“His whole family went to prison because of that too, right?”
Someone whispered in a very small voice. It wouldn’t reach Joel, but I could hear it well enough. At his friend’s question, one boy looked around and nodded his head. I could read the shape of his lips moving as he said ‘probably.’
Joel also seemed to feel the strange atmosphere surrounding him, furrowing his brow and turning his head around to look down at the kids. But there wasn’t a single person who made eye contact, and only I, who had been blankly looking at him, was caught in his view like a fish on a hook. Joel scrunched up his face even more as soon as our eyes met, as if he’d caught a tin can, and whip! turned his head away.
The hallway was quiet until Joel completely passed by. And a few seconds after Joel turned the corner and disappeared, everyone opened their mouths going “Phew!” as if they’d been holding their breath.
“But why even post something like this? It’s already a known fact!”
“If they took a picture like this, aren’t they trying to leave evidence?”
“Does this count as evidence?”
“But if it’s posted on Bluedale Saver, it really must be ‘that,’ right?”
“Why else would they post it if it wasn’t?”
All the kids filling the hallway knew what everyone was carefully calling ‘that.’ When someone tactlessly brought up ‘drugs,’ all eyes turned there, and a shushing sound was heard.
“But this one’s boring.”
The kids chattered noisily, as if there was no fun in ‘establishing as fact’ something everyone already secretly knew. But knowing that Joel was a weird kid who ate candy all the time rather than selling drugs, my heart was anxious.
Why did Bluedale Saver post something like this? There’s no way Joel really committed such illegal acts. Even though he has a bad personality, he doesn’t do things like that.
But even if Joel knew about this photo, he wouldn’t give an explanation. Just like he hadn’t opened his mouth about the bad rumors that had followed him until now.
“They must have just been anxious because they had nothing.”
Like some kid passing behind me said, I hoped it was just a random photo Bluedale Saver posted because they were anxious their influence might diminish. Even though most kids thought it was boring since it was already known.
Nevertheless, I thought about why Bluedale Saver would bother touching Joel with a lie. Since most people thought the post was boring, there probably wouldn’t be any trouble. That must be certain.
* * *
“Fuck.”
Late afternoon, as soon as I entered the classroom to attend class, I heard rough cursing. It was Joel. The curse from Joel sitting crookedly in the back seat was clearly directed at me. I felt sorry that the kids around were needlessly reading the situation.
I had no idea how to resolve Joel’s firmly angered heart. I’d rather solve a difficult math problem. The problem called ‘Joel Gomez’ was too difficult. It was hard from the understanding part.
Still, thinking I should concentrate on class, I sat in the front seat as always. I listened earnestly to the teacher’s words. As I did so, my thoughts gradually seemed to scatter and my mood was about to improve when someone knock! knock! knocked on the classroom door.
“Excuse me, just a moment.”
The one carefully opening the classroom door and waving their hand was the Principal. His expression was serious, as if something had happened. The teacher’s face hardened as well, and he followed the Principal out to the hallway. At the suddenly interrupted class, several kids whispered in small voices.
“What’s going on?”
“Maybe someone reported that the class is fucking boring?”
A student who had been dozing off suddenly spoke with bright, sparkling eyes. Since it was an absurd story, all the kids around him giggled, but someone made a “Huh!” gasping sound and pointed to the hallway.
“Over there…… aren’t those police?”
Everyone’s gaze turned beyond the window. We didn’t know because it was hidden by the wall, but the Principal had come with two companions. And those companions were…… wearing dark-colored uniforms. Police uniforms. Police. I’d heard that the police, who were the people’s walking stick in Korea, were a symbol of fear in America. As if those words were really true, a boy with dark skin began to tremble.
“Why are the police suddenly even coming to school?”
Someone muttered as if dumbfounded. And before long, everyone in the classroom sneakily looked back. Joel was sitting there in a crooked posture. Joel, looking out the window scenery, was acting as if he couldn’t hear the current commotion at all.
“Isn’t it because of that?”
After someone’s muttering to themselves, silence came. There was no need to even say what ‘that’ was. Everyone must be recalling Bluedale Saver’s post.
Joel Gomez
That name posted with a photo, as if no other explanation was needed.
