14

That day, she appeared again in the clearing rimmed by tall trees. The sun bathed down upon her as she turned towards him. Her long hair played with the wind and brushed against her rosy cheeks and she graced him with a benign smile. She was the epitome of endless beauty and he yearned to curl between those two gentle hands.

“Mum,” he croaked and lurched towards the centre of the clearing. She seemed so close yet so distant. Then, her figure began to fade along with her luminous smile.

“Mum!” He let out a desolate cry as the woman disappeared and slipped away from his vision. What was left of her was a silver chain attached to a ring. Tears stung the back of his eyes as he picked the chain and he whimpered for his mother.

The sky turned into an ominous gray and he began to fall into abyss. He felt the wind rush through him and he grappled for something –anything—to hold on to. But there was nothing and he fell deeper and deeper into the darkness that threatened to swallow him whole. He felt his hands and next thing he knew, the silver chain was not there anymore. He had lost it.

Sunggyu’s eyes fluttered open and he shot up into a sitting position. He clutched the bed sheets with his breath racing. It was only a dream, it was only a dream, he soothed. He d his neck to feel for the chain which hung there. It was still there. He exhaled and collapsed onto the mattress.

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Lashed by immense guilt, Myungsoo weaved through the hallways as soon as he set foot on the school grounds. He continued his quest to search for the girl who had managed to set his mind in tangles. Jiyeon. Myungsoo sifted through the unceasing sea of people and scanned every face and figure for the one that he was searching for. Then, amidst the crowd, a familiar profile of a girl ensnared his attention and he went to follow her.

Someone tapped his shoulder and he exhaled in frustration. He spun around and frowned at the guy beside him grudgingly. The guy winced a little but did not hint that he was going to move away and leave Myungsoo alone.

“What?” he said sharply.

A smile formed on his classmate’s lips and expanded by every second. Myungsoo glared at him.

“Just tell me what you want.”

“Miss Han wants to meet you. At the office.” He blurted and scurried away.

Miss Han? Of course, she was the history teacher. He looked back to where Jiyeon had disappeared and sighed at his failure to confront her. Myungsoo stormed out of the area.

Myungsoo knocked on her office door and poked his head in.

“Miss Han?” he inquired.

“Ah, there you are…” Miss Han’s soft voice grazed on his ears and soon, her profile came into view. She was a young woman in her late twenties and had long hair with natural curls that framed her pretty face. She was known to be soft, fun and generous with her praises which resulted in her mixing along well with her students.

Miss Han held the door open and smiled at Myungsoo.

“Remember when I told the class that I would give something to the top scorer of the history test?”

She revealed a bar of chocolate between her hands. Myungsoo examined the chocolate. Because of this little thing, he had lost Jiyeon. Myungsoo hardened his expression to prevent a groan from escaping his lips.

Miss Han noted the dissatisfaction in Myungsoo’s features. She rested her weight on one of her foot and let out an ‘understanding’ smile.

“It’s a delicious one,” she cooed, “I got it from France.”

It seemed that Miss Han had misinterpreted his reaction. Whatever it was, Myungsoo mind was too preoccupied to pay much heed.

 She knew that the way she coaxed him was as if she was persuading a seven year old child but sometimes, it might work. And it did, or at least she thought it did.

Myungsoo took the chocolate and presented a stiff bow. He walked away with Miss Han’s eyes trailing behind him all the way until he was out of sight. The young teacher let out a smile as soon as the door clicked.

Myungsoo’s steps had brought him outside unknowingly. The sound of trickling water filled the sun laden air. His eyes swept across the vicinity but it was empty. Sigh. Jiyeon was not there.  Myungsoo glanced at the clock.

08:17.

That explained Jiyeon’s absence. Class had probably started.

Worn out, he buckled onto one of the benches that was facing the fountain and watched as the water sparkled under the sun. Weariness spread through his veins and he succumbed to it. He did not feel like attending class. And so, there he sat, idly as hours passed. The beauty of the place had somehow soothed his feelings that were in turmoil.

When the clock tower chimed for the third time, Myungsoo stood up. It was already break. He followed the pathway back into the building and continued his search for Jiyeon. He paced about the hallways and ended up in front of the library. He passed through every row between shelves but to no avail. Jiyeon was not there.

He ran all the way back to the cafeteria and let his eyes skim through every face of every person in there but she was not there either. Then, he ventured back into the hallways which were swarmed by the students. He took a glance at his watch.

15 minutes left till the end of break.

He went in and out of every empty classroom and ransacked the whole school but she was not found. He checked his watch.

 6 minutes left.

He needed to find Jiyeon. Myungsoo rummaged his mind for the possibilities of Jiyeon’s whereabouts. Then, he bolted to the music room and swung the door open. He peered into the dimness.

“Jiyeon?” He called.

There was no answer but something shifted in the shadows.

“Jiyeon?” His voice echoed in the empty room.

The figure moved again, leaping from one end of the room to the other. Anxiety crept into his eyes as uneasiness coiled around his quickening breaths. The figure pranced once more and landed gracefully in front of him. He could make out the outline of a cat; its eyes glinting mischievously in the darkness.

A cat? How the hell did it get in there? He was giving the grey, fury animal a blank stare when a thought struck him.

