Colors ♡ Kim Hongjoong

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 3

Date: November 7

At first, I expected today to be normal. I guess I was wrong to assume so. Here everyone was, shouting "happy birthday"s to the very male I despised. He looked so cheerful this morning that I had slammed my locker shut and practically stormed to class. I don't know why I felt this way towards him. A part of me said it was wrong and I had no reason to feel this way while the other half convinced me that I was justified.

I was just so annoyed to watch dozens of girls come up to him and give him cards and gifts. They all hated him during class when he reminded the teacher homework was due, but it seemed as if after class everyone was under a spell. I pressed my lips, crossing my arms and laying my head down on the table.

"Yeona, do you not have a gift for our class president?" questioned one of the girls.

Confused, I raised my head to find the class staring at me now. I narrowed my eyes, "I was not aware that was a thing we do?"

The girl scoffed, "We always give our class presidents gifts on their birthday! You did last year so why not this year?"

You would have thought the girl was asking me why I didn't get her a birthday gift. I gave her an incredulous look.

"That was because last year's class president was my brother. He transferred classes across the hall this year. And no, the only reason why you always give gifts to our dear class presidents is because you think they're attractive," I retorted. "Sorry but I'm not joining in on your stupid fangirling. I have no interest in chasing after a boy, not even Kim Hongjoong."

I ignored the baffled, scowling, and otherwise exposed reactions of my class and put in earbuds to ignore the whispers and accusations I knew I was getting. I couldn't help it. No one was required to give the class president a gift. If it was required I would've gotten Hongjoong something lame and he would've exclaimed how profound it was. He was just too nice like that.

My eyes dared to glance up in his direction only to find him already staring at me. Only then did a pang of guilt hit me. The look in his eyes was...too much. Yes, I disliked him, but the way he was looking at me hit me differently. It was his birthday, I shouldn't have said that. Not at that moment, not with him there. I could've said it somewhere else that wasn't around him but for goodness sake, it was the boy's birthday. I could've at least said no politely.

I looked away before I felt worse than I already did. I should apologize after class to him, that was the least I could do to make it right on his birthday. His friends were still stunned by what I said and glanced at Hongjoong to see if he was alright.

Soon the teacher came in and started literature class. When it came time to turn in our essays, she read through them and ended up picking out two.

"Since two of you chose to write about the same book, I would like the two students to perform a short debate as their opinions were contradicting," announced Mrs. Seo, "So Yeona and Hongjoong, do you mind standing and going over your essays?" she asked.

No. No, no, no. This can't be happening. I felt a rush of panic fill my veins and my hands started shaking. What if I was wrong in my opinion. Hongjoong was always right when it came to this kind of stuff. What if-

"Kang Yeona?" the teacher repeated, snapping me from my short trance.

"Hm? Oh, sorry," I nervously smiled back at her.

"She's just scared to go against Joongie," a girl murmured, "She knows he's always better than her at these things."

She was right and I hated it. At the end of the day, I was scared of Kim Hongjoong. I was scared to be compared to him. I was scared because he could master the things I couldn't.

Gulping, I tried to hide my shaking hands in my jacket pockets and stood. I made my way to the front of the class with Hongjoong and did my best to cover my nervous and uncomfortable state. It was too late as he saw through me, somehow. I wasn't sure how.

He gave me a (discrete) concerned and questioning glance as though he was asking if I was alright. I attempted again to conceal it but this time he gently caught my wrist while we were both standing behind the podium at the front of the classroom. No one could see this action except us.

I pulled my wrist loose and muttered quietly so only he could hear, "I'm fine."

I sat on the roof alone, hugging my knees to my chest and choking on my sobs. I felt humiliated. Mrs. Seo said that no opinions were wrong but yet I always felt wrong around Hongjoong. He was the better student. While he was down in the cafeteria probably celebrating his birthday with his friends, here I was skipping my lunch and crying on the rooftop.

I was alone and I wanted it to stay that way, even if I missed the next class. I just wanted to be alone. I felt sick like I was going to catch a fever. My head ached from so much crying and the only thing that seemed to help was resting my head on the cold metal storage shed.

My eyes closed. Sleep was going to snatch me up at any moment and I would let it. I felt myself slowly starting to fade away until it had totally taken hold of me. I don't know how long I was asleep but it was the worst sleep of my life.

I awoke to the sound of footsteps and peered up to watch Wooyoung crouch in front of me. He pulled off his jacket, wrapping it around my shoulders, "Are you alright? We couldn't find you during or after lunch."

Sniffling, I replied, "I'm fine."

He frowned, "You look flushed." He held a hand up to my forehead and cheeks. "My gosh, Yeona, you're running a fever. Why did you stay out here this long? You're cold and sick."

Helping me to my feet, he put an arm around me, "Come on, Yeo will kill me if he finds out I let his cousin stay out here on her own."