The Reason? - Yoon Jeonghan

Chapter 49

Arriving at the school early, like advised, Ophely went on the search for her friend in their classroom, though quickly pushed towards the direction of the hall, Ophely was going to have to search for her friend in a bigger crowd. Accepting the directions she was given she walked back down the building towards the hall where the ceremony was going to take place. She sent a quick text to her friend asking where she was, Ophely was not familiar with the hall or the way it was organised. She hadn't been present for the rehearsals nor any other event taking place there.

Even though she was a student at this school, Ophley still didn't know her way through the corridors as well as she had hoped. So near the place she was supposed to go, Ophely started following the other students she crossed paths with. They were all here for the same reason. Feeling a small dose of anxiety making its way up her back, Iphely took a deep breath in and checked her phone again, breathing out in relief as she had gotten an answer from her friend. Though before she could even check her out she saw the familiar face a few paces in front of her.

"Opely!" Was the greeting she received followed by a warm hug.

"Nyeong-i!" She called out, not as loudly as her friend, and hugged her back. Inyeong had changed a bit, though mostly in the hair department. She had cut herself bangs as well as shortened the entire thing out/Now her hair only got to her shoulders in a straight bob. But her eyes were still the same brightness and her smile just as wide. There was no denying that it was in fact Inyeong standing in front of her.

"I'm so happy to see you! I was so scared that you wouldn't have been invited to graduate with how many days you weren't able to come here, but I asked the office and they told me that you were taking the lessons from a distance. I suppose that I understand, with what happened and all, though why for so long? The rumours died down a long time ago. Though that's not important. I'm just glad that you're here with me! It was different without you telling me about France every other day when you got annoyed at my rambling about K-pop." Ophely hid her face down in shame at what she had done to her friend. "Yah! There's no worry, I enjoy listening to you talk about your country. I hope that you were able to go back there during the holidays, you sounded like you missed that place. Can't really blame you, I would miss Korea too if I were you in a country I didn't know much about."

"I actually missed Korea more." Ophely cut her friend off, "I am so happy to be here with you and graduating. Though I'll tell you later why I couldn't come back to class lessons for such a long time." Inyeong smiled down at her friend, wrapping her arm around her hunched shoulders and pulling her down the rows of chairs until she stopped and pulled her in between the aisles.

"These are our chairs, I asked if you could sit beside me. They accepted only after I told them it was because I said I was going to help you with the ceremony. I will, don't worry. I know you aren't completely used to our ways. Though that might have been presumptuous from me. Do you need my help?"

"I will need it, I attended a family friend's one last year, but I didn't understand any Korean back then." Ophely tried to remember how Soobin's graduation had gone, but couldn't for her sake fathom what had actually happened, her memory came up blank. She was so thankful for Inyeong's help and foresight to know she would need Inyeong beside her.

"Don't you worry!" Ophely was at ease beside her loud friend, exclaiming her joy out loud for many of her classmates to hear not far from them. "Though here you can put your coat and bag here for the time being. We need to pick up our gowns and hats for the ceremony before we start with the walkthrough."

With Inyeong beside her, Ophley could only be as giddy for the ceremony and what was to follow. Though she must have known that it wouldn't be that fun either.