Cloud 9ine Blue

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Cloud 9ine Blue; It's only part of it, I wanna see......
Topic Started: May 12 2004, 06:53 PM (206 Views)
HyesungLover	May 12 2004, 06:53 PM Post #1
Back in Action. :) Posts: 1,171 Group: Advanced Members Member #594 Joined: October 18, 2003	I've done many fanfics before, but I'm only partially done with this one. Before I move on, I would like everyone to read it and consider it and please, I'm looking for honest constructive criticism, so if there's anything at all I can change, please tell me! Otherwise, enjoy! (remember: this is only partially done.....it's not the whole thing ^_^) Cloud 9ine Blue By GooFBaLL Prologue: Haneul Cho is a conceited 19-year-old student at Korea’s most prestigious art schools, fulfilling her life’s dream to become a painter. Growing up in the city, she lived a better life than many. For as far as she could see, there were no wrinkles in her road of life, both ways. She intended it to stay that way, though she could not see the speed bumps in her road ahead, coming at full force… HanSol Kim, Haneul’s best friend whom she grew up with as a child, is also studying at that school. He is getting in practice in sculpturing. When he is free, he likes to spend lunch with Haneul at the university’s cafeteria, or running at the track. Athletic as he is artistic, he is about to learn that he is in for the run of his life… Sara Park met Haneul when they were both freshmen at the institute. They being roommates at the dorm, instant friendship was obvious. Ever since, the two have been side-by-side in almost everything. Sara, however, is studying to be an art teacher at a local high school, something all the females in her family had done. Little as she knows, no art education is going to help her cope with the things in advance… Mr. Junghwa Shin teaches art history and painting at the university. Young and fresh out of college himself, he makes great friends with the students……though some of the girls may view him as more than just a friend. Handsome Mr. Shin is indeed innocent of any selfish deed yet, but once he meets this special someone, he can’t help but try to get her for himself… ~~~~~ I woke up, the alarm buzzer ringing in my ear. God, that thing is annoying. One of these mornings, I’m going to wake up and pound it into a million tiny pieces with a hammer…… I don’t want to get up. I want to stay asleep. I want to relax. It was the first day back after Christmas holiday, and I wasn’t ready to leave the lights and caroling and cookies, yet I got out of bed anyway. No trying to convince myself otherwise. I wasn’t very good at arguing for my part. For some reason, I always lost. I got up and turned to my roommate across the room. Sara was snoozing happily away in her own little dream world filled with hot, topless men and a beach, most likely. Sighing, I walked over to her bedside and wanted to land on top of her and fall back asleep, but where was that going to get me? Certainly not in 1st period art, where I should be in about an hour. “Sara,” I whined. “Get up. C’mon. Class starts in an hour.” Sara rolled over, groaning. I didn’t have time for this. I had to take a shower, finish the homework that was supposed to be done over holiday, then meet up with HanSol in the cafeteria for a cappuccino…… “Okay then, Sara, fine. Sleep the day away. Come down to class when you’re awake. I’ll tell Mr. Shin that you’re busy sleeping……” Yeah, that worked. “You won’t tell Mr. Shin anything of the sort!” she suddenly said, sitting up unexpectedly. I had to grin a bit before I turned away to head for the bathroom. “Oh, no Sara, you have it all wrong! I hear women who like to sleep a lot really turn him on!” I said sarcastically. Consequently, I got a pillow in the back, but I ignored it and instead locked the bathroom door behind me. Every girl was in love with Mr. Shin, the painting teacher. Everyone, that is, save for me. I’m not. I don’t have time to flirt with my teacher, for goodness’ sake. Who should? Plus, he’s a professor. He’s to be regarded with respect and dignity, not flirting. It was pathetic. I took a nice, hot shower, which filled the room with steam. I wiped the fogged mirror off with my palm and dried my long, black hair. The locks blow up and down on my shoulders, and I watched as I blew with the hairdryer and stared into the mirror. I considered myself pretty. I had soft brown eyes, silky hair, and a clear complexion. But I knew I wasn’t the prettiest girl in the school. For one, I believed that Sara was prettier than I was. But at least I wasn’t ugly. It takes work to be pretty, and I was good at keeping care of my skin and body. I believed everyone should have that as one of his or her top values. Then, no one would be complaining at how fat they were or how bad their acne was. It’s all in your hands, and people need to realize that, but I’m not going to go into a lecture about it now. I look at the pretty on the inside. I thought I was pretty on the inside. I was nice, I got good grades, I liked to help people, I didn’t have sexual desires like others…...overall, I thought that a good accomplishment. You tend to run into a lot of bullies, especially since you’re the best painter in the school. Going on to the other topic, most girls at the university weren’t virgins in the first place. I may be a minority here, but a minority I’d insist upon being. I was done with the bathroom, so I allowed Sara have it for the rest of the hour, letting her take the longest shower ever and put on all her makeup. As a fact, very few people have seen her without her face smothered in concealer and her eyes dappled with colored powder, so I definitely had an advantage on my side. Can we say, ‘blackmail’? HanSol, of course, has seen her, but he would never use it against her. Speaking of HanSol, my best friend in the whole world whom I’ve known for just about forever, was probably waiting for me in the university cafeteria right about now. Sara would join us later for a coffee or something. I got dressed in the school uniform, a white button-down shirt with a tie and a dark blue skirt. Talking on the matter, it was indeed a bit uncomfortable, but I had gotten used to it. Last year, when I was