Chapter 2: Angel of Wishes

 

(Kim Ahra)

 

Upon arriving at Chi-Han I looked around for Taemin but I couldn’t find him. I went to the counter where the restaurant owner Han Kyung, Heechul-oppa’s best friend was standing and asked him where Taemin was. Han Kyung knew about my crush on Taemin. Though he’s close friends with him I trusted him enough that he wouldn’t tell Taemin about my feelings for him.

 

If Taemin were to know about my feelings for him, I want to him to hear it from me directly.

 

“Sorry, Ahra. Taemin didn’t come to work this morning. He had an important exam on biology so he needed to study.” Hank Kyung said to me with his broken Korean and thick Chinese accent.

 

It took me a while to understand Han Kyung with his Chinese pronunciation. Eventually, the result was the same, Taemin wasn’t there.

 

“Aren’t you with the same class as Taemin?” Yesung-oppa said suddenly creeping up from behind me.

 

Wait a minute… Oppa’s right. I was in the same class with Taemin.

He has a biology test… that means…

THE BIOLOGY TEST!

 

I had forgotten all about it! I mentally slapped myself a hundred times. I forgot about the test and didn’t study last night. I was busy dreaming about Taemin. I can’t fail the test. If I fail then I would have to kiss my summer goodbye and welcome summer school. The thought of spending summer inside a classroom with mean Mr. Jung, my biology teacher was not appealing to me.

 

Darn! How could I forget about the stupid test?

Yah! Ahra! Why can’t you think straight when Taemin is involved?

 

“Oppa… I have to go!” I said hurriedly.

 

 

I took a bite from the food that we ordered and grabbed my bag. Heechul-oppa had just arrived at our table after ordering.

 

“Yah! Aren’t you going to…” Heechul-oppa started to say but I cut him off.

“No time… See you later!” I said to him getting my things at a record-breaking time and dashed off.

 

I ran past my brother and darted towards the door. I heard my brother yell from behind me. I chose to ignore him. I’m 100% sure I’m bound to see Evil Heenim at school later on. I didn’t care about that, for now my goal was not to go to summer school.

 

I arrived at school a few minutes later. I plopped down to my seat and caught my breath. My best friend Kim Ryeowook was already seated next to me reading a book. Ryeowook always came to school early.

 

“You’re here early.” Ryeowook said reading his book and not even looking up to greet me.

“Test… forgot… study… summer school…” I said in between taking deep breaths.

 

He closed his book and turned to look at me. He fixed his glasses and rolled his eyes.

 

“Why am I not surprised?” Ryeowook said lifting an eyebrow.

“I was busy…” I said looking down on my shoes.

“Thinking about Taemin, no doubt. If you only focus as much as you focus on…” Ryeowook started to lecture me.

“Yeah… yeah… I know… will you help me Wookie?” I said holding up my hands in the air in surrender.

 

I took his hand in mine and gave him my best puppy dog face. My puppy dog face never failed me before.

 

“Nope. I almost got in to trouble the last time.” Ryeowook said letting go of my hands and shaking his head.

“But Wookie… it’s been so long…” I began to whine.

“Ahra, it was only two days ago at English class.”Ryeowook said referring to the exam that we took last Friday, which I forgot as usual and had to copy from him again.

“Please Wookie? Pretty Please?” I asked pouting my lips.

“Sorry, no can do. Why don’t you ask Kyuhyun?”Ryeowook said shaking his head standing by his answer.

“Kyu won’t let me copy from him without buying him a new video game and I’m low on cash right now.” I answered showing him my wallet.

“Then ask your cousin, Onew.” He said ignoring my wallet.

“He won’t let me copy from him without buying hi chicken and he sits in front so it’s hard for me to copy from him.” I said to him practically kneeling in front of him.

“I’m not letting you copy from me.”

“But Wookie…”

 

After much persuasion Ryeowook finally said yes and allowed me to copy from him. I told you my puppy dog face never fails. Biology was our first subject . When the bell rand I held my breath when I saw Taemin enter the room with Shinee. Shinee was what the students would call the school kingkas. They included my cousin Onew (Lee Jinki), Kim Jonghyun, Choi Minho, Key (Kim Kibum) and Taemin.

 

I felt the whole world disappear and it was just me and Taemin. He looked at my direction and smiled. He smiled at me! Taemin started to walk towards me. Taemin’s going to talk to me. I felt my heart stop. I can’t believe this was happening.

 

“Yo! Taemin, over here!” A student’s voice came from behind me and Taemin walked pass me ignoring me completely like I was air.

