Chapter 3

"Was? What do you mean?" Joy asked Yeri once the guys left.

Eunmi rolled her eyes, "I just looked at him because he was quiet. No biggie."

Yeri grinned, "Looked? You stared at him! Even Renjun noticed!" She laughed.

"Whatever you say." Eunmi shrugged.

Joy stood up. "I have to go now. My next class will start in 10 minutes. I'll see you guys later." She smiled.

The two were the only ones left at the table. The '00 liners and the maknaes left for their final subject. While Yeri and Eunmi's next subject is in an hour.

"Wanna go on a tour first?" Yeri asked.

Eunmi nodded.

The two stood up and headed towards the school garden.

Eunmi's eyes widened upon seeing the dome which covered the entire garden.

There was a fountain at the middle. There were benches around it.

There were also picnic tables around.

Eunmi noticed that there are only a few people in the garden. Probably because of the time.

She rushed towards the fountain and pulled a coin from her pocket.

Yeri laughed, realizing how childish her newly-made friend is.

"You believe in those kinds of things?" Yeri and Eunmi turned towards the person who spoke.

He was standing there, his hands were in his pockets, and his headphones were hanging on his neck.

"Mark? Why are you here?" Yeri asked.

Mark pretended to be shocked, "Because I also study here?" He said, raising a brow.

Yeri rolled her eyes.

"Back to what I was saying," Mark said, his eyes traveling to Eunmi who was still holding the coin. She didn't had the chance to throw it because Mark interrupted. "You believe in those things? Like throwing coins as if your wish will come true?" He asked.

"What is it to you if I do?" Eunmi backfires.

Yeri tried to hide her laugh. The scene in front of her was so funny. Mark just found someone who can roast him.

Mark rolled his eyes, "You know, wishing is just a waste of time." He sighed. "Why don't you strive hard, so that your 'wish' will come true?" He asked.

"If I want to wish Batman to exist, how the hell am I supposed to make him live?" Eunmi raised a brow.

"Stick to reality, dimwit." He shrugged. "I didn't know that Jaehyun-hyung's sister is like this..." He chuckled.

Eunmi stepped forward, as if she was any taller than Mark.

"Like what?" She asked, trying to sound intimidating. Little did she know that it doesn't work on Mark.

"Childish." Mark said, laughing, and walking away.

"You—" Eunmi was about to pounce at him but Yeri had a grip on her arm.

"Let him be. He's always like that." Yeri laughed.

The latter just sighed. "What's our next subject?"

"Hmm...  Music." Yeri replied.

Eunmi groaned. Why does it have to be that one subject which she hates?

"Why?" Yeri asked.

Eunmi sighed, "I hate music."

Yeri raised a brow, "I know someone who's really good at music. Like, really good."

"I swear, if you'll say Jaehyun-oppa's name, I'm leaving." Eunmi said.

"No! Well, he is good at singing but I wasn't referring to him." Yeri said.

"Who?"

Eunmi pointed at the guy who was seated on the bench beside the fountain using her lips. The guy who called Eunmi childish just minutes ago.

"Mark." Yeri said.

"No way. I'd rather fail."

***

"Miss Jung, who is seated on your right?" Their professor asked once she sat down.

She was checking the attendance when she noticed that the seats at Eunmi's right and left weren't occupied yet.

"Yeri Kim, ma'am. She just went to the washroom." She replied politely.

"What about your left?" She asked.

She shrugged, "I don't know, ma'am. No one was seated here ever since this morning."

The teacher clicked her tongue and started to do the head count manually.

She sighed when she realized who was missing. "Mark Lee, of course."

Eunmi looked down, eyes widening. I thought that seat was just an extra chair?! That... that... monster is my classmate?! And even worse, my seat mate?!

Yeri entered the room and occupied the seat on Eunmi's right.

Eunmi faced her, "You didn't tell me that... that monster is our classmate!"

"Monster?" Yeri asked, confused about what Eunmi is talking about.

"Mark?!" Eunmi whispered.

"You didn't ask?" Yeri said.

Just then, a guy entered the room. His hands were in his pockets, and his hair was up.

Which doesn't look like the Mark Eunmi and Yeri saw earlier.

"Mark Lee." The teacher said in a warning tone. "Mind telling me why you were late?"

"He slept at the garden!" Eunmi wanted to say, as a payback for calling her childish.

"I had to run some errands for the Student Council." He shrugged and sat beside Eunmi.

"I paired you up for a pair activity. One will sing and one will play a musical accompaniment. Singing is also allowed to the person who will play an instrument." The teacher started.

Eunmi wanted to get out of there and rush towards his brother since he was the one who's good at singing.

"Since we have Ms. Jung already, and since Mr. Lee here who's late, you two will be the partners."

Eunmi's head bumped on her desk, making her flinch. The two beside her laughed, noticing her stupidity.

Not that she hates Mark, she just hate him because he had to ruin her fantasies like her brother.

Mark, on the other hand, finds his neighbor amusing.

***

"About the performance..." Eunmi started, shy to start a conversation with Mark.

"What about it?" Mark asked.

"I just wanna say that I'm not really good at singing." Eunmi said, sighing.

She sat on her chair which was beside Mark's and looked at what he was writing.

"What's that?" Eunmi asked.

"None of your business." Mark glared.

Eunmi lifted her hands, surrendering. "O...kay?"

Mark closed his notebook and faced the girl, "Well you have to be good at something."

