Chae Rin's POV
"I'll meet you there, I had to go home first because I forgot my wallet" I told Cheong San, it had been 3 minutes but why did he ask so many questions...
"It's not like you ever pay, why are you acting like you do?"
"Ya... I do pay... when your mom allows me to sneak it" I huff while he snickers.
"Whatever, hurry up. We're almost at the restaurant"
"Chae ya, hurry up, or I'll eat them without you" I hear Gyeong Su's voice in the back.
"Don't you dare! I'm on my way" she said, quickly hanging up the phone as her trip home is cut short, and she only has time to grab a hair tie and her wallet before running out the door.
Upon arrival, I hurriedly sit at the end of the table between Cheong San and On Jo, and just in time as his mom brings out two huge trays of fried chicken, making everyone but Cheong San excitedly cheer.
"Here it is!" Ms. Lee said putting the plates down, my eyes widen, but I still laugh, cheering for the food.~
"This is so much" Gyeong Su says clapping.
"Thank you for the food!"all of us said, ready to dig in.
"Why so much?" Cheong San asks, I kick him under the table.
"Don't complain!" I scold, pointing my fork at him.
"On Jo and Chae Rin eat a lot" She said with a smile.
"I don't eat a lot. I eat well" On Jo defended, I hummed with a nod.
"Oh, that's what I like the best" she said with a smile "Gyeong Su eat a lot too" and him over cloud 9 agreed digging in.
"A-Sak you too!" She said, patting her shoulder, I smiled as I helped On Jo break apart her chicken.
"It's I-Sak, not A-Sak" the sweet girl said.
"Did you change your name?" to which the girl just laughed, the older woman later joining in on.
"Mom, don't change someone else's name. Change the restaurant's name. Why are you using my name?" Cheong San said, annoyed.
"It was called that before you were born" She replied in the same tone.
"Exactly! You named me after the restaurant. I don't like --" I kicked him harder.
"Ah! Why'd you hit me?!" He said with a wince.
"What'd I say?"
"Don't complain..." He replied.
"Besides, It has authenticity" I said to which both everyone including Cheong San's mother agreed.
"Listen to Chae Rin, she knows best" Gyeong Su said, jokingly going to hit him.
As the night went on, we all tasted the chicken, Gyeong Su offering himself as a delivery boy which was respectfully declined by Mrs. Lee seeing as we were high school students who needed to study, On Jo was frontal about the taste, calling the chicken Salty, although tasty, making us all laugh.
And as she left to tell her husband the comments, both me and Gyeong Su put our cups near Cheong San, who just... filled On Jo's cup and forgot ours.
And then the conversation shifted to the science teacher, his smell, his actions, his son... I had remembered the day he hurriedly left the classroom after quickly writing everything in the chalk board, but I was still confused and had even commented on it with Nam Ra, my seatmate.
"They say he was a genius." I-Sak said
" And geniuses often go crazy" On Jo commented, throughout this conversation I had been quite simply listening to their points as I tried to make my own views on it.
"I guess you never have to worry about going crazy" I snickered at Cheong San's comment, almost choking on my chicken as On Jo shot daggers at both of us.
"Hey, are you two looking down on me?" he asked seriously, I hurriedly shook my head.
"Never, I think you're smarter than Einstein" I smiled innocently, she retorted with a smack in the shoulder as I faked hurt.
"Ya, ya, let's go, we're going to be late for the test!" I alert them picking up my stuff, not forgetting to ask for some leftovers as we leave.
As we all run into the streets, I bump into Gyeong Su jokingly, which he returns playfully.
"Race you up the stairs" I teased.
"We just ate!!" He yells, but still we both race, getting to the top as a winner I cheer bumping fists with I-Sak, turning around to celebrate with On Jo when I noticed neither her nor Cheong San came up.
I hear a yelp with wincing and finally On Jo is coming up, an annoyed expression on her face as the wincing from the bottom of the stairs continues.
"What happened?" I ask confused.
