Yeona's POV
"Are you okay?" I asked Minjae at lunch when Seungmin went to buy his food. We're at the cafeteria-not our usual table-and there is no sign of Seongjun, Eunchae, or Huijun anywhere.
Minjae who was sitting across from me nodded. He literally hasn't said a word since homeroom and Seungmin and I just kept glancing at each other for what to say to him next. I still had no idea but then I remembered my text. Maybe it's safer to bring it up now.
"Have you seen my text?" I asked, immediately going for it. He glanced up at me and it made me stutter as I continued, "Right at the start of break, I sent you a message."
"Oh." He mumbled. He brought out his phone and pressed the power button. It lit up and I figured it was off the entire time. It started vibrating nonstop after a few seconds. "I haven't looked at it since break started."
"Oh." Then that means he hadn't purposefully ignored me. That gave me a sense of relief.
Right before we went home that last day, Minjae and I stopped by at a cafe. Seungmin was supposed to come with us but he got a call from his mom so he hurried home. I thought Minjae was gonna suggest that we should go straight home too, but he had said, "Let's go. I want to drink a hell-a strong coffee." So I followed.
I ordered some hot coffee to go and after looking at me like I was an idiot, Minjae said that he's gonna find us some seats. I didn't think he wanted to stay.
We didn't speak about what had happened. Instead, he scolded me that I should've followed him right away when he had asked. Not knowing what to say, I had apologized. Somehow, at that moment, it wasn't right to argue with him. He just went through something and I can't be how I usually am to him.
He hadn't expected me to say sorry. He was tongue-tied for a couple of seconds. Then he'd said, "I'm sorry for saying you're shattered inside."
I also didn't see that coming. That's the reason I was angry at him and he had finally apologized. But before he said it, I realized I had already forgiven him. "I'm sorry I spread your phone number."
I thought we were having a warm moment right then and I expected him to apologize again for some other shit he did in the past. But he had immediately worn that mischievous grin of his and all those empathies I'm feeling for him vanished through thin air.
Despite still annoying me that entire time, his eyes looked sad when we parted ways. Huijun was his best friend and I'm sure he was having a lot of thoughts. That's why I texted him that night. Even though he might think I'm a bother, I had still worried. Just as much as I was worried about Huijun who went home alone that day.
"I just saw your message," Minjae said now as he gestured with his phone before putting it away. "I don't have to reply anymore, right?"
I nodded. Because what else could I say?
"Hey, guys! I found something interesting." Seungmin said excitedly from behind me. I turned around and saw Aera, my brother's best friend, with him. "It's a pissed-off chatterbox!"
"Yes, I'm pissed off!" She said, slamming a bottled juice and a sealed sandwich on the table beside me. She pulled the chair and sat as Seungmin settled beside Minjae. Then she immediately went into a frenzy. "Bang Junhyuk is pretending that he can't see me. I thought we agreed that we're going to spend lunch together since this is the first day of school. We even walked together this morning. But then, what? He's sitting there with people he just met while I politely refused the good people from my class who had asked me to have lunch with them because I thought we're eating together." She emphasized the last words. "Is he even thinking? Wait, wrong question. Does he even have a brain?"
"Whoa. Calm down, Chatterbox, your tongue might break." Seungmin said as he took a bite of his own sandwich. He looks like he's enjoying this very much. Minjae was staring at her like he just discovered a new species.
"Wait," I said and looked around, worried that some people might've grown interested in our table. When I saw no one was looking, I continued, "Did he specifically say you're having lunch together?"
"No." She said. "But isn't that the rule? He can't just blow me off on our first day in a new school."
I sighed. "I literally told you to ditch him when you still can."
She also let out a sigh, then took a swig from her juice. When her eyes landed on Minjae, she almost choked. "Sunbae-nim! Sorry, I didn't realize it was you. I didn't know you go to this school too."
"You two know each other?" Seungmin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"From middle school." He answered. "We had the same club."
