Chapter Two

Chapter Two

“Sometimes a genius stood right in front of your nose without you’re noticing

I seriously thought this is my first case for the situation”

The bell’s sound that signed the end of the last class was definitely the best sound ever for Seuk Ri. She hastily cleaned up her stuff – her acrylic paints, brushes and her scattered notebooks. She usually is sloppy but because of all events she went through the day, she was too tired both mentally and physically she was simply a mess. Although most of her classmates didn’t do anything aggressive, for that she was extremely thankful.

Seuk Ri doesn’t bolt out immediately; instead she waited until most of her peers are away – far away as possible. Her eyes watched the school’s ground from the class three-story window. She stayed for a good half an hour before she decided to go home. However as she exited the classroom, Seuk Ri sighed loudly. Of course she still got another agenda in her hand. And for that peace must wait.

She fixed the already crumpled piece of paper and read the content again.

To be truthful, she still hasn’t decided on it yet, whether it’s black or white. After scrunching her eyebrows and thinking very hard she decided on something: she will join the first – or last if the other one is long gone – leader that exited their respective rooms.

And with that on her mind she took off to the King’s Hallway.

~//~

Seuk Ri followed Risa, as she was lost in the large building. She silently thanked her lucky stars as the White Rep doesn’t feel her presence. She was about to make a turn until she realized two guys were there. One of them she recognized as Jong In. Her back pressed on the wall and frequently she took peeks.

Should I confront them now? She asked herself. And as Jong In’s deep voice shouted ‘Black Leader’ it’s only confirm her that this is indeed her chance – and might be her only and last chance today.

But still, how much she tried to encourage herself, panic is still looming on top of her head. She clutched her head in distress. “God, I thought this could be easy since it’s only one choice” she rambled. Her eyes are about to take another peek but quickly she hid herself again and her back simply glued to the wall behind her. Seuk Ri could feel herself hesitated. Is she really cannot make a pick, over something as simple as black and white? She questioned herself as her breath labored.

“Okay let’s just take a deep breath” she finally, though slowly, regained her senses. After she made various possible scenarios inside her head, she finally waltzed her way to the hallway. Although the scene changed, let’s just say A LOT.

Luhan and someone else with a laptop bag on his possession are definitely glaring at each other, speaking the obvious. Meanwhile Jong In and Risa, instead of staring at each other heatedly, were too occupied to watch the other two people who are emitting dark aura to their surroundings.

“Yah, White Leader, you said you will change your way to talk” the guy, Luhan spat to the other one. His tone is quite harsh, but Seuk Ri thought that just a slight harsher than the tone she had heard from the beginning of her… eavesdropping.

“Change needs time, like how you should reflect on your anger management, Black Leader” the guy with more serious and cold look replied calmly yet she sensed a bit of hostile.

That’s it, that’s all Seuk Ri needs to hyperventilating. Now in front of her was none other than the leaders, the kings, and the heads of the school factions. She tried; she really is for that she could even swear to make zero sound. But she yelped, and yet more worsen in her case, the four people in front of was looking at her while her body instantly turned around, her back facing them.

Seuk Ri could only bit her lips, cold droplets of sweats started to form on her forehead. Both her sweaty palms clutched the edge of her skirt. Inside her head she could only pray that they will let her pass unnoticed. Her trembling legs started to move forward, probably trying to run away very, very slowly.

“Kang Seuk Ri” both Risa and Jong In voice might just broke her hope to get away from this horrible – in her own opinion – situation. But maybe, just maybe, she still could escape. And thus she tried to walk further away, in millimeter per second velocity.

“Oi, you’re the new student, Kang Seuk Ri, right?” she distinguished that voice as Luhan’s. Again her body refused to follow her brain as she hastily turned around to face them. With a terrible stutter she confirmed the Black Leader.

“Y-yes” the way she answered kind of reminded the deepest part of her mind about how a soldier reacted to his commander’s question.

Seuk Ri expected the leaders to started pestering her about the whole ‘choose between A and B’ like almost everyone did today. However they didn’t even move an inch. And for some reason that only makes Seuk Ri even more wary about the situation at hand. Seuk Ri could only braced herself as both leaders started staring – or more like glaring at each other.

