Hwa-Young stares at the empty seat beside her. It is the second day Seori hadn’t come to school. The teachers didn’t said anything about her absence either.

                “Hwa-Young! Please pay attention.”

The teacher hit the board with a pen. Hwa-Young sighs. She raised her hands high. Everyone turn their head to look at her.

                “Why  Seori isn’t coming to school?”

                “I don’t know, Hwa-Young. Maybe she skips school.”

                “She never skips school for 2 days.”

                “If there are 2 answers to choose, Hwa-Young. I think the answer; Seori skips school is the right one. Rather than Seori is sick. Do you understand?”

Hwa-Young keep herself quiet when she heard the teacher said that to her. Every teacher in the school is having bad thoughts about Seori. They thought that Seori is a good student is just impossible to believe.

During recess, Hwa-Young sat at the same bench where she ate lunch yesterday. She took a glance at the tree on the east of her. Just as she expected, Changmin is there still reading the same book as yesterday. But the pages seem to gotten lesser and lesser.

She place her lunchbox on her lap thinking that it would be a more efficient way to eat faster. Something crumpled is crushed between the bottom of the lunchbox and her lap. She looks at it. A piece of crumpled paper. Hwa-Young looks around her to see who might be the one who send her the paper.

She unfolds the paper and smirks. Just as she expected, another confession from someone anonymous. Hwa-Young crumples the paper in her hand, turning it into a crumple paper ball. Then, she throws the paper ball into the rubbish bin on her left. Cowards.

While eating her lunch, she took a glance at Changmin during time to time. Changmin has just finished the piece of sandwich he’s eating. Realizes that he’s going away, Hwa-Young took a big gulp of water and rubs her face with her arm. She quickly charges at Changmin. He knows something. She can feel it.

Changmin closes his book and he saw someone’s standing in front of him. He probably saw this face somewhere. He looks at the girls badge, 3^rd year student.

                “I know that you know something about Seori.”

                “I don’t know what you mean.”

                “Don’t pretend, Changmin-sshi. I trust my instinct than my own mother.”

Suddenly, they were interrupted by one of Changmin’s friend who calls out for him. Changmin saw this as a chance to get away from the crazy girl. Before he left with his friend, he points at the girl’s face.

                “I can’t take your words seriously when you got something in your face.”

Hwa-Young rubs her whole face with her palm. She looks at Changmin as he walks away with his friend. Is she being paranoid? Why Changmin? Of all the people in the school, why Changmin is her suspect? Is something bad had happened to Seori?

Why is she worrying about Seori?

She doesn’t even care about her.

Changmin opens his phone. He dialed his home number. He looks around the place outside the school gate as he waits for the beeps to end and someone to answer his call. His mother answers.

                “Hello?”

                “Its me. Do you want me to visit her now or…”

                “Now. You’ve just finished school, right. You should visit her now. When you get back home, I’ll cook something special. We need to know what really happen, Changmin.”

The call was ended up by his mother. To think it through, he can go to the library on the way back home to borrow another book. He just finished the book during recess. Before she met the paranoid girl. Even this dull school has a student like that.

                Before he could set his foot further from the school gate, the crazy girl blocked his way. When he tries to walk around her, she blocks him. He has no time for silly games with a crazy girl.

                “What do you want?”

                “I’m just being a paranoid. I just realized that I’m worried about Seori.”

                “What’s the connection with me then?”

                “You don’t even have one.”

                “What do you want me to do right now?”

                “If, If you see Seori, tell her that I miss her. She should return to shut the teachers mouth. Tell her it’s a distress call.”

                “You said that I know where she is, so why aren’t you asking me where she is?”

                “Y-You know where she is?”

                “Probably yes. I’m going to the place too.”

                “J-Just tell her what I told you just now.”

                “You’re not coming along?”

                “No. I’m not a good friend to her. I don’t deserve to go.”

Hwa-Young’s feelings are all mixed up. Sad. Angry. Disappointment. Confusion. She is very confused. Is she really is Seori’s friend? Seori might friend with her because Seori is pity to her. She’s the only one to know about her family problems.

Is Seori her friend?

or

Is Hwa-Young her friend?            

                “Wait.”

Changmin turns around at Hwa-Young who had look so pale. She looks more miserable than just now.