"Minjae-sunbae was like everybody's favorite person back then."
I snorted out a laugh and they all looked at me. "Sorry."
"Do you have a problem with what she said, Drawer?" Minjae asked.
"Yeah. I think she got the word 'everybody' wrong." I said. Minjae scoffed.
"They hate each other," Seungmin told Aera oh-so casually. he nodded in understanding. "So, what are you going to do with that stupid boyfriend of yours?"
Aera groaned like she just remembered again what had happened. "That brat is not my boyfriend. He's dead meat." She stood up, almost knocking the chair down. "I think I'm just gonna drag him over here. I might regret it later but not right now, I don't."
"I don't think that's...a good idea," I said, but she was already dashing. My eyes followed her until she reached Junhyuk's table on the other end of the cafeteria. Then I turned my head back to my food. "I don't wanna look. Please don't look."
"This is so fun," Seungmin said, literally not blinking as he watched. Minjae was just grinning while he ate his food like he already knows what will happen.
"Yaaah!" Aera cried after a while, loud enough for the whole room to hear. I could only imagine how her exchange with Junhyuk went. I turned around and saw my brother dragging her by the hand away from their table to ours. Everybody watched and I attempted to hide my face with my hair when they reached us. So much for the first day of school.
"When will you stop causing me trouble?" Junhyuk whisper-yelled which is totally useless because they already got more than half of the cafeteria's attention.
"When will you start acting like a good friend?" Aera countered.
"I was gonna go over here," He pointed at the table. "But now I think I don't wanna be seen with you in the next few days."
"You think? But-"
"Shush." He hissed, then grabbed her by the head and forced her to sit down on the chair beside me. He leaned forward and said, "If you behave I might change my mind." He patted her head twice before walking away.
"Yah, Bang Junhyuk!" Aera yelled. He didn't look back as he made his way back to their table.
Some people were still looking at us and I really thought I could die of second-hand embarrassment. These two will be the talk of the school for a while and I so not want to be involved.
"I think your brother is my new favorite person," Minjae said, still smiling at the little show that had happened.
"Hey, you're replacing me so soon?" Seungmin said.
"But you weren't my favorite person."
"Yes, I am." He said. "I was by your side for the past months. There's no way I didn't become your favorite person."
"That could mean that I'm your favorite person, not the other way around," Minjae said. Seungmin paused to think.
Aera suddenly whined and we all turned to her. "He's angry at me. Again."
"Sounds pretty normal to me," I said. She groaned then slammed her head on the table. "He'll get over it. Just eat your sandwich. Lunch break is almost over."
"Why did I even choose to study Photography here?" She mumbled to herself.
After giving it some thought, she submitted her samples to the school's admission that same day of the festival. Junhyuk and I didn't contribute much to her decision. It seems like she really enjoyed photography so she just did it.
My brother did not show it, but he was overjoyed when they both got accepted: Aera in Photography and Junhyuk in Performance. He pretended to be displeased which resulted in Aera nagging him again. Same old, same old.
Across from me, Minjae suddenly choked on his drink like he'd just remembered something. "I have to go fix my locker." He said, standing up with the leftovers of his meal.
"Locker? But we don't have our numbers yet." Seungmin said but he had already gone; so fast that he was already by the door at the time Aera sat up straight to look at him.
"Was that Song Minjae?" Our homeroom teacher, Ms. Wang, appeared by our table. "I think he left something." She gestured to Minjae's now empty chair and saw his phone.
"I'll give it back to him." Seungmin offered but Ms. Wang was already grabbing hold of the phone.
"No, I'll do it." She said, smiling. "I'm planning to get to know all of you guys so I'm running around finding reasons to talk to you alone. I'll get to tick off Song Minjae's box today thanks to this." She showed us the phone, then put it in her pocket.
"Ssaem!" Seungmin started, "When are you giving us our locker numbers, and why does Minjae already has his?"
"Locker? I haven't given it to anyone yet, though?"
