His eyes were the first things that caught my attention.
The were dark brown, almost black, but they sparkled with youth and joy. To me, it was unique. I've never seen anyone's eyes like that, they were so captivating. The first time I saw his eyes was when he and his group of friends entered the main hallway, seven of them ambling to their lockers. He happened to be in my class, and happened to take the spot in front of me. The teacher never told us to introduce ourselves, so I never caught his name, but he and his friends were so good-looking, they eventually became famous within the school.
His name was Jeon Jeongguk, and he was notorious for playing with girls' hearts.
Jeongguk never struck me as the type to mess around, he looked like an innocent good boy. But never judge a book by its cover, of course. The year passed by fast and not once has he ever turned around to talk or look at me. Surprisingly, we were in the same class for the second year. He was seated to my right, and one of his friends named Taehyung was seated in front of me.
Taehyung and I got along easily, his eyes were intriguing. They were playful and mysterious, but you could always tell what he was feeling. Jeongguk and Taehyung talked often, but Jeongguk treated me as if I was invisible. Taehyung would always roll his eyes when Jeongguk doesn't respond to anything related to me and ruffle the boy's black windswept hair after a short lecture.
Today, it was 13 October 2015. I was surprised when Jeongguk's voice called out for my name in a shy whisper. "D-Do you have an extra pen?" He asked, his sparkling eyes staring at me from under his fringe. I nodded and handed him my new pen, taking the almost empty one for myself.
His eyes had struck me again.
Jeongguk thanked me with a warm smile, which was different from how he always treated me. He had always acted differently when Taehyung was around. After class, Jeongguk had tapped on my shoulder with a small smile playing on his lips, thumping his timberlands on the floor softly as he played with my pen in between his fingers.
"I.. Do you want to have lunch together?" He meekly asked, his other hand playing with the hem of his white, loose sweater. "Sure." I chirped, a bit too overjoyed at the fact that Jeongguk had asked me to join him for lunch.
His eyes had shined like black beads when I agreed, his infamous smile creeping onto his lips. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he grinned at me, his front teeth making him resemble a rabbit. "Cool, is it fine if Jimin came too?" I nodded, mimicking his bright smile.
Jeongguk's eyes gleamed, and I thought that was what it felt like to be alive. My heart rammed against my chest, begging to burst free like in the cartoons. I couldn't think straight, it was as if I was high. My lips wouldn't stop stretching into a smile no matter how much I tried to stop, and my cheeks burnt like someone placed hot packs on them.
Jeongguk guided me to the cafeteria and the spark in his eyes died a little once he spotted Taehyung. It might sound weird, but I was concerned. The sparkle in his eyes assured me that everything was fine with him, and I wish that spark never died. Taehyung stood up once he saw us entering the cafeteria, smiling at us with his regular rectangular grin.
"Hyung, I thought you didn't come to school today?" Jeongguk frowned at Taehyung who was delighted to see me joining him and Jimin for lunch. Their other friends were older so they had lunch later. "No, I just got pushed down a course so I can't take the same classes as you two. I'm with Jimin now." He explained, happy that he was with his closest friend despite being knocked down a course.
Jeongguk's mouth formed an 'o' while I pouted. "You don't like spending time with Jeongguk and I?" Taehyung chuckled and ruffled my hair, which earned a glare from Jeongguk. "It's not that, don't take it the wrong way." He assured me, his eyes becoming mere slits as he smiled.
"It's fine, hyung, I'll keep her company."
