THE HALLWAY were crowded with people, and the chaos was so perfect, like a movie. there was the couple that was always making out on the left side of the hall, and about ten feet farther down, the cliquey girls. opposite them, the cliquey jocks. seolmin found way her way through the crowd and walked into the cafeteria.
seolmin wanted to thank jaemin, for walking her home when she felt unsafe. she felt the butterflies in her stomach right after looking at jaemin's table, filled with trays of the nasty bibimbap trays the school serves, notebooks, piles of devices; it was just a mess.
she walked to her table with the bibimbap tray, the sad looking sunny side egg on top.
"damn good afternoon!" heejin smiled whilst shoving a spoonful of bibimbap inside her mouth.
"hey." seolmin replied. she couldn't stop looking back at jaemin's table. she really wanted to say a genuine thanks, but the fear of his friends making fun of her was growing on her.
"bruh why do you keep looking back there?" hana and said and followed her eyes, "oh- oh- is it jeno?" hana asked with a smirk on her face.
"what the fuck? no! why would i like" she sighed and then whispered, "jeno out of everyone?"
"so who is it?" heejin asked, her mouth stuffed with food.
"ugh it's jaemin-he uh walked me home yesterday and i couldn't really say thanks properly." seolmin explained.
"look he's going to the library, go say thanks if you want!" hana laughed.
she looked back and saw the boy walking to the library with his physics book and 2 other notebooks. seolmin walked behind him and jaemin was quick enough to notice her, and stopped his fast pace.
seolmin felt the summer heat on her cheeks again when she saw the boy infront of her showing the brightest smile she has ever seen.
"hey! what are you doing here?" jaemin asked and walked towards her.
"oh-oh-me? i was ugh going to study physics..yeah." that's when she realised her anxiety kicked in and she had fucked up.
"me too actually! i was going to study the astrophysics chapter. i am done making the notes, do you wanna check mine out?" jaemin said while going through his huge pile of notes.
seolmin nodded and walked to the physics aisle with jaemin. she looked at him from the side, long lashes, a sharp nose, pink lips - seolmin soon realised she wasn't being herself when she was near him. she would lose her confident, independent self when she would be near him. jaemin made her felt the butterflies in her stomach.
"found it!" jaemin said and looked at her, smiling with the huge book of astrophysics in his hand.
"what's your next class?" he asked her while going through the huge book.
"i think it's p.e, i will stay behind and do these, if you're okay with it." she smiled.
____
after hours of studying, and seolmin getting lost in jaemin's ethereal beauty, jaemin breaks the awkward silence.
"do you perhaps want to go to this party? donghyuck's house? he said his parents are going to seoul tonight and returning on sunday. he surprisingly has all the supply of booze and blunts." jaemin reassures.
"yeah that's cool, can i invite my friends?" she asks.
"renjun already told them, he's pretty close with hana."