 

My whole world crashed when Taemin walked pass ne. I pouted my lips and I heard Ryeowook laugh quietly at me. Cho Kyuhyun my other friend chose that opportunity to sit next to Ryeowook and laughed with him. I stuck my tongue out at them which made them laugh even louder. The teacher, Mr. Jung finally came in and handed us our test papers.

 

Even with Wookie’s help a few minutes later I still didn’t do well in my test. I was busy admiring Taemin’s serious face… He looked so handsome that I mixed up some of the answers in other words…

 

I failed the test.

 

“I can’t believe I still failed the test! Now I’ll have to attend summer school!” I said almost at the verge of tears and banging my head on the table.

“I did what I could. You’re hopeless.” Ryeowook told me with an annoyed expression.

 

We were seated at our usual table in the school’s cafeteria. Kim Kibum, the mysterious actor, Lee Donghae the hyperactive fishy, and Choi Siwon the conservative religious hunk who were my other friends who’s a year older than us joined us at the table. I stopped hitting my head on the table and let out an exasperated sigh.

 

“If it helps, I’ll pray that you pass biology and with your problem with Taemin” Siwon said giving me a comforting smile.

“Thanks Siwon, but I don’t think God can help me now.” I said to him.

“It’s too late for Divine Intervention… Ahra’s a hopeless case. There’s a greater chance of world domination than her…” Kyuhyun started to tease me again concentrated on his psp.

“Don’t need to rub it in Kyu…” I said controlling my annoyance.

“But it’s fun to see you…” Kyuhyun teased again.

“That’s it! I’m confiscating your psp.” I said leaning over and grabbed the psp from him.

“Hey! Give that back!” Kyuhyun said reaching for his psp.

 

I stuck my tongue out at him and ran across the cafeteria. He ran after me and we began our daily chase. Whenever Kyuhyun would tease me all I have to do is take his psp from him and run. Kyunhyun never failed to get on my nerves. Don’t get me wrong, Kyu’s a great friend but he can be a pain sometimes. I was busy running away from him that I didn’t watch where I was going and hit someone by accident.

 

“I’m so sorry…” I began to say bowing my head in apology.

 

I looked up and saw Taemin standing right in front of me. I was frozen from where I stood and was unable to move.

 

Lee Taemin was standing in front of me, literally inches from me!

 

“Are you okay?” Taemin asked me with a look of concern.

 

I opened my mouth to answer that I was fine but no words came out of my mouth.

 

Aw! Come on Kim Ahra!

This is your chance to tell Taemin how you feel about him!

Tell him you like him!

Don’t just stand there like an idiot!

Say something!

Anything!

 

“I…”

 

Before I could say anything else, Jonghyun had called Taemin and Taemin went to him leaving me standing alone like the idiot that I was.

 

Darn it!

 

I went back to my friends and buried my face in my hands.

 

Ryeowook and Kyuhyun were right, I am a hopeless case.

Jeez Ahra! He was standing right there!

 

“Um… Ahra? Are you okay?” Donghae asked me patting my back.

“That was so embarrassing! He was standing in front of me and I just stared at him like an idiot!” I replied unable to hold back my tears.

“You’ll get another chance… for what it’s worth at least you got close to him… That’s a positive outcome. Stop crying…” Kibum said to me.

“I’m so stupid.” I said.

“We all know that… don’t be so hard on yourself Ahra… not everyone can be a genius.” Kyuhyun said.

 

I could sense all of them giving Kyuhyun a laser beam stares. Kyuhyun wasn’t good at comforting others so he usually resorted to remarks such as this to try to cheer me up.

 

“I’ll never be able to tell Taemin how I feel about him. I’ll grow old and die with regret…” I said still crying.

“God will make a way for you…” Siwon said to me.

“Why don’t you go to the Angel of Wishes?” Ryeowook suggested.

 

I looked up from my arms and looked at him while Siwon took out a handkerchief and wiped away my tears.

 

“What?” I asked him not getting what he just said.

“There’s this store newly opened near school called the Angel of Wishes Shop.” Ryeowook started to explain.

“That’s a weird name for a shop. How is that going to help me?” I said.

“The shop is rumored to make wishes come true.” Ryeowook further explained.

“I heard about that shop. A classmate of mine went there. He wished for a car and the day after his parents gave him one.” Donghae added snapping his fingers.

“I heard about that too. There’s this guy that wished for a girlfriend and the next day the person that he was courting finally went steady with him.” Kibum told us nodding his head.

“Why don’t you ask the angel to help you confess to Taemin?” Ryeowook told me.

“I don’t know…” I said a bit hesitant.

“What have you got to lose?” Kyuhyun asked me shrugging his shoulders.

 

Angel of whishes?

Can an angel really help me with my problem with Taemin?