The Book Left Behind
Without a Trace
Days passed by and eventually, most people forgot about the whole car incident like it never happened. Because they reasoned that it was none of their business.
"But I'm sure I've seen her before!" Byunghun repeated to Chunji before school three days later. "She seemed so familiar!"
Chunji, who had listened to this story over and over again, sighed. "Dude, it's not a big deal. It's just a girl who pulled someone from getting hit. It probably happens all the time."
"She was wearing the uniform, so she must go here, right?" He asked himself out loud. He tried to remember. Medium long dark brown hair, petite figure, medium height. But nothing rang any bells, even if he walked through the halls trying to check.
But the girls just thought he was checking them out for once. Like Chunji finally dug something useful into his brain.
"It'll come to you. If it doesn't, tough luck. It's just a girl." Chunji slapped his cousin on the back right as the bell rang. "That's our signal. See you at lunch." He sing songed, waved and left, a trail of people following him.
Byunghun bit his lip thinking, but rose too and left for his class. Ricky and CAP were already there along with people who tried to listen in secretly. But failed, as Byunghun noticed.
He set his stuff down and turned to CAP. "Yah, did you see what happened Tuesday?"
"Earlier this week?" CAP looked up in thought.
"About the whole person almost getting run over by a car? I can't be the only one!"
"Byunghun-ssi! I saw it!" One boy next to them said.
"So did I, oppa! I did!" A girl proclaimed with a huge smile.
Surprisingly, Byunghun leaned in. "Do you know who it was? Did you catch their face?" The two blanked out and shook their heads. Byunghun leaned back into his chair. It was useless. He'd never find her. He tried thinking like Chunji. Yeah, maybe it was just something that happened. It wasn't like-
Just then, Saejin opened the door, panting. She had woken up late and rushed to get there. She helped her parents while they were still putting up furniture and she lost track of time. She looked around the room. Dang, the last one to arrive.
Byunghun stiffened. It was her. He was sure. She had the same hair and was about the same height. That's why she was so familiar. Because she was there earlier that one morning when they made eye contact. Of course he didn't notice until just now, but there really was no reason to. Since she was almost late, everyone in class looked at her.
She went to her designated seat in the front corner and started to get her stuff out.
A finger snapped in front of Byunghun's face, breaking him out of the trance he was in. CAP brought his hand down. "I worry about you sometimes."
"Hyung, we were discussing where we wanted to go after school today." Ricky told him from two chairs over. "We were thinking maybe the ice cream shop or something."
"I guess. Fine with me." Byunghun nodded. "Right after school." He repeated, looking back up to Saejin.
Throughout the day, he tried to find a time to talk to the girl in the front row. He didn't even know why. He didn't know her at all, not even her name, and he didn't have anything to talk to her about. There was literally nothing that tied him to her.
"Hurry up! I'm hungry and my stomach is on fire!" Ricky yelled at Changjo. "It needs to be quenched with something cold! Like ice cream!"
"Shut up! Let me get one thing and then we can go." He replied, leading the pack down the hall to his locker. He got some books out one by one, just to tick Ricky off. "Oh crap. I left my notebook in the library." He searched to the back of the locker.
Byunghun, who was getting his arm wrung out by Ricky, had enough and just wanted to get away. He pulled his arm free. "I'll get it. Where did you say it was?"
"The library. But hyung-"
"Forget it. I'll get it." Byunghun said and left for the other wing of the school. Now that he knew who the girl was, or had a great suspicion, the rest of the female population became sad as why he wasn't watching them anymore.
"Byunghun, where are you going?"
"Can you be my date to the party tomorrow night, oppa?"
"Screw that. Byunghun oppa, could you be my date to prom this year?"
He rolled his eyes and walked straight into the library. He walked around a couple shelves and tables. He checked the computer area and lab tables before he laughed a bit at himself. "I didn't even ask what it was called. Oh well. He'll just have to deal with it."
Then he heard a flip of a page in a book and a scratch down of pencil on paper. Byunghun slowly backtracked and stopped to look at the back table area.
Sitting there alone working on homework, was the girl in the front row. Byunghun stood there and watched for a while. She looked so calm and peaceful like that. He shook his head and snapped himself out of it.
He quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket and went a few rows of shelves down from the girl. He dialed in a number and it started to ring.
Changjo answered. "Hyung, what are you-"
"Sorry, Jonghyun-ah, I couldn't find your book." Byunghun cut him off. "But I just got a call from Jongjun telling me that my parents set up an appointment for me today, so I can't go with you guys."
