Song Yujin swiftly moved aside, his eyes doing their best to avoid the cold, piercing gaze drilled at the back of his head. He quickly tugged Kim Hajun's arm and used him as a shield, "Hey, where do I sit?"
Kim Hajun hadn't answered yet when another person entered the classroom. He was the same height as Song Yujin, but with a bigger body and looked a bit older. The person's eyes darted to Song Yujin who was standing on the corner aisle. He then spoke in recognition, "Oh, you're the other transferee, right? Get on your seat…ah, no, come here and introduce yourself."
The teacher waved at Song Yujin as he walked to the end of the board where his desk was. He sat on the edge of the desk and looked at Song Yujin with commanding eyes.
Song Yujin had no choice. He sighed and walked to the center, still avoiding the part where the vice president was.
Clearing his throat, he flashed a wide smile at his new classmates and introduced himself cheerfully, "Hello, my name is Song Yujin. I'm seventeen years old. I transferred from…" he mentioned the name of his old school and ended his introduction with a small bow.
The teacher, who introduced himself as Mr. Han, glanced around the room as he spoke, "We have another vacant seat here yesterday, didn't we? Why are all the seats occupied now?"
A girl seated in the middle wearing glasses raised her hand and answered, "Sir, that was because the vice president wasn't here yesterday."
Mr. Han turned to the vice president. Song Yujin stealthily peeked at his ID, but because half of it was hidden by the desk, only the forehead of the photo was all he could see.
Mr. Han asked, "You weren't here? That's a bit surprising, Lee Hyun. I never thought you could skip classes like the other students."
Song Yujin's eyes brightened. He heard his name, finally! A grin appeared on his face as he looked away, thinking, Lee Hyun. Is it the characters for wise, virtuous, and clear? His name shouts intelligence, clarity, and authoritative presence. Kinda like those names in ancient times, hehe…
A deep, cold, and monotone voice answered Mr. Han, "I didn't skip, sir. I was on duty."
Mr. Han and the whole class waited for the continuation, a more in-depth explanation, but the room only fell into cold silence. No one even attempted to ask Lee Hyun to explain more, as if they were all scared to raise their voices in fear of an avalanche.
But not Song Yujin, "Why is it a big deal if he skips class, Mr. Han? Is he, like, the model student of the school? He can't skip and chase ducks in the sun if he gets bored? Skipping classes is part of high school life! It's more fun if you…where can I sit again, sir?"
Kim Hajun, who was seated in the last chair of the last row, palmed his face at his brother's words. He widened his eyes at Song Yujin, who happened to notice him looking, and acted like he was zipping his mouth.
Song Yujin, whose voice slowly decreased when the teacher's eyebrows furrowed at him, grinned and scratched his head, waiting for Mr. Han's answer.
The latter scanned the room, in his head, these thoughts were present, this kid looked scatterbrained and a truant. Let's put him in a conspicuous seat where his attention will always be caught by the instructors.
Mr. Han then pointed at the spot second to last, in the second row, where a yawning boy jolted when the teacher pointed at him.
The boy hugged his things and rubbed his eyes, then without waiting for Mr. Han to say anything, he stood and fixed his chair on the table, then he grabbed the table and walked to the back, while muttering, "Excuse me, excuse me, chair and table incoming, lower your heads, please."
Eyes darted on Song Yujin who was rooted on his spot. The vacant space left for him was right next to the vice president, diagonally. He swallowed hard, still trying to avoid the guy's unblinking eyes.
Doesn't he even get tired of staring that intensely? His eyes might as well pop out of their sockets and stick to me! Song Yujin groaned inwardly.
Mr. Han told him to get his table and chair in the storage room behind the stairs on the lower floor. He obeyed immediately and bolted out the door, but then he realized the building had three stairs, two on the corners and one at the center.
Song Yujin whirled around and peeked his head inside the open window, startling the girl who happened to be one of the two girls he blocked earlier.
The girl looked up with curiosity and apprehension. Song Yujin smiled handsomely and spoke, "Sorry for startling you, miss. But which stair is the storage room located?"
The girl whose name written on the ID was Lim Nahye, awkwardly pointed her thin finger on the left side of the building. Song Yujin winked at her and waved, mouthing, "Thanks!"
The happy-go-lucky student hopped into the hallway, relieved that his feat of interacting with the aloof and super-strict vice president of the student council was already finished. He hummed on his way, ignoring the weird looks he was getting from the student peeking outside their windows noticing a kangaroo hopping in the hallway.
At last, Song Yujin reached the storage room.
On the other side of the stairs was a glass wall, spanning from the top ceiling of the building. That school is one of the famous schools in that city, and it was known as a school for rich kids.
Understandably, all the buildings, except that one abandoned building he saw on his first day, have state-of-the-art designs and accessibility.
Song Yujin stared outside the glass wall where a square park was, next to it, was another building. The park didn't have any students, maybe because it was because the classes already started, but the silence and the gentle breeze of the wind tempted Song Yujin to leave the building and lie on one of the benches underneath the budding cherry blossoms tree.
He scratched his head and erased those lethargic thoughts budding in his head. They transferred school a week later the beginning of the school year, orientations and class meetings were already finished, and regular classes had begun.
He should be focusing on his studies and stop getting distracted by the school's grandeur and beauty.
Song Yujin spun around to get his table and chair, a sense of newfound responsibility and maturity bloomed in him, however, that sense became nonsense in an instant, when a pale, stony face, greeted him as soon as he turned around.
"Huk!" the sound of a scream getting trapped in the throat, was what Song Yujin created. His eyes widened in surprise and dread, but soon, his shocked face turned serious. "Wha…what are you doing here, vice pres.?"
Lee Hyun stared at him for a second, then his sharp, dead eyes, moved down to his ID.
Song Yujin grasped his ID card tightly since the guy looked like a snatcher eyeing his target item. He gulped when Lee Hyun fished something in his pocket. Song Yujin exclaimed inwardly, Is it another pen and notepad?! Am I going to be listed down again?! What the hell did I do? I just stared at the park outside!
However, his inner turmoil evaporated from the warm air of Lee Hyun's kindness, holding the key to the storage room and opening it for him. If the vice president hadn't followed him, he would have gone back and forth to ask for the key since he didn't know it was locked.
He flashed a grateful smile, one that showed his gums and all, but Lee Hyun just walked away a few steps and stood at the foot of the stairs, speaking indifferently, "Go get them. Quick."