The Way It Is

nine

Chapter 9

Two days later. . .

"Yangyang, here," Yiyeon handed the boy a bottle of water after he placed the box of ornaments down.

The Chinese boy smiled, "Thanks, Yiyeon," he said and sat beside her. "You're doing well in organizing our booth."

"Thanks," she replied. "We really have to move fast since the foundation day is coming near." She took a deep breath and faced him, "By the way, shouldn't you be in either the basketball team's booth or the orchestra's booth?"

"Of course, I wouldn't abandon you guys for them," Yangyang replied, drinking from his water. "Besides, I told you that I wouldn't leave you, right?"

"Well, I didn't know that you took it to heart," she chuckled.

"Yangyang! What are you doing there? You were supposed to help Daewon and Sungchan carry the boxes, not just sit there and chat with Yiyeon!" Yejin said and pulled Yangyang away.

Yiyeon could only laugh at her friends who were making fun of each other. It was as if she was watching a live sitcom through her friends.

Sighing, she stood up and excused herself to the restroom.

"Jeongmin-ah.." Yejin called the younger. "Is it just me, or something's changed?" She asked while throwing glances at Yiyeon, who was walking away, and at Yangyang, who just entered the auditorium while carrying some thin pieces of wooden planks.

The younger girl stood beside Yejin and watched how Yangyang looks at Yiyeon, who was walking away, "Yep, something changed, alright," Jeongmin said, nodding.

***

After their two-hour vacant period, the students had to go back to their respective classes. Sungchan and Jeongmin had Literature class left, Yangyang and Yejin had Geometry class, and Yiyeon and Daewon had History.

"Is everything alright?" Daewon asked Yiyeon while they were on the way to their class.

The girl timidly nodded, "Yeah, I just don't feel like studying as of the moment," she said and sighed.

"But you love history..." Daewon suddenly had a realization that it might not be the subject that she loves. But the feeling of something else. Something else.

He was quick to throw a glance at Yiyeon when he realized that it was the only class that holds Yiyeon, and her now ex-boyfriend, Lee Jeno.

"Don't look at me like that. It's as if I did a grave thing," she scoffed.

"You endured the tedious lessons just to be with Jeno, am I right?" Daewon asked. "I just realized it now... that History is the only class wherein you'll see each other."

The girl looked down and continued walking, "Everything was all about him," she smiled sadly. "But that's not the case anymore." She looked up at her friend and smiled.

The two entered their classroom and sat in their usual places.

Their history teacher arrived a couple of moments later, but Yiyeon was too occupied as she drifted herself into dreamland.

***

"Yiyeon-ah..."

The girl slowly opened her eyes to look at the person who interrupted her slumber.