Two Weeks Later
Physical Education III

Tuesday classes starts during afternoon---at one-thirty, up until five-thirty. First class for the day begins with PE. Most specifically, dodgeball. Ugh. I think I’m gonna start hating on Tuesdays starting today. Everyone who knows me well knows how much I hate taking PE classes. You have to do the running and the dodging, and all that crap using your whole body and all your energy so at the end of the day you’re nothing but a seaweed floating in the sea.

I dodge the first red ball that flew in my direction. The class was divided into two groups. Ten on ten. And Yuri and Yoona were both on the other side. Great. I glared at Yuri (who most probably had thrown that first ball) from the other side with a ball in my hand, aiming for her. I threw the ball with full force, but Yuri was quick enough to dodge it. Another ball came flying in my way. I strode to the left and collided with a (cold) body.

Tiffany glanced at me for a second and resumed on the activity. Argh! I am seriously getting frustrated with myself because I can’t do anything other than stare at her and smile to myself like a goofball. Aish.

Ignoring these thoughts of mine, I bent down and grabbed a ball from the gym floor and threw it aimlessly towards the other half of the court. I heard Yoona yelp and groan, and then, she was sending daggers on my direction. “Im Yoona, you’re out!” Coach announces, and Yoona walks, defeated, onto the bleachers. Okay. So now, there was only Yuri and three more members on the other side. There were still seven people in my group including me.

And just when I thought I had Yuri where I wanted her, a ball came fast on my right, and I didn’t have time to react. It hit me right on my temple, and the next thing was me lying fully on my back on the gym’s polished flooring. Silence soon filled the air. “Kim, are you okay?” Coach’s face pops up on my vision and I nod slowly. She and my teammates helped me up on my feet. Yuri was frozen on the other side---mouth hang open, and Yoona was standing on her feet.

“I’m okay, coach.” I managed to utter all through the dizziness I’m feeling due to the impact.

I drag my feet towards the bleachers, where all the other students were. I sat down beside Yoona. She offered me her tumbler. I took it in my hands and opened the lid to drink the contents.

“You okay?” She asks me, taking her tumbler back in her possession. “Yeah. Just a bit dizzy.” I shake my head slowly, trying to get rid of the swirling images. I hear Yoona giggled on my side. I furrowed my eyebrows at her. She seemed to notice this because she turned to me with that stupid grin plastered on her face. She pursed her lips towards the court.

“Tiffany was looking at you when you fell.”

Wait. What?

“What?” I ask her. She kept on giggling to herself. Now you know that I had my reasons when I say I’d wanted to hit them with that big red ball. I avert my mind back on her revelation. Then, I noticed something that kept on happening earlier---that whenever I’d almost get hit, a hand suddenly shots out and pushes the ball away from my direction. And then, Yoona said Tiffany was looking my way when I fell. Could it be... that Tiffany---nah~ that’s impossible.

“I think for a second there she was debating with herself if she should go help you or not.” Yoona interrupts the flood of thoughts in my head. I think my brain just throbbed again. By this time, I landed a hard punch on Yoona’s arm; clearly sending the message that if she’s just messing with me, she won’t be able to go home alive.

“Yah! Stop playing with me!”

Yoona scoffed. “I’m not!”

I punched her for the second time, and glared. She just kept her poker face at me. “Ask Yuri if you want. I bet she saw it too.”

Okay. Seriously? I’m not about to believe that. I don’t want to get my hopes up. Whether Tiffany really did it or not is not my business. And besides, it’s not like she’s going to like a transfer student in that time frame. She looked like a highly-respected student here. I’ve never even seen a single student get near her---them, in general. So why would she like me? Even if it’s only a friendship kind of ‘like’, why would she? I just came here. And as far as I know, we haven’t even started a decent conversation with each other yet.

‘Give it up, Taeyeon.’

Sigh.

