Maybe Maybe not

003

Jeong-ho

"You need to stop." I tell Clara as she joins me for lunch.

She doesn't say anything. She instead sits on the empty seat Infront of me and begins to eat her lunch. I can already feel the stares of other students and hear their whispers. Some students are not discreet in what they are saying.

Why is she sitting with him? Are they friends? I think they are something going on between them. Jeong-ho even brought her to class.

I roll my eyes and Clara notices.

"Afraid i'll ruin your reputation?" She spits out.

"More like taint it." I immediately retort.

I expect her to leave but she only scoffs and continues to eat her lunch.

"You should join your friends." I tell her glancing at the table where Min-Joon, Hyun-Ae and Sara sat. Min-Joon is glaring at me even though his girlfriend is beside him.

Clara doesn't listen to what i say. She doesn't look up from her food and looks relaxed despite how everyone is openly staring and talking about us. I stare at her and notice how she tenses whenever someone speaks of her behaviour this morning or how she is not beside her friends.

"Clara...."

"Let me just sit here,please." She begs her eyes shining with unshed tears. She blinks them away then glances back at her food.

I wanted to ask why she's being weird but with her thinking i was to send her away again,i  don't correct her.

"Ok."

I eat my food thinking of how strange she has been acting. First,i find her crying then she doesn't know where her class is. But what strange enough about her behaviour is that she is not beside Min-Joon. Since joining our school two months ago,she quickly became friends with Min-Joon. Most see them as best friends but it has always been clear that she likes him.

Did they fight? I think turning to look at my brother. He has always shown his disdain for me especially if Clara is near me. His girlfriend,Sara is animatedly telling him something but he is busy glaring at me. I smile at him and turn to look at Clara who has stopped eating her food but is still staring holes at her plate.

They couldn't have fought. If they had, Min-Joon would have done anything to reconcile with her.

"You want to go back to class?" I ask. She gives me a surprised look and nods.

Ignoring everyone,i leave my food and leave the hall with her following closely beside me. We walk to her class in silence. I glance at her and she looks relieved to have left the hall.

"You're not staying?" She asks when i turn to leave.

"No."

"Why?" Clara asks. She is standing beside her desk.

"Why?" I ask incredulously. "Why should i stay? It's not like we are exactly friends."

Her eyes harden angrily,"Why are you such an asshole. You could have just refused."

I pocket my hands and walk towards her.

"You're forgetting that i refused and you asked to be explained why am not staying."

I stand inches away from her. She might be tall but I'm still a few inches taller than her.

"It looks like you are going through something,so why don't you find people who exactly care and leave me alone."

Her eyes flashing with hurt that quickly disappears and replaced by relief and affection as she glances behind me. I turn and I'm not surprised when i find Min-Joon standing at the door.