HERMOSA

6

          A week had passed and Dahyun was so careful with every step she took to wherever she went. Even though she said to Jaebum that she will be okay and everyone will forget her, but deep inside she is actually afraid.

'What if they suddenly remember me? What if they do something bad to me? What if they try to kill me?' She thought as she walked into the class and sat on her place. Safe and sound.

"Good morning." A usual voice greeted her. She looked up at Jaebum with a flashy smile. "Good morning." She replied. Jaebum smiled and sat on his place too.

"Jaebum oppa!!" A cute girl shouted from the outside of the class. Dahyun immediately looked down on her table trying to hide her face. Jaebum looked at her confusingly before looking at the girl outside. "I made this for you. Hope you enjoy it." She said and she put the container on Jaebum's desk. "Well, thank you," Jaebum said before the girl ran away back to her class. Jaebum looked at Dahyun who still hiding. He chuckled softly.

"Hey, you want this?" He said to Dahyun. Dahyun looked up at Jaebum. "Want what?" She asked. "This." Jaebum handed her the food he just got just now. "But, that is yours. She made that especially for you." Dahyun said. 

Jaebum shook his head. "I don't know if she put poison in it because I can't tell if she is a hater or fans. It's dangerous to take something from someone you don't know." Jaebum said.

"So, what you mean is that you don't care if I was poisoned, as long as it wasn't you?" Dahyun asked. "Almost correct," Jaebum replied. "What?" Dahyun asked once again in a shorter version. Jaebum laughed loudly that everyone looked at him and Dahyun. "You look so scared just now that you hid yourself and that's funny and I'm just joking about the poison." He replied still laughing.

"You really do have so much fun over there, don't you?" Dahyun asked. "Yeah, I did." He laughed even harder. "At least, I can see another version of you." He said. Dahyun was shocked with that being said by Jaebum. "I wish I could see you laughing so hard one day later." He said more like a whisper. Dahyun blushed really hard. She looked down on her desk. Jaebum smiled.

#####

          It was after class and the two were in the library doing their project together.

"How did you even understand this question?" Jaebum asked. He leaned back on his chair, giving up searching for the answer. "I just do," Dahyun replied monotonously. "How lucky it is to be you." He said. "Are you sure that I'm lucky? Aren't you lucky enough to be a celebrity? Everyone acknowledges you. Unlike me, no one ever remembers me." She said.

"Because to me, you are lucky. I don't think that I really like who I am now. I only know how to dance while you know how to answer all these complicated questions. Other than that, you are not that bright for people to recognize you...and... you are lucky to have a not-so-popular celebrity to be the only one who noticed you in school." Jaebum replied. "That would make a great novel," Dahyun replied. 

"What makes you think like that?" Jaebum asked. "Isn't it sounds like a cliche romance story?" Dahyun replied with a question. "Yeah, it does. Are we actually in some kind of romance novel or what?" Jaebum shooted another question. Dahyun chuckled. "How do I know that?" She asked. "I noticed that you like to reply a question with another question," Jaebum said.

"I did!?" She asked. "Yeah, you just did it again." They both laughed silently as they continue doing their project.

#####

           It was almost five in the evening and their project finally finished. Just before the gate was closed, they manage to get out of school. They walked together to the nearest bus stop. 

"So...Dahyun." Jaebum tried to start a conversation. They have been quiet since they left school. "Yeah?" Dahyun asked, giving Jaebum her full attention.

"If you are in some kind of romance novel, what would you like to happen? Like if you are actually in love with the 'celebrity'...what do you think would happen?" Jaebum asked.

"This question is quite hard. Why do you ask?" She asked back. "I told you to not answer a question with a question. I'm just asking out of curiosity though." He replied. while looking away hiding his red cheeks.

Dahyun chuckled. "Fine. If I was in some kind of romance novel.... and I happened to meet a celebrity who I unintentionally in love with, I hope that we will separate sooner than later. Because we do not match each other. He is someone that is so bright and popular, clearly, I'm not the right person for him." Dahyun replied thoughtfully. "Is that how you want it to be?" Jaebum asked, a little disappointed. Dahyun is surely different from other girls.

Dahyun nodded. "How about you? You are a celebrity who suddenly meets an unflashy girl like me and suddenly, you happen to be in love with her...how do you think the story would be?" She asked. "It's probably like other typical stories. They fell in love and the celebrity promised to protect her from all the obstacle and they will face ever problems together and the girl finally known by the whole worlds." Jaebum replied.

"Hmm...so typical." She said as she gets on to the bus that just arrived and followed by Jaebum from behind. "Where do you get down?" Dahyun asked after sitting on the empty chair next to a pretty woman. Jaebum just stood there next to her. "On the third stops." He replied. "Are you not going to wear your mask?" Dahyun asked. "Oh yeah. I almost forgot." He said as he took out his mask and put it on. 

They were silent through all the way to their home. Jaebum's mind was accompanied by Dahyun's answer and reaction just now.

"Hmm...so typical."

That reaction haunted him until he reached in front of his house.

"Does she doesn't like me being by her side? Does she not enjoy being together with me?"