Chapter 2

After that incident, the bullying continued. After series of bullying, Yeong Taek didn't came to school to anymore. He probably don't have the courage to come to school. His classmates and even me, his so called friend didn't even bat an eye on what's happening.

Weeks later, a depressing and saddening news came. A total unexpected happening that made the whole class guilty.

Our homeroom teacher came into the room that morning with his head bowed down. Each step he made felt so heavy. As soon as he reached the teachers table, he looked at us straight in the eye.

"I'm totally disappointed in you guys," he suddenly said.

The whole class went silent. Everyone's head was bowed down as they felt ashamed on the sudden sermon.

"A sad news came to our school this morning. Our class Young Taek ... killed himself yesterday," he blurted out in an instant.

Everyone in the class was bewildered and surprised but the one who was totally shocked was ... me. My eyes widened as I kept on listening to the teacher.

The moment I heard the news, my mind went blank. I felt guilty. I should've help but ... I didn't. I was given the chance to stop it yet ... I didn't do anything.

Is this my fault? Yeah ... It's totally my fault ... Not only as the class president but as a human being, I totally failed. If only I had the courage to ... this wouldn't have happened.

After hearing the news, I became nauseous. I felt like throwing up. I instantly sprung up from my seat and left the classroom in a hurry.

After leaving the classroom, the teacher sighed heavily.

"As expected, he's the one who's the most shocked about this sudden news. Not only as the class president, but also his seatmate," the teacher mumbled.

I reached the comfort room in a hurry and after reaching the sink, I ... threw up. Everything that I ate this morning. I instantly threw them up.

I slowly catched my breath as I looked in the mirror. A flustered face was reflected. No ... a guilty face to be exact. I trembled in guilt so hard my teeth chattered. I pinched each of my fingers as I looked straight in the mirror.

A reflection of a guy who turned a blind eye on the situation. A reflection of a guy who hid desperately in his cowardy self. I felt shameful. I didn't expected it to turn out like this.

As I kept on staring at the mirror, a single tear rolled down my face. And after that ...

I bursted out crying, "I'm sorry ... I'm really sorry ..." I desperately repeated out of guilt.

During the past 2 days of his funeral, I never visited even once. I still felt guilty about what happened. Everything was totally my fault. As I decided to visit him, I only stood and griefed from afar. I don't have the courage to show myself in front of his dead body.

Just as I was leaving, his mother saw a glimpsed of me and hurriedly came to see me.

"Wait!" she shouted.

She grabbed my hand and asked, "Are you perhaps Lee Yeol?"

I responded with a nod. I felt really shameful facing his mother like this. I am one of the people who killed her son and yet ... she just smiled at me. She pulled me inside and without me even struggling, I found myself in front of his coffin.

I teared up ...

"I'm sorry ... I'm really sorry ..." I said repeatedly as I cried.

Her mother comforted me and gently patted me at the back. Just after I calmed down, she said, "You know ... Our Young Taek was really a bubbly child despite being a guy. He was really cheerful and energetic to the point that you'll end up finding him annoying. But to tell you the truth, I also knew what was happening to my son. Everytime he comes home, he just smiles at me and tells me that everything was okay as he went back to his room. When he was in junior high, he was being bullied everyday. When he came back home, his clothes smelled like milk sometimes spoiled food. He always asked me to buy him new shoes as his shoes kept on missing a pair."

I carefully listened to what his mother was saying.

"At that time, I already knew. My son was having a hard time dealing that problem alone. Yet here I am, just only asking him if everything was alright and kept on waiting until he opened up on me. I should've talked to him about this before. I never knew that the cheerful son I gave birth to can resort to such extent. I ..." her mother started tearing up.

"I ... did nothing for my son. I only watched him struggled until he ended up ending his life." she continued.

After hearing her mother's side, I ended up confessing my own faults too.

"I'm really sorry, auntie ... I knew that he was getting bullied and yet ... I ignored it. I'm really sorry. It's my fault that Young Taek died just like that. He even treated me as a friend. I'm really sorry ..." I confessed as I began tearing up again.

Her mother wiped my tears and brushed off a joke, "Don't cry anymore, dear. You'll ended up messing your handsome face. Young Taek kept on boasting your handsome face to me almost everyday. I totally got tired hearing it until I saw you today. You're just like what my son said," she giggled.

I ended up smiling after hearing that. I never thought that Young Taek was like this. He really treated me as a friend and yet ... I doubt this so called friendship of his.

"Young Taek was really grateful to be your friend. Although I knew that he forced himself to you, I stil felt thankful about that. At least for the past months, he finally had a friend he was very proud off. Seeing him happy everyday like that, also made me happy. That's why don't be guilty of it anymore. It's not your fault nor other's fault. Young Taek was just tired. That's it. So cheer up already, dear. Young Taek doesn't like to see you feeling guilty about his death" she greatly consoled me.

As I left the funeral, his mother's word greatly inspired me. Friendship, huh? Can I also have someone like that? I think there's no other greater friend than him. It's too late to say this now but ...

Thank you for befriending me, Young Taek ... I'm really thankful and I'm sorry ...

After the burial, everything went back to normal. The only thing that changed was there's no annoying guy seated next besides me. And just like that few months have passed and the season of fall ended.

The moment I entered the classroom, I instantly took a seat in my desk. As I watched the first snow fell down from the sky, the presence of someone was still buried deep inside my heart.

Homeroom teacher came in and a female student followed him from behind.

"Attention everyone! Today we have a transfer student in our class. Please introduce yourself, please"

The female student sighed heavily before she introduces herself.

"Hello. My name is Han So Ra and I'm from Busan. My father was promoted and we had no choice but to follow him here. Please take care of me!" she introduced.

Everyone in the class clapped their hands. The boys in our class, whistled as they welcomed a new beauty. Han So Ra, from my perspective, she's beautiful. Her long silky brown hair greatly contrast her natural emerald eyes yet it was very pleasing to see. A beauty, indeed.

"Take the empty seat next to our class president. If you have any questions just feel free to ask him" the teacher said.

Han So Ra walked towards my desk and sat down. Looking from this distance, she's really beautiful.

"I'm Lee Yeol, the class president. Nice to meet you," I said as I offered her my hand.

She also did the same and smilingly said, "I'm Han So Ra, nice to meet you too!"

Just before I went back to what I was doing, I brushly said to her, "If you have any questions, feel free to talk to me."

She just smiled at me and said, "Okay"

After that, we did our own things. After a few months, as I thought I'll end up sitting on this desk alone for the whole year; someone finally took the empty seat. With him in my memories, with his words said at that time ...

I hope this time ... I can be truly friends with someone ...