Monday mornings are the worst. I think every student-- no, every human being on the planet can vouch for me on this. Mondays are truly despicable because I could never get enough sleep on Sunday. The fatigue was already starting to hit me while walking to school, (as it has been for the past week) since I nearly fell after tripping on a loose crack in the sidewalk before someone caught me.

I looked up to greet my savior but I was mildly surprised to see that it was Sangchol. "Oh, thanks," I greeted after regaining my compsure. He nodded in response, and he slowed down his pace to walk with me. It was kind of awkward to be alone with him, since Mikyong wasn't here to be our median. "I haven't seen you since the trip," he finally mentioned, adjusting the shoulder straps of his bookbag. 

I hummed to give it thought. "You're right." I didn't realize the lack of his presence because I was too busy thinking about a certain someone.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, so I reached to pull it out. Mikyong's name lit up the screen of my phone. Apparently, it was also bright enough for Sangchol to take a glance too.

"Oh, Mikyong. Tell her I said hi," Sangchol mentioned. I added his greeting at the end of my response to her message. "How are you guys doing by the way?"

I smiled, appreciating his attempt at keeping the conversation going. Friends like him are keepers. "We're fine. Well, I'm still a bit tired from the trip actually," I sighed. When I glanced up at Sangchol, he was still staring down at my phone wallpaper. He gasped, "No way. You watch The Living Dead too?!" Sangchol's face immediately lit up like a Christmas tree. It was actually quite amusing. I let out a snort before continuing with the flow of the conversation.

"Yeah. But you know, the game is actually a whole lot better," I replied. Sangchol scoffed, shaking his head dissapointedly. "No, no, no. Please don't be one of those dweebs who barely watch the show but they say the game is better. Because if that's you, you have just officially become my least favorite person," he pointed at me.

"What! No, you are a total dork. Believe me when I say, the game is amazing. Because it truly is. It's amaze-balls," I retaliated.

"Woooooow. I think you're the real dork here."

"Well, excuse for loving a phenomenal plot and genius character development! And, amazing graphics."

Because Sangchol and I walked to school together, the trip seemed shorter and less dreadful. Thanks to him, he perked up my Monday morning and I was pumped for the next episode of The Living Dead tonight. "Ah... It's really nice to have friends who like the same things as you." I smiled to myself as I entered the girl's bathroom.

Just like all stories, there has to be a purpose for each scene. So coincidentally enough, Jeong walked out of the stall to stand at the sink beside the one I was at. We didn't realize each other's presence until she looked up at the mirror. Oh, cmon Universe. Give me a break already.

As if on cue, her face grew dark and uncomfortable as soon as she laid eyes on me. Geez, this girl had some serious issues. I didn't say anything yet and she already had this look like she wanted to kill me. I let out an awkward cough to break the silence. "Trust me, it's not like I want to see you either," I mentioned, turning off the sink water. Even as I reached over for a paper towel, she continued to glare at me through the mirror. 

I groaned. "Goodness. You need to learn how to speak what you're thinking, because I'm not going to understand how much you despise me if you just keep staring," I complained sarcastically, hoping that she'd just ignore my snide remark and leave. But instead, Jeong took up my challenge. "I... I hate how you always think you're right," she murmured.

I was about to leave but I stopped. Was she actually going to start this with me right now?

"I..." Jeong started. She looked hesitant to continue, but it seemed that the cup was starting to overflow. "I hate how you think you're destined for Kai. Honestly, four years? Four years you've been chasing him. Everyone knows how desperate and pathetic you are. You might as well just stop because you're already making a fool out of yourself. Even Kai knows it. Whenever we see you, he tells me about how you're so pitiful. And yet... you still think you have the upper hand. You make me the bad guy because I 'stole' him away from you. Like, do you hear yourself? Do you know how you appear when you tell me that I don't know what I'm getting myself into? You look like a hypocrite. You're a hypocrite for telling me I don't know what I'm doing with Kai, when in reality, you don't have a single clue yourself!"

She ran out of the bathroom.

I was left there, staring at my reflection feeling lost, very angry, and a little bit hurt.

It's been years since my family sat down for dinner together. I can barely remember how my parents look like standing next to each other, and whenever I see them in the same room, it always feels out of place. It's as if something isn't right. Nature is out of balance when they're together. It's almost as if they never were married, as if they were never in love. 

"Mom," I called out, pushing the shopping cart at a steady pace. She let out a grunt in response, even though we both knew she wasn't really listening to me. She was always absent-minded. There was always so much for her to focus on, there was never a single task she could direct all her attention to. I sighed. "How do you hate someone you used to love so much?" I asked.

Suddenly I had caught her attention. She ceased walking to glance at me. "What?"

"Why do feelings disappear?" I said, pulling the cart to a stop.

She sighed. There was that tired look again, the same tired look that's always there. "Sweetie, that's just how life is. Look what happened to me and your father," she shrugged, hoping that this topic would soon be dismissed. "You mean, 'your father and I,'" I corrected. She merely groaned at my wittiness. I took a good long look at her face. It was as if she'd been through all the trials of life, and she was just dead tired from everything, from living. I wondered what happened between my parents. I was 'too young' to really understand.

"Did you love Dad?" 

A flash of nostalgia swept across her face, as if all the pleasant memories came rushing back. It was only for a second though, because her smile soon changed to a more melancholic one. "Yes, very. But all love eventually ends. That's just how things work."