Paper Cranes | Park Jimin

4: Small World

Had a human embodiment for each day of the week existed, I would probably befriend Thursday.

I only had three classes and then, I was off for the day. Which meant more time for me to gather ideas and work on my portfolio, or more time to laze off. Whichever worked best on the day itself, I guess.

But obviously, today was not the day to be productive as it seemed that my creativity had long gone to slumber before I even decided to pick my pen up.

With a small sigh, I shut my portfolio close and slumped my head on it. If only I could sleep here already, that would be great. Unfortunately, before I could even try, someone tapped me on my shoulders.

I sat up straight and turned to the source.

"Excuse me, sorry to bother you," said the girl as our eyes met. "Can we share the bench with you?" She gestured to herself then to her companions.

I nodded, giving them a sure-no-problem look and they bent their heads, muttering thanks as they situated themselves on the marbled bench table.

We both went back to our own businesses shortly—me, on my slumped position.

What am I even doing?

I should probably head home already. And eat. Then sleep.

My hunger must have gotten to my head that nothing with sense was coming out of it anymore.

Just as when I decided to leave, I felt a poke on my head.

Did they think I was dead already?

But when I looked up, the girl beside me mirrored the same expectant look. Except that she wasn't looking back at me, but behind me. And there was a hint of shock in her eyes.

"Excuse me."

I heard the same words again, yet the source this time was different.

The voices around me toned down whilst their owner's attentions were directed at the same sight. I had to do a double take to make sure I heard right. To my dismay, the voice was too annoyingly familiar for me to not recognize it.

"Can I excuse Haneul?"

Puffing my cheeks with air, I blew a raspberry. Right at this moment, I could feel their stares. Either they were directed at me or him. Then, I heard murmurs, but they were too low toned that I couldn't understand.

If only he hadn't performed that dance number during the org week, he wouldn't be popular around the university for people to recognize him and have this sort of reaction.

To avoid anything unpleasant to stir up, I stood from my seat.

Of course, I found it somehow strange that despite being in the same university with him, he merely knew me due to his paper crane dilemma. But even so, I had preferred him not to know that I existed in the same square.

Though that would seem more unlikely, since it's a small world. So, I had pretty much braced myself for this day to come—Park Jimin and the Paper Crane Girl stumbling upon each other one unfortunate day.

I just did not expect it to be today.

I clutched my sketchbook to my chest and held onto the strap of my backpack as I shifted on my heel.

"Took you long enough to figure," I mumbled as I went past Park Jimin and his friend, not even sharing eye contact.

I heard him chuckle behind me before he fell in step with me.

"I had to make sure first that I wasn't wrong when I saw you. I also checked your ID to know your name."

His words stepped on my brake. My forehead creased as I stared hard at the ground. How did I not realize he didn't call me 'Paper Crane Girl'?