WORDS. |Kim Seungmin

Thirteen.

"So, you think Agatha Christie is overrated?" Aria read out loud.

She was lying down flat on her back on the grass of the garden at the campus. Her arms were lifted up, holding the note that the boy by her side usually uses to communicate with her.

Seungmin was sitting down cross-legged, having his eyes on the girl who was reading the words he wrote down to her. His pen was twirling between the fingers of his right hand while waiting for the girl's answer.

Aria gave him his note back before she shifts to her right side to be facing the boy. She lifted her head up to finally meet his curious gaze.

"Umm, it's not like I think she's overrated. I just think that other writers who write better plots are unknown, while people still go to old books instead of supporting those promising writers. They tend to go to the known or the famous ones instead of trying someone and something new." She ended her statement by pursing her lips in a straight line.

Seungmin dropped his head to the note placed on his lap and started scribbling on it. He pushed the note to Aria once he was done writing. "Back to square number one." It read. "We have to hand in the outline by tomorrow but we keep changing the subject of the project."

Aria read what he wrote then looked at him to find him shrugging with a little pout on his face. She huffed in frustration and dropped herself to her back again. "I know. Why is it that hard?" She said then looked at him with a fake angry face. "You deceived me, Kim Seungmin. I thought you would make this project easier for me."

"I told you I'm not interested in literature." The note he wrote read.

Aria pushed her body off and sat upright to be facing the boy. She crossed her legs and scooted closer to him, making their knees almost brush. She squinted her eyes at the boy before she asks him.

"Then, what are you interested in?"

The boy looked at her with confused eyes. It was like he never knew his own interests. It took him a few seconds before he blinks then finally holds his note and pen to write down hesitantly.

"Watching."

"Watching?" Aria questioned while furrowing her brows. "Watching what?"

"People, life." He wrote.

"You like watching people?" She questioned again, starting to feel some tightness in her chest at how lonely the boy seemed.

He nodded. He lowered his head to resume writing, allowing his locks to fall down gracefully, making it hard for Aria to fight the urge of passing her fingers through them.

"It's not like I stalk them." His neat handwriting recorded. "It's the only thing I can do. Watching and observing. Just like how I observed people passing by, eyeing you for sitting with me. And I'm pretty sure they are wondering what you are doing with the lonely mute and what kind of conversations we are having."

Aria knew that people were eyeing them. But it wasn't her who was receiving the hurtful looks. It was him. She knew that people assumed he was a Punished and it was quite rare to see a Normal having any kind of relationship with a Punished in that world. She knew that cause she always noticed those looks whenever she's hanging out with her brother.

"Do they bother you?" She asked with concern.

"Not really." Seungmin wrote down.

"Then screw them." She shrugged.

The look that the boy gave her was unreadable. It was a mix of confusion, worry, and anger. His lips parted, and for a fraction of a second, Aria thought that he was about to talk. Seungmin quickly wrote something and showed it to her that made the girl frown.

"Wha-"

"Aria!" Changbin's voice calling her from far cut her words and made her jolt. "It's time to go." Her friend yelled.

Aria sighed and then checked the time to find that it was time to start her part-time job. She stood up and dusted her clothes then shoved her bag to her shoulder.

"I guess we have to meet again tonight to decide the subject." She said and Seungmin nodded. "Umm, I'll text you later. Bye." She waved at him and then started sprinting away.

She joined her friend and made their way together to where his car was parked. Her friend was talking about his day but her mind was still busy with the boy's last words.

"Don't let the looks deceive you. I might be the bad guy, Aria. I might be a Punished."