"What? But-"
"I'll treat you guys another time. See ya." He hung up.
The group was hovered over Changjo as he held the phone out and stared at the home screen. "B-but, I didn't even leave a book there."
"What?! You lied? I'm starving!" Ricky scolded.
CAP smacked him. "Let's just go. We'll talk to him tomorrow."
Niel agreed. "Yeah, when his parents set something up, he has to go. They'd go all Godzilla on him if he doesn't obey."
Chunji shot a face. "Then how can he come with us to do those jobs instead of going to parties? You know what? Never mind. Let's just go." He shoot his head and pulled the group out of the school.
On the other hand, Byunghun put his phone back in his pocket and walked back over. He suddenly blanked.
Out of no where, Saejin heard footsteps and looked up to see a boy come inside the work area she was in. He looked like he was looking for books, so she set her eyes back on her paper.
Byunghun stopped pretending to look at a book and took a risk to glanced back. Too his disappointment, she wasn't looking. He sighed and looked down. Determined, he 'accidentally' knocked a book off the shelf and bent down to pick it up.
Still nothing.
He stood, mouth agape. Why was she not responding?
Byunghun walked over to the spot across from her and gripped the back of the chair. He coughed, and did it again a little louder. The girl finally looked up questionably. Byunghun cleared his throat. "Uh, mind if I, um, sit here?"
The girl watched him for what felt like a few seconds to Byunghun before she shook her head with a shy smile. "Go ahead." She picked up her pencil again.
Byunghun pulled the chair out as fast as he could and sat down. He folded his hands and put them on the table, before peering over his glasses at her.
He leaned awkwardly on the table towards the window. "So, uh, beautiful weather, huh?"
The girl blinked at him a couple times. "Yeah, it is. It's pretty warm out too." She looked down again.
Byunghun but his lip. "So, I think, I mean, have I, wait, what?" He mumbled. She showed a stifled laugh, not looking up. "Are you in my class.. By, any chance?"
She shifted in her chair. "I don't know. What classes do you have?"
"It's just that I think I saw you in my literature class this morning and I didn't really know.." He trailed.
"My first class teacher is Ms. Song." She offered.
He grinned. "Yeah! Me too!" She smiled back and he was caught off guard. "Actually the reason I approached you was, um, well, were you the girl that saved that man on the road yesterday?"
The girl didn't hesitate to answer. "Yeah. Thankfully he wasn't hurt."
Byunghun nodded. "That's good to know." he paused. "That was.. really brave of you by the way. I think you're the only girl here who would do that."
She flashed another smile, but this time, kept her head up. "Thanks. Just, don't go telling anyone please?" If he did, somehow, word would probably get around to her dad and she would be in big trouble.
"Uh, sure." Byunghun said hesitantly. Why? Then she would have more friends probably. He pushed himself up and slung his bag over his shoulder to leave. But he stopped and looked back. "Uh, hey." She shifted her gaze to him once more. "What's your name?"
"Song Saejin." She replied. "And yours?"
"Lee Byunghun." He said a little too quickly. He noticed she was packing up her stuff. "Oh, leaving?"
The girl named Saejin nodded. "I have a bus to catch."
A thought popped in gentlemen Byunghun's head. "I'll walk you there then. I have to leave too anyway."
So, the two walked through the halls in silent and out the door. Barely anyone was outside anymore. Even if there were, they were all adults who were also trying to catch the bus.
On the sidewalk, Jongjun was leaning on the car with his arms folded. He caught sight of Byunghun out of the school and straightened up, opening the car door.
But Byunghun didn't come right away. He went to the street corner.
"Thanks, I guess." Saejin told Byunghun.
"Ah, yeah." He pushed his hands into his pant pockets a little awkwardly.
"See you tomorrow, Byunghun-ssi." She waved and crossed when the crossway light was green.
He held up a hand. "Bye." He mumbled and watched her get on the bus. He nodded his head and walked away to the car where Jongjun was waiting. Jongjun closed the door after Byunghun was settled in and got in the drivers seat himself.
Jongjun looked in the rearview mirror with a small smirk. "Who was that, sir?"
Byunghun shrugged and then caught on. "Y-yah, I can't talk to girls? I have female friends too, for your information." He said as-a-matter-of-factly.
Jongjun focused back on the road, still smiling. Even though he was barely even ten years older than Byunghun, he was happy that Byunghun treated him as a friend than just another servant like his parents did.
Meanwhile, Byunghun stared out the window in thought. Song Saejin. "Interesting girl."
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