Spaced Out

                                    

                                          


                          
The raging sound of the alarm ringing has wakened Jieun up. Still half asleep, hair tousled all over her face, she groggily stretches her arm to reach and stop the alarm. It stopped. The alarm was done with its job but Jieun, she went back to sleep after a good yawn.

                          
She had a good sleep – so good she slept for another 30 minutes. After a short nap, she wakes up fresh, totally in a good mood. She slowly gets up from her bed, stretches her arms up in the air. "Good morning," she greets herself before reaching for the book on her side table. She opens it to where the bookmark was wedged in between and she sits for an hour dedicated to reading. She closes the book and places it back on the side table until she notices her digital clock. 
                          
9:32 am. Friday.
                          
Her eyes shot wide open. 
                          
Friday.
                          
Shit!
                          
I'm late!
                          
And within seconds, Jieun has found herself in the bathroom, abruptly brushing her teeth while she spits almost inaudible words of complaint. "You are so..." brush brush "...s sstupidft-" spit. She wipes her mouth with a face towel and hurriedly reaches for her foam cleanser. "I can't believe it's a Friday! Isn't it Saturday?!" She squeezes the tube. The foam cleanser comes out and she rubs it on her face, the substance forming bubbles. She washes it off, pat-dry her face, and quickly rushes to her closet. She rummages through her selection of clothes and grabs her uniform as soon as her eyes spot it. She hooks her bag on her shoulder and is ready to go. 
                          
After a few steps on the stairs, she stops on her tracks and feels her top's pocket. She figures she was missing something – "Ah the pin!" She screamed and runs back to her room. Luckily, she was still in the apartment. It would be a torture to run back to the apartment when she's already at school. 
                          
Why was Jieun acting this way?
                          
Flashback of the night.
                          
Jieun was found hopelessly rechecking her messages every now and then. It has been a week since there was no update from her boyfriend. It wasn't because she was being clingy but it was more off a splurge of worry running through her veins. He was never the type to skip a day without contacting her. Being out of reach for a week had made it even worse. 
                          
What could have happened to him? – was all in her head as she walks back and forth in her room, looking like a mess with her tousled bun and lousy clothing. It was evident in her eyes that she had been crying as well out of worry. She was worried something bad might have happened to him like getting into an accident. But she highly hopes and prays that it's not the case. Whatever it is, it had been giving her sleepless nights for several days. 
                          
Jungkook had been caught up with all his thoughts. Thoughts of Lee Jieun, specifically. He had been wondering why has she seem so spacey recently during their usual rooftop meeting. There was something odd about it. He already guessed she has a problem. 
                          
"Maybe it's him again?" But then again, he remembered prior that Jieun had mentioned calling her and she was beyond ecstatic. Her mood seems to switch from happy to sad frequently. It makes Jungkook sad to be seeing her like this. 'He doesn't deserve you.'
                          
He hasn't realized it but his deep pondering has been causing him to walk slowly. He checks his watch and discovers it was a few minutes left before his class begins.
                          
About 2 minutes left until the school bell rings. Jungkook hurriedly dashes through the sea of students, bumping every person who comes his way. It was a normal occurrence at school that some students were used to the slight bumps and push that they shrug it off. Others would utter a "hey!" while frowning but they still let it off. Some wished the school would expand the hallway. Lockers stood on each side of the hallway. Some students were pushed against them, may it be accidentally or intentionally. Bullying still exists in this generation, unfortunately.