A Friendship Blooming like Flowers in the Spring

Chapter 4

The principal's office is on the second floor. We don't say much as I we make our way there. I glance at Moonbin. "Is the principal nice?"

"He can be a bit intimidating at first, but you'll grow to understand him." I look away. Most people would say 'Grow to like a person' but he didn't say that. Is this principal scary? I can feel myself developing a tiny panic attack. I stop walking and take a couple of deep breaths. Moonbin stops and walks over to me. "Hey, are you alright?" He questions. I nod my head slowly.

"I'm just a bit overwhelmed." I whisper. He puts a gentle hand on my back.

"Don't be. He's really not that bad. I promise." It doesn't put me at ease but it does calm me down a little bit. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asks slowly. I nod my head and continue down the hall till we reach the principal's office. We stop at the door. "Again, he's not bad. I promise." He knocks on the door.

"Come in!" A deep voice calls. Moonbin opens the door and sitting at the desk is a man with long silky black hair. It's tied back in a ponytail. He has crystal clear blue eyes. He doesn't exactly smile when he sees us but he's not frowning either. Almost just a neutral smile. Moonbin closes the door and bows down.

"Hi Mister Kim. This is Nari. She's a new student." He says, standing up. I watch Mister Kim stare at me. He doesn't smile or anything.

"Seo Nari. Welcome." He says. His voice is so deep. How does he know my family name? Moonbin didn't say anything about it. He glances at Moonbin. "Is there something I can help you two with?"

"We were actually wondering if we could leave campus for a little bit. Nari is new to Korea and I'd like to show her a bit around Seoul. If I can?" Mister Kim raises his eyebrows.

"So Nari. You're new to Korea? As in? You've never been here before?" I nod my head slowly. "Interesting, why did you decide to come to Korea?" I chuckle awkwardly. I'm surprised he doesn't know the situation about me.

"I just wanted a change of pace. Get more in tuned with my heritage. I'm half Korean and American."

"Ah, is that right? What state are you from?"

"NYC." He glances at Moonbin.

"You two may leave campus. Just make sure your back before dinner." Moonbin beams.

"Of course. Thank you, Mister Kim." We both bow down and I quickly make a beeline towards the door.

"Ah, one more thing. I'd like to speak to you when you return, Nari." My hand freezes on the doorknob. Why? "See you later." I open the door and step out, Moonbin close behind me. I suck in a shaky breath. Maybe he does know why I'm here. I try to change topics.

"You seem awfully familiar with the principal for being new." Moonbin chuckles.

"Ah, you noticed that. I got here a little bit before you. You kinda came a little bit in the middle of the semester but not too far off." He glances at me. "I've had time to get to know him. Don't worry you will too." I don't believe that for a second. "We got permission to leave though! So, let's do it." I smile, nodding my head.

"Okay."

We head back to my dorm where Nayeon is at her desk, scribbling away on a piece of paper. She turns her attention towards the door when we walk in. Her eyes widen when she sees us together. I chuckle awkwardly. "Hey, I was wondering where you escaped to." She says. She starts grinning as she looks at Moonbin. "Now I see." She smirks. My face feels hot as I head to the closet to grab my shoes.

"Hey Nayeon." Moonbin says, waving at her.

"Hi Moonbin. So. What are you and Nari up to?"

"I'm going to show her around Seoul. We'll be back around dinner." Nayeon looks at her phone. "It's almost 1. You guys are going to stay out that late?" He shrugs his shoulders.

"I mean, why not? It's Saturday." I quickly slip my shoes on and grab Moonbin's arm.

"Okay, we gotta go! See ya later!" I call as I drag him out into the hallway. He laughs as he grabs the doorknob, closing the door behind us.

"You're cute Nari. You get embarrassed so easily." I sigh as we head down the hall and towards the stairs to reach the first floor. "Alright, you ready?" I nod my head and we walk outside to the bright sun shining down on us. The door closes behind us as we stand in front of the school doors. The gate is opened and I'm actually surprised at how many students are walking in and out.

"I thought the principal was picky about who he wanted to pick." Moonbin chuckles.

"As I said, Chan is always exaggerating when it comes to things like this because he never gets to leave."

"Why though?"

"I'll let him explain that to you when you see him again." He stands in front of me and puts a finger on my lips. My eyes widen. "Now, enough questions. Let's go grab a bite to eat. I'm starving." I quickly swat his finger from my lips and start down the stairs and towards the gate. "You have no idea where you're going so wait for me!" He calls.

