"...and you are absolutely gonna hate math classes. I'm serious, Bauer is the most annoying professor ever." My friend, who was already accustomed to life at university, was explaining everything to me while we were walking to our first classes of the semester. While she was speaking I observed our surroundings. We were passing through a small campus garden when I noticed something odd. "Of course, you don't need to worry since you've got my notes from last year." I halted.
"Shuri?" I interrupted her monologue. "Is it just me or is that guy over there talking to plants?" Shuri turned her focus to the place I was watching.
"Huh? Yeah...don't mind him. Let's go, you don't wanna be late on your first day, do you?" She walked away. I kept staring at the boy as he carefully touched a leaf of the plant. I jumped a little when he suddenly turned around and looked right at me but immediately looked away with wide eyes like a frightened animal. "C'mon, Min!" Shuri shouted at me. I turned at her realizing she was already far ahead of me and jogged to her, leaving the boy behind.
We were having a lunch together at canteen, gossiping while eating, when I noticed familiar out-grown blonde messy hair at the far end of the room.
"Hey, Shuri, do you happen to know that dude from the morning? You know, that one talking to plants." I was looking at him as he sat there alone facing a window, eating.
"Ehm, yeah...everybody knows him. He's a local weirdo. Same year as me. Why are you asking?" She raised one brow at me.
"I'm just curious." I shrugged. "What's his name?"
"Yujang...Hyujaeng...I don't know, something like that. Who cares anyhow?" Shuri dismissed the topic and kept eating. I couldn't help but stare at him. He seems so timid. He was actually at one of my classes today. Probably repeating it since it's not his first year. He was sitting as far away from everyone as possible back then as well. I guess, he really is strange. I mean, who talks to plants, right? I should focus on more important things than some guy I don't even know.
Yes, Minha, it was definitely a great idea to purchase all these books at once. You couldn't have got few now and few later. Why would you even think about something like that? It's obviously better to carry them all at once. They are not heavy at all and you can perfectly see where you're going.
I was coursing myself for being so stupid while trying to get the books to the dorms before my arms fall off. I barely saw in front of me, trying not to trip on anything. However, it wouldn't be me if I hadn't hit something. I stumbled, balancing the books.
"No, no, no! Please, don't fall. Don't fall!" I was chanting as if it was supposed to miraculously hold the books at place. While I was at it I heard another voice.
"NaRi!" The person sounded desperate which threw me off balance even more and all the books fell down along with me. When I slumped on the floor, my vision ridden off the books, I saw the weird boy kneeling in front of me panicking over a plant pot. It was lying on the floor sideways, the soil spilled out. "NaRi." The boy whined. Is he talking to the plant again? Did he name it? His hands were shaking above the pot. I crawled closer to him and reached out for the pot to pick it up. "Don't touch her!" He yelled at me. I fell back as he suddenly raised his voice at me.
"I'm-I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to..." I apologized.
"Whatever." He snapped back and swept as much of the mold as possible back to the pot. Is he...crying? I watched him as he carefully handled the pot, tear running down his face. "Watch where you're going next time!" He looked at me with red eyes for a second and then quickly left. Was he really crying because of the flower?
