“My name is...” Minji heard the new student's voice fade while she looked up to the sky as her mind started to wander back to a memory from a year ago:

~a memory~  

She was sitting on a bench at the backyard and next to her was a young man with jet-black hair. Since their houses were next to each other, this has been their usual hang out place since they were little. It was one summer night with a slight breeze that made ripples of the reflection of the dark glittering sky on the lake. There was the smell of the green grass and the frolicking flowers mixed with the aroma of the coffee she was holding. It was a memory so distinct with the embrace of the sweet crisp air that sent shivers throughout her body…

~~~

   …that was disturbed by a piercing poke in her right arm by the girl next to her who silently whispered, “Minji”

“Kim Minji~” Ms. Kwon’s shouting brought her back to reality. 

“Oh, Ms. Kwon she’s right here,” the half-japanese girl next to Minji shouted while pointing at her.

“Thank you Park Yumiko but I am not talking to you unless for some reason you’ve become Minji,” Ms. Kwon reprimanded

Minji raised her hand, “Yeah, I'm here.” Again, she sighed while looking back at the window

“Choi Jei Na,” Ms. Kwon continued taking attendance while her voice became muffled as Minji thought of the memory from earlier. 

~a memory~

            “Joon-ah…” Minji called his name while looking down at the cup of coffee she was holding.
 

~+~+~+~+~

Dear Minji,

How are you? I wonder when you'll get this letter. Hmmm, probably not until later on. Today, I woke up from a dream. It wasn't really a dream though, it was a memory of us. Min-ah, do you remember? It goes like this:

We were sitting down in our usual spot, the bench in our backyard. As I inhaled, I can smell the scent of the leaves and your beloved coffee. It was definitely one of those summer nights when the sky was clear. I remember you calling my name while I was looking up at the sky...

~+~+~+~+~
 

~a memory~

“Yeah?” Doojoon responded as Minji turned to look at him. His elbows were leaning at the bench while his eyes gazed up to the sky so intently.

“Nothing,” Minji replied turning her gaze back to the coffee cup. “Never mind,” she added while tracing the rim of the cup.      

There was something special about his gaze that Minji didn’t want to disturb. It was as if he’s looking at something so beautiful…dazzling…stunning. Doojoon has always been like that, everything he does, he does with such attentiveness that Minji can’t help but to be engrossed with it and little did she know she had been absorbed with his every action.

Doojoon pointed at the small shining star in the middle of the sky and asked her, “See that bright star right there?”

“Mmhmmn,” Minji nodded as she looked up. That one star was so bright that it outshined the other stars that surrounded it.

“Look at how small that star is,” Doojoon continued. “The smallest one from all of them up there in that dark sky. But yet, it’s the brightest. So noticeable. That’s. You,” Then, he turned to look at Minji, his soft gaze made her heart beat faster. “No matter how much you try to blend in the crowd, you'll still catch my eyes,” he finished with a voice…

                                   …which felt so bittersweet…

                                                 …that sent tingles up to her heart.

~End of memory~

~~~
“Well, since someone seems to be already bored and slacking off for the first day of school, Kim Minji, why don’t you to tell us the class rules?” again, Ms. Kwon’s voice brought her back to reality

Minji rolled her eyes and sighed as she turned her gaze from the window to Ms. Kwon. “Umm, well…” Minji stalled, thinking of what to say.

A smirk slowly formed in Ms. Kwon’s face.

“You’ll assign groups of two for a week and they will be the class cleaners,” Minji said lazily and yawned. “You’ll rotate groups every week. You will be the one who tells us the announcements. There is no fighting in class. No vandalism,” she continued in a monotonic voice.

 “Ok, that’s enough.”

 “Hmmph, you think I’m stupid? Just because I look like I’m not listening doesn’t mean I can’t answer your stupid questions,” she mumbled under her breath.

~+~+~+~+~

Min-ah, do you remember? It was that night I told you that you were like the shining star up at the dark sky. You shine the brightest and that no matter how much you try to blend in the crowd, you'll still catch my eyes.

Yours truly,
     Doojoon

~+~+~+~+~

~~~

 "Catch your eyes, huh? More like everyone's…" Minji thought to herself still hearing his sweet voice in her mind….

                      the sadness slowly crept up…

                                                              while tears trickle down…

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