11. Red rag.

The K-high school cafeteria was already full of most students, the lunch routine was going on there, some in line picking up their fill of meals on each tray, the rest of them seated at the available table. Kim He Soo has sat down with some classmates, they discussed the match for this afternoon and made sure the school team is ready.

Lee Hye Rin had just finished in line, looking for her friends as she looked around, and the girl stopped by to see Kim He Soo laugh so brightly that she couldn't miss it even for a moment, but only now when some of the students appeared and swarmed her desk-blocked Hye Rin's gaze. From the voices and the things they put on the table, the girls were crazy about Kim He Soo.

Hye Rin's smile was gone, but she held still in her position, and the girl's hand unknowingly squeezed against the tray, until a pat on the shoulder made her turn.

"Why stop in the middle of the road?" asked Kwon Shin Hee, Hye Rin's classmate.

The girl shook her head. "It's nothing, sorry to get in the way of others." She looked again at Kim He Soo, after the students left there were gifts piled on the table, right in front of him.

"I think it is," Shin Hee said, taking Hye Rin by her hand, inviting her over to their friends' table.

"Right about what?"

"Since entering the school basketball team, Kim He Soo has been the idol of many girls. I've heard a lot of people talk about it." They place a tray on the table's surface before sitting in the empty space between other friends.

"You're even talking about Kim He Soo? Looks like our seniors have become very popular." Krystal remarked: she lifted a chunk of meat using her chopsticks. "Like this meat, if it is just one, everyone will fight over it for their nutritional needs. But he is cute."

"Hey, you like it, too?" asked Shin Hee, while Hye Rin kept quiet about her friends.

"No, I'm just saying he's handsome, aren't I right? Kim He Soo handsome, the student who saw him in the basketball court might go crazy if Kim He Soo was sweating."

"Let's talk sweat some other time, I'm hungry." Shin Hee concluded the topic, and Hye Rin nodded her head, and she looked at Kim He Soo sitting on her back, as if he was passing out gifts to her friends there.

***

"Sunbae."

Kim He Soo turned him head although him name wasn't called, but recognized the owner of the voice, she stepped alone in the corridor after getting out of the cafetaria, while Hye Rin caught up with him even though she had to go faster.

The girl came closer as she reached into the pocket of her skirt and found Kim He Soo's hands empty, So all these gifts are equally shared to the senior's friend?

"Where?" asked Hye Rin.

"What?"

"I saw the girls giving you presents, and now you have both hands."

"Oh that, I'm sharing it with my

friends."

"Why?"

"I don't want to bring them home, at noona's will ask this and that, she's gonna make a big joke. That doesn't sound too good."

"Is that so?" Hye Rin is nodding. "So if I also give you something. Why don't you throw it to someone else?"

"Why do you say that?"

"You said it yourself if you got something like that, your sister would make fun of you."

"What do you want to share?"

A red rag came out of Hye Rin's pocket, she red He Soo's hand and placed it there. "This is for you."

He Soo unfolds the cloth, at the end is hangul embroidery with his name on it. "Did you make this yourself?"

Hye Rin nodded. "When I heard about sunbae attending the school basketball selection, I was sure that you would succeed. The needle-i learned from my grandmother, I hope it doesn't look bad."

He Soo smiled. "This is great, thank you."

"Wait a minute," so as to prevent Hye Rin from adding the items she gave him to the pocket by the senior, she takes over. "If you value it, use it like this." She folded the cloth, then tied it to He Soo's right arm. "Today sunbae goes to the match, consider it my support for you."

"Of course I'll wear it like that, didn't you come?"

Hye Rin shook her head. "I started taking private lessons, so keep your chin up." Just sharing a fabric that he himself embroidered doesn't mean that Hye Rin can't give you more than that, especially as a chaebol. At least because of Hye Rin's own business, she took time to embroider Kim He Soo's name in her spare time, he must understand her sincerity.