"We're friends with an idiot" she mumbled, all of us snicker at the comments, my arm going over her shoulders as we head to school.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The most normal of days
That day
Chae Rin's POV
As the sun lit up my room, my eyes automatically opened, grabbing my phone, checking for the time gasping once I realized that I only had 15 minutes until I had to leave, hurriedly going to the bathroom to refresh, pee and wash my face, only being able to put a little color on her eyes before I hurriedly got out and got dressed.
"Hey, hey. Eat breakfast before you leave" My mother said, at the sound of her voice I let out a breath and relaxed as I sat down with a little laugh eating the rice and soup she had prepared for us, that is until a knock was heard at the door, my eyes went big again as I took a single massive bite of both dishes and dashed for the door.
"See you later, mom!" I said through my mouth full, mom laughed humming as she turned to look at her me, with a smile.
"Love you!" The two of us said at the same time.
"Good morning, Ms. Kang!" Cheong San said from the door. At the sound of his voice, my mother got up and waved at the boy.
"Morning Cheong San, hurry on you'll be late at this rate" He nodded, grabbing onto my arm as I was finishing up putting on my shoe, a screech leaving my mouth at the sudden tug before I hopped on one foot following his steps as I continued to put the shoe on.
Arriving at On Jo's door I pull my arm out, letting out a huff as I punch Cheong San's shoulder, he winced and feeling accomplished I got up and rang the doorbell.
Once outside the three of us, do what we call our normal routine of rock paper scissors to figure out who had to take the bags for today, and not in the mood for a possible loss, I back out watched the two of them play. After some tries, Cheong San wins, which On Jo didn't like and next thing I know Cheong San's hand in back on my arm pulling me down the flights of stairs as we race to the entrance of the building to wait for On Jo.
"Play fair, you punk" Cheong San panted.
"Have I ever said... that I HATE running?" I said also panting.
As the two fought over who had to take the bag, I hurriedly walked ahead of them, almost pretending that I didn't know them.
"Ya! Wait for us!" On Jo said racing to my side smiling.
Once at the crosswalk we wait for the green light and as soon as it turned, Cheong San bumped shoulders with On Jo who bumped into me.
"I'm sorry, but I really can't be late again" and hurriedly raced making it just in time and almost tripping on Cheong San who stopped just a few feet after, On Jo getting left behind with a scowl throwing Cheong San's bag onto the floor.
"I'm going ahead. You gonna wait for her?" I ask Cheong San, who shakes his head, walking besides me.
Arriving at the classroom, I wave at Cheong San's group of friends before sitting in my window seat next to Nam Ra.
"Good morning" I smile at her, she gives me a small smile almost unnoticeable, and I lean over her side to see what she is doing just as Na Yeon enters the classroom, causing a ruckus right away.
"Ya!" She yells, walking towards her seat, where Cheong San is with his group of friends.
"Get off of there. You're gross" Na Yeon says directly at Gyeong Su who gets up immediately, his voice low as he apologizes wiping the table with his sleeve which only pisses her off even more.
"Ya... Lee Na Yeon, can you be a little nicer with your words?!" I ask, standing up as Cheong San grabs onto Gyeong Su who was becoming agitated.
"Mind your own business, fatherless bitch" she spat out.
"What did you just say?!" I asked angrily moving out of my seat and near them as Wu Jin grabbed onto my arm shaking his head as to not get mad, I huffed going back to my seat.
"Why are you so grumpy?" Wu Jin asked Na Yeon who tried to hit him in the chest.
"What did I do that was so wrong?" Gyeong Su asked, offended.
"You punks, take your seats now" Ms. Park, the English teacher says, I quietly go to touch my phone putting in on silence before getting the old one into an easier pocket, taking my air pods out and using my long hair to cover it up.
"Hello. Hi good morning. Put your phones here" She says, everyone getting up one by one to place their phones on the box.
"Anybody in touch with Hyeon Ju? Nobody? None of you tried calling her?" She asked as the class stood in silence.
I look at Nam Ra who shrugs her shoulder, just as a phone in front of us makes sound, and both Dae Su and I Sak get up, just before the teacher noticed On Jo's old phone everyone lets out a little laugh. And from that on the class continues as the usual.
