TaengSic (COMPILATION)

Perhaps One Day (OS)

Every morning I woke up, I would drag myself to the toilet to wash up and prepare for school. School was a chore, with endless assignments and exams.

We moved into this new neighbourhood about two weeks ago and I had to enroll in a new school as my previous school was too far away. I was used to changing schools since Dad's job required us to move around quite a bit.

In school, I always kept to myself. I didn't see a point in making friends since I didn't stay around long enough most of the time. There were always a few 'overly friendly' classmates in every class who would try their best to make a newcomer comfortable. However, I didn't see the need to assimilate with the rest of them. As long as I didn't give my teachers any trouble, I was perfectly fine being alone. My earphones were always plugged into my ears the moment I step out of the classroom, though I wasn't listening to music. This kept inquisitive and chatty classmates away.

In the first week of school, I discovered a quiet corner on the third level of the school hall. It was right at the end of the corridor where the staircase was. It led to the roof of the school hall. However, there was a locked gate to the roof where only authorised personnel had access to. Other than festivals and important occasions such as Speech Day and Graduation Day, this place was virtually deserted.

The open air staircase provided a good view of the pathway leading to the school gate. I enjoyed sitting at the top of the flight of stairs, leaning against the wall, enjoying the cool breeze and watching the flow of students from my vantage point.

That place became my regular hideout during breaks and lunch. At times, I brought my guitar along and unleashed my passion for singing. Singing gave me the freedom to express my emotions. Finding this place was equivalent to striking lottery. I could sing to my heart's content without worrying about disturbing anyone.

About a month later, I headed for my hideout after classes ended. I was taken aback to see a figure sitting at my usual spot as I approached the third floor. I stopped in my tracks and stared at the person. There was a fair-skinned girl with long chestnut-coloured hair sitting on the steps. Her blouse was partially tucked out and her head was resting against the wall. Her eyes were closed and loose strands of hair were fluttering in the light breeze.

Initially, I was worried I had intruded into someone's hangout. Since I was new, a senior could have claimed this spot as hers way before me. After pondering for a few more moments, I began to feel that the girl was an intruder instead. I had surveyed this spot for almost a week and was certain no one ever come around, therefore it couldn't have been claimed by someone else.

I stood there staring at the girl, wondering what to do. After fifteen minutes, I gave up pacing around and went home instead.

The following day, I made my way to the hideout. Again, the same girl was sitting at the same spot with her eyes closed. She looked peaceful when she was sleeping. However, at the same time, I wasn't pleased that someone had intruded into my 'territory'. I was dead sure I was the only one who frequented the place besides the cleaners.

This time, I took a seat a few steps further down from her. As I solved my Maths homework, I couldn't help but turn back occasionally to see if the girl was awake. Her position might change a little but she continued sleeping soundly.

After fifteen minutes, I decided I couldn't continue doing my homework as it wasn't comfortable to lean against the metal railings of the staircase. The girl had taken the best spot where one could lean against the wall and also enjoy a good view of the school gate from the top few steps. I packed up, took a last look at the sleeping girl and went home.

The next day, as I had suspected, the girl was there again. I took a seat at the bottom steps of the staircase and looked up at her. I noticed she didn't have any belongings with her but she was certainly a student in this school because of the uniform she wore beneath her cardigan.