CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER#3: Middle School

[Jacob’s P.O.V.]

꧁❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎❄︎꧂

-THE CALENDAR YEAR 2015- (Last year of Middle School)

“Oh my G!” a young lady said in a high-pitched tone, "Have you seen him in the Aromatized magazine?”

I took out my headphones because the music I was listening to was barely audible.

Ugh. When girls make those noises, it irritates me a lot. Even though they're huddled behind a massive tree, how can they be so loud? Don't they realize that trees, too, require a break from the pollution that their mouths produce? They're making a lot of noise, hmp.

I know girls are scared of worms and insects that touch their skin. If I do that, maybe they'll run away. Those females are holding the most recent copy of our company's magazine and a pair of scissors. Internally, I sigh and grimace.

Don't tell me they'd cut our faces out of the magazine?

I instantly searched around for any crawling worms or leaping crickets. When they see those, maybe they'll run back to class. When I spotted three caterpillars moving to consume some leaves, I smirked. I took them up and slid them into my hands, which I then shaped into a ball. These gals are still making those annoying noises when they speak.

"It's time for you to shut up," I remarked in a low voice, "You're interfering with my personal time,"

On the verge of throwing the caterpillars to them, I glimpsed their faces from below.

"OMO! OMO! OMO!" then she shouted, "There he is," my sister, who was dressed in her high school uniform, announced.

This is why my hands trembled when I saw her and I accidently dropped the caterpillars I was holding.

“ACK! Caterpillars!” While jumping and shaking their uniforms, they both yelled at the top of their lungs, hoping that the caterpillar would fall out of them.

“Aigoo. Why are you here?" Due to laughter, I fell from the tree and luckily didn't broke my arm. I got up and straightened my clothes.

Despite her shivering from the caterpillar attack, my sister muttered, "You're horrible."

"We came here to see you, but instead of welcoming us, you threw caterpillars at us," she added as if she were being sulky.

"Alright, alright, okay. I'm sorry," I said with a smirk, trying to appear as serious as possible.

"Why did you come here to see me?" After saying this, I sat down under the tree.

"Aromatized magazine featured my little brother and his best friend Lee on the front cover, which made me very delighted." So thrilled, she showed me the magazine in her hand.

"Little brother, you're very cute," she told me as I reddened, but quickly brushed it aside. "Wow, you were a terrific model!"

"How did you come to find me?" As I pointed at the magazine, I said, "And where did you get that from?"

"Little Lee told us that you could be resting, under a tree at this hour when we brushed into him as we entered the school gate. Brother? Then what's the matter with you? Are you slowly turning into a monkey?" After a few minutes of talking, she pointed into the trees.

"That Lee! No, I'm not going to transform, you!" I snarled and glare at her.

“Btw. It's my ugly little brother, bestie," she said, "And brother, this is my lovely and intelligent best friend," she continued as she looked at me and her companion.

My attention was drawn to the fact that her acquaintance is quite quiet, and I wondered why. Normal boys want to look at her every day since she has those beautiful hazel eyes. Moreover, I noticed that her hands were always behind her back, as if she were a military student expected to keep a decent stance and command with ease. Because they are wearing the same uniform, it's possible she's well-behaved and younger than my sister.

"I'm not ugly at all!" I hissed. "When did you learn to make friends? You still manage to make friends despite your tough exterior, huh?" Laughing, I said, wiping my sweat from my brow, "Perhaps you just hauled someone here and told me she's your friend."

“Heh! You! What a bully you are," my sister remarked as her face turned red with rage.

I giggle at her and said, "I'm not."

“Hmp. Those gals gave me the magazine," she said and roll her eyes on me. "Good luck, brother," she murmured, pointing behind me.

When I turned around, I saw girls carrying the same mags. They were only 2 meters away from me. I turned to look at my sister, only to discover the magazine on the ground.

"Oh fudge!" I said and tried to run as fast as I can.

"How can small girls be like them?" I said in the air as I ran.

These girls are just in 7th grade, but they chase like cops. I ran and turned to the corridor where my room is located, but it was also blocked by those 8th graders who were also chasing after me.

"I'm doomed. Where else can I go?" I began to feel anxious.

To stay away from them, I sprint everywhere. I understand that loitering and running are forbidden at school, but these girls idolize their higher grades like crazy. They rummaged through my backpack for ‘souvenirs' the last time they caught me. That scenario is one I don't want to repeat.

As I ran to the roof top, I heard someone say, “Hey.”

“Hey,” I replied as I walked back a few steps to see if anyone had called.

