Ji Hyo wondered Jong Kook knew she was alive, she sighed as she was packing up his apartment. They had known each other for years and now they were neighbor. They had been friends since high school, whether fortunately or not, they got stuck since there. She wondered why did they even be friends. He was the star of the school, good in sports, good grades and even blessed with a good look. A lot of girls in school were his admirers. She on the other hand was a plain jane, ok, maybe not a plain jane, but she was not like him.

She remembered the first time they met each other, they were volunteering to help the orphanage kids with school work. She was assigned a bad temper boy, Jae Woon, who refused to listen and the boy was about to box her, she could handle it herself but Jong Kook stopped the boy’s fist. Jong Kook smiled sweetly at Jae Woon, but the boy’s eyes registered terror. “Little boy, it is not nice to beat up women and girls. It was not a behavior nice little boys should have. If I even smell your fist raises a millimeter at any women and girls, I would have you as a football. Do you understand?” he didn’t even raise his voice but Jae Woon’s eyes were already brimmed with tears.

Ji Hyo felt it was time to step in, literally, she stepped in between Jong Kook and Jae Woon. “I think you had made a good advice to Jae Woon, Thank you .ee “

“Kim Jong Kook” he helped her complete her sentence.

Ji Hyo turned to Jae Woon, “He wouldn’t hit me because I am a woman, so I can protect you from him. But if you don’t listen to me, I would just leave you to him.” She issued her own threat, Jong Kook smiled, she was a smart one. Jae Woon was busy nodding his head.

She turned and smiled, she was glad Jong Kook inferred. “I am Song Ji Hyo” she extended her hand. Jong Kook gave it a shake.

“Glad to know you, but I need a little favour, the girl I am looking after seem to be very uncomfortable, but I don’t know why, could you help me check with her? I will help to look after Jae Woon.” he requested.

“Ok, Let’s go, Jae Woon”  she took Jae Woon hand. The little girl, Sook Im, happened to have a stomachache but she didn’t know how to tell Jong Kook. In the end, Ji Hyo brought her to the toilet and all end well. The four of them became good friends and often studied together.

And that started their fate, after high school, they happened to go to the same college and in the same major, arts. Jong Kook continued to be the star, and she was always the one been dragged after him. They would go back to the orphanage to look for Jae Woon and Sook Im, and sometimes even brought them out to play.

After university, Jong Kook served his military services, she started working in a company as a designer. They kept in contact, Jong Kook would always ask her about the well being of Jae Woon and Sook Im, and sometimes even about her. She would gave him updates and also asked how was his military services. After Jong Kook completed his services, he needed somewhere to stay, and fate had it, the apartment beside hers was put up for rental, she asked him whether he was interested and that how he became her neighbor.

She shouldn’t have asked him, she should have just let him go then, but by then she was so in love with him, she couldn’t leave him. She sighed again, she was contented to be his friend and neighbor. He even had the cheek to pass her his keys, so that she can help him pack up his apartment. So she would, twice per week, his apartment was not particular messy, so it was not difficult, it just that she didn’t believe herself she had promised him to help.

He would pop by nearly every night, if he didn’t need to work overtime, to have dinner with her, of course, she would be the one cooking. He would help to wash up, they would then watch television together and talk about their day before he disappeared back to his apartment to exercise. He had paid her for her effort, she had accepted it, not that she needed the money but she couldn’t let him leech on her.

Saturday and Sunday, after their breakfast together (guessed who’s cooking), he would spend his time with his buddies and she would sometime go out with her friends. Of course, he would come back for dinner. Once a month, they would still meet up with Jae Woon and Sook Im, they had grown into responsible adults and doing their degrees. After the meeting, Jong Kook would often drag her to places, she would follow, it always gave her the illusion that they were on a date. Her best friend had told her to snap out of it, but she was too immersed and to in love with Jong Kook.

Maybe it time for her to leave him, she would need to let go, he was a dream, a dream she could not catch. He always treated her like his friend, his family or worse, his maid. Why she would even wish there was more. She had caught him once or twice with girls, they were laughing so happily together and it broke her heart. Maybe she should just to clear her mind for a while, she applied for leave from her company and left for Japan. She didn’t inform him and just write a note and paste it on his table. She felt it was the best, she wanted to disappear from his life.

