For the first time in my life, I was summoned to a guidance center that is right beside the school staff room. I heard that it was a place for the students who made trouble.
What happened today morning became a huge topic of school gossip. Pork Belly and me, we’re covered in cuts and bruises. Couple of the students who were trying to separate us also got scars of their own.
Currently, Pork Belly and me were sitting in the school guidance center writing a letter of apology until the school day ends. Our homeroom teacher lectured us when he first brought us to the room and ordered us to stay in the center. We were alone in the room.
Our teacher intimidated us by informing us that if we fight one more time he will call and bring in our parents. Though we were put there in the same room, Pork Belly and me, we sat far away from each other and did not speak a word.
I had a conviction that Pork Belly was the culprit who ruined my painting, so I did not feel sorry for what I had done and certainly had no intention of talking to him. It might have been the same for Pork Belly because he was glaring at the paper on his desk with his hand gripping tightly on his mechanical pencil. His lips were shut in a firm line.
To tell you the truth, I finished writing the letter of apology thirty minutes ago. The problem was the fact that I had to stay in a space with the person I hate the most, alone.
I was metaphorically suffocating. I had to give our teacher props for choosing a punishment that aims to psychologically torture his students like this.
Maybe because of the subconscious pressure, my hands moved on their own and started drawing on one of the papers that our teacher left us with.
For me, drawing was the best past time activity.
I was drawing the dragon, one of the hardest characters to draw from Dragon Ball, guided half by my own imagination and other half by my memory of the character.
How did his front paws look like? What about his eyebrows? How many were his wrinkles on the forehead? I was wracking my brain for more details with an eraser on one hand and a paper on the other hand when I felt a pair of eyes watching me. Breaking my concentration, I turned my head.
“What?”
I threw him a question in a hostile voice. Our eyes met, and Pork Belly furrowed his brows. He tsked and turned his face away.
I studied Pork Belly’s unwashed hair that was full of grease, his tanned skin, and his clothes that were wrinkled with stains. I stared for a good while before opening my mouth to speak.
“Why did you do it?”
Maybe because some time had passed or maybe because I was drawing, but my heart felt much calmer against my chest. I spoke in a quiet, but in a steady voice. Slowly, Pork Belly’s sharp eyes landed on my face, scowling.
“You f***ing bastard. You f***ing hit me first, so what nonsense are you blabbering about?”
“I am talking about my painting.”
My answer might have been unexpected for Pork Belly because he squinted his already narrow eyes until it disappeared into a thin slit before questioning me.
“What?”
“My painting..It was up on the back board. Didn’t you do it?”
“Shit, you f***ing homo bastard. Did I do what?!”
He angrily pushed back his chair and got on his feet as he yelled out his question. I was speechless.
If I was in a same state of mind as I was in this morning, I would have declared his words as excuses.
Not because I had thin ears and my classmates were pointing fingers at Pork Belly, but because I wouldn’t be able to admit that there might be someone other than Pork Belly who hated me in our class.
But after listening to Pork Belly’s words full of curses with a settled mind, something started to nag at my conscious.
Something was starting to take form, but I could not quiet put my finger on it, so I frowned and buried myself in deep thoughts. Unexpectedly, Pork Belly stood there quietly as if he was waiting for me.
Once in a while, Pork Belly quietly cursed with the words that contained letter ‘b’ and ‘s’, but I was too busy thinking about whatever I was thinking that I did not care.
Unfortunately, like the name of a celebrity that you cannot remember even when your friend dies during a conversation, I could not figure out what was nagging at the back of my head even after few days.
Because I could not figure out things fast enough, now the whole school branded Pork Belly as a person who ripped my painting to shreds. Pork Belly who was always alone now was treated as if he was invisible.
.Well, it was also true that Pork Belly was bullying the whole class from the beginning.
On the art state contest that happened during that weekend, Yun-Su was able to receive bronze metal. The news spread quickly throughout the school on the following Monday.
Even until then, I was trying to piece together what I missed on that morning with my painting that I felt like my hair was going to turn white from all the thinking I did.
Normally, I would have put the blame all on Pork Belly and forget about the incident, but, maybe because I felt responsible for hurting him with my tasteless comment in the past, I was hesitant to do that when my conscious was telling me something was off.
A problem rose one day. It was one of many days when Pork Belly did not show up to school.
On that day, our homeroom teacher announced the news of Yun-Su’s winning in the art state contest and everyone clapped to congratulate him. Our teacher’s mood seemed very good that morning.
After quieting the class, our teacher announced another news.
“Our classmate Kim Seung-Pyo will be transferring to another school. Even though he did not say good bye, I am sure he feel sad to go. He will be parting with friends-“
Seung-Pyo? Feeling odd for hearing a name that I don’t remember I turned my body around toward Yun-Su and asked in a furtive voice.
“Who is Seung-Pyo?”
To my question, Yun-Su stared at me with an aghast expression as he simply answered.
“He is Pork Belly.”
So that was his name, Seung-Pyo.. But the teacher said he will transfer. I felt strange. Our teacher continued talking while I sat half turned in my seat, dazed.
“The class president and the vice president, you guys come up and help me return the paintings that I collected last week.”
As soon as our teacher finished his sentence, I heard Yun-Su getting up from his seat. Our teacher left, and the classroom became lively with students talking.
Most of their conversations were about Pork Belly. I think some even came over to speak with me, but I answered them absentmindedly. I was deep in my thoughts.
Something clicked in its place and was forming its shape in my mind.
“Don’t you feel relieved to see him go? Hey? What are you thinking about?”
Min-June was tapping at my arms and I slowly turned my head to look at him.
“There is something…”
“What?”
“You..Do you remember what my painting looked like?”
“You painting? Ah..that sliced ..painting? No, I don’t remember. I don’t think I saw it anyway.”
“…”
“What’s wrong with your face? Why are you suddenly asking about that..”
“No, nothing..”
“Oh.. are you in shock because Pork Belly is leaving?”
Shock? No..It’s more like astonished. Just before letting go of the issue, I grabbed onto something. It was a startling discovery that I could not relax my face.
TN: Jung, you stupid.
Hinawary 