Thorns of a Lily

Nari looked outside the bus window. She sat at the front of the bus, right behind the bus driver himself. Nari stared blankly, not focusing on anything particular because she was deep in her thoughts. The encounter yesterday evening with the three men and teenager named Luhan flooded her thoughts.

Lu Han.

She kept on repeating his name in her head. She had never seen him before and wondered if he was still in high school or college. A small smile made its way onto her pink lips when she thought about him. She truly was thankful for the fact that he saved her, and she was even more thankful that he didn’t question her why she never talked to him. She was always bright and cheery, until someone brought up that subject.

“Are you a mute?”

“Why don’t you ever talk?”

“Are you stupid or did your tongue get cut off?”

Nari was very aware of things spoken about her. She knew that they all wanted to know whether she truly was a mute or if she was just a quiet person. Nari didn’t want to tell anyone the truth though. She feared that she would receive their sympathy—the last thing she needed.
She placed her hands on her lap and let out a soft sigh. She looked down, causing a few strands of her brown hair to fall, covering her face. She pulled on the sleeves of the jacket of her uniform and looked back up, noticing that she was the only person on the bus wearing the brown uniform. Students from her school usually had their own drivers take them to school. Nari; however, preferred to go to school by bus. At first people thought of her as a poor little student, but when they saw her play the violin, they decided to try and better themselves so a girl, whom they thought was poor, wouldn’t be able to beat them. Because it would be a shame to be beaten in performing arts by a girl that was of a lower status, wouldn’t it? The egos of the students at Seoul only continued to grow throughout the school year.

The bus stopped shortly, welcoming new passengers. Nari shivered unnoticeably. It was early March, meaning that there was still a chill in the air. She slightly bit her tongue and let a soft sigh escape her lips. She looked back out the window, still thinking about the boy. He had been on her mind all day and night. The more she thought about the bad situation she was in, the more important information that she remembered about him. At first, she cared not that he was the son of a CEO, but now that her senses were on full alert, she did care. What if she was just a charity case to him? What if he just wanted a taste of what it felt like to be a normal struggling high school or college student? Nari wasn’t a student struggling with bills and yet she still worked to gain extra money. Why? Well, that was a secret she never wanted anyone to know.
Lost in her thoughts, Nari didn’t notice that the bus had stopped at her designated destination. Luckily, the kind bus driver knew her well and waved Nari out of her trance.

“Miss Jung, we’re at your stop,” the bearded middle age man spoke.

Nari blinked several times and focused her vision on the bus driver. He was in his normal attire—a button down blue dress shirt and black slacks. His brown hair, with hints of grey, was styled down in a natural way. When Nari finally processed his words, she immediately stood up in embarrassment and flashed him a thankful smile. She waved goodbye before deciding whether to take the exit that was way back of the packed bus, or to just go out through the front door. The bus driver took noticed of Nari’s internal dilemma and chuckled. He opened the front door and gestured her to go.

“It’s fine. It’s not like you’re breaking a rule or something,” the bus driver let out a hearty laugh.

That was true, but still, there were unsaid manners when it came to riding buses and getting off. But, in the end, Nari decided to just go through the front door, offering the man another thankful smile. During the past three years, she had grown fond of the man. He was like an uncle that understood how her life worked. She didn’t need to write down words or make ungodly hand gestures for him to understand her. She appreciated that very much. There weren’t many people who understood her silent words and meanings.

The bus driver waved goodbye one last time before he closed the doors and drove off, blending, not sowell, into the morning traffic that overtook the streets of the city. Nari took in a deep breath through her nostrils, lifting her shoulders as she did so. She smiled in content at the fresh air and began walking towards the academy that was only a block away.

Not uttering a word, she carefully observed her surroundings. The many cars that she passed by were in a frenzy to get to their destination. The low hiss of buses stopping filled the air.

People walked up and down the sidewalks, talking on the phone or trying to push their way past people. Businessmen and women walked in their suits with their heads held high. Strangely they reminded Nari of her fellow students. They had egos as high as the sky.

Nari smiled to herself, knowingly. She would never be able to be that confident, but being the presence of those kind of people encouraged her to have more confidence—although they did tend to look down on her.

Bloodroots blossomed, littering the park across the street—signaling that it was early spring. Spring—Nari had always enjoyed that season. It was not too cold, nor was it too hot. The weather was perfect and flowers bloomed. The city was full of nature, beautiful nature.

