Attempt 4: Levelling up to Classmates

I got this down buddy. I so got this. I’m going to make this a bad romance that you’ll never forget.

Exactly my type of chant. You know, when you’re lacking self-confidence, you really have to boost up your morale. So, I end up telling myself motivational words. They’re kind of like TED talks, except way more . . . concise. Let’s just put it that way.
Oh yes, I’m definitely getting nervous as I head for geography class. That path down the stairs has made me fall on my bottom before. I was wearing heels and I just slipped backwards, which really reminded me of those Youtube videos of those runway models slipping on super high heels. They looked like falling bamboo sticks with their long legs, and yes, I did have a good laugh. With all those related links of falling girls, who wouldn’t laugh?

Of course, I laughed at myself then when I slipped like them. My friend, Sunye, seemed more concerned about me than myself. Pretty ironic, I’d say. Oh, and I go down this path for another case just to clarify. I have my business class in this building as well. It’s too bad Mr. Ninja doesn’t have business class with me. I could, at least, walk around with him more often, or maybe chase after him.

Whatever, I think. Whatever, I got this shit down. I’m incredibly awesome. Who wouldn’t want to be my friend huh? That’s right, incoming woman with a gangster hat on, look at me and be jealous. Be fucking jealous that I’m that cool. Honestly if someone played some rap music, I’d be bobbing my head back and forth and probably singing, “They see me rollin’. They hatin’ . . .”

Except I have no car. Damn.

Now, I’m rehearsing what questions I need to ask him.

Right, I need to ask him how his business class is going on. I’m pretty sure he takes business!  I’m positive he does. A smart guy like him is most likely aiming at the business program we have at our college. Our college has this prestigious program for business, and I’m trying out for it. The retarded part is that even though you have a special status in the first two years to do whatever you want to study in, you still have to maintain an A average overall and do a ton of extra-curricular activities. If you don’t, you aren’t allowed in the program in the third year.

So yes, I’m in that building, and I’m heading to the front of the class. I’m pretty sure I know where he is. He likes to wait beside the elevators next to some newsstands. He likes to read the papers too. I’m not sure if that’s just to look cool, if he really likes to read or if he’s just darn bored. I think it’s a mix of all three. I wouldn’t touch newspapers though. I hate the feeling of them on my skin. Still, I know I have to pick up a stack because my club and three other clubs are hosting a famine. Apparently, we need newspapers for some activity. Who really knows? Our club wasn’t exactly involved in the activity planning process or it was more like our ideas were rejected since we didn’t share the same vision as the other clubs. It’s okay. As long as we host a charitable event, then I’m happy. Seriously, though, club politics sucks. I’m pretty sure it’s a precursor to future office politics. Great.

Great.

He’s surrounded by two people! One is a blonde girl and another is an Asian guy. I can’t even greet him coolly. Jesus. I can’t wait at another place, so off I go to the washroom that’s around the corner. If I pretend to pee, fix my hair and check my eye makeup, then by that time, those people should be gone right? That’s exactly what I do, and when I’m out of the washroom, I throw the paper towel into the bin by stepping on the handle with my foot. The lid opens, so I toss my trash there. It doesn’t close though. Okay, I think, let me just push it down and . . .

Bang!

Everyone is probably looking at me. I know Mr. Ninja has seen me because I catch a glimpse of his head shifting in my direction. It’s just one second, and there he goes back to his newspaper reading. I’m thinking what I should do. Should I say hi? Should I interrupt his reading? Is that rude? Would he get pissed? Calm down, I tell myself. He’s just a man. That’s right. Let me just be cool, and pretend to check my phone first. Stand kind of close to him.

And then a few minutes pass.

Okay, he does not notice me. He is clearly still reading. I’m sure if I don’t do anything, he won’t even say hi to me. This is awful. This is so awful, and this is exactly when I feel like grabbing a stack of newspapers for my event. They are right beside him anyways. It’s not like it’ll be really awkward, right? He’ll definitely see me this way, and it’s an excuse to stand even closer to him.

So, I do exactly as I planned, and as I stuff a bunch of papers into my backpack, I pretend to casually recognize him and ask, “Hey! So how’s the feasibility project going on?”

I’m done stealing newspapers by this time, and his eyes seem to light up, or at least, I hope they do, as he answers, “Oh hi. It’s fine, I guess.”

“Have you guys started writing on the first draft?”

He closes his newspapers to utter, “No. We’re working on it this weekend.”

“Oh good,” I let out a sigh of relief. “I thought our group was the only one behind.”

Then, he lets out a cute smile revealing his perfect teeth. “No,” he says, “you’re not.”

“So, what part are you in charge of?” I continue to ask. “The budgeting?”

I can’t really hear him because he starts to mumble, but I think he replies, “No, I’m just getting my sister to do that. She graduated from the business program here.” Then, he quickly adds in a hot whisper, “But don’t tell anyone that.”

I’m pretty sure I’m smiling like a crazy woman who owns tons of cats. Somehow, I feel special that he’s letting me in on a secret. Oh, and that he’s smiling. He was smiling when he talked to those two people, and . . . to be honest, I didn’t feel too good about that. They made him smile, and you rarely see him smiling!

“Haha,” I answer. “I won’t.”

“So what about you?”

Oh my lord. This is the first question he has asked me, I think! He’s trying to carry on a conversation! I’m so happy that I think I might be swooning. Still, I regain my composure and answer, “I’m kind of doing a bit of everything. You know, sometimes people don’t work as fast, so you can’t really move on. I kind of end up doing their part. I’m trying my best to stay away from the budgeting though. I’m not really that careful, and if you mess up on an Excel formula, the whole thing might be a disaster.”

