One night in early February 1976

I opened the door when I heard there was someone at the door.

“How do you know I live here?”

“Do you think I don’t have a mouth? I asked my uncle of course. Where is your manner anyway? You didn’t greet me and you don’t invite me to come!”

“Well then…Good evening, Sir. Welcome to our wonderful and lovely house, Mr.Byun Baekhyun. I would be delighted if you would come inside!” I even bowed a bit to him and he laughed at me! This boy!

“Has anyone told you that you have problem with your anger management?”

“Yes. About two seconds ago!”

“I’m going to like you, Park Chanyeol! Well, I’m leaving now. I’ll come back some other time. Bye!”

What? He was so weird!

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Still in 1976

“What happened to you?” I asked when I saw him. His head was on the table with both arms on each side.

“The teacher came to check me at the infirmary the other day but apparently I did not know because I was at the market. This morning he saw me and flicked his finger on my forehead!”

“How did he know that you went to the market?”

“He waited until the school finished because he thought I was in the bathroom when he checked on me the first time. He went back there and found no sign of Byun Baekhyun so he left and on his way home, he saw me eating jjampong at the market!”

“And?”

“The shop owner is his father. And he told him that I had been sitting there for a few hours.”

I could not hold my laughter anymore. He looked angry but it made me laugh even harder especially when I saw the red mark again.

“Oh, God! It was such a good way to start my day. Thank you, Baekhyun!” I wiped tears from my eyes for laughing so hard.

He turned his head so he looked at the other side. He refused to see me.

“Here! Put this ointment on your red mark.” No answer.

“So, you like jjampong, huh? I know a place where they have the best jjampong in town. I always come to that place on Sundays. And I normally leave the house at 11. So, if there is someone who wants to join me on Sunday, he can come to my place before 11.”

“Are you talking to me?”

“No, I was just mumbling my plan for Sunday.” I gave him a smile.  

We did not have a chance to talk further because the teacher entered and the class started soon after.

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It was 10.50 and nobody at my door. I peeked through the window every 20 minutes since I finished my breakfast. Well, maybe he did not like jjampong. “Or, maybe it’s me that he doesn’t like?”

I decided to go back to my room and got ready to leave the house at exactly 11.00. My mother asked me to buy some for her and my sister so she gave me extra money. I was humming a children song when someone put his hand around my shoulder. I jumped because of that.

“Did I scare you, Chanyeol? I’m sorry. I was overslept and just woke up 30 minutes ago so I was in a hurry. I’m still wearing the same clothes from last night, you know.”

“Hmm…you’ve got something there, Baekhyun.”

“Where? Here?” He touched his cheeks.

“No. There.” I pointed his lips but he did not reach the right spot.

“Let me wipe that,” I raised my thumb to his lips and wiped the stain right on top of his lips. “Okay, you look good now,” I said and started walking. I did not realize that there was a boy who suddenly felt cold, even though I felt that day was quite warm, and his eyes went wide.

I looked back when I noticed that he still froze in the same spot. “Let’s go. Or we’ll not get our turn to taste the best jjampong in town!”

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“You were abnormally quiet today. What’s going on?” I asked Baekhyun.

“Have you ever felt attracted to someone else before?”

“What do you mean? Like, to a girl?”

“Or boy. Or something like that.”

“Well, I found my first grade teacher to be the most beautiful woman then. I told her I want to marry her. I stop liking her when I found out she was married to your uncle.”