a freshman, I couldn’t stand it. Now, though, a sophomore, I guess you can say that the things about this place have grown on me. It tends to happen. At the cafeteria, HanSol was waiting in the usual spot. I waved, pulled out a dollar from my pocket, and bought a can of peach drink from a vending machine. Joining HanSol with his banana milk, we sat together and stared out at all the other sleepy students, eating and waiting for their friends to arrive. He and I were pretty silent, letting our brains comprehend that our bodies were awake. I slurped the delicious fluid and let it slide down my throat with a splash of taste left over. There was silence, but after a while, HanSol turned to me. “Did you hear?” he asked. I rolled my eyes. I hated it when people asked me that, because no, I did not hear, and no, I never hear anything. “Enlighten me,” I said, mock-annoyed. Though I was partly glad that we were getting into a conversation. I thought we were going to have to put up with Sara’s talking to come and nothing to think about while pretending to be fascinated with what she was saying. “Junghi is claiming that she slept with Mr. Shin.” I would have been surprised, had Mr. Shin not have the reputation of the most eligible bachelor on the planet. “And why do I believe her?” I asked sarcastically. HanSol raised an eyebrow. “Haneul, I may not have him as a teacher, but I have met him on several occasions, and I can tell that he is not the type of teacher that would sleep with his students.” “There must be a reason as to why all the girls like him.” It was more of a question than a statement, and I said it while playing with my can of peach drink, not looking at HanSol. I didn’t want to face his accusing glare and cocked eyebrow of disapproval. “Because they think he’s good-looking is all! I think that’s the only reason. Plus, he’s barely 22 years old. Fresh out of college. Just started this year.” “Yeah, I noticed that, but I mean, they’re going bananas over him just because he’s handsome? Talk about idiots.” Ironically, Sara walked into the cafeteria at that moment with a Colombian supremo in one hand, so I had to change the subject, for I knew how mad she would be if she knew that I was dissing Mr. Shin. I must say, though, that out of all the girls in love with the teacher, she must be the one most in love. I hated it. “Hey, everyone!” she said happily. Obviously, she may not want to get out of bed in the morning, but once you did, she was always giddy. She’s a wind-up toy that never stops. “Hey,” HanSol and I said at the same time in monotone. We weren’t yet awake, but we were getting there. “What are you guys up to?” she asked, taking a seat next to me. “Junghi says—” I placed my hand over HanSol’s mouth before he could say anything more. “Junghi says that……she thinks……she thinks that we should have had more time for holiday.” I put on the best smile I could muster. Sara looked at us both as though we had three horns sticking out of our heads. “Whatever,” she said. “I don’t even want to know. You guys looking forward to classes today?” “Yeah,” I said. “I want to finish my Monet,” I said, referring to the current painting I was doing in painting class. I was supposed to have it done before holiday, because it was supposed to be a Christmas present to my mother. I instead gave her a card with some money to buy something special. I’ve already decided to just hang it in the dorm when I’m done. “I don’t know. It took me forever to finish that one sculpture of the Christmas tree I made for my nuna, and I’m not sure I’m ready to start another,” HanSol said. “Well, maybe you won’t have to,” Sara butted in. “I’m sure the teacher will just lecture you guys on different techniques and styles to get the shapes and features you want, whether its sketchy or smooth or bold……” Both of us stared at Sara. Yeah, she was definitely the art expert. She’d make a great teacher. I almost envied her. I was probably the best painter in the school, I have to admit that, but she was the one with the brains. She knew when Claude Monet was born, died, and what he was known for. She was smarts. I was talent. HanSol was muscle. He was the one making sculptures out of steel and iron, here. Thinking about this, I had to admit, HanSol did have muscle. His legs, though never shown in school, were pretty trim and firm with brawn. His arms were fit and defined. He even had abs, as I had seen one day at the pool during summer break. He didn’t have that bad of a body, in spite of everything. “Haneul, you there?” Sara was waving her hand in front of my face, and I fell back to earth with a bump. “What? Oh, sorry. Daydreaming.” I always did daydream, to be honest. “Huh? About who?” I was taken aback by Sara’s remark. “Who said I was thinking about a person? What if I was thinking about my painting or the next painting I want to do?” “Is that what you were thinking about?” I had to be honest. “No.” “Told you.” She read me so easily! Gah! “Whatever,” I said, annoyed. “Hey!” Sara suddenly said. HanSol jumped beside me. He must have been daydreaming as well. “What?” he asked. “Guess what? I got a call from my cousin over holiday. You know, the one attending the art school outside of the city? Yeah, well, she said that one of the students there would be transferring over here before New Year’s! His name is Jang Noeul. She says he’s really, really cute.” “Is he a second year?” I asked, not really interested. “A-huh. He’s a painter, just like you, Haneul. She says he’s really good. Probably better than you.” In spite of myself, I doubted that. ~~~~~ I walked into first period, set my bag down, and sat in front of my empty easel. Mr. Shin was at the front of the class, typing something up on his laptop. Other people were in the room, talking about miscellaneous things, bragging about what they got for Christmas, or complaining that they were never going to eat another cookie for the rest of the year, due to a certain amount of flabber making home on their bellies. I left my supplies at my seat and stood up to get my canvas, which was propped up by the windows where it was left to dry. I picked it up and set it in the easel. I considered it for a moment. I saw the splashes of green and blue and pink and black. I was doing