She spent two weeks roaming Japan on budget, she missed him more and more but she was so far away and she didn’t activate her roaming. She couldn’t contact him and he couldn’t contact her. She didn’t clear her head and she only wanted to go back to him. She then knew she couldn’t leave him.

She dragged herself back home, she opened her door and on the lights. Her house was the way she left it. She left her luggage at the door and went to her room. Something stirred on her sofa, she was shocked, did a thief enter her house! A man full of facial hair came into her view, ”AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” she screamed!

“Don’t be afraid, I am Jong Kook” the intruder declared. She stopped and took a good look, yes it was Jong Kook, why did he look like this. She sighed with relief and fell to the floor, Jong Kook was beside her instantly. “Are you ok?” he asked, his eye filled with concerned and sadness.

“Sadness? Why his eyes were filled with sadness.” Ji Hyo asked herself. “Did something bad happened to him?”

“I am ok. What happened to you” she asked, extending her hand touching his face. “Why are you here?”

“I … I … “ he stumbled, “I am waiting for the person who abandoned me to return, hopefully she would stay and not leave me again.”

Her heart shattered. He had someone in his. Her tears welled up uncontrollably.

Jong Kook panic, he didn’t know what to do. “Please don’t cry, please don’t, tell me what is wrong. I promise you I will do whatever to make you happy again”

“You couldn’t,” her tears left her eyes, making two small waterfalls.

Jong Kook sat beside her, looking both helpless and hopeless. “I am sorry, I couldn’t help. I am sorry I startled you. I shouldn’t be here waiting for you, I was too late, aren’t I” he murmured.

“He was waiting for me? I was the one who had abandoned him?” she thought “it couldn’t be” a hope raised in her heart, her mind hoped it was not a false one. “You are waiting for me?” she asked, wanted a confirmation from him.

“If I say yes, would it burden you” he asked, unsure of himself.

This was the first time, she saw the insecure Jong Kook, not the confident person she knew. She shook her head. She caught a hope gleaming in his eyes.

“I am waiting for you, I saw your note when I got home, I rushed over and there is only an cold and empty apartment, without you, this place is no longer home. I tried to call everyone to ask where you were, your parents said you left for Japan. I had tried to rush to airport but I couldn’t find you. I was so desperate, why did you choose to leave me.” He looked grimed. “I couldn’t function, I just a robot that left for work and came back, I missed the warmth and the love I felt everyday I was here. I asked myself what I had gone wrong for you to leave me. Did you know someone new and you went holiday with him? I couldn’t figure it out, I called your best friend. She asked me what you were to me. I told her I always treated you as my girlfriend, she was shocked. It was then I figured it out, I didn’t and never ask you to be my girlfriend, I thought you knew.” He paused, she looked at him expectedly.

“I didn’t celebrate our anniversary because there wasn’t one to begin with. We exchanged Christmas present but I never bought you flowers. I knew you didn’t like them. We never had candlelight dinner, just dinner that you cook for me, I like you to cook for me. i never held your hands, hugged you or kissed you. I was shy and we didn't have the habit too. I always left you alone one weekends, i knew you will be waiting for me at night. We only dated once per month." he sighed. "The most important thing is I never said I love you because I thought you already knew. We are always together for so long, I though you knew. But now I know you didn’t, I was just assuming. I not even sure do you love me” his face was now behind his hands, she could tell he was regretting his actions.

“I .. is it too late for me to ask now?” he asked her again. She shook her head.

“Do you want to my girlfriend?” he asked timidly, eyes looking at her expectedly.

“I am sorry..” she paused, “that I didn’t know you treated me as your girlfriend, I thought it was only friend or family. I was so in love with you that it was painful to see you laughing with other girls when I thought I am only a friend.” He looked at her with hope. “I want to be your girlfriend.” He embraced her, feeling her tears wetting his shirt. Here were two persons who loved each other but had forgotten to express their love.

“Ji Hyo, I love you.”

“Jong Kook, I love you too.” They smiled into each other eyes. He held her tight in his arms.

"From tomorrow onwards, I would hold your hands, hug you and even kiss you. I would let you know I love you" Jong Kook promised.