CLICHÉD

C-2

C-2

"Noona!"

I see Jisung waving at me from the other side of the hallway. I'm at my locker organising my things before going home.

"Hi, Han," I greet him when he's finally in front of me, slightly panting because he ran.

"Wanna go home together? I'm not going anywhere with my friends today," he says.

"Sure, let me just finish this." I zip my bag and close my locker. "Let's go."

We walked side by side to the bus stop and after a few minutes, the bus arrived and we entered and paid. There is only one seat left so I stand by it and hold onto the safety strap above.

"No! You can have the seat," Jisung says.

"Are you sure?"

He nods and smiles, so I sit down as he stands beside me.

Han Jisung is my neighbour. He's like a little brother to me and my parents like him a lot since he's the one who helped me adjust at school when we moved to the city. Sometimes I call him Han because he told me he likes that nickname even when it's just his last name.

I'm only forty-four days older than him but he keeps on calling me 'noona' so I just let him. I don't even know why.

"Have you heard?" he suddenly asks as we step out of the bus once it announces our stop.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure but our classmates were talking about someone from class D being transferred to our class," he says. "Who do you think it is? I heard the student has a connection that's why he's being upgraded to the top section."

"I have no idea. I don't really know a lot of our schoolmates," I say as we step in front of my gate.

"That's true," he says. "It's like a miracle when I saw you eating alone in the classroom earlier. Where have you been staying?"

"Oh, um... It's currently too crowded there."

I sigh in relief when I reply without stuttering. I hate lying, but I don't know what else to tell Jisung. Although it's not exactly a lie! I just can't say that I'm not going to the rooftop anymore because I'm avoiding Lee Minho's nerve-wracking presence that's enough to fill a whole room.

"Wanna have lunch with me?"

"You don't mind?"

"Of course not, I like having you around!" He scratches his nape. "I mean, your lunch looks really good!"

"Then I'll make some for you too. What dishes do your friends like?"

"Why don't we stay in the classroom? Just us."

"I actually want to try the cafeteria food at least once. I've never had it."

"Trust me, it sucks!"

I giggle at his grimace. "Okay then. Two bentos for me and you."

"Thanks!" He smiles as he walks towards their house that's right beside ours. "Bye, noona!"

"Bye, Han!" I wave and go inside mine.

After entering the door, I take off my shoes and make sure there's no dust on the ground before wearing my inside slippers. My mother doesn't like it when we wear shoes inside--a typical Asian household.

"I'm home!"

"Welcome back, sis," my cousin greets me as he puts down the magazine he was reading.

"Where's mum? Isn't it her day-off?"

"She went grocery shopping with uncle. They'll be home anytime now."

Just then, we hear someone shouting as a car pulls into the garage. "Yuta! Help me get the groceries out of the car!"

He scratches his head as he looks at me. "I bet she bought the whole shop again."

"Let's get it!"

We headed to the garage and helped my parents take the things inside. After that, I change out of my uniform and run back to the kitchen to help prepare the meals.

"How are you so good at this?" My dad peers at the soup Yuta is stirring and sighs at his fried rice that's a little too brown.

"Is that even edible?" Mum teases him.

"Can you believe that Y/n taught me? She used to make the stuff so salty that you can still taste it three days later." My older cousin sticks his tongue out.

"That was one time!" I try to defend myself as they all laugh.

Since I have no friends, I always look forward to eating with my whole family. It's my favourite hangout. The cook will normally prepare our meals, but not when my parents and cousin have the day-off. I'm alone most days of the week since they're always busy so I cherish these moments.

Both of my parents work and they're always busy. My Japanese cousin who I consider as my own brother is a trainee in one of the biggest entertainment companies in South Korea, but he lives in a dorm and only visits a few times a month irregularly.

Then there's me...

I'm a law-abiding student in my last year of high school with above-average grades and a very mundane and normal life.