( seven )

The person on the other side of the line kept her busy as she took some books from her locker. Her phone was wedged between her right ear and shoulder. “I’m fine. I can manage being alone Luhan oppa. Didn’t I tell you I’m not a kid anymore?”

“You did about a hundred times already but I’m just worried about you.” , Luhan’s voice was soft yet a hint of worry accompanied his tone.

“Let her go Luhan. She’s a big girl now. It’s just college. It wouldn’t hurt you not to see her for a couple of hours, right?” Ara overheard Lay’s voice talk to Luhan. She could guess that they were in the kitchen right now from the sound of the water streaming down. Lay was probably washing the dishes.

“Fine.” Luhan murmured before bidding his goodbye to Ara.

Inserting the phone in her pocket, she strode pass the semi-crowded hallway and searched for her room. A second or so, she’d glance at her schedule and on the labels on top of the room’s door. “Ah. Here it is.” A hint of satisfaction was evident on her face. She grabbed the doorknob when someone motioned his hand as well towards it. Ara was a split second earlier than the other. Rather than her classmate’s hand holding the knob, it was her hand being held by him. Her line of sight traced his hand towards his face. In a fast response, she snatched her hand away from his. She ducked her head to hide her blushing face and quickly entered the room as soon as the guy opened it.

“Ara, right?”, he called her name.

She turned to face him. “Yeah. Hi Chanyeol.” She sheepishly waved her hand while smiling at the lad.

Just then Chanyeol was struck at the sight of her smile. It hit him like an arrow pierce through him. At that moment, his mind was drifting away from reality. ‘Chan-chan!’, he heard a little voice called him and saw a girl forming a letter ‘C’ to her left hand and an inverted one to the other, placing it on each sides of her ears as she squished it.

“Chanyeol.” Ara shook him but it seemed that his thoughts have completely occupied his attention. “Chanyeol!” This time she screamed making the boy flinched in shock. He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I just remembered something.” He motioned his hand to point at the seats. “Let’s go to our seats?”

Ara walked first and he trailed behind her. Worry was painted on her face. She knew some part of her reminded him of the past; by the way he stopped and stared at her – letting his mind drift somewhere faraway.

Upon letting herself rest onto her seat, she felt her phone vibrated. Checking it out revealed a message from her friend: Meet me at the cafeteria on lunch break. – Miyoung.

She made a short reply before their teacher sees her: Okay. See you later!

---

While waiting inside the cafeteria, Miyoung plugged in her earphones to keep herself busy. She flipped pages of the book she borrowed from the library two days ago. It was all about mysteries and supernatural beings – topics that interested her. Her eyes quickly jumped to the table of contents. The discussions were all similar to the books that she had read before, but she insisted reading it anyway. Even though the book was thick and may seem too long to read, for her it isn’t. She’s the kind of person who sticks to her goal and will never let any person stop her in meeting it. Strong and intelligent; it was indeed two of her strong qualities. But only one man can make her knees tremble, her mind weak, and her soul shed into tears.

“Miyoung!”, a boy met her eyes, distracting her. She immediately took out the earphones from her ears. She placed the book she was reading between where her arms reside and made sure to leave a bookmark before she could close its cover.

He was just three steps away from her. She could hear her heart skipping rapidly. She commanded it to slow down a bit, but it never did. It failed beating normally whenever he was around her or whenever she knew he was going to her direction. “Long time no see.”, he began while giving her a welcome smile.

“Yeah.”, hiding her true reaction, she sipped through her straw and drank her orange juice. She could have said ‘no’ because she always gets data about him of what is he doing, or even, what is he wearing every single day (even though he’s not in school). If names weren’t invented, maybe she was to be called his ultimate stalker because of her having a mega-crush on him that seemed so unrealistic.

“Do you mind?”, he sat in front of her not even waiting for her response. She shook her head shyly. “Are you waiting for someone?”, He spilled while edging towards her which made her lock eyes to every action of his; even the slightest movement he has done so as to the dark brown shade of eyes he has. His lips curved smoothly as follows. He looked away – to people, and then shun brightness again when he turned back to Miyoung.

“Just a friend.”, it was her safest response. She thought of opening the book she’s reading, but realizing that he was around, she hid the title of it from her palms.  

He formed out a chuckle when he accidentally saw her doing it.

“You’re really investigating, huh?”

She furrowed her brows and tucked inside the book to her bag as to change the subject. “Do I have to state that?”

 “Just tell me, how many of those have you read?”, he’s being too sarcastic that it annoyed her even though she doesn’t have to.

“Why do you keep on doing this Kai?”, a more serious talk happened to reveal.

“So you’re asking me why, when you’re the one who pushed to compete against me? Does that make a point?”

Hearing him say that made her curious. But to what only she has in mind was to keep and throw him an alibi response. “Look, I’m not-”

“Don’t even dare to lie. I knew it before the right hand of the queen brought me here to find the lost necklace.”

“Stay quiet.. ”, she whispered as she moved her head forward to his. “.. or others will-”

 “Then what?”, Kai shrugged but then gets back to the table and rested both of his arms. “Others won’t even understand us or if they will, they will think of me as a crazy man. A man who crazily believes in paranormal stuffs. I don’t even bother. More so, I don’t even bother if anyone knows about me being a-”

Miyoung signaled him to keep his voice low and quiet but then he didn’t care to follow. But anyway, she constantly looked onto people around them to see if there are some students who might hear what they were talking about.

“Where is she?”, Ara attempted to send Miyoung a text message again but something familiar caught her eye and finally spotted Miyoung seating in a table with…someone? She took steps to confirm it was her because her back was on hers and she cannot see her face, and when it’s time to see, the boy stood up and left the table.

“I’m sorry. I think have to go.”, he stopped, letting go of the little conversation they had when he saw her coming. “See you later, Miyoung.”, he gritted his teeth that it looked like he was going to eat her and immediately turned his back and leaved the cafeteria.  

Ara sat in front of Miyoung’s seat and dropped her back, so as the books she got out of the locker. “Are you with someone?”

Miyoung looked to a very faraway place and sipped to her juice. “Just somebody I used to know for a couple of years.”

“Oh. I see.”, Ara examined her facial expressions. Her reply to her seemed blunt and even though she wanted to ask more of the ‘guy’ she saw with Miyoung before she happened to be in their meeting place, she just claimed that it wasn’t the right timing for her to do it. Instead, she asked a question different from what she had in mind. “Did you have your lunch already?”

“Ara!”, Chanyeol panted, holding onto his knees. “I thought I’m never going to see you.”

“Hi!”, he waved at Miyoung, and then held his knees again. When he recovered, he gives Ara a look. “By the way, I’m here just to ask. May I borrow the book you held when I saw you in the lockers?”

“You mean, this one?”, Ara asked.

“Yeah. That one!”, he’s so happy that he looked like he’s going to jump in an instant.

“I would love to read that. Just, tell me whenever you’re finished, kay?”, he turned his back. “Sure.” Ara replied shortly.

He was about to exit the cafeteria but something reminds him to turn back to Ara again. "Can I have your number?", he asked, a bit hesitant at first but still managed to say it.