Four: New Friends and Umbrella Guy

"That's all for today's class." 

My ears twitched when I heard the teacher's words making me look in front and watch as she stepped out of the room. Seconds later, the school bell rang for the fourth time today, maybe a signal for the end of today's classes. 

Meaning, it's time to go home. Something that I've been waiting since the very start of the day.

Well, I'm not quite familiar with the school's curriculum or whatever they called it, maybe because, I've been living well as an adult who owns a café, not as a student. My memories as a student were quite void and it's stressing to think about school. But maybe because I'm also an adult myself, there's a part of me who also misses everything as a student.

Earlier, I used a search engine on my phone to look for which city that El Grandeur High, was located and it says, Deril City. I was shocked to learned about it and more so when I found out that Deril City was the capital of South Korea. I don't know what does it mean by a city that never exist in the past life's world, especially when there's no city in South Korea with the name of Deril City. Aside from that, the culture were somehow the same with the country in my past life but the only difference was the language. I think it's really because of how the world was written in the novel.

It's really weird when I think about it and at the same time, my curiosity was somehow pique.

Pursing my lips, I sighed as I packed everything that's on my desk and put it back inside my bag.

Looking at the time on my wristwatch, I pouted when I confirmed that it's already past four in the afternoon. Time just passes by quickly without me noticing it. I suddenly felt tired but then realized that it's a waste if I keep thinking like this with the young Penelope's body.

Thinking that everything seems exhausting and it makes me lazier to move.

It goes together with my mental state and also physically.

"Hey, Penelope." A small voice of a girl came from behind me, calling my name.

I turned around with my hand on the strap of the bag and looked at the girl whose smile were written all over her face. She looks like a bunny with her pinkish and blushing cheeks bulging when she pressed her lips together. I blinked as I stare back at her wondering what else does she wanted to say.

"Yes?" I asked politely, forming a smile on my lips.

Her already blushing cheeks spread to her face as if she's standing in front of her crush, confessing. And in that situation, it feels like, I am her crush, making me laughed inside of my head. 

'Well that's cute.' I grinned thinking to myself as I watched her, forcing to hide her shy reaction.

"T-That..." She stuttered, as if she's trying to search for the next words that she wanted to tell me. "That~ will you hang out with us? W-Well, that~that's, if you're not busy after school. We~we just want to invite you." She added in a fast pace.

It's amazing to hear her talk so fast while stuttering and I'm kind of happy to see that someone is asking me to hang out with them, on my first day of school.

I grinned back at her.

"Us?" I asked her back, blinking as I looked at her. It's kinda weird to keep blinking but it's actually a habit of mine everytime I talked with someone younger than me, especially when they're kids. And by this moment, it feels like I'm talking to a kid.

She's just so, cute.

Her brownish curls, tied into a bun on one side and her visible but cute freckles on her blushing face, made me think of the students I've known in my past life. They looked like the same age and it made me felt a sudden rush of nostalgia inside my chest, clinging into my heart that makes me sad and happy at the same time. Kids who are polite like this child are truly lovable.

"Oh, with my friends." She murmured as she stepped by the side and pointed out a duo of two heads peeking front the outside of the classroom's backdoor. From here, I could clearly see two heads of wine coloured hair while the other one was coloured in dark brown, watching us like kittens. Both of them widened their eyes when they saw me staring at them, making them disappeared like a popping bubbles above a surface of water.

I let out a small laugh at their reaction.

Truly, kids are cute. Like kittens and bunnies.

"I would like to join you guys but," I started talking then paused for a moment because of her hopeful eyes staring back at me. I swallowed a sigh and pressed my lips. "That, I still need to do something at home. I have to tell my parents in advance, you see." I added and guiltily looked on the other way, forcing a smile.

I saw how she move her head, facing the floor. She looks like a bunny whose snacks were snatched away by some bad guy. And it seems like the bad guy was me.

I scratched my nape and said something to reassure her. "But I think I'm good to hang out with you tomorrow." I shyly spread out smile on my face. 

And just like that, I became friends with the three of them. Ariana, Meryl and Jen. 

***

I bid the three a goodbye, who's path was opposite to mine. I had to wait for another thirty minutes before my driver, Mr. Andrew, arrive because it seems like there's a problem with the car so he decided to visit a repair shop before coming here. It's the first for me, Ayla, to have my own driver that will drive me a car from home to school. When I was Ayla, in my school days, I only either walk or ride a bus when going to school.

I never had my own vehicle, be it a car or a motorbike. And having one would be a luxury to me, not a necessity. 

I hummed a song that came to mind as I stood in front of the waiting shed, steps away from the academy's gate. I was startled by a sudden flash of lightning on the sky after the thunder. 

'It seems like it'll rain. I just wish Mr. Andrew would come already.' I thought, still looking up the darkened sky, brimming with gray clouds. The sun that was already setting looks like a lamp in the sky, fading away from the sudden change of the weather.

It wasn't until a tiny drops of water kissed the lid of my eyes, making me closed and blink twice, when I realized that it already began to rain. An unexpected weather at the end of my first day, crossed my path. As if it was telling me that school's over and it's time to go home. 

I sighed.

The rain that started making noise whenever it hits the roof of the shed, only grew heavier, making me take a shelter, deeper in the shed. But it's useless. 