The cold air brushed against her tan skin. Her brown skirt reached her knees, but still the cold stung at her legs. She finally made it to the entrance of the academy. The big black iron gates welcomed her. She smiled lightly and blended in to the sea of students. Instead of sticking out like a sore thumb in a crowd of people running to their jobs, she was now in her ownenvironment. And, for the first time that year, Nari scanned the faces of the people around her. She knew deep down that it was almost impossible that a boy she didn’t even know would be attending her school. But still, she didn’t want to get her hopes up just yet. She felt as though the juice box that she had given the boy wasn’t a good enough thank you present. She could have at least written him a thank you letter—that was exactly what she did.

A thank you letter was understandable since she didn’t talk. Not only did she want to thank him for helping her that day, but she also wanted to thank him for not forcing her to talk. He didn’t shun her or laugh at her like people normally did. And for some reason, Nari knew that he understood her situation to some extent. Maybe he knew someone that was a mute.

Nari made it to the front doors of the academy. Before walking in, she pulled out her schedule from the pocket of her jacket. Schedules were changing that day. The academy had a special way of learning different subjects. There was one class that changed for everyone every two months. There were a wide variety of different subjects to choose from, and with Nari loving drawing, she signed up for an art class.

Through her almost four years at the school, she had never taken an art class. Her freedom of picking her own classes was stripped from her by her father. She was to take extra violin lessons and classes only, but her father had finally laid back, letting her pick her last two-month class ever. It was an understatement to say that she was excited. Nari quickened her pace—her footsteps lightly tapping against the white tiled flooring. She looked down at the room number displayed next to the name of her class.

Room 201.

She looked back up and spotted the room number engraved into a plaque that hung off a wall. She smiled brightly and quickly walked in. The classroom was still empty to some extent. A few students sat on wooden stools that were scattered across the room in a non-uniform way. Each stool had an easel and blank canvas accompanying it. The walls were painted a plain white. A few drawings from past students hung on the wall, along with portraits of famous artists and replicas of their masterpieces. The excitement in Nari only continued to grow. She figured that the stools were set out for all the students attending the class. She counted the number of seats, wanting to know how many classmates she was going to have.

One, two, three . . . Luhan?

Nari’s eyes landed on a troubled looking boy. He wore a frown. His hair was disheveled, as if he had run his hair through it multiple times. His lips were in a firm line as he stared at the blank canvas. No, he wasn’t thinking about what to draw, but rather he was focused on something else. Nari knew that much.

When she realized that the person sitting on the stool just a few feet away from her really was Luhan, she gasped quietly. She looked around the classroom that had a few students sitting at the far end of the room. She carefully treaded up to Luhan, not wanting to break him out of his trance. If he was angry, she didn’t want to be the target of his anger. Ever so lightly, she took her seat on the stool beside him. She set her bag on the ground right next to her feet and rolled back her shoulders. Her eyes went down to his white name tag.

Lu Han.

She confirmed his name. Well, at least he didn’t lie to her about that. That would have been awkward. Nari smiled and relaxed a little bit. She looked around the classroom that was slowly filling up with students. Nari concentrated on the number of students and the clock, wondering when the teacher would arrive. There were rumors going around that the art teacher was one of the best.

“Nari.”

Nari’s eyes widened. She looked to her left just in time to see Luhan lower his head to look at the ground. He had whispered her name. He remembered her too. She wanted him to look back up at her so she could greet him and give him the letter, but he kept on avoiding eye contact with her. She felt a little disappointed. Did he not want to befriend her because she was supposedly “poor?” But, she knew that he wasn’t that shallow. He couldn’t be . . . right? He wasn’t like every other student at Seoul Academy . . . right?

Nari quietly retreated her happy smile and looked down at her hands. She felt like she just got rejected. She bit her lower lip and let a silent sigh leave her lips. Unconsciously, she scooted her stool farther away from Luhan. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings, but she didn’t want to feel uncomfortable either.

The class began to erupt into cheers. Nari looked up and saw a beautiful young woman—maybe in her mid-twenties—walk into the room. Her curly dark brown hair reached just below her elbows. Her green eyes sparkled in the sunlight that came through the large windows that ran up and down the left wall of the room. She wore a white apron, covered in different colors of paint and pastels, above her green spring dress that complimented her eyes.

“Good morning, class!” she beamed.

She had a lot of energy for a teacher. It was rare to see a teacher so excited about their job. That was what made Nari like the woman even more. She knew that the teacher would be a great mentor.

“Good morning, Mrs. Kang!” some students said back, just as energized.

A small smile tugged at Nari’s lips, but she couldn’t bring herself to fully smile. She still felt a bit down. Maybe Luhan was embarrassed to be sitting next to her.

He probably didn’t know that I went to this school.

