SS - Chapter 2

I woke up the next day with the sun already halfway up in the sky. I and my Mom usually sleep well into noon Sundays. She came home late last night since she helped in the unexpected birthing of Lily, one of the seals we’re taking care of in the marine sanctuary. I slowly got up, trying to think of what to cook for lunch when I happened to glance at my diary on my bed. I got into bed last night and wrote about my encounter with Choi Seunghyun. I wanted to tell Mom about it but I didn’t think she’ll be thrilled to learn that I spent time with a stranger. I am her one and only precious daughter after all.

We live in a typical stone house in Jeju. It has two bedrooms and we share the T&B. We have a huge yard with a tangerine tree in front which I planted 5 years ago and a small barn for Tamtam. My Mom drives an old pick up and although she can afford to buy a new one, she says that it’ll soon smell of animals and the ocean anyway. Actually, I wanted her to buy a new one because then I can get to drive the old car to school instead of taking the bus or the pink Vespa when the weather is good.

I took a quick shower and then went to the kitchen and cooked some rice and made some kimchi pork stew. While it was simmering, I went out to greet Tamtamie. I changed her water basin and took out the 2 apples from my short’s pockets. I gave each one a bite and then showed them to her before she took one in her mouth. This is our weird ritual. She will not eat them if I won’t taste them first. What can I say? I have a very suspicious horse. Tamtam must have been born into royalty in her previous life where there’s a food taster before she eats to check if there’s poison or something.

When she’s almost done with the second apple, I said my goodbye to check on my stew. It’s lunchtime now and I have to wake up my mother.

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“You still haven’t heard from Bom?” my Mother asks. We are now enjoying the dessert that she brought home last night, my favourite strawberry cream cake.

I shook my head in the negative. “She told me last week that they’re catching a red eye flight Friday so they should have been here by now and I tried calling her phone but she wasn’t answering. I also called their house but it was the caretaker who answered and she said that Aunt and Uncle haven’t called as well,” referring to Bom’s parents.

“They must be having fun in America” my mother said, the ever optimist. “Don’t worry. I’m sure they’re fine.”

She then started to do the dishes while I stare at my phone, willing it to ring. I sighed. School starts tomorrow and I can’t imagine starting the senior year without my best friend with me.

“Dara, I would have to go back to the sanctuary to visit Lily’s pups later this afternoon. Would you like to see them?” my Mother asks, still busy with the dishes.

I smiled. “Definitely”

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First day of school is always eventful. In every corner, you’ll see familiar faces, friends catching up, wide-eyed and nervous looking freshmen, boys who suddenly had growth spurts over the summer and girls mysteriously grow boobs. Le sigh. Sadly, I’m still short and with a miserable sized chest. 

I miss Bommie. She called late last night and said that their flight back to South Korea got postponed for a week because of family reasons. I asked what kind but she changed the subject. We chatted for only a few minutes because she said I need my beauty sleep. Like I care what I’ll look like at campus knowing that my high school crush Lee Donghae has graduated and moved to Seoul. I wanna tear up just thinking about him. Who will be my inspiration now? Suddenly, as if conjured by my mind, I see Seunghyun’s face. I blinked and blinked. I thought I saw him across the hall. Nah. It wasn’t him. What are the chances, right? 

I went inside the classroom and was greeted by a couple of gleeful squeals from my two other best girls, Chaerin and Minzy. I also didn’t see them all through summer with Chaerin going to Japan and Minzy visited her grandmother in Gwangju. I was the only one stuck in Jeju. I’m not complaining, though. I had a very productive summer which made me resolve my dream to follow in my mom’s footsteps as a marine biologist. Both girls regaled me with their adventures and I shared mine minus the part where I met Seunghyun. I wanted Bom to hear about it first. 

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The next day, there was an excited chatter mostly coming from the girls in our class. 

“What did I miss?” I asked as soon as I approached Chae’s group.

“We heard that there’s a new transferee and he’s hot!” Minzy beat the others in telling me.

“I saw him” said Lee Hi excitedly. Normally, she’s very shy but the guy must have made quite an impression. “He looked so handsome and he’s tall tall.” She emphasized.

“Everyone’s tall compared to you” Chaerin teased her and we laughed good naturedly.

“I heard that he got kicked out from his school in California because he robbed a 7-11” gossiped Lydia. “His parents exiled him here so he won’t have to go to juvenile detention.”

“I heard he’s half-Japanese and his father is a yakuza,” said another.

