attention | lee felix

02 | remember you

"is everyone done solving the problems?" one of the club leaders asked.

barely anyone responded.

"aw, come on, why so awkward?" the leader chuckled. "that's it, we need some time to get to know each other. who wants to solve a problem on the board?"

as expected, no one raised their hand.

soojin looked back at me and whispered, "hanna, you should volunteer. you're smart."

"uh--"

"hey, we have someone here!" soojin suddenly grabbed my wrist and raised it up in the air.

"wait no i--"

"wonderful! miss, please come to the front of the room!" the leader motioned towards the board.

i looked at soojin, who smiled at me with encouragement.

i looked up at the students. the whole class had their attention directed at me, so i had no choice but to make my way to the front.

"miss, please introduce yourself to us," the leader said.

"hello i'm ko hanna and i'm a freshman... nice to meet you," i bowed.

"round of applause to miss ko hanna!"

i bowed a few more awkward bows as the students clapped.

"now, can you solve number nineteen for us?"

i looked at the problem. it was the one i considered the most difficult on the worksheet.

"um... okay..." i took the whiteboard marker from the leader and started writing out the steps.

"oho, what a smart freshman we have here!" the leader exclaimed as i continued. "can you explain the steps as you go?"

"sure, so you first..." i did as i was told, and the students clapped once i was done.

"wow. everyone, isn't she so smart? even i struggled with that problem," the leader said, and i felt proud to hear the students agree.

"quick question before you leave, what's your go-to drink at the convenience store?"

"uh... coffee milk?" i answered.

i didn't think asking that question would necessarily help the students get to know me better, but at least he tried.

"ah, coffee milk is surely a favorite," the leader chuckled. "thank you, ko hanna! you may return to your seat now."

i bowed as the students clapped again and quickly hurried back to my desk.

shuhua gave me a smile as i sat down.

"who wants to solve the next problem?" the leader asked.

again, no response.

"alright, i'm just gonna choose someone," the leader scanned the room with his eyes.

i was a bit glad to know that i wouldn't be chosen since i already went.

"how about... you. in the black shirt."

the leader was pointing at jisung, who looked flustered.

"just go," soojin said, flicking her hand towards the board.

as jisung walked to the front, i overheard some of the girls near me whisper.

"hey, he's pretty cute," one girl said.

"i think he's a freshman, do you really want a boyfriend younger than you?" another girl whispered.

"what's wrong with that? also, all i said was that he's cute. just admit it, you think he is too," the first girl shot back.

wow, han jisung.

popular back in middle school and still popular now in college.

"hello, i'm han jisung, a freshman, nice to meet you," jisung bowed and the students clapped.

"hmm... can you solve number three please?" the leader asked.

number three? did he even solve that one?

i somehow remembered him asking for help on number three...

"i uh... didn't really get that problem..." jisung smiled, seeming a little embarrassed.

"okay, yeah, he is cute," the girl from earlier whispered.

"see?"

it was weird that my ears kept picking up these side conversations.

it wasn't like i still had a crush on jisung, that was almost four years ago.

"oh, that's okay, can anyone help him solve number three?" the leader asked.

i would have raised my hand, but soojin beat me to it.

"thank you, please come up to the board!"

i watched jisung smile with gratefulness as soojin approached the front of the room.

but why... did i feel like something wasn't right?

soojin looked back and forth from her paper and the whiteboard as she solved the problem.

now that i thought about it, i was the one who showed her how to solve number three.

☆☆☆

"how are you so smart, hanna?" soojin turned around to talk to me once break time started.

"heh... thanks..."

"i was able to solve that problem on the board for jisung thanks to your help."

"i could have helped him too..." i mumbled.

"oh? i thought you wouldn't want to because you already solved one."

"true."

"what high school did you go to?" soojin asked.

"cheongdam high school."

"oh. what about middle school?"

"jungwon middle school," i said, a part of me hoping jisung would recognize the name.

"eh? jungwon middle school?" soojin nudged jisung in the arm. "didn't you go there?"

jisung turned around in the middle of a conversation with his friend.

"what?"

"i said didn't you go to-"

"yeah, he did. i did too," jisung's friend answered soojin.

wait, he looks familiar too...

"then you all know each other?" soojin motioned her hand at me, jisung, and his friend.

i wanted jisung to remember me.

"i guess?" jisung said, and i was disappointed.

but the other guy... what was his name...

"lee... felix?" i wasn't sure if it was correct.

"yeah," felix nodded. "ko hanna, i remember you."