Love-ish~~ | | Hwang Hyunjin

26. Elusive. Mysterious. Like Batman.

Kari's POV:

I wiped the last bit of sticky strawberry residue from my cheek with a wet paper towel in the girl's bathroom. I stared at my reflection. My hair was slightly damp, my blazer smelled like a sugar factory, and my heart was hammering against my ribs.

I had done it. I had actually said the words.

I think I like you.

And he had responded by turning into a human fountain.

"Okay," I whispered to the mirror. "It's fine. He was shocked. He's waiting for me. We're going to talk like adults."

I threw the paper towel in the bin, took a deep breath, and marched back into the library.

I walked to outside.

The table was empty.

The books were gone. The half-empty milkshake cup was gone. The only evidence that Hwang Hyunjin had ever been there was a single, lonely napkin fluttering on the floor and the lingering scent of embarrassment.

He literally ran away.

I stood there, blinking at the empty chair. "You have got to be kidding me."

~

The Next Morning

I walked into school with a mission. Find Hyunjin. Corner Hyunjin. Make Hyunjin speak.

I scanned the courtyard. It was bustling with students, but a certain tall, dramatic boy was nowhere to be seen.

"Looking for your boyfriend?" Ryujin appeared beside me, munching on an apple.

I flinched. "He's not my boyfriend."

"Yet", she smirked. "So? Did you confess?"

I froze. I couldn't tell her that I did confess and he ran away like a criminal. That was too embarrassing. "No," I lied quickly. "I... haven't found the right time."

"Well, you better hurry," Ryujin pointed toward the bike racks. "Because he's acting weird. Even for him."

I followed her gaze.

A group of new students was walking together. In the middle of the group, trying to look short, was Hyunjin. He had his jacket over his head to hide his face.

He was moving exactly like the new students. When they stepped left, he stepped left.

"What is he doing?" I asked, horrified.

Seungmin walked up behind us, adjusting his glasses. "Ah. The 'Camouflaged Llama' technique. A rare survival instinct triggered only by extreme cowardice."

"Whatever. Is he... hiding from me?" I whispered.

"He's hiding from reality," Seungmin corrected. "Look at him. He looks like a giraffe trying to join a penguin colony."

I marched toward the bike racks. "Hyunjin!"

Hyunjin froze. The new students stopped. Hyunjin slowly turned his head toward me. The jacket still covered his face. He didn't speak. He just pointed at the sky to distract me, and then he ran.

He ran very fast, his jacket flapping behind him.

"HE'S FAST!" one of the students yelled.

I stood there, jaw dropped. "Seriously?"

"Amazing," Seungmin commented dryly. "Like a deer on roller skates."

~

I walked into the classroom. Hyunjin was at his desk.