With You?

Chapter 9

I headed for school the next day. Though, Jungmi tried to keep me in. The principal has worked things out, so there shouldn't be much problems, right? 

"Hyejinnie, why are you here right now? You should be at home, resting." Jinwoo frowned when he saw me. 

"Oh, so you don't want me here anymore?" I pouted. 

"Aniya, aniya. It's just I'm scared you're gonna get hurt or sick again. Then, Taehyun is gonna kill me." He coward at the thought of be punished by Taehyun. 

"Oh, I just remembered. You told him something. A lot about it. What should I do with you?" I scared him a little. 

"I didn't meant to. My conscience keeps urging me to tell him. So eventually, I did. I immediately regretted it. Please don't kill me." He whined at the end. 

"Arasseo, I was just kidding. I know you didn't mean to." I patted his arm. His shoulders relaxed at those words. 

"Maybe." His eyes almost popped out. I laughed at his reaction. He realized I was joking and he let out a relief sigh. We entered the classroom dying of laughter. We silenced ourselves after. 

"What were you guys laughing about?" Minho asked curiously, taking a seat beside me. 

"Nothing much."

"Hey, that isn't fair. I want to know." 

"Well, you...don't have to know."

"Hyung~..."

"Also, it's hyung~'s orders." Jinwoo answered.

We were all told to bring something precious to school. When I went home, the first thing I thought about was my father's watch. He had been long gone. My mother lives with my siblings in the states, though we don't talk much. The watch looked like it was newly bought, but it wasn't. He just rarely wore it. When he passed away, I kept it. Secretly. No one else knew about it. 

I placed it in a box. A secured, velvet covered box. I don't want it to break. There will not be a single scratch mark either. Hopefully. 

I gently placed the box in my bag and headed for school. Jungmi wouldn't tell me what she would bring. Well, neither did I. So I guess we are going to surprise each other. I entered the classroom, seeing Jungmi holding something. 

"Ooh, that's pretty." I complimented her ring. 

"Yea, it's shiny. Very. It's my mom's. She doesn't wear it so I decided to bring it." It kinda makes mine sound so stupid.

"What id you bring?" 

"Oh, it's nothing much." I answered. She frowned but chose to let me be. The teacher came in and told us to take out the things we brought. I, embarrassingly, took it out. We each had to present it in front of the class. Which I don't want to do. Everyone else's are so pretty and valuable while mine is like.... 

"Min Hyejin. You may present your item now." The teacher called out. I slowly got up and held out the watch. The class looked at it. Some of them had a blank look while others had this weird 'what is that' face. 

"This, uh, is a watch from my father." I began. 

"I kept it after he had gone away. Nobody knew I kept it til now. I, uh..." Tears brimmed my eyes. 

"This is a very important item that I have. Uh, thank you." I quickly ended it, leaving them in confusion. 

"Wow, that's just cheap. It's probably an old broken watch. What a hoe." A student mumbled.