But then after few seconds heatedly glowering at each other they entered their respective rooms and slammed the door closed. The leaders action just confused the other three occupants of the hallway namely, Risa, Kim Jong In and the poor and scared Kang Seuk Ri. Shortly after, the confusion was followed by the sound of the both broadcast and student council room’s doors clicked, locked from anyone outside.

“Leader, you haven’t received your paper works!” Jong In started to bang the broadcast room’s door and shouted endlessly after he had gathered the scattered papers on the floor. Risa tagged along with Jong In’s act as she also started knocking the student council’s room repeatedly.

“Kyung Soo, you told me you finished your works. Please go home!” she yelled though in more caring tone. Seuk Ri just watched the whole thing before she finally make a run for it. The voices of Risa and Jong In soon started to fade away as she maneuvered through the building to create her great escape.

~//~

Luhan ignored Jong In and the White Representative, Risa’s shouts. Instead of banging his door – yeah, it’s his – Jong In started to get himself inside an argument with Risa regarding the escapist, namely Kang Seuk Ri.

How things become more infuriating… in a good way.

His eyes darted back to his laptop screen. The screen yet is displaying his and Kyung Soo’s chat. Luhan could feel the tingly feelings as he read the answer the White Leader made. In a way, he could see his counterpart funny side in their somewhat kind of unfriendly conversation.

I don’t have any slightest kind of interest for the new student. Catch her all you want, I don’t care a thing. Although, all I can say is, your broadcast earlier this day might make her more scared than she really is.

With best regard, White Leader

For the moment Luhan was holding himself to not make any snort. “So much for ‘not having any slightest kind of interest’” he commented. Nevertheless the same smile still played on his lips.

“Okay, if that what you want Do Kyung Soo”

~//~

The next day Seuk Ri managed to not being pestered by anyone. Or maybe they just lost their interest of her. For that she almost hit her head for feeling a bit of disappointment. And thus half of her day was like she thought it will be; normal, ordinary and at peace, only with her imagination and her paintings.

She sat happily in front of her blank canvas. With her vast imagination, she could picture what she wanted to be in. Seuk Ri slowly brought the pencil across the white background and she started drawing into them. Slowly you could see a tree with falling leaves, maple leaves. Satisfied she put down her pencil and picked up her palette to find the right mixture for the background.

“You want to make a fall-themed painting?” a voice broke the silence she started to admire. Seuk Ri turned her head and she met literally shining eyes of a guy, The same guy who paints next to her the other day. She nodded her head.

“What are you paint today?” she asked him in which he just gave her a smile as he turned the canvas holder to her direction, allowed her to see his work. But Seuk Ri instead of being amaze by the painting was being scared to death. She could even feel her heartbeat stopped just for a second. Absent mindedly her unoccupied hand reached .

“So what do you think?” the boy asked with a glistering smile – which Seuk Ri couldn’t even look at the moment. Next to him was his painting – in which she was looking attentively – black background went unnoticed. On that art-piece was a picture of a guy with slight darker hazel colored hair. The painter gave a fire accent on the figure’s one eye, since the other one was being hidden by the bangs of his hair.

But what makes Seuk Ri froze in her place wasn’t the mysterious handsome man in the painting, but instead the silvery gun that pointed to the one who stare at the piece of art, threatening anyone who dared to look at him in the blazing eye of his. It might be only a painting, but how live it was is an understatement.

Seuk Ri glanced again at the boy who still looked at her, waiting her answer with anticipation. He even smiled at her, a kind of smile you cannot resist. Seuk Ri managed to open to answer.

“It’s… mind blowing”

~//~

She could feel slightly twitched.

Twitch, twitch

Okay, definitely not slightly. Her lunch in front of her was left forgotten as her eyes simply stared at the pair who’s smiling radiantly at her direction. Their eyes twinkled with both excitement and hidden reasons, Seuk Ri presumed. Beside what makes both Black and White Representatives look so undeniably happy sitting next to each other without strangling the other’s neck if it wasn’t about a secret agenda and something that might relate to her. Well she just assumed, and being careful that’s all.

“What are you doing?” the painter finally asked and her answer was both Jong In and Risa just gave her a 100% fake innocent look.