“I’d rather it be because of that……”
The boy who had been trembling even panted as if out of breath. If the friend next to him hadn’t calmed him down, he might have already fainted. The moment the door opened forcefully with a bang! that boy fainted in surprise and sprawled on the floor.
“Joel Gomez, outside. Pack up all your stuff too.”
The teacher, whose face had turned pale, spoke in somewhat unclear pronunciation as if his lips were stiff. But everyone could understand.
Joel’s head, which had been turned toward the cloudless blue sky, slowly turned forward. I thought he’d be anxious or nervous too. Joel looked the most calm and composed I’d ever seen. At a glance, he even looked expressionless.
Rustle, rustle, while Joel packed his stuff, the kids kept their mouths shut and didn’t say anything. I was the same. I didn’t even know I’d crumpled a page because I’d clenched my fist too tightly.
Step, step, step…… Joel walked toward the door, sauntering with his characteristic slow footsteps. And coincidentally, he had to pass by my side to get out of the classroom. Step, step, step…… The moment Joel’s footsteps gradually got closer and were heard right behind me, I flinched and stiffened.
“…….”
I abruptly reached out my hand and grabbed Joel’s wrist. It was never intentional. I had no intention of carelessly approaching Joel, who was angry at me. But…… I wanted to stop him. Joel going outside this classroom, meeting the police, and the possible worst-case scenario.
“……Don’t go.”
I barely moved my stiffly frozen mouth to make a small sound. Even to my own ears, that voice was too small. Nevertheless, I could be certain Joel heard it. Because flinch, the muscles in his arm trembled briefly.
Thump, thump, thump, thump! The speed of the blood passing through the thick vein inside Joel’s wrist, which I could feel under my fingers, was very rough and fast. Unlike that carefree-looking face, he was tense and afraid. I gripped Joel’s wrist even tighter. And at that moment, smack! I was strongly shaken off.
“……Let go.”
Those words left as if chewed were the end. Joel went outside just like that, the classroom door closed, and despite the tense atmosphere, class started again. But there was no way that class, where both teacher and students had lost their spirits, could proceed properly.
Tap tap tap, tap tap! The sound of rapidly tapping on cell phones rang out. What that meant was obvious. It was like distributing an extra edition to announce news that the matter they’d thought boring and uninteresting was somehow becoming serious and exciting.
As soon as class ended, the students who rushed out to the hallway all talked about the same topic. About Joel, who had briefly been a topic even during the day.
“Joel Gomez got arrested!”
“But is it okay to arrest someone from school like that? Even so.”
“Did someone report him?”
There were voices filled with fear,
“But isn’t his whole family in prison? So if Joel goes to jail too, is it a family reunion?”
“The Gomez family events will be held in jail!”
There were also those who burst out laughing puhaha! with ridicule as if deliberately putting on airs.
Joel Gomez, Joel Gomez is…… Joel, Joel, Joel, Joel. Joel’s name passed through and through and through the mouths of all the students. As if Joel were cheap bubble gum that could be chewed and thrown away when the flavor runs out. They, whispering in their pajamas, didn’t look human. They felt like ghosts or something that wasn’t human. I covered both ears with my palms.
I crouched down in my seat, then finally came to my senses at a sign blinking in the air. Right, System. You were here. I asked, filled with desperate feelings.
What should I do at a time like this?
SYSTEM
Loading…….
idk 🙁
But I received an answer as good as none. The only thing I can ask for help is the system…… A deep sense of helplessness covered me. Shame toward myself, guilt even though it wasn’t my fault followed. Then, very belatedly, I recalled that Mom’s occupation was ‘lawyer.’ It was a misconception that arose from always naturally assuming all family members’ occupations would be ‘doctor.’
Right, if it’s Mom……! I stood up from my seat and called Mom. Ring ring ring, ring ring ring. During that short time the ringtone continued, I was so anxious that I eventually bit the tip of my fingernail. It had been a childhood habit, but after being scolded by my parents, I’d changed the behavior to pinching the inside of my forearm.
What is Joel doing right now? Is he being interrogated? Joel lives alone, so there’s no one to pick him up, and there probably won’t be anyone to pay bail for him either…….
Even though Joel had a terrible temper and looked like he could handle everything alone, he was still only an eighteen-year-old teenager. But in this world, it seemed like I was the only one worried about him.