one rendition of Monet’s Japanese bridge watercolors. Mr. Shin encouraged us to change various colors of the painting to make it unique and our own, so I decided to make a break in some of the trees in the background, allowing some yellow sunlight to shine through and a bright blue sky to be seen. A bright blue sky was sort of my trademark, I guess you can say. In every painting I’ve ever done, there’s at least been a patch of sunny sky to be seen. I’ve always changed something about an original in my interpretation to allow a bit of sky to show, or at least changed a gray, cloudy sky to clear and azure. It describes who I am. Mr. Shin soon stood up in the front of the class, which signaled silence. Everyone stopped talking. I set my full attention to his chocolate eyes and radiant, golden-brown hair, which fell about his face in graceful bits. I had to admit, he had some looks, especially when he habitually ran his fingers through his hair. “Good morning, class, and welcome back from holiday. How was your break?” “Good,” everyone said together. The reply was a bit faux, you had to admit, but he seemed satisfied enough anyway. “Okay……” Mr. Shin looked at a few papers on his desk, then put them back down. “We’re obviously going to finish our paintings today, those of you who have not. Those of you who have, however, would kindly work on a miniature project while we wait for everyone to be done. That’s all I ask.” No one said a word as they got out their paints. I got out my watercolor set, which consisted of over thirty different colors. I had a jar of water next to me, atop a little table, which I shared with the person painting next to me. I was set and ready to go. I was in my own little world now. The classroom scene seemed to fade away. All I saw now was the graceful curve of the red Japanese bridge, the gentle reflections of the lily pads on the water, and the trees and plants. I have yet to paint the sky, but that will come later. Each stroke was something. It was some part of the puzzle, of the impression. Each stroke meant a little. It could be a single leaf, or a petal of a lily flower, or a plank on the bridge, or a branch on a tree. Even the tiniest stroke played a part, and I was transfixed on the strokes and colors and shapes. I had to make everything flow together to form a picture. When it came to Monet, a painting was a collage of colors and lines. His images were really a bunch of lines and insignia put together to make something. I had to concentrate to match his vision, to match what he saw when he painted ripples in the water or rocks on the bank, or perhaps reeds sticking out of the stream. I was in my own world of focus and precision. “You’re doing extremely well,” said a voice behind me, suddenly. I jumped, almost making a mark on my canvas where it should not have been. I felt a tender hand on my shoulder, sending a bit of a tingling sensation through my body. It was Mr. Shin. He must have been standing right behind me, and I didn’t even know it. I was too inattentive to the outside world that I didn’t even sense his presence. “Oh, Mr. Shin! Sorry, um, thanks. I’ve been working hard,” I said, blushing furiously. I didn’t even know he was behind me-! Some people laughed at my embarrassment, but I just lowered my head. The professor let out a soft chuckle before giving my shoulder a brief squeeze and moving on. I could see some of the more jealous girls giving me dirty looks. They must think that he favors me, Mr. Shin, which is not the case. I was going to say something smart and classy to the girls, like, “Oh, don’t look at me, it’s not my fault he likes me better than you!” just to get them angry, but I bit my tongue. I spent the next ninety minutes painting with precision. I was close to being done. All I had to do now was complete the sky. This was probably the easiest part for me, seeing as I’ve done it a million fold. Picking up a new paintbrush, I dabbed it in midnight blue paint and added it to the blank spot on the work of art. Making random strokes here and there, I then added a light blue, contrasting the two colors so it turned to be a kind of royal blue. I thought there for a moment, then added some white to make the color brighter. When I had filled in all the gaps, I leaned back a tad to get a look at it. As I did, I could see some other painters nearby move their attention from their paintings to focus on mine. All I saw nearby, however, were a bunch of strokes. Up close, it was all a bunch of blur. So, stepping out of my seat, I took a couple walks backward. There. I saw it now. The lilies, the bridge, the trees, the rocks, and the sky. Everything flowed together beautifully, just like an original Monet does. I almost let out a gasp. I was surprised at how well I had done. It was one of my first experiences with watercolors, and I’d thought I wasn’t as good with that medium as apposed to oils or acrylics. I guess I learn new things everyday. Mr. Shin came by to take a look at what everyone was staring at. Sara was right behind me, admiring it with awe. “Oh, Haneul, that’s so beautiful!” she said. I had to agree. It was good. I was good. “Yes, indeed,” Mr. Shin said. I looked up at him (he was nearly 6’4”), and he at me. For a second, our eyes locked in an awkward way, but I quickly looked back at my painting. That was strange. I shrugged it off, however. It was nothing. Mr. Shin spoke again, a bit louder than necessary, but spoke nonetheless. “Well, this shall be receiving an A,” he said proudly. Carefully grabbing the top of the canvas, he tipped it forward a morsel and took his red China marker out of his breast pocket. He made a small letter ‘A’ on the back corner before tilting it back into its spot on the easel. I was beaming. I was positively proud of myself. I don’t think I could have done any better, even if I tried. Though happy inside, one look at some of the people’s faces around me could send anyone into a depression. They were all at least angry, or jealous, or just plain sad and downtrodden. What was I supposed to do or say? Was there even anything to say? I cleared my throat and moved toward the canvas again, collecting my things and placing them in my bag nonchalantly. It was a sort of signal for everyone to stop