“Guess it’s just one of those days. The day when it all comes back. “

 

Through the open window I could tell that the season has already changed from spring to a warm and bright summer. I closed my eyes, relishing the crisp and fresh summer scent and letting the old memories flood me.

 

I remember your warm smile as the warm summer breeze touches my face. It was one of those days that the bright sunshine reminds me of your dazzling eyes. It was the most memorable summer of my life. The summer when I met you.

 

---

 

It was a typical diner scene. People talking to each other. Some in serious conversation while others were joking around and laughing at each other. There were families with parents trying to reprimand their children, who can’t seem to stay in one place. There were groups of teenagers hanging around since the school’s out for the summer. There were also few couples, who were in a lunch date, and of course, the lone wolves, who just wanted to be left alone with their newspaper.

 

A typical sight. Nothing exceptional especially for Kim Soohyun. It was just another day, he thought while taking the order of a couple seated near the entrance. Not that he was complaining. Really, he was happy and content. It was his first day of summer vacation after surviving the grueling semester in the university. Although he was here at the diner instead of going to the beach, he was glad to help his family’s business. The diner was relatively small but the townspeople love it here because of the homey ambiance and the ocean view. And since it was summer, it looked like the people in this town (and a few local tourists) have nowhere to go but here or to the beach. His parents needed extra hands, so here he was.

 

“One chicken burger with fries on the side and one veggie burger,” he repeated the order. When they nodded, he turned away, contemplating why would someone order a veggie burger when there’s a perfectly good, mouth-watering, diner’s special beef burger. 

 

‘Well, who am I to judge, right?’ he thought, when there was a sudden blast of warm air. Thinking that someone just entered the diner, he looked back at the entrance to greet the new customers.

 

He first heard her laugh. It was sweet, joyful and carefree. He didn’t know what it was, but something made him fully turned to look at the source of the laughter. It was coming from a young woman, a bit below his height. She was with a little boy, who was talking animatedly. He peeked to see her face but as they passed him, he couldn’t see it because she was looking at the boy she was with.

 

Right then, someone shouted from the counter that made him unfreeze from where he stood. Remembering the order of the couple earlier, he walked away and went to relay it to the kitchen. Once finished, Soohyun craned his neck to see where the newly arrived customer were sitting. He finally saw the little boy but the young woman, whom he was inexplicably interested in, was facing against him. Hoping that nobody took their orders yet, he made his way to their table.

 

“Hi! Welcome to the Kim’s Diner,” he greeted cheerfully. The boy smiled but when he moved his gaze to the boy’s companion, he was not prepared for the full impact of seeing her. It was not just her face, though he admitted, she was beautiful.

 

Her eyes, which Soohyun was sure slightly squinted like she was about to smile at him (the waiter), widened. He really didn’t believe in love at first sight or anything like that but as soon as their eyes met, he could not deny that he felt the instant connection.  There was no explanation of what happened, it just did. And he could tell that, she felt it too.

 

Theres’s a few seconds of awkward silence and to ease it, he cleared his throat and asked them their orders, “What can I get you?”

 

Breaking their eye contact and realizing that she was staring at him made her shy. “Umm… We’re not sure yet.” She slowly tucked her hair behind her ear, looking at menu and avoiding his gaze.

 

“Are you new here?” Soohyun asked, wanting to know a bit information about her.

 

“Yes?” She looked up, a bit confused.

 

Soohyun scratched the back of his head. “Well, this a little town so almost all the people here knew each other.  There are few local tourists who go here during summer. So I guess you guys are tourists,” he explained.

 

“Yes, well, I guess we are,” she replied, still a little bit shy.

 

Not wanting be left behind the conversation, the little boy, while lifting his hand like he was in a class recitation, added, “But we’re living here for 2 months, right? We’re going to be like… What do you call it? Umm, like residents here, but just for a short time. Like short short time until…”

 

Shocked about the boy’s sudden talkativeness, she reached out and lightly tap the boy’s head. “Hey, don’t go around telling people our family’s plan.” The boy touched his head and stuck his tongue out.

