Diaries of a Distance

Chapter 5

Wednesday, 18th August...

It is only my 3rd day in this school yet I have already been associated with the words: the-pretty-dumb-girl-with-the-accent. That is what the whole school knows me as. OK. I'm suffering at school because I can't understand the technical language properly, not because I really am dumb. In Australia I ace every subject. Now, here, just because I ask a few questions, can't answer a few, or sit there with a face like (@.@), the dumb-pretty-girl thing starts again. Most of the time when people assume me a Korean bimbo I sit there fighting with myself.

Just explain everything to them!

No. You can't. They're going to start taking advantage that you're an exchange student..

At least they won't think you're stupid anymore.

Yes they will. They'll think you're even more stupid.

OK. Calm down. Just ignore them and walk away.

Hit them.

No Taekwondo unless for self defence.

This is self defence.

Right. OK.

And then I usually just ignore the bullies and turn away.

Soo Jin supposedly was trying to comfort me whilst we were all walking on the concrete path along the bushes to our classroom. The bushes were quite short, at least not tall enough to cover the classroom windows so that light could get in. "Don't worry, they won't get over you too soon."

"Soo Jin", Tae Hee said disapprovingly. "They will eventually... I think."

I smiled awkwardly and continued twisting my pen between my index and middle finger the way I usually do when I'm thinking. I got a little carried away with it and it spun out of my fingers and rolled onto the floor, right into the row of bushes. I quickly got down on all fours and peered through the small gap in the bushes. There it was, lying against the wall of a classroom in which the bushes lined.

"I'll grab my pen, you girls go off first", I said to Tae Hee, Soo Jin, Da Ni and Mi Mi.

"You sure you know the way?" Da Ni asked me.

I nodded. Truthfully, I didn't memorise the exact way but it should be easy to find my way around.

"OK", they all said and went away.

I went all the way back to where the bushes started and slipped behind the bushes where there was a 30cm gap between the classrooms' walls and itself. I kept gliding along the wall until I found my black pen.

There you are! I picked it up.

Hmmm. I know this is the row of classrooms for all the seniors. One peek wouldn't hurt. I cautiously and curiously looked through the bottom corner of the window right behind me. It happened to be the very back window of a classroom. The single desks were arranged into five columns and were all filled with senior students, who seemed to be in the middle of a math class. The male teacher was at the front of the classroom, writing notes up on the board.

Something caught my attention- the highlighted, ruffled, short hair at the back of the classroom. Sitting there lazily in the last row in the middle seat was Park Jae Wook, looking extremely bored. To his left was Dong Wook, and next to him was who I recognised as Eun Won. The guy named Sang Woo sat to the right of Jae Wook and Ki Tae was in the seat closest to the window.

The bell rang. I was about to leave when I saw Jae Wook nudge Dong Wook and say something. They were sniggering and looked very mischievous. I stood glued to the spot to see what they were up to, which I'm sure they were up to something.