unrequited

03

"Eunjung." I called her name quietly.

The girl turned around and looked suspiciously to see if anyone was watching.

"Took you long enough," She said as I held out the book report for her. "It better be good this time. You had some spelling mistakes on the Chem paper by the way."

I rolled my eyes. "Take what you can get."

Eunjung scoffed at me. We were at a peaceful but endless cycle, because she didn't want to do her work, and I wanted to keep book club alive.

We turned away from each other, and I headed down the hallway for the cafeteria. It was chicken katsu day.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a locker slam. It didn't seem to be purposefully loud, almost like someone had done it unintentionally with pent up anger.

I glanced over to see who it was and was surprised to see Changmin there.

"You look like you need a drink," I attempted at a joke to lighten the mood.

For a moment he looked annoyed still, until he turned around and saw it was just me.

"Doah," He said. he sounded relieved.

"Who do I have to fight?" I asked.

"Nobody." He sighed. "Actually fight me."

"Why?"

Changmin shook his head. He stared at his dark green converse and tapped his foot once. When he looked up at me he had a smile on his face, but there was no dimple. I knew it was fake.

"Just disappointed in myself. It doesn't matter though."

"It does matter." I told him. I was clutching a book in my arms and my grip tightened. I hated how he was so reluctant to tell anyone what was wrong. He had always been like this, and yet he was always there for Chanhee whenever he went through a rough time. He was always there for me. For anyone but himself.

That's just how Changmin is, Chanhee had told me. But I was determined to break him.

"It always matters." I added.

Changmin gave me a soft look, and I thought he might just burst into tears and spill everything. But instead he said, "I'll tell you what's wrong if you tell me what you were doing with Lee Eunjung."

He caught me off guard. I hoped that my expression didn't show it too much.

I cleared my throat. "We're friends."

"You are?" He asked.

"Wow are you that shocked that I have friends?"

"I mean...."

I smacked his arm.

Changmin leaned against the lockers and crossed his arms. "No it's just that she kind of has a reputation in my grade."

"Oh?" I said. I was very well aware of this reputation.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I saw her supplying a first year with drugs the other day."

"It's not like that," I said. "She's... interested in joining book club."

Changmin looked like he didn't believe it, but I don't blame him.

"Interesting. I guess never judge a book by its cover then right?" he said simply.

"yeah," I said.

We started walking to the cafeteria together. It felt so natural, it just being the two of us. What felt unnatural though was all the eyes that Changmin attracted through the hallway. He was practically a celebrity.