Chapter 35: New Semester, New Classes

Monday | January 8th, 2024 | 12:23 PM

Unlike others, I was actually excited for the start of the new semester. Finding nothing to do besides work and hanging out with friends over the winter break was becoming tedious and boring. Not that I was complaining, but it felt repetitive. At least with school in the background, there was homework or classwork that'll take up some of my time and attention. And with last semester's flunk looming over my head, it'll give me the push to not do it again.

My schedule this semester was similar to my last one. Most of my classes were all bunched on my Mondays and Wednesdays, with just a single class on Tuesday and Thursdays so I have time for work later in the day. Speaking of which, I was finally arriving at my first class of the day, Sociology, or what I call, 'the easy A'.

As long as I knew how to bullshit my way around why society acts the way society does, I was pretty much guaranteed a passing grade. Or at least, that’s what I heard from Jinho and Wooyoung, who took the class together last semester.

Walking into the class, the lights were bright and the lecture was already set up. As usual, the class was held in a massive lecture hall with rows of chairs and stairs. Taking a seat at the topmost row, I could see everyone slowly trickle into the room as they moved past me and filled up the seats.

For as big of a classroom as this was, the size is a bit deceiving since there's barely fifty people in the room, including the professor who strutted in a few minutes before class began. He was an older gentleman, tall and broad-shouldered. He wore a button-down and slacks, and his hair was greying. I was staring at my phone, watching the time countdown until the first class begins.

That was when my neck started to prickle and there was a feeling that I needed to look up and examine the room. I had no clue why I felt this, maybe a gut instinct, or just the feeling that I needed to. So I turned my head around, looking and scanning the room. But as I turned my head and looked down at the rows of chairs, a familiar face stood out amongst the rest. A student sitting at the edge of the room, about seven rows under me and eight seats away.

Her closed off expression, the stoic and neutral demeanor compared to the two girls she was sitting with, the brown hair tied in a ponytail. There was no mistake. I would know her anywhere, any time, and any place. My first class of the semester and the first person I recognize is Haerin.

I stared at her for a moment longer, my gaze lingering. There was an odd feeling that washed over me, something akin to shock, mixed with a touch of excitement. Sitting to her side was Hanni and Danielle, who I expected would've been in classes with Haerin, and the three of them were quietly chatting and talking amongst themselves. Haerin's attention was focused on the front of the lecture hall ahead of her.

There was a small pause, and a brief moment where I felt myself getting lost in the sight. She had her legs crossed and her arms folded. I felt like I should go say hi, maybe even sit with them and talk. I gathered my things and stood up, moving down the stairs towards the friend group.

Getting closer, I willed a friendly and calm demeanor, keeping the pace and speed at a normal and steady level. With each step down the stairs, I could feel my heart beating faster. As soon as I was one row away from them, my feet came to a halt behind them when Danielle's eyes turned and met mine.

The girl had her hair down and wavy today and her cute features were prominent. She was looking at me with a friendly and welcoming smile, her eyes were bright and energetic. It was almost infectious, and a smile was already finding itself on my face.

"Oh my gosh, Minjae!" Danielle's bubbly greeting alerted Hanni and Haerin to look back at me. Haerin's mute and flat expression shaped into a small and warm smile, while Hanni had a big and excited grin.

"Hey guys, I didn't know you guys were going to take sociology this semester," I said, trying to sound casual and nonchalant.

"We can say the same about you," Hanni laughed. "Come, sit." Looking down, the only available seat was next to Haerin, which I happily will take. Haerin scooted her stuff closer to her and gave me some room to put my bag down. "I'm glad we're all taking this class together," She added as I sat down.

I nodded and replied, "Yeah, me too." Haerin bounced her head and turned back towards the front of the class. I could tell she was wearing lip gloss and some eyeliner, but not enough to make it seem like she was trying to impress anyone.

"Is anyone else in this class?" Danielle asked out loud.

"Hmm, no one that we know," Hanni murmured as she started moving her head around the room. "Unless Minjae knows anyone?"

"Oh, no, I only recognized you guys," I answered, and Danielle smiled and nodded.

"What'd you do during the winter break?" Hanni asked, leaning over Haerin's desk to get closer to me.

"Uh," My mind was spinning as I tried to summarize my bland break, "Work, work, and work. And then went out with friends. But, besides that, nothing."

