#anxieties (1/1)

Chapter 2Jia’s POVRing! Ring! Ring!Class has started yet Myunghee hasn’t arrived yet. She’s going to be absent again. *sigh* I hope she’ll just come in late.*tap**tap**tap*It’s been twenty minutes. She’s not coming to school. Again. What’s happening to her lately? She’s not herself nowadays…Her mom should’ve called me if she’s sick. Or Siwon-oppa or Cheondung-ssi could have handed me her excuse letter. *Sigh* She must be really sick, huh. Being absent for two whole days.But I have a feeling that she’s not sick. I mean, we’ve been friends since…uhm...since I learned to talk. And it’s just that I can feel that something’s bothering her so much right now.Myunghee’s been a very bright and active student and friend. She would wear a very flashy smile that would make the others smile too. She has this very warm and gay aura. But I noticed that this aura of hers has been shattered. By whom, or by what incident, I have no idea. Before she was absent, she was very down. She would just sit near the hallway and stare blankly on the green grass or she would just curl up into a ball and sit in one of the corners of the room. I was (and still am) so anxious but I didn’t know what to do. I had the urge to ask her the problem…but I thought that maybe it wasn't the right time yet. I thought I should just let her breathe. So, I ended up sitting silently by her side, though I know she doesn’t know that.It’s so sad. We’re best friends but we don’t share so much things. We hide secrets from each other. Well, I hope this time she would open up to me…I mean, I can sense that she badly needs a friend. It hurts to see her in misery... and it hurts more when you know the fact that you can help her..but you just don’t have the guts to do it or you have no idea how to do it. *Sigh* Joon’s POVJia’s got a worried look on her face and she was staring blankly outside. I took a glance at our teacher. Uh-oh.  She has noticed Jia not paying attention. And…and….she’s about to throw the pencil case at her!!!“Jia-ssi! Jia-ssi” I shook her frantically. “Jia-ssi!”At last, she was alert again just as the teacher was about to hit her with her massive pencil case. But she misunderstood me, She stood up and said, “Neh.” Aish. I face palmed.“Jia-ssi, stop staring blankly outside. What’s wrong with you? You’re not usually like this,” the teacher scolded her. “The next time I catch you zoning out, my heels will fly to your face.” Aigoo, Jia. She should’ve listened to the teacher. This teacher is very strict and sensitive…“Neh. Mianhe, songsaengnim,” Jia said sadly. Then she took her seat and tried her best to listen to the discussion. But I can tell that she was still zoning out, it’s just that she’s blankly staring at the board this time.Ring! Ring! Ring!“At last! It’s break time” “Yes!” These cheers filled the classroom after the bell has rung.But unlike the others, Jia is still on her seat wearing an anxious face. Jia’s POVI was just staring outside when a hand suddenly blocked my view. I blinked my eyes several times trying to make my eyes function once again and focus on the view blocker.“Are you okay? Uhm, well….I mean, what’s cookin’?” the guy asked.“Naaah, just worried about my best friend, that’s all.” I don’t know but I feel like I could open up to him. He seems like a person you can trust.“You’re Myunghee’s bestfriend……Han Jia, right?” he asked. I chuckled. I know just the right reply. “And you’re Lee Joon,” he nodded at that. “Myunghee’s admirer, am I right?”I laughed so hard at his reaction. He blushed so much that his face’s color was similar to the color of our rich red floor. “How did you know that? Uhm…wait…I mean..,” he was trying so hard to look for the right words and ended up with, “Why?”Good thing we were the only people in the classroom. “Of course I know. I’m the class secretary and I’m your seatmate. And I saw your scribbles :P” I wiggled my eyebrows and gave him a very sly smile. “Actually… I doubt it if everybody doesn’t know your feelings towards her.”He face palmed. Hahahaha….I just can’t stop laughing at his reactions. He was …he was sweating and soo worried that I felt sorry for him. “Kidding aside,” I said, holding his shoulders. “I know you like her because…uhm……simply because I’m her best friend :D I can sense what’s going on. I can differentiate a stare from longing gaze or I know when you’re taking down notes or just filling up the pages of your notebook with her name…kekeke:P”“I do that?” he asked.  As if he doesn’t know…”Uh huh…most of the time,” I answered. “But I should say that you are good in hiding your feelings. You weren’t really that obvious.” I heard a very big sigh. He was relieved when I said those. “It’s just that you are my seatmate and I’m a very keen observer.”“Ohh..,” was his reply. “So what happened to your being a keen observer today?”“It’s just that Myunghee’s been absent for two days already. She hasn’t been like this ever in her life……oh……of course, you know that.” I looked outside and let out a big sigh. “I know she has a problem…….she could’ve called me.”Joon blocked my view again. “Why don’t you visit her this afternoon…maybe she badly needs your presence now.”“Good idea!” for the first time today, I beamed with delight. “Thanks, by the way Joon, for …uhm..at least making me feel better and for a while ago…”“You really are best friends…you said the same things…” I heard Joon mutter but I didn’t catch it. “What was that, Joon?” “Oh, nothing…” he flashed me a smile. “I know you would do that for me, too.”After the talk, Joon and I were packing our things so that we could have our break when somebody ran into the classroom.“Jia-noona!” Cheondung called out, panting.“Oh, dongsaeng! Why are you looking for me?”“I ….” He was still catching his breath. “I just want to talk to you for a while….” His eyes searched the classroom and when he saw Joon, he said, “Uhm, let’s talk in the canteen.”“Oh, okay.” This must be something important. “Hey, Joon-ssi. I have to go. See you later, then.” He waved me goodbye. After that, Cheondung quickly dragged me to the canteen.When we were sitting at our table, I asked him. “So dongsaeng, what’s wrong?”“It’s Myunghee noona. I heard her crying last night. Do you know what happened to her?” Cheondung asked, worries printed all over his face. I shook my head. Well, I don’t really know what happened to her. “She didn’t even call me. I thought she was sick……you sure she really cried last night?”Cheondung nodded. “She said she was just listening to a very sad song but we know very well she isn’t that emotional.” I chuckled at that. Of course, Myunghee’s so strong. She won’t cry just for a stupid sad song.“What could be her problem?’ I muttered to myself. “Cheondungie~, Siwon-oppa doesn’t know about this, right?”“Ottoke? But—”“No…Cheondung. Keep this from him. Now’s not the right time. Maybe he’ll just react too quickly and…do something rash. Just…just keep it from him…we’ll reveal it to him soon.”Cheondung had a worried look on his face. Myunghee’s so lucky to have such a caring little brother. “Take that worried look off your face…” I said as I ruffled his hair. “You know Myunghee’s a very strong person. Whatever it is that’s bugging her….it won’t last for long. And I’m gonna visit your noona later…so…smile:D” I gave him my best smile.“Thanks, Jia-noona. You’re really Myunghee-noona’s best friend.” He said while wearing his cute smile. “Noona, see you later then. We’ll go to our house together. I have to go now.”“Okay…off you go!” I said while waving him goodbye.As worry began to crawl into me again…I applied my advice to Cheondung to myself…Take that worried look of your face… You know Myunghee’s a very strong person. Whatever it is that’s bugging her….it won’t last for long… so…smile:D