Dejected, Nari quietly grabbed onto her bag and made an attempt to walk to an empty stool a few feet away, but a strong grasp on her wrist stopped her. She quietly gasped and looked back—still crouched down. Luhan was giving Nari a pleading look. He was slightly pouting. His eyes looked sad, tired, and sorry. Nari gulped and slowly sat back down. Luhan smiled just the slightest bit before letting go of her. Nari slowly put her hand back onto her lap. She just stared at him while he did the same.

“Okay, today, I’ll give you freedom. Just draw or paint whatever onto the blank canvases in front of you. I want to see the potential that each and every one of you have. Now, let’s get going! Chop chop!” Mrs. Kang clasped her hands together, urging everyone to begin.

Nari and Luhan looked away from each other at the same time. They both pulled out their own pencils and stared at the blank canvases before themselves. Taking in a deep breath at the same time, they both began drawing. Nari’s eyes narrowed down onto her pencil as she carefully drew an oval that resembled a head. Luhan looked at Nari and smiled before looking back at his canvas and drawing with a happy mind-set. He was angry earlier, but having Nari around made him happy. Because of his bad mood earlier that morning, he couldn’t fully express his shock in seeing that she was in the same class as him. He was a bit nervous. He didn’t want Nari to think that he would mock her and make her life a living-hell (if it wasn’t already) because he knew about her secret job. He hoped that Nari wouldn’t be scared, but then again, why was she sitting next to him if she was?

Mrs. Kang stood at the front of the classroom before walking around to examine her students. She noticed that some were better than others and some students couldn’t even think about what to draw. Most of her students sat at the front of the classroom, but two specific students sat towards the back. She smiled faintly before pressing her pink lips together into a firm line. She quietly walked towards the two students with much curiosity. She noticed that they didn’t talk much. The boy seemed to glance at the girl every few seconds, which probably meant one thing and one thing only. The girl however, stopped every now and then to close her eyes and think. Mrs. Kang chuckled silently and decided to not disturb them, but not before reading their name tags.

Lu Han and Jung Nari. What a strange and interesting duo.

⚜⚜⚜

“Alright, class! That’s all for today! Turn in your drawings even if you’re not finished! You’ll still get full credit!” Mrs. Kang clasped her hands together in a merrily way.

“Yes, ma’am!” a few students yelled back.

Luhan smiled in content when he finished right on time. He looked up and tried to get a glimpse of what Nari had drawn. She was still concentrated on the unfinished drawing before her. Luhan observed the drawing with interest. It was a drawing of a woman. Her hair and oval face was drawn carefully and beautifully. Her lips were smiling back at Nari, but Nari seemed to be slightly frustrated. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard. It was as if she was trying to remember the face of the person she was drawing.

The more that Luhan looked at the drawing, the more he thought that it resembled Nari herself.

Her mom?

“Are you two ready?” Mrs. Kang seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

Luhan quickly scanned the classroom and realized that he and Nari were the only two left. Luhan blinked slowly before nodding. He looked back at his drawing, and then Nari. His eyes widened when he saw Nari looking at his drawing of her, smiling. Nari’s face was calm with a hint of surprise. Mrs. Kang chuckled when she saw Luhan’s drawing.

“A crush?” she asked.

Luhan’s eyes widened before he looked up at Mrs. Kang in shock. He was speechless, making himself feel like a mute. Nari fought back a blush and bit her lips. She picked up her drawing and handed it to Mrs. Kang.

“Oh? And who is this?” she asked.

Nari looked down at her hands, unable to answer. Luhan smiled and handed Mrs. Kang his drawing of Nari.

“Her mother,” Luhan answered for Nari.

Lilly’s head snapped up. She looked at him in awe and confusion.

How did he know?

Luhan looked down at Nari and smiled brightly until his eyes became crescents. Nari smiled in appreciation and looked back at Mrs. Kang. Nari nodded in confirmation. Mrs. Kang nodded and smiled.

“Okay, get going to class. You two don’t want to be late now, do you?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No, ma’am!” Luhan jeered before grabbing onto Nari’s arm and picking up her and his bag. He began to lead her out of the classroom.

Luhan practically skipped to his next classroom. Nari silently chuckled behind him. Why was he so happy? He seemed to be in a bad mood just an hour before. Nari wondered why he looked so angry and conflicted, but right now she just wanted him to stay in this mood—happy and carefree.

“Did you like my drawing?” Luhan shouted as he dragged Nari through the crowded hallways. He looked back to see her response.

Nari smiled and nodded. Luhan smiled back looked forward again. When they reached Nari’s locker, Luhan let go of her. He slightly crouched down to meet her eyes. He was a few inches taller than her.

“I’ll see you at lunch. Hmm, can you come to the rooftop?” he asked with hope sparkling in his eyes.