My heart is slamming in my chest as we walk side by side. Why did he do that? "Okay, so these are the streets of Seoul. As you can tell, Seoul is a pretty busy city. Nine out of ten, you'll always see someone on the street. Don't worry. Korea is a pretty safe country, so you'll be alright." I don't say anything as we keep walking down the street. I look behind me. The school is getting farther and farther away.

"Is there American food in Korea?"

"Well of course. We have Mcdonalds, Subway, Starbucks." He holds a finger up. "They aren't very popular though. A lot of people tend to go to more Korean restaurants." I nod my head slowly.

"Oh. Okay." I say. He chuckles, glancing at me.

"Have you had Korean food before?" I move my hand back and forth.

"I've had pork belly and kimchi but that's about it." His mouth drops.

"Oh my god, you've never had actual Korean food? That's it, we are going to a restaurant." I laugh as he starts running down the street. "C'mon! No time is to be wasted." I chase after him.

We arrive at a nice restaurant called Seoul Garden. As we step in, I look around. There is a little waterfall near the door and flowers everywhere. It's very pretty. There is a sign that says to seat yourself. "Don't worry. You usually seat yourself unless you're at a really nice restaurant or something." I nod my head and watch as he smiles at me. "Shall we?" He holds his arm out, waiting for me to walk pass him. I giggle as I walk by.

We take a seat at a table near the wall and with a little burner. "I'm going to teach you how to grill your own meat." He says, grabbing tongs. A waiter comes over to us and smiles.

"Hey, I'm going to be your waiter, Seo Jun. What can I get started for you?" He asks, with a notepad in his hand.

"We want an order of pork belly. We'll also take an order of steamed egg, kimchi rice, and kimbap." I watch as Seo Jun scribbles away on his notepad.

"Is that all?" Moonbin nods. "And what to drink?" I hold my hand up politely.

"I'll just have water." I say quietly.

"I'll take a coke." He says. Seo Jun nods and walks off. I watch as he heads behind the front counter. "Okay, so how good are you with spicy food?" I shrug my shoulders.

"I think I'm okay. Why?"

"Korean food tends to be a little spicy. Lemme know if you can't handle it and I'll order you something a little less spicy for you." I wave my hand in the air.

"I'll be just fine." I say. He chuckles.

"I guess we'll just have to see." I giggle and he does too.

As we wait for our food, we make small talk. He tells me about his hometown and how he's an only child. His parents brought him to Seoul so he could attend a good school. He shares his hobbies. He likes to play a lot of video games and watch football. I guess him being on the team makes more sense now. He also shares that he can play the piano and likes water sports the best.

"Not to toot my own horn, but I'm a good performer as well. I love being in plays and dancing." I chuckle as I take a sip out my water. Is that also why he's in the drama club too?

"Maybe you should become a KPOP star." He shakes his head.

"That would be too much pressure." He rests his elbows on the table, cupping his head in his palms. "So, tell me. You're a sophomore right?" I nod my head.

"And you?"

"Also, a sophomore as well." He raises an eyebrow. "So, tell me a little about you." I shake my head.

"Isn't that what the journal is for?" I ask. He laughs, dropping his right arm on the table.

"Fair enough. I expect to hear a lot about you Seo Nari." Seo Jun returns back with our food and bows down before walking away. The burner has been on for a while so when Moonbin drops the beef on the skillet, it starts to sizzle right away. "This s how you make REAL Korean food." He says with a smile. I don't say anything. Instead, I admire his work.

"It better be good." I say, teasing him. He smirks. 'OMG' by NewJeans starts playing and he starts bobbing his head to the music. He even sings along. He's got a good voice. I don't tell him this though. It might stroke his ego a bit. He catches me smiling and looks at me.

"What are you smiling at? It can't possibly be me, right?" He asks. I quickly avert my eyes to the table. "Don't look away, look at me." Our eyes connect and his gaze doesn't falter. The meat crackles and he finally looks away to grab it off the skillet. My heart is pounding so loud, I can hear it in my ears. What is this feeling?

The meat is finally done and Seo Jun brings out the steamed egg. "If he would have brought that out earlier, then it would have flatten." He says. He claps his hands together. "Alright, let's eat." He says, smiling. I reach for chopsticks and grab a piece of pork belly from the skillet. He's turned the burner off. As we eat, I can't help the smile that forms on my face. I'm really enjoying my time here. I almost don't even miss that my friends that much. Is it because he makes me so comfortable? That I can be myself around him?

The meal is finished and once we are done, Moonbin pulls out a black card. "What's that?" I ask.

