56 Can We Start Over?

"What are all these?" Mia was standing before him with a bunch of small papers in her hands.

Mia and Ray, both were standing in the classroom of 3-A near Mia's seat.

It was early in the morning; there was a whole one hour to start the school. No one was in the classroom except them.

Mia's face was a bit frustrated and Ray was just standing there with his head down and he was trying to hide a small paper bag full of candies behind him. He was caught red-handed today!

On her question, he stayed silent.

"Why are you doing this?" Mia asked again. He looked up for a second and found her upset face.

"I…I…I am sorry…" These three words came out of his mouth somehow.

"What are you getting by doing all this? These notes…those candies…"

"I didn't mean to upset you…." He said.

"But you are. Putting these in my stuff? What is all this? First my desk, then my books and then my lunch box? Are you for real? What if, my friends had found this?"

"I..I am sorry…" He apologized again.

Mia didn't say anything just breathed out loudly.

"You…" He spoke up.

"You weren't talking to me…You weren't even looking at me…So…I did that….

I know I'm wrong. I shouldn't have done this but there was no other way to get your attention."

He looked up and saw Mia was looking right into his eyes.

"I..I wanted to talk with you, after that incident…with Gyuri."

Mia turned her head to the other side.

"I know I was wrong all along. I did a lot of bad things to you. I avoided you, ignored you—"

"You shut me out!..." Mia's eyes started tearing up as she talked. The incidents which happened last year started running before her eyes. "And you didn't even care to tell me the reason!"

Ray stayed silent for a while with his head down.

"I know." He spoke up. "And I won't blame only Gyuri for this. I was as wrong as she was! Or maybe even more…"

Mia looked at him with her widened eyes, filled with tears.

"We were so great together, Mia. You were my first ever friend in this school and you were really special to me…But…But I was stupid…I should have trusted you…I should have had faith in our friendship…"

Ray looked up; Mia quickly looked to the other side, trying to hide her tearful eyes.

"While I was with Gyuri…I always kept feeling that…something was not right…It felt so wrong and…and weird….I just can't explain it…." He stopped for a while before saying,

"But there was not a single time…when I didn't think of you."

Mia looked at him at instant, a teardrop sliding down her cheek. 'Why is he telling me, all this? If…If he keeps talking like this….'

"I mean…I mean you were my friend, that's why." Ray tried covering it up.

Mia looked down. 'I know that….But it's just that, my heart doesn't listen to me…'

"These small notes, these candies….all were just a way to remind you of our friendship….or maybe...to remind ME of our friendship!...Hehe…" He forced a laugh.

Mia's face saddened on this.

As if remembering something, he took down his bag from his back and opened it, trying to find something. After searching a bit, he took out a paper, a torn out paper from a book and then he held it before her.

"Do you…Do you remember this?" He asked.

Mia took some steps forward and looked at the paper in his hands. The second she recognized it her eyes spread wide in surprise. 'He..He still has this…'

There was a picture on the paper. A hand-drawn picture of a Rhino! A rhino standing on her two feet with her head down at the ground, wearing the school's uniform, a white shirt and navy-blue skirt! There was a dialogue-bubble on her head, saying "I am sorry teacher."

Mia took the paper in her hand. Still looking at it, she asked, "Why...Why do you still have this?"

"I just felt like keeping this…I know my drawing is not that good but still I like this one a lot! It reminds me of those days, when I came to this school...

Do you remember THIS day? I still remember it! Especially your face and your expressions that time! They were hilariously cute! Haha…" Ray started laughing while scratching back of his head.

Mia kept looking at him, 'He still has that habit….' She thought to herself as her lips curved upwards making her smile.

Ray stopped laughing, when he looked at her smiling face, his face relieved.

He sighed inside. 'It's been so long….So long to see her smiling face….I don't know for how long I've been thinking of this face…'

Mia noticed that he was looking at her and smiling. She quickly looked to the other side. Her cheeks felt warm and red, so she quickly kept her palms on them.

"So..." Ray talked politely.

Mia didn't look at him and tried to avoid his gaze.

"I am sincerely apologizing for whatever I did to you." He bowed. "It's okay if you don't want to forgive me…"

He stopped for a second there before talking further,

"...That's what I had decided to say. But to be honest, it won't be okay, if you don't forgive me!"

