[Class 7A]

 

Yun-ho sank on his seat. He saw a lunchbox on his table. He took the card. Oppa, thank you for yesterday. Enjoy your lunch. It was from IU.

“You can have it,” said Yun-ho. He passed the lunchbox to Chang-min.

“Ehh?” he looked confused. “Hyung, you don’t want it?” he asked Yun-ho.

“You can throw it away if you don’t want it either,” said Yun-ho, acting like he didn’t care. She had been preparing him lunchbox every day since the incident. Someone was looking at him straight in the eyes a few meters away.

“It’s a waste to throw it away,” grumbled Chang-min. “I’ll have it then,” he said at last.

Someone was watching from outside. Seeing Yun-ho passed the lunchbox to Chang-min had made a sad expression on her face. The other person in the class noticed her by the window. He looked at her with deep contemplation as if he knew what had made such expression on her pallor.

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

[Physical Education Class]

 

Ji-yeon was at the restroom together with Huiren, getting ready for Mr. Kim Jong-kook’s PE class. After they were ready, they went out from the restroom together.

“You!” someone came near Ji-yeon.

Ji-yeon turned to her back and saw Jessica standing there behind her.

“I know you are lusting after Si-won oppa, right?!” said Jessica somewhat accusingly.

“What?! Lusting?! Are you crazy?” cried out Ji-yeon in disbelief.

Jessica gave a jerk to Ji-yeon as she blinked her eyes vigorously.

“Ice Princess, Jessica agashi, I’m not blind. Why on earth am I lusting after a foolish jerk?” said Ji-yeon.

“Mwo? You called Si-won oppa a ‘foolish jerk’!” said Jessica in a rising voice.

“Yes, wae?!”Ji-yeon stared at her.

“Eish!” Jessica pulled out her hand as if she was going to hit Ji-yeon. “You’re the reason of the chaotic incident at the cafeteria yesterday yet you still haven’t apologized to oppa?!” Jessica shot Ji-yeon an accusing statement.

“Yahhh … she did apologize yesterday!” Huiren who had been silent all the while spoke up as to offer Ji-yeon a back up.

“Yah! Can’t you see what time is it now?!” Mr. Kim thundered at them.

“Haish …!” Jessica was not happy at the appearance of Mr. Kim there. She had not finished her insult towards Ji-yeon. She stared at her enemy sternly. Ji-yeon could only bit her lower lip.

At the school field, Lee Gwang-soo spotted Ji-yeon from afar and made his way slowly towards her as he was doing his warm up movements. Since the day he sat beside her in the bus, he had decided to get along together with Ji-yeon.

“Where do you think you are going Girrafe?!” shouted Mr. Kim to Gwang-soo. He was called Giraffe because of his tall body. Gwang-soo’s slender legs were shaking at the moment he heard that thundering voice of Mr. Kim. He made a U-turn and got back to his spot.

Ji-yeon looked at him and smiled. That smile had made his warm-up movement even faster. She laughed when she noticed it. Her laughter paused when she saw a guy riding a bicycle passed by in front of them. He had a guitar strapped behind his back and a headphone draped around his neck. He looked familiar, thought Ji-yeon. She remembered something. “That guy … perhaps …” she murmured with a frown on her forehead.

“Attention!” Mr. Kim’s voice gave her a jolt.

“Ye?!” she answered.

“Did you shout just now Ji-yeon-ssi?” asked Mr. Kim.

“Ne?” said Ji-yeon confused.

“She needs aspirin,” said Jessica gallantly and in no time everyone burst into laughter.

Ji-yeon bit her lower lip. “That’s embarrassing!” said Ji-yeon to herself.

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

[School Library]

 

Ji-yeon was practicing her Mandarin dialogue. There would be a reading test next week. She read it line by line, slowly and carefully. She looked so immersed with the dialogue. She had decided to raise her grade in her foreign language subject. She referred to the translation that Si-won had made. “Zaoshanghao would be … good evening?” monologue Ji-yeon. She seemed a bit confused yet excited at the thought of mastering that particular greeting really well.

            “It’s good morning,” someone corrected Ji-yeon.

            Ji-yeon who was bending down low to the table sat straight upon hearing the voice that said that particular phrase. She scanned around her. “Is that jerk here?” asked Ji-yeon to herself. She was referring to Si-won whom she thought to be somewhere around just to bother her. Her eyes fixed to a guy who was sitting behind her. She observed her. He leaned his head on his arm on the table. She wanted to know who he was. “Excuse me,” said Ji-yeon breaking the silence between them.

            The guy lifted his head and looked at her; silence from Ji-yeon. They were eye-to-eye with each other for few seconds then the guy stood up and went away without saying anything.