staring at me and get back to his or her job, but it didn’t seem to work very well. Sara returned to her work, but everyone else seemed to freeze, their gazes more intense. I began to blush more, and decided that saying something might be a better idea than I thought. “Okay then. Thanks, Mr. Shin, I appreciate it. I can’t wait for the next painting.” I smiled brightly at him and he smiled back. Placing one hand on my backside caught me off guard as he passed me to get back to his desk, and I blushed even harder, if possible. My face was probably a shade of magenta by now, and I don’t think it could get any more pink. Again, more hate looks. The bell rang loudly, and students began packing up his or her things to go to their next class. Mine was an elective, P.E. with HanSol. I was about to walk out of the classroom to run by my dorm and pick out the gym uniform, when Mr. Shin stopped me. “Haneul! Wait just a second.” I was bewildered as to what he could possibly want me for. I let the last few people left in the room pass me before I proceeded to his desk with a puzzled look on my face. I had my guard up, nonetheless. “Yes, sir?” I asked. Mr. Shin stood up from his seat and looked at me, leaning on his desk with one hand. He seemed to be studying me, as though I were a portrait he was admiring. It seemed like hours he was there, looking at me. I cocked my head to one side. Then, he spoke. “You know, Miss Cho, that was quite a painting you finished today. I don’t think I could have done any better myself,” he complimented, smiling. I gave out a short laugh of appreciation, though I wasn’t fully comfortable in my mind. “Thank you, Mr. Shin. I appreciate it.” What was I supposed to say? I went along with the obvious. “You’re quite an artist, I believe. Most likely the best one here.” He gave me a look and a smirk. What was this guy on about? I was suddenly more suspicious than before. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that, Mr. Shin. Who knows? There might be some undiscovered talent here at the Institute.” I let out a laugh, with a twinge of uneasiness. He laughed, too. “Miss Cho, you’re too modest,” he chuckled. I felt like an idiot, standing there, just smiling with nothing more to say. He turned away for a moment to press something on his computer when it beeped at him, and I took full advantage of that moment to get a chance to leave. “Okay, um, thanks very much, Mr. Shin. I’d better get off to P.E. now, though,” I said. I turned to leave when I heard his footsteps behind me once more. Suddenly, I felt his hand land smoothly on the small of my back. I was stunned for a second, and I bit my lip to hold in a gasp of surprise. “Alright, Haneul, now off you go,” he said cheerfully. I just gave him a nervous smile, and indeed I was off like a flash. ~~~~~ “I’m telling you, HanSol, the guy’s a pervert!” “He probably didn’t know that he was doing those things. Men are bizarre like that sometimes.” “So bizarre that they hit on their students?” I had stressed the last part of the sentence. After that, HanSol was quiet for a moment. We were running around in the indoor gymnasium for P.E. class, which allowed most students time to talk and catch up on things. I was currently discussing my ordeal regarding Mr. Shin with HanSol. He was defending the guy, though I knew he understood the real truth and prospect that the professor might actually be a pervert. “I don’t know, Haneul. Maybe you’re right, maybe you’re wrong. Just try to stay away from the guy and see what he does then.” HanSol's plan wasn’t bad, and I knew that. If I were right, then Mr. Shin would most likely go to any lengths to get his hands on me. But if I were to be wrong, then he would receive the message that I am not interested in him (rather disgusted, essentially), and leave me alone. I just hoped that HanSol was right about him. We ran the remains of the track in silence, both taking into consideration the position I was in. Little did I know, there was more to come than I had previously thought. P.E. was over sooner than it had started. I had done nothing besides wince through the pain of stretching beyond my physical limits due to the coach’s criticism. I met up with HanSol after he was done doing relays with the men at his end of the field, and we walked back to the dorms together. We were to meet Sara there for lunch. The walk back across the snowy white grounds was mainly quiet. We hadn’t much to talk about, really, but there was no doubt in my mind that Sara would have some gossip for us to chat on the subject of. She always did. I wasn’t as worried about Mr. Shin now. I had some time to blow off steam and think it through, and I was able to come up with the concept of talking with him. After idealizing about it for a moment, I decided to bring the subject up with HanSol. However, I had no thought as to what my friend would say or assume in reply. “HanSol,” I said as we crossed a pavement pathway and headed across the snow-covered grass. “What?” “Do you think I should talk to Mr. Shin? Like, tell him how I feel and maybe emphasize the professional relationship supposed to be between us? Or at least tell him what I think?” I wasn’t expecting HanSol to laugh the way he had, but he did. He let out a full-hearted, warm laugh. I was clearly very puzzled, but I didn’t have time to ask what was so funny before he explained. “You women, all of you,” he said, with a bit of laughter still lingering in his voice. I cocked an eyebrow. He looked at me for a second, considered my glare, then smiled wider. “That’s what you women think, isn’t it?” I was taken aback, but he unrelentingly continued to study my face. “What do you mean?” I demanded. “That’s what you women always think. If there’s a dilemma, ‘oh, no problem, it can be fixed if I just talk to the guy!’” Okay, I was getting pissed. Nevertheless, I said nothing to this remark of his. I waited keenly for him to continue, because I could undeniably sense that he sought to say somewhat more. “Assert, for example, that some guy rapes you,” he said. My eyes got large. “Do you think he’s going to say sorry if you go and talk to him? Do you think he’s going to say, ‘Oh, you’re right, I’m so sorry, I had no idea it made you feel uncomfortable. I assure