Chapter Eleven: Pink String of Fate

Nothing can disgust Mi Ja more than the fact that Seokjin confidently keeps up some sort of façade on, and not to mention, in front of the whole school. It doesn’t even seem like he’s hiding the fact that everything’s just a pretense, though, since the teacher even knows about his fakery. But he’s still doing it, regardless of the sharp glares he’s receiving from Mi Ja.

“Good morning, fellow seniors,” he waves his hand and smiles towards the audience, “I must apologize for my unforgivable behavior. It’s really saddening, even for me, to think that I’m supposed to be the host and yet I’m late. So, let me make it up to you with this activity. I’m sure you’ve been hearing rumors about this, and I’m sure we’re all waiting for this. Aren’t we?”

As the crowd suddenly booms into loud cheers and enthusiastic yells, Mi Ja knows that the whole school probably doesn’t mind his façade. Seokjin starts explaining the mechanics of the game. He begins with an airy grimace before explaining the story of the Palace of Mischances, and that’s where he connects the game.

The game is a simple one, one just has to pick a string, follow it and pull it. If there’s a response, like a resistance from the pull, the person has to run towards where the string is headed to. There’s no possibility for the other party to have no corresponding partner, because the number of boys are proportional to the girls. The student council treasurer excluded herself, to lower the number of girls. So on each end of the string, there’s someone waiting for the other one to grab the chance and pull it (that’s how Seokjin said it, with more conviction). And the twist?

The strings are really long; extended from the other side of the two-hectare land to the other side. There are 44 unique strings, differed by the colors. And that’s it, simple as that.

As Seokjin finishes talking, people start glancing at certain people, which Mi Ja’s guessing are the apples of their eyes. Even Soojung, who’s supposed to be a coldhearted woman, can’t resist peeking over at Myungsoo who’s staring back at her as well. Mi Ja’s eyebrows furrow at how obvious Myungsoo and Soojung are. But then, she feels a glare at her—or maybe a glare-mistaken stare.

“Soojung,” she pokes the girl in front of her and asks a favor, “Can you look around if someone’s looking at me? Because I feel like there really is someone watching me.”

Soojung complies without any say, so she looks around and studies the environment, only to lock eyes with someone who flagrantly returned her gaze. The pair of eyes that meets with hers isn’t a tiny bit ashamed nor afraid as it doesn’t waver in responding her gaze. Soojung’s eyes widen at the sight as she ends up looking away just to laugh it off, saying, “Ew, are you actually assuming that somebody’s interested in some ugly woman like you?!”

“It’s not some romantic feeling, okay? My woman instincts can sense some murderous intent.” Mi Ja sternly declares, making Soojung burst out into laughter. She says, “Ah, that’s probably my aura. I’ve been dying to annihilate you since I met you, b/tch.”

“Whatever, don’t talk to me anymore. I hate you.”

“Mutual.”

They don’t know when or how the conversation finished off, but one thing for sure is that the games are already starting when the two of their attentions divert from each other into the speaker. Seokjin has already begun in leading the horde of flamboyant boys towards one side of the vicinity, and the caretaker then guides the girls to the opposite side. Girls start lining up to the colors they favor the most, probably hoping that the boys they like actually know what they like. Mi Ja assumes that the boys are assuming, as well, that the girls they like by any chance know what colors these boys would possibly choose.

Mi Ja can call herself confident but she is aware that Taehyung would most probably choose the white thread, so she first lined up behind white. But then it suddenly occurs to her that maybe Taehyung would choose Mi Ja’s favorite color. Well, she’s just keeping her fingers over that possibility and as her body unconsciously prances towards the black thread…

But then she sees Soojung standing there, with a determined expression saying silently that she won’t let that thread go no matter what. She’s guessing that Myungsoo and Soojung must have probably arranged something behind Sue Ji. And as much as Mi Ja hates to admit this but Myungsoo and Soojung seem like a good pair, except not decent plainly because Myungsoo and Sue Ji.

