.
Ban Yeo Ryung was asleep as she was leaning on my shoulder. She was gently breathing in and out. Eun Jiho glanced at her for a second then carefully opened his lip to whisper.
“You know about it too. Eun Hyung said he told you about it recently.”
“What do you mean?”
“About his mother. She had a car accident.”
“Oh…”
I replied with a sigh while frowning. That was right; I totally forgot about that story.
Eun Jiho, who seemed to have read my expression, soon shrugged his shoulders and leaned on the back of the subway seat.
He said to me, “Dude, don’t be so serious. Nothing’s gonna happen.”
“But what was so ridiculous was that I was checking out my love fortune.”
“That’s because your love fortune sucks, so maybe she tried to make up something else?”
Eun Jiho replied with a giggle. I did not hesitate to smash his shoulder. Then I sat straight so Yeo Ryung could lean on me more comfortably.
But something came across my mind–stated in the Law of the Web Novel Article 9, The Psychic’s Words or the Female Protagonist’s Bad Dream Always Comes True–I was completely overlooking that law. It was when I went into the psychic’s place and absurdly heard her prediction did I finally recalled that fact.
Holy Christ. My face turned pale with fear in a flash. Eun Jiho, who was chilling in his seat, became surprised when he saw me.
“Dude, what’s wrong with your face? I said, don’t be serious about… dude! Hey!”
That day, I was shaking like a jelly in fear of getting a car accident until I bid farewell to Yeo Ryung and came into my house.
I dreamt about a truck falling from the sky and dashing to me through the ceiling. It would sound like a joke, but I was truly suffering from fear.
It was really, seriously frightening.
* * *
The next day, I was on my way to school with hollow eyes from having a nightmare. Not only Ban Yeo Ryung and my schoolmate but Eun Jiho, whom I met on my way to school, was also talking about something, which turned into a dizzying noise on my head. Since they were both sitting beside me, they drew all the attention to our direction; therefore, I had to go to school with everybody’s eyes on me.
When I parted with Ban Yeo Ryung and Eun Jiho at the middle entrance, I grabbed my head with a murmur.
Oh, so fu*king tired. If it weren’t for that truck dream, I could have slept tight.
To be honest, I wanted to stay home inside the bed with my comforter all over my body instead of having the fear of a truck dashing toward me from the street. However, if my parents asked why was I not going to school, I could not reply that a psychic said that I would be having a car accident soon!
My mom would find it ridiculous as to why I would believe such ridiculous words, and my dad would get annoyed when he heard me spouting such bullshit in his ears. What else could I do? I should just go to school no matter what.
While I staggered up the stairs, I heard someone calling me from behind. That voice echoed loudly around the cave-like empty stairs… When I turned around to see who it was, there I saw Kim Hye Hill and Kim Hye Woo, the Kim twins.
As if Kim Hye Woo was not completely awake, Kim Hye Hill struck her elbow onto his stomach while holding his arms. I thought Kim Hye Woo would immediately emit a groan, but he just frowned his brows while giving a familiar look to his sister’s sudden action. He then opened his eyes and waved his hand to me.
“Hello”
“Hi.”
“You don’t look so good. Didn’t you sleep well last night?”
Kim Hye Woo asked, massaging his shoulder. I was a little surprised when he asked that since I knew him so far as someone who was not so delicate enough to check on other’s conditions.
Kim Hye Hill knitted her brows as she saw me.
She said, “Hmm, if my brother says that, then it’s not really good. What did you do yesterday? It’s not like we had any assignments.”
“Oh, I had a nightmare.”
“Nightmare.”
I saw Kim Hye Hill nodding at my response as if she understood. Then I looked at Kim Hye Woo unconsciously. He also looked tired just like me.
As I stared at him for a moment, Kim Hye Woo seemed to notice my gaze. He answered my burning curiosity before I could even outright inquire about it.
“Oh, I played games yesterday.”
“Never sleeps on time.”
Kim Hye Hill looked at her brother pathetically. As if he was used to that stare, Kim Hye Woo shrugged nonchalantly then moved his chin to gesture that we should all go upstairs.
During our way up the stairs, the Kim twins had their habitual quarrel, which at first glance would make one thought that it could be a good reason for both of them to fight.
Today’s topic that started their quarrel was ‘the harmful effects of games on young people.’ Well, many guys around me are addicted to games. While I was awakening to the fullness of my consciousness, I just listened to their conversation without uttering a word.
“Oppa, next time, I’ll really tell dad you’re pulling an all-nighter to play games.”
“Come on, I’m in high school! I can play games whenever I want to.”
“Then you should start studying as a high school student too.”
“Oh, for God’s sake. Are you my mom?”
“I never saw you studying!”
I knew a little about the Kim twins since I heard about them from Yoon Jung In, who was equally as clueless as I.
According to Yoon Jung In, Kill Hye Hill worked diligently whereas Kim Hye Woo was famous for sleeping all day; however, they were both ranking high in exam scores, so Kim Hye Hill’s frustrations with her brother were something understandable.
She bounced along the hallway and went inside the classroom abruptly. It was exciting to see them fighting in the morning, so I just shook my head with a laugh and followed them to the class.
Ban Yeo Ryung and I arrived at school earlier today. We met Eun Jiho, who was practicing his father’s strict discipline of the right habits of living on our way to school. Therefore, we might have arrived at one of our earliest times. As proof, only a few kids were inside the class.
A misty air of silence filled the classroom as if the fog came through the opened window. I slowly looked around the space but stopped my eyes after noticing the shiny blonde hair in my peripheral vision. Yi Ruda always came to school early. Sometimes I saw men in black on the way to school, so the reason she always came to school early would be probably related to those guys.
I moved my steps carefully, so I would not make any noise. As I tried to pull out my chair quietly, something thudded from behind, which made me collapse on my seat.
When I looked behind with my eyes wide opened, Kim Hye Woo waved his hand, placing his bag on the desk as if to tell that the bag slipped from his hand, so there was nothing for me to worry about.
was something extraterrestrial.
My heart sank and my mouth opened blankly. Yi Ruda then slowly lifted her body from the desk.
She shoved her hand into the tangled mess that was her blond hair and swept it back a few times. It looked as though it was more of a motion to get her away from her drowsiness rather than an action she did to fix her hair. She was just sweeping her hair back, but it looked very elegant when Yi Ruda did it. While I stared at her gorgeous profile through the soft sunlight, I soon realized how awkward our relationship had become at the moment.
Ever since we met at the Chinese restaurant a week ago, Yi Ruda and I did not talk to each other again. After that day, I could not greet her properly anymore. I was not audacious enough to act friendly to her.
Yi Ruda also removed her usual bright attitude when she was coming closer to me. Instead, she looked at me with the same confusion she had that day.
She never spoke a word to me ever since that fateful day. It seemed that she even tried to avoid sitting beside me.
