He walked along the aisle under QT12.4 – QT13, searching for the particular book his housemate has asked him, as a favor, to borrow from the library since he didn’t have a lot of class today. Reading and looking at each book on the shelf for the book unique calling number he found from the search he did on the library system, he heard his name being called out softly nearby.

Looking around, he noticed he was the only one on that particular aisle but he was sure it was his name being mentioned. Standing perfectly still, he opened his ears like radar in order to catch the direction of the conversation that has included his name in them. The waiting didn’t last long as he heard his name being mentioned again. The voices are coming from the opposite aisle in front of him. From between the books he tried to have a peek at who was talking about him. He was curious.

He didn’t get a clear view of who they were but he was pretty sure they were girls. Creeping silently nearer, he listened to the conversation intently. From what he heard, the first girl was complaining to her friend about hating having him in her class. How he was really rude to her.

‘I’m rude to a girl? From my class?’ he questioned himself. As far as he knows, he had never raised his voice to any of the girls in his class or even talk that much to them. He listened in again.

“Dr Lee said that he is smart and that he got the university’s scholarship.”

“Really? Wow! So, is he really?”

“He nearly got full marks for the exercise I gave in class and the ones he got wrong are actually acceptable if it were applied at a different case.”

Hyun Joong frowned, ‘She gave out exercises? Not one of the students? Dr Lee? A tutor?’

He leaned closer to the shelves to have a peek at the girl he assumed was the tutor but somehow he knocked down a book and the girls stopped their conversation before walking away hurriedly. Seeing the girls walked off, he picked up the book and quickly followed them. He really wanted to see who the girl was. When he managed to be exactly behind them, the girls had made their exit and the librarian stopped him from following suit because of the library book he was holding. Kim Hyun Joong only managed to see the side of the girl with short shoulder length hair in pink t-shirt and blue jeans.

‘Why is she saying I’m rude? Did I do something to her that I can’t remember? She does look familiar,’ he thought. Looking back at the librarian, he nodded and apologized. He looked at the book he was holding and smiled. It was actually the book he was looking for. He made his way to the counter and borrowed the book before heading out of the library.

Switching on his phone as soon as he was outside of the library, he called Kim Kyu Jong.

“Yoebeseoyo… Kyu ah…got the book. Will be heading home now. Where are you? At work? Okay. See you at Jung Min’s later.”

Ending the call, he made his way to the nearest cafeteria in the campus. He was hungry and it would be easier for him to have his lunch at the campus before going home. Since he didn’t have his shift too, he was thinking of sleeping off his afternoon and wake up just before time for band practice at Jung Min’s shop. His week has been pretty hectic with study, assignments, work and band practice that he has very little time for sleep.

Choosing and paying for his meal, he made his way to the seat near the wash basin. Looking around while eating his chicken ramyun, he noticed a familiar figure two seats away from him, laughing away with her companion. ‘It’s that girl. The short hair and pink t-shirt.’

He stared at her. ‘I know I have seen her somewhere. If she’s really a tutor…from which class?’ he thought, trying to think about the classes he took that semester. He still can’t come out with a name. Frustrated with his memory, he hurriedly eat his lunch and determined to confront her. He really hate it if he can’t figure out something or conform the things that bothered him. That would really made him think about them until he’d get the answer and he really, really hate to use that much amount of brain energy for something insignificant as this.

He finished up his ramyun and soft drink while his eyes still on her. Wondering about her. Watching her smile, her gestures and her expressions. ‘How old is she? She can’t be the same age as me. A tutor can only means that she is doing a graduate program. PhD? Or masters? She looked pretty young though. What’s her name?’ he kept thinking unconsciously. The last slurp from his soft drink waken him from his deep thought. Putting down the glass, he stood up and walked towards the wash basin to wash his hands and mouth. That was the only time his eyes were away from the girl and just his luck, that was the time the girl walked out of the cafeteria. When he turned around, he was disappointed to see the empty seat.

‘I have no more tutorial classes this week. If I don’t see her around campus in the next day, I would just have to wait next week for the classes. Argghh…I hate this. I really hope I’d managed to see her tomorrow if I don’t want to spend my weekend thinking about who she is and what I did wrong that made her felt offended by me.’