Trust me, please || J.JK

3: Unnoticed

I am standing in the middle of the corridor filled with students, with an bunch of club papers to fill. Earlier Dae-ho dropped me at the principal's office and dashed to his class apologizing.

The principal had a standard greeting smile but it was not a genuine one, it was as if she ticked me of her to-do list and is ruminating on other important tasks to concentrate.

A map limply hangs from my hand. Everything here looks like a maze. I start probing for my history class room on my map. My finger delineates while my eyes scan.

"Ah there" I mumble to myself when I spot the small box on the map with the required letters on it. There were not numbers on the door or any other defining landmark. So it was really hard to know where I was. Not knowing north or south, I take a blind guess and amble towards my right.

A familiar smell hits my nose, the tincture of bleach on the floor, an undercurrent of badly cooked cafeteria food and a concoction of over applied deodorants and body odour. One I'm well used to, every educational institute smell the same.

Staring at the ground I walk through the hall. Student wander gossiping and whistling. Everyone knows everyone. But somehow I go unnoticed.

During my time in the previous schools there were always those judging eyes. Everyone were looking at me evaluating and analyzing how I look, what I wear and carry, to decide whether I was the opulent kid or the impoverished. They whisper, make fun and defile my basic human rights.

But here nobody seemed to care that I was unfamiliar. Nobody was here making comments in how unusual I look. I raised my hands up slightly from my sides to make sure I was not invisible. Still there I guess. I like it.

I like going unnoticed. I don't want to be remembered. Attention only brings problems and my past proves it. I praise my self for dissolving into the surrounding. Finally.

My favorite song starts playing. I adjust the earphones pushing it deeper into my ear to listen. Maybe this is a signal for me that my life is going be different, going be happy. With music in my ear and a smile plastered across my face I slither across the busy hallway.

It's past ten minutes I've started roaming round and round in this labyrinth-like foyer. I take glimpses to find something on the door of each classroom so I'll know my whereabouts.

The bell rings echoing down the hallway. The students scurry and run towards their appointed classes. The once crowded corridor now illuminates bright. I stand alone stray unable to find my way.

'Physics laboratory' a black board with blazing white font stands in front of a door laughing at the disoriented me.

I quickly start searching for the 'physics laboratory' in my map repeating it again and again wishing it'll help me find the said room faster.

The history class room is on the other end.

I messed up.

I remove the earphones and throw it inside my bag and lean on the door which seemed like a storeroom's entrance, exhausted.

The door abruptly opens making me stumble backward losing my balance. I shriek and flap my hands hoping I could fly instead of falling. A pair of strong and long hands save me.

"Oh shoot, I'm sorry I didn't see you" a deep voice vocalizes.

Embarrassed and already scolding myself for being this clumsy, I try to stand up with his help.

"Well I could say you fell for me." he smiles half smirking.

Uh, what?

I look up at the tall guy standing in front of me a bit annoyed. He looks ethereal. His forehead is wide, and the width tapers going down towards his chin giving a somewhat triangular shape. A set of gorgeous dark brown eyes stare at me while he notices my incognizant analysis of his handsome face.

He clears his throat along with a cough breaking my thoughts.

I panic and look down immediately sending apologizes towards his direction. I've never even seen my neighbors face who's was living right beside me for fourteen years. But here I am standing staring at a random uh, handsome stranger.

"I've haven't seen you before. New student?" he asks cutting through my deep thinking.

"Yes" I croak. Feeling anxious I start moving after saying a "Thank you" to him. Why I said thank you, I don't know, maybe for catching me when I went plummeting.

"Are you skipping classes already? He holds my arm gently making it feel more like a tap. His deep laughter carving into my hollow chest spreading across the emptiness. He makes me feel at ease. And I blame his childlike face and behavior.

I do not like people who can easily convey their feeling. I don't like extroverts. They make me feel helpless and weak. But he was a different case...

"I'm lost" I try to keep my answer short. But something inside me provokes me to talk to him more. He seems special. Unique.

His mouth forms a rectangular shape as he smiles, "Do you want some help?"

I nod my head.

He casually walks in front with his hands in his pocket and takes me up a fleet stairs. I huff and continue follow him.

Wait did I tell him which class I even have?

I open my mouth but nothing comes out. Anxiety blocks my throat. What if he thinks I'm annoying? What if he ends up to be a bad guy despite his genuine helping childlike face?

"You're awfully quite" he says turning back but his appendages never stop their work of climbing the stairs.

I don't reply. Does it even need a reply? It's a statement and not a question. I continue looking down.

He stops in front of a door and genuinely smiles at me. It's been a while I've seen one of those. He walks into a...

Terrace?

***

Sometimes all you can
do is smile.
Move on with your
day, hold back
the tears and pretend you are okay.