Devil Beside Me

“Oh no”, I mumbled, burying my face in my palms. How could I be paired with him, of all people? I looked over at him and he smirked at me. How annoying.

“Ms. Harrison?”, I called our brunette Literature tutor.

“Yes, Nelly. Got any problems?”, she asked me.

“Can I have a change of partner, please?”.

“Sure”, she said, making me feel a relief that waned when she added, “as long as it's mutual”.

“James?”, Ms. Harrison called him, asking his opinion.

“I'm okay with my partner, Miss Harrison”, I heard him say with his unfamiliar Korean accent.

“Oh gosh”, I grimaced and he smirked at me again.

“Looks like your partner wants you regardless, Nelly” Ms. Harrison said with a shrug.

“James?”, Ms. Harrison called and he responded. "Nelly's a good writer. I hope you help her come up with something great”

“I'll do just that Ms. Harrison”, he replied with a smile.

This dude is just so annoying. I've really gotten to love Koreans because of their beautiful culture which I've seen in dramas, but this one is just so loathsome.

Right after school yesterday I went to the Japanese restaurant where I work part-time. Work was as dull as it always is on Thursdays. It was just some minutes past 9:00 p.m. and we decided to close earlier than the usual 11:00 p.m. It's just what we do on unproductive days which for me, isn't so bad. Besides, it gives me time to work on a number of things before bedtime.

Just as we began packing up, someone walked in and took a seat. Just when we decided to close early so I can go rest? Awesome, I thought.

“Kindly attend to young master, Nelly”, Bob my colleague said to me. I looked more closely at the newly arrived guest bent over his phone and I recognized him right away. It was that half Korean dude from school. Young master? “What do you mean?”, I asked Bob.

“He's the grandson of the owner of this place. You didn't know that?”.

“But I thought they were Koreans”.

“Oh yeah, they are. Though they run a Japanese cuisine”.

Yeah right. I grabbed the menu and went to him.

“What would you like to have?”, I asked.

He raised his head. “Is that how you address your...”. He stopped when he recognized me.

“I know you”, he said, pointing at me as though I stood there with someone else. “Writer girl, right?”.

Gosh! I'm not Writer girl. I almost said that out loud. He's literally calling me that for the second time now.

“My name is...”.

“Don't bother”, he cut in. “ I'll just have a glass of water and some spicy edamame as a starter. Tell them to serve me the regular”.

I merely looked at him as he bent over his phone. If I had laser eyes, I thought and took the menu and left, feeling so intimidated and disrespected.

He may be only partly Korean but I thought Korean dudes are supposed to be tall and handsome and well-mannered. Gosh! I wonder what other girls find so appealing about him. His soft silky hair? That's nothing new. His ridiculous accent? That's anything but a plus. He's just so full of himself. I just hope my Korean star crushes are nothing like him.

And as though the heavens are against me, he's my project partner now.

“Writer girl?”.

Ugh! It's him.

“It's Nelly”, I said sharply and coldly, “not writer girl”.

“Where do we meet for the project work?”, he asked, ignoring my statement.

“I'm not working with you”, I told him bluntly and left the classroom since Ms. Harrison was already out.

Just before I could enter the washroom, I overheard a few girls talking about the devil's only begotten son, him. I got more pissed and left.

I had just an hour till school closed. I decided to work the poem out at once since I was going to have a rough weekend. I brought out my notepad and pen. I merely sighed and began to write:

"I lie down to sleep

Only to wake up to the dawn of a new pandemic

Not just any, but one so deep and horrific".

I got stuck. Nothing else was popping into my head. Ugh! Of all topics, why give us covid-19 to write about?

I looked over angrily at my supposed partner and he wasn't there. Jerk, I thought aloud. I placed my head on the table and tried to think.

I didn't realize I'd dozed off and everyone else had left without waking me up. I just packed up and left, thinking I'd be able to work on it over the weekends.

On Monday

“Y'all should get ready”, Miss Harrison announced.

