ー章.
michi decided not to go to school the next morning.
she was shook. still feeling sick and miserable from whatever stomach bug she had caught the day before, but also felt confused and blank on the situation she'd encountered with jeongguk the day before.
he'd asked her to be his girlfriend. he'd actually done it. she didn't think a day like this would ever come. wasn't prepared for it. she knew he liked her ー he'd confessed to her ー but this was different.
he loved her, or so he claimed. she hoped he was only confused. hoped he was just joking around; had a feeling he was serious.
that bothered her more than anything. the fact that he was probably serious. she reread the text messages they shared, felt a little bad for rejecting him. but she herself wasn't even sure how she felt about him.
i think i love you, too. was that all a lie?
"i'm going out." she heard her mother say once peeking her head into her room. "you went out yesterday. why can't you stay here with me?" michi asks, voice monotone.
"because . . . you're a nuisance." those were her last word before she exited her room, eventually exiting the house. she bit her lip. the words stung her heart like a jellyfish, but she simply sat up.
michi eyed her bathing suit hanging up on her closet door. the same magenta colored one. she wasn't sweltering anymore, could probably wear the sweater that went with it. no – decided to wear the blue sweater instead. it looked better with the color of her bathing suit.
michi: wanna come to the beach?
she hoped he wouldn't respond. she prayed he wouldn't. but she should've know he'd always respond. responded just as quick as she'd sent the text message.
dead boy: no
stubborn, she thought.
michi: still mad?
dead boy: yes
michi: sorry
michi: we can talk about it
michi: i'm still sick.
dead boy: then you shouldn't be going out when it's breezy like this
dead boy: you'll get a cold
dead boy: difficult girl.
she smiles. "a cold, huh? why do you care so much, dead boy."
michi: please.
dead boy: okay.
dead boy: don't stand me up
dead boy: like you did at starbucks
michi: hm.
her phone began to ring as soon as jeongguk had read the text message, but it was him who was calling. it was yoongi. "hello?"
"you're not at school. you okay?" he asks sounding concerned. "i'm fine. why are you calling, you should be in class." she says. "is there a chance i can stop by after school? so we can study again? this time i wanna work on my english. there's an exchange student from america. she's really pretty."
"and you want to talk to her, right?"
"precisely."
michi nods, continues to chew on her lip, "okay. call me when you're on your way because i might be sleeping. have a good rest of the day."
"but why aren't you at school?"
"i'm sick."
"you don't sound sick." he points out. it's then where michi breaks out into a wide smile, blush immediately crawling on to her cheeks. she plops down on her bed, on her back. "no, i don't, but," she starts, "i'm honestly sick."
"something happened. is it concerning jeongguk? i feel like i can nearly hear your fucking smile." he scoffs.
"nothing important."