you I’ll never do it again.’” Oh lord, this was ridiculous. I was about ready to slap the man. “No, HanSol, you’re absolutely right. He’s not going to do that. Yet, you have to apprehend that raping someone is far more extreme than the dilemma I’m in now! I highly doubt that Mr. Shin wants to rape me, though I still believe him to be demented in the mind. Thus far, however, I must deem that possibly talking to him would do some good.” I knew I had a good case. Yes, I did think that talking to someone about a problem or situation might lead to a resolution, but I didn’t need to be criticized for it. There was nothing wrong with talking to someone to bring out a solution. Nothing at all, and I was letting HanSol know that. Speaking of HanSol, he was quiet for a moment, the laughter and humor gone, and we sustained our walk together towards the dorms. The large building loomed into view, huge and extravagant and homely. It was during my time of admiring the edifice that HanSol decided to talk once more. “Okay, Haneul, you’re right. You are, really. Perhaps it will do some good. I just guess…” He suddenly trailed off and stopped walking. He turned around, grabbed my shoulders in a soft, gentle embrace, and looked me deep into the eyes. Fleetingly, he searched through them as if probing for a bit of reassurance. All I was able to show, however, was surprise to his unexpected and rather tender actions. In his eyes, though, I saw many things: concern, questions, answers…...he sighed. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.” That statement seemed to hit me, and for a short time I was shocked. I wanted to make a queer face, scrunch my nose, and ask what he meant, but I immediately realized what an intimate moment this was thought to be. I didn’t want to be the one responsible to ruin it. I needed the right things to speak. What should I say? “I-I won’t get hurt,” I sputtered. He gave a reassured smile and my shoulders a last compression before letting them go. Dropping his arms to his side once more, we sustained our silent walk towards the dormitories. ~~~~~ Sara did indeed have a lot for us to talk about. Or, at least lots for her to babble on about while HanSol and I poked at our noodles and dumplings. In between each bite of hers was an “Oh my god, I can’t believe her!” or a “So I said to him…” It was getting very boring, really, until she hit this one subject. “Oh, I found out about Junghi. That is what you were going to tell me, right, HanSol?” she asked, pointing a chopstick at him and raising an eyebrow. He blushed a bit and nodded. I, however, waited for her to continue. Every once in a while, Sara had something interesting to talk about; this was one of those times. “Yeah, so, go on,” I prodded. She gave me a queer look, but then slightly shook her head as though convincing her of something she was led to believe. “Anyway, yeah. I was overhearing her, and so I said, ‘Well, you really expect us to believe that?’ I mean, everyone at the table knew that Mr. Shin is, well, you know, a playboy type, but come on, like he would sleep with his students? And even if he would sleep with his students, would it really be her? Honestly, I don’t even know where the girl shops for her clothes, but it’s certainly not Banana Republic……” “Sara,” I interrupted. She looked up from her shrimp, and I gave a deep look into her eyes to show that I was serious. “Stick with the subject. What did she say?” “Oh!” She seemed taken aback for a second, but brushed it away and continued on. I was, after all, acting unusually strange about this topic, although I really wanted to know what others thought about the apprehensive teacher, or at least get another point to prove mine. From across the table, I could feel HanSol's look, but I ignored it and instead focused on Sara. “Well, anyhow, she gives me this look, like, ‘Back off,’ and that’s when I knew that I was tramping on sensitive territory. This girl was obviously lying, and I’d love to get a look at Mr. Shin’s face when the rumor gets around to him.” Sara sat back with a satisfied smirk. She was noticeably proud of her gossip. She studied our faces for a second, looking for more satisfaction. HanSol's face was blank as he spooned a bit of seaweed into his mouth, but I was transfixed all up until the point she was done talking. I sat back as well, pondering what she had just told me. So, perhaps, he didn’t sleep with Junghi……that still doesn’t erase the possibility that he would actually sleep with one of his students. I felt HanSol looking at me once more, and I finally turned to look at him. He gave me an expression, as if to say, “Told you so.” Though I didn’t give him a glance back, I knew in my mind that I would be able to prove that the professor really was a pervert. ~~~~~ The next day came and, once again, I was waking up to the very annoying alarm buzzer. Pity, because I didn’t have a hammer to keep the promise I made earlier. Watch your back, evil alarm clock. I stretched my arms wide, yawned, and settled back into my slouch. I grabbed my pillow to hit Sara in the head in order to wake her up, but when I opened my eyes to aim, she wasn’t there. Her bed was made, her pajamas folded up neatly on top of her pillows. Wow. That was new. Where could she be, though? Putting the pillow down, I headed off towards the bathroom. Maybe she wanted a head start? But no. The bathroom door was open and the light was off. Completely bedazzled, I headed off towards the small kitchen area that belonged to us. Lo and behold, there she was, sitting at the kitchen table, talking on her cell phone. She was talking on her cell phone! How predictable. “Yeah, uh-huh. Yeah. No, she just woke up. Yeah, I will. You do? Okay, well, I’ll let you go. She is? Oh, okay! Don’t get into trouble! Bye!” I stood in the doorway of the kitchen area as Sara shut off her cell phone. “What was that?” I asked, rubbing an eye of the sleepiness. She looked up at me and smiled. “It was my cousin. You know, the one from the art school out of town?” She seemed awake enough to be safe. “Lori?” I asked. “Yeah, her. Well, you know that new guy I told y’all about yesterday? Well, turns out, he’s coming today. He left yesterday to get settled into his new, um, home.” “Oh, okay.” I