yooji waved me goodbye before she left for her course. the first day was, as i already had expected, extremely busy. the freshmen were gathering themselves in front of the news board in the entrance hall while the other students just looked curiously at us, just if they would know something we didn’t.

it was quite a disappointment for me as i found out that yooji wasn’t in my course since we grew close so quickly during the time we spent together already. at first, i found it surprising that we got along so well, but I appreciated it.

i looked at the note in my hand which told me where my course would take place. mentally letting out a long sigh, i squeezed myself through the crowd and took the stairs up. turning left, then right, walking straight along a long hallway. behind me i could hear excited voices, before I entered the much too big lecture hall.

inside, there were already a tiny group of students. most of them were sitting together in the front row in the center, but i could see one single girl sitting in the very far right on her own. hesitating for a second i turned to the bigger group, heading downstairs, until i reached a girl with short light brown hair. she was taking some notes, but covered them as she realized my presence.

“hi!” she smiled at me.
i avoided her eyes, but smiled shyly back. “hi, i’m jang sori.”
the sentence which i had gone through over and over in my head came out like a weak breath.
but still, the girl continued smiling and tapped the seat next to her. “i’m saehee.”
i quickly sat down next to her, heaping my backpack on my lap and unpacking my stuff.
“do you live in the dorms?” saehee asked. i nodded.
“how about you?”

she also nodded and opened to answer as suddenly a tall man entered the lecture hall. he towering above the speaker’s desk, scanning through his documents and let out a slight cough, sending all of us a look.

“welcome freshmen,” he said loudly, “my name is professor jung. first of all, i will check the attendance list.”
i peeked behind me, but only saw a handful of students. there were five males and four girls, including the one in the right corner, which i almost missed out. just as I was about to turn around again, the heavy door was pushed open and girl number five entered the hall. she looked at us, as if we were the intruders, and casually walked down the stairs towards us. if i would put myself in her shoes i would probably have died because my face would have exploded. but she just took it like that. admirable.

“can i sit here?” the girl asked saehee who nodded smilingly. “i’m lee bokyung, by the way.”
“nice to meet you, i’m kwon saehee,” she replied and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“and you are?”

i stopped with whatever i was doing. fiddling with my notes. “i’m sori.”
the heat rushed into my cheeks, but i hoped that bokyung didn’t see. thanksfully professor jung spoke up again, starting to go through his list.

“do kyungsoo?”

my head shot up, but I quickly lowered it again. k-kyungsoo?
i hold my breath and heard a firm, “yes.”
his voice. it was his voice. definitely. it must be him. but why didn’t i see him just a minute ago when i scanned the room? did he see me? oh god, did he recognize me? he is here!
my thoughts were on a rollercoaster ride, far, far away from reality as i buried my face in my imaginary notes. i heard the other four male names, but there were only three syllables which filled my head like a balloon. do kyungsoo.

“bae suji,” professor jung continued, “jang sori?”
saehee had to give me a nudge and sending me back to reality.
“yes,” i said weakly. now he knows that i’m here.
“kim chaeri?” “yeah,” it came from the right end of the room.
every head turned to the girl who had seemed to be invisible since now. the girl was looking at something in her hands which were both covered with the sleeves of her sweater.
“kwon saehee,” the professor went on.
“here.”

—  x  x  x  —

“hey, sori-ah!”

i froze to an ice block as i heard this soft, familiar voice. i pursed my lips in panic, fixing my hair quickly before i saw him appearing in front of me. he looked at me with his eager eyes, but i avoided them by looking at the floor.

“you didn’t tell me you applied for yonsei too?” kyungsoo asked and i heard the smile in his words.
“i-i didn’t know you did too…” i stammered nervously, trying to suppress my heartbeat which made my knees shake.
“then i’ll see you later in class? you also took performing arts, right?”
i nodded quickly while my heart hammered against my ribcage.
“cool!” kyungsoo said while grinning and patted my shoulder before he left.

my hand shot to my shoulder which he had touched and just now i was able to look up. he was carrying his backpack which he had already owned in high school. my heart was slowing down, but still, there was this feeling.

this feeling which hadn’t left me since high school.