In the realm of dreams

Part 12 - Class 2 vs Class 3

Baek Yoona

It turned out I wasn't the only person in class 2 who got approached by someone from class 3. The next day during free study class, Sooho got accosted by a girl from class 3 as he was coming back from the teacher's office. We watched from our seats as the drama unfolded in the corridor. A pretty girl with a short bob handed over a pink envelope and something else to Sooho and spoke for a bit. Sooho had his back to us so we couldn't see his expression. After a while the girl ran down the corridor wiping off her tears. It had all the hallmarks of a failed love confession. I had to hand it to the girl for her boldness though, no easy task approaching the guy known for his aloofness.
When Sooho came back to his desk, there were murmurs and whispers among our classmates. Sooho's eyebrows were burrowed. He looked annoyed.
She's pretty, why did Sooho reject her? Someone asked.

Sooho opened his book and pretended to read. I could tell by the way he tightened his fist that he was quite angry. Why so angry? So what someone made a love confession to him?

"Our Banjang likes girls with long hair, isn't it". Kim Wooyoung, a bit of a wrong 'un who often clashed with Sooho, said. A few of his lackeys guffawed at this. How did a guy who is last on Sooho's friends list, if he ever had a friends list, know what kind of girl he likes!

Sooho didn't respond to him. As random as his comment was, I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of glee at the hope that it was true. He said it in a sarcy way but it made me glad that there were not many girls with long hair in our class. Well, just me and a couple of others. It also gave me a little satisfaction that I sit in front of Sooho and if he were so inclined Sooho would have the chance to gaze at my long hair. I don't know why but I wonder what it would feel like to have his fingers comb through my hair. Like a gentle breeze maybe? Or a tornado?

We asked him for a debrief the next day.

"I am annoyed by her presence. I don't want to see her. It spoils my mood and I am trying to stay focused on my practice before the match next week." In typical Sooho fashion he didn't give us any details even though Soobin kept asking him question after question.

'Okay then, we shall make it our mission to make sure she is never in your line sight. At least until next week'. Soobin declared.

Choi Sooho

Kim Wooyoung's sly comment made me nervous. That stupid girl of class 3 with her box full of paper stars and chocolate was an annoyance, yes a major annoyance, but I had dealt with it. Wooyoung, on the other hand, could be volatile. He already said out loud that I happened to like girls with long hair, who knew what he would say next. I hoped he would refrain from making any more comments. He could be holding a grudge against me.

A few days ago he had bumped into me in the corridor.

'Banjang, as class president you should be fair to all students don't you think?', he asked me in that agressive way of his, with a lopsided smile that wasn't really a smile.

'What do you mean?'

'Earlier today when you were collecting Maths homework, you gave her extra time. How come I don't get special treatment like that?'

I cursed him in my mind. How had he noticed that? Yes, I had allowed Yoona one extra minute to hand in her homework but I thought I was subtle about it.

'She had forgotten to write her name on the homework sheet, it was just for that,' I said and started to walk away from him.

'You like her don't you?', he called to me. 'Your study partner. Fine, I'll give you that. If you cannot allow the girl you like one extra minute, what are you even class president for!'

Guys like him were best left unprovoked. I did well not to halt or break my speed as I was walking away from him and hoped he would forget all about the incident. But today his comment made me realise, he hasn't forgotten. Far from it.

That evening I received a text from Yoona. A poem:

"This is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless,
Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson done,
Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the themes thou lovest best.
Night, sleep, death and the stars."

Hope this helps clear your mind of annoyance! She'd written.

It certainly did. It put a smile on my face. Probably because I was happy she thought of me, and thought of cheering me up.