A Thousand Purple Stars (JinJi)

Unresolved Differences

"Yeah, but it feels kind of..." he tried to think of a word that wouldn't anger her further. "...unpolished."

Jinyoung didn't know if it was his criticism that motivated her, but when she took her essay back and resubmitted it with essays, it was even better. She had polished it up and he was blown away by her talent. Jinyoung looked at his own essay and felt embarrassed. Once he finished reading hers, he sat back at his desk and decided that he needed to polish his as well.

But when his and Jisoo's essays were chosen as the best in the bunch, Jisoo didn't look pleased with him. Jinyoung was proud of his work as well as hers, so he didn't understand why Jisoo couldn't feel the same way.

They ended up going to the same high school, too. But that world was so different from their small middle school. They ran in different circles and hung out in different crowds. There were fewer and fewer opportunities to interact. In time Jinyoung's crush on her faded until she was just another classmate towards whom he bore no ill will. He shifted his focus to his studies and supporting his family.

Since his father died, things hadn't been going well for them, financially. His mother worked as a school nurse at an elementary school. His eldest sister was away at college and would be graduating soon, and his other sister had a job at a convenience store. Still, they just barely got by with the money they made. Jinyoung knew that if he wanted to go to college, he'd need a scholarship. He would need to watch himself, step carefully, stand out, and not make any mistakes.

The plan was going well, until one day Mrs. Choi called him to the office.

"You've forgotten to turn in your test, Jinyoung," she said. He blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"Your test!" she said, gesturing to the stack of testing sheets next to the stack of response sheets. Jinyoung was confused.

"But I did turn it in," he said, getting nervous. "Check the stack again, please."

"I've checked it twice, three times," Mrs. Choi said, her voice stern. "Jinyoung, you have to turn that test back into me now. This is very serious. If I find out you stole it and you've been circulating it among the other students, I'll have to write you a violation."

Jinyoung's stomach lurched at the sound of the word. "But I didn't steal it," he insisted.

"Then who did?"

After being excused from the office, Jinyoung ran back to the classroom and scoured his desk. He was almost absolutely positive that he had turned it in and that it wasn't in his desk or in his bag or in his room or in any manner of his possession at all. Mrs. Choi insisted that she didn't lose it, either. But where could it have gone? He walked over to Mrs. Choi's desk at the front of the room and carefully checked it in case the paper had slid underneath or managed to get into one of the drawers. Nothing.

That was when he realized that one other person who came into contact with the stack of tests was that week's class helper. He walked to the schedule posted by the door and checked who was on duty for the week.

It was Jisoo.

Jinyoung's stomach flipped as he read her name. Jisoo couldn't have done it. Jisoo was one of the smartest people in their class, she wouldn't need to steal a test to cheat. Jinyoung was positive that she didn't do it, and he was disturbed that there was a voice inside him telling him to go ask her anyway.

He shook his head. She couldn't have done it. Could she?

Screw it, he thought. Classes had just let out for the day. If he hurried, he might catch her in by the shoe lockers. There was no harm in just asking, just to be sure. When he went down and intercepted her, he saw Song Mino, a second year hanging close by. Jisoo had just dropped her shoes to the floor and was about to put them on when Jinyoung approached her.