guess it was a change, but I wasn’t too excited about the fact of having to share an art class with him if he was as good at painting as Sara said he was. I got into the uniform quick enough after taking a short shower, and headed downstairs while Sara got prepped. I didn’t expect her to show up for breakfast, because she had heard that the new guy was going to be hot, so……enough said. I saw HanSol at our small table and I headed over immediately. He had a peach drink this time, as I noticed when I sat down next to him. “Hey,” he said after taking a sip. “Hey. You know that new guy Sara was talking about yesterday?” I said, questioning whether he remembered or not. “Yeah, why?” he asked, puzzled. “Well, I found Sara on the phone this morning, talking to her cousin, Lori, from that art school out of town. Well, figures that the new guy is coming today.” HanSol didn’t bat an eye. “So? What’s the big deal? We get new people all the time. Now, what did Sara say his name was……? Wasn’t it Jang Noeul?” To me, that was more of a statement than a question, so I ignored it. “Yeah, whatever. I know, he’s just a new guy, but I mean, Sara says he’s a painter, not to mention a playboy. Lori said that he’s really good. What if he’s better than me?” It sounded a bit strange having those words come out of my mouth, and I felt a bit conceited, but I was worried. What if Noeul, or whatever his name was, is better than me? HanSol scrunched his nose. “What’s the deal? So what? You’re an excellent painter, Haneul, and if he’s better than you, who gives? Everyone has a talent.” He seemed so nonchalant! How could he be like that? But inside, I laughed in spite of him. If some sculpture artist came to this school and was better than HanSol, he’d be flipping. Thinking that, I felt better about feeling the way I did. ~~~~~~~~~~~ CHARACTER INFO! Haneul: As you could have already realized, she’s a bit stuck up. She grew up in a wealthy family, so, of course, she’s going to be the way she is. She likes to think she’s better when it comes to her talents. Her mother and father always praised her and wanted her to be successful to bring honor to the Cho name. She grew up with many talents, including piano, acting, and some sports, but she chose to be an artist out of all of her opportunities. Haneul has an older brother, Gae Hi, who is currently studying business management to uphold his father’s business in the cell phone industry. He is smart, charming, and talented. No one has any doubts that he will do great as head of the company when it comes time for him to take over. But even the smartest of people have faults. HanSol: He is quiet-minded, never really talkative unless he’s in a conversation. He keeps most of his comments to himself unless he is asked of them. A bit shy, he’s only really comfortable around his best friends, Haneul and Sara. He, too, grew up wealthy, which is why he was able to associate with Haneul. He met with her first in kindergarten when he spilled his juice all over her, and ever since the two have been closer than ever. Throughout the years of knowing Haneul, they discovered they had similar talents and planned to go to the same college together. That’s when they landed at the city’s most prestigious art studying university. They plan to remain best friends forever, though HanSol has lately been considering other things that have not entered his thoughts before. Sara: You have noticed that she is very loud-mouthed, though she is loyal to her friends only. She speaks whatever she hears and is usually the one responsible for starting rumors in the first place. With five other sisters, she was the oldest and accountable for taking care of all of them, and still had time to study. That’s when she became valedictorian of her graduating class and was offered an outstanding scholarship. Her parents were proud, as they thought they would never be able to send their bright child to college, yet the scholarship helped and Sara landed as roommates with Haneul. Ever since their first meeting, the two clicked instantly despite their differences and would always remain close. Sara loves teaching and showing off her knowledge, as she has done for several years with her younger sisters, and so decided to become a teacher. She may be the smartest girl at the institute, but would she be able to have the answers for the series of events coming next? ~~~~~~~~~~~ The rest of the morning went out normal. Sara didn’t arrive in time for breakfast, and though I practically knew what she was up to, I couldn’t convince myself to not check up on her. Again, a demonstration of my poor arguing skills. Why does it always come down to an internal conflict that makes me lose? Opening the dorm room, I was not surprised to see her running around, looking for her other hoop earring. I could hear her muttering to herself, “Where is it? Gosh, where did I leave it? I left it by the phone just last week……” and checking her watch every five seconds. Indeed, she had her flirty purple eye shadow on, plus glimmering orange blush. Her lips sparkled like city nightlights, and she had put her contacts in, making her eyes a lighter brown. When she took time out of her busy schedule to acknowledge my existence in the entryway, she gave me an exasperated look before glancing at her watch once more, her eyes growing wider as the seconds passed. “You know,” I said, getting ready for a smart aleck remark. “No matter how many times you stare at your watch, ten seconds will always be ten seconds.” I held a satisfactory smirk on my face, and she stopped, if only for a second, to put her hand on her hip and give me a scolding look. I had to smile wider. “Ha, ha, funny, Haneul. Now, have you seen my other earring? I swear, it was by the phone……” her voice trailed off as she sorted through her laundry hamper to check all her pants pockets. I glanced around, but could not see any large, silver hoop earring within my line of sight. “Nope.” Though I would have liked to have helped her in her distress, class was about to start in five minutes. “Sara, just forget it. Class is going to start. We’ll look for your earring-” I was about to finish the sentence, had I not felt a brief tap on my shoulder. I quickly turned around to stare