Chapter 5

By the time I’ve finally calm down, it was almost an hour later after the happened event and we are just here sitting, leaning against the tree trunk.

I take in a deep breath and look up at the tree. How the sunlight is revealing just bits of itself against the layers of leaves. It is quiet, and all I could hear is the rustling sound made by the wind. I finally clear my throat and start out, “why are you here?”

The immediate response that I’ve got is the fidgeting sound of him, probably stunned by my voice that suddenly broke the silence. Despite the fact that he hears me, I receive no answer. And so I continue asking, “You didn’t join any clubs?”

I shake my head after the question asked. From what I know, the third years are not obliged to go for club activities. They are given the option to either stay in class for self-revision or to go to their clubs.

“I couldn’t join any.”

I shift my head the instant I heard his reply. This is his first time giving a decent answer to my questions. Though it being short, a strange feeling still burst in my chest and it is undeniably strong.

“Why?”

The moment I ask, he too, shifts his eyes to meet me and a chuckle appears. “You have yet to tell me your name.”

“Eh?”

“I remember introducing myself on the first day we met,” he eyes at me playfully before continuing, “so isn’t it a little rude for not at least letting me know your name?”

”Jang Wooyoung”

I crinkle my nose at the sudden flashback.

“Forget about what happened previously and pretend that this is our first meeting, neh?”

And just when I wanted to question about the things he spat on our last meeting, I met him in the eyes. Again, that look. Like I am into those black orbs of his eyes, I find myself once again falling into the pit hole, obeying his every instruction involuntarily.

“Lee Jieun,” with those loose words, I slap myself mentally, reprimanding myself for giving in for a second time so easily. I know it shouldn’t be like this, but somehow I can’t control myself. As if this is a curse, I can’t find myself to actually go against him.

“Jieun,” I hear him muttering before he looks away. I sigh in relief upon breaking the eye contact and I find myself trying to catch onto my own breath. The eye contact is simply too suffocating.

“That’s a nice name,” he says. He is looking out at the koi pond with a slight frown on his face. Contradicting to what he has said, I somehow feel that he didn’t mean what he says. I shift my head and look at where he is staring too. The way he looks at the pond seemed like he saw something so fascinating, yet when I see it with my eyes; it doesn’t seem that interesting at all. Silence falls in place again and this time I let my lips do its thing.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in class if you don’t have any club activities?”

“I can easily ask you the same question.”

“I asked you the question first, didn’t I?”

“Why are you here?”

“You should-”

I bite onto my tongue again the moment I got caught in his eyes. “I-I…”

“I didn’t want to go for club activities,” I take the initiative to break the eye contact this time, “it’s boring there.”

“Ah, I see.” He does a little laugh, “then it’s the same reason for me too.”

My eyebrows fold itself and I look up, meeting his eyes unintentionally. “I like it here,” he smiles.

❧

Then it begins, every Wednesday, I’ll see him there. It becomes a routine for us to just lie against the tree trunk and say almost nothing. Subconsciously, I begin to care for the way he acts every now and then. Not only just being curious, but something more, like how you start caring for your friends. Even though we share no conversation, I still feel that there is this unsaid friendship forming. We don’t need words; just the time spent together determines everything.

“Is it fun?” he suddenly speaks up, perhaps the first conversation he has ever started during these few weeks.

A smile creeps onto my face as I look at him with surprise. I rise up the fish food in my hand and reply, “well, you should try to find out.”

Both his eyebrows rise up in an instant, forming wrinkles in his forehead. I can tell that he is hesitating from how he simply stares at the food in my hand. To which, I respond by giving him a shrug off my shoulder, “It doesn’t hurt to try right?”

He glances up at me for a second and then slowly lifts up his hand. I chuckle at his child-like behavior and pour some of it out. It’s strange to see a boy of his age behaving so much like a little kid. It’s as if he hasn’t tried anything like this before, he seems scared all the time and this might be the only time I ever see such a light expression on his face. The dark solemn eyes disappears and just a small smile hanging on his face. It doesn’t take a lot to tell how much he enjoys doing this. His body language, the aura he’s giving off simply tells you everything you need to know. It is really marvelous how he could already feel so comfortable around me when we didn’t have a good start of this relationship. It started out weird and with no communication. All I can make out is that, time is really a wonder.

I take out a piece of wet tissue when he is done with feeding the koi. The excitement in him has yet to evaporate and this time, he flashes me an earnest smile that warms me up. It is warmer than my woolen jacket; it is even warmer than the warm packs in the pockets. It could possibly be the warmest thing that I have seen recently. And in that moment, the wall in his heart isn’t only a solid border, but there is light perking out. I thought I could see a window on the wall, with warm, bright light perking out and it is so captivating that I can’t help but to stare, rejoice and admire.
 

Ѽ:

Just another short update, I'll try to update again soon. (; Anyway, have you guys watched aiyu's new pv, Monday Afternoon? OMG I GOT SO MUCH FEELS FROM THAT SHE IS SO CUTE AND HER VOICE KYAAA /off to tumblr for aiyu gifs/