- FOUR -

Their first meeting happened three summers ago, but the memory remained as clear as if it happened just yesterday. She would never forget.

It was in the early of her first year, all freshmen had series of elective courses in which the options were open to fill the credits. Monday morning was when she attended her first class as a university student. Jongdae was supposed to pick her up since they had this class too, but some miscommunication between them and her dad made him leave without her.

A big handwritten text of Introduction of Personal Psychology was scribbled on the white board when Jisoo entered the crowded theatre classroom from the top back door. The professor was standing at the lectern down in front of the class, checking for attendance. She could spot Jongdae sat among the students at the third row, but there was no seat left so she took a seat at one of the chairs at the empty top row. She raised her hand when the professor called her name.

When she thought she was the last to arrive, someone took a couple seat next to her few seconds later. A little too relaxed exclamation was heard, “In here!” when the professor called a name for the second time.

“Right on time, Kid.” The professor commented.

Jisoo tilted her head to the said person, found him grinned with a salute before he turned to her and raised his brow while thinning his lips. She dropped her eyes to his left hand on the table, actually she rather looked at anywhere but his face so that she wouldn’t be caught like staring. A moment later her attention went back to the professor when the class began.

Jongdae was the one who urged her to take this class—despite the non-correlation to their major in architecture. It was like his new year resolution to get her a boyfriend, and coincidentally (from the rumor circulating among the seniors, he said) the certain class of Personal Psychology was known for its matchmaking deal. At least, he said again, a couple was always born from the class project and Jongdae was so excited to make her his guinea pig.

“It’s trial and error.” He said, it’s this one or a blind date. She rather chose the former since strangers were never her thing.

Apart from his bluff, the class was actually interesting. Especially when Professor Hong Gijeong started the lecture with a ‘who are you’?

“It’s a simple question, but it can be difficult to answer.” He pointed, “You could answer with your name, your job title, your hobby or passion, where you’re from, or a description of your beliefs and values. There are billions of humans with billions of answers to this question, and each one can tell a different story about who they are. We can meet hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of people, but no two will be exactly the same. Because there’s one thing that makes us each unique; it’s our personality.”

Jisoo was always interested in the study of personality, actually Psychology was her second option if she didn’t make the Architecture major. She was not a talker, but put herself as an observer type herself.  As a kid, she was raised to listen to people talking. Do not interfere, her mom once said, let them finish their talking then you can do yours. Because by listening to people would open your heart and mind, it made you less susceptible to negativity.

The longer professor Hong defined his lecture goal with his discourse, Jisoo found herself drown by his illustration. She put her left elbow on the table and rested her chin on the heel of her hand, while her right hand taking some notes on her book. She tried to ignore the presence of the boy next to her, who either intentionally or not, acting to get her distracted.

From her peripheral view Jisoo could see him casually leaning back on the chair, his long legs uncomfortably bent and right one was fidgeting in a narrow aisle, while he twirled a pen between his two slender fingers. The trembling movements of his hand and leg made Jisoo uncomfortable, but because she was too shy to say anything—and since it didn’t physically disrupt her, shecouldn't  help but hold back and endure the discomfort herself.

Professor Hong talked about the brief history of personality research afterwards, to some of the prior psychologists who suggested its various theories and philosophies in which they’re going to discuss throughout the semester onward. The phase of the lecture was rapid and comprehensive; the professor even gave them the layout of his lesson plan so that they could read or study the materials beforehand and discuss them during the class. Time flied so fast, they didn’t realize it reached the end of the class.

“So, I have a project for you to do this semester.” Professor Kim put out a stack of papers from his satchel bag and gave them to the students in the front row so they could relay them to the others. From the girl in front of her Jisoo got a paper with a list of personal data in it.

“This project will be done in pairs, to make it easy your partner will be the one who sit next to you—say hi to them.” One by one at a time soft murmurs were heard along the class as people turned to their left and right to greet their new partner. 

Jisoo was probably the only one who stayed paralized among the students, she sighed inside, regretting why Professor Kim didn't let them chose their partners themself so she could grab Jongdae the first time before anyone else got him. The boy cleared his throat to get her attention, so Jisoo made a turn to him and waved her hand as a friendly greeting.

Then the professor proceeded, “You’ll be going to study them for the whole semester. The list on the paper will be basic information to get to know them, and you can ask anything outside the list—as long as they think it’s questionable. When you think you have enough information, put them all into a minimum five-thousand-word essay and submit it at the end of semester. It will be worth fifty percent of your final grade, don’t forget to recite the theories in supporting your analysis on their personality.”

A louder buzzing sound on the mix of whine and form of excitement filled the theatre as the kids started to move around to sit with their respective partner, so did the tall boy on her right who stood a little and shifted to the side to sit right next to her. Jisoo could feel him looking at her, his right hand scratching his head but said nothing; while Jisoo herself was still persistent in avoiding his gaze by reading the list on the paper—for the third time now.

“Get along, everyone. It’s fifty percent final grade we are talking about. Get to know them, understand them, go sit with them, listen and talk. Who knows you might find a potential dating partner by the end of this semester.”

A small laughter erupted when the professor uttered that, and why—would he, of all the people in class, point that last sentence an obvious gaze and finger to the top back of the class, which meant to her and this guy on her right. So now when people started turning their head to see them, Jisoo felt like burying herself to the ground. She hid her face with her hands and face-planted on her table, while the guy on her right chuckled indifferently.

“You have ten minutes to make a friend before we end this class. Right on, people.”

Jisoo didn't know what to do when the students started chatting with their partners. She froze, pretending to reread the list of questions avoiding the awkwardness to her partner. No one spoke until about half a minute later, the boy made a ‘knock-knock’ sound on her table side with his pen.

“Hi, I’m that boy next door who optimistically joins this class for a search of potential dating partner (Jisoo scoffed on it), my name is Oh—Se—Hun.” The guy said introducing himself while scribbling his own name at the paper on her table. “You?”

“Kim—” She did the same on Sehun’s paper. “Jisoo.” That’s all.

“Caption?”

“Hm?”

“You know, you should’ve given a brief explanation about you when you introduce yourself.”

Just like he did, Jisoo thought, alright. “I’m Kim Jisoo,” she repeated, then hummed to think of what to say, “Um, I was dragged here by my cousin who strongly believe that this is the best place to find me a potential dating partner.”

When she looked up and dared herself to meet his eyes for the first time, Jisoo was astonished because she was welcomed by the most beautiful pair of eyes. His dark brown orbs shone bright, they were sharp and deep. It reminded her of a cup of hot chocolate in the winter nights, ones which would be willingly wrapping you like a blanket to make you warm and feel like home.

His gaze was intense.

“Well,” Sehun tilted his head, his eyes curved to a crescent when he smiled. “Congratulation, you may have found him.” Then he chuckled.

Jisoo couldn’t help herself to mimic him, instantly loo