TASTE | HHJ

Chapter 2 : Keychain

Chapter 2
Keychain

"Mrs. Jang is the name. I will be your Art and Literature teacher. You're all graduating students so don't underestimate this subject just because it's from the new curriculum." The instructor wearing a formal coat under a tight dress underneath stood in front of the room and immediately introduced herself.

"A minor subject." Someone from the back murmured.

"Absolutely. Now get your books and turn to page 12." Mrs. Jang said. "Read the first poem."

"What read?"

Mrs. Jang sarcastically smiled at the student. "You can't?"

"Of course, I can." The student scoffed and the whole class reacted with some laughs and murmurs.

"Prove it."

The guy just scoffed in irritation. It's evident he doesn't want to read since guys like him are back benchers who has the reputation of being the class' jerks. Funny how he can't seem to pull that role off very well.

"Since your classmate here can't read, can we have an open debate about how real love works?" Mrs. Jang sounded enthusiastic.

As if on cue, the door banged open. The whole class turn their heads toward the door. The guy I saw earlier entered wearing a black unzipped hoodie. He has his back pack in his hand and a book in the other.

"Thank you and welcome to the class." The instructor obviously hinted sarcasm with her tone.

While the others are back on minding their own business, I still have my eyes on him. He sat at the back, three rows away from me. He must've sensed my stares at him when he suddenly looked at my direction making me look away and focus to what's in front of me instead.

Why is he glaring at me like that? Or that's just how he look at others.

"So, as I was saying we should have an open debate about how real love works in a relationship. Should we have trust or respect?"

A girl raised her hand and immediately Mrs. Jang acknowledged her. "Ma'am, I think respect with your significant other is an essential factor to keep your love real. Without it, I think the relationship will fall apart."

"Thank you for that."

A guy then started to speak and say his opinion about the topic. "The very foundation of a healthy relationship is trust. You can show respect to everyone but not trust. So I think trust is exclusively for your significant other only if we're talking about that context."

The open discussion goes on and on until it's too much information for me to handle. I mean, I consider myself a bright student and I'm sure I can join the discussion with my own opinion. But because I had less sleep last night, I decided not to. I was about to close my eyes to sleep when I hear him speak.

"I think both is important. Relationships are complicated. But, let's assume that you are involved in one. Respect is automatically given and by that, you start to build trust. Both of them are relative to one another." He said, calmly. I looked at him while he's speaking. "But if you don't want to get tangled in a messy relationship then I suggest you should not have one."

"Have you been in a relationship?" Mrs. Jang asked. The students let out some murmuring sound.

"Why do you ask?" He smirked. My eyebrows met. He's always been so smug, huh?

"You sound like you speak from experience." Mrs. Jang fired back.

"I'm afraid you could be wrong, Mrs. Jang." He stated coolly while slightly touching his jaw with his fingertips.

The class went on like usual but I can't help but to think about him. And how Mrs. Jang flashed her sweetest smile whenever she acknowledged the guy everytime he participates in the discussion. Maybe I judged him too early because of his tattoos. But he seems pretty good in expressing his opinions and participating in the class discussion.

The bell finally rang and I automatically pack my things and put it in my bag. When I zipped it, it felt like something is wrong. Just then I realized that my keychain is missing! My heart dropped as I stand up and started looking around the desk and even under it. I double checked my pockets, wallet, and even the tiny spaces inside my bag. When it came down to me that I really lost it, I weakly sat down again with a sad expression on my face.

Oh no! I can't lose it!

All of a sudden, a hand put something in my table and it's the keychain that I think I lost! I looked up and saw his face again but this time, close up. He crouched and his other hand held the back of my chair.

"I think you're looking for this." He said.

I nodded my head and tried to take the keychain from him. "Thanks. I thought I lost it!"

"Uh-uh, not yet." He suddenly put it back inside his pocket.

"Give it to me." I said, showing my hand with a gesture.

"How about this, I'm inviting you to come to a club at downtown tonight. After that, I'll give you back your keychain."

"What? I don't even know you. You're just someone who happen to saw my keychain so give it back!" I reached for his pocket but he stepped away from me.

"I saved you, sweetheart." He scoffed, obviously trying to tease me.

"So you want an exchange?" I crossed my arms and roll my eyes.

"Come on, it'll be fun. You're just gonna have to watch my show tonight and after that, your keychain is all yours."

No way he's going to make me go in a club when I'm supposed to be studying! I don't even know his name or who he is.

"Idiot! Who do you think y-"

"Do you want your keychain or not?"

"Yes!"

"Good. So here's the address." He writes down the address on my small notebook.

After that, he left me dumbfounded. That keychain is not just a keychain. It's one of the memories I have left with Lily. I don't think it's right to just let him have his way without trying to get the keychain back.

I looked down to the notebook and read the address. It's a popular club in town and most Fridays it's jam-packed. The only fortunate thing is that today's Monday so I don't think I'll be squeezing in with a bunch of smelly wild young adults. Not that I don't party. I do go to parties but only to a certain club owned by one of my friends from another university.

With the heaviest sigh, I accepted my fate. I made my way out of the classroom. I'm planning on going to the mall to buy me some new clothes and make-up because I think my make-up products are expired for a few weeks already. Good thing I have three hours of free time so might as well use it than spend it to my phone.

Apparently, that guy's in a rock band and he's a bassist. How did I know? He also wrote that information aside from the address on my notebook.

So that explains the tattoos I saw in his right arm earlier. If he's so smug then he would've had the guts to show it earlier in class.

Tsk. First time meeting him and I already have this passionate hatred against him.