 

“Sorry for prying. I know I am a total stranger.” Soohyun felt guilty. He didn’t want to be nosy but could not help it since he was curious about her.

 

“If you’re still undecided on what to order, I recommend our special beef burger by the way,” he continued on, hoping to erase any weirdness. “It’s worth every calories. I promise, you won’t regret it.” He lifted his right hand and made a cross over his heart.

 

Soohyun felt like a champ when he heard her giggle. “Okay, I would like to order that worth-every-calorie burger. And you?” she asked, looking at the little boy.

 

Again, the little boy raised his hand. “Me too! Me too! I want that burger! And fries… and a milkshake,” he said, well, almost shouted.

 

“Calm down, will you?” she gently reprimanded the boy. To Soohyun she said, “Yes to all his orders. And can you add another milkshake for me?”

 

He almost blurted out, ‘I will give you anything you want,' but thankfully he managed to stop making fool of himself. Instead, he just nodded and repeated their orders.

 

“Is that all?” When both of them said yes to his question, he reluctantly left their table and passed their orders to the kitchen.

 

He wanted another opportunity to go their table. Even when he was taking orders of other customers, he was very much aware of her. He kept stealing glances at her direction. Unfortunately, when their order arrived he was not the one who delivered the food to them because he was at the other table. And again, the same thing happened when they requested their bill and paid.

 

Getting a little bit desperate once he saw them went out of the diner, he shoved his apron, pen and paper to the nearest waiter and went outside. They almost crossed the street when he called out.

 

“Wait!” He jogged to where they were, panting a little.

 

“Did we forget something?” she inquired, obviously surprised at his actions,

 

“N-name…” he muttered under his breath.

 

“Pardon?”

 

He inhaled and straightened up. “I’m Kim Soohyun,” he introduced himself, extending his hand and waiting for her to say her name.

 

Instead of her,  the little boy reached out his and shook his. “Hi! I’m Bae Minsoo. I’m her brother. And she’s…”

 

Before her brother could say anything further, she put hands on his shoulder to stop him. “I’m Bae Suzy.” Then she smiled. A smile as a warm as the summer breeze, just for him. "Hello."

 

---

 

It was Sunday the next time he saw her. It was after the Sunday service in their local church. Honestly, Soohyun didn’t even know Suzy and her family were there. But after the service ended, he noticed that there was a small group of people talking outside. His parents were there, as well as the pastor. He stopped short as Soohyun realized who they were talking with. He was about to change direction when his mother called him to come over to their group.

 

“Oh, this is our son, Kim Soohyun. But I know my son doesn’t need to be introduced to your daughter.” His father laughed as he introduced him to the Bae family. “The way he made a spectacle of himself in the diner last time, I’m sure he made a great impression,” his father continued teasing.

 

Soohyun wanted to melt on the spot from embarrassment .  The pastor, his parents and Suzy’s parents were laughing good-naturedly at his father’s teasing. He couldn’t do anything but to shake his head and stole a glance at Suzy.

 

Her eyes were glistening with suppress mirth. When she noticed that Soohyun was looking at her, she bobbed her head slightly and mouthed, “Hi.”

 

“Hey,” he whispered, answering her greeting. He wanted to do something more but he didn’t want to embarrass himself further in front of her parents.

 

Recovering from earlier laughter, the pastor straightened up and faced Suzy’s parents. “You said that your whole family is staying in our town for two months, right? You can go to our town’s summer festival this coming Tuesday,” he invited.

 

“Yes! That’s right!” Soohyun’s mom exclaimed. “It’s an annual celebration during the start of the summer. To welcome the few tourists that are staying in town and well, also for the townspeople to have fun. It showcases everything about our town. There will be booths in the morning ‘til afternoon. Then before nightfall, there will be a very long table assembled and each family will bring their famous dishes so that everybody could eat dinner together. After that, a huge bonfire will be lit where both young and old can relax, sing or dance,” she explained. “So what do you think?”

 

Suzy’s parents looked at each other, like asking each other a question. And as if reaching a silent agreement, they smiled.

 

“I guess we need find our family’s secret recipe in one of the boxes,” her father answered. “We’ll see you this Tuesday.”