“Shhhh,” the person murmured as it dragged me inside the janitor's locker, where it was waiting for me.

While Lee covered my mouth because I was panting, I peered through the janitors' locker window from inside.

With his husky panting voice, he said, "Those kids are extremely scary."

I hissed. “Shhh,” I said.

Again, he continued, "I was also chased by the kids."

Suddenly, I was the one who kept my mouth shut.

His face was so near to mine that I could see his eyes. I'm barely able to breathe for fear of causing an unpleasant and awkward moment. The very thought of that made me blush.

Inside this tiny little locker, it's getting hotter. It's strange that he's so close to me!

Badum...

Badum...

Badum…

"Was that my heart? Beating so loud? Or is it from the both of us?" I thought about it internally.

"I'm sorry, but I think it was mine," his response made my eyes widen. "I was very worried that I would be caught," he added.

"You did heard what I said?" With widening eyes, I spoke.

“Ofcourse. You stated it loud and clear with that mouth, idiot,” he growled, pouting like he normally does when he's angry.

I can't believe I actually said it. It gives me the creeps just thinking about it.

I stepped slightly away from him because I was already feeling a little weird.

“OMO! OMO! OMO!” I exclaimed, “I'm sliding,” I muttered as the bottoms of my shoes got slick. We noticed a strong but pleasant odor within the locker.

“Shoot," he said as he begun to panic, "The liquid soap spill,” he added with terrified voice.

I can't take my weight anymore, and it's becoming more slippery inside this locker—the fact that it's made of metal only adds to the slickness.

“ACK!” We both gasped in pain as our faces came into contact with the rooftop floor. The Janitor's locker door was shattered and torn on the sides.

“There they are, girls,” a voice said.

“What?! AHHH—How can you do this~!" I hissed helplessly at my sister.

“Nice work you too, both ended up in a dead end,” she exclaimed sarcastically, clapping her hands, and hissing at us as she left the rooftop.

I turned to face Lee. He looked me in the eyes and said, "We're both hopeless."

“You ugly!” I said as I grinned at him. I made faces at him as I stood up and ran away.

Lee was left alone with those little girls who adored both of us.

They were always saying things like, “Oppa (older brother/boyfriend), give us the perfume you're wearing so we can smell you everywhere,” also saying, “Oppa, you're our Ken because we look like Barbies,” and “Oppa, can you give us a kiss?” some desperate girls said.

Ugh-! Those little girls don't act like children—I saw them as cute monsters capable of killing us alive.

I went down to the field to look for my classmates, but it appears that they had already returned to our classroom.

As I kicked a small rock, I thought to myself, "I really despise children."

I suddenly felt unease because of an unknown reason, when I look in front of me and I saw a soccer ball flying near my direction but to be specific to the direction of a girl walking towards me.

“Hey! A ball!” I shouted as I run and hugged the girl’s head so that the ball would not hit her.

“Ugh! Damn that ball,” I said as the ball hit my back.

I turned and look back at those kids who were playing.

“Be careful! You might hit someone!” I shouted to them.

“Are you alright?” I asked her.

She was sobbing like crazy.

“Sorry, I have a trauma with balls,” she said as she wipe her tears.

“It's fine. I blocked the ball for you,” I said and smiled brightly.

“I'm Jacob Seo.” I added.

“My name is Irene Moon,” she introduced herself.

I took a step back from her...

"Why am I suddenly feeling scared? Why do I feel threatened by just hearing her name?" I said to my mind

“Are you okay?” Irene asked, and was going to touch my arms.

“Don't—I-I'm fine,” I hastily said ans excused myself, I left her hurrying to my room.

"What was it? Why does her name frightens me?" I slapped myself twice in the face. "Jacob, gather yourself. It's only a name. She has absolutely nothing to do with him."

“Good afternoon, class,” a lady's well-toned voice said.

“Jacob Seo?” she continued.

When my seatmate tapped my shoulder, I was jolted back into reality.

“Teacher Kang is already here,” my female seatmate whispered.

“Huh?” I just realized the Math teacher had already entered the room.

I took a step forward.

“I apologize, Teacher Kang.” I bowed to her.

She smiles and greeted us again.

“All of you stand up,” I said and look at my classmates

The entire class saluted and bowed to Teacher Kang, saying, "Good Afternoon."

The lesson had already begun for 15 minutes, but the person in front of me is not yet inside the room.

"He must have given a hard by the girls. Maybe they've eaten him alive by now?" I thought to myself as I jotted down notes from the whiteboard. Because of the thought that I had, I chuckle a little bit.

