CHAPTER - 30

"Why were they like that?" Ji Ae asked. They both shrugged. "What do you think are the teachers hiding from us?" Yu Ah asked.

"What?" Ji Ae asked not knowing what she was talking about.

"The teachers are always telling, 'Only your performance in the exam will make sure 'that' will happen, so please work hard'. I don't know what they are talking about." Yu Ah said.

"Oh yeah, even Ms.Han and the other teachers keep telling that. Im really curious about that." Ji Ae said.

Bo Young nodded slowly.

"What's with your reaction? Aren't you curious about it?" Yu Ah asked.

"No. I'm not curious. Things happen unexpectedly. Who knows is there is a tomorrow at all. Somethings are bound to happen. We shouldn't expect too much." Bo Young said.

"Why do you talk like that, making the mood bad?" Yu Ah asked.

"That's the reality, girls. Sorry if it made you upset. But I just said the fact." Bo Young said and took the last sip of her chocolate milk. After completing it, she kept it in her hand to throw it in the dustbin in her class.

"Anyways, Yu Ah do you have any clue when we will have that open audition?" Ji Ae asked.

"I don't know..." Yu Ah said.

"What are you girls talking about?"

"We are talking about the open audition." Yu Ah said.

"Okay, but what's that..?"

"We are forgetting that you're new here. I think its because we are so close. Anyways, in our school, they keep a week of open auditioning where entertainment companies are invited to scout and select the students who meet their expectations. This happens every month, no, let me put that right, I can tell this happens unexpectedly. They just announce it whenever. That's why the students here are trained readily and everyone finds the students in our school unique." Yu Ah said.

"That's really amazing. I should be ready anytime too." Bo Young said.

"You're ready every time. You're really talented, you don't have to worry. And what was written on the note?" Ji Ae asked suddenly.

"What note?" Bo Young asked.

"The note which came with the chocolate milk." Ji Ae said.

"Ohh that. How will I know when you ask out of the blue when we were talking about something else."

"I just remembered it suddenly. Now tell me what was written."

"You saw it too, didn't you? I forgot though. Wait, it's in here." She  said and put her hand inside the jacket's pocket. She took it out and started reading. They all stopped walking. "Good luck with your exams. Here is my gift for you *Wink face drawing*." She read what was written in the note.

"How should I react to this?" Bo Young asked.

"I don't know. But they do not leave any hint of who they are. That makes it difficult." Ji Ae said. Yu Ah nodded.

"What are you going to do if you know who it is?" Bo Young asked.

"It's called being curious. I just like being curious y'know." Ji Ae said.

While walking through the hallways, Bo Young could see that the students kept pointing at Ji Ae and talking about her and staring at her. Yu Ah noticed it too. Yu Ah and Bo Young looked at Ji Ae who felt uncomfortable. They then grabbed hold of her hand and reassured her.

Ji Ae looked at them and smiled. She felt comfortable and started talking as usual.

They departed to their classes.

~Ji Ae and Bo Young's class~

Standing at the door of their class, Bo Young looked at her untied shoelaces and said, "Go in first."

Ji Ae nodded and left inside and then settled down.

Bo Young tied her shoelaces and then got up to throw the empty milk carton into the dustbin. After she threw it in the dustbin and dusted her hands, she looked forward as she was going to go to her desk. She looked at the girls surrounding Ji Ae around her desk.

She then sighed and went towards them.

"What are you girls doing?" Bo Young asked and went to them.

The girls scattered themselves to leave way for her.

"Why are you leaving way for me? Leave way for her to sit peacefully and comfortably, can't you see she is uncomfortable?" Bo Young asked.

"We just wanted-?" The students were startled.

"'We just wanted to ask if she was okay' 'we just wanted to see if she was alright' she already answered these questions in the morning, as in when I saw her. Who knows if she answered other questions without me beside her. Thank you for worrying about her but know that she is actually uncomfortable now. She needs some space. Leave now." Bo Young said. The girls nodded at her as if they listened to a teacher and then left Ji Ae alone.

"Woah, you amaze me every time Bo Young. Thank you~~~." Ji Ae said.

"I should be there to get you out of any kind situation that you don't like, that's what a friend does, Ms.Cinderella." Bo Young said as she took a seat.

"I know. But you know, I really wish I had a boyfriend like you." Ji Ae said.

"Don't worry, I'll make that wish come true by making Yeong Hyun asking you out first." Bo Young said.

"I really wish it happens though." Ji Ae stretched herself and said. 

"Trust me." Bo Young said and took out her phone to check the next exam.

"What's the next test?" Ji Ae asked.

"Sigh, it's maths." Bo Young said.

"Argh, I hate it." Ji Ae said.

"Me too."

"You too..? But you got good grades." She said and raised her eyebrows.

