39 The Conclusion.

Mia was getting down the stairs when she saw So Hee standing there leaning against the wall.

"Hey, So Hee. What are you doing here? Are you waiting for someone?"

"Yeah. I was waiting for you."

"For me?"

"Hm. Mia, I wanted to talk with you about what happened in the morning."

"Okay…"

"Actually, whatever you said in the morning….I think you've got a point.

When you asked that if anyone has seen Hana, doing all those things, everyone went silent. But still, after that, I asked everyone personally.

Not only from our class, but I also asked my friends from the other class.

And they all denied about Hana talking such things!"

"Did you ask Gyuri?"

"Yeah. I asked her too. She said that some of her classmates were talking about you and her breaking your friendship…and so when she searched a bit, someone told her Hana's name…."

"So, she also denied that Hana personally told her those things?"

"Yeah, Right away."

Mia went into her thoughts. 'She denied?.... But to me she said…'

"One more thing, Mia." So Hee said, bringing Mia back from her thoughts.

Mia looked at her.

"I know, I shouldn't interfere in your matters, but I think, you should patch things up with Gyuri."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…since you've become so close to Hana, you've been avoiding Gyuri.

You guys have been together forever. So, I think, you should not let other people come in between you two."

Mia looked at her confused, 'I've been avoiding her?'

"Listen. I know, Hana might be a nice girl, like you said. But you should not let her take Gyuri's seat, you know?

So just go and patch up with Gyuri. She is really sad because of this."

"Um..O...Okay.

But…Who told you all these things?

Like, me avoiding her or Hana taking her seat…"

"Gyuri, herself. That day, she opened up to me, which was actually weird at first.

Cause, you know, how we never used to stand in each other's sights… Hehe….

So when she was talking about it…It was pretty awkward at first.

But she is really upset, Mia."

"Uh...Hm…Umm okay. I'll…I'll talk to her about this." Mia said still thinking about what just So Hee told her.

"Great! Yeah, and about Hana, I'll search more and if there is nothing to prove, she did all those things, I'll convince everyone that she is innocent."

"Okay, thanks, So Hee," Mia said with a slight smile.

"Oh, please. I am just trying to clear the mess which I made myself..Hehe…

I'll go then. See you."

And So Hee walked down several steps.

"Wait! So Hee!" Mia called.

So Hee stopped in her way and turned back.

Walking down the stairs, Mia came next to her.

"I wanted to ask you one last thing.

The rumors, about you…you said, someone told you those things, right?"

"Yeah. Gyuri!

She told me that she heard people talking about me like that. And she later got to know Hana's name."

'Ohh…So, again Gyuri….', Mia thought.

"But, why are you asking me those things?"

"Umm…It's nothing…"

"Okay then, Bye. See you tomorrow."

And So Hee left Mia lost in her thoughts.

~

Mia came near her bicycle, and when she bent down to open the lock.

"Eek…" She got startled by someone.

A girl was sitting behind her cycle, with her head buried in her legs and her hands covering her face.

'Is that….Huh? HANA!'

Mia hurriedly went next to her.

"Hana? Hana?"

But she didn't answer.

Mia sat down on her knees, in front of Hana and shook her shoulders calling her name again and again.

"Hana?...HANA!.."

Hana slowly took her head out and looked at Mia's face.

"Huh? Oh, Mia! I was waiting for you..here…and…I fell asleep...I guess…"

Looking at her puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks, Mia realized that she has been crying here for the whole day.

"I thought you went home, Hana. What were you doing here?

..Look at you…" Mia took out her glasses and wiped her face with her handkerchief.

'Oh, God! She has got a fever!'

"I just wanted..to tell you some…thing, Mia…"

"Not now, Hana. Let's go home, first.

Your car must be here by the time. Let's go. Come on, get up."

"No..First..Listen…I want to tell you…I didn't spread those rumors, believe me."

"I know, Hana. But this is not the time.

You've got a fever. You should get home as soon as possible."

Mia tried to get her up, but Hana didn't want to.

"No…Wait…And I also want to say that I...I didn't try to break your friendship…with Gyuri….Really…I didn't do anything…"

"Huh?"

"…She said, that I came in between you two...But…"

Hana's eyes got filled with tears.

" ..But –"

And without saying anything further, Hana leaned on Mia's right shoulder.

"Huh? Hana? Hana!"

Because of high fever and weakness, Hana fainted, right on Mia's shoulder.

