Season 2 - Page Nine

[Hana]

Weeks have passed by and so far, so good... Except for the upcoming examination... And the joint school festival and sports tournament. The school is so cruel, they won't even give us a chance to rest. Hnggg I'm a bit slow so I don't know how I would juggle practicing for the sports tournament (I'm on the relay, hehe), preparing for the school festival, and having time to review for examination. Sometimes I just wanted to shout "Time out!" And rest for a week. I just feel so tireddddddddd!

I felt something cold on my neck and I saw Bryan holding up a drink when I looked up. Our subject teacher is absent so we got some free time so I decided to take a quick nap.

"I don't like this flavor, drink it." He said while forcing the drink on me. It was strawberry milk.

"Why did you pick it then? Stop wasting money, will you?!"

"I picked it by accident so stop nagging, are you my mother?"

I rolled my eyes at her. "So, you're really gonna give me everything you don't like? What am I, a garbage bag?!"

He glared at me. "Just drink it!"

I glared back at him. "Fine!"

I opened the bottle with force and gulped it all in one go. I threw the empty bottle at him afterward. "You throw it for me."

To my surprise, he really did throw it at the trash can! I watched him in awe. He's soooooo moody. Sometimes he's nice... (No, when did he act nice to me?) And most of the time, he's cold and arrogant! Grrr!

"Hana, are you doing the relay?" Yujin asks me. I glared at Bryan one more time before looking at her.

"Yap! And you?"

She slowly shook her head. "I-I'm just going to support you guys. I'm kind of weak, so..."

"It's fine!" I put my hands on her shoulders. "Just make sure to scream loudly so we could hear you, okay?"

She smiled and giggled while nodding her head. She's really nice and pure, unlike someone I know-

"Ouch! Why?!"

That someone I know just swatted both of my hands!

"Don't touch her," Siren said before pulling Yujin close to her. Tss clingy!

"I'm just giving her words of wisdom!"

"Wisdom? You?"

"I can say something useful too!"

She sighed. She's now hugging Yujin from behind while smelling her hair. "I don't think so..."

"And what does that mean?!"

"How's your exam result, anyway?" Lea joins us, looking at me while grinning. I knew it! She's gonna tease me too!

"I-it's fine! I... I passed!"

We had a mock exam last week, and I failed two subjects... Only two! Some of my classmates almost failed everything and I only failed two so I'm fine... I think?

Siren laughs at me. From the looks of it, it seems like she already senses that I failed. "Is that why you were hiding your exam result?"

"I hide it because..."

"You failed," Lea stated as if she was really sure that I failed.

"I only failed two subjects! I'm sure I can pass this coming examination! Besides, it's only a mock exam!"

"You're also participating in the sports tournament. Are you sure you can take it?" Siren asks and this time I can sense a hint of worry in her tone. Even Yujin's looking at me with her eyes full of worry.

"I... I can!"

"Do you want me to help you, Hana? I can share my notes..." Yujin offers. I automatically look at Siren.

"Her notes are pretty neat and easy to understand. You should borrow it."

"Really? You're not gonna get mad?"

With that, she glares at me. "You make it sound like I'm a bad person."

"It's not that! It's because you always-"

"Here, start from this." Lea hands me a purple notebook and I almost feel dizzy seeing all those numbers on it. "My math workbook is pretty neat, you should be able to understand it."

I look at her with despair in my eyes. "I don't understand it... My head feels light... I think I'm gonna throw up...."

Lea sighed. "You're hopeless..."

"You have to take this seriously, Hana. Do you want to stay here? We're all gonna be in college and you're still in high school. Do you want that?"

Siren's words struck me like thunder and I felt shivers all over my body. Just imagining I'll be with kids next year is scary enough. Also, I want to be in college! I want to know what it feels like to be one step closer to adulthood. I certainly don't want to stay here!

-

I say that but... I really can't understand anything. I decided to study at the library after the class has ended since I thought a quiet place will give me peace of mind and I can study better but... I only feel sleepy... Are libraries this peaceful? I feel like I can sleep here forever.

Someone smacks my head lightly with something hard so I looked up and see Bryan holding a book while looking boredly at me.