"Thank you, Lee Hye Rin." He Soo stepped away from his junior, and now Hye Rin's heart feels like cotton floating in the air because of the breeze so easy, even though it bothers to see a senior he likes to be courted by a lot of girls, today Hye Rin feels calm after the gift is secured never to end so tragically.

Falling in love does make a person like a chameleon, discolored.

***

Kim Na Ra steps off the bus, looking at had wrist—hoping that she is not too late for had little brother's game, rushes down the sidewalk in a hurry, paupers near the intersection as she watches nervously for the green light to change with other pedestrians.

The woman's body swerved among a group of humans while tracking the crossing zebra, out ahead of the game house. Na Ra always wants to make an effort for Kim He Soo, more attention in place of their parents' affection.

"Argh!" Kim Na Ra fell flat after her right heels stepped on a pebble. "Why fall when I'm in a hurry." She tried to move, but in another step she winced through the pain without checking up on had leg.

Na Ra managed to enter the building, knowing that it was too late as the game was now into act two, echoing through the ceiling. Almost the whole chair was filled with two camps from different high schools, and she felt bad for not being able to sit in the lower bleachers to see Kim He Soo act closer.

It's a good thing there's an empty seat for her to sit on instead of standing on the stairs at the top, but seeing how her spirit acts down there makes Na Ra feel better, and she's holding out until the final match goes to K-high school.

"He Soo-yaa, I'm sorry," says Kim Na Ra as she comes out of the building with the brother, behind them Kim He Soo's friends laugh at each other.

"Why is noona apologizing?"

"I came too late, I couldn't sit in the bottom seat and look at you more closely." Na Ra really felt guilty.

"Then Noona needs to be punished, you have to buy me a lot of good food."

"All right, fools." She smiled she yanked her brother's cheek. "Argh." Na Na stopped.

"What's wrong? Why is moaning?"

"It's nothing, I only fell in the rush."

"Noona gwenchana?"¹

Kim Na Ra nodded, she turned to look at the red cloth still wrapped around He Soo's right arm. "What's that?"

"What?"

"On your arms, red rag."

"Oh." Kim He Soo took off the rag. "Lee Hye Rin gave it to me, she's not coming today."

"Lee Hye Rin?" Na Na remembered that name. "I think she likes you."

Instead of answering, Kim He Soo turned back and spoke with his friends until they parted from him at the bus stop because of a different direction.

They got into the bus and sat in the rear seat, Kim He Soo by the right window, next to her.

"I didn't see Jung Tae Oh, isn't he your trainer?" asked Na Ra.

"Coach Jung couldn't come, no matter what business he had, so the gym teacher became a substitute, but he promised he would come at the next game."

"Ah, I see." Na Ra bowed, her right hand stroked her ankle and felt sore. "Did I make such a scene that I didn't feel a thing."

"Noona, are your feet hurting?"

Na Ra raised her back. "It's nothing, after applying ointment it will heal, don't worry."

The bus was stopped at the intersection as the red light went on, several cars lined the right side of the bus. A girl sitting in the passenger seat, she turned to the left-right on the side of the bus, her brow furrowed.

Isn't that sunbae?

Lee Hye Rin quickly rolled down the glass, calling out the senior's name as he rested his head on the bus.

"Someone called for you," she said, she could find Hye Rin on a black car waiting for a green light on the side of the bus.

"Isn't she Hye Rin?"

He Soo turned his head and found Hye Rin smiling. "It seems like a lesson in private, while giving the red cloth of Hye Rin explained it."

"She's very sweet," praises Na Ra.

"And then?"

"I thought—"

"Doesn't noona let me date?"

Na Ra punched the boy in the arm. "Hey, what do you think I'm trying to say?"

"No."

"Never mind, forget it." The bus ran back, and Hye Rin's face was no longer seen as the bus turned to the left, while the car kept going straight.

***

¹Gwenchana : are you okay?