Chapter 10 - Mysterious Sophomore

Min Jung was happy to know that Lee Myung Soo's track record made him qualified to be recruited by their club. He was the top 1 student during his middle-high and was a student council member in freshman before he transferred here. His track record was so outstanding she wondered why Jin Ae still hasn't approached him until now as her members told her.

Along with her two members, she went to the music room. They were told that he always spent his time there during breaks so she wanted to grab the opportunity and talk to him before the elites do. She stood on the door and saw a figure playing a sensuous melody on the piano. Her eyes scanned the music room which looked perpetually gloomy despite the tall windows. The atmosphere only made the student playing the piano solitary and eerie in her eyes.

Suddenly he spoke:

"Come out. I know someone’s there."

They all glanced at each other wondering how he found out about their presence, when he hadn't even turned his head for a moment. Min Jung took a deep breath and walked forward until she reached a good distance from him.

"You're Lee MyungSoo, right?"

He turned to look at her with melancholic eyes that made her twitch. He only nodded.

"I'm Kim Min Jung, I'm the president of the student council club. I've heard some excellent things about you and I'm amazed by your track record. The school needs an excellent student like you so I hope you'll consider joining our club."

She gave him a leaflet.

"On Friday, after lunch. The clubs will hold an activity in the auditorium. I hope you come and list your name in our club."

He looked at the leaflet and looked back at her.

"Why should I?"

She was stunned by his question for a moment and immediately picked herself up by repeating what she had said.

"Excellent student. Yes, like what you have said, I am an excellent student. So why should I join a crappy club like yours?"

He said it, in a serious, naive sarcasm that made the words more forceful than an insult. Min Jung was hurt.

"Crappy club? Who told you that our club is crappy, huh? Have the elite group talked to you already?"

"Ah, I apologize. No one told me but the news did. For the elite group, I haven't seen even one shadow of them here. They seemed not to be musically enthusiastic," he laughed and it sounded bitter on her ears.

"I still have classes today, excuse me," he said and left the room.

The two SC club members who were eavesdropping were surprised when MyungSoo opened the door. He just ignored them and continued to walk ahead. Min Jung followed behind and stood on the door with her two members overwhelmed, staring at his fading figure.

"Wah, can we really convince him to join our club?"

"I don't see him getting along with us after he said that our club is crappy."

The two agreed. Min Jung, on the other hand, was puzzled by his bitterness.

* * *

Myung Soo was on his way to his classroom when he caught a glimpse of two students outside who seemed to have just left the school. Though they don't look like a couple, he was annoyed seeing her with that boy.

* * *

"Jin Ae-ah, we'll surely have the best recruit this time. We roamed around and made sure they saw who ruled the ocean. I'm pretty sure you had a good catch."

"You think so?" Jin Ae glanced at Choon Hee who giggled cutely on her side.

"Are the students fish?" Jeong Won snapped, more to himself, but Choon Hee heard it and snapped at him in return.

The elite class just had their soccer game and were on their way back to their classroom. Jeong Won scolded himself for believing that Jin Ae didn't hold grudges. She made him carry their bags in return for carrying his bag a while ago.

'She's wicked,' he whispered to himself.

Just then, without a warning, a ball came flying fiercely in their direction. Jeong Won froze, his eyes not batting an eye at the ball suspended in front of his face. It would have hit Jeong Won if Jin Ae hadn't caught the ball using her right hand. The elites were taken by surprise too.

With a mad look on her face, Jin Ae gazed at the ball she's holding now with two hands. A student ran in their direction and Choon Hee had to blink her eyes to be able to remember him. She instantly brightened after recognizing him.

"Oh! You're Park MyungSoo, right? 2-A?"

He smiled and said yes. Jeong Won was surprised at the same time upon hearing his name.

Myung Soo shifted his eyes to Jin Ae.

"It's been a long time, Jin Ae noona. I've just transferred here this year, I should have greeted you earlier."

"Oh! Did you know each other? So that's why-"

Jin Ae looked at Choon Hee warningly, anticipating she'll say non-sense things on why she didn't let them approach him.

"No problem because I don't even recognize you, I wonder where we met, but I wonder more if you know how to respect your seniors."

Myung Soo's eyes grew big in surprise and stared at her intently as if asking to clarify her statement.

"Didn't you just almost hit him in the face? Why are you not apologizing to him?" she said as she turned her body towards Jeong Won.

Jeong Won looked at Jin Ae, he wasn't expecting her to say that, but it was true that the ball could have made a serious injury on his face. Even so, Myung Soo didn't apologize to him or even take a glance at him the moment he approached them. He looked as if he went there to introduce himself.

"Ah! Is that so?" he answered, then he took a brief scan at Jeong Won and continued, "-in my opinion, he looked fine though. Noona caught the ball so I think it might hurt your hand."

He glanced at Jeong Won piercingly.

"Aish! He isn't hurt at all! Yah, you don't need to apologize to him," Choon Hee said, siding with Myung Soo. She pushed Jin Ae by the shoulder and gestured to her to not say anything anymore.