"That sounds fun," Hanni chuckled, "Over the break, Danielle and I started volunteering at pet shelters and local soup kitchens."

"Woah," I exclaimed, "That's really cool."

"At first, we were just there to play with the dogs and cats but we just got really into it and stuck around," Danielle explained, "Working at the soup kitchens are pretty fun too. I mean, we're not the ones cooking, but the people there are always nice and the conversations they have are fun."

"You'd be surprised how rewarding it is, and how much it makes you appreciate the things you have," Hanni stated. I nodded along and hummed. Hanni and Danielle are probably two of the most positive and happy people I've ever met, so seeing them working at a soup kitchen is very fitting and wholesome.

"You should come with us sometime," Danielle gasped, "I promise it'll be fun."

"We tried convincing Haerin to come, but the girl wanted to stay home over the break," Hanni nudged Haerin, who didn't react and just continued staring at the front.

"Well, I'll think about it," I chuckled, looking over at Haerin, "I'll go if Haerin goes." Haerin looked at me, and our eyes met. Her gaze was strong and unwavering, and a small and soft smile formed.

"Yeah, I guess," She said, and then turned away. A coy response, but her voice was light and happy. Hanni gasped and leaned her head onto Haerin's shoulder, the quiet girl simmering with a warm smile.

"I've been looking forward to this," Danielle's giddy voice chirped, "It's going to be so fun. I'll let you know the details when they come Minjae, I promise!"

"Cool," I replied, nodding. Haerin turned to me and her eyes were sparkling, and the corner of her lips curved into a slight smirk. The sight sent shivers down my spine, and there was a warmness in my chest. The chatter between us grew as more people entered the classroom. Danielle was sitting straight and her posture was perfect as she talked to us, her head swiveling around as she looked back to the front to make sure the professor wasn't saying anything too important.

Hanni was just like Danielle, minus the ADHD symptoms. The girl was smiling a lot, her face bright and her gestures lively. Haerin, meanwhile, surprised me the most. Maybe it was because I still have this idea that she's just a quiet girl who was always shy and introverted. However, her attitude towards the conversation was different, it was more lively. She was laughing and adding onto the banter, and she wasn't holding herself back.

I was reminded of one of our first deep conversations we had and how she admitted to wanting to be a bit more open. Looks like she's following through on that, and I was pleasantly surprised. It's nice to see her be so expressive and confident, even if it's a small amount.

Our conversation continued even as the professor was lecturing. He was explaining the syllabus and his expectations of us. Though, I couldn't care less about that. Sociology was a pretty simple subject and the material was easy. All we needed to do was read the textbook and the class materials, and pass the final and a couple of exams.

"What's your schedule looking like, Minjae?" Hanni whispered, her eyes shifting to the front. "Are you free after class? We were planning on grabbing lunch together."

"Shoot, that sounds like fun," I responded. "But, I have two classes right after this. So, unfortunately, I can't."

"Next time then," She answered with a slight pout, her lower lip jutting out. Haerin's eyes met mine, and she gave me an exaggerated frown. I couldn't help but smile and chuckle a little, finding their disappointment cute.

"Next time," I nodded, "I promise."

"Good," Danielle chimed in, "So, what classes do you have after this?"

"Uh, biology II and this intermediate computer science class."

"Wait, Bio II," Haerin repeated, "I have that too, on Tuesdays and Thursday though." She gave me another exaggerated frown followed by a comical sigh. "We should've coordinated our schedules," She whined.

"That's the problem with GenEds, no one plans them, and they just kind of happen," Danielle commented.

"True, it's unfortunate." I murmured, giving Haerin an apologetic look.

"Don't worry about it, we'll always be studying together, we'll see each other enough," Hanni comforted.

"I see you too much as it is," Danielle sighed and shook her head, bumping her shoulder against Hanni.

"Hey," She nudged her back. We laughed, and Haerin covered her mouth as her laughter grew.

"Okay, okay, let's pay attention," Haerin whispered and leaned back, her shoulder pressing against mine.

"Mmm," Danielle grumbled, a sly smile spreading across her face, "I guess so."

"Alright, alright," Hanni agreed, and her posture straightened, and her head tilted towards the front of the lecture hall.

I took a quick glance at Haerin, and she was already focused on the professor. Her attention was on him and her expression was serious, changing instantly as she locked in. I followed her lead, turning my attention towards the professor as he was going on and on about the course and expectations.