love me // i.jb

02 (2)

It was almost the end of the first day of school. Solmi was preoccupied with her work, ignoring the fact that the bell was about to ring. From time to time, she would look up and stare at Chaehwan's empty seat beside her. It seems that she had found a valuable excuse to not have to clean the classroom.

"Alright everyone, pack your things, you can leave for today. Solmi, don't forget to clean the classroom. Also, I heard that Chaehwan had an appointment today so Jaebum is replacing her?" The homeroom teacher asked while everyone was packing their bags.

Jaebum quickly confirmed, just before the bell rang. Their classmates hurriedly left the room and the teacher did too, after reminding them to show her the result before leaving.

Her friend was pushing the desks to the back of the class while she had gone to fetch water to mop the floor. She could hear the creaking of the desks even when she was so far from the class.

Solmi was filling up the bucket and repeating a small monologue she was planning to say to Jaebum. She wanted so much to confess her true feelings before the inevitable move.

When she came back, Solmi slid open the door to find a single desk with two chairs in the middle of the classroom. Jaebum was sitting in one of the chairs, motioning for her to join him. She was confused at first but sat down anyways.

"Since we're both here, let's talk." He smiled. "There's something bothering you, right?"

She nodded faintly, trying her best to stay cheerful. After all, it was Jaebum's birthday, she had no right to cry.

"Yeah, but it's nothing... Let's just finish up, okay?" She replied hesitantly.

Solmi stood up, meeting eyes with Jaebum who didn't seem convinced. She turned around but before she could head for the mop, Jaebum held her back by grabbing her wrist.

He was standing up as well now. "Solmi, talk to me."

"But it's your birthday, I shouldn't be complaining."

"C'mon, it's fine with me, you complain all the time anyway." He joked as they both sat down.

There was a silence. It was a comfortable silence. A silence they both enjoyed and appreciated. The sun was making large shadows against the walls of the class and the sky was a mix of many colors. Jaebum was waiting patiently for her to start talking. Solmi took a deep breath.

"I'm scared of moving. New people, new lifestyle, new school, new friends. I'm not ready for that many new things. And I don't want to leave everything behind. There is so much that I don't want to leave behind." She sighed. "I don't want to leave...you."

Jaebum looked surprised by Solmi's words. Did she really say that, he wondered.

"What...do you mean?"

"What do you think of me, Jaebummie?"

Solmi could see that he was analyzing the situation before he answered.

"Well, I've always liked you."

"Good, because I like you too." She smiled.

There was a short silence where Solmi blushed, unable to think of anything else to say. She promptly got up from her seat and took her backpack. The teenager could feel Jaebum's gaze follow her every move.