Trouble

Strangers

"She's new here and we need to help her to feel comfortable."

"Maybe we can ask her to sit with us during lunch?" I pondered at Young's suggestion and nodded.

"I'll ask her in Psychology," I tell Tan Young as we walk to school at a slow pace. Since it was situated on top of a big hill, our school was a work out to get to. So every morning I needed someone's company to walk up the hill. Otherwise, chances were I would never make it up there. Our school, well, college, was one of the best in South Korea for Arts. I was studying political science, but there were people who were studying music, advertising, communications, and business. Young, in fact, was studying high literature. She lived quite a while away from me but I mused she had stayed at her grandmother's house which was quite close to where I live. 

"What's her name again?" Young asked as we braced our hands on our knees and breathed deeply. Despite the school being the best, it really was a task to walk to and fro. 

"Oh Seong," I say between gasps. Her eyes turn to even narrowers slits as she tries to recollect having heard of her. 

"She came back from Japan after 5 years a few weeks ago," I tell her without her having asked me. 

"Wow, I wish I could live in Japan." She said with a dreamy look in her eyes. 

"Don't start with this again," Young was obsessed with anime and she took every opportunity she got to remind all of us how much Japan was better than Korea. 

"You know in Tokyo the average size of a bedroom is 150 square meters," She supplied as we resumed our hike. 

"And you still want to live there?" I asked her with disdain in my voice. 

"It's beautiful, okay?" She says, slapping me playfully on my shoulder. I raise my hands in defense. 

"So, what happened with Jae yesterday? You went to talk to him, correct?" She asked, tilting her head towards me to get a better look at my expression.

"I wanted to talk to him," I dipped my head down so she wouldn't be able to see the redness, "but I decided against it. I shouldn't like him." 

"I have been telling you this for 3 years." She said, smiling sadly at me.

"How long have I been telling you not to live in Japan?" I supplied with a similar expression on my face. Her eyes glistened with pity as she tried to work her way around my argument. 

-

"Hey, Seong," I scream through the corridor as I hurry towards the bobbing head. I hold onto my backpack with one hand so it doesn't fly around too much. I slow down as I reach her. She had stopped and was smiling at me as I came to a stop. "What's up?", I ask her. 

"I'm sleepy," She said simply. I laughed and joined her on her walk to class.

"Do you want to sit with my friends and me during lunch? We can help you figure some of the things out," I asked her as we reached Room 103, our classroom for Psychology. 

"That's so nice. Thanks," She said as she held the door open for me. 

"No problem," I say, moving to the back of the class towards my designated seat. She sat in the front, on the only empty desk. 

I sat down, removing my books and revising before the teacher entered. I was halfway through my notes when I heard the classroom door open, and slam against the wall. I looked up startled. It was Jee Jae Ahn. 

I sighed, looking back into my book. 

"Eun," He said aloud, leaning against the door frame. 

I continued to ignore him as the tips of my ears began to go red. A few girls whispered, possibly about both of us. I closed my eyes at the possibilities of all the rumors that were being sparked in their brain. Jae personally came to our class today. He asked Eun out. Eun loves him.