I See Colors | Taegi

eleven

A boy in my history class named
Jung Hoseok
keeps glancing at me.

He's one of the students
who exclaims something unexpected
and makes people laugh.
His jokes push people over
but they only give me
a few taps on the shoulder.

I remember
when I was like that
with my friends.
I can't imagine acting this way
around people who always
glance over their shoulders.
Somehow
   he pulls it off.

   We are reading through a textbook
   about the Mongol Empire,
   and I notice how half the time
   when I look up at the board
   Hoseok is glancing in my direction
   before turning away
   the moment we make eye contact.

   It's a bit uncomfortable
   but I try to ignore
   the unsettled feeling
   rubbing my stomach.

   Class ended a minute ago.
   I'm shoving the textbook in my bag,
   until I hear someone next to me
   clear their throat.

   I look up
   and see Hoseok
   looking down at me.
   I sit up.

   "Hi."
   He says.
   "My name's Jung Hoseok.
   My friends call me Hobi for short."

   He smiles
   as he introduces himself as if
   I don't know who he is.

   His voice is a orangish-yellow,
   like a sunset,
   and tastes like
   warm, flavored soup
   that's given to someone when they're sick.

   The raspiness in his voice
   has always stood out,
   and it's part of the reason why
   he's so well known.

   I wouldn't say he's popular,
   but he's someone who's impossible
   to not talk about
   at some point.

   I now realize I've been in a daze.
   "Hi."

His smile becomes
   heart-shaped,
   a trait that he's also known for.

   It's amazing what a smile
   can do to someone.

   "You're Taehyung, right?"
   He asks with his eyebrows furrowed
   and his hand points at me
   like I don't know
   who he's referring to.

   "Yeah.
You're right."

   "Ooo..."
   He looks as if his mind is following
   an invisible trail.
   "My friend Jungkook said that
   he wanted you to eat lunch with us.
   Or, him.
   I don't really remember exactly what he said.
   But basically,
   Jungkook wants you to eat at the same general location as him."

I don't bother focusing on my reaction
because I'm more surprised that
Jungkook is his friend.

I realize that I'll start dazing off again
and words start falling out of my lips
like petals falling off a flower.

"Um... Okay...
If that's okay with you."

"Oh sure! It's no problem!"
Hoseok assured me.
"As long as you don't chew with your mouth open,
my friends'll like you;
   last time I checked."

   Another thing that's amazing
   is how someone who says everything
   can still be someone
   nobody can explain.

"Okay..."

Hoseok smiles again
and grabs my wrist,
pulling me off the chair.

My other hand
grabs my bag
and makes one of my shoulders hold it
like what Yoongi does.

"Great!
I'll lead you to our usual hang out area.
Also, I like your voice.
Very mellow and...
What's the word?
Oh! Baritone. That's it."

I don't have much time to process everything he's saying
as we speed walk out of the classroom.

All I can think about is that
for the first time in one or two years,
someone talks to me
like I'm a person
instead of words.