"Why are you-"

"Ssshh!" I flinched at the librarian's warning so I whispered, asking why is he there.

"I heard you failed the mock exams." He answered and sat across me, checking the books I got earlier.

"I only failed two subjects..." I slide down from my seat. I feel so sleepy right now and I just want to go home but if I do that, I might really fail and retain from high school and I don't want that...

I stared at Bryan. He's calmly reading a book. What is he doing here anyway? It doesn't seem like he's gonna study.

"Here. This might come out from the exam so memorize this." He said all of a sudden before handing me the book he was holding. It has yellow paper inside.

"Ha?"

"Have you gone deaf?"

"I... I heard you but... Why are you-"

He sighed and picked up another book and paper. "I'm helping you, isn't it obvious?"

"Why..."

"Stop asking and start reading. The library's gonna close in two hours."

I felt my heart skip a beat while looking at the yellow paper with his handwriting on it. Somehow, I can understand what was written on it.

I shook my head. This is not the time to feel this way. I should focus on the exam and then the school festival and sports tournament. You can do this, Hana!

"Everything I wrote might come out of the exam so you should memorize at least half of it if you wanna pass the exam." He said seriously while still writing.

"I didn't know you're good at studying..." I whispered, not wanting him to hear.

"I'm at the top of our school year." Oh. He still heard me. I guess my voice is really that loud. "You just never notice me."

"Ha?"

"Here, remember this too." He hands me another piece of paper. I accepted it in a daze. It feels like it changed the way I see him. He seems... Cool? And... And... Handsome. He's always handsome but... It feels different now...

Bryan flicks my forehead with a pencil making me snap back to reality.

"You can stare at me all you want later, for now, read that and memorize."

I blinked twice, I'm certain that my cheeks are flushed right now. "I-I'm not staring at you..."

Two hours have passed and now we're walking on the way home.

"Are you participating in the sports tournament?" I asked, trying to break the silence between us. I'm not used to too much silence.

"No. It's tiring."

"What? That's unfair!"

"How is that unfair? And besides, everything has been decided from the start."

"Still-"

"Why, you want to see me doing sports that much?" He grinned. "You might fall for me deeper if I do that."

I gasped exaggeratedly. "Ha! As if! For all you know-" My words hung in the air when I realized we were holding hands. How long are we doing this?! And why didn't I notice?! Am I that used to it?

"What?" Bryan's eyebrows are furrowed as he looked at me probably wondering why am I acting this way.

"N-nothing..."

He clicks his tongue and drags me to walk again. I wanted to pull my hand away but something inside me stops me from doing it. I stared at our intertwined hands. For a man, his hands are soft, like a kid's. A bit sweaty but I feel comfortable.

"Are you listening?!"

"H-ha?"

I heard him sigh. "I told you, read everything I gave you before you go to sleep and when you wake up in the morning so you would remember it. What are you thinking so hard that you didn't hear what I said?"

"Nothing! I... I was just hungry."

He sighed again. "Are you sure you can pass the exam?"

"And what do you mean by that?!"

"You're easily distracted and you keep thinking of unnecessary things. How will you be able to remember the lessons if you're like that?"

Siren and Lea also always say that I'm easily distracted. Now that another person has noticed it, it must be true then.

"Then... Shall we make a bet?"

"No."

"Hey! You haven't even heard me yet!"

"I know it's gonna be nonsense so, No."

"You're too much!" I stomped my feet in annoyance. I just felt like if I'll get something in return then I'll work hard. Is that too much?!

"Fine. I'll let you kiss me if you pass the exam." Bryan said before stopping.

"Ha?"

"You can kiss me if you pass the exam." The grin on his lips grew even wider that I just want to rip his face off.

"And why would I want that?!"

"Then..." He suddenly leans closer, making me unable to react. "Shall I do it for you? I'll kiss you if you pass the exam."

I averted my gaze. "And why would I want that? You're the only one who will benefit from that!"

"You're right." He holds my chin and forces me to look at him before claiming my lips once again.

My second kiss!

The kiss didn't last long but it was enough to put me in a daze.

"I'm willing to give you more than that if you'll pass the exam." He kissed me once more before walking away. I stared at him in awe.

M-more than that? What does that mean?