In the realm of dreams

Part 15 - Beginning of June

Baek Yoona

'You let your calculus get rusty', Sooho said as he was marking up the practice test I did.

'Yes, sem, I need to practice more'. I admitted. He seemed to be in a really good mood today. Because of yesterday's win against SK? Or because he got to see his Hae-won and will attend her birthday party? Jisung said Sooho joined Gangwon in freshman year which means he would have been what fifteen when he left SK? Surely that's too young to date! So maybe Hae-won wasn't his ex-girlfriend. Jagsarang maybe, his childhood crush.

'Okay then I will give you a lot of homework', he said with a smile which was meant to be cruel but was actually quite cute.

It didn't escape my attention that Hae-won looked at me when she made a snide remark about Sooho's little girlfriend when Soobin and I were both present there and as far as she was concerned either of us could be his girlfriend. What made her single me out? Was I more of a threat to her? Or is it because Sooho and I appear to be more familiar with each other? Or was it something else? Regardless of her dismissive behaviour I felt a tiny drop of glee that she had in fact thought I was Sooho's girlfriend.

'I didn't know you were in SK before transferring here,' I said to Sooho, hoping to eke out some more information.

'Yes, I transferred in freshman year.' He gave the marked paper back to me. There was more red crosses on the paper than I cared to count.

'Oh no this is bad'. I said.

'Look it's the beginning of June, we have about five weeks before the exam, you need to up your game. I can give you some of my practice notes tonight', he said being all serious.

I nodded in assent but decided to press on a little more about his life in SK. 'SK looks a lot more polished than our school, their facilities are amazing'.

He took a moment before replying, 'All schools have issues, no matter how polished they look from the outside. I much prefer it here in Gangwon'.

I was itching to ask why he left SK, what was his relationship with Haewon, and he must have sensed that and wanted to avoid the topic so he started talking about poems. I suspect to distract me, and it worked.

Eventually I brought the conversation back to his English practice. Unlike me, he hasn't fallen behind on his practice. Sigh. Good students had it easy. How did he manage to concentrate on basketball and still keep his English practice up when I have fallen behind so much!

Choi Sooho

Winning was such a high, I felt like I was floating on a cloud. Going back to sketching has also lifted my mood. The sky was bluer, the leaves greener. Yoona's voice more melodious as she recited Neruda's words:

Laugh at the night, at the day, at the moon,
laugh at the twisted, streets of the island,
laugh at this clumsy boy who loves you,
but when I open my eyes and close them,
when my steps go, when my steps return,
deny me bread, air, light, spring,
but never your laughter, for I would die.

These were the little bonuses of our study sessions. Outside of schoolwork, the exchange of poems and thoughts. Something we would not get tested on but nevertheless something that would enhance our lives. Yoona has a talent for internalising the feel of poems. They never sounded as good when I recited them. Her eyes turned dark a deeper shade, the rhythmic lilt as she glided over the sentences, the slight tilt of her head. She was a poem personified.

The corner of the library we usually occupy for our study session was quiet today. I could tell Yoona was bursting to ask me questions about SK. Why the sudden interest in SK? Did she...like something, someone there? Or was she thinking of transferring to SK, swayed by its nicer buildings and sports facilities?

'SK isn't all that actually, the people in Gangwon are much nicer'. I said to her as we got out of the bus. 'In case you are thinking of transferring there', I added.

'Oh no that's not it at all. I was just wondering whether you miss SK at all. Your SK friends I mean'. She said, adjusting her backpack.

'Nope, not at all. That's a closed chapter'. I said walking towards my building. I had promised her I would give my practice notebooks to her. So today we have to go my house first, get those notebooks, and then walk to her house. She would find out today that I had been walking her home even though it was further from the bus stop than mine. But that's okay. I was just glad that Eomma would be at work still.

'Wait here for a bit and I will go and get the notebooks,' I said to her when we reached my building.

'Sure, what floor are you on?' She asked.

'Fifth floor'.

We stopped at the convenience store to get some banana milk.

Outside her gate she said to me 'Kumoyo Sooho'. And I knew she meant to thank me not just for today, but all the days I have walked her home.