Classes ended by three-thirty and me, Yuri, and Yoona head down to the cafeteria to have some snacks. Again. Seriously, these two never gets tired of food. My stomach’s still full of the roasted chicken and lobster salad from earlier. Add the mac and cheese too.

Yuri suggested to grab snacks from McDonald’s and I sat at a table near the entrance. I threw my backpack atop the table and grabbed my earphones from my blazer’s inner pockets. As my two best friends were at the counter, I let my eyes wander around as I wait for them. Though, I’ll admit, I’m not searching for anything or anyone in particular except for this girl I’ve confirmed to myself that I recently like.

With frequent thumping of my heart whenever I see her. When an immediate blush creeps up my cheeks (even my ears) whenever we unintentionally meet our gazes. Those times I wanted to hide myself up in a secluded corner and squeal because she’s just so beautiful. When I always find myself smiling like an idiot whenever my name leaves her lips. No one, in my twenty years of existence, has ever recited my name like it was a fragile glass she was afraid to drop.

With these recent feelings I’ve experienced in the past two weeks, I’ve come to finally admit to myself that I liked her. I like her. And I’m willing to do everything just for her to notice me. I’ve never felt anywhere near desperate for a person’s attention back then, but Tiffany came and... everything.

It was happening again.

I diverted my attention from my phone to the six figures walking along the hall of the cafeteria. Oh, and did I ever mentioned that Sooyoung, Hyoyeon, and Sunny turns out to be their only friends here? Yes. They are. Which explains why they were together right now. I propped my elbow on the table, and my chin on the palm of my hands as I watch them go through the shops. I swear I nearly fell off my seat when Sooyoung suddenly points towards my direction.

“Hey, it’s Taeyeon!” Her voice echoed like a megaphone. I looked away and pretended to fix something inside my bag even when Yuri and Yoona finally came back. “You okay?” Yuri says to me right before Tiffany’s group finally approached our table. “Hi guys.” Hyoyeon greeted, and all I could do at the moment was just smile. I’m sure I look stupid right now. “Hey!” Was all Yuri blurted. I’m sure she was nervous as well. But of course, she was better at masking her feelings compare to me.

The whole thirty minutes that we’ve spent on our break time sure felt like forever. I was almost glad nobody noticed how uncomfortable I got when they decided to join us in the same table. I fiddled my phone all throughout that I almost finished all the stages of ‘Clash of Clans’. They kept talking amongst themselves and all I could do was either smile, nod, or shake my head when they tell me, or ask me something. Then, at some other circumstances, I glance at Tiffany’s direction.

She was sitting by the end of the table with Sunny sitting beside her on her right. They were talking to each other. And I felt a sudden tug in my heart when I saw Tiffany’s lips curve slightly on the ends as she looks at Sunny deep in the eyes. She smiled; all too quickly, I doubted for a split second if my eyes were tricking me. When she smiled again, I knew hallucinating wasn’t the case. No. Not at all.

Ignoring these stupid feelings clouding up my system, we head back up to our next class---to which was music. I know, it doesn’t actually relate to our course, but they said it was recreational. It can help our minds relax from all of the school stress. Well, I’m not complaining though.

With this kind of subject, I tend to find more about Tiffany. To which results in me admiring her more. Because in normal occasions, I wouldn’t have thought she could actually sing. And her voice is melodious; like an angel singing while strumming a harp. I find myself staring in awe at her each time. Her younger sister, Seohyun, plays the electronic keyboard on the back side of the room, while the other one---Jessica---strums the guitar. From the corner of my eyes, I see both Yoona and Yuri stare at the two exactly the same as I do. The three of us were held captivated with these sisters, but I couldn’t care less.

It’s at times like this that I look like a complete fool when my teachers catches me engrossed in my own little world. Then, bits of laughter will follow suit. “Kim Taeyeon, would you like to share us a song?” Mr. Goo directs his question at me, and that’s when I realize that half of the class had already sung. Words never left my mouth, so I nodded instead.

