flipped. | kaiyuna

chapter seven

"hueningkai. have you say your respects to yuna? she's returning today." mom says, halting hueningkai from opening the door.

"i'll do that today."

"you better. you forgot to do so in the funeral." mom scowls, counting the money in the cashier.

'sorry mom, i've got to go." he quickly says, leaving the store.

it seemed like the mood change in yuna's family effected huening's mother too. she's been undeniably grouchy for days, or maybe it's that time of the month.

he was glad yuna hasn't been bothering him for a week, but it made him feel guilty that the reason was because of jina's passing. everyday after school, he would catch a glimpse her just taking naps on her window, almost similar to grandad's habit.

he told himself he should take the chance to clear my mind and continue his days normally. it was like she was never around in the first place, and isn't that what i always wanted? but he felt a real jerk. how fast she rushes back inside when she sees me while taking out the trash, how awfully red her eyes around the edges. he wanted wanted and had to say "i'm sorry for your loss", but the words never came out of him. maybe later on.

he followed his usual shortcut to get to the bus stop and expected her to be there. everyone else was there, since he was one of the few to live pretty far from school. but sje didn't see her. maybe she was late. but as soon as he thought of that, a bicycle stops right in front of the bus stop. yuna sat, staring at the red light. she looked the same, but she just wasn't smiling like usual.

somehow she caught hueningkai staring at her, and he instantly looked away, pretending to look at truck with an advertisement next to her. he figured in a few days she would be back on the bus again. it was a long way to hanlim high school, after all.

"talk to her." beomgyu catches him staring at her, again.

"i will. i just need to find the right time." hueningkai patted his back.

he made a promise with myself that he would just spit it out before class. but he couldn't, since people were crowding her seat, giving her gifts and condolences.

he'll try again. he should just say it to her on lunch. easy, right? it wasn't. it was to the point where he declared that talking to her was his goal today. how the tables turned.

he walked up to her self-proclaimed table where she sat with ryujin, lia, yeji and chaeryeong. now that it was about to happen, he felt more nervous than ever. sure, he still passed every subject in school, but he flunked in 1 subject: girls. who knows what goes on in their head.

just as he was about to speak, ms kang's voice comes out of the school speakers.

"may shin yuna approach my office right now?"

she looks up from her meal, before saying 'i'll be back' to her friends and getting on her feet. she walks pass me, definitely noticing his presence. he was so close to talking to her, and so he grabbed her wrist before she went any further.

"hey, i'm-" he says, before being cut off.

"sorry hueningkai, can we talk after school? i'm being called by ms. kang." she nervously smiles. but he knew it didn't seem like the smile she used to give him back then. it was like she didn't want to talk to him.

so after school, instead of going straight to the library like he usually does, he waited in the gates. usually people who did this were waiting for their girlfriend so they could have a date, and he didn't want people to get the wrong idea since he did take note of some students whispering while they passed by.

she went out probably after 10 minutes after dismissal. he took notice that her eyes were even redder and puffier then before. something bad probably happened back there.

"yuna-" he says, catching up. she passed by me without even noticing me.

"i'm occupied, sorry kai." she bluntly answers.

"you can.. talk to me if something is on your mind, i mean something is definitely on your-"

"I SAID I'M BUSY! JUST GO!" she turns back at hueningkai, her eyes staring at him like lasers.

i just wanted to say i'm sorry for your loss." he said it. he finally said it.but in the worst time possible.

yuna's face relaxes after what he said. she stops clenching her fists and takes a few steps back.

"thank you." she says blankly.

there was silence as she stared at her shoes after her change of volume. hueningkai wanted to say something, but before he could, she was one step ahead of him.

"i've really got to go. bye." she says, still not taking her eyes off her shoes.

she left him alone and this is what he meant that he failed in understanding girls. but news went around that she did fail an academy entry test. that's why she was in a bad mood. he concluded it would be best for me to just give her some space for the time-being.