Chapter 3
”He said he was sorry and that he wasn’t going to do it again.” Jisu finishes her story about her and Seungmin’s fight. She has turned 90 degrees in her chair to face Yeji more comfortably. Her left arm leans on the desk and in her right hand she holds her pencil. She waves with it as she continues speaking.
“But he still has to prove it. You know giving a promise is one thing and keeping it another.”
“Indeed.” Yeji answers and is just about to add something more when the classroom door swings open. In comes the teacher who greets them as usual. Jisu turns back to face the board and Yeji opens a new page in her notebook. After going through the attendance list the teacher starts talking about today’s lesson.
“As we are in the progress of introducing a new field, I have decided that a smaller group project can come in handy. I will divide you into different groups and together you will research a given topic. Then, at the end of the lesson, you will present your findings for the rest of the class.”
The students mumble agreeingly as the teacher divide them into different groups. Fortunately, Yeji and Jisu are assigned the same group. They smile at each other as the teacher continues talking. However, their luck does not last very long as the teacher decides that Hanguk is going to be a part of their group as well. Yeji goes quiet and glances over at Hanguk. He stares right at the board and does not seem to think or feel anything. Is that a good or a bad thing?
On the teachers given signal the students start to organize themselves into the groups. Slowly, just like a tired turtle, Hanguk moves towards them. Once he stands in front of them Yeji does her best to avoid eyecontact. She remembers what she saw in them last night and does not want to relive that again.
“You can sit wherever you want.” The teacher says. “As long as you are back here in time for the presentation.”
After hearing those words Jisu stands up. “Should we go to the cafeteria?” She fires away one of her characteristic eyesmiles that can melt any heart. Maybe it worked, or maybe Hanguk did not mind from the beginning, but he nonetheless agrees on the proposal. They grab their stuff and leave the classroom. They wander through the long corridor and descends to the cafeteria. Only a few people are sitting there, some of them seem to be studying while others are staring at their phones. They pick a table in the middle of the room and sit down. Jisu starts her computer and looks up the instructions for the assignment.
“Okay, so there are several things that we have to find information about.” She starts. “If we research different parts and add them into a shared document then things will probably go pretty fast.” She looks at both her classmates with raised eyebrows. Yeji nods agreeingly and in the corner of her eye she can see how Hanguk does the same. Since the school has provided them all with a computer and a coursebook they can start their individual work without any further due. Yeji is supposed to research the first part of the assignment and starts by reading in the book. After a few minutes she has started to get a hang on the subject and starts to write down keywords in the document. As she does so she notices someone passing their table with a computer in their hands and a backpack on their back. The person sits down just a few meters away at an empty table. Yeji does not take any notice of who it is and continues moving her fingers over the keypad. It is first when she has answered her first question and glances over at the others that the person becomes interesting. Because Hanguk is shamelessly staring right at the person, staring with eyes as focused as a hound with a set target. What in the world could be that interesting?
Slowly Yeji adjusts her gaze and finds herself staring at a girl with shoulder length blonde hair. At first she doesn’t recognize the person but after looking back at Hanguk again, and this time accidentally looking into his eyes, she understands. Of course it is, how could Yeji have missed that. The person who Hanguk is staring so intensely at is his ex-girlfriend Shin Ryujin. Yeji turns back to look at Ryujin and surprises herself by almost gasping. Because Ryujin looks different, doesn’t she? Her hair is shorter and much lighter. When Yeji last saw her she had had dark brown hair that reached over the shoulders. Now it is blond and cut at least 15 centimeters. This drastic change of hairstyle had made her hard to recognize. However, that does not seem to apply on Hanguk. Because he does not look shocked over the sudden change. Instead he looks like he is about to explode any second, as if his emotions are drowning him from the inside and out. Yeji tries her best to avoid his gaze but it’s hard when his eyes are shooting beams of lasers. As long has Yeji has known Hanguk he has always had a big flow of emotions. In school he has always spoken his mind and at home he has always used big gestures and talked loudly, even though his parents have tried their best to keep him calm. Yeji does not know anything about his and Ryujin’s breakup but she can imagine what ocean of emotions that must rage inside of him.
Ryujin on the other hand has not even noticed them, or at least gives no sign of it. She stares at her computer screen while tapping on the keyboard. Her gaze is radiating an aura of focus, set on her current project and the goal she has for it, no different from how Yeji remembers her. The eyes themselves are as captivating as always, shining like the brightest stars in the dark night sky. Yeji remembers looking into them, remembers having the gaze on her. Somehow it always seemed as if Ryujin could read her mind, as if she knew everything about her. Of course she didn’t though, but the feeling was there nonetheless. Yeji cannot say whether she liked it or not, whether it was comforting or creepy. All she can admit is that there is something special about Ryujin. She partially understands why Hanguk cannot stop staring at her. However, he probably should because he looks quite insane.
Yeji tilts her head downwards again. After having witness that creepy face of his she can really use something to distract her. Too bad the assignment is not captivating enough, not as captivating as the mysterious break up. If she only could get some insight to it, hear some gossip from someone, or even take part of a rumor about it. Perhaps she can try with Yuna tonight? She will surely want to spend some time talking over the fence while tending the garden or something. Or maybe she should just message her about it? That would not be too weird, would it not?
Just as the thought has left Yejis mind someone approaches Ryujin. Yeji notices how Hanguk shifts his gaze from Ryujin to this person. Yeji recognizes the person as the guy who sits with her brother on the school bus in the mornings. He smiles brightly when leaning close to Ryujin to give her a hug. She hugs hem back with one arm and flashes her pearly white teeth in a grin. A vague noise can be heard from Yejis right and she slowly turns her head towards Hanguk. His nostrils widen and his breathing intensifies. Yeji cannot help but to lean away from him. He looks like a bull ready to burst into a crowd of mocking people. This guy has issues to get over, that is for sure.
“How are you holding up?” Jisu suddenly asks and in a millisecond forces Yeji to break her thoughts. Right, they are supposed to study, not analyze her neighbor’s weird behavior. The faster they finish the sooner she can leave his side and go back to normal.