Mia patted on her back, "Hana...Hana…Wake up…"

But she didn't move.

"Oh my god! She has fainted…

What do I do now?"

She looked around, but she didn't see anyone help her.

"IS ANYONE THERE? HELP ME!"

But no one came for several minutes.

So Mia held Hana's shoulders tightly and then she tried to get her up.

But Hana's fainted body had gotten really heavy.

There was not a chance that Mia could get her up while Hana's whole weight was on her body.

As she tried more, she felt it was getting heavier.

'Oh god…' Mia started panting.

Suddenly, she felt the weight was lifted up from her shoulder.

Mia quickly looked up and she saw Ray!

Ray held Hana's right arm and pulled her away from Mia.

'Ray?'

As soon as, Ray pulled away Hana she slid away from beneath her and went to Hana's left arm.

Then, both of them got her up.

Putting Hana's right arm around Ray's neck and her left arm around Mia's neck, they started walking towards the school gate, carefully.

Her car was already standing by the gate.

The moment, the driver saw all three of them like that, he quickly got out of the car and ran towards them.

"Miss Hana…Miss Hana…Oh my...What happened?"

He got really worried to see Hana fainted like that.

"She has got fainted due to a high fever," Mia said.

"Take her home quickly and consult a doctor as soon as possible," Ray said.

"Yeah…"

Then with the help of the driver, they made her lie down on the back seat.

"Thank you, Miss Mia." He bowed down.

"Thank you." He bowed at Ray.

"It's okay sir. Just take her home quickly." Mia said worriedly.

"Yes!" Then he hurriedly got on the driver's seat and drove off.

Mia kept looking in the direction till the car disappeared before her eyes.

'Please get well soon….'

As she turned back, expecting Ray would be standing there, she saw that he was already walking towards the Bicycle stand.

"Hey, wait…" Mia ran towards him.

"Ray?" She called his name but he didn't respond, just like she expected.

Walking beside him, trying to sync with his fast and long steps, she said,

"Thanks, Ray. Thanks for helping me."

Ray looked at her, with his cold brown eyes and then again looked forward.

"Don't get me wrong. I was helping that girl, not you."

Mia smiled.

"Yeah…But still…Thanks!"

He kept walking without saying anything.

"I...I don't have anything right now…to thank you…"

"I don't want anything from you."

"Oh...Wait!" Mia searched through her jacket's pocket.

"Ah! I knew one was left!" She took something out of her pocket and held her hand right in front of Ray's face.

It was candy! And not any usual candy, but just like the one which Ray had given her last year, after their results.

Ray looked at it with surprise.

"Here. As a thank you." Mia said.

Maintaining his posture and keeping his face straight, he said

"What am I? A small kid?"

"Um..No. But, you like these, right?

They are actually nice. Now, I like them too."

"Are you making fun of me?" Ray looked right into her eyes.

"What? No!

Why would I do tha—"

Ray increased his speed and walked past her, towards his bicycle.

"Hey, wait." But he didn't stop and sat on his cycle.

Mia quickly ran towards him and held him back by his bag.

He tried to pull away.

She quickly put the candy in one of the pockets of his bag.

And then she let him go.

Ray quickly paddled away from her and looked back as he went a bit further.

Looking at his face like that, Mia laughed.

"Thanks again!" she shouted and waved him goodbye.

Ray looked in the front again.

'…Crazy…' He thought.

~

'So…Gyuri told me, that Hana told her personally about breaking our friendship, but to So Hee, she told a whole different story…'

Mia was lying on her bed, thinking about all the things which had happened in the last several days.

'Gyuri told me that, Hana gave her the reason for me breaking friendship with her.

And the reason is, Gyuri hangs out with Ray.

But…As far as I know, Hana doesn't even know him.

So, if she told all those things to Gyuri, why would she take Ray's name in the first place?'

Mia got up and went towards her table.

'And the things So Hee told me earlier….'

Sitting down on her chair, Mia looked at the Origami swans hanging down the ceiling.

'Gyuri told all those lies to So Hee…And who knows, maybe she told the same thing to others also…Me avoiding her…Hana taking her seat…

And the rumors!'

Mia got up from her chair and went near the window.

' And from what Hana was talking earlier…Gyuri talked with her also..about she coming in between us…'

Staring at the street lamp, Mia came to a conclusion.

'Everything is coming back to only one person — Gyuri!'