With the look he gave her, how could Nari reject him? Nari smiled and nodded. She made an “OK” sign with her fingers. Luhan smiled and ruffled her hair before walking to his locker. Nari watched him, wondering why he was so friendly with her. Maybe he didn’t look down on her because of her job. Maybe he appreciated her because she was so hardworking. Whatever it was, Nari hoped that it stayed that way. Luhan would become her first true friend, even if she had just met him the day before. But, sometimes friendships didn’t need to be spoken of. Some of the best friendships were wordlessly created and grown into something more.

Nari grabbed her needed books for her next class before closing her locker. She looked down the hall where Luhan’s locker was and saw him waving at her. She figured that his next class was at the other end of the building. Nari smiled and waved back before turning around to walk to her next class.

Lu Han.

She couldn’t help but repeat his name in her head.

⚜⚜⚜

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Luhan gestured to the rooftop of the school that held a few stone benches here and there.

Nari blinked blankly, wondering if it was okay to be there at the moment. As if Luhan could read her mind, he chuckled and patted her shoulders in assurance.

“It’s okay. I’ve been eating up here for the last four years, and I never got in trouble.”

Nari smiled and nodded. Her eyes went to the guitar that was strapped around Luhan’s shoulder. Luhan followed her sight to his guitar. He smiled and gestured for her to sit down on a stone bench. She sat down with her lunch box placed on her lap. Luhan took the empty spot next to her and held his guitar in front of himself. He placed his arms on his guitar and leaned on it. He rested his chin on his arms and stared at Nari.

“Would you like to hear me play?” he asked.

Nari smiled and nodded. She began to open her lunch box while Luhan got ready. She had a bologna sandwich with a bag of Lay’s chips and a water bottle. She packed a few more snacks, but decided to munch on them later. She was about to take her sandwich out from its plastic bagging, but then she heard a beautiful and melodious sound, drown her ears. She slowly looked up and saw Luhan playing his guitar with his eyes closed. He seemed so emerged into the music. A small and peaceful smile was displayed on his lips. Nari couldn’t help but smile with him.

Luhan swayed back and forth as his fingers plucked the strings of the guitar, sending vibrations into the air. Luhan opened his eyes every now and then to make sure that his fingers were on the right fret. He strummed the guitar with his fingers and plucked them at the same time. It seemed impossible, but he was able to accomplish it. Nari was no expert in guitar playing, but it didn’t take a professional to know that Luhan’s guitar playing was exceptional.

The sweet and light melody that Luhan played, matched the early spring. The slightly cold wind blew against the two teens, but none of them seem to notice . . . or maybe just not even care. The sky was absent of any clouds, letting the clear blue sky embrace the city. Nari looked up at the sky. She rested her palms on the bench and took in a deep breath. She smiled in content and continued to listen to the beautiful melody that Luhan made.

It seemed like only seconds passed when Luhan stopped playing. Nari opened her eyes and looked at Luhan. He was staring at her in amusement.

“Did you like it?” he asked, purely curious.

Nari nodded enthusiastically and put two thumbs up. Luhan chuckled and set his guitar on the ground carefully. He pulled out his lunch box and began munching on his chicken sandwich. They both ate in silence. Slowly, Luhan’s mood began to sour.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Nari stopped eating and gave Luhan a confused look. The wind blew again, making her hair slap her face. She blew her hair out of her face and looked at Luhan again. He was chuckling at her obvious struggle with her hair. She slightly blushed out of embarrassment and pouted. Luhan forced a smile and sighed. He faced forwards and rested his palms beside his legs.

“I’m sorry for ignoring you this morning,” his shoulders slumped, “I didn’t mean to. I was just in a bad mood because of something that happened this morning. Sorry, I didn’t mean to come off as rude or—”

Because of his rumbling, Luhan didn’t notice Nari taking something out of her bag until she was holding something out in front of him. Luhan slightly jumped back in shock. Nari smiled and urged him to take it. Luhan slowly focused his vision on the object in front of him. It was a plain purple envelope. Luhan slowly and carefully took the card. He looked at Nari with much curiosity. Nari only smiled.

“You want me to open it?” he asked.

Nari seemed to ponder on that question for a while before she shook her head aggressively. Luhan chuckled and nodded.

She’s so cute.

Luhan found himself admiring all of her smiles and small gestures. She just kept adding onto his curiosity. From shaking her head profusely to looking like a pleased cat, she had a variety of expressions and movements. He guessed that she had learned to do so since she never talked.

“Okay, I’ll open it when I’m alone,” Luhan spoke.

Lilly smiled and nodded gently. She was appreciative that he could understand her strange gestures that would make strangers think of her as a crazy person. At least one person understood her. She was rather thankful for that.

Notes

Enjoy reading~ I know that was long though...
Have a nice day~
<3 Nubci4