Scanning the room only to realize that all eyes were on me now; I cleared my throat---not too loud---and straightened up. I struggled to look at anyone that’s not Tiffany.

Yuri grabbed the other guitar from another classmate of ours. We glanced at each other briefly, and then, she started playing...

Baby, baby, baby,
Didn't believe in love at all,
Went through my days with a wall in place,
Baby, baby, baby,
Thought I'd be stronger on my own,
But then you came along and I've changed.

Yes I feel the butterflies,
Yes I go all weak inside,
Hate to admit it but I'm hit and,
I don't want you to leave my side,

Used to laugh at romantic films,
Now I see you and me in them,
Saying cheesy lines like,
'I'll be yours if you'll be mine'

This must be love,
Look what you do to me,
Oh, what you do to me,
Can't get enough,
Of what you do to me,
Oh, what you do to me,
Put your hands up if you feel like this,
If you’re crazy 'bout a guy and it's real like this,
Put your hands up if you feel like this,
If you’re crazy 'bout a girl and it's real like this...

Everyone clapped in unison right when I finished the song. I stood up and bowed politely, then sat back down. Right then did I have the courage to look at Tiffany’s direction. She was holding a Rubik’s cube but wasn’t playing with it. She was just like vaporizing the whole thing with her eyes. She threw the cube towards Hyoyeon even when Kyuhyun was singing. She crossed her right leg over her left and I swear my heart almost fell on my lap when she looked at me all of a sudden.

I almost immediately shifted my gaze away.

My cheeks were burning like boiling water, and if the AC wasn’t , I’m most probably be sweating buckets by now.

I shifted in my seat a couple of times---clasping and unclasping my hands; crossing and uncrossing my legs; turning my attention elsewhere but Tiffany’s burning gazes, until I’ve settled myself and rested my chin on the palm of my hands as I watch our other classmates perform.

I could still feel her staring at me.

And when that feeling that made me shiver all the way from my toes to my spine banished, I carefully trained my eyes back to her direction.

The good news was: she wasn’t looking at me anymore. She was watching Luna sing with all her heart. Now, the bad news (sort of) was: she was smiling. A not-so-evident smile but I could totally see it from here. You get me, right? And I looked at Luna if she was seeing this, but to my dismay, she had her eyes closed. Now, I started to panic.

What was Tiffany smiling about? Me? Because I looked stupid when I tried to compose myself when she looked at me? Or was it due to the song I sang earlier? Is she a fan of Pixie Lott? Ugh. I hate this!

“Hey Tae, you okay?” Yuri rounded my table and inspected my face. I snorted at her. “Why wouldn’t I be?” I shot back at her.

Class already ended and only a few students including the three of us and our professor were the only ones packing their belongings inside the room. The rest already went home, and Tiffany’s one of them.

“Ms. Taeyeon.” I looked up from fixing my bag and met my professor’s gaze. “Yes, sir?” I asked of him and walked towards his table. He grabbed the guitar behind him---the one we used earlier---and handed it out to me. Without a word, I accepted it. “Could you please return this to the music room? I have another class to attend to, if it’s okay?” He tells me. And I nod enthusiastically. “Sure, sir. It’s no problem.” “Thank you.” I gave him a polite smile and walked back to my table.

I gathered my things and headed straight for the music room on the fourth floor on the other building. I took the elevator and started humming an indefinite tune to myself. I would’ve took the two rascals with me but I figured I better go off alone since I do some things faster on my own. No offense.

I reached the school’s music room in about fifteen minutes.

I was about to reach for the door knob since it was already past five and if I didn’t reached home before six, I’d miss the rerun of Arrow to which I’d missed the episode last week.

Neoreul saranghae kkeutdo eobneun gidarimirado gwaenchanha

Upon hearing the same melodic voice from earlier, I stopped on my tracks and looked up to see a bright blue sign lit just above the door frame. “What?” I muttered to myself. Even before I could back myself up, the door shot open. I stared at the three figures blocking the doorway with wide eyes (and thumping heart)

“What are you doing here? Didn’t you read the sign?” Tiffany asks me. She looked somehow aggravated. Oh boy.

