Chapter 10 The Invitation

Chapter 10 The Invitation

"What are you saying, Justin?" the lovely girl asked, tilting her head in confusion.

  I was lost in thought, unsure of how to respond. I had been staring at her, and I knew that it must have seemed creepy. But I couldn't help it - she was just so beautiful. "I...I'm sorry," I stuttered. "I was just...lost in thought."

I slowly raised my head to eye her once again, and she really seemed confused and looked like she didn't notice or mind that at all. Instead of receiving revulsion from her, she gave me a piece of paper or maybe an invitation poster. 

"Actually, Justin, I wanted to invite you to our play." I took the paper she gave me and looked at it. The first thing I saw was her. And she was on the top of a castle tower, and her shiny blonde hair was too long that it had already reached the ground. Their play is Rapunzel, and obviously, she is the one who will play rapunzel. I ignored the other characters on that poster and focused on her. She looked gorgeous in her lavender dress, and her long shiny hair just suited her like her natural hair color. 

"Woah, you looked so pretty here." I couldn't help but speak my mind. The lovely girl smiled brightly at what I said. I didn't expect she would invite me to the play, but I accepted it anyway because… why not? This is the first time she has asked me, but I'm sure I will go even though she didn't invite me, just like what I'm used to. 

I always watched her films, stage plays, dramas, or any programs she's in there. I'm always there to watch her, to support her. She didn't know that, and she will never. But I think I'm gonna do it anyway again and again. I don't know why I am like this to her. I don't know if I'm merely a fan or a stalker. The only thing I know is I love her. And if you'll ask me why so? I don't know, either. Maybe I'm just simply simping on her. That may be the case, but it didn't feel so right.

"Justin? Will you come?" My mind had been wandering off until the girl's question jolted me back to reality. I shook my head and tried to focus.

  "Oh, that's right. Let's go back to her invitation. Why am I spacing out?" I muttered to myself before turning to her. "Ah! About this, I can assure you a hundred percent that I will definitely come!" The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could even think, and I cringed at my own outburst. The whole class turned to look at us, and I could feel my face burning up with embarrassment.

  "Hey, is that an invitation for a date? I'm jealous right now," one of our classmates teased, and the rest of them chuckled. My heart sank at the thought of them misunderstanding.

  "N-no, it's not what you think!" I stammered, shaking my hands in front of me.

  "Yes, it's not what you think of. Remember, I invited all of you to our play last week. Since Justin just came here today, he didn't know about it, so I invited him. That's all," the girl explained calmly, but I could tell that our classmates were still skeptical.

  "Heh~ if that's the case, why is your reaction being like that?" the same classmate mocked, and my cheeks burned hotter.

  "Stop it, dummy. She just explained that she's only inviting Justin, and as you can see, Justin is only excited, that's all. It's not what you guys think," the lawyer's son interjected, saving me from further embarrassment.

  But the energetic girl wasn't done yet. "Well, yeah… but still suspicious. Maybe it's love at first sight for Justin… wait, it's not the first time both of you met, right?" She looked at me curiously and asked. "Hey Justin, have you remembered what happened last month?"

  My heart skipped a beat, and I looked over at my crush, who had closed her eyes. The atmosphere suddenly became heavy, and I felt like I was suffocating.

  "What are you talking about?" I asked, trying to divert attention away from myself.

  The energetic girl glanced at my crush seriously before continuing, "You know, the event last month when you helped her carry her books and she accidentally dropped them, and you both reached for the same book and your hands touched…"

  I could feel my face turning red as I tried to remember the incident. But thankfully, the school bell rang, signaling the end of the break time.

  "Breaktime is over. Let's take a seat and don't mind her. She's just messing around," the lawyer's son said, patting me on the shoulder. I nodded and returned to my seat, grateful for the distraction that the teacher's arrival provided.

As I sat in my first-grade class, I couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness wash over me. It was strange, knowing that the material being taught was meant for children half my age, but it was the first time I had truly enjoyed a class in a long time. Despite being mentally 36 years old, the lessons felt peaceful and warm, like a much-needed break from the stress of adult life.

  I found myself effortlessly answering the teacher's questions, and my classmates looked at me with admiration and awe. It felt good to be praised for my knowledge, even if it was "child's play" compared to what I was used to. But somehow, it was still enough to bring joy to me.

  As the lesson came to an end and I gathered my things, I couldn't help but think that maybe being a first-grader wasn't so bad after all.

…

As our teacher was going over the basics of English with the class, there was a sudden knock at our sliding door. Startled, we all turned our heads to see who it was. The door slowly opened to reveal our school's security guard. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized him almost instantly. 

  In my past life, he was the only one who had shown me kindness besides 'him'. A smile spread across my face as I felt a sense of warmth and familiarity.

  The guard surveyed the room before turning to our teacher and asking, "Excuse me, ma'am, is the kid named Justin here? The grandson of the principal?" Our teacher nodded and pointed her finger towards me. The guard's face lit up as he recognized me and then turned back to our teacher.

  "Is it alright if I excuse the kid? The principal is looking for him at her office," he calmly inquired. Our teacher looked at me and said, "Justin, pack your things up. You'll come with Mr. Guard to your granny, okay?" I hesitated, not wanting to leave the class so soon. "But our class isn't done yet," I protested.

  Our teacher came over to my desk and began packing my notebook into my backpack. "It's alright," she reassured me. "Based on your performance earlier, it seems like you're just as smart as your father. What we have left to discuss today shouldn't be too difficult for you to catch up on. So stand up now, your grandma is waiting for you."

  Feeling somewhat reassured, I stood up and followed the guard out of the classroom. "Thank you, and sorry for interrupting your class," the guard said as we left. Our teacher simply nodded and we continued on our way to the principal's office. I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for what was to come, even though I was a little sad to be leaving the class that I had enjoyed so much.

CHAPTER 10 -END-