Everyone knew the couple from one of the senior year classes. I mean, there were many couples in senior year, but one stood out. They often got into detention together and were frequently seen hanging out during break time at the cafeteria and library. And they could usually be seen together outside school too during the school holiday.
Chae Hyungwon and Ji HaEun.
As usual, their classroom was noisy before lessons started. Some students were chasing each other after some teasing or gossiping, while others sat at their desks, working on their homework (whether by copying someone else's work or trying hard to figure it out on their own).
In the midst of the chaos, Hyungwon made his way to his girlfriend, who was frantically writing down all the answers her seatmate showed her.
"Not done?" he asked after taking a chair and sitting beside her.
Glaring, she chided, "shut up."
"Woah, woah. I was only asking."
"I need to finish them before the bell rings." She paused and took a few minutes to write the answers. Suddenly, she stopped writing and looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "Don't wait for me."
Hyungwon smiled. "I don't wait for you. I just wanna sit here and look at you." Then, he propped his elbow on her table, and dreamily looked at her.
"Please, no," HaEun said. "I can't focus."
"Let me help you finish it then."
The girl pushed his hands softly as she said, "no. No, no. It's fine. I only have a few questions left. You better return to your seat." She took a look at the wall clock and added, "the bell's going to ring soon."
The boyfriend pursed his lips tight, forming rounded cheeks and staring at her.
HaEun called out, "Hyungwon," and that was when Hyungwon decided to retreat.
"Okay, okay. I'm returning to my seat," he said, putting the chair back in its respective place.
Just when HaEun thought she could start finishing her work in peace, Hyungwon dashed to her and pecked her cheek. The girl got caught off guard, gasping at the sudden action.
One of the male students saw the scene and the class began to grow louder after he cooed, "oooh! Chae Hyungwon kissed Ji HaEun."
The rest followed to coo, HaEun's face grew red and Hyungwon cared less As he walked back to his seat, he smiled at her and said, "I've been waiting for that." Then, he winked at her and sat at his place while the cheer grew louder.
HaEun couldn't deny the bloom that grew inside, but embarrassment wasn't something she could handle. She combed her bangs fast and stuck her hand on her forehead, and mumbled, "why did I agree to date him in the first place?"
After the cheer had gone, she held the cheek her boyfriend had kissed. The shape of his lips lingered in that area. She sucked her bottom lip, trying to hold back a grin.
As you have seen, it was also one of the reasons the couple stood out. They didn't mind showing affection in public.
But of course, when teachers and the dean weren't around...
**********
HaEun managed to finish her work before the class started. She didn't give a damn if she overlooked work or misspelled words. What mattered was that she submitted the book.
During the lunch break, she stared into space and chewed her food slowly. Her boyfriend was feeding her. He had been scolding her for staying up late because of a drama.
"What did I tell you? Finish your homework before watching the drama," Hyungwon said as he held the fork with Carbonara near her mouth.
"The drama premiered the final episode yesterday. Oh, the timing," she said, speaking at the speed of a sloth. She caught the food in her mouth and chewed it slowly again.
"You can catch up on the episodes online."
With a mouth full, she answered, "watching the drama online is boring. It has to load too long. I hate waiting."
Hyungwon stared at her, looking so done. Then, he said, "and do you know how much patience I am putting up to feed you here?"
HaEun looked at him blankly. "Oh," she muttered. "I don't realize you're feeding me."
Her boyfriend smiled, but it wasn't a pleasant smile. It looked like lasers or thunder coming out of his eyes, attacking her. But she didn't budge. Gritting his teeth with his left eye twitching, he said, "you asked me to feed you, HaEun-ah."
HaEun blinked her tired eyes multiple times and then, muttered, "oh..."
Hyungwon's mad smile fell. His lips were sealed tight before asking, "do you still want me to feed you?"
The girl shook her head. "No."
"Okay!" He put the fork in the tray. "I'm hungry." And he began to dig in his food.
HaEun took some time to look around while her boyfriend ate his food. Afterward, she turned to look at him. She propped her chin on top of her palm, watching him eat.
Hyungwon peered with his mouth full. Swallowing his food, then he slowly pushed his spoon into the fried rice as he asked, "what's wrong?"
HaEun shook her head. "Nothing."
The boy raised an eyebrow. "You look like you wanna say something."
HaEun let out a flat hum and said, "you know what day is it tomorrow?"
Suddenly, Hyungwon stopped chewing his food, peering up at the ceiling, thinking. "It's... Saturday."
"Uh. Yeah, it's Saturday. But do you remember what date it is?"
Hyungwon looked blankly at her. "The twenty-first of... May?"
"Yes," she replied, nodding slowly. "Don't you remember what tomorrow is?"
He gulped his saliva as he scratched his head. Putting down his spoon and drinking his water, he then turned to face his girlfriend. "It's... your menses day?"
HaEun slapped his thigh and he jolted from his seat, yelping at the pain. "Why do I have to remind you of that?"
He muttered, "You're scary when you're on your period," and sat in a humble position.
Frustrated, HaEun got up from the bench.
"Hey! HaEun-ah!" She heard her boyfriend call. She didn't feel any sense that Hyungwon was chasing her though. "Ji HaEun! Ugh!" Then, she heard something clanking behind her. When she turned her head, she saw that he was lying down on the bench, looking like his soul had left his body.
HaEun mumbled, "Didn't he have better energy than I just now?" Ignoring Hyungwon's sluggish shout, calling her name, she continued to walk out of the cafeteria with a messy mind.