into a face I have never seen before. With sleek black hair and blonde highlights and light brown eyes, I knew who he was almost immediately. One of his ears was pierced and held an expensive-looking diamond stud. His lips were full and smooth, and smiled a grin revealing perfect white teeth. His hazelnut-brown eyes looked me up and down for a second, which I resented. The guy met me, what, half a second ago, and he’s already hitting on me? “Excuse me, ladies,” he said, momentarily noticing Sara in the background, who has also stopped to stare. His voice was slick, and they seemed to flow from his mouth so easily. “But where is Mr. Shin’s first period class?” I scrunched my nose. He and I were sharing painting classes? Dangit…… “You’re way off. Go down the hall and the elevator is on the right. Take it down to the first floor. Exit the building to the right once more and go across the lawns until you find the door with the sign over it, ‘Wing 3.’ Once you’re in there, go up the elevator, which is to your immediate left, to the second floor and the room is the last on the right.” I searched his eyes for what I knew would be there, and there it was: disappointment. Disappointment because I wasn’t gawking at his hot looks, disappointment because I wasn’t speechless at his smooth voice, just like all the other girls in his past had been. With a satisfied grin forming on my face, his eyes flashed something dangerous, and for a second it scared me. I had the sudden thought that I wasn’t safe. With a frown newly made on his face, he turned to leave. “Thanks,” he said a bit coldly. “You’re welcome,” I replied coolly, and was about to turn to leave and sustain my helping with Sara, had she not bolted out the door at that second. She was a blur of colors, and fleetingly reminded me of a Monet. Hot guys like Noeul have that affect on her. “Wait! Jang Noeul!” she shouted a little louder than necessary. Noeul turned around, a bit of a surprised look on his face. “I’m here five minutes and already the pretty ladies know my name,” he said, smiling wide. I rolled my eyes. Lori was right; he was a player. Sara, however, had a devilish look on her face that I didn’t like. It promised danger, but for whom, I didn’t know. I hoped it was Noeul. “Very funny, smart guy,” she said. She walked a bit closer to him. “You know my cousin. Lori Park?” she looked him in the eyes, and they showed recognition. “Yeah, I know here. I definitely see the resemblance here, especially in the looks,” he said. Lord, he is unrelenting, isn’t he? “Yeah. She told me you were coming. Anyway, how about I escort you to the class?” An irresistible possibility came to me. “Uh, no you can’t Sara. Sorry, doll, but it’s Tuesday, and your classroom is the other direction. You only have Mr. Shin’s class on Mondays and Wednesdays, remember, dear? I’d hate terribly for you to be late.” With a false devastated expression on my face, I pointed down the opposite hall where another elevator was. Sara raised an eyebrow and shot me a “You-can-shut-up” look. “Oh, Haneul, it’s quite okay, I’ll just tell Mrs. An I was late because I was helping a new student,” she said through gritted teeth. She was trying so hard to smile nicely. She had a good case, and arguing I would make me look bad, so I kept my mouth shut. Noeul, however, did something unexpected that totally caught me off guard. “Sara, it’s okay, I don’t want you to be late. Haneul will take me, won’t you?” He looked up at me. I was taken aback, and Sara gaped. Turning back to her, she immediately closed her mouth and smiled at him as easily as she could. “Aw, how nice of you to care, Noeul,” she said. I would have laughed at how hard she was trying to turn this into a good situation, had I not been aghast at what I now had to do. Yet, I came up with a plan. “No, I can’t, really, I have to, uh, go to my other class today, Sara, didn’t I tell you I switched schedules? Yeah. I have designing class Tuesdays….” I was about to finish the sentence and run off before anyone could say anything, but she grabbed my arm in mid-turn. “Oh, no you don’t Haneul, very funny. I know you have painting class today. Get over there and escort this nice man to the class.” Her smile was positively annoying. Pushing me as hard as she could, I was thrust into Noeul’s arms and he caught me with a slight gasp. As my head collided with his chest, I could feel his hard abs under his shirt, and I caught a whiff of his Armani cologne. For a second, I was drawn in by his wonderful scent, but I realized what I was doing almost immediately. With disgust, I drove myself out of his arms and turned to yell something at Sara, but she was nowhere to be found. Damn it, that girl! “Well, guess it’s just you and me then,” he said from behind. He almost seemed happy. I sighed. “Guess so,” I moaned, and proceeded toward the elevator. ~~~~~ I was planning it so that the whole time I was “escorting” Noeul to the classroom, there would be no conversation whatsoever. Well, I did say that was how I PLANNED it. “So, Haneul, you’re a sophomore?” he asked, while we were waiting in the elevator. I was suddenly overcome by fear, as I remembered stories about girls getting raped in elevators. I scooted a bit away from him. “Yeah.” That was it. That was all I wanted to say, but he kept looking my way and I knew he wanted to say something more. God, this was going to be annoying. “So, where you from? Seoul?” he asked. I rolled my eyes once more, realizing that there would be no avoiding conversation with this man. “Yes. My father owns a cell phone company.” “What made you get into art?” “It’s a talent of mine.” “Ah. Mutual.” The elevator dinged, which was sort of a cue. When the doors slid open, I rudely brushed past a couple of girls waiting to walk in. Noeul, however, kindly slid past them, saying, “Excuse me, ladies,” as he did. Not to mention, he added that slick smile of his. The girls instantaneously stopped their chatter to watch him go by, then returned to their conversation with a new topic. I could hear the one girl say, “Oh my gosh, who was that?” Outside was cold and windy, and furious snow fell like comets through the sky. The flakes were fat and stung against my bare cheek. With fierce snaps, my hair blew about my