STARLIGHT

14.Trust

"Everything's the same," Neori said, mimicking Keya, "nothing's changed," she said, in a voice that, she thought, was close to Keya's, "I mean, what does she think of herself?"

Saomi, enduring Neori's constant whining about Keya's behaviour the previous day, walked in silence along the playground, watching the students, now a mixture of girls and boys, either engrossed in finishing up their lunch, playing basketball or talking animatedly with their friends.

"I know but...Neori, she has problems of her own and...we have no idea what she goes through. Let's not be judgemental," Saomi said, calmly.

"Arghhhh....Saomiiiiii....you're too nice!!!" Neori complained longingly.

"What? Tch...no, I'm not!"

"Oh yeah you are," Neori replied casually, "totally showed yesterday, the way you calmly told Hirasawa Sensei that Keya did not come to us because we were too busy. You didn't have to take the blame...but you did. See? You're too nice."

"I only said that because you were so hot-headed, it looked like you would explode! I was trying to close that topic. Goodness knows what you would've blabbered to Sensei about Keya," Saomi justified, as they passed the auditorium.

"Of course I would've blabbered. We're supposed to be helping Keya. We can't help her by hiding facts."

"I know but....Neori, we're not supposed to embarrass her. Let's talk to her ourselves first...and this time, let's do it properly. Let's meet her alone and speak calmly. She might even tell us what she's dealing with."

"Yeah, I doubt that," Neori said with a scoff.

"Neori!!!" Saomi scolded.

"Yeah yeah....okay, sorry. Fine. When do you want to do this?"

"I'll meet her today and ask her to stay back after school tomorrow. Is it alright?"

"Hmmm...okay. In the meanwhile, I'll think of the best way to deal with that creep," Neori said.

"Neori!!!"

"Okayyyyy.....gosh!" Neori laughed.

At this moment, Neori bumped right into someone.

"Oh....I'm sorry,"she said, without looking up, still laughing.

"Oh hi...." greeted the deep voice of the person who she bumped into.

"Oh....Samhyuk....hi," Neori nervously said, glancing over at Saomi, who looked deadly pale.

Samhyuk gave out a warm smile, "Hey Saomi," he said, looking straight at her.

"Hey..." Saomi managed to say and looked down at her shoes.

"So....how's Ohayo treating you?" Neori asked, trying to break the evident tension in the air.

"Oh it's great! I love the atmosphere," Samhyuk replied enthusiastically.

"Good to hear...good....good..." Neori responded, running out of ways to continue the conversation.

"So, what section are you in?" Samhyuk asked.

"I'm in A and...Saomi's in C ," Neori replied, almost sure that Saomi had, by now, turned red in the face.

"Okay...I see.....so...um, I guess I'll see you around then,"Samhyuk awkwardly said, also unable to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah yeah....see you. Bye bye,"Neori greeted, obviously relieved, and pulling Saomi along, ran away from him, as far as possible out of sight, and came to a bench in an isolated part of the campus."