Wonderwall

Well Played - part 3

"Class dismissed!"

The students are cheering as we're done for school one hour earlier than usual. Our biology teacher has just given a task group assignment about plant and animal reproduction. We have to observe an animal or a plant depends on random takes appointed by the teacher.

Well, I get a dog.

"You're lucky! I get ladybug!" Se Ri whines.

"That's better. I get a snake," Seo Dan rolls her eyes. "and that weirdo Gu Seung Jun as my partner."

"I want Jeong Hyeok, but lottery says I get that Cha Sang Woo. Not bad. Who's your partner, Jin Ah?"

Shyly I answer, "It's so random. I get Yoo Jin Woo."

Seo Dan mutters, "at least he isn't flirty. This is like giving Seung Jun another excuse to go with me."

While Se Ri and Seo Dan are still talking about the assignment topics and the random partners we get, our teacher Mrs. Nam calls me from his desk. Apparently, he hasn't left the classroom.

I'm on my way to the front when Jin Woo stops me from his desk chair. "Jin Ah! About our assignment.."

"Jin Woo, sorry, Mr. Nam has just called me. Think it's related to the assignment?"

He stands up, "I'll go with you."

Following me from behind, then Jin Woo stands next to me as we meet Mr. Nam.

"Mr. Nam," I bow.

"Yoon Jin Ah. I forgot about Im Chul Ryung, he has just gotten back to class, and I haven't paired him with anyone yet. I think you can help her, Jin Ah? He needs to catch up with some topics related to this assignment."

I look at Im Chul Ryung, the boy in my class who has missed school for almost a month. I heard that he was injured during a taekwondo tournament, but now he is standing in front of me, looking fine and well recovered.

"I am sorry, Mr. Nam, I don't understand what do you mean by helping Chul Ryung?"

"Partner with Chul Ryung for this assignment. I've given you....dogs reproduction," he reads his notebook.

I hear Jin Woo speak, "but- Mr. Nam, Jin Ah is with me."

"Ahh...Yoo Jin Woo. You three can work together! Since it's three of you, please do two breeds. Anything you can find, and observe together."

Jin Woo is about to protest "but-"

Mr. Nam raises his hand in front of Jin Woo, "no buts, Yoo Jin Woo."

Im Chul Ryung smiles at me, and says, "thank you, Yoon Jin Ah."

Well, I haven't said anything, not even a yes, but I pity him, so why not? The more, the merrier!

But not with Jin Woo, he looks unpleasant with Chul Ryung's presence. I don't know exactly why, though. All I know is Jin Woo doesn't hang out with this guy. His friends are the boys from the swimming team and Ri Jeong Hyeok.

Im Chul Ryung is famous as a member of our school's taekwondo dojang, and I don't know with who he's hanging out with, but I know that Seo Dan and he are quite close.

I think we're lucky that we get a dog for the assignment, it should be easy. But since none of us don't have a dog, I suggest we go to a pet shop near our school this weekend. Jeong Hyeok and Se Ri know the owner, and I'm going to ask them to help us whether we can go and observe their dogs for study purposes.

***

The next afternoon, Jeong Hyeok comes to our home. Se Ri said that they will go for grocery shopping to buy ingredients needed for their cooking date. I meet him at the foyer while he waits for Se Ri, and he calls me, "Jin Ah, you can go to the pet shop. The owner is a nice ahjumma, and I've told her that you're Se Ri's sister."