 

---

 

Tuesday was a hectic day. Since morning, Soohyun and his family were busy manning their booth. As per tradition, all the single men in the town (meaning him and many others) were called to help in arranging the long table and building the bonfire. By the time they were finished, it was almost dusk.

 

Soohyun was lounging on the boardwalk, with a cold drink beside him, to have some time for himself before the start of the evening activities. He was watching the sunset when a familiar voice greeted him.

 

“Hi!”

 

He looked up and smiled. “Hey!”

 

Suzy was wearing a white summer dress while the wind was blowing her mid-length hair. She first tuck her hair behind her ear like what she did at the diner last time then put her hands behind her, hesitating a bit. ”Umm... Can I join you here?” She asked shyly.

 

He was so startled by her question that he almost knocked over his drink. Fortunately, he caught it right before the contents spilled. “S-sure. Of course you can.” Soohyun moved a bit to make room for her to sit. 

 

Once Suzy was seated. He drank his soda hurriedly so it couldn’t create anymore accidents and toss the empty can to the trash bin behind him. He cheered when it went in and almost did a fist pump when he realized that Suzy was watching him.

 

“Oh, that’s a nice one!” She congratulated him while clapping. He bowed dramatically as if it was a performance of a lifetime which emitted a giggle from Suzy.

 

Once settled down, he racked his brain, thinking of a good topic to talk about between them. “I saw you this morning looking at some booths but you left early,” he remarked, deciding that the summer festival was best way to start their conversation.

 

“Yes,” she nodded. “I wanted to look at the booths. Maybe buy some souvenirs. But I had to go back to the beach house where we are staying because my mom needed my help in the kitchen. You know, she was very excited to cook her famous dish for the festival.” Suzy animatedly told him how her mother couldn’t sleep because she was so excited to prepare her food for the festival and how her mother checked the ingredients almost every minute to make sure that she got everything needed.

 

They both chuckled at the story and Soohyun couldn’t help but notice how their laugh were matching with each other. It was a combination of high and low but it sounded good. And even if it was just him imagining things, he didn’t care.

 

“I’ll be sure to try it later,” he promised.

 

“Thanks,” she said, looking straight at him.

 

It was then the wind blew and she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes again, looking at sunset.

 

“I was just about to go to the beach when I saw you sitting here. And well, I just wanted to join you.” She was blushing now. Her whole face was red from her admission.  “It’s because you have a wonderful view here,” she hurriedly added, changing the subject.

 

 Soohyun looked at her and studied her profile. Windswept hair, a blush on her cheeks and a slightly upturned lips. At the background, a somewhat endless gold-tinged sky that was also reflected by the sea. Yes, he agreed with her, wonderful view indeed.

 

“It was bittersweet though.” If he was not intently looking at her, he could miss what she softly said.

 

“Bittersweet?”

 

Suzy tilted her head, thinking about how to explain it to him. “This is a beautiful sight to behold but somehow you can’t help but feel the sadness. That at the back your mind, you know that the end of the day is near. You know, there’s this quote I’ve read, ‘The sun loved the moon so much he died every night to let her breathe.’”

 

They stayed silent for a while, contemplating of what Suzy just said while looking at the beautiful sky.

 

“Maybe the sun died for the moon but we can look at this way,” he mused, breaking the silence. While scratching the back of his head, he explained, “During dusk, the sun and the moon met. And maybe, it made an irrevocable impact that even though their time together was short and the sun had to go, the moon carries on. It glows, touched by the sun’s light.”

 

Soohyun cleared his throat after his explanation, unsure whether their conversation turned too serious for her taste.

 

“Yes, I never would have thought that it can be perceived like that. I appreciate it, Soohyun.” Suzy touched his sleeve. She was smiling but her eyes were glistening. From what? Tears of joy maybe? Soohyun didn’t know.

 

They sat in companionable silence while watching the setting sun. He could smell the salty air from the sea mixed with mild citrusy fragrance of her hair. And at last, the daylight faded and replaced by a dark sky.

 

“Shall we go?” He finally remembered the ongoing festival and stood up. Soohyun reached out his hand to assist her. When Suzy took his hand, it was as if an electric current ran through his body. The slight tremor of her hand was an indication that Suzy felt it too.

