Silence ○ Lee Haechan

○ 15

Tourism, the class that made Mari want to shove her head through a wall. The class she chose because she didn't want to do business but the longer she stayed in that class the more she wished she chose business instead.

It was Wednesday, hump day as some may say, and the freedom of the weekend was almost at her reach. Touching the ends of her finger tips teasingly, inching closer with each hour that lulled by.

Her teacher was dragging on the lesson, his monotone voice piercing her ears as her body filled up with the irresistible urge to groan out in boredom- her head falling backwards as she squeezed her eyes together.

The seat underneath her legs becoming uncomfortable as she moved around in her spot.  The hard plastic that cradled her body coupled with the teachers tedious voice made Mari look up to the clock impatiently.

Her head dropping down to her table when she realised she still had 45 minutes until the siren would signal her sweet relief.

"Now, just to make sure you are all on track with the assignment. Who has planned a meeting with their partner and have started thinking of questions?" The teacher asked and Mari reluctantly lifted her arm up, her head following suit as she looked around the classroom.

Her eyes meeting those of Donghyucks making her look away abruptly, adverting her attention to the window that lead into the hallway. Her eyebrows furrowing when she saw her best friend Daeun wave at her excitedly.

Mari mouthed a "what are you doing here?" To which the other girl pointed to the teacher and moving her attention to the front.

"As we all know, the assignment is said to be held in Busan in three weeks. Giving you a week after to write the report. But thanks to our lovely Principal, the location has changed," the teacher stated, lifting his hand to beckon the girl who stood outside to come in.
"I will now let the principals daughter, Miss Daeun, to announce where the new location is."

With the sound of her name, the jovial girl came bouncing into the room with a wide smile on her face.
"Hellooo to the gays and girls! And also the guys I guess- it's your favourite disappointment. The one and only Daeun."

"That's enough, Daeun just get to the point," the teacher spoke enough of the girls antics and Daeun rolled her eyes.

"Sorry sir," she said unapologetically and clasping her hands together, "any who, I have talked to my father dearest and asked him if we could combine the junior year camp with your excursion to Busan."

"Wait but aren't we going to Jeju for our camp?" A voice in the back asked and Daeun's eyes lit up.

"You are absolutely correct you beautiful specimen. The new location for your excursion, and also our years camp, is Jeju!" Mari's best friend exclaimed with jazz hands making the class erupt into cheers.

A sudden bone crushing weight fell on top of Mari's heart at the words her best friend just said. Her eyes making contact with those of her friend and while she held excitement, hers held fear and dread.

Mari tried to cover up the pounding in her chest with a flash of a fake smile that pulled at her lips, trying to match her friends energy of excitement but all she felt was her stomach churn at the realisation of what she was going to face.

Her lips dropped the moment her eyes flicked around the room, looking at all the excited faces on her peers that were chatting amongst each other with elation.

The atmosphere was filled with delirium as people basked in the happiness of the new location they were going to.

Mari's eyes bored into her desk, face stoic as she tried to process what was going to happen. She was hoping to skip the camp, not wanting to go back to the place that arose so many memories- dark and light.

But with the excursion now being at Jeju she has no other choice but to go, no wanting to fail the class she hated- as funny as that sounded.

Jeju brought more bad memories than good and with her abrupt move from the island to Seoul, she never had enough time to heal from everything that happened.

A showreel of every major reminiscence that happened prior to her departure of the island resurfaced. The memories she was working hard at pushing down pulling at the bars of her mind and breaking in.

Her eyes stung with tears from her lack of blinking as she continued to stare at her desk. Her breathing staggered as she struggled to breath, the sound of her heart pumping blood ran through her ears leaving a ringing echo to pierce her brain- a headache soon forming after.

At the faint sound of her teacher talking, her head shot up. Eyes flickering around the front and realising her best friend had left.

As she looked around the room, her blinking released the tears that gathered at the corners of her eyes. The salty water running down her face and dropping off of her chin onto the paper below.

Everyone had their attention to the front of the class, happy smiles still plastered on their face from the joyous news. Their vibrant smiles contrasted against Mari's melancholy expression.

She was trying to hold everything in, hands coming up to wipe away her tears but the moment her eyes met his, it all came tumbling down.

The sound of her chair scraping back echoed around the room causing the teacher to stop talking. All eyes falling onto the girl who began walking out the door hurriedly.

The teacher called out to her but she did not pay him any attention as she rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

Donghyucks gaze didn't waver from where she was once sat, the imagine of her face imprinted in her mind.

Red eyes glossy with tears, lips parted slightly as her bottom one trembled faintly. Her chest was raising up and down rapidly and as she stood up, her hands were shaking.

He blinked away the image of the girl before standing up from his seat and following her into the hallway.

"Mari," he called out, rounding the corner he saw her turn down.

Eyes racking around the hallway as he began to pick up in pace, legs pulling him into a run.

"Mari," he called out once more, lungs rising and falling rapidly as he rounded another corner moving deeper into the school.

He heard the soft cries of the girl making his run slow down to a walk as he rounded one more corner but halting in his tracks.

His heart dropped at the sight, that boy from the other day was stood in front of her. A worried expression moulded on his face as he looked down at the crying girl.

Their conversation could not be heard from where Donghyuck was, leaving what they were talking about to his imagination.

His heart sent another sharp palpitation to his head as the weight on his sternum intensified.

The ball in the back of his throat growing at the sight of the man in front of him placing his hand on the girls shoulder.

Donghyucks heart squeezed detrimentally as he watched the girl he was once best friends with step into the arms of the boy in front of her.

Her shoulders shaking as she wrapped her arms around his slim figure, head making contact with his chest as one of his hands came up to cradle her head and the other resting on her back.

Donghyuck took a step back, heart lurching at the sight as the ball in his throat gripped at his neck, squeezing at it and not permitting him to inhale any air.

He took another step backwards and rounded the corner, back coming into contact with the wall in hopes that they don't see him.

His head fell back against the wall with a thud, hands forming into a tight ball. His knuckles turning white in rage as he punched the wall in anger- pushing off the wall and storming his way down the hall.

The weight on his heart only intensifying as he distanced himself from the girl who he once relied on.

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