Euijoo

Sungho puts his tray down with a loud clack, food disperses across the table as he sits down at the lunch table.

“So, what’s this Nicholas guy like?” he asks.

The others settle in, all eyes turning toward me.

“I don’t know him that well yet,” I say. The cafeteria grows louder as more students file in. I glance around, not spotting Nicholas anywhere.

“No one's had a class with him yet?” Sungho presses.

“I did,” Jo speaks up quietly. “He was in my art class.”

Everyone’s eyes snap toward him. Jo shrinks back into himself.

How he can still be this shy around us after being friends since childhood is beyond me.

Across the aisle, a table of girls start whispering, their attention fixed on the cafeteria entrance. They giggle and subtly gesture.

I follow their gaze.

Nicholas has just walked in.

He’s standing next to a popular guy from the cross country team, talking and laughing. There’s also a girl trying to nonchalantly get close to him in line while her friends stand by. I turn back around annoyed.

“See for yourself,” I tell Sungho, “He just arrived with an entourage.”

I roll my eyes.

“Whoa, that's him?” Sungho sounds impressed.

“He’s already getting popular.” Taesan chimes in. “Are you babysitting today? It's Monday.”

“Yeah, I’m still the twins’ babysitter,” I reply. “I just have to do it with him now. That’s the only difference.”