{MiChaeng} When I'm Gone

When I'm Gone

[texting conversation between Mina and Chaeyoung]

SChae: hey, you on?

MMina: yep. why?

SChae: I dunno. at school today...

you ok?

I mean

u looked pretty

idk

pale

MMina: oh

...

Mina is typing...

yeah

i've been kind of tired lately

mom said i was pale, too

guess i'm catching the bug that's going around

SChae: better not.

midterms are coming up

MMina: ik

i studied so hard

i can't miss it

SChae: ok

i have to do homework

ill talk later, k?

MMina: sure

[end of conversation]

She's not here. Chaeyoung looked around the classroom and noticed that her usually very punctual friend was nowhere to be seen. She must be really sick if she didn't come. Mina was a straight-A student who could never break the rules and always stayed on the safe side of things, which is probably why most of their classmates called her "no-jam". Chaeyoung didn't care. Mina was fun and goofy when they were alone, but tended to clam up in public, and also a reason why she didn't have many friends.

"Class is starting," the instructor tapped her ruler on the desk to bring order. "We will begin with Math, then head on to Korean, English, History, Geography, Social Studies, and so forth," she announced as she scribbled the timetable on the board behind her.

It's just so odd... Chaeyoung thought as she pulled out her pens and textbook. I'll message her later.

She walked out of the classroom at the end of the day and stretched her arms. It felt good to get the stiffness out of her joints after sitting all day going over quadratic equations and the history of lower paleolithic eras. Then she remembered what she had been meaning to do all day. Message Mina.

SChae: Hey

....

how are u?

you werent in class

Mina is tying...

MMina: hey

yeah

sry about that

i really wasn't feeling well today

so my mom made me stay home

my immune system still

hasn't recharged from my last cold, I guess

i'll probably be there tomorrow, and if not.. .

i'll text you first

SChae: oh

ok

yeah

ttyl

It seemed like Mina was sick for a couple more days, and it made Chaeyoung anxious; she felt a bit lonely without her best friend to talk to, and the walk home from school was especially lonesome. They hadn't even messaged each other recently and it made her worry too much. Hopefully, she'd get better soon and they would make up all the lost time.