The Entrance Ceremony (Part 2)
"Um... excuse me, Pina? Are you finished?"
"It's Ha Pina. Please be mindful of the pronunciation."
"Right, y-yes, Pina. Is there anything else you'd like to say?"
"No, I have nothing else to say."
"B-but maybe a 'nice to meet you,' or some other greeting?"
"I don't want to lie. I have no desire to get along with anyone, nor do I want to make myself known."
"Oh... oh, I see. All right."
"What's up with her? Is she acting all high and mighty just because she's a little pretty? Or is she having a late case of eighth-grader syndrome?"
"She's still gorgeous, though."
"Seriously, I think she's prettier than most celebrities."
"Isn't she a trainee or something?"
"I don't care how pretty she is, I can't stand people with no manners."
The kids' whispers drifted through the classroom.
Some badmouthed her, others praised her looks—a mix of voices filled the air.
Actually, that wasn't quite right. The sounds were definitely there, but I couldn't hear a single thing.
My entire focus was completely stolen by her presence.
She was definitely the girl I remembered. The name Ha Pina was hardly common.
Long hair darker than the night sky, transparent eyes that seemed to reflect the world—there couldn't possibly be two people with such breathtaking beauty.
Most of all, I had never forgotten her voice for even a single second.
"Hey, Lee Hanbyul, isn't she seriously pretty? Huh? Hey, Lee Hanbyul?"
"Hanbyul, what's wrong?"
Kim Dahi and Sung were talking to me from beside me, but I didn't have the luxury to reply.
"Pina! It's me! Do you not remember me by any chance?"
"Excuse me. I find it disgusting when people approach me like that."
"Wh-what?"
"Now, now, Hanbyul. You shouldn't talk like that on the very first day of school, right?"
"...I'm sorry."
"Pfft, haha! Hey, Lee Hanbyul, hitting on a girl on the first day? You're unbelievable."
"Hanbyul, what's going on?"
"Shut it, Kim Dahi. It's not like that. Sorry, Sung, I must have mistaken her for someone else..."
There was no way I had mistaken her. She was definitely the Pina I remembered.
Did she not remember me? Well, that was possible. It had been a very long time, after all.
But how did you become so cold, Pina?
Where did that warm smile you used to give me go?
What on earth happened to you during the years we were apart?
Lost in thoughts about her, the rest of the entrance ceremony schedule flew by.
"Alright, that's it for today's schedule. It wouldn't be right to start classes on the very first day."
"Instead, I expect you all to come tomorrow with the mindset of high school students. Dismissed!"
"Get home safely, everyone."
"Sung! Lee Hanbyul! School ended early, so let's go to a cafe."
"Hanbyul, are you okay?"
"Yeah, sure. Let's go."
I must have been out of it on the way to the cafe.
I had no memory of the walk from the school to the cafe.
"So, Lee Hanbyul, what's the deal?"
"What?"
"I mean, earlier, it looked like you knew Ha Pina."
"I told you, I made a mistake."
"Hmm... so you're not going to tell me?"
"..."
"Whatever, do what you want. I'm sure you'll handle it."
"Hanbyul, just tell us when you're ready."
"Thanks."
Sorry, but I can't even tell you guys about this yet.
I'll tell you when the time comes.
"Well, I'm going to hang out with Sung a bit longer before heading home."
"I'll make sure Dahi gets back before it's late."
"Don't stay out too late. Aunt and Uncle will be waiting."
After parting ways with Kim Dahi and Sung, I headed home.
Thoughts of her hadn't left my mind since the cafe. She was definitely the Pina I knew.
But her vibe and personality were completely different from the Pina I remembered.
It was as if she were a totally different person.
Just what happened during the time I wasn't by your side, Pina?
"Waaah! Mommyyy!"
"Why is that kid crying so loudly?"
Hearing a child's cries coming from the park, I headed inside.
I never expected to see her there again.
Maybe that was why I instinctively hid myself.
"Hey there, why are you crying here all by yourself?"
"*Sniff*, *hic*, M-Mommy... Mommy is gone. *Sob*, waaah!"
"You lost your mommy. Do you know where she went?"
"N-no, I don't know. *Sniff*, Mommyyy..."
"It's okay. I'll make sure to find her for you. So, no more tears, okay?"
She naturally lowered herself to the child's eye level to comfort her.
The gentle smile she wore as she promised to find the mother was exactly like the one I remembered.