"It's my Dad's credit card." He says. He looks at me. "I only have it because my parents want to make sure I'm okay at school." That reminds me...

"Isn't Seoul University an academy? It's gotta be expensive, right?" I question. He shrugs his shoulders.

"More or less. I don't really know anything about the tuition. My parents handled everything." I tap my chin. I can hear Nayeon in the back of my head. 'He's set for life.' It seems like it would be intrusive to ask about his parents.

"Maybe Minjun can tell me." I mutter under my breath. Seo Jun comes back with a scanning machine to swipe his card. I don't see them often but I would have never guessed that Korea has one of these little machines as well.

After we pay for our meal, we head out. Stomachs full, I suddenly feel sleepy. I yawn. "C'mon. Let's go to a park. I know one that's not far from here." I follow after him. My feet feel heavy and I want to just lie down and close my eyes. After a couple of minutes of walking, we finally arrive to a park where there are benches and trees everywhere. There are some cherry blossoms still around. Moonbin reaches for my hand and guides me to a bench. He sits down and I sit next to him.

"Let's rest for a bit." I nod and look at the ground. It's covered in petals from the cherry blossom trees. It feels so warm and it's because of the weather. It feels like a warm hug that you get from someone who means a lot to you. Moonbin rests his head on my left shoulder. I freeze. "I'm going to close my eyes for three minutes. I just want to rest with you by my side." I glance down at him. He smells like fresh soap. His hair smells good too.

I close my eyes and rest my head on his. "I want to rest by your side too." I whisper so low. The wind gently brushes our cheeks, taking my words with it.

We walk around the park a bit and then head to an ice cream place where we order mint chocolate chip ice cream. As we head back to the academy, Moonbin starts to sing 'Falling for U' by Seventeen. I move my head side to side as his voice travels through one ear and out the other. "You sing so beautifully." I say as I stick the spoon in my mouth. He chuckles.

"I told you; I love performing." He says. He takes the last bite from his cup and smiles at me. "Nari. It's been so refreshing to spend time with you." We stop in front of the gates of the university. He looks at me. "I hope we can spend more time together." He whispers. I stick another mouthful of ice cream in my mouth.

"Of course, we are friends. Aren't we?" He blushes.

"Yeah, of course." We throw our trash in the bin and head up the stairs of the university. It's 4:12 pm. "I think Mister Kim wanted to speak to you after we arrived back. Do you want me to walk you there?" I nod my head.

"Mostly because I can't remember where to go." I admit. He laughs. His laugh is always so welcoming.

Once we arrive to Mister Kim's office. He walks close to me and wraps his arms around me. "Text me later. I'll bring the journal to dinner." He says. My face is red when he pulls away. I nod quickly and he briskly walks away. I sigh, taking a deep breath. You can do this Nari. I knock on the door quietly.

"Yes, come in." Mister Kim calls. I slowly open the door and walk in, closing it behind me. "Ah, Seo Nari. There you are. How are you liking Seoul?"

"It's a nice city." I say quietly. I clear my throat. "So, you said you wanted to talk to me."

"Ah, yes. About the reasoning behind you arriving to our university. Minjun handed in your application to join the Student Council club and Writing club?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah? Is that gonna be a problem?"

"Well, in regard to your history prior at your other school. Student Council is not a good option for you." He pinches the bridge of his nose together. "Can't afford another incident, can we?" I look at the ground. I suppose he's right but still.

"I've gotten better. I'm taking my medication and I'm in a better environment." I protest.

"I'm sorry Nari, it's not an option for you. Writing club is fair game though." I don't say anything. "That's all I wanted to say to you. You are free to go." I feel defeated but I don't have the strength to put up a fight. I don't say anything more. I open the door and walk out it, closing it behind me. I was for sure he was going to talk about my situation that happened back home but he didn't. I wonder why.

I head back to my dorm. It's 4:31 pm when I walk in. Nayeon isn't anywhere to be seen. She must be in the student lounge or something. Dinner doesn't start till 7 but I'm sure I'll still be full off of earlier. Moonbin and I really ate a lot. I slip my shoes off and toss them in the closet. I slowly climb into bed and close my eyes. Sleep is close by. I pull my phone out my pocket and peek at it. Moonbin said to text him. I send a quick text.

Nari: I'm heading to sleep. I might miss dinner. If you don't see me, I'll meet you in the student longue before lights out.

I push send and put my phone on my nightstand. Today was a wonderful day. I hope I can make more memories. Just with him.