A dull ache pulsed in his head as Hyun Woo stirred awake in the infirmary. Moaning softly, he sat up slowly, squinting as the harsh fluorescent light assaulted his vision. The school nurse, a woman with a kind smile and perpetually worried eyes rushed over to his side, taking his temperature and checking his reflexes.
"How did I get here?" he mumbled, the words thick with sleep and a dull ache behind his eyes.
A memory flickered, sharp and painful – the ball.
Oh God...did he seriously get knocked out in front of Hong Hae-in?
Pouting silently, he slumped back in bed, a defeated groan escaping his lips. Just as he was about to drown in self-pity, the school nurse handed him a folded note.
"The girl who followed you here told me to give you this when you woke up," she explained with a chuckle. "She wouldn't leave until I assured her you weren't dying. Is she your girlfriend? Don't let Mr Choi catch you, young man. He has a strict policy against PDA on school grounds."
Hyun Woo sputtered, cheeks burning despite the cool compress on his forehead. The idea of Hong Hae-in being his girlfriend sent a pleasant flutter through his stomach, but that wasn't the point.
The point was, he had fainted. In front of her. In front of the girl he wanted to impress.
His first impression was officially a disaster. Who, in their right mind, would want to date someone as clumsy and useless as him? Dejected, he buried his face in his hands, mourning the loss of his first impression.
Ugh, he was a mess!
Oh, but she did leave a note...
The note!
Curiosity gnawed at him, finally prompting him to unfold the note in his hand. As he read the neat handwriting, a smile bloomed back on his face. He was already smitten.
Even her handwriting was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Baek Hyun Woo,
I feel partly responsible for this incident. If you need to go to the hospital, I'll cover the expenses. You can contact me at 010-1031-2222.
– Hong Hae-in
He grinned. He had her number!
Fainting in front of Hong Hae-in suddenly didn't seem so bad. It might not have been the smoothest move, but if it meant getting Hong Hae-in's contact, he would gladly take a million hits.
Suddenly, the cursed ball didn't seem so bad after all.
His moment of triumph was short-lived. Minutes later, his parents burst through the door, worry etched on their faces.
"Aigoo, what happened to you?" His mother fussed, rushing to his side.
"Eomma," Hyun Woo smiled like a fool.
His mother's eyes widened almost comically in alarm. "Wae? Did the ball hit you so hard that you've become an idiot?" She asked in confusion.
"Ani, it's the happiest day in my life." Hyun Woo declared.
His mother threw her husband a panicked look. "Yeobo, I think we should take him to the hospital. Uri Hyun Woo is not in his right mind now."
His father nodded solemnly. "Eomma's right. Hyun Woo-ah, you're not making sense."
"Eomma, appa, I'm being serious. I'm fine. Let's go home."
Without another word, Hyun Woo hopped off the bed, giddy with excitement, and spun around before making a dash for the door.
YOU ARE READING
The Gimbap Project
FanfictionIt's so high school at Hanil Foreign Language High School with a new addition in the middle of the semester. Baek Hyun Woo, a Year 3 transfer student in his final year of high school meets Hong Hae-in, a Year 2 student who is the future heiress of Q...