Someone called out, "G-good Afternoon, Teacher Kang," and the door opened to show Lee, drenched in his damp uniform, standing there.

In his gasping voice he said, "I'm sorry I'm late."

He searches for me with his gaze and then glares at me. I return the smile.

"Are you okay? You've all been drenched through. Don't you have any extra uniforms with you?" Teacher Kang asked him about being so soaked.

He shamefully bow down his head, he excused himself to his seat and returned to his desk. On my table, he smashed his left hand down. There's a note on the desk.

The note says, "You're such a moron, why did you leave me there?" Reading the note makes me laugh out loud.

On the back page, I was about to write something when I notice that the back part was not a clean sheet of paper. It was a modest perfume store's brochure. Luna's Nose was the name of the perfume boutique.

"What are you doing?" Lee snapped his fingers in front of me and hissed,  "I was waiting for your response," he added.

"You're such a fool. You gave me a piece of paper, but the back page was taken up by a perfume brochure! How can I write my response?" I snared at him.

I accidentally touched his fingers when he reached for the paper and his fingers accidentally touched mine.

Badum...

Badum...

Badum...

I was panicking internally and started to feel weird. "Oh my gosh, snap out of it!" In frustration, I yelled out loud.

I guess that Lee was astonished and as well as the rest of the class.

Ms. Kang, our teacher, questioned us frankly, "Is there a problem?"

I shook my head and tried to come up with a reason.

“I-I'm sorry, Teacher Kang. Lee was wondering if what he had done was correct," I scratched my nape as I speak to the teacher. “He wasn't getting the point of the lesson,”

Lee's face was befuddled, but when he understood that I was using him as an excuse, his expression shifted to annoyed.

“Is that so?” Teacher Kang said, smiling at me. "Would you mind sharing with the class how you came up with the solution, Student Seo?” She added.

Then I noticed Lee smirking. This is a joke! That was a complete surprise for me, huh?

"As a final request, can you calculate the equation for us?" she asked.

The equation written on the board caught my attention.

(b) (a+b-c) = n

a=1, b=2, and c=3

While walking up to the whiteboard, I let out a sigh...

"After simplifying the equations," she explained, "you must then substitute the corresponding numbers."

This is when I begin to tap on the board.

Ok. I've got it figured out.

It's an algebraic property called distributive property.

This is how it goes, therefore.

(b) (a+b-c) = n

[a(b)+b(b)-c(b)] = n

ab+b^2+bc = n

As a result, if I substitute it'll be:

(2) (1+2-3) = n

[1(2)+2(2)-3(2)] = n

[2+4-6] = n

0 = n

The answer must be equal to 0.

While I was composing my solution, they were all staring at me intently.

As I spoke, I rubbed my throat to make sure my voice was clear.

While pointing at my solution, I replied, "The simpler technique was ab added to b-squared subtracted from cb which equals a number."

When I glance at my classmates, they seem surprised that I got the correct answer. They listened intently to what I had to say.

Lee's gaze caught my attention...

Badum...

Badum...

Badum...

My heart races when I see him. What does this feeling mean to me? Does it mean… Is this how everyone feels when they fall in love?

I felt like I was in heaven when I saw him solving the equation.

"As a result, a is now 1, b is 2, and c is 3. Hence, 2 multiplied by 1+2-3 equals n. First, I distributed two terms to each of the three groups. As a result, 1(2) + 2(2) - 3(2) = n is obtained. It's a zero if you solve it." While explaining my solution to Lee, I focused solely on him.

"Just like the answer that I have on the board..." I told myself internally, "Because you're a boy, my feelings for you should be zero." I sighed in sadness.

"You're fantastic, Jacob! This makes sense to me," he exclaimed, squealing with delight. "I also got a zero," he added.

"I get what you mean. You don't want a boy who likes you, don't you?" I answered Lee internally in my mind.

As I walked back to my seat, I smiled at everyone. Back to my chair, I was completely silent not until Lee turned around and pinched both of my cheeks.

"What a genius you are with numbers. From now on, I'm a fan of you! I Like You!" he exclaimed, and I was caught in my tracks. "You must teach me Math," he added.

"I also want to be happy..." my heart said, "and not afraid of anything," it added.

“You, stupidass! That hurts so much, you know!” As I smacked both of his hands, I said.

"But I know I should put an end to this... feeling," my thoughts said, "A boy was solely for a girl, and vice versa.". That's what my thoughts constantly said.

➪➪➪➪➪☝︎︎☝︎︎ʀᴇᴀᴅ|ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ|ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ|ʟɪᴋᴇ☝︎︎☝︎︎➪➪➪➪➪