The One I Want

28

Minju carefully brought her tray of school food, sitting opposite Yuri. The girl looks at her, wondering where the others were. It was just the two of them.

"Where's Minhyun?"

"Admin stuff," Minju said. She realises, dating the president of the school would mean time was something they barely have. "Yena?"

"University consultation." Yuri shrugs. "Have you done yours?"

"Haven't been called. My name starts with an M, I'll be one of the last to be called." She sips on the kimchi soup. "When will they stop serving kimchi soup? Summer's coming."

"I don't see those two anywhere." Yuri looks around.

"Who?"

"Yujin and Wonyoung. They must be having the time of their lives. I'm jealous." She shakes her head slowly as if she doesn't get a chance to experience what they have.

Instead of looking around, Minju asks, "How are you and her? Nothing's going on?"

Yuri knew who she meant. "I'm not ready."

"Why?"

"You know why. My parents would kill me if they find out I'm dating someone when the exams are near. Even worse, I think I'll be kicked out of the house if they know it's a girl."

Conventional parents.

"Have you told her that? That your parents..." Minju lets out a small sigh. "Sometimes, I wish you could have my parents so you wouldn't live like this."

"Thank you, but this is my life. I can't get away from it. Must be a curse," Yuri said. "I haven't told her and I don't want to."

"You're making her wait for nothing. Literally. You should tell her."

"She'll get hurt. I don't want her to get hurt. If only she's like Yujin, I might not hesitate to reject her."

"What do you mean?" Minju didn't like what she heard. As if Yujin's some pushover.

"Not so nice. Yena's too nice, it hurts to know that I can't do anything about us."

"Yujin's nice. What do you mean?"

Yuri took a pause, wondering if her ears had water in them. "Did you just say Yujin's nice?"

Minju quietly eats her food, but the latter's stare was pressuring for an answer. "No...What I mean is, Yujin's nice too. Why would you reject her? She can get hurt too. She's human."

"Ya, Kim Minju. I was just making a comparison. Why are you being so defensive? I'm not wrong either. I know she's nice but she still gets into trouble. I saw her the other day—"

"What are you talking about? What trouble?" Minju cuts her off.

Yuri quickly sealed her mouth, shoving food in it so she wouldn't have to talk. Minju gave a light kick to her shin. "What trouble?"

Yuri looks at her and chews her food. "I was supposed to keep it from you," she mumbles with a mouth full but swallows her food. "She got into a small accident?"

"What accident?"

"She hit someone. Intentionally." Yuri saw everything that happened at the back of the school while she was on recycling duty.

"When?"

"Yesterday?" That's the last time they both saw the latter.

Minju places her spoon down. "Why?"

"How would I know? I saw it, that's all. She totally ambushed three girls. They looked like they were arguing—" She stops talking when Minju started leaving. "Ya! Where are you going?!" She was dumbfounded but saw Wonyoung crossing Minju's path.