"Thank you for shopping please come again," the cashier beamed to Jeah as she handed her the receipt. Jeah politely returned her smile and started her journey back to her apartment which was just two blocks away from the mall. She couldn't wait to modify her newly bought phone.
When she arrived home, her first task was to open the box that contained the gadget. She really didn't expext having a new phone anytime soon, but her old phone loved her too much that it decided to dive with her in a lake. Okay, she was just too excited to swim that she has forgotten the device in her pocket. However, that is not much of a concern now that her new phone is in her hands. It wasn't the latest version but she preferred it than her old, constantly crashing phone.
Maybe it was just meant to be like that, her destroying her own phone to finally be able to convince her parents to buy her a new one. Everything has a reason and as shallow as it may sound, this--for sure--has a reason.
It was three thirty when Thea has stirred from sleep due to thirst. The night before, she has set an alarm at six a.m. so she'd wake up on time. Her digital alarm clock was out of batterries and her natural skill in procastination had helped to let it stay that way. So she's going to use her phone for the first time.
It took her three minutes to locate her slippers that's been kicked under her bed. She then went out of her room to get water from the refrigerator. Lifting her head up a little bit to be at ease while drinking, she saw the wall clock strike four o'clock. Contrary to what was displayed on her phone, it still says 3:30. Jeah didn't spare too much thought on it, she could have typed in the wrong time while setting her phone the night before. She went back to her room, set her phone on time, made sure her alarm was on time, before finally tucking herself back to sleep.
The next morning, she came to school out of breathe, barely making it into the room before Mister Kang gets in. Her alarm didn't make a single sound. She woke up through the sun touching her face, she grabbed her phone only to see it displaying the wrong time again. It said 00:45, totally pissing Thea off when it's clearly almost seven. Unfortunately, there was no time for her to show her anger. She's late for goodness' sake!
"Miss Jang Jae Rin, you are late," the venom from Mr. Kang's voice was evident when he entered the room but Jeah has a strong anti-venom. One doesn't say her korean name like it's the most normal thing to do. So she turned around to face the wrinkled man with the same intesity of hate in her eyes.
"With all due respect, but that is none of your business because one, the last time I checked you aren't my adviser so you have nothing to do with any student in this room coming in almost late and two, I came a second before eight o'clock therefore I am not late for your class nor for the day, Mr. Kang," she said stressing the correct words to inflict the annoyance yet masked it with a sweet and respectful voice.
The teacher was boiling but he knew he'd appear more stupid than what Jeah has already made him look like--not that he's smart in the first place--if he dare to utter an answer to the young lady. He decided to start with his class by presenting an equation nobody has an idea how to derive and will surely not be explained.
It was lunch break when Jeah heard some girls bickering about nonsense, and as a normal member of the female species, she finds entertainment in gossiping--or listening to people gossip at the very least.
So these girls were talking about this new guy who participated in the first aid seminar held this morning and how tall and good-looking this guy is. She found the conversation among the girls boring and uninteresting, however two things are running in her mind. How did I not know about that seminar? Damn, I could have been exempted from the whole morning's class!
She was stuck in her thoughts when the whole cafeteria shushed. Suddenly crickets could be heard roaming around. Jeah knew who has entered the place, it was Nam Jung Hyun the egoistic guy from section 4-F. Although this guy's head was clearly made of air, a lot of girls swoon over him because of his looks and as gossip says, he's good in bed. However his post-sex is known to be a complete failure due to his salivary glands. They seem to be water falls when he sleeps, they say. Jeah was in 4-B so she never had an interaction except that one time when she kicked him in the balls.
It was a rainy Friday during their second year in high school and Jeah was assigned to mop the floor that week. She was with a few classmates that time, one who's listening to music and the other who's a nerd, typical victim of bullying. So the three of them were inside and the other two was arranging the desk when Hyun went inside the room with his mud-coated shoes and made way to the little nerd. The moment Jeah laid eyes on the mud his shoes left on the newly mopped floor, she knew there was no way the kid was getting out without an injury. So she ran to the guy, reaching him before he could grab the nerd, and kicked him straight to where it hurts the most. From then on, Jung Hyun had always held anger against Jeah Jung but kept a safe distance.
Jeah heard the girl from the other table gasp making her head shot up and look at the direction the other girl was looking at. She saw an unfamiliar guy being held by Jung Hyun's clique. Jung Hyun looks like he was about to throw a punch and the unfamiliar guy was doing everything to get away from the strong grip on him. Tsk, not the best way to be welcomed.
For some reason, she stood up from her table bringing her coke in can with her. She then made her journey to Nam Jung Hyun's location before she shouted,
"HEY POTATO BRAIN!"
Everyone's attention were directed to her as she prepared for her attack.
"Take this." She said before throwing the newly opened can to the guy and the fact that she shaked it before opening became more satisfying.
She didn't spend another second standing on her place. She walked towards the door behind the guy who still haven't recovered from being soaked with soda. Just when she was about to walk past him and the other guy they planned on bullying, her phone beeped so she fished it from her pocket not once pausing. When she checked her phone it said: 00:00.
There was only one thought in her mind. Huh?
