Strawberries

"You're all set." The nurse removed the ice pack from Ha-Eun's head.

"Yeah, thanks." Ha-Eun lifted her head, her fever was gone but she was still feeling lethargic and weak. Like her body hadn't fully recovered yet.

"Wait, don't go yet." The nurse pulls out an orange bottle of white pills. "Where did you get these?"

"Oh, those are my prescription painkillers." Ha-Eun takes her bag and takes out a piece of paper. "Here." It's a prescription note.

"Mhm, well, it seems like your fever was caused the pain killer's side effects. What do you need these for anyway?" The nurse asks.

"Oh, I got into a pretty nasty car accident a couple years ago, my hands still hurt since the nerves were damaged." Ha-Eun yawned, as if that car crash had turned mundane to her. She takes the bottle of pills and placed it into her bag. "Thanks, by the way."

"No...problem..." The nurse was shocked from how Ha-Eun was so nonchalant about it. "Well, if you're feeling any pain, come to me okay? Those pills aren't a fix all solution."

Ha-Eun bows and walks out of the sick bay.

"Ha-Eun!" Chloe comes running after Ha-Eun, hugging her from the side.

This catches Ha-Eun offguard. "Do I know you?" Ha-Eun looks at Chloe, analysing her more.

"I'm that girl that sat next to you, remember?" Chloe was pretty sad and bummed out that Ha-Eun didn't remember her.

"Oh, Chloe!" Ha-Eun hugged Chloe bag, squeezing her tight.

"Okay-" Chloe was being smushed. "A... bit too.. tight-" Chloe gasped for air.

"Where's Jaeneung?" Ha-Eun lets go of Chloe.

"You mean that really tall and handsome and cute and buff and pretty and strong dude?" Chloe was still out of breath.

"Yeah, sure..." Ha-Eun looks at Chloe weirdly.

"What? You mean you wouldn't want Prince charming to come to you whenever you're sick and bring you medical aid?" Chloe clicks her tongue. "Lucky you."

"What?" Ha-Eun is mortified. "Jaeneung carried me?"

"Mhm, and he was fast too. He ran through the halls and climbed down 3 flights of stairs in like 30 seconds." Chloe gives Ha-Eun a mischievous look.

"Shut up." Ha-Eun shoves her hand into Chloe's face.

"What?!" Chloe seemed annoyed. "I wasn't even saying anything! I just think it's great that you're able to find a boyf-"

"That's enough." Ha-Eun shoves her hand back into Chloe's face, pushing her back even more. Chloe laughs out loud. "Oh yeah, I bought you a sandwich." Chloe takes out a sandwich from her bag, it was wrapped in foil and it looked like it had cream and strawberries in it. "Oh and this is Jaeneung's." She takes out another sandwich, it looked like it had been crushed underneath a thousand kilograms of steel. The egg from inside the sandwich was practically leaking from the foil. "Give it back to him, would you?"

"Sure..." Ha-Eun takes the two sandwiches from Chloe. "Do you know where this 'Prince Charming' of yours is anyway?"

"Well, after he dropped you off, I saw him running up the stairs, but I didn't see him at class." Chloe thinks. "He must be at the roof!" She claps her hand in amazement of herself.

"What is it with emo boys and being at the roof top?" Ha-Eun rhetorically asks. "Well, thanks for the sandwich anyway, see you in class!" Ha-Eun waves at Chloe.

Chloe walks away and waves back at her.

Ha-Eun looks down on the two sandwiches she's holding, one of them is in pristine condition, while the other one looked like something that came from the school's sewage system. She sighed.

xxxxx

"Jaeneung? Are you there?" Ha-Eun pants as she climbs up the several flights of stairs leading up to the top of the school. "Ugh." She groans out in pain as she climbs another flight of stairs, reaching the entrance to the roof.

The door had a lock on it, but it had been busted open. She simply applied pressure on the handle and the chain fell off, opening the door by itself.

Jaeneung is sitting there by himself. The infinitely fluffy white clouds over the sky made it perfectly warm.

"Jaeneung!" Ha-Eun called out from the staircase. She started walking. "I brought your... monstrosity." She referred to the sandwich.

"Ha-Eun?" Jaeneung turns around, shocked. "How'd you find me?"

"With that haircut, of course I'd knew you'd be on the roof top." Ha-Eun hands Jaeneung his sandwich but Jaeneung doesn't take it. "You don't want your sandwich?"

"Huh? Oh." Jaeneung reaches out, grabbing the sandwich awkwardly before he turns it in his hand. "You must've done a number on this, what the hell happened?"

"I guess you dropped it on the way to come and help me. Thanks by the way." Ha-Eun placed her bag down and sat next to Jaeneung. "I wasn't able to thank you earlier."

The two of them gaze through the green fences, looking down onto the rest of the school. The only thing beyond the school walls were trees upon trees.

Ha-Eun looks down onto her sandwich, she realises it's a strawberry cream sandwich. "Take my sandwich, I don't like strawberries."

"You don't like strawberries?" Jaeneung had his entire mouth stuffed with his sandwich.

"You know what, I think I'll just eat it." Ha-Eun unwraps the foil and takes a small bite from the corner of the sandwich.

"It's a beautiful day isn't it?" Jaeneung just sits there, the crumpled foil in his hand.

"Yeah it is." Ha-Eun takes another bite. She swallows and contemplates before asking. "But how can you see the view?"

Jaeneung was caught offguard by this question, as if he'd never expect anyone to ask this question. "How can I see it? With my eyes." He's clearly lying.

"I know that you're blind Ha-Eun. I'm not blind myself." Ha-Eun joked with Jaeneung.

Jaeneung laughs in reassurance. "Was I that easy to figure out?"

"Nah, you hid it well. I only realised when I eavesdropped on a couple of girls in the toilet." Ha-Eun takes another bite from her sandwich. "You know, you really scared me for a second when that train was coming and you were about to fall."

"I did?" Jaeneung turns to Ha-Eun. Ha-Eun looks into Jaeneung's eyes, they're full of spirit and soul yet they're lifeless, void of emotion. Jaeneung smiles. "Then I guess that makes us even."

"Funny how it's the first day we've met and we've already saved each other's life." Ha-Eun giggles.

"You've got a cute laugh." Jaeneung compliments Ha-Eun randomly.

"W-what?" Ha-Eun was caught offguard by Jaeneung's compliment.

"I mean it, your laugh, it's different from other people's laughs." Jaeneung seemed dead serious.

Ha-Eun was kind of weirded out, but also flustered. She wasn't sure if this was sweet or creepy. "Do you go around complimenting girl's laughs?"

"No, no, no. It's just rare for me to hear people genuinely laugh around me. Usually when people are around me they're freaked out. They've never seen a blind Korean kid." Jaeneung smiles. "It's nice to have another Korean friend."

"It was a surprise to find another Korean here in America." Ha-Eun laughed as she turned to Jaeneung. She looks at Jaeneung for a long time, staring at him. She stared at him, for a long time.

"I may be blind but I can feel your gaze burrowing a hole in the side of my face." The both of them laugh.

"Thanks Ha-Eun." Jaeneung says Ha-Eun's name.

She's kind of flustered. She's blushes. "Please, call me Jenny."