COLORS:
Woori
Teacher
Sungjong

I’m awaken by the sound of the bell ringing.
“Ahh…”
It’s a familiar, monotonous noise, though with it is the promise of another completed hour. With each ring of the bell, the school day slowly reaches its end.
I lift my head off my desk and something sticks to my face. I peel it off --- it’s today’s class assignment, attached with drool. Embarrassing…I really should stop sleeping in class. Despite my good marks, I’m already on my teacher’s bad side. She surely sees me as a delinquent, although I have no bad intentions.

My name is Shin Woori. I’m a second year high schooler. Even though I’m academically a good student, I hate school just like everyone else. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I guess I fall in the category of ‘bored geniuses’. You know, the students who don’t do work because it’s too boring and easy. That’s how I feel about this class --- Math. Thank goodness it’s over for the day! Because after math is lunch --- the best hour of school. I hop up from my desk and gather my things as excited chatter and the sounds of desks moving around fills the room. A lot of my classmates stay in the room to eat lunch, but I always go to the next door building, the facility for middle schoolers.
My best friend, Lee Sungjong, is in his last year of middle school, and since we have the same lunch hour we eat together in the cafeteria.
I put my assignments in my desk and head for the door to meet Sungjong.

“Hold on a minute, Woori-sshi!” Uh oh. My teacher steps in front of my path, blocking the door. She’s wearing a scary expression.
“Ah teacher…can I help you?”
“I hope you enjoy your nap during class. Are you getting enough sleep last night?”
“Yes, there’s no problem with my sleeping.” I faked a laugh as I scratch my head.
“So, why do you seem to think that my class can be used as a napping period? Having good marks does not give you privileges. There’s more to being a good student than grades, Woori-sshi.”
“. . .” I decided it’s better to not respond. Sometimes my teacher lets me slide, but today, she seems especially irritated.
“You’ll spend today’s lunch period doing my work, since apparently yours is too easy.” She reaches over to her desk and grabs a stack of papers, several feet high. She hands me the papers that almost make me fall over when I take hold of them. It seems like a waste of trees.
“Go down to the teacher’s lounge and sort these papers. Don’t make any mistakes!”
“You mean I have to sort every one?” I exclaimed, emphasizing the ‘every’ part.
“Are you complaining?”
“N-no, of course not.” I fake a smile.
“Then you had better get to work!”
“All right, all right!”

I go out into the hallway, hardly able to hold onto the huge stack of papers in my arms. They are really heavy. This seems like a severe punishment for just a little nap. My teacher must seriously hate me.
“Woori~!” A voice from behind me and I turn my head, trying to avoid knocking into anyone in the crowded buildings.
Standing there is Sungjong, my good friend. In his hand is a lunch box. Even though he dresses like a girl, he really is a boy. He also thinks it’s funny when people mistake him for a girl. Being so young, his face and voice haven’t matured yet. He can pass easily for being a girl. I even have to admit that the girl’s uniform suits him better than the boy’s. Why he dresses the way he does is a complete different matter…let’s not worry about that for now. I already have too many problems.
“What’s all that?”
“Ah, Sungjong-ah…I’m sorry, I can’t have lunch today. I slept in class and this is my punishment.” I nod to the stack of papers.
“Oh no…do you want me to help?”
“Really? I could definitely use your help.”
“Of course! Anything for you, Woori-ah!” Thank goodness for Sungjong! Even though he’s two years younger than I am, he is really a reliable person. He has been ever since we first became friends several years ago. He’s very close to my family, spending most of his time at my house. His parents don’t approve of the way he dresses, and so he’s ignored in his own house. Sungjong deserves better than that, so my mom gave him a spare key to let himself in our house in case he needs anything.

Sungjong and I attempt to make our way through the crowded hallways. They’re always really busy during the start of lunch, with students trying to decide what to do during our free period. The majority of them, of course, don’t care about bumping or pushing their classmates, caring only about getting to their destination as quickly as possible. Sadly I’m one of those being bumped and pushed.
“Hey, watch where you’re going!” I shout to a guy who backed into me, almost making me drop the stack of papers. Seriously, if I drop these and they get trampled on, I will be killed…
“Hey, Sungjong-ah, can you carry some of these?”
“Okay, it looks a bit too heavy for just one person.” I give Sungjong half of the stack, but just then…
“Ow, hey!” A guy pushes me backward, and I lose my footing.
“Ah!!” Sungjong give me a horrified look. At first, I don’t understand the meaning of his expression, but then I look down.
“. . . . . KYAAA!!!!” My feet let go of the edge of the staircase and I let out a scream. I can feel the weight of my body leaving the ground, and the linoleum floor is rapidly approaching, almost at the speed of a meter. Naturally, I throw my arms out to break my fall, and the papers all fly into the air, fluttering down to the ground underneath me. There’s nothing to greet me but the hard ground below.

No. . . I’m not ready to die!!