Ephemera

eighteen

Chapter 18

"Continue what you're doing at home, it's time. Goodbye class." Their class adviser announced after the bell rang.

They all stood up and bowed, "Thank you."

Eunmi looked at the chair, two seats in front of her. She sighed, seeing that Mark's chair was once again empty. It has been a week since she last saw Mark, and that was when they baked.

"Are you okay?" Lucas asked.

Eunmi turned her head towards Lucas, who was busy fixing his things. "Yeah, I just miss him."

"Aww, I'm sure you know what he's up to." Lucas smiled at her.

She nodded, "Yeah, I know. I just can't help myself but to miss him... so bad." She sighed.

"Miss Jung, please stay." Their teacher said when she was about to leave the room.

She nodded, "Lucas, go ahead. Tell them, I'm doing something!" She shouted because Lucas was already outside.

Lucas nodded.

She sat on the chair in front of the teacher's table and waited for their adviser to talk.

"Jung Eunmi, your grades in your past school were high. I don't understand why you chose to be an exchange student?" Her teacher asked.

She cannot find the words to say, as if she has swallowed them all. Right, she is an exchange student...

"My brother is here, I-I... want to be with him... even just for a little while..." She said. She wasn't lying, it was the reason why she left their dad at Incheon. He was supportive, though.

Her teacher nodded, "I don't want to let you go yet, Jung Eunmi. You have an excellent performance here in the university." She sighed. "It's hard to let go of students like you."

Eunmi looked down, "I-I'll be back and finish the school year at Incheon. After it, I'll be asking my father to transfer me here..." She said.

The teacher stood up, and so did Eunmi. She handed her a folded piece of paper, and with a dejected face, her teacher sighed, "Make sure to come back, okay? You're one of my top students... I can't afford to lose you too, like I did with Jiyeon." She looked really sad. "It is all signed."

"Th-thank you..."

***

Eunmi walked towards the cafeteria, her shoulders low, looking down. She wasn't ready to face reality yet.

She entered the cafeteria and saw her friends laughing at their table. Heck, I don't want to go... I'll miss this scene...

She looked at Mark's empty seat and sighed when she realized that she never told him that she wasn't a transferee, but was an exchange student.

She went towards the table and sat on her chair. "Hey guys..." She forced a smile.

"Noona, are you okay?" Jaemin asked.

She looked at him and slowly nodded.

The bubbly atmosphere that they were once sharing before she arrived disappeared. They noticed that Eunmi didn't look good.

"You know, Eunmi-yah, you can force yourself to laugh and smile, but you could never force yourself to be okay." Kun said.

Eunmi looked at Kun and realized that he was right.

She buried her face on her hand and suddenly cried. She wasn't ready to leave them. She wasn't ready to leave him. She wasn't ready to leave at all.

"What happened, Eunmi-yah?" Yeri asked, her face full of concern.

"Lucas, you're her seat mate right? What happened?" Johnny asked.

"She told me to go here first because our teacher called her." Lucas said.

"Teacher?" Jaehyun's eyes widened. He immediately went towards Eunmi and hugged her. "I-It can't be..."

"O-Oppa, I don't want to leave you..." She sobbed on her brother's chest. Jaehyun's uniform was covered with tears now. His tears, and his sister's.

"Leave? What are you saying?" Seulgi asked.

They were starting to be worried.

Taeil handed her a bottle of water and she drank it. She sighed and wiped her tears with the back of her hand, still sobbing.

She suddenly remembered the day she first met them. They were bubbly, and they were a mess. Still a mess for her, up until now, but she will truly miss this. She couldn't help herself but to cry even more.

"G-Guys, everyone..." She started, still having the hiccups that is caused by excessive crying. "N-No matter what happens... no matter wh-what I tell you... please... please don't tell Mark... I'm begging you..." She said, pleading.

They were beyond confused about what's happening. Eunmi suddenly burst into tears and then she's telling them not to tell Mark.

She took a deep breath and sighed, "I'm leaving soon."

This earned a lot of reactions from them, especially the girls.

"Why?!" Yeri exclaimed. Yeri was the closest to Eunmi aside from Mark, Jaehyun and Taeyong. She couldn't believe what she's hearing from her bestfriend right now.

"I'm sorry...." Eunmi looked down and cried.

"Shh..." Jaehyun hugged her.

"Why... why so sudden, noona?" Chenle asked.

She looked at them, "I haven't mentioned it before, I'll be honest." She sighed. "I'm not a transfer student from Incheon. I'm just an exchange student for 3 months..."

"And this month is almost my third month here..." She wiped her tears away.

"What will happen if hyung will know?" Renjun asked, worried.

She sighed, "I don't know..."

Jaehyun looked at his sister worriedly. He knows that she loves Mark too much, and honestly, he can't imagine Mark being alone again.

"It's going to be fine, Eunmi-yah... It's gonna be fine..." Irene rushed towards her and gave her a hug.

Eunmi hugged back and sobbed. Once Irene let go of her, she smiled at them, "Don't forget me, okay? I'll be back, I promise."

Everyone at the table became quiet.

"Mwoya~ What is this, why am I crying too?" Jisung laughed, wiping the tear that managed to escape his eyes.

Eunmi chuckled, "I'm sorry if it's too sudden, and I'm sorry if I didn't tell you guys. I'll be honest, I totally forgot about it, because you guys.." A teardrop escaped from her eye. "...you guys made me feel what friendship's like."

"Friendship? And you're dating Mark?" Joy, although crying, grinned at her.

"Sooyoung-unnie!" She stomped her foot.

—tbc.