“Time will heals.” He said, trying to comfort me. “Trust me.”

“It seems like you’re not saying that only for me.”

He smiled, “Do you think I will be able to attend Soojung and Sehun’s wedding? And when their baby is born, do you think I will be okay?”

“Sure, time heals.” I said.

“How could both of us are broken-hearted like this while our Mom is currently madly in love in her forties?”

We laughed, thinking how our Mom has better love story than us. she has finally found her happy ending after Dad left her away, and nobody’s actually happier than us; her children.

“She deserves him, I mean, Mom had been suffered for years already and none of us actually helped her.”

Then he pointed his index finger to my forehead, “Then why were you against this marriage so much, little girl?”

I shoved his finger, “It’s because I was shocked, and I hate Park Nayeon!”

“You can’t hate her forever, Nara. She’s going to be your step-sibling after all. We are going to be one family, and live under the same roof.”

“She’s going to move to a boarding house once we got into university anyway.”

“You are stupid if you think that thing alone would solve all the problems.”

“I know, Nayeon is stupid.”

“You are also stupid, Kim Nara.”

***

Since that day, I’m really trying to hold myself whenever I saw Mingyu. I shouldn’t beg to him anymore, and I shouldn’t have a high hope to be forgiven this early by him since my fault was probably hurt him so much anyway.

Even though it’s hurt, but I think it’s the best for us. Loving Mingyu doesn’t mean that he has to be with me, if he’s happy without me then let him be. Sometimes I just walked to the field unconsciously, or searching for him whenever I need to open the water bottle. And when I stopped to face the reality, my heart aches.

It’s not like I couldn’t open this water bottle, I could if I tried. But I was too depend to him that it makes me couldn’t do anything by myself anymore.

“Stop trying so hard for people who don’t care.” He said.

“Don’t you have another people to disturb now?”

“No?” he laughed. “It’s boring since Nayeon doesn’t need me anymore, and seeing your condition… it’s worse.”

“What’s with my condition? I’m better than ever!”

Mino, being annoying as usual, head locking me while messing with my hair, “Aren’t you tired from lying about everything?”

I pushed him, “Don’t mess with my hair! Ugh, I just brushed it!” then I punched his arm.

But he laughed, “That’s my girl! You have an energy to punch me why don’t you use it for anything else? Positive things, okay? Not for following Mingyu around.”

“I’m not your girl, Song Mino!” I stood up, “Let’s go!”

“Huh?”

“The lunch time is almost over, Song Mino, we have to be hurry. I heard that the lunch for today is meat. Come on!”

It’s been a while since the last time I had proper meal with Mino. And it’s not bad, I think? I mean, Mino is less annoying when he’s not with Nayeon, and he is a great friend actually. Even though sometimes he doesn’t know how to stop, and where’s the line between us. He doesn’t know how to filter his words, and he doesn’t know when to use those words either.

“Do you remember? We broke up here, at the cafeteria, while eating our lunch!”

I tried to memorize them, “Ahh, we fought back then. Then we broke up just like that.”

“That was funny, how I was mad because you only focused on study.”

“Did you just realize, Mino?”

He nodded, “But I’m glad that we broke up. I mean, you found Mingyu after that.”

Speak of the devil. Mingyu and his friends just walked into the cafeteria, sitting on their usual place. He didn’t even look at me when his friends greeted me and Mino, and I have to understand. Not too long after that, Nayeon approached them and that’s how Mino pulled me out of the place.

“Do you have a practice today?”

I nodded, “Right after school.”

“Let’s go together, I’m going to meet my Dad.”

“You know what? Your Dad is the honorable Professor at Seoul University, and you have all the chance to get there easily. Why don’t you even think about trying?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know. I just don’t want to enroll there even though I have my Dad. I don’t want to live under his shadow forever, you know.”

“You sound like you’re going to study hard, meh.”

“Don’t underestimate the power of Song Mino, girl.”

Actually, after meeting my soon to be rival on the championship, I felt a little… down? I thought I could be the best contestant but no, the kids who will be my rival are all smartass. They were talking really well and very competitive.

