High School Daze

Nominations

"There she is, there she is..." The whispers along the corridor caught Yejin's attention, before Hyojin hurriedly held her by the shoulders to steer her away from the notice board further down the corridor.

"Shall we go to the cafeteria? I'm starving!"

Narrowing her eyes at her best friend's sudden overly-enthusiastic tone, the Student Council president strode forward to where a small crowd had gathered around the notice board.

In that crowd, was a very familiar face, one that quite literally stood out from the rest of the students by being a head taller than them.

Smiling discreetly at her boyfriend, Yejin was surprised to see Hyun Bin returning her smile with a faintly awkward one.

It was time for the announcement of the nominees of the annual Outstanding Young Leader Award at Spackman High, and Yejin knew it was going to be released sometime within these two weeks.

It had little to do with academic achievements, but nonetheless would look good on the students' applications for college entry. That made it a rather coveted award among the Spackman student leaders.

Hushed silence settled over the crowd as Yejin gradually approached the notice board, and the secretive nudges did not go unnoticed by the eagle-eyed council president.

The first name on the board did not come as a surprise.

"Kim Nam Gil"

Of course, the swim team captain, who had done so much in organizing various swim meets.

The president of the debate team was up next, followed by the vice-president of the sustainability club.

"Hyun Bin."

She smiled a heartfelt smile upon seeing her boyfriend's name. Of course, the basketball team captain deserved to be on the list of nominees for all the awards he had led the team to clinch for Spackman High.

Her eyes continued scanning the list of names; there should be two more slots left.

...wait a minute.

The Student Council president looked through the list for the second time, this time with confusion and increasing nervousness.

A third time confirmed it— her name wasn't on the list.

Heart sinking, Yejin instinctively turned in her boyfriend's direction, seeking his eyes.

The expression he was wearing wasn't one which she liked; he looked apologetic, uneasy and she was certain he would have given anything to not be on the list now.

Hyun Bin took a broad step in her direction in the next instant, wrapping his hand around hers.

"Let's go."

Walking ahead, with the Student Council president's hand snugly in his, the basketball team captain ignored the stares they were getting and strode swiftly in the direction of the stairs landing which would lead them to the rooftop of the school building.

He didn't release her hand until they were alone at the rooftop.

"...are you upset?" Hyun Bin started after they had sat themselves down at one of the benches, though that question was probably the understatement of the year.

"Of course I am."

Yikes.

Despite the situation, the teenage boy couldn't help but appreciate how beautiful his girlfriend looked in that instant. Her long hair was being whipped back by the wind, and soft hues of peach had seeped into her cheeks along with the chill.

Quietly, he settled for looking at her, not sure as to what else to say.

"Yejin, I didn't mean to..."

That was when Yejin interrupted him.

"You see, Bin, I'm not upset about not making it to the list of nominees."

"Huh?"

"What I am upset about is..." The council president turned to look at her boyfriend. "...that you actually thought I'd be unhappy that you are on the list and I'm not."

"Yejin..."

"Honestly, I am disappointed...I've always given it my all when it comes to school work or council events. But you," Yejin smiled warmly at Hyun Bin, reaching out to hold his hand in hers. "Work equally hard if not more, and totally deserve this nomination. So while I'm disappointed, I'm immensely happy for you at the same time."

"Yejin...I...I don't know what to say..." The basketball team captain awkwardly scratched his ear. "See, I don't want to say it's okay, because I know how hard you work and it isn't fair. But more importantly, I don't want to apologize for it, because it would cheapen all the time and effort we have both put in."

"I will be very offended if you apologized to me for your nomination, Bin." The Student Council president's eyes held a steely gaze. "I am your competitor in this aspect, but whatever we have both done is for the good of our school. Ultimately, I am your girlfriend, and I will celebrate your success, as you have always done for me."

Drawing his girlfriend into a tight embrace, Hyun Bin smiled into her hair and said softly, "I'll win this. For us."

"Sounds good. I'll win everything else." The ever-competitive Yejin replied, half in jest, before they chuckled and tightened their embrace.

"You two over there! How many times must I tell you— no public display of affection in school!"

"Sorry, Mr Jung!"