 

“Sure, let’s go,” she agreed, still holding his hand. And while walking to where the activities were, both of them never let each other’s hand go.

 

The activities for that night have already started when they arrived. They went to Soohyun’s and Suzy’s families. All of them were together talking to each other. When their families saw them approaching, their shocked gazes locked on their intertwined hands. Suzy was quick to remove her hand, making Soohyun missed its warmth.

 

Minsoo ran towards them, holding a camera. When he reached them, he gave it to Suzy. “Hey, you forgot your camera,” he said. “Come on! Come one! We’ve been waiting for you,” he shouted while running back to his parents.

 

When they finally reached their families, Soohyun’s parents were giving him an amused and teasing look. He just shook his head, silently pleading for them not to ask.

 

“Minsoo gave you the camera.” Suzy’s mother nodding to the DSLR that was now around her neck. “You forgot it on our dinner table. You must have left it there when you came back and helped me with the cooking.”

 

“Yes, that must be it,” Suzy said while preciously holding her camera.

 

“She loves that camera,” her mother addressed the whole group. “She was excited last night, telling us that she would take pictures of the whole event. So when I saw the camera on the table, I knew that I should bring it for her.”

 

Her father proudly looked at Suzy and agreed on what his wife just said. “She’s very talented. You should all look at the pictures she took hanging on our wall. And I can assure you, after this, she’d have a hundred pictures of this event. And all of them are good shots!”

 

Everyone now was looking at her especially Soohyun. He was about to ask her about photography when he saw that she was a bit uneasy. Thinking that she was uneasy because the sudden attention, he changed the subject to the dishes prepared for tonight.

 

Their group talked about the food merrily but talking about it made him hungry and he knew that Suzy was hungry too because both of them have not yet eaten. So while their families were talking to each other, he asked if she wanted to eat. And when she nodded, they excused themselves and went to the long table.

 

They tried their families’ special dishes and went on to try others. After they were full, Soohyun spotted his friends and he introduced Suzy to them. He was amazed how she easily got along with Jieun, Wooyoung, Taecyeon and Eunjung. Of course, his trusted friends unmercifully and revealed too many (in his opinion) Soohyun’s secrets to her. She laughed and sometimes joined his friends in teasing him good naturedly. As for him, he knew he was done for. He could not and would not, for the life of him, stop his friends outrageous stories about him since he discovered that he liked listening to Suzy’s laugh and loved watching her eyes sparkle from laughter.

 

The activities for the night already moved to the bonfire and dancing. Taecyeon excused himself because he was going to be the DJ for this part of the evening. And as the music started, they watched people danced near the bonfire. It was a combination of young and not-so-young folks having fun. Taecyeon would play the latest pop songs but would also include some 80’s and 90’s hit songs to cater the adults.

 

They saw glimpses of both their parents dancing. Wooyoung, Jieun and Eunjung also moved from the group to the bonfire to dance their heart out.

 

After playing  several upbeat songs for a while, Taecyon changed the playlist to few mellow ones.

 

“This song is for all the lovebirds out there. Now, it’s your time to ask that special someone for a dance,” he announced in his deep voice.

 

At the first stringing of the love song, the air thickened and there was a certain kind pull from the surrounding that got Soohyun’s heart beat faster.

 

Shifting his position, he stepped in front of Suzy. When she looked up, he could see the expectation from her face and the excitement. That was enough to gain him the confidence he needed to ask his question. “Can I ask you for a dance?”

 

“Yes.”

 

One word, three letters and he felt like he won a lottery. He took her hand, and there it was again! The electric current he felt earlier when they touched.

 

Soohyun guided her near the bonfire and joined the other couples in their slow dance.

 

Needing to remove the awkwardness, he started apologizing. “Sorry about my friends. Sometimes they didn’t know when to shut up.”

 

“No need to worry about them, Soohyun. I like their stories about you. I like knowing more about you.”

 

 And with that there was no need to talk. They were both looking at each other as their bodies moved with the music. One by one, people were disappearing from their consciousness. Everyone became blurry. Everything became just a background. It was as if they were the only two people in the world.

