to meet blood.

"Hey, where's the clinic room?" Ricky asks slowly.

Matt just lifts up his finger to whatever and Ricky push him from the back. When they finally arrived, the nurse is so startled because she was just reading a magazine. She stands up so fast and put Matt on the bed. Ricky sits in one of the stool after the nurse told him. The wind then starts to feel a little cold because he's still drenched in water. He took off his head cover and trying to calm down. He finally breathe, himself not