[CONTENTID1]A Memory[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2] “You are a wonderful creation. You know more than you think you know, just as you know less than you want to know.”― Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray [/CONTENTID2]

[CONTENTID3]Suji was in a rush one morning to her part time job. It was a Friday, and her lectures started in the afternoon. She the sink, and to her dismay, the water never drained. Instead, it lingered in the sink’s bowel, full of grease and soap. She cried in frustration and kicked the useless base.

            It was possibly the fifth time that year that the sink was clogged. She urged her mother to not shave in the bathroom sink, but it seemed that Taeyeon’s brain was as empty as her wallet. Suji did not have any extra savings that month due to her saving for Taeyeon’s appointment. She scoured through the house for some cash, something that would give her hope for a plumber.

            Nothing. The emptiness and futility struck her and she knelt in frustration. Angry tears welled in her eyes, and she hated the world. She hated existence. She hated Taeyeon. She hated herself.

            Taeyeon’s snores rumbled through the walls.

            Once her emotions tempered and her anger subsided, Suji took her belongings and left the house. She raced with hurried breaths down the road, and towards the metro. A car zoomed past with a loud honk. Suji regained her balance at the other side, with a sigh of relief. That was a close call.

            She entered the grocery store, greeting Jinyoung, the savvy owner who refused to believe that he was in his fifties, and took her position by the cash till. The morning hoarded many customers, and like a monotonous tune, she granted them their purchases.

            Around noon, a familiar face entered the store. Baekhyun did not see her as he scoured the crisps and junk food area. Heat crept up her neck, and she suddenly wished she could disappear.

            Perhaps if she asked her colleague to take over then…

“Suji,” Baekhyun greeted. He slapped his packet of spicy-flavoured crisps, and a minty bar of chocolate on the counter. “What a pleasant surprise. You work here?”

            “No, of course not,” she said. “Why’d I be here otherwise?”

He chuckled. “Charming, I must say. I met Jieun earlier after my tutorial. She said you can help out with something for our club.”

            Suji frowned. “I’m really busy.” She checked his purchase and told him the price.

“Yeah, that’s what I told her,” he said, while he searched through his wallet. “But she’s insisting that you need the extra cash. We need a proof reader for our monthly newspaper. Kyungsoo’s out with a flu, and I’m not sure when he’d be back.”     

            She considered the odds. It would mean that she would save some money for the bathroom sink. Baekhyun handed her a note.

            “We really need to publish the magazine this month ‘cause it’s the first month of the semester,” he continued, taking the change off her. “I’ve got tuition, and the other boys have their commitments. The only one available is Chanyeol, and frankly, he can’t recognise his d’s from his b’s. I’d rather it’d be you, as a sort of compensation for what happened a week ago.”

            “Fine,” said Suji. She crossed her arms across her chest. “I’ll do it.”

Baekhyun beamed at her. “Great! Okay, meet me at the Neverland room this evening.”

                                                *

Yoomi grabbed Suji’s elbow before she entered the library. The girl breathed the air in chunks, her cheeks flushed.

            “Suji, I think Krystal is up to something,” she said.

Suji pulled from her grasp. “I need to study.” She ignored Yoomi’s whims and entered the library. There was a cosy, empty table in a hidden corner behind the bookshelves. Suji sat there for a long time, and read through her lecture notes.

            Someone sat next to her, and she looked up into large, almond eyes.

Krystal chewed her bottom lip. “Hey, umh, I’m wondering if you’d like to study with me sometime?”

            Suji paused. This was the supposed girl who ruined her reputation in university. She wondered why Krystal wished to speak to her. Then again, Suji did not have enough evidence that pointed directly at the flamboyant girl. For all she knew, it could very well be one of Krystal’s barbie friends.

            “I…” Krystal inhaled. “I think you’re, like, super cool. And I really want to hang out with you sometime.”          

            Suji blushed. “Oh…sure. I guess.” She closed the book that she was studying. “I’m usually here at four every day. We kind of have the same schedule.”

            Krystal’s features brightened with genuine ha