 

Suzy laid her head on Soohyun’s chest. He didn’t care if she could hear his fast heartbeat. He just hope that they could always stay like that. He took a deep breath and could smell her scent again. He closed his eyes to savor the moment, willing it to go on forever. “I want to know you more,” Soohyun whispered in her ear.

 

Suzy looked up, uncertainty was evident in her eyes.

 

“Please? I want to see you again,” he begged, not wanting this opportunity to slip from him.

 

It was agonizing minute but then Suzy nodded. “When?” She whispered back.

 

The song ended and the DJ was now playing another upbeat song. “Ladies and gentlemen! That ends our slow song!” Taecyeon announced while they took a step backward from each other.

 

Going back to the reality, they needed now to go back to their families respectively. But even before they reached their parents, Soohyun pulled her to slow down. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow night, can I see you again?”

 

Suzy looked uncertain again but when she returned her gaze to him, she smiled. “Yes, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

Soohyun got her address before they went home last night so he could go to her house to get her. He also deliberately didn’t tell Suzy where they were going, that’s why, she was surprised when they got to their destination.

 

“It was actually a special event night in our diner. To attract more customers, we have a film viewing by the sea,” Soohyun said, keeping his eyes on Suzy for her reaction.  “Most of the time, we play romantic movies so I thought you’d like that.”

 

Suzy just nodded at his explanation. She was busy taking in the surrounding. Outside the diner, facing the ocean, there was a huge projector and there were several blankets spread on the sand.

 

“This is such a good idea!” Suzy commented excitedly. “People could watch movie, the ocean and the stars as their background.”

 

“That’s the idea for our promotion and the diner could serve snacks and drink while the movie is playing.”

 

“When’s the movie starting?”

 

Soohyun looked at his watch and answered, “Mmm… It's about to start in maybe eight to five minutes. Let’s go, I’ve reserved a blanket for us.”

 

While they were going to their blanket, Suzy looked around and noticed most of the customers were couples. She told her observation to Soohyun once they were seated, which made him blushed.

 

“A-ahh… I didn’t… it w-was…” Before he could finish, Suzy laughed out loud and told him that it was fine.

 

The movie finally started and both of them focused on the screen. After, a few minutes Soohyun moved a bit to get something. Suzy noticed that there was picnic basket beside their blanket.

 

“I already told the staff to prepare our food,” he whispered while taking out the contents of the basket. He placed a bucket of friend chicken, sandwiches and canned sodas in front of them.

 

Suzy mouthed her thanks, reached for the food and returned her attention to the movie. On the other hand, Soohyun could not focus on anything but her face. He wanted to see her every reaction, her every emotion while watching the movie.

 

For a while Suzy seemed to be so focused on the movie but she eventually looked at him. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

 

Instead of answering, he smiled at her. With that, she pouted and tried to look angry but then giggled. “Stopped it. I can’t focus while you’re staring.” She tapped his forehead and then held his cheeks to direct his head to the screen. “Watch! You’re missing the movie.”

 

At first, he was really resistant but after she gave him a hard glare, he removed her hand on his cheeks and voluntarily looked at the screen. “Okay, okay, I’ll watch,” he muttered, giving up looking at her but not releasing her hand… for the entire movie.

 

“That was a good movie,” he commented. It was now after the movie and both of them were now walking by the seaside. He was carrying Suzy’s sandals while she was walking one step ahead of him.

 

Hearing that, she turned back and faced him. “A good movie? Why do I get the feeling that you didn’t really watch it?” She tilted her head, a teasing smile showing on her lips.

 

“Well, I still know it was good.”

 

She was now walking backwards while talking to him. “And how did you know that?”

 

“I agree, I might not have my full attention to the movie but I still know it was good because I was the one who picked it.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Really.”

 

She shook her head and laughed  so she didn’t see that Soohyun stepped forward, closing in on her. His head came down and she was startled when their heads were  just about an inch close.