"I did because I had to....whatever we just have to study. Let's talk later.." Bo Young said. The teacher came to the class and everyone went back to what they were doing.

"Oh right! Ji Ae..." Bo Young whispered to Ji Ae to call her after she was reminded of something.

"Yeah, What?" Ji Ae whispered back.

"When did you guys tell the-!!?"

"Who's that?! Can't you guys concentrate?!" The teacher warned them. Being startled, they went back to studying after whispering sorry even though the teacher couldn't hear it.

Few minutes later, Bo Young was tired after working out questions. She then stretched and thought: "Should I take a nap? I can! I can because I couldn't sleep yesterday night because of him." She then looked at the teacher who was trying to hide the fact that he was looking at his phone with his book. "Sigh, He is not looking here.." She muttered to herself and laid down on the desk and faced the window. The window side was brighter than she thought, hence she turned to the other side and started to sleep.

~~Bo Young's POV~~

Where am I?. It looks like a playground for kids.

"Bo Young? Bo Young! I'm coming to find you!" A voice behind me called my name. And that voice is....MOM?! I look behind, finding my mom walking towards me but pretending to look around.

"Mom..." I call out to her, tears filling my eyes while walking to her, dragging my feet slowly.

"Oh my, my legs are hurting...." Mom said while crouching down. I tried to go hold her. "Mom! Are you okay?! Is your leg paining?!" A kid who is just high up to my knee ran to her...Wait..That looks 'like' me..Hold on a second! That is me!

I step back slowly not being able to grasp the situation. "I caught you!" Mom said while hugging 'me'. "Aye...this is not fair. You tricked me. I'll let you off the hook because you're my mom." 'I' said while looking at her.

"Good girl. But when someone defeats you using ugly tricks, don't let them off hook like you did to me today, Okay?" My mom said.

"Yes mom!" 'I' replied back.

"And as I say always..."

"Don't ever cry and face the situation like a strong girl nobody can be!" The little me said. I controlled my tears as I remembered that. Mom looked pretty as ever. I miss you mom. Please come back....

"Bo Young!" I heard somebody else calling out my name again. I turn to the direction. "He seems to be waiting, lets go!" Mom said. 'He?' it didn't sound like dad, it sounds like a kid again. "Bo Young??" "Bo Young!?" "Bo Young!?" now it sounds..different?

~~Bo Young's POV end~~

"Bo Young!? Nam Bo Young!!?" Ji Ae called out to Bo Young who was sleeping.

"Wake up! NAM BO YOUNG!" Ji Ae yelled. Bo Young got startled and woke up, her eyes being red.

"Woah there..What's wrong? You looked sad while sleeping nightmares?" Ji Ae said.

"What time is it?" Bo Young asked.

"The class has finished. Anything wrong? You don't look well." Ji Ae asked. Bo Young said and looked around, scanning the classroom. The teacher was gone and the students were chatting.

"I'll be back." Bo Young said and rushed out of the classroom. She rushed to the restroom. On her way was Yeon Joon, Seong Seop and Yeong Hyun.

"OH, Hel-Another speed test huh? Why does she always rush to somewhere?" Seong Seop asked.

"Looks like she always has something to do." Yeong Hyun said. 

Yeon Joon who examined her face, looked worried.

"Oh isn't that Ji Ae?" Seong Seop said looking at the direction of where Bo Young was coming from. "Where?!" Yeong Hyun swiftly asked him. "*Giggles* I was just kidding." Seong Seop said. "Do you have a death wish?!" Yeong Hyun asked.

"Nope, but you definitely were so eager to look for her." Seong Seop said.

"I was not!"

"Yes, you were."

"Oh, It's Ji Ae." Yeon Joon said. Seong Seop turned to the direction where Yeon Joon was looking at.

"I won't fall for your tricks this time." Yeong Hyun said.

"No. it's for real."

"I don't believe you guys."

The next second, "Did you guys see Bo Young?" Ji Ae asked from the behind. Yeong Hyun got startled at the presence of her, he then looked at Seong Seop in disbelief. Seong Seop shrugged as if he was meaning, "I told ya." Yu Ah joined the convo.

"Bo Young went by this way, but I'm not sure about where to." Yeon Joon answered.

"Am I missing out something?" Yu Ah asked.

"Sigh, where did she run to?"  Ji Ae sighed.

"Why? Anything wrong?" Yeon Joon asked.

"Fill me in too!" Yu Ah said.

~Bo Young in the restroom~

She rested her hands on the cabinet and took a deep breath. She then washed her face, and did the same for about 5 times. She was thinking : "Sigh, seeing mom again...I miss her. Thankfully I didn't cry, if I did, mom would've been disappointed and worried. This was a dream but it felt too realistic. What if.....no no, don't get overthink. *Takes a deep breath* I should go before they become too suspicious." She then left the place.

