Woojin's presence was magnetic, even back in middle school. I remember the first time I saw him, surrounded by his friends in the hallway of our school. There was something about him that drew me in, an unexplainable aura that piqued my curiosity. Without really understanding why, I found myself approaching him.
"Hey, do you play that game too? What's your rank?" I asked, trying to strike up a conversation with a warm smile.
"Why do you care?" Woojin responded, his tone filled with annoyance.
"Wow, Woojin, you're really popular," Jaewhan said in jokingly.
Unfazed by his dismissive response, I continued, "I'm sure I can easily defeat you. Your skills suck," before going off to my class.
As I left, I overheard the conversation amongst his friends. "Do you know her, Wooji?" Minjun asked curiously.
"No, I don't. Why?" Woojin replied, clearly irritated.
"Aw man, she was pretty cute though," Minjun sighed with dissapointment.
"Cute? Are you blind? She was weird," Woojjin said angrily.
"I know her, she was my classmate," Jihoon said.
"Really? Can you introduce me to her?" Minjun asked while blushing.
Despite the awkward encounter, I found myself drawn to Woojin, spotting him frequently in the halls between classes. It was a strange source of happiness for me.
"Are you following me?" I teased one day, catching him off guard.
"Shouldn't I be the one to ask that?" he retorted, his tone colder than usual.
"Why are you alone? Where are your friends?" I pressed, genuinely curious.
"Why do you care?" he snapped back, he was clearly irritated.
"You know, if something's bothering you, you can tell me," I offered.
"Why would I?" he shot back, before storming off
"He's definitely bothered by something. I hope he doesn't have to be that mean," I mumbled to myself.
For two weeks, I didn't see Woojin, and I feared our brief encounters were over. But then, like fate intervening, he transferred into our class.
"Good morning class"
"Good morning Mrs. Lee."
"Everyone, please take your seats. Today, we have a new student joining our class. Woojin, would you like to introduce yourself?"
"Good morning, everyone, I'm Choi Woojin," he said calmly, taking his seat without so much as a glance in my direction.
As our teacher explained his transfer, whispers rippled through the classroom, filled with admiration for his looks and excitement over his arrival. Meanwhile, I couldn't shake the feeling of relief at seeing him again.
"Hey, I thought I wouldn't see you again. I saw you talking to our homeroom teacher this morning. I'm glad to see you again. I hope we'll become good friends and classmates," I greeted him with a friendly smile, hoping to break through his icy demeanor.
But Woojin simply ignored me, leaving me to wonder what was going on behind his guarded facade.
"Do you know her, Hana?" Venice, my very curious seatmate and best friend, whispered, prompting me to nod with a mixture of uncertainty and intrigue.