I reached into my bag as she called forth the first team.

“You're next, Nelly and James”.

I merely nodded at Ms. Harrison, trying to look relaxed. I couldn't finish the piece over the weekend so I needed to work it out quickly before it's my turn. In fact, I couldn't touch it at all. We had massive reservations over the weekends and they got me all worked out.

Surprisingly, I couldn't find it anywhere in my bag. I looked over at James unintendedly and he was busy giving ears to the current presentation. Frustrated as I was, I emptied my bag but still found nothing. Then I found a sheet on the floor. It was different from the one I wrote my piece on. I picked it up anyway and astonishingly it was my supposed piece written on it. I couldn't make out whose handwriting it was but apparently, whoever wrote this came across my original piece. It started the same way I did mine.

“James? Nelly?”.

“Miss Harrison”, I replied almost in the whisper. Gosh! I was almost sweating. I'd written only a few lines but it appeared this was completed. But how do I even know it's good enough since I haven't read through? My mind was racing since I had neither time nor space to think.

Ugh! This is messed up, I thought

I looked at James angrily as I stood up. If he wasn't cocky, this wouldn't have happened.

I stood in front of the class, nervous like I've never been. He looked at me and instead of his usual smirk, he threw me a smile. I just took my stare off him and looked down on the sheet I had almost no faith in. I just hoped it wouldn't be too bad.

“Just so you know, I never heard of the word quarantine till I turned seventeen”, I tried saying my newly concocted rhyme childishly. Seeing their mocking faces, I was able to release a bit of the negative energy welled up in me.

I began to read...

"I lie down to sleep

Only to wake up to the dawn of a new pandemic

Not just any, but one so deep and horrific..."

I paused shortly after where my original piece ended. Realising I had no other choice than to continue with whatever I've got, I read on.

"The whole world trembles

As it multiplies our already countless troubles".

Here we go, I thought.

"Social media arousing tension

Converging all of our lives' attention

Fear gripped the hearts of many

And tears fell from the eyes of many

Each and every day there's escalation in cases

How then could we hide the fright from our faces".

I paused again. This is not bad, I thought. I continued reading more out of curiosity now.

"Activities cut down, businesses shut down

And in our fears we drown with our spirits so down

As we become familiar with a new word lockdown

Our freedom of movement now becomes invalidated

And the whole world laments

For finding the cure appears complicated

Then social distancing becomes the norm of the day

Where standing with someone means one's at least a meter away

Nose masks and sanitizers now must-have accessories

Indeed an era never fading from our memories

But we hung in there hopeful though dreaded

This too shall pass I heard someone say

I nod my head and say

This too shall surely pass".

The whole class applauded me when I was done reading. I was even impressed. Whoever wrote this didn't only save that James and me but also did great. I know I'm good but for some reasons, I couldn't see my way around this project. But this person managed to pull it off. “That's an impressive piece, Nelly”, Ms. Harrison remarked. “See? You and James make a good team after all”.

Good team my foot, I thought and began combing through the room wondering who it could have been. I turned to Karen who sat behind me and asked her if she recognized the handwriting.

“That's James's”,she said enthusiastically.

I froze, shocked and speechless.

“Are you sure?”, I managed to ask her.

“Who doesn't know his lazy handwriting?”, Karen laughed.

Still shocked, I looked over at James and he wasn't there.

I was just in time to see him walk out of the class. I also stepped out with Ms Harrison's permission and tailed him not sure what exactly to say when I caught up with him. I saw him sneak into the library and I got suspicious. What's he going to do there during lesson hours?

I entered the library not long after him. I could hear him talk. I assumed he was on the phone since I heard no one else's voice.

“Omma...”, I heard him say in a stressing Korean tone. I've learnt quite a number of Korean words and expressions from dramas but all I could tell was that he was talking to his mom. He sounded sad as though she was sick or something.

I just hid behind the shelf and heard him lament over the phone. It was sad and surprising at the same time. I didn't know he could be that soft.

