Illness

3

Cha Jae Hee

I am currently here at the library waiting for my friend Solhee to meet me here. It's been 45 minutes since our last conversation about going to the library and still she's not here. I checked my phone and looked through messages,

Still no reply from her

"Pssh...whatever" I mumbled to myself and went to the bookshelves instead. Really, whats' taking her so long?

I went to the Language Reference section and looked for the right book. While rummaging through the books, suddenly an arm with my red handkerchief appeared infront of me from the shelves. I was shook and hurriedly peeked through the empty part of the shelf and there I saw the guy whom I bumped to this morning. I got the handkercheif from his hand and gazed to him

He's smiling

He then went to me still a smile plastered on his face,
"You dropped your handkercheif this morning" He started
"Yeah...I did not seem to notice that I don't have it with me before" I told him while returning a smile and silence ruled between us,

"Uhuh to make this less awkward, Hi! My names' Jungkook" he said while offering his hand for me
"Ah of course! The names' Jaehee!" I answered and took his hand for a handshake. He then smiled and scanned all the books around us from the shelves, while I'm scanning the book I got
"Language Reference?" He simply asked while leaning against the shelves and shoved his hands inside his pockets. I closed the book and looked up to him
"I'm taking up a degree for Language and Literature so...yeah" I answered while looking around me. I began to walk slowly to search for another reference book
"Woah, but isn't it too tiring to understand english and words?" He asked
"Hmmm...well I love it though...why get tired of it?" I answered him with a grin
"Okay, true though..." he answered. He walked beside me while observing me,
"How 'bout you? What course are you currently taking?" I asked this time but not glancing to him,
"Uhm me? I'm taking up...Broadcasting Arts" He answered but with no hint of sincerity. This time I faced him
"Wait, you deal with words too! Orally though...but still! Not far from my degree" I told him. He then gazed down to the floor and remained silent for a while
"I have a reason though..." he spoke, more like whispered to me that I did not understand him properly
"What do you mean---" I heard someone call my name from behind him. Both me and Jungkook turned our heads
"Jaehee-yah!" Solhee called. She then came near me
"I have been everywhere looking for you! Sorry I came----" she then stopped on her words amd slowly turmed her head towards Jungkook whose confused
"Oh hi there! Uhm Jaehee? Who dis guy?" She whispered the last part,
"Uhm I gotta go Jaehee, nice meeting you! Hoping to meet you again?" He said
"Oh of course! This won't be the last" I assured him and he then bidded goodbye to me and Solhee then left.

"Hey! You did not answered me!" Solhee begged while we're both making our our way out of the university, finally I can rest. We stopped by the waiting shed and waited for a bus
"He's just a friend I met this morning at the hallway, nothing more" I answered her but looking elsewhere
"Omo! Is Jaehee finally moving on?! Kyaaah!" Solhee squealed like a child while shaking arm.
"Calm down Solhee he's just a friend---" I was cut off by my words and my smile swiftly faded away from my lips when I spotted Hakyeon together with his girlfriend and his friends on the other side of the street,

both of them laughing at each other with their hands entwined together

I was hurt by the view and felt a pain in my chest again. I tried to steady myself but then I couldn't take it any longer,
"Jaehee! Jaehee!" Solhee called but then I never did looked back to her. I ran away from the waiting shed instead and made my way far from the university and rode a bus there instead.