‘Saysomethingsayssomethingsaysomethingsaysomethingsaysomething...’

“Uhh... I-I was just going to return t-this guitar.” I stammered as I shot the guitar closer to their views. Tiffany sighed and got out of the room; closer to where I was standing. I think I just stopped breathing. “You may go now.” She murmurs and grabs the guitar from my hold. My hands shook, not from the coldness, but from her touch. Though, it wasn’t really touching, it was more of a ghostly type of contact. But I shivered nonetheless.

I struggled to bow politely as I let them get back to their business. I scampered down the hallway and into the elevator. Well sh*t Kim Taeyeon, you looked like a complete fool again.

As soon as I got to the school’s parking lot at the very back of the campus, I jogged towards the explorer. From there, I discovered Yoona and Yuri jamming to Paramore. I could hear the music from outside. I rapped on the driver’s seat window until Yuri leaned in and unlocked the door. The music almost blew me away. “YAH! ARE YOU GUYS DEAF OR WHAT?” I yelled and they just laughed at me. I rolled my eyes and got in the car anyways.

At home, Yuri went out to buy dinner and came back after thirty minutes. She was teasing me non-stop ever since we left the living room for Yoona and her making-paper-roses-for-a-girl-I-like project going on.

“Stop it, will you?” I almost threw a spoonful of yogurt on Yuri’s face. She laughed one last time and lowered the pink notebook on the dining table. The same notebook that was the sole reason of the teasing. “You should return it.” Yuri tells me and grabs the pint of yogurt from my hand. “Why should I? You found it, so you return it.” I spat back. She spooned a huge amount of yogurt and shoved it into my mouth. She stood and placed the now-empty plastic container into the trash bin.

“If it’s Jessica’s I wouldn’t think twice. But it’s Tiffany’s so...”

I flipped the notebook (to which turned out to be Tiffany’s) in my hands and stopped at a certain page. An unfinished drawing of a girl greeted my sight. For a moment... I think the drawing looks like me. Or is it just me?

“Wow. She’s got some skills like you do.” Yuri nudged.

“Does this drawing look like me?” I pointed out, and she grabbed the notebook from my hold.

“No way!”

Yuri grabbed my chin and made me face her. She looked back and forth between me and the notebook. She froze on her spot. “OH. MY. GOD.” She exclaimed in straight English. Then, she continues, “Oh my God! It does look like you!”

I break away from her grip on my face and snatch the notebook back. Now, it was my turn to disagree. “Can’t be! Maybe it was just some weird coincidence.” Okay. I’m starting to sound like a hypocrite. “Yeah. Like how the shape of the nose, the lips, eyes, even the hair, the ears looked A LOT like yours? Even your signature chin dimple is there!” By this time, I ought to slap her body with Tiffany’s notebook.

Yuri bent down and hauled the fallen notebook from the floor. “Come on! Like how many people in the universe has a chin dimple like yours?” I shrugged. “Uhh... a lot?” “Name one aside from yourself.”

Damn it.

“Okay, fine! I’m one of those rarities who has a chin dimple! Heck! I might be the only one!” I threw my arms in the air in defeat. “But that drawing doesn’t mean anything!” I’m lying. I am. I know somewhere down the road Tiffany’s sketch of me definitely meant something. Unless she has a habit of sketching people she sees everyday then I stand corrected. But until I figure out why she drew my face, I’m not calming down. Nope.

“She likes you~”

Yuri teased before sprinting upstairs, and I swear I’ve never been so embarrassed my whole life. No one had ever done this for me. It was always me who does stuff like this for other people.

The following week was hell. With all these pop quizzes and graded recitations thrown from side to side. Add the projects and reports from time to time. I’m sure I didn’t seem like I care at all. Not that I’m saying I’m THAT intelligent, but because I was distracted by a pink notebook that was still in my possession.

