It was June 2018 when spring slowly morphed into summer. It was a bright, sunshiny day. I was preparing my luggage, excited that I couldn't even wait to fill my heart with new memories. And I could only hope for the clouds to be as clear as the waters.
I was engrossed in my own bubble when my mother knocked on my door.
"Serissi, you have a mail."
My eyes darted to the envelope she was holding.
"Do you want me to keep it, Serissi?"
"Gwaenchanayo, Eomma. I'll read it as soon as I finished packing." I smiled at her, flaunting my eye smile that I probably got from her.
"Okay. Come out when you're done okay?"
I nodded at her and turned the knob.
I was about to resume packing my things when my eyes accidentally fell on the letters printed on the envelope. A small smile crept up my face as I tried to feel the smoothness of its material.
"I was asking God last night to give me a sign, a sign that everything will be fine. And now, here you are." I flicked the wax seal as I sat in the mattress.
Thinking about my reason for embarking on a new adventure, my mind drifted back to where it all began.
❇❇❇❇❇❇
It started at the confines of our school. Fate definitely had its way as I met this smart yet awkward lad, standing almost 6 feet from the ground. And what made every girl's heart swoon was his bedimpled smile. Lethal, that it almost had the girls buckling their knees as his demeanor also made its way to their young hearts.
And I never imagined that this guy would be helping me especially when I'm standing in front of the class. And with that very moment as I stood right in front of them, I just knew that my brain cells were dying one by one. With knitted brows, I reached for the chalk and started scribbling numbers that I could think of. I honestly thought that it would be right, but to no avail.
The chalk broke and fell on the ground, maybe due to my grip. My insides were screaming and I really wanted to curse myself for being clumsy. It was the remaining piece so I didn't have a choice but to look for it. Good thing the adviser was busy having a conversation with another teacher outside the room so I continued my search. As soon as I saw the chalk, I immediately sensed that their conversation would be over soon so I grabbed it quickly. Fortunately, it was located just right beside a guy's shoe. I looked above and saw him staring at me, intently.
It was Ri Jeong Hyeok.
Then, he puckered his lips, pointing at his palms as he displayed it secretly just enough for me to see what was written as to avoid getting caught. And there it was, the answers I needed that my brain could not even think of. I memorized it with all my might and stood up the moment our teacher went back to her table. I wrote what I could remember and even took a quick sideway glimpse of his hands. It was frustrating that I could not read what was written, they were tiny. As if sensing that my mind was on a tug-of-war, he puckered his lips once again, pointing them now on his right foot. And then, he started wiggling his foot, writing what I had forgotten.
______________________________________
"I owe you a lot, Ri Jeong Hyeok-ssi." I told him while we were walking on the corridor.
"I know."
"Should I make it up to you? What do you want?"
He ignored my presence and walked past me. Determined to thank him with what I can offer, I followed him swiftly and asked him once again.