"Well of course." She rolled her eyes. "I can sing but I'm just not good at singing like my brother."

Mark nodded, "You can come at our house later if you want. So we can talk about the song we'll perform."

"Your house?"

"Yes, my house. Got a problem?" He rolled his eyes. "It's not like your house is a mile away from mine." He scoffed.

***

"First rule: Do not touch anything." Mark was walking ahead of Eunmi, heading towards his music room. He looked back, and he saw the girl staring at the shelf which has his trophies.

He furrowed his eyebrows, "Yah, Jung Eunmi!" He called.

The girl paid no attention and was reading one of the plaque's texts.

Mark raised a brow and walked towards the girl who was busy admiring his trophies.

He bent down, "Yah."

The girl looked at him, "You're this guy?" She asked, pointing at the person who was smiling brightly while holding his trophy.

Eunmi placed the picture beside Mark's face. He's currently frowning— the smile he was wearing on the picture was nowhere to be found. "How come you don't look like the same person?" She asked.

Mark looked away and continued walking. Eunmi raised a brow and placed the picture back on the shelf. She placed her hands in her hoodie's pockets and ran towards Mark.

"Yah, Mark!" She called, catching up.

Mark coughed, "As I was saying... you are not allowed to touch anything without my permission." He said, opening the door.

Eunmi's eyes widened upon seeing the different kinds of instruments in the room. "T-this... All of the instruments are yours?!" She asked.

Mark nodded, turning the air conditioner on. "Yep. Every single one of them." He said, whistling as if it was the most normal thing he ever said.

"Damn rich." Eunmi muttered under her breath, still not believing her own eyes.

Mark sat on his swivel chair. "Well are you just gonna stand there?" He raised a brow.

Eunmi sat on the chair. "What instrument are you gonna play?" She asked.

"The most basic one. For me, at least." Mark shrugged.

"I'm asking you what instrument. Not the most basic one for you." She rolled her eyes.

And Mark would be lying if he would say that he didn't find it amusing.

"Fine then. I'm playing the guitar." He said.

Mark stood up and got his guitar on the stand. He sat on his chair and strummed the strings, listening to the melody if it was out of tune or not.

Mark plucked some strings and Eunmi recognized the song immediately.

"Stars in the sky
i bameun nasseolji ana
neowa duri watteon got
neowa gachi itteon got"

Stars in the sky
This night doesn't feel strange
The place we came together
The place I was with you

Mark looked at the person who was singing.

He wasn't expecting that she would know the song. He was even surprised that the girl could sing.

Well of course, she's Jaehyun's sister after all.

"neon gieongnani
oneulcheoreom barami bulmyeon
neowa geonildeon geu giri saenggangna"

Do you remember?
On days the wind blows like this
I remember the street we walked on

Mark closed his eyes, slowly remembering some things that should better be forgotten.

He wanted to act as if he already forgot everything. But seeing how the person who's singing right now acts, makes him want to go back.

"You are my star
naege gobaekadeon nega
eodideun wajweotteon niga
geuttaega geuriweo"

You are my star
You confessed to me
You came to me, wherever I was
I long for those days

Mark decided to sing the second verse. Eunmi was surprised. He's good at singing.

Although he couldn't sing some notes because it was kinda high.

"kkumkkudeut jinabeorin
neowaye chueongmaneuro
gin bameul bonaetteon na
geuttaen mollasseo neoye maeumeul"

Like a dream
Memories with you have passed
Just with those, I spent long nights
I didn't know back then, your heart

Beyond the two's knowledge, Mark's brother was holding the door knob. Also trying to hold himself back from opening the door.

Taeyong smiled upon hearing his brother's singing voice. He stepped back and walked the other way. Forgetting the reason why he was standing outside Mark's music room.

"neon gieokani
sojunghaetteon uri cheot mannam
sujupge utteon neoye geu moseubeul"

Do you remember?
Our precious first encounter
Your shy smile

Eunmi sang the verse, smiling.

She never sang in front of a crowd— or anyone, for that matter. It was her first time to sing in front of someone else other than the mirror.

It was even the first time that someone heard her sing.

"You are my star
naege gobaekadeon nega
eodideun wajweotteon niga
geuttaega geuriweo"

You are my star
You confessed to me
You came to me, wherever I was
I long for those days

The two sang together.

One was looking at the other, and one was strumming the guitar with passion.

Eunmi opened her phone's camera and decided to record a video of them singing together. She also took a picture of her and Mark secretly, since Mark was too focused on his strings.

"kkumkkudeut jinabeorin
neowaye chueongmaneuro
gin bameul bonaetteon na
geuttaen mollasseo sarangiran geol"

Like a dream
Memories with you have passed
Just with those, I spent long nights
I didn't know back then, it was love

This guy in front of me is the same guy who ruined my daydreams. I can't believe I'm singing with him.

"dalppit arae neowa danduri
gyejeore kkeut geugose seoseo
tto neoreul chueokae
geuttaeye neol"

Under the moonlight, with you
Standing at the end of a season
I'm reminiscing again
You, back then

Eunmi was busy scanning the photos she took on her phone. Little did she know that Mark was looking at him.

What's with you, Jung Eunmi?

Their eyes locked.

"niga isseo cham gomaweosseo
neodo nal tteoollimyeon miso jieul su itge"

I was so thankful for you
I hope you can smile when you think of me too

—tbc.
Song: When the Wind Blows (Yoona)