HIRAETH | Min Ho, XO Kitty

CHAPTER TWO

"Kitty! Hold on! Where are you going?" you cried out, pursuing her through the hallway until she began to slow down. Coming up beside her, you gently draped your arm around her shoulder. "I may not know the intricacies of your relationship with Dae, but what I do know is that he doesn't deserve anymore of your tears."

Thoughts of Dae's actions raced through your head. You found it hard to process with the idea that Dae, the kind-hearted boy you met in junior high, could inflict such distress. His image had always been the intelligent, tender student who could do no wrong was deeply ingrained in your mind, making the scene moments ago hard to digest. Yet, the reality was met with you. You saw the scene with your own eyes, serving as a reminder that people often have layers beneath their surface, even if they are difficult to comprehend.

A series of footsteps are heard behind us, causing Kitty to yell, in assumption that it was Dae. "Dae, I don't want to talk to you. Just leave me—" the two of us turn around, revealing a teacher we had both yet to me.

The echo of approaching footsteps behind us triggers a reaction in Kitty, leading her to assume it's Dae. "Dae, I'm not in the mood for conversation. Please just leave me—" But as we swivel around, we are met with a different sight. Standing there is a teacher, a face unfamiliar to both of us, effectively halting Kitty mid-sentence.

"Sorry. I'm just looking for the loo." he clarifies, raising a finger to gesture towards the bathroom ahead of him. "I'm Alex Finnerty from Melbourne, Australia. I'm a new teacher here this year." His youthful demeanor and amiable presence give you the impression you would enjoy learning from him. You wanted to share that you lived in Melbourne shortly, but decide that the timing isn't right.

With a gentle but earnest expression, Kitty looks at him and asks, "Why are you not Dae?"

"You mean the guy you don't want to talk to?" he asks with a curious but confused tone. From Kitty's expression, he seems to somewhat understand the situation, changing his voice. "Are you alright? Can I get you anything?"

"Never mind." she responds, taking a step to move ahead, only to be stopped by yet another question from Mr. Finnerty.

"You're American, right?"

"Yes."

"I really admire you guys over there. I noticed that Americans speak louder than everyone else, am I right?" Mr. Finnerty remarks, shifting his attention towards me, likely picking up on my accent from our earlier conversation.

"Yeah," you respond, smiling and shaking my head in agreement. "I'm Wonyoung Mangjeol by the way. From New Zealand." you quickly add, noticing Kitty's urge to leave.

"Forget everything that just happened. I am going back in there and I am not leaving without answers." asserts Kitty, gripping your forearm firmly as she steers you back into the vibrant glow of the welcome party's fluorescent lights.

Underneath the wash of pink and blue lights, you and Kitty began to engage in a search for Quincy and Minho, two people still oblivious to Kitty's identity. As fond as you were of the newly acquainted girl, you found yourself craving fort time spent with your junior high friends whom you hadn't seen for a long time. However, the search for them would probably be short-lived, and you would leave Kitty to find Dae, a person you both had a plethora of unanswered questions for.

Approaching the room's center, you finally catch sight of Minho. He greets you with a teasing grin and a playful sparkle in his eyes, jesting, "Couldn't stay away from me for long, could you?"

"Now's not the time, Minho," you respond, casting a serious glance his way. Minho's gaze shifts from your face to Kitty's, his playful smirk fading away in an instant. "She's here to find Dae," you add, setting a more earnest tone for the conversation.