'Useless shed.' I mentally sighed, glaring at the poor roof that was not enough to protect me from getting wet in the rain. 

"I should have brought an umbrella with me." I murmured, scolding myself for not bringing one. It would be really bad if I always forget things like umbrellas, for emergency. I'll definitely asked the butler to bring me a foldable umbrella to make it easier for me to bring in the future.

The road that has a little number of vehicles passing by becomes colder than earlier. The night is starting to creep everywhere, and here I am, still waiting for Mr. Andrew to come. If I were really Penelope, I doubt it if Mr. Andrew would be able to keep his job or not. I sighed again, embracing myself that was shivering because of the cold and wet weather.

The rain kept pouring, endlessly. I pressed my lips and felt my uniform becoming wet because of the rain. I hissed a sigh before looking at my shivering legs and my already wet, white sneakers. Closing my eyes, I started counting from one to one hundred.

Counting as a habit everytime I was waiting for something. It may sounds childish but it's one way for me to ease my boredom as I wait.

It's not like I've never experienced this before but, it was already in the past when it all happened. I was still Ayla, that time when I always looks like a poor kitten shivering under the rain, when I experienced it. Aside from that, after becoming an adult, I always bring an umbrella with me whenever I went out of my house or the shop. This time, I must have forgotten it because of my sudden situation. 

That was after I became Penelope.

It would be weird of me to stopped thinking about the past when this unbelievable "thing" happened to me. I woke up inside a stranger's body. And worse is, she's a cannon fodder who will dieat the young age, because she's only a supporting character inside a novel.

Well, this world is inside a novel but this is already my reality.

Humming as I continue to count inside my head, I tried relaxing despite of shivering because of the cold weather. 

But after a while, I thought the rain has stopped, totally dumb of the noise of the raindrops that are still around me. It was because, while becoming indifferent of my surroundings while I closed my eyes, the little raindrops that kept splashing at me from the roof, suddenly stopped. It's more like it disappeared completely.

I opened my eyes and looked up to check what's wrong but saw a black umbrella right on the top of my head. I was surprised at the moment before I finally realized that an unknown guy was beside me, holding the umbrella to cover me from the rain.

"I don't know if you're just stupid or what, but it seems like the word 'stupid' fits you perfectly." He spoke indifferently, his deep voice that sounds enticing and low, hits my eardrums as it sends fast signals throughout my body. His body was hovering me, whose height was not suited for a teenager like him. Looking up to him, I realized he's just a high schooler like me, but inches taller than me. His messy hair that was a little wet from the rain, fits his fair skinned face and chiseled jawlines, screaming perfectly and handsomely.

'He's really a high school student, right?' I doubted mentally but then erased the thought after seeing his school uniform, hugging his body. 

'Crazy.'

'Snap out of it, Ayla. No, Penelope.' I murmured mentally, still eyeing at the guy in front of me.

"That..." 

"Seriously, are you really doing this for my attention?" He spoke again, making me doubt the words that I just heard from him. What did he just say? 

"What are you-" I tried speaking again but he just then, grabbed my right hand and passed the handle of the umbrella on my grip, making me startled. The rain completely splashes on his body but it seems like it's nothing to him. Besides, there seems to be a misunderstanding between us.

"Take this and go home. You don't need to do this now." He said then glare at me. 

'What a rude kid.' I hissed inside my head, looking at him unbelievably.

He turned his back to walk away but stopped when a car suddenly honked from a distance, before it finally stopped in front of us. Both of us looked at the car. The door from the driver's seat, suddenly opened and a guy in his late thirties, wearing a gray suit, hop off the car with an umbrella on his hand. He came to the shed with his fast pace and started apologizing. 

"Young miss! Forgive me. The repair took awhile and something happened on the way so-" 

Raising a hand signaling him to stop, I looked at the rude guy who gave me the umbrella and raised an eyebrow. I don't have the will to listen at Mr. Andrew's remarks after being misunderstood by some stranger, so I cleared my throat before speaking. He looked back at me, bewildered with my reaction but I didn't mind it at all.

First, it's because he's so rude at me just because of some misunderstanding. And second, I'm starting to hate this kid, although he looks handsome for a teenager. No. It doesn't matter. I just need to say something for being misunderstood.

"Listen here, kid. First of all, I don't know what's wrong with that head of yours to call someone you just met 'stupid' but, I would like to tell you that it's rude. Second, I don't want your so-called attention, and I don't want to know why you came up with that excuse to be this rude to me. Who wants your attention? I don't even know you. And lastly, I don't want this damn umbrella, so, you can take it back with you." I coldly said without pausing for a moment, leaving a surprised look on his handsome face. I could see the shocked on his eyes but I just rolled my eyes in front of him.

Mr. Andrew's stinging eyes was also looking at me and I could clearly feel it.

The guy didn't answer and just look at me. I step forward and grabbed his hand and returned the handle of umbrella to him, just like what he did to me earlier.

"Take this and go home. You shouldn't be doing this, kid." I said, clicking my tongue as I threw his words back to him. Irritated with the fact that I've been seen as a crazy fangirl of his, moved my feet to turn around and completely ignore his dumbfounded look in his eyes.

Rude umbrella kid.

Tsk.