“I’m watching you” both of them said and it surprised Seuk Ri how frequent those two said things in unison. Like there’s a telepathy line between them that goes unknown by the pair. However Seuk Ri decided to keep that only inside of her mind. She surely doesn’t want to die on their hands.

“Oh, if that’s the case I will eat first" Seuk Ri looked at her tray before shortly proceed to finish them in silence, although as usual some people just like to broke everything. And after only one and half to attend this school Seuk Ri began to adjust towards the sad fact. Her eyes sometimes trailed from her food to the bickering Risa and Jong In and back towards her food again.

“I told you, we ‘Blacks’ don’t have temper problem” Jong In firmly stated as he half-glared the half-Japanese girl. “Even though I won’t deny the fact, my leader has some issue of his own” Jong In frankly added thus only made Risa clicked her tongue repeatedly. Annoyed by how she acted Jong In hit the table and made Seuk Ri chocked her food.

“Are you doubting me?!” Jong In shouted and Seuk Ri believes the whole cafeteria could hear him crystal clear. His anger only furthers Risa’s enjoyment. She smiled at him as she leaned a bit forward to the boy who sat next to her.

“You just lost your temper a second ago” she easily told him. And thus they little and slight vicious ‘chit chat’ continued. Their voice boomed on the entire room, but it’s not like anyone want to stop their never ending banters of insults. It was indeed a wonder itself for Seuk Ri, how they never stop finding things to ‘talk’ about.

Seuk Ri already finished her food and they’re not even touching theirs. She started wondering this for awhile and by judging the situation it might the best thing to ask someone – or more than one about the matter. Beside she couldn’t handle it any further with the representatives’ argument any longer.

“Risa, Jong In” she called their names and immediately both of them looked dearly at her – and it’s actually quite scary.

“What’s the matter?” Jong In asked in gentle tone which continued by Risa.

“Have you decided which faction you’re in?”

Seuk Ri merely shook her head. “No, I actually quite curious about something else… but not entirely different topic” she explained and after she was sure Risa and Kim Jong In are listening, she continued. “I was sure this kind of school doesn’t just pop out of nothing. It has to be a history, a background behind it correct? So I want to know that first before considering it further about…’you know what’”

After listening to this Jong In leaned back to his chair, he has a serious look that Seuk Ri never seen before. “I’m sorry even though I give you information it might not be a permanent record of what happened. I can tell you but the rumors mixed it so badly no one remembered it correctly”

Seuk Ri was about to say she didn’t mind but Risa beat her on that as she leaned towards Seuk Ri. Her dark chocolate eyes glimmering with victory since Jong In just admitted he cannot help the painter in that certain matter and Risa could. “I know where we can find the records” she proudly exclaimed. Risa snatched the apple that lay almost forgotten in her tray. “I will wait in front of your last class” she told Seuk Ri before leaving both bemused Kim Jong In and Kang Seuk Ri behind her trail.

~//~

After that any class just went faster. Seuk Ri even hurriedly exited her classroom, the opposite of what she did the last time. Her bag slung as she took the moment to go out first. It wasn’t hard as most of her friends are still busy with their art supplies and brushes. As Seuk Ri was outside her classroom she met immediately with Risa’s warm smile.

“Today wasn’t as hectic as yesterday?” Risa inquired which Seuk Ri only nodded slowly at her inquiry. Risa simply grinned at her, “That’s because we are forbidden to persuade you, beside we choose without any burden you know!” the half-Japanese tugged Seuk Ri’s arm. Her sudden action startled Seuk Ri a bit.

Without any chit chat, Risa dragged her along the hallways, go up, go right, go left, and go wherever Risa wanted. Seuk Ri just let the White Representative lead the way. Beside if it wasn’t because of Risa she might get lost since the first turn. Not long after, they arrived to their destination.

The door was labeled as an art gallery. And for that Seuk Ri could imagine what’s inside, although she was confused why a school record was stored into an art gallery. “Why we’re here?” She finally has the courage to ask. Risa beamed at her as she opened the door.

Inside was a marvelous place. Kind of paintings were hung on every part of the wall. Each of them, even for a painting genius like Seuk Ri, was amazing. They were pretty indeed. Kinds of potteries were also displayed. Seuk Ri was beyond amazed. This could be a lone gallery if someone wants it that way. But still, is this fantastic room stored this school history? She pondered as she looked a beautiful pottery on a corner. Her train of thought was stopped as she felt her shoulder being touched.