“Yeah.”

“So what else are you doing for your part?” I inquire, hoping to learn more about him.

“Oh, I’m also doing more of the marketing stuff,” he utters, “and some legal issues.”

“Legal issues? What legal issues?” I suddenly panic. My project doesn’t have any legal issues. Am I missing something? Did I overlook some aspect?

I’m pretty sure he notices me panicking so he explains, “Well, you know like patents. Our project is about selling gloves that can be used to touch touch screens, like Iphones.”

“Oh . . .”

“Yeah.”

There’s this sudden silence, and I don’t want there to be one. Think, think, think of something to say so that we can have a nice conversation. Think, Haera!
“By the way,” I suggest out of the blue, “would you be interested in participating in a famine?” He’s looking at me with his puzzled eyes, waiting for me to explain some more. “I’m hosting this event with another club and . . .”

“Is this like the 30-hour famine?” He helps me finish my thoughts.

“Yeah, yeah!”

“Oh, I did that in high school,” he tells me nonchalantly.

“It’s on February 10th at 5 pm at Lee’s College.”

“Yeah, sure,” he agrees almost too easily.

I can’t believe it. He said yes. He said yes to me! Oh my god. I’m too excited already that I want to hand him the donation form that he has to use. Shucks. I don’t have those yet, but that’s good! That means I can use that to see him again! Yes! Yes! Yes!

And this is when students start appearing from the lecture room, meaning that it’s time for our class. I’m too ecstatic that I forget that I have to wait for him so we can sit together. Shoot, I’m already walking several paces ahead of him. Is he going to sit with me then? Will he?

Whatever, I think. I’ll be cool about this. I’m walking to an almost empty row of seats. That’s right. I’m going to claim a spot kind of close to the middle, so that I can see properly. I wonder if he’s here yet? I turn around and notice that he’s coming into the room through the same doors as me. Yes. Please, Mr. Ninja just follow me. Surprisingly, he comes to my row, but takes a spot at the end of this row, which is at least four spots away from me. Luckily, I’m not settled yet, so I move to sit beside him. Oh, that’s such a suave move coming from me. I definitely rock, but that’s another point.

As I’m getting into my seat, he’s putting his newspaper into his backpack and asks me, “So did you hear about the new logo and name that they’re giving for our college?”

“Yeah!” I know this news. Thank god for Facebook and people complaining about this. “It’s rather silly I think. I don’t think we really need this at all. I’m against it completely, like I get the logo change, but really to change our school’s name. Sure, we’ll use a different name to market ourselves but legally, we’re still the same, but . . . gosh, it’s just stupid.” He doesn’t say much, so I ask him, “What do you think?”

He’s settled down, and so he mumbles almost too quickly for me to hear, “I don’t really care about it. As long as it doesn’t affect our business program, then it’s okay.”

Mph, I feel bummed out. He doesn’t agree with me! We’re already not agreeing! What is this, and how can he be so mellow about these things? Still, I’m not as angry as I normally would be if someone else had answered me like that. I progress with asking, “So, are you doing the business program?”

“Yeah, I have that status.”

“Oh me too! So, what are you majoring in right now?”

“I’m in economics.”

“Oh wow, I am too! Did you have Sooyoung as your professor?”

He shakes his head, replying, “No, I decided to do specialization in economics, not the honours type.”

“Really? You’re allowed to do that?” I almost jump up from my seat. I can’t believe there’s an easy way out of this horrible economics program I am in. It pretty much crushed my first term’s marks, and now I have to work super hard with my other subjects to boost my average up.

“Yeah, you don’t have to take honours.” This is where he lets out that devilishly sexy smile. It’s like he’s beating the system, and he is, and he’s just savouring the moment. Being a hot, bad nerd. That totally works . . . with me.

“What?” I holler. “Oh my god! Why didn’t I . . . Oh my god!”

He’s taking joy in my spazzes because he’s laughing with his mouth wide open. He’s laughing for once! As I continue to be in shock, he reassures me, “I’m sure admissions will take into consideration that you did a harder economics major than me.”

“Yeah, I guess so . . .” Again, there’s a bit of a pause, and I just can’t stand silence during conversations. Therefore, I pose, “So did you take Professor Park’s class for econ?”

He teases with his pursed lips, “Yeah . . . for two classes.”

“Seriously, you made the right choice,” I repeat my message. “I was suffering.” Again, he’s chuckling at my reaction, and I hope to learn more about him. So, I continue to interrogate him. “So, where are you from?”

“Oh, I was born in Seoul, but then I moved to LA,” he clarifies. It’s no wonder he can speak Korean so well!

“I’m actually from Seattle.”

“That’s sort of close then . . . to LA.”

“Yeah, west coast,” I utter. “I really miss the weather there.”

“It is rainier though in Seattle.”

“It is, but at least it doesn’t get super cold in the winter!” He chuckles again, and I can’t help but think he’s cute. Why is he so cute? Sigh. We have another weird pause. I’m thinking of more questions to ask. I end up wondering, “So, what do you want to do in business? Banking?”

“Probably. My brother is an investment banker. My dad is a banker. So either that or corporate law.”

“Oh . . . and what’s your name? I didn’t quite catch it last time.”

“I’m Kai.”

Kai! Not key or kite, but Kai. He . . . sounds so exotic. I like it. I like his name already. I think we can be good friends. Haera and Kai? That sounds really good. Now, I just need his last name. Oh, I’ll just get it off of his donation form when he fills it out. His email, his phone, his last name . . . Hehe, the perks of doing charity.

I just have a feeling that it’ll be good. I think, for once, that this can work out. I have faith in myself that I can even be a ninja with Mr. Ninja, no, Kai.