*

KIM JONGIN

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Part II

Minzy and I settled ourselves down at the same bench we were supposed to meet each other at on Sunday. Once we were both situated, Minzy wasted absolutely no time in firing her questions out at me.

“Do you know how long I waited for you to show up Sunday?” she asked but didn’t wait for me to reply as she continued. “An entire hour! And you didn’t even show up to class this morning. Where have you been?”

My brow automatically raised, as I mentally asked her to rephrase her last question. I know I was wrong for forgetting to show up to discuss our speech, but that didn’t mean that she had any authoritative right to know where I was or what I was doing. I was slightly annoyed with her sudden outburst and she must’ve noticed because she ran her fingers through her hair awkwardly before speaking again.

“I mean, not that I have any rights to keep tabs on you,” she said, quickly covering up her mistake. However, just as fast as she lost her confidence, she quickly regained it. Probably because she remembered why she was mad at me in the first place. “It’s just that when you make a promise to me saying that you’re going to be somewhere, I expect you to be there.”

I sighed. I knew this was coming. Minzy seemed like the type that the only way to resolve any issue with her is by admitting you were wrong and apologizing immensely.

“You are absolutely right,” I said, making sure to keep eye contact with her. I had long noticed her slight nervousness any time I looked directly into her eyes. She would start to fidget, or avert her eyes. I guessed it was one of her weaknesses. I also made sure to soften my voice tone so that I sounded more sincere. “I know how important this speech is for you and I apologize for not keeping my promise to finish it with you.”

She seemed to be buying my feigned apology, but I noticed her once wide eyes suddenly started to narrow the longer she looked into my own eyes.

“You didn’t even finish your part of the speech, did you?” she asked suddenly.

I blinked a few times, taken aback. “What?”

“Remember, we were both supposed to write our own parts of the speech,” she told me. “And then we were supposed to combine them but I bet you didn’t even do that, did you?” She was glaring at me with accusing eyes and I was pretty sure my silence spoke for itself; therefore, answering her question.

I looked away from her for a moment so that I could regroup and shook my head. This was not how I envisioned this conversation to play out. I was going to apologize, look sincere about it, maybe give her the charming, smoldering eyes and that would be the end of the discussion. I was supposed to be having her eating out of the palm of my hand by now. So why was she glaring at me right now like she wanted to decapitate me?

Maybe I was wrong about the whole “Oreo cookie” thing. Maybe she is a tougher cookie to crack than I originally thought.

“No, I didn’t finish my part of the speech,” I admitted, causing her to roll her eyes and sigh. If I was going to win her over, I was going to have to think up something quick. “I’m really sorry. It’s just, remember that important meeting I told you about?”

She nodded.

“It was actually some volunteer service I had to do over the weekend,” I lied. Well, sort of. I do sometimes volunteer on weekends at this recreational center, it’s just that I wasn’t actually there this past weekend, but she didn’t have to know that. “I’d already promised to help volunteer, and I couldn’t just bail on the kids there.”

“You volunteer?” she asked looking rather shocked at the new information.

“Well, don’t look so surprised,” I said, feeling slightly offended. Gosh, did she think I was completely self-absorbed or something?

“No,” she said shaking her head. “It’s just you never really struck me as the volunteering type. Where do you volunteer?”

“The recreational center right out of town.”

“Really?!” she was completely surprised now. “I volunteer at their dance studio all the time, but I’ve never seen you there.”

Time to come up with a better lie. “Well, when do you go there?”

“When school is in session, I go on Mondays or Wednesdays.”

“Well, that’s probably why we've never see each other there in the past. I’m only there on weekends.”

She nodded, seeming to finally accept my reasons for not showing up, but her face faltered as she looked like she suddenly remembered something.

“What?” I asked, hesitantly. What now?

“It’s just that Kris and Chanyeol had told me that you were all at some meeting,” she said, and I suddenly wanted to rip Kris and Chanyeol’s heads off. What all did those two blab to her? Well, more Chanyeol, than Kris. Knowing Chanyeol, he probably did most of the blabbing.

“What did they tell you?”

“That’s it. That you were all at some meeting.”

“They must have meant the volunteer service as well,” I tried to cover up my friend’s mistakes. “Technically it was a meeting since it was our first time back since our last school year.” 

“Gee, I would’ve never have guessed you were all so charitable,” she said, with a deadpanned expression. She was being sarcastic now.

I rolled my eyes. So she still didn’t fully trust me. I would work on gaining that trust, even though she was kind of smart not to considering how much I’d had to lie to her in the last few minutes. It was her fault for asking so many questions! Minzy was just too curious of a girl.

“So why don’t we just work on the speech right now?” I asked her. “I don’t have a speech written down, but I’m good at thinking off the top of my head.”

“We don’t have time now,” she replied, looking at her watch. “Lunch is about to be over in any minute.”

She then looked up at me like she had an idea. “How about this? This afternoon I am actually going to be at the gymnasium helping to set up for the assembly. Since we’re all going to be at the assembly anyway, why don’t you just show up earlier, and we can work on it then?”