            “Ah, wait!” cried out Ji-yeon. The guy reminded her of something but he just left without giving her any response. “Did I say something wrong? I just ask him to wait right?” she asked herself then looked at her dialogues sheet. “Zaoshanghao is not good evening?” wondered her as she looked at the guy who made his way out from the library. If it was true then the translation that Si-won had done must be incorrect. Surprisingly, she seemed to not care because she knew that Si-won was really good in Mandarin. She had no doubt about it. Being able to read the dialogue correctly and explain what it was all about to Mr. Stephen was her only goal. “I surely will get an A this time. Hoi! Hoi!” she cheered for herself. Let’s just hope so, Ji-yeon-ssi.

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

[Music Studio]

 

IU was about to enter the studio when she heard this music played so melodiously. She stepped in and saw a guy was playing a guitar on the stage. Seeing her standing and looking at him had made him stopped.

            “Are you new here?” asked IU to the guy who was playing the guitar. He gave her a nod. “You played the guitar really well,” complimented IU as she approached the guy who was on the stage. He just looked at her as she drew nearer. “I’m IU,” said IU, introducing herself.

            “Yong-hwa,” he replied. There was a short pause between them. “I heard you played that piece last day,” said Yong-hwa, breaking all the silence.

            “Ne?” she looked at him, confused.

            “It sounds beautiful,” remarked Yong-hwa as he put his guitar on the bench where he sat just now.

            “Thanks! I’m still in progress practicing the piece though. Which class are you from?” asked IU.

            “Class 7A,” answered Yong-hwa.

            “Um … you’re my oppa then?” said she with a sweet smile.

            “Oppa?” Yong-hwa was not used to that word.

           “Um? You’re not?” asked she to confirm. “Because you’re from 7A means you’re older than me …”

            “In China, we don’t call a guy who is older than us ‘oppa’”, he told her.

            “Oh? You’re from China?” she asked, a bit surprised. He nodded. “Um … you are my gege then!” decided IU. The 18-year-old girl smiled at him innocently sweet that made him stare at her for a while. He curved a smile.

            “Gege,” he said that word and she nodded.

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

[School gate]

 

“Where could she be? I must settle this today!” Si-won was standing at the school gate. Who was it that he’s waiting for?

            “Oppa!” cried out Jessica who appeared from nowhere. “Are you waiting for me?” she asked and clung onto his arm.

            “Who else am I wait …” Si-won paused when he saw his target. He pulled back his arm and left her standing there in puzzled.

            “Oh? Oppa!” called out Jessica annoyingly. But Si-won didn’t turn back and she pouted there in regret. Then she noticed someone that guy was approaching to. Instantly she had a change of expression. “She again?! What so special about that girl?” murmured Jessica. She was staring with eyes that could kill anyone’s bright mood.

            “Hey, look who we got here, it’s Fish Ball,” greeted Si-won teasingly.

            Ji-yeon who was not interested looked at him in one glance and walked by in silence.

            Si-won had a surprised expression on his face. He couldn’t believe his eyes. This girl had just ignored him. “Yah, Fish Ball!” called out Si-won in rising voice.

Ji-yeon turned back with great annoyance written on her face. “Wae?!”

“How could you ignore someone who just greeted you so sweetly?” complained Si-won.

“Mwo? Sweet?” said Ji-yeon, not believing what she just heard. She looked at him with a look wishing that she could just leave and not entertain this annoying guy.

“Ms. Fish Ball-ssi …” called out Si-won melodiously.

“Yah, Choi Si-won, don’t you know my name? I will say this only once. Next time, if you don’t call me by this name, I’m going to just ignore you. I am not Fish Ball! My name is Park Ji-yeon! Arasseo?” explained Ji-yeon, her index finger pointing to her nametag. She gave Si-won a sharp serious gaze before leaving.

Si-won with his keen looks followed Ji-yeon from behind. She realized this and stopped to warn, “Stop following me.” Then she marched away.

“Following you?! Yahhh!” shouted Si-won as he walked briskly to catch up with her. “Hey, Fish Ball, no, Park Ji-yeon!”

Ji-yeon stopped as Si-won’s slender hand was in front of her, blocking her from making another move.

“Listen up. I, Choi Si-won am NOT following anyone under the name of Park Ji-yeon. I’m only following someone whom I’ve known as Fish Ball,” said Choi Si-won, happy to have that would make her blood boiled.

“You!” Ji-yeon was speechless. Si-won stared at her deeply in the eyes. It made her a bit shaky. And her eyes blinked again. Those eyes transfixed her deep in there, causing her heart beating so fast. His eyes were full with unexplainable emotion.

“FYI, you owe me three sorry! And I came to get those three sorry from you!” Si-won said sternly to her.

Their eyes met for a while until, “What do you think you are doing?” broke the eyes-meeting moment. It was Yun-ho. He pushed Si-won away and this made Si-won widen his eyes in surprise.

“Did you just push me?” said Si-won, his eyes stared sharply at Yun-ho.

“No. I just blow you away,” joked Yun-ho in a serious manner.

Si-won was taken aback by the reply.

“This spoiled and good for nothing duckling is really something.” Yun-ho said it rather demurely. Silence from Ji-yeon.