Nobody other than me and Nam Ra spoke in English class, as the two of us were the most fluent in the language.
And as Nam Ra stops giving her answer, the teacher calls onto Su Hyeok, or as she said 'Bare-Su' to stand up.
"Why are you Bare Su?" she asked him, his lips in a straight line as he possibly tries to think of ways to explain the nickname.
"Bare as in barefoot, and combine his name, Su Hyeok, you get Bare Su" I explained, the teacher humming in comprehension.
"He really hates wearing socks" Dae Su continued before looking back at Su Hyeok who was already looking our direction as I sat in the chairs behind Dae Su and Wu Jin.
"So he stinks a lot" he finished, two of his fingers acting as nose plugs, the class laughing at both the explanation and his plugs.
"Okay, Bare-Su, what did Chae Rin just say?" she asked him, i snickered hiding behind Nam Ra as I noticed that the teacher had tricked Su Hyeok seeing as Nam Ra had been the one to answer herself as he said "Well" right off the bat, everyone copying him, the teacher had her mouth open nodding as she waited for his response which she already knew she wouldn't get.
"She was absolutely correct" he asnwered and the whole class laughs.
"So what was her absolutely correct interpretation?" she asks again,
"Hm...So..." he continues, looking to the side, my eyes follow the movement at the door just as Hyeon Ju appears in the classroom all bloodied up.
"Hyeon Ju?" I mumble standing up from my seat, the teacher calls out her name approaching her just as she falls down, I hurriedly get out of my seat as the teacher gets on the floor holding her head as she continues to call out for her.
"What happened to her? Why's she covered in blood?" I ask no one specifically.
"Ms. Park" Hyeon Ju calls out.
"Yes, It's me. Do you recognize me?" ... 'well she did call your name Ms.Park...'
"He grabbed me... The science teacher grabbed me and locked me up" she mumbled just loud enough for the few in the front to listen.
"He locked you up? The science teacher? Mr. Lee Byeong Chan?" she asked her back.
"He tied me up..." she dragged her words before falling silent, the teacher holding her tighter.
"First, Let's go to the infirmary. Nam Ra have them study" Ms. Park instructed "Stay quiet while I go and check" She said now looking at everyone else, finally getting Hyeon Ju up, Su Hyeok volunteers to carry her and I tag along I Sak and On Jo on helping him take her to the infirmary.
And as we raise through the halls I can't help but notice her stance as it seemed that she was trying to bite Su Hyeok, using her hands to lift the her upper body off his back, I tap on her leg seemingly distracting her from his neck , just as we arrive at the infirmary.
And as Su Hyeok lays her down, i approach On Jo,
"She tried to bite him" I say using my head to point at Hyeon Ju, On Jo looks at me confused, she was about to talk when the school's nurse asks us to hold Hyeon Ju down, I help Su Hyeok grab her legs as our teacher calls an ambulance.
"Su Hyeok ah, did she bite you?" I ask him silently, he looks at me confused.
"Bite?" He question, I nod, he thinks for a second and I look at his neck for a little not seeing any traces of blood.
"I don't think so" He said, i nod again.
As the teacher questions Hyeon Ju's talks about an injection she seems to get more agitated and I pull On Jo towards me putting my own hand out which prevents Hyeon Ju from biting her, instead scratching her hand.
"Are you okay?!" Both me and the teacher ask, On Jo grabs onto her hand.
"Hold her down so i can give her a shot" the nurse said, we all go back to place, all of us using our strenght to keep her in place and stop her from trashing around, I Sak and I left afterwards heading to the classroom.
"Don't you think it was weird?"
"The teacher keeping her inside the room?" I Sak asked me, i shook my head stopping in the middle of the hallway.
"She was trying to bite us... didn't you notice it? She tried to bite Su Hyeok and then she almost bit On Jo" I said, I Sak looking at me unsure.
"Ayy, no way. Biting? This isn't a movie, maybe she was just trying to get out" she said unsure walking ahead of me towards the classroom.
Strangely enough this just kept reminding me more and more of Train to Busan...