“You’re going to be helping with the set ups for the assembly?” I asked bewildered. This girl is like an energizer bunny! She volunteers at the rec-center, she’s got the responsibilities as senior president and she participates in school functions. She really is an over-achiever, isn’t she?

Minzy nodded. “Yeah. I’ll be working in the food and beverages area. So if you wanna work on this speech…”

I didn’t catch the rest since I tuned out the moment she said she was working in the “beverages” area. This was bad news. Luhan, Sehun and Tao said they were volunteering to help with the drinks at the assembly. That was when they planned to carry out the prank and pour the medicine into the pitchers. How were they supposed to get away with it if Minzy was going to be right there?

“Kai?” Minzy called, eyeing me. I looked back at her and nodded.

“Sure, I’ll show up early and we can talk more then.” Just as I said those words, the bell rang signaling the end of lunch.

I stood up, grabbing my belongings before I noticed Minzy not bothering to move.

“Aren’t you going to get ready for your next class?” I asked.

She shook her head no. “Nope. I only have four classes. I’m done with my classes for the day.”

When I stood there waiting for further explanation she sighed and explained.

“I took extra classes during my sophomore and junior year and it left me with two free periods this year.”

I stared at her in awe and she smiled back at me, looking totally proud of herself. She really was the epitome of an over-achiever. She must have thought that she had everything all figured out, didn’t she?

Well, little did she know she didn’t have everything figured out…

I was going to have to warn the guys to let them know that my co-president was going to be working in the same area as them before the assembly. I really didn’t want this prank to be ruined.

I smiled back at Minzy, and bade her farewell before turning to leave.

The next thing I want to do: talk to father to see about foregoing some of my courses this year.

* * *

Send to Sehun, Tao, Luhan: You guys need to watch out!!! My co-prez is going to be working at the assembly in the same area as you!

From Sehun: What! Why? Did she suspect anything when we were laughing at lunch?

From Tao: Okay, who told her? Whoever it is, I’ll wushu their !

From Luhan: Oh ! Does she know something?

Send to Sehun, Tao, Luhan: No, I don’t think she does. Minzy just likes volunteering. Still be careful to NOT GET CAUGHT! I’m going to be there early so that I can distract her while we are working on our speech.

Luhan: Do what you gotta do, man!

* * *

Closing my phone, I left my dorm room after having taken a long nap and started making my way down to the gymnasium. It was forty past five and the assembly didn’t actually start until six-thirty so Minzy and I still had plenty of time to produce a little speech.

I was making my way across campus when two kids waved in my direction, trying to get my attention. I noticed them as the two boys I had bring me and Sehun’s luggage to our dorm when we first got here.

“Hey guys,” I greeted them, but I didn’t stop walking. I was in a hurry to make it to the gym. The two boys caught up with me, walking on either side of me. I frowned. Why are they still following me? “Um, is there something you two wanted?”

“Actually there is,” said the light-brown haired boy. I couldn’t remember his name. “You said you were going to pay us forty bucks for taking your stuff to your dorm, but you never did…” he trailed off, still looking at me expectantly.

“Ah,” that’s right. I completely forgot to find them again so I could pay them. Actually, I couldn't pay them right now either. I’d left my wallet back in my dorm room, since I hadn’t intended on spending money on anything tonight.

“Look, I don’t have my wallet on me right now,” I told each of them. “But see me again tomorrow, and I’ll pay you, alright.” Not wasting another second on either of them, I moved passed them and continued to the gym. As I walked away, I heard one of the kids sigh and say “see I told you we shouldn’t have taken all his crap to his dorm. We didn’t even get paid!”

I frowned, having heard what he said. Chill kid! Gosh, I said would pay them tomorrow. The kids these days need to learn the value of patience.

I finally made it down to the gym which was filled with students all over the place getting ready for our first assembly. I scanned the gym from my spot at the entrance searching for one of my friends. I soon spotted Luhan and Tao all the way across the gym filling a giant pitcher with some type of beverage. Tao was holding the giant pitcher in place so that it wouldn’t budge while Luhan poured the drink in.

Jogging over to them, the both of them looked up at me and Luhan’s face instantly brightened once he noticed me.

“Oh good you’re finally here,” he said, looking relieved.

“LUHAN!” Tao suddenly yelped. “The soda!”

Luhan looked back down and noticed that he still had the jug of soda tipped over, but instead of it going into the pitcher it was now spilling all over Tao.

“Oops! My bad.” Luhan put the bottle down.  He then moved around the table and walked over to me.

“So I finally met your co-president,” Luhan said, grinning. “She’s hot, but boy is she bossy.”

I nodded, smiling at his comment. That sounded like Minzy.

“Dude, you have to get rid of her,” he told me, and then looked around the room like he was expecting her to pop up all of a sudden. Once he spotted her, his deer eyes enlarged and he turned back to me. “We can’t even fill the medicine into the pitchers because she’s everywhere! I’m afraid that she’s going to catch us while we’re in the act!”

“Well, I’m here now,” I reassured him, amused by his paranoia. I turned around and found Minzy where Luhan was looking earlier. She was in her uniform which, I have to say, I found very appealing on her. This was the first time I’d seen her legs, which even from a distance, looked rather enticing. “I’ll be right back.”