On these words Mia looked at him.

"I won't stop trying till you forgive me. I really want to be friends with you again!" He said.

"Huh?"

"I promise, I would never do this again. And if I do, don't hesitate to hit me in the head. You have complete authority to do that!"

Mia awkwardly laughed on this but when she looked at Ray, she understood he was serious about it.

"..So? Will you forgive me? Can we start over from where we left last year?" He asked staring right into her eyes.

His brown eyes sparkled in the morning sunshine.

Just like they did on the day, when she had seen him for the first time.

Mia kept looking at them with aw.

"Please…" He said again, bringing her back to senses. She thought for a while.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I would really hit you in the head if you'll do that again!"

He looked at her for a second and as he realized what she meant, a huge smile appeared on his face.

"Hm!" He nodded. "You can hit me however you want. I don't mind at all!" He said happily.

"Does that mean, you are going to do that again?" Mia asked with cold expressions.

"Oh! No…No…That's not what I meant…" He started denying hurriedly.

Looking at his expressions, Mia laughed. 'I know he did wrong but it was not his fault alone. And as long as I know him, he deserves a second chance.' Mia kept looking at him with a smile on her face.

'This is gonna be hard….hard for my little idiot heart, who imagines things too much…

But…spending time with him, WOULD BE FUN...!' She thought to herself. "Just like before…" She murmured.

"Huh? Did you say anything?" He asked.

She moved her head side to side, saying 'No'.

Bringing the paper bag before her, which was on the chair for all this time, Ray said, "Thank you! Thank you for giving me a second chance!"

Mia didn't hesitate and took the bag from his hands happily. He felt relieved.

'She is so nice….' He thought. 'She forgave me after knowing all that I did to her….I would never let her down or never break her trust…Never!' He decided to himself.

He started walking towards the classroom door to go. Stopping in his way, he looked back at her as he remembered something.

"Let's go and eat ice-cream!" He said.

"Huh? Now?" She asked him confused.

"No. Not now. On the first day of the Spring holidays." He answered.

Mia was still confused. 'Why did he bring ice-cream out of nowhere?'

"Don't you remember?"

"…."

"The bet!"

"…."

"Last year, at the time, when we went to get a gift for April..."

Mia's face lightened as she remembered it.

"Yeah…"

"I lost the bet." He said. But he seemed happier about it. "So I owe you an ice-cream."

"Yeah, right! You do."

"So? Is it okay? On the first day of the Spring holidays?"

She gave him a nod. He smiled and waved her 'Bye' before leaving the classroom.

~

~

~

It was the first day of the new academic year. The first day of the high school!

Mia was now a first year high-school student.

The school was the same, the people might be the same but it was a whole new beginning.

Standing at the school's door, wearing her new high school uniform she looked at the school building.

He was standing right beside her.

Taking a deep breath and then letting it out, she stepped forward. He followed her quietly.

They entered the high-school building.

It was a lot of crowd at the notice board.

"I'll go and check our classes." She said.

He just showed her his hand telling her to stop and then he went towards the notice board.

She didn't say anything and started looking here and there, trying to find her friends.

She noticed at a distant, April, So Hee and Ye Rin were standing and all were looking at her.

As she looked at them, So Hee happily waved at her. "Mia!!!" She called her. "Over here!"

Mia smiled at them and hurriedly walked towards them.

"Wow girls. You all look so great in your new uniforms." She said happily.

"I look great in everything…" So Hee flicked back her hair before smiling.

"You too Mia." April said. "And you've also grown your hair! They look nice!"

"Thanks April." Mia smiled.

"By the way…" Ye Rin spoke up. Mia looked at her.

"Who was that guy with you before?"

Mia wasn't surprised on this. "Nothing can escape from your eyes…" She said.

Ye Rin shrugged her shoulders.

"As long as I know, he is not from our school." Ye Rin said.

"Yeah. He is not." Mia said.

" So? Who's he? Your boyfriend?" So Hee asked teasingly.

"No guys. He is—"

All the girls were looking at her and were listening to her, when the guy arrived there.

Before he could say anything to Mia, she said, "This is him, girls. My childhood best friend. The sweetest person I've ever known.

Do Jun!"