At A Game of Chess

V

After the 10 minutes were up, Mr. Mickey, passed out packets for all of us to work on. When the bell rang by the end of the first period, we all packed our stuff and briefly, a voice from the right crept over me.

"I'm sorry, you must've felt suffocated through the conversation about k-pop. It's just an easy topic for people to connect with because so many people are into it these days. It was probably our fault too because we got too carried away with it and unknowingly excluded you," the girl said.

I turned to face her while avoiding eye contact. "No, it's all good. I understand how this topic is really relatable nowadays. I prefer thinking to myself than talking anyways, so no hard feelings."

"No, it's not okay to exclude people from conversations. Hopefully, in the future, the group can have more conversations as a whole."

I felt the warm sensation again, but this time, it was not as intense. Bearable would be the appropriate term for it. I didn't dare to look at her, but her actions are admirable. Inclusion is a difficult goal, but she doesn't seem to know that. Her expectations are striving for something impossible.

I saw her again for third period. But this time, she didn't look at me. The second she entered the class, it seemed like she already located her seat and it was at the back of the room. I was able to clearly look at her from top to bottom right now. She was not attractive, to say the least. Theoretically, I would not be attracted to someone I deemed to be "not attractive." Thus, I saw no point in continuing anything with her. 

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