"Then why did he...?" Seungmin turned and pointed to the door.
At that moment the bell rang.
"Well, nice to see you Nam Seungmin, Bang Yeona, and... Choo Aera." Ms. Wang tilted her head to see her nameplate. "I don't think you're in my class."
"No, Ma'am. I'm a Photography freshman." Aera answered.
"I see. Nice to meet you." She said, then pointed her index fingers to me and Seungmin. "Well, then I'll see you two in the classroom this afternoon. I'll give your locker numbers by then." She tapped Seungmin's shoulder as she walked away.
We said our goodbyes to Aera when we all stood up and made our way to the stairs. We passed Seongjun with his friends on our way and we managed to give each other a soft smile while Seungmin excitedly demanded a high-five from him. He obliged and my friend ended up high-fiving everyone before we continued to our classroom.
Minjae was already there and he immediately asked Seungmin for his phone when we sat down.
"Ms. Wang took it." He said.
"What?" Somehow, Minjae looked horrified. "You could've said you can give it to me."
"I did but she wanted to talk to you."
"Why?" He said it like that doesn't make sense. It kinda doesn't. What would a homeroom teacher want to talk about with her students if everything she needs to know is already in the records?
"Just go get it from her. She's nice and pretty. She's not gonna eat you alive." Seungmin said.
"You go get it for me."
"What?" They went on bickering for a while but Minjae stood up and went out the door with his bag. "Yah, where are you going?"
"Song Minjae, do you want to get in trouble on the first day?" I said.
"I won't get in trouble. Tell them I went to the nurse's office."
Seungmin called after him again. He didn't respond. It doesn't make sense that he's being edgy. I also personally don't want any teacher holding onto my phone but there must be other reasons.
Minjae didn't return to the classroom that afternoon. Seungmin asked Ms. Wang about him and she said he just took his phone and left. When we checked the nurse's office after school, they said he didn't even come over so Seungmin tried to call him with no luck.
I was contemplating on texting Minjae myself that night when Huijun called. I hadn't anticipated his call that particular night because I expected him and Eunchae had already figured out things between them. Although I haven't seen him at school that day.
Turns out he didn't come but he was confident to inform me that he will definitely go the next day. I told him I'm glad for that and when I asked him what finally made him decide, he said, "Eunchae texted me just now. She said we're in the same class and the homeroom teacher asked her to tell me to get my butt to school tomorrow. That was her exact words."
A little smile formed on my lips. It made me think that she's okay too. I haven't seen her at school either but at least she went and didn't moped around as Huijun did. "That's great, you're talking again."
"I think so. But I'm not sure where we're at, you know?" He said. "Do we continue where we left off or...are we over?"
Something tugged in my stomach. I'm so not the right person to talk about this. "Well, where do you want you guys to be?"
"I honestly don't know. Where do you think?"
It's a question I didn't know I dread. How can I be honest while being a good friend, at the same time? "My opinion doesn't matter. Talk to her. I'm sure you guys will figure it out."
"Hopefully." He said. There was a pause. "I-I think my roommate is pissed. He's beating up something in the kitchen. I'll have to go check."
"Okay."
"Good night, Yeona." He said.
"Good night, Huijun."
We always end our evening calls like that. It will be a bit strange if he stops calling which I'm guessing will be anytime soon. Huijun and Eunchae cared about each other and I wouldn't be surprised if they start to roam the halls again like the perfect couple they are.
I was finally dozing off when my phone beeped with another message. My hand automatically snaked to my nightstand and when I saw Eunchae's name on the screen, I woke.
Eunchae
Hi. I'm sorry I didn't go to lunch with you guys today. I promise to join you tomorrow. Walk to school together? I miss you.
I read it again and again, not believing my eyes. It might as well not be from her but it is. It's from my best friend and she sounded like we hadn't ignored each other for almost a month. I was happy; so happy that the guilt of hiding things from her creeps out again on the surface of my mind. I will myself to ignore it and text back: Okay. Miss you too.