The Boy Next Door

the most popular in the room

When I woke up in the morning I felt lighter. Almost like I was excited for something to happen.

I got out of bed and out of the corner of my eye I saw movement in my window. I realized that I could see straight into Sunwoo's room, and mentally noted that I should start closing my drapes.

I paused for a second, and he came back into view. He was shirtless, again, and I wondered if he usually walked around the house like that. He was looking at himself in the mirror which was to the side of his window, so I could see every detail of him. He was fixing his hair and seemed to also be admiring himself in the process.

Suddenly his gaze shifted. His straight eyebrows furrowed and he touched a spot on his ribcage. It looked like there was some kind of red line there, but I couldn't see that clearly.

Then my stomach dropped, because he noticed me watching him. He didn't even seem that surprised. He just gave me a half smile and I shut my drapes immediately with embarrassment.

What is wrong with me??

I tried to pretend like that didn't happen, and I dug out my uniform in my closet. I zipped up the plaid skirt and rolled up my nike socks. I usually wore the socks for basketball, so I didn't have any other kind. Yet another reminder I wouldn't be needing these anymore.

I sighed as I began to button up the white short sleeve collared top. Suddenly my door opened without warning and Changmin appeared.

"Gah!" He covered his eyes and turned around.

"Why the hell didn't you knock??" I asked, buttoning up the rest of the shirt.

"I thought you would already be ready! You're late you know, did you sleep through your alarm?" Changmin asked, still turned around. I could see the top of his ears were red.

"No I...." was spying on our shirtless neighbor again. "I got distracted."

"Hm." he answered and I grabbed my backpack and we went downstairs. "Did you have breakfast?"

"No I'll get something at school." I answered.

"Joy! Not so fast." My mother rushed out of the kitchen and I groaned. "Here's the doctor's note for your coach."

I had purposefully been leaving for school quickly so she didn't have time to give this to me.

"Give it to her today. I mean it." My mom warned.

"Fine." i said.

"I'm sure she'll be sad to lose such a valuable part of the team." my mom added to make me feel better.

"yeah, me too." I took the note from her and stuffed it in my backpack.

Changmin said bye to her and we headed out onto the front lawn.

It was beginning to be Summer now, and I couldn't wait for the warm weather and the no school break. But everything that came after that suddenly seemed so unsure. I had no life plan ahead of me.

"Heeji called me." Changmin said and we stood on opposite sides of his car looking at each other over the roof.

"Oh?" I asked. "Last night?"

"This morning." He said. "That's partially why I came storming into your room."

"What did she say?"

"She just asked where I'd like to go. She wants to hang out on Friday." Changmin said.

"What did you say?"

"I said I didn't know where." He paused. "And also.... well I didn't tell her this but I'm not comfortable going by myself."