He instantly ditched the music room and raced towards Jiyeon. Why was he so stupid? Of course Jiyeon was near the clock tower. It was her secret place. No, it was theirs. He wanted to bash his head on the wall but there was no time. He felt the rush of wind as he increased his speed.

When he stepped out into the sun-laden air, he stopped. Jiyeon was sitting on the very bench that he sat just now with her back facing him.

“Jiyeon.”

The gentle wind blew the words into Jiyeon’s ears and she cringed at the sorrow the voice held. Slowly, she turned to face the man. She stood up as soon as she saw Myungsoo some distance away. His eyes were stricken. He trudged towards her.

“Jiyeon,” he called her name, again, nearly breaking down.

The wind whisked his hair that covered part of his eyes, enhancing his handsome features. Jiyeon bit her bottom lips --hard-- to prevent herself from running towards the guy that she had longed so much.

“Jiyeon,” he called out, his voice grinded by the relentless guilt that had left him battered.

He said her name again. He called for her again. It took all of her conscious mind to remain at that spot. Jiyeon had to stop herself from breathing to prevent a sob from escaping. She missed him. She certainly did.

Myungsoo’s troubled footsteps processed in Jiyeon’s head and she met his gaze. Unwillingly, she fell into an unfathomable depth of those dark orbs. Myungsoo’s steps withered and he stood half a meter in front of her. Jiyeon waited for him to call out her name once more.

But he did not.

She did not know whether to feel relieve or disappointed. In those wordless moments, Jiyeon listened to his tormented breathing: more painful than a dog’s agonized wails and more miserable than its laments. But this was the man that had betrayed her after she had granted him her trust.

Myungsoo enclosed his fingers lightly around her wrist that was dangling loosely beside her. Gently, like the light breeze that was blowing that day, he pulled her into a comforting hug.

“Jiyeon,” he whispered softly into her ear. His voice was of a fathomless gentleness that poured into her ears and triggered a rush of incomprehensible emotions.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed.

Right then, folded between those two arms, she broke down.

That was what she needed. She buried her face into his chest as the warmth of his body settled in her. The whole world disappeared there were only both of them left as she let herself being swept away by the solace of the embrace.

-----------

Myungsoo scrawled something on the little piece of paper and waited restlessly for the class to end.  When the bell finally rang, he gathered his things and stepped out of the class before the teacher even dismissed them. He deliberately left the little piece of paper on his table to let it be blown away by the wind.

Myungsoo strode towards his locker and opened it. He stared intently into the space inside, as if waiting for something to appear.

“Hey, where were you?” A voice from his left greeted him. Sunggyu. He knew that enthusiastic voice anywhere.

Myungsoo did not turn but stared ahead. He had not seen Sunggyu for the whole day. The thought of his friend spreading the news that Jiyeon was mute crept back into his mind. How could Sunggyu have hidden it from his so well? He did not even suspect it.

“Yo, I’m returning your History test paper. Are you going to face me or not?” Sunggyu said, snapping him out of his reverie. He was surprised when Myungsoo started ignoring him again. Sunggyu stood uncomfortably by his friend’s side.

After what had seemed like an eternity, Myungsoo finally faced his friend and took the paper from him. He dumped the paper, together with his books into the locker and began his staring game with the empty space once more.

“I have to go,” Sunggyu said quickly, knowing that Myungsoo would continue to pay him no heed. He did not know what had gotten into his friend that day but there was a distinct dark aura hanging around him.

“Sunggyu.”

He was just about to walk away when Myungsoo called his name, his voice rough and stern. Sunggyu turned and shot him and inquiring look.

Myungsoo stared at him, wordlessly judging his looks and facial expression. He could not believe that this person whom he had known as his friend started everything. Sunggyu thought that he was not going to say anything and continue looking at him that way when Myungsoo finally spoke up.

“Jiyeon.”

“What?” Sunggyu asked, baffled.

“Jiyeon. Were you the one who started it?”

It took some time for everything to register into Sunggyu’s head. Myungsoo watched as his friend stiffened. Surprise struck his features. Sunggyu lowered his head.

“Yes.” He breathed.

Myungsoo nodded slowly, a little disappointed with his answer. Then, he stopped and looked straight into Sunggyu’s eyes.

“Then stop acting like you’re her friend.” The sentence was expressed without emotions, yet it hit Sunggyu with an alarming force. His eyes widened.

“Myungsoo—“ 

 Myungsoo slammed the locker door shut before he walked away.

Jiyeon was walking when she saw Sunggyu standing alone in the hallway. He was staring at the closed locker so intensely; a hole could have been burned through it. Despite his immense stare, he wore an expression of regret? Shame? Was she seeing properly?

She was about to walk towards him when some girls to her right started squealing. These squeals were then followed by a string of questions like “What are you going to wear?” or “Where will it be held?”

Curiosity took over Jiyeon and she turned towards her right where the girls stood facing the notice board that ‘adorned’ the wall. Jiyeon stood on her toes and craned her neck to see what was pasted on the notice board.

Prom Night in two weeks!!!

The triple exclamation marks were certainly not needed. It was not that interesting anyway. Not for her, at least. Jiyeon spun around again to seek out for the man that she saw just now.

But Sunggyu was gone.