Never

Chapter 8

Pressing the passcode of my locker, making four audible clicks and after it produced the beeping sound that I hear almost everyday.

Our lockers are big enough for us to store our books, clothes for gym class and some extra clothing. Mostly what's inside are just books and at the very bottom is where I stored the clothes that were too large for me, last week we had our sizing for our gym shirt but they ended up giving me the wrong size.

I opened my locker, scanning the contents inside, keeping my eyes on the book in my mind. I pulled out my medical surgical book on the lower shelf. My eyes went on the top shelf as a bunch of envelopes flooded the empty part of my locker.

Again?

Our lockers are very secured but they had to be designed with three parallel vents, just enough for anyone to slide letters inside.

I sighed, I'll have to clean it up again. I looked at the scattered pastel colored rectangular papers in dismay, what a waste of paper.

Holding the heavy book in my arm I closed my locker, creating a beep.

"They'd be sad you know?" A cool voice went past behind me, I turned my head to the left meeting his eyes.

"You should tell them you have a boyfriend now." I knitted my eyebrows.

"Are you high?" I squinted my eyes. "What boyfriend?" I faced him, with my chin up I tried to level his gaze.

"C'mon Sejeong. Words about you and that blonde guy is already out." He looked around, I followed his gaze and saw a couple of eyes are darted towards me, I returned my eyes at him when I confirmed that almost everyone here is looking at me. Making me feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Wait, they think I'm dating?" I pulled the book closer to my body. A corner of his lips rose.

"Aren't you?" I rolled me eyes.

"Hell no!" I denied. Taking one glimpse of the girls behind him, covering their mouths while looking at us back and forth.

"Why are they even interested about my life?" I turned around, trying to escape this place in a hurry. I heard his steps from behind, following me.

"They're just curious." Passing through the people in the hallway, they were looking at me. Some smiled my way and greeted but I didn't reply, my feet are busy finding a way to escape this hallways.

"I also got my hopes up that you already found someone but." He sighed, dissatisfied. "It seems you're not dating him." He fastened his pace, trying to match mine until he's beside me.

"Sorry to disappoint you." I put on a sarcastic face for a second and returned to my straight face.

"It's been years you know, still can't get over him?" My momentum stopped as my feet came to a stop, apparently as if I was glued to the floor. My grip on my book tightened, I turned to him.

"Sungjae." I said in a cold tone. My dull eyes turned to the side.

"Shut the fuck up." A few girls near us heard and sighed.

"Language Sejeong." He faked a gasp and chuckled. I fixed my eyes on him, piercing him with my eyes. He caught my eyes and blinked, he read my thoughts through my eyes.

"I get it, sorry." He said in an amused tone. He clicked his tongue and looked around.

"I still don't get it why those girls like to hear you curse, you must've bewitched them or something." I shook my head and continued walking to my class completely ignoring him.

Class went well, we had our exam and I think I did well. Nothing eventful happened during class, it was again another day of spoon feeding us information directly from the book which I already read, so it's basically useless for me.

Before I was even aware of the time a broadcast rang throughout our campus. The student council is reading a poem submitted by a student and played a requested song by them, which means it's already noon.

After the broadcast it's already lunchtime and some girls from my class asked me to join their table later. I just gave them a vague answer 'I'll try' , they then told me that they'll be waiting for me as they'll head first to the cafeteria to look for some vacant seat.

"She gets asked out for lunch but she's not even grateful, this is just unfair." Sungjae mumbled as he stood up and went out to eat. I rolled my eyes at his pettiness.

I sighed and stopped re-writing my notes, making sure to place stickies about the important notes on our lesson. I leaned back on my seat and stretched my hands, closing my eyes as I felt the satisfying click of my fingers.

"Seje." My heart pounded so hard on my chest. I paused and opened my eyes. A figure stood beside me, I slowly looked up to see the person's face which I regretted immediately when my chest became more erratic. My throat dried up.

Why is he here!?

I looked around discreetly and only a few of my classmates were left behind. Their eyes are all looking in our direction, specifically at him. I hurriedly dropped my hand and stood up, pushing my chair out with my legs.

"What are you doing here?" I whispered. He wasn't even wary about the environment and just continued to stand next to me with his hands inside his pockets.

"I came to ask for a favor." My eyebrow arched.

"What?" I gritted my teeth.

"Let me borrow your gym shirt." My eyes widened. I looked around in a hurry and left my table.

"Let's talk outside." I threw him an irritated gaze before marching out of our room.

Outside the door were students passing by to get lunch, it's really crowded now because it's lunchtime. But this is better, they won't hear our entire conversation and just walk continuously, they are too hungry to prioritize gossip more than their growling stomach.

"Why would I lend you my shirt?" I crossed my arms. He leaned on the wall as if a camera's around to take pictures of him. He closed his eyes and pouted.

"I forgot mine and I know you have that oversized shirt in your locker." Suspicious I leaned back.

"How did you know?" He smirked.

"You threw a fit on the student council last week about the wrong shirt." I sucked my cheek, biting the flesh inside. So word about that event also spread to their department?

I cleared my throat.

"But why would I want to lend it to you?" I countered. His tongue playfully played with his inner bottom lip, his eyes looked up and then back at me.

"Just wear your inner shirt." I motioned at his two piece uniform. He can just attend gym class with his white long sleeve polo.

"You wouldn't want people to see this right?" He turned around, confused I looked at his back. His hands gripped the hem of his outer coat, slowly he lift the coat and I almost chewed my cheek violently when I saw his shirt.

"They'll think you've marked me already. Do you want that?" He pulled down his jacket and turned to face me. My blood boiled, my clenched fists shook, I badly want to break his legs.

I smirked.

"Then just go and take it off, it's gym class. You're a man, you can go topless." I forced myself to not spit blood at him.

"I'll write your name all over my body then, my pen's not running out of ink Seje." His unfaltering smile irritated me more. "Do you want me to proceed or you'll lend me your shirt?"

He cornered me. He knows the two options have different outcome and I would choose the best one for me.

"I hate you." I muttered.

He nodded.

"I know."