"The pretty big sister is going to find her?"
"Yep! So, could our pretty princess tell me her name?"
"Yeah, my name is Sohee. Kim Sohee."
"Sohee is a lovely name. Well, Sohee, shall we go look for Mommy now?"
"Thank you so much, really. Sohee, say thank you to the nice sister."
"Thank you, pretty sister."
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just glad you were nearby."
"Actually, I was quite far away, but a male student wearing the same uniform as you came and told me where Sohee was."
"Pardon? The same uniform?"
"Yes. I assumed he was your friend. If you see him, please thank him for me. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you so much again."
"Excuse me, but do you happen to know his name?"
"I think his name tag said Lee Hanbyul."
"Ah, I see. I'll let him know."
While she was soothing the child, I had run off to find the parents.
Walking around with a lost child could cause them to miss their parents, so it was a risky move. But because she was there with the kid, I was able to search for the parents without worry.
The Pina I knew wasn't the type to act rashly when a child was involved.
Besides, a four- or five-year-old child couldn't have wandered too far on their own. Operating on that logic, I had moved quickly.
Fortunately, I managed to find the mother in no time.
After pointing the mother in the right direction, I walked home, lost in thought.
She was definitely the Pina I knew, so why did she act so cold in her daily life?
The day after the entrance ceremony, high school life officially began.
"For now, sit in the seats you're currently in. We'll decide on changing seats later."
"If anyone has trouble seeing the board or wants to sit in the front, let me know. I'll adjust the seating for those students first."
And just like that, our seats were decided.
Thanks to arriving early on the day of the entrance ceremony, I ended up in a great spot—right next to the window, second to last row, with my close friend Sung sitting right beside me. It would have been perfect if Kim Dahi wasn't sitting diagonally to my front-left, though.
Since it was the first day of class, almost none of the teachers dove straight into the curriculum.
Usually, the first day consisted of teachers explaining their lesson plans or having us introduce ourselves so they could get to know us.
Yes, almost none.
"Alright, everyone has their Korean textbooks, right? Let's begin today's lesson."
"Teacher, it's our first day. Aren't we going to do an orientation or something?"
"You all know each other's names by now, don't you? And it's not like I can memorize all of yours in a single day anyway. So, I will learn your names naturally over time! I'll hand out printouts regarding the course direction and exams later."
"Aww..."
"Now, if you turn to page ten of your textbooks..."
The teacher paid no heed to the students' groans and proceeded with the lesson.
Well, even so, it wasn't like he was going to teach anything too intense on the first day.
Look at that. Kim Dahi was already fast asleep on the very first day of class.
She was truly something else. On the other hand, wasn't Sung being a bit too diligent?
He looked ready to transcribe every single word coming out of the teacher's mouth.
Sung, didn't you get into this school as an athletic recruit?
No matter how I looked at it, those two were polar opposites.
What did a guy like Sung even see in that lazy bear?
Well, I suppose I wasn't much different from Kim Dahi, considering I was daydreaming during class myself.
No, at least I wasn't openly dozing off. I was a hundred times better.
Look at that, she just got scolded by the teacher in the very first class.
Yep, I was definitely better than Kim Dahi.
As expected, lunchtime was a resurrection period for everyone, regardless of whether they had slept through class or focused intensely. How could they all spring to life at the exact same time?
"Sung! Hurry over! I saved a spot for my Sungie! Aren't I the best?"
"Thanks, Dahi."
"Don't just naturally pat her head like that. It's painful to watch."
"Oh, then why don't you go eat by yourself, Lee Hanbyul?"
"Ah, come on, there are no other seats."
"Stop it, you two. Hanbyul, I'll be careful."
This was the daily routine for the three of us.
Whenever Kim Dahi and I started bickering over nothing, Park Sung would wear a troubled expression that didn't match his intimidating looks at all, stepping in to mediate between us.
Sigh, fine. Since I'm the bigger person, I should let it slide. Just as I was thinking that, Pina caught my eye.
"Oh, isn't that Ha Pina?"
"Looks like it."
"But does she not have any friends? Why is she eating alone?"
"Dahi, you shouldn't say things like that so loudly."
"Why? It's not like anyone's listening."
Just as Dahi said, Pina was sitting by herself, eating lunch.
She exuded an aura that practically screamed, I prefer being alone, so don't even think about coming near me.
Perhaps because of that, there was no one sitting near her.
Yet, why did she look so fragile and precarious to me?