face and irritated me. I longed for my coat. Annoyed and frustrated, I walked fast through the winter wind, and scolded myself for not grabbing a coat. Why hadn’t I thought if it? Well, that was obvious; I was too busy dealing with stupid Sara back there. She was the main reason I was flustered. She knew I wanted nothing to do with Noeul, but she was merciless. Speaking of Noeul, he was fine in his designer denim jacket, which must have cost a fortune. I’m learning more and more about him the longer I spend with him, and I didn’t like it. I may have money, but fashion doesn’t daunt me at all like it does him. Crossing my arms in an attempt to shield myself from the brutal frost, I continued to wish for my soft, warm coat. “Haneul! Why are you going so fast?” he yelled through the sound of the blowing wind. I was too cold to remember that he was behind me, yet I could honestly care less. “I want to get to class so you’ll stop asking me so many annoying questions!” I screamed back. I was still upset with anger and aggravation. But at that moment, as we were almost halfway across the courtyard, I felt his denim jacket land softly on my shoulders, and I looked to my left to see him, bearing the harsh cold with only his thin uniform. ~~~~~ “Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new student today.” The statement from Mr. Shin was alone enough to catch the attention of his whole class. Everyone turned their heads to see Noeul and the professor standing at the front of the class. Noeul was smiling and eyeing all the girls. I took my place at my seat, an empty easel in front of me. This morning might have been a bit eventful, not to mention frustrating. It was a new twist to my life’s story, but all I can do is hope it will end. I can get back to my usual routine and forget this morning ever happened…… “His name is Mr. Jang Noeul. I’m sure you all will make him feel right at home. Might I ask where you’re from, Mr. Jang?” Mr. Shin turned to Noeul, awaiting his reply. I looked around for a moment, noticing that all the girls were staring at Noeul with open mouths. Disgusting…… “Yeah, I’m originally from Seoul, but for my freshman year at university, I studied at the College of Modern and Contemporary Art, which I know you guys are in association with, so I decided to transfer.” The whole time, Noeul was scanning the classroom. I turned away as to not meet his eyes, though at one point I Could feel his intense gaze. Mr. Shin let out a chuckle. “Yes, we have had many transfers from that particular college. I’m glad to have you, Noeul.” The new guy just nodded. Looking about the room, the professor looked for a seat in which Noeul could have. Finally, he chose one near the front of the classroom, away from me. Thank goodness. I would not have been able to stand him during class after this morning. I could barely stand for his contemptuous flirting for even a while, and imagine what ninety minutes would do to me. The whole time, Mr. Shin talked to us about our next assignment, which would be a pastel. Thinking over what I would possibly want to draw, I noticed Noeul and some other girl chatting away while the professor was talking. The two were whispering back and forth, probably setting up a date. The girl kept giggling, and she was surely coy over what he was saying. I was too far away to catch their words, but I had a guess Noeul was asking the pretty schoolgirl out on a date. When the bell rang, signaling for everyone to leave, the two stayed put, talking and gabbing, until Mr. Shin cheerfully shooed them off. During phys ed, I would not stop discussing Noeul with HanSol. I wondered how in the world I was supposed to live with him invading my space all the time, especially since Sara’s obsessed with him and everything. I haven’t seen her since this morning, but I knew that I would have to put up with her ranting on about how I was such a brat this morning and how I should have just let her be, also about how he’s the hottest guy she’s ever seen. She could go on, and on, and on, and on! “Well, why didn’t you just let her go with Noeul in the first place?” HanSol asked as we were jogging on a straightaway. The stuffy air of the indoor stadium caused my head to swim a bit, but with plenty of liquids, I was able to stay on course. After taking a sip of water, I considered the question for a very long time. Why didn’t I just let her go? What would have been the harm in that? “I guess…..well, I was a bit upset with her…..because, well, she was late for class and everything, and insisted on finding her earring, which made me late, then she goes off, without me, arm-in-arm with this guy she doesn’t even know, forgetting I exist for a moment……I guess I wanted to get back at her for something.” The words coming out of my mouth didn’t sound like me, but they were mine nonetheless. HanSol, instead, decided to speak what he knew was on my mind. “That wasn’t very kind, now, was it?” he asked. I wanted to slap his shoulder and pinch his nose, but I refrained myself. What good would that do? “No, it wasn’t kind of me, but, I mean, it wasn’t very kind of her to make me late!” I fought back. Man, I had a weak case…… “She didn’t make you. You could have just left.” “But then that would have been unkind.” “Yes, but you wouldn’t have been late for class.” “True, yet she would have, and I was being a good friend!” Damn it! HanSol caught me at my weak spot, once more: arguing. At the last statement I spoke, he stopped jogging and instead bent over on his knees for a brief second, catching his breath. “Well then, you can’t blame her for you trying to be a good friend.” I didn’t say anything. I just looked him in his soft, brown eyes implacably, then started jogging again, only without him. After taking a deep breath, he ran into step beside me, but we continued our laps in utter silence.
	She's back, the one and only, HyesungLover.


soyna	Dec 6 2004, 06:49 PM Post #2
Junior Member Posts: 118 Group: Member Member #4,352 Joined: June 20, 2004	Hey girl dang this is a long post! hehe i read like a third of it...so far its really cute made me laugh :yayaya: Once i finish i can tell you more...^.^ Okay ttyl soyna
	CLICK ON THE BANNER HEHEHE


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