“Mwo?! Duckling?!” snapped Si-won.

“Ji-yeon, let’s go,” said Yun-ho, grabbing Ji-yeon’s hand and left. Si-won was left behind with a mouth wide open; not believing what had just happened to him. So far, no one dared to treat him that way. Flabbergasted, he just watched the two left with a sharp stare towards Ji-yeon.

Meanwhile, Mr. Choi watched the incident from afar. Recalling the conversation he had with his son at the hospital where Si-won mentioned about ‘Fish Ball’ now caught his attention. He thought that the talk about ‘Fish Ball’ seemed something to his son. Never before he saw his son behaving in such a way that made him stop and think hard like this. There must be something about the girl Si-won was after.

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

[Gold Fish Aquarium]

 

He touched his chest as he sank on the edge of his bed. He felt something that was indescribable with spoken language. “You made this weird pain in here. And I want you to feel the same. You don’t have any idea what you have done to me, do you?” murmured Si-won alone in his bed. This guy with a strong pride seemed unsettled with what had happened between them. “This thing here is more painful than the wound that you made on my forehead, Fish Ball,” he said while he held tightly the shirt on his chest. “What’s wrong with me?! What’s wrong?!” shouted Si-won out loud.

            Mr. Choi rushed in to look at Si-won after he heard a loud cry coming from his bedroom. “Are you okay,” he asked as soon as he entered. “Does your chest hurt?” asked him more when he saw Si-won was grasping the shirt on his chest.

Si-won just lied down on his bed when he heard that question from his father.

“If you’re not feeling well, I’ll call the doctor to come over,” said Mr. Choi. He looked at Si-won waiting for a reply. But Si-won pulled the blanket as if he didn’t hear anything his father had just said. Mr. Choi shrugged when he received that kind of reply from his son. He drew a sigh and closed the door before him. Question mark twinkled on top of his head. ‘What has gotten on that nursling?’ he thought.

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

[Staff Room]

 

Min-jung went out from the staff room and noticed that guy was standing there leaning on his motorcycle. He was looking at her with a smile on his face. He offered her a helmet.

            “Yun-ho-ssi … how many times should I tell you to not wait for me anymore?” reminded Min-jung.

            He looked glum after hearing that but then managed to show a relaxed face and asked, “Have you eaten? I bought something for you.” Yun-ho handed over a container to her. It was Jajjangmyun. “Eat while it’s still hot,” he told her.

            An annoyed expression flickered on that 32-year-old woman’s face. Since Yun-ho moved to that school, he had never missed even a single night waiting for her at the same spot, near where she parked her car. She received the container with a heavy heart.

            “I’m going now. Drive home safely,” said Yun-ho as his head embedded in the helmet. He choked the motorcycle into life and zoomed towards the highway.

            Someone was watching the two of them. She had been standing there all this while after she had finished her practice in the music studio. She knew that Yun-ho would come to that place every night during weekdays to wait for that woman. It was so painful for her to see the guy that she had always been in love with was chasing after a woman that was much older than him.

            It seemed like she wasn’t alone in this watching game for someone else was also watching over the whole scene. This particular person was staring at this lonely girl and felt concerned. He had experienced something like that before during his childhood. Being ignored and left behind was really suffocating and hurtful.

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

[Home Sweet Home]

 

He zoomed along the road with his car. He was following the bus. “Let’s see where you live Fish Ball,” said Si-won to himself. He looked very serious. His car screeched when he noticed the bus made a stop. He could see Ji-yeon get off from the bus through his sunglasses. Then he caught the figure of Yun-ho following her from behind. Si-won took off his sunglasses as he stared at the guy. “They live together?” said Si-won in a suspicious manner. He looked at the house where Ji-yeon and Yun-ho had just entered. “So … this is the nest, huh?” Si-won said as he scanned the house. “Not bad,” he commented as he marched towards the front gate. He threw a look at the window and spotted something. “Mwo?!” he was shocked when he saw Yun-ho was standing by the window, topless and seemed unsettled. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing with his eyes. “Are they in the middle of something?!” snapped Si-won for whatever reason, only he know. Curiosity danced in his mind.

            “Jiyeon, faster please!!!” he heard Yun-ho screamed out Ji-yeon’s name. He brought back the moment when Yun-ho said, “Maybe you are right, but I’m more than that to her” at the school cafeteria. And at the same moment he heard, “I’m coming! Almost there!” It was Ji-yeon’s voice. “Oh … my … God …” he said in disbelief. Weird stuff must be playing in his mind right now. He accidentally pressed the button at the corner of the gate. Si-won was startled.

            “Who is it?” he heard Yun-ho asked and hurriedly he walked towards his car and hopped in.

            Meanwhile, Yun-ho was wondering, “Did I hear something else? I definitely hear someone rang the bell.”

            What happened actually?

 

*   *   *   *   *

TO BE CONTINUED