The cafeteria was bustling, filled with the usual clatter of trays and the murmur of conversations that seemed to blend into an indistinguishable hum. I navigated through the crowd, barely paying attention to the faces around me. They were all the same, faces I had seen for years but never truly knew. It didn’t matter; I had no interest in knowing them, and they had no interest in knowing me. That was how I preferred it.
As I approached my usual table in the far corner, a slight sense of relief washed over me. Here, at least, was a small island of solitude in this sea of noise. The table was tucked away, almost hidden from view, which suited me just fine. It was where I could eat in peace, away from prying eyes and unwanted attention.
I sat down, placing my lunch on the table. As I opened the container, I couldn’t help but replay the events of the morning in my head. Mr. Kim Seok Jin. Just thinking about his name made my jaw clench. Why did he pick me as class president? Even when the entire class was against it, he insisted. What was he trying to prove? It was like he deliberately chose to ignore everyone’s objections just to annoy me.
I stabbed at my food, suddenly not very hungry. “He’s driving me up the wall,” I muttered under my breath. All I wanted was to eat, maybe close my eyes for a bit, and try to forget about this whole mess. But as soon as I took the first bite, a voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Looks like you don’t have any friends.”
The voice was calm, almost teasing, and it sent a jolt of irritation down my spine. I turned around, and there he was—Mr. Kim Seok Jin, standing there with that infuriatingly calm expression, as if he had all the time in the world to pester me.
My eyes narrowed as I assessed him. What was he doing here? Did he really have nothing better to do than bother me during lunch? “Yeah... Got any problem?” I replied, my voice colder than the metal of the spoon I was gripping tightly in my hand. I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, especially not with him.
“Nothing... I just—” he began, his tone still polite, but I had no patience for whatever he was about to say. The way he was speaking, it felt like he was trying to be friendly, and that irritated me even more.
“Look, Mr. Kim.” I cut him off sharply, my eyes locking onto his. I wasn’t going to let him play whatever game he thought he was playing. “I know you’re handsome and freaking hot. But let’s get something straight.” My voice was hard, each word precise and deliberate, like the cutting edge of a blade. “You made me class president for no good reason, and it doesn’t mean I’m going to be kind and good to you.”
I leaned forward slightly, letting the full weight of my words sink in. “You should’ve listened to the others. I’m not interested in this kind of thing. I’m always cold, and no one talks to me. So you BETTER STAY AWAY FROM ME.” I emphasized the last part, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. I wanted him to understand that I wasn’t someone to be trifled with, and I wasn’t about to play along with whatever idea he had in his head.
Mr. Kim’s eyes widened just a fraction, but he quickly recovered, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Okay, okay, cool,” he said, his tone still maddeningly calm. It was as if he wasn’t taking me seriously, and that only fueled the fire of my annoyance.
For a moment, we just stared at each other, a silent battle of wills. My heart was pounding in my chest, not from fear, but from anger. How could he be so infuriatingly relaxed? Didn’t he get that I didn’t want anything to do with him or this stupid class president role?
After what felt like an eternity, I took a deep breath, forcing myself to regain control. “I guess I owe you something for ‘helping’ me,” I muttered, my voice laced with sarcasm. I rummaged through my bag and found a scrap of paper, hastily writing down my number. “Here.” I shoved the paper into his hand. “This is my number. Since you’re new here, you can contact me if there’s an emergency or if you need help. But only for emergencies, okay?”
He took the paper, his expression softening slightly, but I didn’t miss the flicker of something else in his eyes—was that disappointment? “Yeah, sure,” he replied, but there was a hint of something off in his voice.
“Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to finish my lunch in peace.” I turned back to my food, hoping he would finally take the hint and leave me alone. “And by the way, I prefer texts over phone calls.”
I heard him shift behind me, and for a brief moment, I thought he might actually leave without another word. But something gnawed at me, a nagging thought that wouldn’t go away. I wasn’t sure why, but I couldn’t let him leave without saying it.
“T-thank you for helping me out there in the class,” I blurted out, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. I cursed myself internally. Why did I stutter? Why did I even feel the need to thank him?
Mr. Kim turned back to face me, and to my surprise, his expression was softer than before. “It’s my duty,” he said, a genuine smile spreading across his lips.
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I looked away quickly, focusing on my lunch as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. That smile—why did it bother me so much? It wasn’t like I cared what he thought of me. I just wanted to be left alone, to get through this semester without any more complications.
As he walked away, I let out a slow breath, trying to steady the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind. I didn’t want this responsibility, I didn’t want to be class president, and I definitely didn’t want to deal with Mr. Kim. But now, it seemed like I didn’t have a choice. He had inserted himself into my life, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t going to leave anytime soon.
“Better stay away from me,” I whispered to myself, a final warning to the universe, though I had the sinking feeling it would go unheeded.