"...saranghaeyo omma”, he said and hung up the phone. If there was any part of the conversation I was sure about, it's this particular part where he told his mom he loved her.

He came out from behind the bookshelf and our eyes locked. How stupid of me, I thought. If slapping myself wouldn't look stupid, I would have. He drew closer, still looking at me without blinking. His eyes were grey and tearful. His face, smooth and without blemish. It's my first time looking at his face this up close. He looked handsome even with the suppressed shock on his face.

“How long have you been here?”, he asked.

Feeling busted, I couldn't think of anything to say.

“Why do I even bother to ask? It's not like you understand anything”.

I could only chuckle at his ignorant assumption.

“Wait, did you follow me?”, he asked looking all suspicious.

“Me? Follow you? No way!”. I realized just how tense and sheepish I sounded and tried putting on a bit of a cold face.

He smiled at me and gosh, those dimples.

How come I never noticed them? He just passed me by to leave. How could he sound so cool now when he was sad a minute ago?

“Ya!”, I called him in the common Korean way of saying hey. I can't make him feel like he's won.

He turned sharply, shocked. That shocking look on his face was just so satisfying.

“Chincha?”, I asked him, trying to show off my little knowledge. Of course, I could simply ask “really?” but no. A bit of showing off won't be bad.

“Woah! I see you know a bit of Korean”, he said as he drew even closer with shock and delight written on his face. He looked down at me and asked why I called him. I felt confused and vulnerable having him this close.

“You stole my work, didn't you?”, I managed to ask.

“Actually, I didn't. You dropped it on Friday. I just thought I should complete it since we're partners. That was a good start though, keep it up”.

He winked at me and turned to leave. I just smiled without even intending to.

“James?”, I said his name for the first time and he turned.

“What's with your mom?”, I asked him and his face saddened.

“It's my birthday today but she won't be here with me”. He paused and forced a smile. “See you later Nelly”, he said and left. He called me Nelly, not Writer girl . I just smiled.

Back in class, I couldn't help but steal glances at him throughout the rest of the day. He looked even better from the side, I noticed.

School had closed and everyone had left as always. Just as I was packing to leave, thunder roared and it began to rain.

Oh no. I was going to be late for work. And that reminded me of James. I couldn't even wish him a happy birthday. My bad.

Just as I was leaving, someone bumped into me all wet. I looked all the way from his soaked shorts to his hard rock looking abs and bulging chest, made visible by his wet innerless white shirt. Looking all the way up, I met James' smiling face.

“James”, his name came out of my mouth before I realized it. I merely asked what he was doing here.

“Just so you don't get caught up in the rain”, he said, handing me an umbrella. I couldn't help but smile. “So don't be late for work”, he added.

“James?”, I called as he turned to leave.

“Yeah?”, he responded. “Got something to tell me?”.

I just nodded. “I'm listening”, he said, bending over me with his hands in his pocket as though trying to intimidate me.

Looking into those grey eyes, even at the faint dimples from his almost perfectly hidden smile, I knew what I felt like doing and I thought it was stupid.

But it’d haunt me anytime I see him if I hesitate and I feared he might think of me differently if I do.

Just settle for subtle Nelly, I told myself and I kissed him on his wet cheek and wished him a happy birthday.

“Chincha?”, he chuckled. “Don't be silly”, he said and grabbed me by the neck and kissed me on the lips.

That got me off guard and I was blown away. His lips were so tender and moisturized. He tasted so damn good, I could only close my eyes and take it all in. Time seemed to freeze right after I shut my eyes and I just enjoyed the moment whilst it lasted.

Our lips parted after what almost felt like eternity. When I opened my eyes, he was smiling at me.

“See you later at work, Nelly”, he said and stepped out in the rain and left.

I was blushing so hard I feared my cheeks might burst.

“See you later, James”, I said softly as though he was still there before me.

I had to palm my blushing cheeks just at the thought of seeing him tonight at work.