“They said that the school kingka tried to bully him yesterday but got scared when the new guy gave him a look” piped Seungri, our school’s most famous rumour monger. “There were also two girls from his class who had a catfight because he apparently asked both of them on a date.”

“What a bad-ass” remarked Chaerin, sounding impressed.

I looked at her. What’s happening to the world? Being a bad boy is now cool? I shook my head. I would never fall for a bad boy. Really? A voice inside my head said. Again, the face of Choi Seunghyun popped up. But he’s not a bad boy, I reasoned to myself. Whatever, the inner me answered.

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Lunch time at the cafeteria is always noisy. I’m sitting at our usual table with Chaerin and Minzy and 3 other girl classmates plus 2 boys, Taeyang and Seungri. I’m chewing my soggy tuna sandwich while listening to Seungri’s jokes when I noticed that everyone suddenly became quiet. I glanced around and almost everyone is looking at the same direction. It’s only natural that I turn to look as well, right?

I blinked and rubbed my eyes with my left hand. Am I hallucinating or is that the guy I’ve been thinking of lately? He’s walking across the cafeteria holding a bottle of vitamin water and a hotdog sandwich which he must have bought but he is not stopping on any table. He’ll probably eat outside. I can’t blame the poor guy. I mean, everyone is looking at him like he’s a freak show or something. It dawned on me that he is the bad boy that everyone is gossiping about. Our school life is so boring that countless stories of him have been circulating around the campus, aside from the ones I’ve already heard, providing the excitement that is very much needed in our boring lives as students in this tiny island.

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He was nearing the exit and about to pass our table when he turned to look in our direction. For a second, I imagined our eyes held but he soon looked away. I realized that I was stoically looking at him, still in shock of seeing him in my school and being the new transferee. 

When he was gone, the chatter in the cafeteria once again started. 

“Whew!” Seungri said, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead for an imaginary sweat. “Did you see his eyes? I thought he was going to shoot laser beams” he exaggerated.

“He looks scary” said Minzy.

“I think he’s cool” said Lydia, all flirty.

“Where are you going?” asked Chaerin who’s sitting beside me. 

I realized that I am now standing. I picked up my bag, my half eaten sandwich and milk. “I forgot, uhm, I have to go to the library.” 

“Library? What for? We don’t have assignments yet” Chae said.

“It’s for my Mom.” I came up with a lie.

“See you next class!” I called out, half running out from my friends before I’m forced to spew more excuses.

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I don’t know what came over me. I just had this sudden urge to catch up with him. Our eyes did meet, right? I asked no one in particular. Could it be that he’s already forgotten about me? That I helped him when he was close to dying? Okay, I’m being overdramatic here. He was barely even hurt. But hey, I feel insulted that he forgot about me so soon. Whatever happened to “See you around”?

He must really be a nappeun namja. Maybe he really is a playboy who asks a lot of girls out. Not that he asked me out, okay. He may be saying “See you around” to random girls. I even heard that he got his teacher pregnant in the US that’s why he was sent here to get away from the scandal. So why are you still searching for him? Again, the inner Dara decided to make an appearance.

I have been walking for around 5 minutes or more  around the area where students usually eat out instead of inside the cafeteria. There are huge acacia trees which provide shade and shelter and there are scattered wooden tables and benches but I don’t see him.

I made a vexed sound mostly aimed at myself for the once again, impulsive decision to run after a guy who doesn’t look like he remembers me. I sat at the nearest empty table dejectedly and decided to finish eating my now unappetizing looking tuna sandwich. Nevertheless, I was hungry so I took a bite and started chewing when I suddenly heard a voice behind me.

“Looking for me, tangerine girl?”

I whirled around from my seat and choked. He caught me by surprise. I coughed and coughed trying to clear my air passage. I emptied my milk carton but I still need more liquid. 

“Here” he offered and uncapped his vitamin water.

I didn’t hesitate and took gulps. Once I regained composure, I glared at him. “Are you trying to kill me?!”

He laughed and sat across my table. “Actually, I think I just saved you from choking” he said cheekily. “I guess we can call it quits now, huh?”

“Whatever” I said, giving him back his drink.

He took it and drank. 

I’m looking at him drinking … his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. A sudden thought came through my mind. Did we just have an indirect kiss?

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A/N:

To those who are familiar with the book, just an fyi, most of the scenes here in this fanfic will be very different. It’s only the main plot that I’m adapting. ^^

*bisous*

~mzbookworm4life