Minzy was busy over at the food stand which was placed directly across from the drink stand.  She was chatting with our headmaster, Mrs. Jung, as she helped set up the stand.

“Hello Mrs. Jung,” I greeted, bowing.

She smiled at me. “Oh hi Jongin-ssi. I’m glad both presidents are here to help out with the assembly. I can’t wait to hear the speech you two prepared.”

“Actually I need to speak to Minzy about that,” I said, turning to Minzy who was already looking at me.

“Oh, yes well go ahead,” Mrs. Jung said. “I don’t want to get in the way of you two’s presidential business.”

Minzy approached me. “Glad you could make it.”

“I said I would.”

“Well let’s go to the bleachers and we can get started-“

“Actually, do you mind if we go outside? It’s kind of crowded and noisy in here.”

Actually the gym wasn’t that crowded yet since all the stations hadn’t been put up yet, but it was still pretty noisy inside.

Minzy nodded. “Okay, let me just go get my things.” With that she jogged off and that’s when I went back to Luhan and Tao.

“Alright, you guys,” I told them. “We’re going to be right outside so you’ll have time to do whatever you have to. Just make sure that nobody else around sees you and also, send a text out once you’re done.”

“Great. Thanks man,” Luhan said. We did our signature handshake and he went back to the drink station.

* * *

“Ahem. Hello graduating senior class of 2015. My name is Gong Minji – and then you will introduce yourself – and the both of us are your senior presidents for this year. We are willing to work hard to not only make this the best senior year at Cheonan Academy, but also to make this year memorable - blah, blah, blah...considering we will be the first graduating class of the co-ed school, we are glad to have such great fellow seniors who are willing to work hard and - blah, blah, blah... I know this is a new experience for both of us boys and girls, but I know we can get along just fine and blah, blah blah... let's prove all those at the student board just how much school spirit we have and- and… KAI! Are you falling asleep?!”

I suddenly jerked up, now completely conscious after hearing Minzy yell my name. She’d read her speech to me about three different times – she kept changing things in her speech - and was still convinced that it wasn’t right yet.

“Minzy, how many more times are we going to go through this,” I said, exhalled. “You’ve already changed it like, three hundred times already.”

“It’s only been three times,” she shot back.

“Really? Because it felt more like three hundred times.”

“Well what do you suggest we talk about?”

“You really want to know what I think?”

“It’s better than you just sitting there, falling asleep on me.”

I sat up in my chair and reached my hand out to her. “Let me see the speech.”

She handed it over. I looked the speech over, and pretended to read the speech like I was fully engrossed in it. And then without warning, I tore the paper in half, right down the middle.

Minzy gasped, glaring at me with accusation written all over her face. “HEY! You ripped my speech apart!”    

“Oh did I?” I asked, sarcasm written all over my own face. I then ripped the speech a few more times, causing her eyes to widen like a deranged person.

“KAI!”

“Look, you worry too much,” I said. “We’re giving a short acceptance speech as senior presidents, but you’re treating it like we’re giving a speech to all of Korea. Stop treating it like it’s a do or die moment.”

“But it is,” she argued back. “It’s up to us to make sure the boys and girls get along.”

“I don’t think they’ll have a hard time with that,” I said. Clearly Minzy wasn’t factoring teenage hormones into the equation like I was. With that in mind, I believed the boys and girls of our senior class would get along just fine. “Besides, look at your friends and mine, they get along. Or how about you and I? We’re friends, right?”

Minzy didn’t answer as she stared back at me with a confused face.

“Or at least I thought we were friends,” I said, now feeling a little unsure of our friendship status. She still didn’t answer. “Seriously? You’re the one who said we should get closer, and you still call me by my nickname yet you still don’t consider me a friend.”

“You’re more like a potential friend,” Minzy told me. “Every time I think I’m starting to like you, you find some way to get on my nerves again.”

I chuckled at this new piece of information. At least now I was assured that I had an effect on her. 

“Well, if my speech is too boring, what are we going to say?” Minzy asked, sitting down in the chair across from me.

“We can…” the vibrating of my cell phone in my pocket stopped me mid-sentence. “Um… hold on.” I took out my phone to check and saw I had a message from Luhan.

From Luhan: Bros, the drinks are filled! Let the pranking begin!

I didn’t realize I was grinning so widely until Minzy’s voice interrupted my thoughts.

“What’s so funny?”

I looked up at her and shook my head putting my phone away. “Nothing it’s just my friend being stupid.”

“We’re going to be so screwed,” Minzy complained, leaning back in her chair, looking deflated of all her energy. “The assembly is going to start soon and we still haven’t agreed on what to say in our speech.”

“Again, you worry too much,” I said standing up, straightening out my uniform. “What if we just wing it? I told you I was good at thinking off the top of my head and you’re really smart. We should have no problem with a little speech.”

She just stared at me with a less than satisfied look on her face.

I rolled my eyes and pulled her up from her chair.

“Come on!” I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and guided her back to the front of the gymnasium.

* * *