The Girl in Front of Him
The bell rang sharply, and the chatter of students filled the air like the buzz of bees after rain. The first morning at his new school in town had already been a blur for Ji-Ho — new faces, bigger classrooms, strange rules, and polished floors that shone like mirrors.
Normally, Ji-Ho would have been at the center of all that noise.He was the kind of boy who could turn any game into laughter — the one who led cricket matches with energy and challenged everyone to football during breaks.His teachers called him restless, but his grandmother always said, smiling, "That boy has too much sun in his heart."
But today was different.
Because of her.
When attendance was called, he heard the name — "Thanu."He looked up without meaning to.The girl in front of him raised her hand, her bangles chiming faintly. Her hair was tied in a loose braid that shimmered in the sunlight, and when she turned slightly, he saw the side of her face.
Something in his chest gave a small, wild thump.He didn't understand why.
He had seen her before — though he didn't realize it yet. That same curious spark in her eyes, the same soft face that once looked at him over a stolen laddu.
The day went by in a blur of lessons and introductions. The principal, a distant relative of Ji-Ho's father, had stopped by earlier to greet the class. Ji-Ho had bowed politely — being well-mannered came naturally to him. His father was strict, rarely showing affection, but discipline was something Ji-Ho had learned deeply.
When the final bell rang for the short break, Ji-Ho leaned back, stretching his arms and laughing with a few boys who were talking about cricket. He was his normal self again — bright, confident, joking.
Then Thanu turned around.
All the words in his mouth vanished.
"Hey," she said with a smile, "You're new, right? Ji-Ho?"
He nodded quickly, his throat suddenly dry. The boy who could talk endlessly about batting averages now couldn't even form a full sentence.
"Yeah… I… yes," he stammered.
She tilted her head, amused. "You sit right behind me. I didn't even notice."
He smiled nervously, his hands fidgeting with his pencil. "I—uh—yeah, just… behind you."
For a moment, she just looked at him — curious, friendly, unaware of the small storm she had caused inside him.Ji-Ho's heartbeat drummed in his ears. His face, normally sun-brown from playing outside, had turned pink.
"Nice to meet you, Ji-Ho," she said, grinning. "Maybe you can show me how to play cricket sometime?"
He blinked. "Yeah… sure. I play really well," he replied — and instantly regretted sounding too eager.
Thanu laughed, that warm, bright laugh that made even the sunlight feel softer. Then she turned back to her notebook as the next teacher entered.
Ji-Ho sank into his seat, exhaling quietly.
For the rest of the class, he didn't hear a single word of the lesson. He just sat there, staring at the back of her head, feeling something strange — a mix of excitement, fear, and joy he couldn't name yet.
His world, which used to revolve around cricket and jokes, had found a new center — the girl who sat right in front of him.