Somehow I find it a little out of place when Tiffany doesn’t even look like she was looking for her notebook. That, and the fact that I haven’t caught or felt her staring at me these past few days. I should feel relieved but... it’s just weird. Did she find out I have her notebook?

I was about to steal a glance at her when the school bell rang and Mr. Seo dismissed us. Students filled the hallways and me and my troops were the last one to get out of the classroom. Yuri swung her arms over mine and Yoona’s shoulders. Our next class was calculus. That explains why these two chodings were taking forever in walking towards our designated room. I rolled my eyes and removed Yuri’s arm from my shoulder.

“You gays go ahead.” I tell them. They both stopped and looked at me with raised eyebrows. I gestured towards the lockers and said, “I have to go get my math book” before I turned and headed the opposite hallway.

As soon as I reached my locker, Jieun---the youngest one in our class---greeted me with her usual cheerful smile that reaches up to her ear (if that was even possible) “Hi unnie.” She says, and I greet her back just the same. She left off first with her friends, not forgetting to bid goodbye of course. I opened my locker door and grabbed my math textbook and the familiar notebook that I’ve been thinking about all day. Though, I’d gladly admit I was thinking about the owner more.

“Should I return you?” I spoke to the inanimate object in my hand as if it was going to respond. “Yeah. I should.” I finally come up to a decision. I don’t have a sole purpose for keeping this anyways other than give myself added stress, so I might as well give it back to the gorgeous rightful owner.

I closed my locker shut and headed towards the same hallway I came from.

That’s when I saw her. The one girl who’d been running in my mind all day.

“Tippani!” Okay. That sounded wrong. “Tiffany!” I yelled again and ran after her. I passed five rooms before I made a sharp turn to the hallway on the right. I stopped midway and scratched my head in confusion. Where did Tiffany go? I’m sure I saw her go this way...

“Are you following me?”

I nearly fainted. I placed both hands on my chest; where my heart lies, and stared at Tiffany with widened eyes and slightly agape mouth. Once again, I urged myself to say something decent even just for today. “Umm... I...” Instead of finishing my sentence, I raised her pink notebook to view as if to answer her question. If Tiffany Jung was surprised, she doesn’t let me notice it. She grabbed her notebook from my possession, and I froze yet again as her fingers grazed against mine.

Tiffany flips through the pages as if assuring herself that nothing was missing. I composed myself only until she looked up at me with the same poker face she was wearing. “Did you...” She trailed. And I immediately caught on.

I looked down and scratched the back of my ear as I feel the blush creeping up my cheeks again. “I’m... sorry... I wasn’t in the position to look through... but I did. I’m so sorry.” I gulped and looked back up at her. What she said next wasn’t what I was expecting. “The drawing, it’s not what you think.” I admit. I’m disappointed.

Okay. So maybe she does sketch random people every now and then.

Yup. I’ll stick to that lie for now.

“Cool.” Is the only word that slipped from my mouth. Seriously Taeyeon? Cool? Is that even the right word to say?

“I guess I’ll be going...” Is the last thing I said to her as I started to walk away. I’m nervous and uncomfortable. Her stares sends multiple electric current through my veins and if I stood there any more longer, I doubt I would still be breathing. My feet stopped on their tracks when I hear her soft voice again.

“Taeyeon...” She calls out to me like it’s the first time she's saying my name all over again. Then, she says something too weird for me to process.

“Thank you.”

---

NOTE: Few TaeNy moments I know. But ready your hearts coz I'm gonna flood chapter 3 with TaeNy so...

Oh and THANK YOU for the SUBS and the UPVOTES. I really appreciate it ^^

This is it for now, so I'll see you guys soon~

Ciao.

(PS. The song Taeyeon sang is 'What U Do' by Pixie Lott---the same song she gave to SNSD and made it to 'Baby Maybe' to which was included in the IGAB album :)))