▲ Paper Bag

Curiosity was invading his thoughts. Hearing from her friend that, Ara had a boyfriend before set his brain like a machine gun shooting guesses on who could that lucky guy be. He referred that guy lucky as he had a chance to warm the cold-hearted man-hating Ara; but that was his presumption. How could he be sure that Ara was already cold at first? There was always a back story hidden on everything. That guy might be the reason for her change of vision towards men.

However, he was thinking of it too deeply that he urged himself to stop. But he didn’t.

It was like a myriad of nightmares haunting him. He hated this inquisitive mind of his. It never stops until it satisfies its thirst for information and flushes its curiosity.

His eyes directed towards the paper bag that lingered hanging on his clenched hand. Opening it, as expected, he saw his shoes that Ara worn last night. But an unexpected thing he would see inside was another post-it note stuck on his shoe. He inserted his hand to take it and brought it closer to his face to read what it said.

Your shoes could really save Cinderella’s feet. You must be Prince Charming in disguise.

He smiled at the note – technically, on what was written on it. Feeling a little giddy inside, he hurried to attend his next class. He was already a few minutes late.

▲▲▲

Ara kept glancing at her back, particularly on Chanyeol’s seat. It was empty; that made her shoulders deflate. She knew he was not absent. They went to school together. But after the last class they were together, she saw no signs of him. This was the class they would meet again, since they were classmates.

Heaving as he held onto the door frame of the classroom, Chanyeol twisted the door knob and entered the room. In his entry, he met eyes with Ara who was seating at the second front row seat near the windows. Her eyes widened at the sudden eye contact and immediately looked away. It was as if she saw a ghost.

Chanyeol, on the other hand, was confused of her reaction. Scratching his head and furrowing his eyebrows, he proceeded to take his seat – the one which Ara had her eye on for the last few minutes. It would have been gratifying if he knew she did.

The professor came in, two minutes after Chanyeol’s arrival. He started the discussion, pointing at the presentation projected on the screen.

Shrugging, he took one last glance at the note (that came along with his shoes), scanning what was written there before focusing back to the professor.

While the male was busy listening to the lesson, Ara was busy on her thoughts and feelings. She recalled Chanyeol’s sleeping face early this morning and how gentle and alluring he looked. In that moment, she found herself in a daydream, one of which she never does, especially during class.

 She shook her head at the thought. Was she thinking of him as someone dreamy?

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter