Chapter 37. Little Heartaches

“Oppa, Oppa!”

He could see her from across the field but pretended that he did not. Her hair was flying behind her as she ran to where he was and Sarang trailed behind her.

“Ya! Song Daehan, your little girlfriend is here,” one of the boys from the other team yelled that stirred laughter to the others.

He grumbled to himself. Daehan was having a bad day since his team lost the game and his little cousin broke his Nintendo. His teammates left him since he was waiting for the approaching girls to walk them home. Being teased like that was his last straw, ‘Why do they have to stay behind, anyway?’

“Oppa!” Euna came close to him but he was busy putting his stuff inside his backpack. She doesn’t like those other boys on the next bench because they a lot and boys from the higher grades are usually bad mannered – except, of course, her oppa. She opened her bag and took out her new drawing, “Oppa, look at this, I made this in our art class… and…”

Daehan was so pissed with one of the boys mimicking what Euna was saying and the others just kept on laughing.

He closed his eyes tight.

“Ya! Cut it out!” Euna bravely faced the bigger boy.

“’Ya! Cut it out! Wow, the little ninny is so brave because she has an Oppa…”

“Euna, no!” Sarang tugged at her blouse when she took another step, “Just don’t mind them.”

“Jung Son Bin, you stop it now…” he slowly said without taking his eyes off his bag.

“Oh! The boyfriend is angry!” Son Bin laughed, “Song Daehanah, what are you gonna do now? Play hero to your little girlfriend?”

He remained calm because that was what he was taught and the girls might get scared if they fight.

“Don’t be so sad that you lost the game because you have your little girlfriend beside you,” he continued.

“You won because you cheated! You always do!” Euna stepped up accusingly at the bragging boy.

“What did you say?”

“Are you deaf? I said you cheated!”

“You—“ Son Bin moved forward and pushed Euna hard that she landed on her bottom.

“Euna!” Sarang ran to her.

“Ya!” Euna shouted back, “You are a cheater! And you fight with girls!”

“Why you--!”

Just as Son Bin was about to charge at her, Daehan stood in front of him and spreading his arms, “You’re calling me a loser and you’re fighting with a girl?!”

“Song Daehan, you move away or it’s your face I’m going to hit!” The boy warned showing his fist but Daehan did not falter.

“Just take one more step and I’ll whack your brain out…” he glared with a forceful voice.

“Ya!—“ another boy ran beside Son Bin and whispered something.

After that, something changed on the boy’s reaction and he took one step back as his friend tugged him. He glared and pointed at them, “You tell your little girlfriend to shut and keep her distance from our side of the playground because next time I won’t be kinder.”

Daehan was still in his defense position as he continued to glare back at the other boy, “Tell her that yourself! You talk like a girl…”

“You—“ Son Bin was about to charge at him when the same boy stopped him and they ran away.

Daehan made sure that they were out of sight before looking down at her who was still slumped on the grass. He reached out for her hand that she took and helped her on her feet.

 “Thank you,” Euna stood while brushing the dirt off her skirt, “You should let me hit them, oppa. I can handle him myself!”

“Eunaya… stop thinking that you are stronger than him because you are not…” he grumbled taking his bag and started walking. He could hear the two girls whispering behind him but he pretended he couldn’t. A few weeks after meeting the two, they decided to walk home together since their arts academy classes ends the same time his soccer practice does. It was convenient since Euna’s grandmother would usually be waiting with snacks for them so he likes it.

Euna was so happy and proud because of how he defended her, and she and Sarang talked about it. She loves afternoons like this because she can spend it with him and play with her bestfriend on the park.

But this time, Euna was even happier.

Since they all didn’t want to go back to each of their homes, they decided to play in the park. Daehan brought out his bike and ride with the girls one after the other. They sat on the flower bed as he tried to fix the bike’s chain, “Eunaya, stop picking fights. We can’t be with you all the time.”

“But he was saying bad things about us…” she frowned as she watched him so engrossed on his task.

“Just let them say what they want to say…”

“Oppa,” Sarang squatted in front of him, “Why did they run away?”

“I fought with his friend at the Taekwando competition.”Daehan continued nonchalantly. “He’s the best in their academy but I beat him up…”

“Wow! Oppa is the best!” Euna clasped her hands together.

Ignoring that enthusiasm, he turned to her, “Eunaya, I won’t be here to protect you and Sarang always…”

She noticed that sad look on his face and she knows there was something, “Why?”

“We are moving to Canada next week. Appa wants us to live with him already,” he dropped his head then, pretending to check on his bike but he continued, “That’s why I cannot watch after you and Sarang. Don’t fight with those boys.”

“Next week?” Sarang blurted out when Euna just stared blankly at him, “That’s like... soon.”

“Uh-huh, he wanna let us go soon,” Daehan nodded looking at her.

“But you can live with your grandparents here?” Sarang continued.

“Appa and Umma don’t want to…” he shrugged then looked at Euna who was breathing heavily with her hands on her sides. She was obviously angry, “You two must stay together and protect each other. I will be back for vacations, my mom promised me that. Eunaya, you will be okay right?”

“You’re leaving…” that was all she was able to say as she stared down at his stupid bike, “You promised that you will marry me!”