When Times Get Dark

6. Safe

Recap Start

"Yes Yu-ri?" the teacher asked.

"May I use the restroom?" I replied.

The teacher nodded her head. As I left the classroom I clenched my fists.

"Jerks" I whispered to myself.

I walked towards the baseball field in fury, I completely forgot about what I was doing. Almost immediately I saw Hye-jun walk beside the exit door to the football field. Our eyes locked and he walked up to me.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"I thought the lesson we learned was boring," I replied.

"That's all?" he asked, "The lesson hasn't started yet."

"We should get back to class," I said, changing the subject.

Recap End

He didn't follow me, I turned around to see him standing there, kicking the dirt.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Sometimes, I like to admire the sky." he stated, "I feel like if I can draw the sky perfectly, I've succeeded."

"You can't draw the sky without a sketch first." I laughed.

I turned around to walk back to class as he tapped on my shoulder. As I turned around, he pointed at the sky. I looked at it and admired it.

"Then make me a sketch." He replied.

I laughed. I gestured towards the door and we both walked back to class. As we sat down in our seats, he pulled out a sketchbook and handed it to me.

I grabbed it and he handed me a note that said 'Get started on your sketch'. I laughed and gestured I had no pencil so he handed me one. We were seated right by the window so I had no excuse. I looked at the sky and started sketching, as I sketched, I added details and shading. After an hour, before class was over, I handed him the sketchbook back.

"Thanks" he replied, "I'll be sure to take notes."

The bell rang and we headed to our lockers. His locker was down the hall, to the right, near Se-Yeon's. My locker was to the left, near the rest of the girls in our class.

I opened my locker and took out my books for the next class. I headed towards our Korean class when I noticed Hye-jun's locker was next to it. As I walked by him, I noticed the sketch on his locker door. I laughed and I think he heard me.

"What?" he asked, "What is possibly so funny?"

"Nothing" I replied, walking into the classroom.

As I walked in, all the seats were open. I walked over to Se-Yeon who was sitting alone. I turned towards her and she gave me a sad expression. She pointed towards Hye-jun who was sitting alone.

"What?" I asked.

"He doesn't know anyone yet" she claimed.

"I'm sure one of those girls would be more than glad to accompany him" I scoffed.

"Maybe, but don't you feel bad?" she asked.

"For what?" I replied.

"Making him sit with a girl who drives him crazy but not the same way you do" she giggled.

"Hey!" I sternly said, "If you feel so bad you sit with him."

"I don't know him" she replied.

"Yes you do," I said.

"Not as much as you," she said, smiling.

"Whatever," I said, about to put my stuff on the desk and sit down when Se-Yeon called one of our classmates to sit with her.

She's already moving seats? On my second day? Annoyed, I started walking towards Hye-jun but spotted an empty desk. I walked towards it and was about to sit down when Hye-jun looked at me from across the room. He looked pitiful, pitiful enough to make me walk over to him and sit next to him.

"Thank you," he said, smiling.

"For what?" I asked, expecting a great thanks for my valiant efforts.

"For making me spill popcorn," he said, laughing.

"Hey!" I yelled quietly.

"What? You killed my eardrums" he joked.

"Whatever" I replied, laughing.

"Where's my thanks?" he asked.

"For what?" I scoffed.

"The medicine" he replied.

"You're welcome," I said, joking.

Before he could say anything I heard my phone chime. I looked at the message from Se-Yeon and it read 'Having fun with Hye-jun? I don't take credit.' I could hear Se-Yeon giggling from across the room. I rolled my eyes.

"So when are you starting the sketch?" I asked Hye-jun.

"Not sure" he shrugged.

The classroom door closed as the whole classroom-focused their glances at Ms. Jeong.

"Class, get to work! It's an outrage that you think just because I'm in a meeting during class you can do whatever you want!" Ms. Jeong said, raising her voice.

After Ms. Jeong explained the lesson, we all got to work and didn't make one peep.