Seuk Ri met Risa’s who’s gesturing towards the other direction. “Come on, I thought you want to know what happened before the school turned this way” she told her. “And since you’re not exactly a ‘Black’, you’re allowed to come here anytime you want” Risa added before she started walking away. “This way”

Seuk Ri followed the White Representative closely as she examined each painting those are displayed. Risa stopped on a painting. The canvas was full of bright yet soft green and blue colors. The mixtures were simply perfect and what makes it more amazing is the realistic feeling that radiating from it. Like what pictured on it was really happening in this world.

“This painting was the first step of our journey. When the leaders, and me if I must to add, first entered this school” Risa explained in a tour-guide tone. “As you know we have orientation and whatnot. Very standard in my opinion” Risa walked further and the pictures went faster and faster as the representative continued her story.

“But back then we weren’t free than we are now. It was like we’re on prison. Back there the pottery artist made vases according what the teacher told them, the singers sing only song the teacher choose for them, the dancers only dance the moves the teacher choreographed, and the list go on. The parents just want their children living up their expectations” Risa smiled as she stopped on a picture.

“But all of it change when they came” behind Risa was a painting of a man in a knight clothes. He crouched in front of a lake and his reflection was visible. His blade was shinning because of the warm sunlight. It was very enchanting.

“And thus since we cannot agree who will be the right leader, it ends like this” the girl shrugged. “There are some rebellions but in the end we all agree no one could be better than the White Leader and the Black Leader” she continued. Risa averted her attention to examined Seuk Ri who was totally absorbed into the knight painting. Risa even has the feeling Seuk Ri is unable to hear her right in the moment.

Seuk Ri’s finger traced the painting before she faced Risa. “Risa, could you please tell me who paint this?” she asked with serious look on her face. The White Representative simply pointed at the signature on the low right corner on the canvas. Seuk Ri looked at the sign of the painter and moved to her next question.

“Is there any of his recent works?” Seuk Ri asked her. “I mean after looking at his pieces, it was truly amazing, since he made these a year ago now he might get a lot better” excitement coated the painter’s words.

However Risa shook her head. “Sadly no, he won’t let anyone display his currents painting even how beautiful realistic it was. He simply thought it wasn’t perfect. But I mean nothing’s perfect, although his style might turned quite different” Risa explained to the disappointed girl. “I was sure you’re going to meet him though, he is not exactly hard to approach”

Seuk Ri’s eyes glued on the white paint that could read as: Byun Baek Hyun.

~//~

The next day, like Risa said, no one bothers her, except for maybe for Risa – whom Seuk Ri started to familiarize with, and Jong In. But both their presence started to warm her, maybe they could be her friends in the end, if Jong In and Risa could stand next to each other without strangling one another. At this Seuk Ri just smiled. Maybe I’ll end up as a White at this rate she decided. Although it wasn’t a permanent resolution, she couldn’t help but feeling relieved as she managed to narrow the possibilities.

Seuk Ri returned her attention towards her work. Her fall-themed painting was based from her Kyoto experience as a small girl. “I should ask Risa where she came from, I heard she’s Japanese” Seuk Ri mumbled as she applied red paint to her canvas.

From the edge of her eyes she could see her painting friend slightly bend his body as he wrote his name on the lower part of the canvas. The guy then put down his brush and palette before stood up, examining his finished piece of art. Seuk Ri glanced at him and he turned his head, realized being watched. He grinned at her as he caught her staring.

Seuk Ri flinched before she reacted. “Um… are you finished your picture already?” she asked in which the boy nodded his head affirmatively. He gestured her to come to him to see his finished work. Seuk Ri stood up from her stool and marched his way.

She gasped and like yesterday, her hand absent mindedly clamped . Only what makes it different wasn’t the even darker themed the painting was – or the fact the person in the picture still threatening to blow her head off. But it was the white paint on the low right corner. Seuk Ri jerked her head towards the guy, and in a horrified tone, she called his name.

“You’re Byun Baek Hyun?!”

author's note--

author's note--