What is love? (Mina's Story | Michaeng)

1.The Story Begins

I was in the Blue House's booth scanning the paper on which the schedules for the day was written. It was school week, a week of competitions. Anyone who wanted to sign up for a competition or know about any event would come to the booth. I was in the House's booth because I was volunteering for my house, organising participants from our house, giving them infïormation about the time and venue of their competition is what we volunteers do along with the House prefects. No one appointed us as volunteers, we just happened to be working hard for our house. I never volunteered in the election for house prefects or captains because I didn't wanna be busy with responsibilities of the house. I rather had my time to myself and helped out when I want to.

"Mina, we have only two participants in the junior JAM competition. We need a third participant. Go find one." House Captain Nayeon ordered me. Oh yeah, I was in 9th grade so I was one of the youngest among the volunteers and so it was our job, rather my job because I was the only 9th grader helping in the booth, to go hunt a participant whenever we have missing participants.

"But there were already three names."

"Yubin is absent. We need to find a substitute. Since its junior category 6th, 7th or 8th grader. Better if it's an 8th grader." Nayeon Sunbae said and hurriedly walked away. I guessed being House Captain was busy work.

So I set out to find a substitute for Yubin. On my way I found Haeri, the house prefect from 8th grade. Every grade from 6 onwards had a boy and a girl as prefects for each house. I grabbed her, "Hey, Haeri help me find an 8th grader for JAM"

"What's JAM?"

"For God's sake, Haeri how can you be so clueless? You're a prefect. JAM as in Just a Minute. The participants pick a chit of paper and talk about whatever is written on the paper for a whole minute. Like extempore."

"Oh I see. I know where to find participants! Come with me."

Haeri dragged me into a classroom. At the end of the classroom I saw a group of students practising a song. They were all wearing the Blue House's shirt so I guessed they were our team for the sub junior (grade 3-5) group singing competition.

I saw a girl playing the piano for the choir. Her skin was so white it reminded me of tofu. Her straight dark hair contrasted her pale complexion and she wore glasses that made her look smart. Next to her left sat a girl, swaying to the music. She had really pretty features and even though she was sitting I could tell that she was tall. She also wore glasses similar to the pale girl and she had the 'smart student' aura around her as well.

On another bench on the left of the tall girl, a small girl was sitting facing them. She had short hair which really suited her face. She wore glasses which rested on the tip of her nose. Her chin was down but her eyes were staring at the choir singing from over her glasses. She was tapping her right feet to the music.

"Take one of them. They are called the Triplet. They're smart" Haeri told me.

I realised I was smiling looking at how the small girl was staring at the choir from behind her glasses. I turned to Haeri, "Triplet? They're triplet?!"

"No. They are best friends. They all wear glasses. They're all good in studies. They do everything together. So we call them the Triplet."

I looked at them and recognised them to be the second runner up in Science Exhibition in last month September. I also saw them frequently in library in my visits during breaks.

"Let's persuade one of them to join. Help me" I dragged in Haeri towards the girls.

"Excuse me" I said. No one heard me.

"EXCUSE ME" Haeri said loudly. The pale girl stopped playing the piano, the singing stopped and everyone turned to us.

"We need a substitute for our house for JAM competition. It will start in few minutes. Will one of you three participate?" I pointed at the three of them.

"I have to practise this song with the juniors" the pale girl declared.

"I'm not good with speaking. And JAM is impromptu. There's no way I can do it" the tall girl stated.

I turned to the small girl. She crinkled up her nose and pushed up the glasses from the tip of her nose with the knuckles of her right hand. She seemed to be thinking. "I don't think I can do impromtu speech so I don't want to participate."

"Oh come on! The topics will be very easy. Like 'school' or 'baseball' or 'tiger'. I'm sure you can talk about easy topic like that" I looked back and forth from the short girl to the tall girl and from the tall girl to the short girl. "Come on, one of you should participate" I decided to excuse the pale girl since she was playing the piano for our younger students.

"Do it guys, it's for our house. We don't wanna lose points we could win, do we?" Haeri was helping me persuade them.

They were silent and they looked down avoiding eye contact. That wouldn't do. I grabbed the small girl's arm and pulled her up. "Come, you take part in it."

"No, no! I don't want to. I mean I can't. I can't do it!" She complained.

"Of course you can." I kept dragging her out of the classroom. Haeri quietly followed us. The younger students watching the commotion started to giggle.

"How can you be so sure? You don't know me. Why are you dragging me? Take my friend instead" she spoke so fast, it sounded like rap.

Because we just need anyone to take part so that the house doesn't lose points. I don't know if you can do it but I'm dragging you because you're small and easy ro drag! That's what I wanted to answer but I replied, "I saw you speak in the science exhibition. I know you can do it. I believe in you."

Then she stopped struggling and started to follow me as I kept on pulling her by her arm.

"I will go and sign up you name, buddy" Haeri tapped the girl's back and ran away ahead of us.

Haeri was already in the auditorium when we reached there. The competition had already started. "Since we signed you up late, you're the last speaker. Sit there and wait" Haeri pointed us to some seats.

We sat down and quietly watched the other participants speak on the stage. There weren't many audience since other events are taking place simultaneously in different venues within the school campus. The keywords prepared for the competition were easy. Some of the topics were 'School cafeteria', 'Annual day', 'Christmas' and such. Someone even picked the keyword 'Mango'.

"See, these are easy keywords to speak about. You can do it. I believe in you" I told the nervous girl sitting besides me who was staring at the floor. She glanced at me briefly and went back to staring at the floor.

I was about to ask her name when someone tapped my arm so I had to turn to her. It was Haeri. "Nayeon Sunbae is furious. She is looking for you in the booth." So I left them and ran towards the booth.

Nayeon Sunbae was writing something on a paper when I reached the booth. "Here, give this to the Teacher Kang. He's waiting in football field. I am little busy!" She huffed and left.

I took the paper and rushed towards the football field. I wanted to go back to the auditorium as soon as possible so that I could see that girl speak. Since I forced her to do it I wanted to see how well she could do it.

I found Teacher Kang flirting with Madam Kim. I had to interrupt and hand him the paper. I bowed and turned around and ran towards the auditorium.

I rushed in where I left Haeri and the girl. "Where is she?" I asked as I found Haeri alone. I panted trying to catch my breath.

"Up there. She already finished self introduction."

I looked up at the stage and there she was, opening a piece of paper. She cleared her throat.
"My keyword is... um... love "