Only Friends ?

I. The encounter

  

It was a Wednesday like any other. The French class had just begun, and I felt like falling asleep. Monsieur Pierret was about to distribute the copies of our last assessment and give some remarks to each one of us. I liked him, but I felt a bit sorry for him. He believed firmly that nobody was beyond redemption, even the laziest among us. I expected to get a good grade, so he wouldn't call my name for at least another ten minutes – perfect for a little nap.

"Bonjour Monsieur Pierret, may I come in? I have a new student to introduce." It was the Principal. We were getting another transfer student in our class. Were we the school's dumping ground or something? I didn't even bother to lift my head.

"Yes, come in, Monsieur. Good morning. Can you introduce yourself?" "In fact, he doesn't speak French very well yet; he will be taking intensive classes three times a week. I will introduce him. His name is Kim Wonbin, and he's from South Korea. Thank you for welcoming him and helping him catch up."

"What??? Pinch me, tell me I didn't actually fall asleep in class and that I'm daydreaming." I quickly looked to the front of the class, and there I saw him. Behind his black mask were two beautiful eyes, a bit elusive. "How is he feeling? Fortunately, my classmates couldn't care less about him and the Principal. They're just happy to miss a few minutes of the lesson."

"Ah, I see," said Monsieur Pierret. "Do you speak English maybe? I'm afraid I don't speak Korean." "Yes, I speak a little English, thank you, Sir." He bowed at a 90"degree angle. "Ah, his voice and accent, music to my ears. He has my full attention. I wonder how Monsieur Pierret plans to handle this. He surely won't translate everything into English for him."

"Very well, très bien. You can sit next to Nora. She can show you everything we've done since the beginning of the month. Make a copy of her notes and homework. She's also good in all subjects, so don't hesitate to ask her for help. Ask the other classmates too."

"Pinch me, please! A Korean boy, in my class, and he's going to sit next to me, and I'm supposed to help him. Ah, Monsieur Pierret, you've become the best teacher on the planet forever. I can't wait to tell my sister. Ah, our dream has come true."

"Nora, could you please explain to him? Nora?" "Yes, Monsieur. I'll do my best." "I feel so stupid all of a sudden. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't realize the teacher was talking to me. Bravo, Nora, the poor guy is going to think you're an idiot."

He steps forward and gives me a little nod. "Bonjour." "Bonjour, annyeonghasaeyo. Welcome. I'm Nora Thi." To my surprise, his eyes widen, and I sense a smile behind his mask. " Annyeonghasaeyo, Kim Wonbin imnida. You speak Korean? Incredible."

In the classroom, you could hear a pin drop, and all heads turned towards us. "Oh no, I forgot we had an audience, and no one in my class knew about my Korean lessons." Fortunately, Monsieur Pierret called a name and resumed distributing the papers. Wonbin took his seat next to mine and pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen from his small backpack. He started writing in Korean. I didn't dare to look. Suddenly, I felt very hot. "Oh, I hope my cheeks aren't turning all red, and I hope I don't start sweating." Speaking of smell, he smelled really good. What a contrast to the guys in my class who hadn't yet discovered the use of perfumes and antiperspirants. He continued to write. I hope I'll understand; otherwise, what a shame. And why did I start speaking to him in Korean? I wanted to show off, and now I'm sure I'll embarrass myself.

He handed me the paper. In loose translation, he had written something like this: "Hello, I'm 17 years old in European age, and you?" "Do any other students here speak or understand Korean?" "Can I join you for lunch break, please?"

He had used formal language, and I quickly responded in English because I was too nervous to write in Korean and afraid of making mistakes:

"My age is also 17, so please speak freely. We can have lunch together, no problem. Nobody in the class speaks Korean except me. Sorry, but when I write in Hangeul, I am very slow. Do you understand? And I drew a sad emoji."