Mi Ja returns to the white thread, only to find out that somebody has already occupied it. And the only thing that’s left for her is the pink thread. Mi Ja wants to fight for the white thread, thinking that there might be a chance that Taehyung would pick that. And she wanted to choose black, as well, hoping that Taehyung’s the one on the other end. But seeing the situation as it is now, Mi Ja laughs at herself, calls herself miserably ridiculous and desperate. It’s not like Taehyung’s even thinking of her right now. He might be occupied with thoughts of Jinri, Jinri, oh Jinri’s favorite color, oh. Right, of course.

Mi Ja rolls her eyes and walks towards the pink thread, seeing that she’s the only one who hasn’t chosen any string yet. It’s almost 3 in the afternoon, and they assume that the activity will go on for almost forever because of the expansive area. But, well, the students don’t even give a damn now. High school students will always value love, not knowing that there’s a bigger chance of it failing than it succeeding. The caretaker announces that the principal would light a firecracker that’d alarm both ends, signaling the start of the game.

Not long before the caretaker says that, the popping sounds from a distance started reverberating, reminding them of the start of the games. Like hungry packs of wolves, everybody starts trailing the thread and hopes that it won’t get entangled with something. Mi Ja unwillingly follows her pink thread, bumping on somebody else from time to time. She constantly apologizes yet in response, the other party would frown at her and some even mumbled some not-so-not-audible mumbles.

This doesn’t even bother Mi Ja much.

In fact, Soojung fired up about this childish game is something that doesn’t fail to amaze Mi Ja. Seeing how enthusiastic she is, Mi Ja feels guilty for not taking this seriously so…she tries doing so, strongly hoping that on the other side is Taehyung.

After an hour and a half, Mi Ja can feel her stomach growling. After two hours and a half, Mi Ja finally retires and eats some crackers. After three hours, while trying to pull the thread, her phone rings. She stops walking, almost giving up, and then fishes out her cellphone. Junmyeon’s calling, and at this time, it must be urgent.

“Color?! What color are you!?” Junmyeon shouts from the other line. Flustered as he is, Mi Ja doesn’t even let the fact that this game bothers the supposedly mature Junmyeon as well get to her.

Mi Ja frowns and replies, “Pink. Don’t go following mine, you stalker.” She ends the call hastily and then rushes towards the direction where the rest of the pink thread is. She tries pulling for it, there’s no response at all. Maybe she’s just being played at? Maybe it’s better if she should give up now? In fact, she’s been considering that for a long time now. So, maybe she should let go now.

Her hand slowly loses contact with the surface of the thread, but then she feels a faint movement the moment it slipped out of her fingers. She immediately turns towards it and kneels down to pick it up. No movement again. She pulls it, hoping carefully.

And maybe her efforts and prayers and faith finally paid off, granting her string with the movement saying she has hope. She pulls the string, and a response goes back. She’s getting close to it. And…

“Ow!”

“Holy sh/t!”

All of a sudden, her forehead bumps into something surprisingly hard as well. First, there’s a black barricading her sight as her eyelids fail to let her visualize what bumped into her by coincidence, perhaps. Second thing that happens it that Mi Ja realizes the situation she’s in. Or they’re in. The hype of the moment suddenly gets flattened out when Mi Ja opens her eyes to the sight of the famous master of pretense, Seokjin.

Huh?

She squints her eyes at him, “What the hell?”

“Eh?” Seokjin rubs his eye, as if not believing who’s laying in front of him now, and then studies her face more clearly. He yells, “Why must it be you!?”

“I could ask you the same question!” Mi Ja’s eyes start tearing up, not out of depression but out of fuming anger. She hugs her knees near her chest and rocks her body back and forth, until Seokjin realizes something. She knew she shouldn’t have expected something from this petty game. She mumbles, scratching the back of her neck, “Unfortunate last day, ugh.”

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