the girl in the corner.

episode 5: her face.

today, our teacher for the first lesson was absent for private reasons. the school wanted to have a substitute teach us, but my classmates begged me to convince the faculty that we'd been working hard and we need a little rest. our school is pretty strict, so i didn't know if it would be in my power to convince them. in the end, after many pleadings and encouragements from my classmates, i went to the school faculty room.

some of my classmates followed after me to see what would happen, while others stayed back in class chatting with their friends and waiting for the news that i shall bring. i entered the staff room and was greeted by teachers of mine and of other classes and grades. i saw my homeroom teacher at his desk in the corner of the room, and i approached and greeted him. he was a kind, old man, and i felt comfortable asking him for favors and any other thing.

his face had a kind, wrinkly smile upon seeing me, and immediately i felt my earlier nerve dissipate. i asked him if he would grant us a free first period, and repeated parrot-fashion the words my friends told me to say. the man had a pondering expression on his face, and in the end told me with a smile that we deserved it, and that we have permission for a free period. i don't know if he said that because he favors me, or because he genuinely meant that. but i digress.

i bowed respectfully at him and at the other teachers, then emerged from the staff room and told my classmates that we had a free period. they'd all erupted in quiet cheers, and i smiled and stretched my arms over my head.

when i entered the classroom, i found the nameless girl moving around the classroom looking under the desks which weren't occupied. the entire class was looking at her strangely. i think they were wondering what made her get up from her seat and move around like this. she must be looking for something.

the people that accompanied me to the staff room dismissed her and went to their friend groups, and i could see they were all discussing the quiet girl. i, in turn, stood by the doorway watching as the girl moved around in a panic.

she must be looking for her notebook!

i released a quiet oh in realization and went to my backpack, flipping through my notebooks for her own. in less than a minute of searching, i pulled out the black notebook and approached the girl. she was at the front row, her head bent down to look under the empty desk she was at. i stood behind her and tapped her shoulder with my free hand, and she jolted up in something i could read as fright, or surprise. for the first time ever i saw her face.

her heart shaped face, her half chubby cheeks, her hooded eyes and her naturally pouty lips. she was strangely pretty, and her appearance had a dark but delicate aura to it. i felt i must protect her against the world. she seemed fragile.

she had a strange resemblance to the girl i saw at the mini supermarket two days ago, and her thick bangs that fell over her eyes certainly resembled those of the supermarket girl. it could be a possibility that it was her whom i encountered then, but it's still a possibility. i didn't give it much thought, however.

i extended the notebook i held in my hand towards her shorter figure. i don't know if it was my tall physique, or she was actually short, but our height gap was very noticeable. her eyes dropped from my own to the notebook in my hands, and i saw a look of huge relief replace the terrified flash in her eyes. she took the notebook from my hold with horribly shaking hands, i couldn't help but notice, as she slowly reached her hands to her property.

after retrieving the secret book, she looked up at me and gave me a weak, thankful smile, and she bowed slightly at me then went back to her seat, resuming her usual ritual of doodling and scribbling into the notebook.

i watched as she walked away from me and sat at her desk, with an unknown feeling in my heart. was it excitement? was it exhilaration that i'd finally seen her face? i am not quite sure, but i do know that she brought a smile to my face. i shook my head and went back to my desk, casting a quick glance at her before turning away.

i forgot to ask her name.