"Myung Soo, we've heard so many nice things about you. If you need anything just approach the Elite group," In Na said. Myung Soo smiled at In Na but returned his gaze at Jin Ae.

"Elites, carry your own bags!" Jin Ae yelled to her classmates while still staring at Myung Soo. They snatched their bags from Jeong Won.

When In Na and Choon Hee did not move, Jin Ae looked at them, "Both of you. Get your bag."

Though surprised, they took their bag from Jeong Won. Jin Ae threw the ball to Myung Soo forcefully which he caught in front of his chest. She gave him a deadly stare before walking ahead. Myung Soo glanced at Jeong Won shortly and scoffed.

Myung Soo stared at the ball begrudgingly which was snatched by a student in a soccer uniform afterwards.

"Hey! How could you take someone's ball?" the boy said irritatedly, but then continued, "But aren't you considering joining the soccer team? You almost broke that guy's nose with your kick and-"

Myung Soo stared at the boy in an antagonized manner which made the boy stop and scurry away.

* * *

Jeong Won saw Jin Ae clasped her right hand when they headed inside the building. He knew she hurted her hand from catching the ball. Worried, he looked after her when his class was dismissed. She wasn't in her classroom though, not in the library and not in the soccer field. He went to the locker room, he didn't find a glimpse of her and was about to go out when he saw a shadow move at the locker's end.

He walked towards it slowly and found Jin Ae, still in her P.E uniform, sitting on the floor with headphones on, leaning on the locker's side. Jeong Won was fascinated by discovering an introvert's haven in the locker room. On that spot, you can see a lone mini fountain attached on the wall through the barred gates. The sound was a refreshing drip of water and the air ventilated the room, much fresher than an air-conditioned one.

'So this was one of Jin Ae's favorite spots,' he thought. Jin Ae jumped on her skin when she sensed someone standing beside her, quickly hiding a notebook she was scribbling on. When she realized it was Jeong Won, she recovered from her surprise.

"What are you doing here?"

Instead of answering her, he dug on her bag pack.

"Yah, yah, yah! What do you think you are doing!"

Panicking if he was looking for the notebook she hid. But he brought out her ointment spray instead. He turned to her and Jin Ae was momentarily flustered when he reached for her right hand. She wanted to hide her hand but he gripped on it tightly.

"It seriously bruised your finger," he murmured.

"What do you think you're doing?" she snapped. Her cheeks turned light pink.

Jeong Won didn't reply, he applied the ointment and put a band-aid on it. As he pressed it lightly, the black band on her wrist caught his eyes. Jin Ae noticed it and she hid her hand immediately. She picked her bag and stood up.

"Five laps," Jin Ae suddenly said.

Jeong Won stood up at the same time with a question on his face.

"Five laps. Now!"

Then she walked away leaving him a threat that she'll be watching him up from the Elite's room.

* * *

"Poor boy! What did he do this time?"

Choon Hee watched Jeong Won in all sweats from running on the field. She was sitting on the window. Jin Ae glanced a sec on the field and continued tapping her fingers on her table.

"On the other hand, I find him more handsome as the days go by. Isn't he too handsome?" she continued saying.

"I guess I really found my rival," Chul Soo remarked on the sidelines, glancing at Jin Ae at the same time. He swept his locks away from his face. He was like an alive Japanese manga character with his princely looks and shoulder-length blonde hair.

"Aish! I'm even more good-looking than him," Dokyeom exclaimed. He was an average-looking guy with a goofy personality but his wide smile and pointed nose could be considered his assets.

"I can accept Chul Soo's but not yours," Choon Hee snapped at him which he did in return, throwing lines of who was better looking between them, just then Choon Hee remembered Myung Soo and turned to Jin Ae.

"But... I'm really curious about something. You did know that Myung Soo, right? There might be something why you totally ignore him."

Jin Ae looked at her with a blank expression.

"No. I never knew him."

* * *

The day came for the official registration of club new members. Long tents, tables, and chairs for each club were set outside: Newspaper Org, Sports, Elite, Student Club, and Music Club respectively. Students came and enlisted, freshmen and transferees with differing interests spreading over the place. The sports club, mostly boys, was very noisy catcalling girls and boasting their student recruits. Some were nitpicking News Org geek recruits garnering laughs all over the place but they remained mum with the long line of elite-wanna-be's. Some were rejected.

The elite wasn't there for a show, they heartlessly rejected students who they thought didn't match their group, so some were ashamed to even think about applying. The Student Club on the other hand suffered a meager number of recruits. They only had three recruits as of the time being when a familiar figure confidently walked toward their table. He made them gasp in surprise and even caught the elite's attention as well.

He stopped in front of Min Jung who was in total confusion but she managed to stand up to face him.

"I believe you have made yourself clear last time, but... why are you here?"

He smiled and glanced in Jin Ae's direction, who was silently staring at him too, and said to Min Jung:

"Oh well. Isn't it fun?"

And then he filled out the form...

Name: Lee Myung Soo