Your Dear Hubae | K.TH

Chapter 11 : Level Up!

I came to school at my usual timing. I looked around cautiously making my way to seonbae's classroom. I checked the classroom before entering. No one there, good. I opened the sliding door gently and closed it behind me the same way. I made my way to seonbae's desk. Unfortunately I had nothing special to give to seonbae today. I was busy with studying and homework and couldn't write a postcard this time. But I found this pretty flower on my way here. So I guess I will leave that here along with my sticky note.

I took out the note I had written for him the night before and stuck it in his desk drawer along with the flower. Just as I was withdrawing my hand, it touched something. I bent to take a look. It looked something like a notebook. Maybe seonbae forgot to take it. I shouldn't take it out right? But my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to take it out. And it was the journal I had gifted him.

I blinked. Why is this here? Did he....miss it? Or perhaps maybe, he didn't like it enough to take it? Is this his way of saying to stop writing to him? I didn't know. But my heart ached. I know I decided not to be upset if he throws away my letters or gifts but I cannot help it. Not after he has been accepting all my postcards. Seems like my luck ran out. With a heavy heart I walked away with the journal in my hand.

"He did not take it with him" I informed my friends after they enquired about my recent gift to him.
"What? Why? He has been accepting all your gifts. He even tried to meet you after you gave him that hand-made bracelet" Minji said her mouth full of sweets.
"Exactly! Why is he acting like this all of a sudden?" Haeun joined in as she leaned back and chewed on her thumbnail.
"How would I know? But he didn't take it, that's all I know" I replied looking down. I clenched my palms.
"Isn't he nice to you during your Physical Education class?" Haeun said.
"He doesn't know it's me, me and the me that writes to him are two different people for him" I said looking away.

I looked back to see my friends looking all antsy. Because of me. What am I worried for? If he didn't take it, he didn't take it! That's that. I should accept it and move on. I shouldn't make my friends worry over nothing.
"It's fine, remember I said I won't be anxious over why he is throwing away my letters or gifts if I ever gave him? It's time to apply that. It's not a big deal, it was a one sided crush, and it shall end with that" I said reassuring my friends. They still looked doubtful but agreed.

The last class was Art Class today. The art and p.e. classes are the only ones which will be taken combined. That meant I was taking this class with Taehyung seonbae. That also meant I'm entirely in Taehyung seonbae's domain now. I have heard alot about it but I'm going to witness it with my own eyes today. It is said that if seonbae truly enjoys something, it's art. Paintings and art, it's his forté. Of course I have heard this from some of his fangirls. So the rumour maybe wrong. But that doesn't mean it is entirely false. After all, there is nothing Taehyung seonbae cannot excel in.

I entered the class. It was a big classroom with steps going up in the middle and seats aligned to both of its sides. The canvases were lined up along the seats. The wall across the entrance had windows, all have been opened up to let in fresh air. It was so bright and fresh in here and this room was right beside the forest like garden of the school. We could hear all kinds of insects and birds. So soothing!
I went up the steps to find myself a nice place to sit. I found a seat I liked and made myself comfortable. After we all had settled down the teacher started speaking.

"Welcome to the first Art Class of this session. I hope to find some new artists during our time together and hope to help the ones I already have under my wing to hone their skills" She started coming up the steps whilst saying.
"For today's class we shall start with some basics. We have one whole hour to ourselves. You will sketch, paint or draw whatever you feel like. It is just to measure you skills in art. After I have done my analysis, I shall give you separate works according to your capability"
She stopped at the far end of the class.
"You may begin now!" She announced and we all turned to our canvas.

I wasn't really gifted in art. So I had to come up with something which I can execute. We can't be too ambitious here. So I decided to sketch something overgrown. There is a picnic bench hidden in the backyard of our school. It has this overhead trellis for vines and flowers to grow and it looks pretty. But since the area has thick trees surrounding it, it has been hidden and I don't think anybody knows about it. So I got to work. The diagonals and the dimensions of it was very tricky so I left it at that and decided to make it simple.

When I got too tired I took a teensy little break to peek at seonbae. He was sitting in one of the first rows so it was easy to see him from where I was. He looked really focused and it seemed like his painting was turning out pretty. I wish I could paint like him. It was understandable though. He has practiced alot to get where he is now. I went back to work after I got a little motivated seeing seonbae so focused.

However I couldn't complete it. I could have finished it, I just had to sketch the background but the bell rang and we all were told to stop. After the class was dismissed the teacher asked seonbae to stay and help her with collecting everything. I was looking at him till I turned to exit the class. Right before I looked away he turned to look at me. I felt butterflies as I looked away.

After going home I stared at the journal. I wondered if he got upset because I asked him not to search for me. But why would he be mad? Wait, why does he care in the first place? He tried to find out who I was, I refused and he would have just shrugged and thought "okay" and moved on. Maybe I'm the one who's overthinking this.

"Sigh...." I sighed as I opened the journal. I flipped through the pages then stopped at a random page to go and take out my decoration supplies. I should record this too I guess. After I came back with my supplies, I turned the pages to a fresh new one. To my suprise when I finally got to a new page, there was something written on it. And it was not my handwriting.

"Since you do not wish to meet me, I have to resort to this. I hope you find this, and know that I just wanted to find a way to thank you. Thank you for the bracelet, postcards and now this journal. I'm sorry for upsetting you. All I wanted was to somehow communicate. But I knew nothing about you, so there was no way for me to do that. If I left a note on my locker for you, there was a high chance someone else would have seen it. I have found a way to communicate though :)
Leave the journal in my drawer. I look forward to your reply...."

                                           - Kim Taehyung

I was dazed. Then I blinked. I re read the page. Then I rubbed my eyes. I'm dreaming aren't I??? Taehyung seonbae wrote back to me.....
I jumped up from my chair and squealed. I started jumping from one foot to another. I couldn't content this weird feeling in my stomach.
So this is what seonbae's handwriting looks like...