 

“Can we keep seeing each other? I know this was happening so fast but…” Soohyun closed his eyes and touched his forehead to hers. “But I don’t think I can ignore my feelings. This connection, I still don’t know where it will lead but I want to discover it with you. Will you? Will go out with me?”

 

Soohyun waited for her answer but she only stood still. He opened his eyes to see her reaction but could only see a flash of something on her face before she shifted her head sideways.

 

“Please?” Soohyun didn’t mind that he was pleading, all he needed to hear that moment was her affirmation.

 

He saw her sighed heavily before looking at him. “Okay…”

 

He was so happy hearing her answer that he hugged her so tight.

 

“But Soohyun... I’ll agree but just for this summer, okay?” She whispered sadly, while he was hugging her.

 

“Okay, okay…” He was so happy that he could agree to just about anything. In his mind, as long as he can be with her, he was sure that he could change her mind about them being together just for the summer. He would take it slowly, he got a lot of time to woo her.

 

That night was just the start of their summer together. Since then, they were always seen together. They would sometimes hang out with Soohyun’s friends, who readily accepted Suzy as part of their group. He persuaded her to teach him about photography and Soohyun accompanied her to different, both popular and undiscovered, locations in the town to take pictures. When they were not seen around the town, it was because they were hanging out in Suzy’s house or his house since both of their parents were happy to see them together. While other times, when Soohyun was required to help at diner, Suzy was there waiting for him to finish.

 

And then, almost everyday, to end their day, they would walk by the shore hand-in-hand, talking about anything, until midnight.

 

There was also this one time when Soohyun discovered that Suzy didn’t know how to ride a bike and he surprised her by renting one and teaching her how. She was so eager to learn that after that day they were both covered with dirt, bruises and scratches.

 

It was really a summer to remember for Soohyun and he didn’t want to end this. He wanted them together not just for this summer, he wanted a lifetime. He told himself that even if Suzy didn’t want to share with him her plans after summer, he would confess to her. He could see and feel that she also has feelings for him, that he was not the only one falling. Surely she would see that summer was not enough for them, right?

 

With a mind decided on confessing, he prepared everything needed with the help of Wooyoung and Taecyeon. He planned to do it at the end-of-the-summer party of their town. It was fitting, he told himself, since they got to really talk to each other during the festival at the start of the summer. Now, it was coming to a full circle. He would confess and they would really start to have a relationship.

 

The confession day came fast. It was dusk and he stood waiting by the boardwalk. He could hear that the party was already starting nearby the beach which meant that Suzy was probably already there with her parents and Eunjung and Jieun were now accompanying her blindfolded to him. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. He was holding a bouquet of red roses and tightly held on to it when he saw his friends, with Suzy, coming.

 

When they finally arrived and his friends left the two of them alone, he removed her blindfold. “Hey, Suzy,” he said.

 

She tucked her behind her ear, a habit Soohyun noticed. “Hey yourself.” She smiled. “What’s happening? Why do they have to cover my eyes? It’s just the end-of-the-year party, right?”

 

Suzy looked around noticed that at this side of the beach, there were no people except for the two of them. She was about to asked him again about this when she saw the flowers.

 

“W-what is that for?” She asked, eyes becoming bigger as Soohyun gave the bouquet to her.

 

“That is for you,” nodding at the bouquet that was now in her hands. He cleared his throat and start speaking again. “Suzy, I know you’ve said that we can only see each other until summer. But I believe that  everyday we are together,  our feelings for each other became deeper and deeper. So now, I will ask you again the same question I asked last time, will you go out with me? Can we see each other?”

 

Suzy was about to answer but Soohyun was not yet finished and he kept talking. “I mean, not just see each other this summer but to have a relationship even after this summer. I don’t know your plans when this summer is over but I don’t care. I don’t care if your family is going to move again, return to your home or to stay here. As long as we can be together, I can accept any arrangement. Suzy, fell in love with you.” He touched her cheeks, which was wet from her tears.

 

“No, please don’t cry. I love you.” He told her again. “I love you and I want to have a real relationship with you. Suzy, can I be your boyfriend?”

 

Suzy was now crying real hard and shaking her head. “No. No, I’m sorry Soohyun. I’m really sorry.” And with that, she ran away from him.