Novice in Love | on hold

Fifteen

ELLIE

Tuesday goes by in a blur of classes, assigned readings, and homework. 

Prior to the start of this fall semester, I read the reviews of the available professors to select the better ones and based from what I read, I had no choice but to enroll in four classes that were almost all consecutively after another in one day in order to get the better professors. With only a two-hour break between my first and second class for lunch and fifteen minute gaps between the others, I am always tired by the time I get back to the apartment. 

Even when I am back, I don't get to rest or nap since it is already 7:30 PM. I have to hurry and eat before showering and getting back to work. 

"You work too hard," Jenna comments from behind me. "Do you ever take a break?"

I pull out the one earbud in my right ear and shift in my chair to face her. "Of course, I do. I'm not a machine."

"You sure act like one sometimes." She tries to mimic a robot, complete with horrible whirring sounds, which makes me burst out laughing.

"What a terrible actor you are." 

"But for real though. You should be careful not to burn out," she says worriedly. "I always see you doing homework or doing studious things."

"Yeah, yeah. Thank you for your concern," I smile at her, touched that she cared. "But I don't know what you are talking about. Either you are not observant or forgetful, but I take so many breaks sometimes that you don't want to know."

"I remember, Ellie, but I just wanted to remind you with midterms coming up to take care of yourself. I know how stressed you get around this time."

"Aww, thank you, Jenna. Don't worry," I reassure her. "Reading books, watching dramas, and listening to music have been very effective stress relievers." I give her a thumbs up.

"Good, you better be." She does a "I am watching you" gesture at me and then changes the subject with a mischievous grin on her face. "So, how are things with Michael?"

"The usual." I roll my eyes. Almost forgot she was now my matchmaker with all the busyness of today. "When are you giving this up?"

"Oh Ellie, Ellie, Ellie... I have only just started." She gives me a wink and turns away from me without another word. 

"You better not pull another stunt like you did on Sunday," I warn. "You're lucky Michael didn't notice anything about your antics."

She whips back around with another grin. "Oh, he knows. He's just not saying anything. That coward." 

"Or he's just being polite?"

"You saw how obvious I was that night. Even a fly would have noticed what I was trying to do."

I roll my eyes again. "Whatever you say, Jenna."

"If it's whatever I say, you would be listening to my advice and give the guy a chance."

"Not again with this," I groan, covering both of my ears. She is not going to cause me to have another restless night. "I can't hear youuu."

She rushes over and stands really close to me before speaking in a very loud voice. "EVEN IF YOU IGNORE ME, THIS WON'T MAKE ME GIVE UP."

"Whatever," I mouth to her and make a move to turn back around to work when she intercepts. 

"Fine, fine. Let's talking about something else then." There is a little resignation in her voice, but I know she is only just temporarily giving up. "You need to watch Crash Landing on You!"

I pull my hands away from my ears. "Oh isn't that the new one with Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin?"

She nods excitedly. "It. Is. SO. Good." 

"Is it ongoing still?" 

"Nope. I know how you feel about following ongoing dramas, and lucky you, this one is already completed."

"Ooh, tell me more." 

+++

Jenna and I end up talking longer than I expected, switching from that drama recommendation to another one from me before going to latest song releases by Korean boy groups. By the time we wrap it up and I turn back to the short response paper I was writing earlier, it is already almost 10 o'clock. An hour spent just like that. 

Instead of diving back into finishing the assignment, I decide to just wrap up some of my final thoughts for it and continue with another short break before retiring for the night. I think I deserved that much for the tiring day I had today. 

I pull out the drawer of my desk to put away some highlighters and post-it pads I had out as the song "Dear My Dear" by Seo Eun Kwang, the leader of BTOB, plays through my earbuds. 

...When you open your drawer, I'll take everything out of mine
and fill your heart with it...

I unconsciously nod along to his beautiful voice and the melody of the song while I pack the rest of my school supplies away in my backpack. I check off the assignments I have worked on or completed on my agenda with satisfaction and tuck that inside as well. 

After double checking the notebooks I needed for my two classes tomorrow and my pencil pouch are also inside my backpack, I close all the school-related tabs on my browser and open a drama watching website on a new tab in glee. Time to relax. 

I look for the drama I am watching and click the episode I stopped on. Hospital Playlist. Episode 4. I have fallen quite a bit behind, but it is a currently ongoing drama, and even though I usually hold off on the ones still airing, I couldn't hold myself back for this one. The cast is super talented and I like the previous dramas written by the writer. 

The page finishes loading and starts playing, drawing me into the fictitious world. 

+++ 

Since the episode is over an hour long, I end up finishing past 11 PM. I hold myself back from going onto the next episode despite the voice inside my head tempting me to and turn off my laptop. I apply some aloe vera gel on my face to moisturize before turning off my desk lamp to head into my bed with a quick goodnight to Jenna. 

I cover myself with my soft blanket and slowly drift off to sleep.