That's when she saw everyone together. She thought : "Why are they all together everytime I see them?!" She rolled her eyes.

"Oh! Bo Young's here!" Seong Seop said and waved while smiling.

She sighed and walked towards them.

"Are you all close to each other?" Bo Young asked.

"You've been with us for a long time and you ask us now? Yeah, we are close definitely." Seong Seop asked.

"Forget that. Where did you go?" Ji Ae asked.

"I went to the restroom, to wash my face." Bo Young said.

"What's happening?" Yu Ah asked.

"Hey, chill, I just slept." Bo Young said.

"Who will look sad while sleeping?" Ji Ae asked.

"I do..it's just how I look while sleeping." Bo Young said.

"The same person who said that I always sleep in the class, has now dozed off in the class. Really amazing." Ha Sang joined the group.

"If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have slept today. You were the one who called me to ask questions!" Bo Young said.

"You said, 'ask me if you are clueless about these questions' and I did it. You were given the responsibility to do so."

"Okay, fine. Even now you wouldn't focus right? I bet you slept too!" Bo Young said.

"No, I didn't sleep. I was looking at you." Ha Sang said. Everyone looked at him in disbelief.

"What..?" Yeon Joon asked.

"I-I was looking at you, as in, I w-was watching you on.... how responsible you were. At first, you were talking with Ji Ae with the teacher inside and then even took a nap! Incredible!" He said ironically. Yeon Joon kept looking at him.

"Sigh, I'm already in a bad mood, don't make it worse. I'm leaving." Bo Young said and left again.

"Wha-why-Wait! Bo Young!" Ji Ae called out to her, but Bo Young just ignored them.

"What has gotten to her? She looks sensitive. She always just goes with the flow but never reacted like this." Seong Seop asked.

"Since when was she like this?" Yu Ah asked.

"After I woke her up.." Ji Ae said.

"Don't tell me she also behaves like Ha Sang when she is woken up." Yu Ah asked.

"If she was like him, she would've scolded me to death. She didn't shout at me either, she just woke up, looked around the classroom, and then said she would be back and left. Nothing else." Ji Ae elaborated.

"Let's just leave her alone for a while, she'll come back on her own." Seong Seop suggested.

"But..she'll be alone." Ji Ae said.

"She looks fine, don't worry, Ji Ae." Yeong Hyun added. Ji Ae glared at him and ignored him. "Did I see right? Ji Ae, did you ignore him right now?" Seong Seop asked.

"Are you still upset about what I said and how I behaved earlier there...?" Yeong Hyun asked. They were talking about the incident after Bo Young left them alone to talk.

"Yes." She said.

"What's going on here? Am I missing out something?" Yu Ah asked. "Same here..." Seong Seop, Yeon Joon, Ha Sang said chorally and looked at Yeong Hyun.

"Let's go, Yu Ah." Ji Ae said and linked arms with her and started leaving. "Ji Ae- Sorry..." He said feeling down. She definitely couldn't hear it.

"See you guys later!" Yu Ah said as she was being dragged away.

"Yeah! Sure! Bye!" Yeon Joon said and waved. They then again turned their focus to Yeong Hyun again.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that? It's weird." Yeong Hyun said. They were still looking at him like that.

"Stop it!" He said.

"Not until you fill in us with what happened." Ha Sang said.

"I'll let you guys know, now stop looking at me like that. Let's go." They started leaving. "What is it? Spill it out!" Yeon Joon asked.

"Fine.." Yeong Hyun started telling from head to toe of what happened. After he finished telling it, they were shaking their head, being disappointed at him.

"What..?" Yeong Hyun asked.

"She did the right thing, you deserve this punishment." Seong Seop said.

"I just said what I had in my mind..." Yeong Hyun said.

"But, why bring Bo Young into your problem?!?" Ha Sang and Yeon Joon asked in disbelief, and then looked at each other as they said the same thing.

"I was upset that she wouldn't tell ME first that her dad was sick. You guys know how close we are. She wouldn't tell me first but inform someone who just entered her life. Does that make any sense? That made me feel like I'm nothing to her and made me feel upset!" Yeong Hyun chugged down a banana milk carton he had in his hand.

"It's more like your jealous." Seong Seop said as if he was saying it to somebody else.

"What??" He asked.

"He said you're jealous than upset. That's true though." Yeon Joon said.

"Jealous, my feet. It looked like she wasn't trusting me anymore." Yeong Hyun said.

"That's because you broke her trust already. Didn't you?? She trusted you but you broke it once, she doesn't want to get hurt again. She isn't a pushover. We ourselves can clearly see she isnt the same as before." Ha Sang added.

"That...*Drops down his head and sighs* You're right, I deserve it.." Yeong Hyun said..

----------------------------------------------------

Chapter-30 end.

——————–———————————————