Chapter Twenty-Eight

Everything is so still. Not a single sound can be heard. Almost everyone is immersed with the activity Jang-seonsaengnim left. I say “almost everyone” because I wouldn’t include myself. Instead of being so hell-bent with answering the activity, I decided to sit on Kai’s seat and gaze out the window, drinking in the view. Since Jang-seonsaengnim has stepped out, I’m pretty apathetic.

The window overlooks the school’s vast garden. It’s filled with daisies and sunflowers alike. The colors play from white, to green, to bright yellow. There is a soft wind blowing and I am entranced as I recall the afternoons I spent with Kai and Se Hun. Those well-spent, golden afternoons beneath the trees.

Now that I think about it everything seems to be an illusion. We thought we were happy. We thought we were perfect. But everything changed when Se Hun’s palm crashed into my cheeks. I can still feel the throbbing pain. I remember being so shocked; I couldn’t find the words to say. Then slowly, a gentle hand creeps into mine pulling me out of the dark before I totally sunk into it.

“Has anyone seen Jong In?” Jang-seonsaengnim exclaims. He’s standing right at the door, the class list safely tucked under his arm. A steady, strict look is hovering over his face.

The class looks up from their pens and papers. Afterwards, they start to look at each other, exchanging quizzical brows. And finally, they look to Kai’s seat where they see me instead of him.

“I’m afraid no one has Jang-seonsaengnim.” Our class representative, Chae-P’il answers.

“Odd.” Was all Jang-seonsaengnim could say. His eyes are on me and they don’t move away until Dae Hyun offers, “He’s been away since our break.”  

“I see,” A flash of question crosses his face and after a moment, it’s gone. Why could he be looking for Kai? When Kai goes missing, professors don’t ask where he is because they know he’s off loitering somewhere with EXO. So this is a first. Has something happened?

“Ya! Se Hun, over here!” A faint voice from bellow calls out. I look down from the window and see EXO. Perfect timing. The group members are complete, Se Hun tailing them. All are accounted for, except…

Where could he be?

***

“Hye Rin-ah. Aren’t you going home yet? We could all walk home together!” Ae Sook chirpily offers. The bell rang just a few moments ago and now the classroom is half-empty. Cho Hee and the rest of the girls are already waiting for us outside but instead of bustling through my stuff and rushing for home, I remain still. I clutch the book under my hands and let out a puff of breath before answering her.

“You guys go ahead.” Please go, please, oh please, oh please just go.

“Okay then.” The excitement that was stamped on her face has gone. She looks back at the girls and shakes her head as minimal as she could, as if to say “Mission Failed”. My eyes fall to my fingers that are at my knees, fiddling the end of my skirt.

Ae Sook walks away and the girls disappear outside the door. There are only a handful of students left in the room but just to make sure, I wait for a few more minutes and as they go their merry way I bolt out in search for Kai.

I try my best to come up with a clue of his whereabouts but I fail. Miserably. I have no idea where he is and as a result I hopelessly stumble upon numerous of rooms and find not a silhouette of him. I am growing desperate by the minute and have considered walking up to EXO and asking them myself. But no. You can do this alone, you hear? You will find him yourself.

And then it hits me. I rush to the faculty room and ask for Kim-seonsaengnim, our homeroom adviser. I know I’ve been a prick to him since the beginning of our class, but the week after that I made sure I was a better student. When he comes about, I hastily inquire of the school’s dance studio.

“I believe we have down at the basement along the music room Ms. Oh. But it hasn’t been used for ages. Ever since the school’s head honcho decided we abolish anything beyond academic, it has been locked up but never for good. I’m glad he kept the music room though.”

“Do you have the key to it, seonsaengnim?” I ask him.

“I don’t, but I know who does.”

***

“The key to the dance studio? My, my, no one has asked me of that ever since the headmaster removed dancing out of the