[CONTENTID1] CHAPTER 1 [/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]

"Living is all about the choices you make moment by moment. Even if it's just a log bridge, you must make a choice: Do you go forward? Do you turn around, or do you stop? Where I am now is the result of countless choices made in the past. That day I ans-"

"Noona!"

Kim Ah Young didn't answer, her eyes still trained on the TV. She wore her in-house clothes, which consisted of purple sweatpants and old T-shirt. Her long hair was up in a loose, unflattering bun as a rerun of episode 8 of Reply 1994 was playing. She hadn't watched it when it aired because of her neighbor.

"Noona!"

"Aish, what!" she yelled, turning to scowl at her younger brother.

Joon Young's head peaked in the living room from the kitchen. "Eomma made bungeoppang. She wants you to bring some next door."

A sobering frown settled on Ah Young's lips. She turned away and pretended to watch the drama. "Don't want to. Do it yourself."

"I'm studying," he replied evenly. "Can't you do it? You're only watching drama."

"Yah, you're only eleven, an elementary schooler. I'm a high school student. I'll study in a minute, so stop bothering me," she commanded, not turning her head. They both knew she wasn't going to study. Still, Ah Young didn't want to give the neighbors kimbap. She didn't want to go next door. She didn't want to see Park Bo Gum's face.

Joon Young didn't reply. She thought he had left until he sat down next to her, placing a plate of bungeoppang in front of them.

"Noona." His voice sounded too wise for an eleven-year-old. "Did something happen?"

Ah Young didn't reply.

"Was it Bo Gum Hyung?" he pressed further. "Did something happen between you two? Is that why you don't want to go next door? Because you'll see him?"

She simply shrugged nonchalantly, playing with the ends of her purple sweatpants.  "Just... something. At school."

♦♦♦

Flashback

Classmates bustling around her, Ah Young stretched her arms as high as her school uniform would allow her. She couldn't have felt happier that it was lunchtime. A few weeks into her first year in high school and she already felt dead tired. The teachers gave so much information at once, it was hard to keep up. She knew she wouldn't survive high school.

"Ah Young ah!" a chirpy voice called.

Her arms dropped to her sides as Jung Eunji, her best friend since first grade, pulled up a chair to sit at her desk. It was next to the window in the last row.

"Hm, Eunji, annyeong," she greeted. Her voice was significantly less enthusiastic compared to her friend's.

"Aigoo, how are you going to live?" Lee Hyeri, Ah Young's other best friend since sixth grade, asked. She sat down in the empty seat next to her.

Hyeri was super smart, as well as cute. In middle school, she was one of the smartest in the entire grade. Bo Gum and her were both the top students. It wouldn't surprise Ah Young if people started betting on who would rank number one in the school. Eunji was also really pretty, probably the prettiest girl in their grade. She studied well, but she wasn't as smart as Hyeri or Bo Gum. Ah Young, however, couldn't study for the life of her. Her looks were decent enough, but she thought her lack of knowledge and want for food degraded her so that no guy would take interest in her. Plus, no one had ever approached her.

"Ah, mollah." Ah Young squirmed in her seat as she stomped her feet. "Whatever, I just want food." She dug into her backpack and pulled out two large lunch bags, one pink, one blue.

Eunji gasped lightly, staring at the lunch bags with wide eyes. "Yah, you're going to eat all that?"

"Ani! I'm not that much of a pig." Ah Young shoved her playfully. "I'm giving one to Bo Gum. His mom asked me to make one for him today since she got called in by the hospital."

"Oh yeah, isn't she a surgeon?" Hyeri asked. She opened her lunchbox which was divided into sections.

"Chief Surgeon at Seoul University Hospital," Ah Young bragged, as if she was talking about her mom. The two families were so close, it was as if they were only one family.

"That's right. Pretty impressive," Eunji commented, taking one of Hyeri's mini sausages.

Ah Young gulped, feeling her stomach growl. "Okay, I'm getting this to Bo Gum. Don't steal my food!"

She grabbed the blue lunchbox and head towards Bo Gum's class. This was the first time they were put into separate classes. She wasn't entirely sure why they were separeted, or if there even was a reason. Bo Gum's class held mostly males while Ah Young's class had mostly girls. Less people have been teasing them about dating though, which was good. Other students roamed the halls, probably getting something to eat from the cafeteria. She recognized a few of Bo Gum's friends, who she passed with a smile. As she approached her best friend's classroom, she heard laughter inside. The door was slightly open, so she could hear what was being said.

"Ayy, there's no way!"

"I'm being serious," Bo Gum's voice. "She peed the bed all the time when she was little."

"Tell us another one!" a different voice demanded.

A pause. "I think it was in middle school. We were in the mall, and she was looking around. There was some water on the ground that she didn't see. So when she slipped, she landed on her . Then she ripped out this huge fart."

Roars of boyish laughter.

"Are you serious?"

"I honestly can't imagine that."

"Bo Gum, another one! What's another one?"

The blue lunchbox dropped from Ah Young's hands. It felt too heavy for her to hold it. She turned and ran towards her classroom, running into a few of Bo Gum's classmates. How could he?

♦♦♦

Ah Young hadn't told Eunji and Hyeri about Bo Gum, but they both knew something was wrong. He had came to her classroom shortly after, saying that it was a misunderstanding, but she wouldn't hear any of it. It probably had caused some rumors, so Ah Young had told him to leave before he made it worse. He did leave. After school, she had ran home without waiting for him. He hasn't tried to contact her.

"Whatever," Joon Young said. "Just give this to the Park family, hm? Whatever happened between you and Hyung, just talk to him."

"When did I say this was about Bo Gum?" After a short pause, Ah Young sighed, deflating. "Jong Young ah. High school's going to be tough. Be ready, okay? Study hard."

Her brother scoffed. "Like I need to hear that from you. I'm the smartest in my class, remember?"

Why was everyone smart except her?

"Just deliver this, okay?" Joon Young nudged the plate of bungeoppang towards her before heading towards her room.

Ah Young simply glared at the pile of bread. It might have gotten cold already. She heaved another sigh before picking it up and turning off the TV. She walked out the door and took a right, standing right in front of Apartment 36. Hesitating, she shuffled her feet. What if Bo Gum answered? What would she say? Swallowing the nervousness down, she hesitantly pressed the doorbell.

Please don't answer, please don't a-

The door opened.

"Oh, Ah Young!"

She let out a relieved smile at the sight of Bo Gum's dad. He worked as a manager at a Samsung Electronics store. He usually went to work every morning (except Sunday) and came home at night, but there was some construction going on at the store, so it was closed for the next week. Bo Gum was a lot like his dad. They both have a clam energy around them.

"Annyeonghaseyo." She gave a small bow and held out the plate of bread. "Eomma made some bungeoppang, and I'm just here to deliver some. It might be a little cold, so you can microwave it a little."

"Oh, gomawo." He took the plate with a smile. "Bo Gum's mother really loves these. Thank you again. Do you want to come in and see Bo Gum?"

Ah Young quickly shook her head. "Oh, no, that's ok-"

"Appa, who is it?" She froze as Bo Gum came out of his room and into view. His hair was a little disheveled, and he wore a thin, white sweatshirt and gray sweatpants. His eyes widened slightly st the sight of her. "Ah Young."

She simply stood there for a moment. Averting her eyes, she gave Bo Gum's dad a quick bow and goodbye. Her feet only took her to her doormat before a warm hand wrapped around her wrist.

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