It’s not I’m not ccompetitive, it’s because my condition is not really well these days, and many things are going around my mind. I was really confident, but I suddenly felt like I couldn’t do anything right now.

I might be the first ranking on my whole school, but outside the school, I’m actually behind.

And I can’t believe I ran away… I left them when they told us to take a break. I know that I’m acting like a complete coward but really, being here doesn’t help me to fix my mind.

After walking around the campus, I decided to sit on a bench  under a big tree, to think; and to reflect. The cherry blossoms are really beautiful but it makes me sad, because everyone is in love but me. And everyone is happy but me.

“Why aren’t you practicing?”

I was shocked to the point that I couldn’t blink my eyes; because he’s standing right in front of me and he… talked to me first? Is it a dream?

“Uhhmm, I…”

But before I could finish my sentence, Mingyu’s already turning his back, walking away from me. it’s just a reflect that I had to run after him whenever he walked away from me, and it .

“Mingyu,” I grabbed his arm, and he looked at me after that. “What are you doing here?”

“To meet my friend. He is also the contestant for the debate and he’s still practicing while you’re sitting there.”

Oh. I thought he was coming to see if I’m doing okay. Why would he do that anyway.

“Actually I have some things to tell you, Mingyu. I promised, I won’t take a long time.”

He nodded, walking towards the bench then sitting on it, waiting for me. Really? Mingyu is finally agreed to talk?

“First, I want to say sorry for everything. Yeah, I know you’re not going to hear my sorry anyway. Second, I’ve thought about what you’ve said before, and I decided to move on just like what you did. I decided to be happy, well at least I’m trying. I was strong, but I don’t feel like myself anymore after you left me. I’m weak, and couldn’t even focus at one thing these days.”

He kept looking to the ground, and I hope at least he’s listening to my long explanation after this.

“Back then, I needed some supports and affection from people, honestly. That’s why I always tried my best to do things and didn’t even want someone to surpass me. I was pretending to be strong so nobody would pity me, I really hated that. But you suddenly came, giving me all the supports, affection, even being someone for me to depend. I thought that I owe you a lifetime to help me with everything, that’s why when your Mom asked me for help, I didn’t think twice to say yes. Not knowing that it would lead us to this situation right now.”

“If you are going to talk about her then you shouldn’t talk at all.”

“Give me five minutes, Mingyu.” Stopping him from leaving, and he finally listened to me. “And about Wonwoo, yes, I was wrong. Little did I know that there are so many other ways to fix my friendship with Wonwoo without lying to you. I was short-minded; and maybe I still am. And that what made you felt like you’re done with me. Even though I really wanted to have another chance, but I won’t force you anymore. We are not seeing the same page anymore, and it’d be really hard for us to be like what we used to be.”

Inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly.

“I decided to be my old self, and follow all my dreams before. I’ve been studying hard for years to enter Seoul University, but when the chance is right in front of me right now, so many things going on my head that I couldn’t think properly. Before it’s too late, I’m going to do my best. And I just want you to know that you don’t have to be worry (if you ever would) about me anymore. I won’t beg to you anymore, let’s just pretend like we’re just a class friend. Starting from now, you will see the strong and independent Kim Nara again. Thank you for everything, I hope you will be happy with whoever, whatever, whichever path that you choose. And…”

I his hair, finally braving myself to look into his eyes. “…I believe that time will heals. Whatever it is. Time heals.”

“Please be happy, Nara.”

Trying to hold my tears after hearing his four simple words telling me to be happy, because it was really beautiful to my ears. “You too. Please be happy, Mingyu.” I said, before walking away from him.

Under the beautiful cherry blossoms, Mingyu and I are officially saying goodbye to each other. We are just a classmate now that will be separated in few monts to different paths. And I decided not to burn all the memories about us nor trying to make it live again.

Because past is the past. Just let it be. Because it’s more meaningful like that.

If I had to choose one of my best teen memories, I’d definitely choose Kim Mingyu. He’s the real plot-twist MVP of my 10’s stories, that will find his best story later in his 20’s.

***

a/n; this is not the end but starting from this chapter, while continuing nara and mingyu's story, i will try to fix the character's image so you won't hate them after the ending lol (because i dont want any of you to hate my baby wonwoo)