The Last Miracle

VI

I always discovered the smell of the library being addictive. It's a place where the old and the new stories have established to live in harmony. No matter what, they do not demean and disrespect each other. Their respective values have been profoundly judged depending from person to person. Therefore, all the stories are equal.

I usually did my studies in the library. The place where I found utmost comfort and peace without anyone to disturb me. But today, the disturbing element sat across me as he handed me the next information that I needed to find for him.

He had returned back to being indifferent and cold since he was discharged and it felt distant to go back, after all that has happened. We had been way too involved in each other's life which we didn't agree to do in the first place.

 We had been nosy. Unnecessarily.

"Find the dean's connection with the tycoon. There's no way that man is coming all the way just to give a freaking seminar." He handed me the dean's schedule.

I sucked air through my teeth, "But Park Yun Seo. Why is that person important for us?"

Tae Sung crossed his legs and stared at me, "Do I have the obligation of sharing everything with you?"

I raised my eyebrows, "Uh- ".

But he didn't let me complete, "Didn't we not agree to keep our respective things to ourselves?" He leaned on the table, "Let's just do our job right. That's what we need to do for you and I achieve our actual ambitions."

He got up from the seat, "Oh and yes." I lifted my head up to meet his face as he resumed, "Let's not be close. Even you don't want that right?", and left in cold feet.

In light of his recent behaviors the entire college has dropped the suspicions of us dating and the rays of jealousy has minimized its volume towards me. Well, I was relieved mostly. But one part of me really pondered over the thoughts that growled his head. What could those possibly be?

By evening I returned to my room where I found Da Hyun.

"Hey. Did you study well?" She smiled and I nodded while returning her smile.

She tapped on her phone, "But what's with Park Tae Sung lately?"

"What do you mean?" I arranged my books.

"I hear that crazy guy is almost behaving like a normal person." We both laughed on her comment when I noticed what I had been missing.

Checking my pockets and drawers I asked her, "Da Hyun, have you seen my necklace?"

She looked up from her phone, "The one that's always on you? Now that you say I haven't seen it on you since morning."

I closed my eyes, "Shit." I had been to a ton of places since morning, "Da Hyun. I will step out for a bit. I can't lose it"

"Where are you going at this hour? It's 11'o clock Seri. Is it that precious?" She stood up from her bed.

I nodded, "Yeahh. Actually, my grandparents gave it to me on my birthday. I need to find it." I put on my shoes and ran to the door, "Please give my proxy in the roll call."

I stepped out under the city lights to take a roundabout of the supermarket, the streets I walked on, the library, the classes and the auditorium, checking every nook and corner of the place.

It's astonishing how a simple little thing can cause you an enormous amount of worry and anxiety because of the meaning attached behind it. The place where it all comes down to. Affection. 

But as a human who have pretty much lived without it my whole life, I shouldn't be this much affected. But then again, I seeked for it the most and then I stopped. Because that hunger died inside me. Because it no longer affected me. It became an accessory I could never have.

Da Hyun's repetitive calls ringed on my phone as I haunted every hall and street but couldn't find it at the end. With my failure I returned to the hostel about 2 in the morning and found her sleeping. 

Right, sleep. I had completely forgotten about that. It's lacking reduced the strength in my bones and my eyes complained because of overstraining. My lips felt dry as I lied on my bed and stared at the ceiling absorbing the disaster that just found me.

"Yoon Seri", Kim Da Hyun called me in the morning as we got ready for our classes, "Look what I found on our door handle." She smiled cheerfully.

Seeing the necklace, relaxation floods through my blood as if I have barred my lungs to breathe since then. "Oh, thank God. How did it wind up there?"

"No idea. But I am just glad."

...

Walking through the corridors of the university, I spotted Park Tae Sung advancing towards me. He stopped before me and scrunched his nose, "Are you practicing for some cosplay of a panda?", referring to the dark circles beneath my eyes.

I let out a sarcastic laugh and inquired, "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" He pointed towards himself, "Well, I---" 

Before he could complete, we came across a loud encounter, "Yoooonnn Seeerrriiii". 

We both turned around to see who it is. Lee Ji won. She came and hugged me, "I have missed you."

"We just met yesterday Ji won", I claimed.

She withdrew, "So what? Can't I miss you in such a short time?" She smiled through her innocent nature. Well, not too innocent considering her seducing techniques towards guys but anyway.

She stood beside Tae Sung and intertwined her arm with his.

"We are going on a date."

The people in the surroundings seemed to finally have the statistics they needed. The love life of Park Tae Sung. On the contrary, I felt a huge burden off my back.

I won't have to pretend to be his girlfriend anymore, "Really? That's so nice to hear." I smiled through my teeth and ears while Tae Sung threw his disgusted expression on my face.

"Oh, by the way, did you find your necklace?" Ji won asked me.

I held the necklace around my neck, "Yeahh thanks. Wait, how did you know?"

But without giving me an answer she just stared at me with her big eyes. The she turned towards Tae Sung, "Did you not tell her?" and then focused on me without waiting to hear from him, "So what happened was--"

Only to be interrupted by him, "Aren't we going on the date?"

"Yes of course." She replied to him and waved at me as they left, "Bye Seri. Meet you soon."

"Bye." I waved with a smile.

Later that day, Da Hyun came to me on the Therapy Ground, "Hey, did you heard from Ji won?"

"What?" I kept writing without looking at her.

"About your necklace. It was Ji won who left it at our door."

I lifted my head up, "So she was the one who found it? Where?"

Da Hyun sat beside me, "Nope. It was Park Tae Sung who found it yesterday in the library and handed it over to Ji won to leave it at our door. And in return, gave what she demanded. A date."

The understanding seeped in about the reason of Tae Sung interrupting Ji won this morning when she talked about the necklace. I exhaled, dumbfounded.

A little bit of me thankful to him but that 99% of me thinking,

"Now who's being close to whom?"