Remember 1999

Chapter 7 - Missing You

"Aaaargh!"

Kim Tae Pyung exclaimed at the pain he felt when Hyeon Seong jumped on his side, pressing his shoulders down.

"Your shoulders hurt?"

"A little."

"Why does it hurt? Did you carry a sack of rice?" Hyeon Seong teased, laughing at him.

He nodded.

Yes, he really did.

* * *

"Carry me?"

Son Ye Jin was surprised with what Tae Pyung just offered. He said he would carry her on his back.

"You just said a while ago that it's too cheesy to do that." She rolled her eyes. This guy was so hard to spell, she thought.

"But... it's not like we're a couple though," he replied.

Ye Jin's eyes became rounder with surprise at his remark. The way he said it matter-of-factly made her blood pressure rose. She rose to her feet.

"Aaahhhh, so that's how you draw the line. You think it's neither sweet nor cheesy to carry me because we are not a couple after all!"

He scratched his head, not knowing what to react. Girls can be so unpredictable.

"....why do I feel like I'm being dumped by you. This is crazy!" Ye Jin scoffed.

This boy was getting the best out of her. Never did she feel so rejected.

"Yah, Kim Tae Pyung! If there is being dumped here, it is you," she pointed out childishly.

Tae Pyung was confused. He was being a gentleman all in all but her reactions made him ponder if he did or said something wrong.

"I just want to help," he said to himself while squinting his eyes from the rays of the sun.

He was so unsuspecting and that was what made Ye Jin more annoyed at that moment. While glaring at him despicably, figuring out what to do with him, she heard a sound and saw a wagon driven by a farmer coming in their direction. Luckily, the farmer was on his way to the market.

Minutes after, they were already inside the wagon along with their bikes, sitting beside some sacks of rice. They were on opposite sides, far from each other. To show their gratitude to the farmer who hitched them, Ye Jin ordered Tae Pyung to help the farmer in unloading the sacks of rice from the wagon. Even without her saying, he would have done that of course, but her nagging only made the task heavier to him.

* * *

Kim Tae Pyung massaged his left shoulder and let out a deep sigh. The door of the boy's toilet, where they were heading, opened abruptly in front of them and brought two male students out.

"Aish, why did he let us beat him up when he's gonna write it in the first place. He should have saved his body later. Smelly boy!"

One of the students crashed on Tae Pyung's shoulder which made him squirm in pain. As he lurched down, he saw a locker key on his feet.

"Excuse me," Tae Pyung called out. The two male students looked back at him in antagonizing manner.

"Your key," he said while picking it up.

Park Jeong Han, locker 1005.

As if it was a classified thing, the two immediately took the key from him and left with a glare.

"Geez. They won't even say thanks. Those sophomores, really!" Hyeon Seong exclaimed beside him.

Tae Pyung just shrugged it off and went inside the toilet. Before he could reach a urinal, he noticed a cubicle left half-opened and heard someone breathing heavily inside. He peeked and was surprised to see a male student sitting on the floor covered with bruises.