Promise
Promise
Promise
The first time she noticed him was way back when they were still in middle school. It was their first day and he stood out to her like a lone yellow ball in between a group of black ones. Maybe because it was because of his looks or maybe because there was just something in the way he did things and carried himself in the most awkward ways that piqued her. He wasn’t as tall and muscular as he is now. Formerly, he still had a somehow gangly figure and maybe, if she stood beside him before, she could have probably been up to height with him. She, in fact, had been blessed with a tall stature after all. However, that’s absolutely not the case now. She could say that puberty did him right- really right. He grew taller, maybe a hefty number of inches, in just a span of a few years. Of course, she grew too but his level of growth was way off her range. The boy extended like a piece of stretched clay. Weird metaphor, she knows but it was the truth. How he reached his height today was still a wonder even to her. Was it milk? Probably but she also drank lots of the said liquid and yet she didn’t grow up as tall as he. Well, maybe the heavens just didn’t see her as someone worthy of being over a hundred and seventy centimeters tall.
Oh, well.
But aside from his height, the boy just had to develop muscles as well. It’s not like she was checking him out but they were so obvious. She just couldn’t help but notice. It probably sounds erted in a way but it’s true. Every time she sees him, it’s like the boy just got muscular and even more muscular which made her think that his family almost certainly owns a gym or the boy was a workout enthusiast. She could definitely learn from him if that were the case. Heck, she needed to gain weight and food just wasn’t enough to help her. Well, she could ask his advice if they were even friends to begin with. Unfortunately for her, they were not. She could only look at him and observe from afar. It’s like she was his personal angel, watching him grow and evolve from being that ungainly kid to being one of the most loved boy by the girls in campus.
Okay, now that she mentioned it, she should most likely talk about it too- the boy’s unexplained aura that lures almost all of the girls he passes by. Of course, she couldn’t deny the idea that he was definitely good-looking. He must have done something in his past life for all she knows for the heavens to bless him with near-perfect features. Ever since she first saw him in middle school, she could already tell he was handsome but people only took notice of it when they entered high school specifically when he decided to gather up the courage and perform a song for one of their school’s music shows. From that moment, girls started gathering around him. He started receiving letters in his locker and he even got confessions being thrown at him almost every single day. How did she know? Well, it’s mainly because her locker was a mere few meters away from his and for whatever reason, they happen to arrive at the same time during those days. Must be fate or maybe just pure coincidence. She doesn’t have that much luck to begin with for it to be fate. But here’s a catch. Out of all the girls that professed their undying ‘love’ for him, not once did he accept or perhaps she just didn’t know but she’s willing to bet even her pet dog for it. The guy never dated which made her speculate various reasons that could make up for his lack of interest in committing to a relationship.
“Guy must have trust issues,” she once thought.
Peculiarly, she somehow feels contented knowing that he’s single and probably plans to stay being that way. She doesn’t even know why she felt something like that but she couldn’t deny it either.
“That’s love,” her best friend, Eunha, once said when she told her everything about her fascination toward the boy.
That’s definitely not the case though. How can it even be love when they haven’t even had a proper conversation? Well, that’s if you don’t count the time where he said a soft “Excuse me” to her when she was blocking his way at the cafeteria once. That absolutely doesn’t count as conversation if she were to be asked. Heck, she didn’t even give a proper reply. All she did was nod and move away. She couldn’t think properly at that moment. The boy whom she was observing for quite some time talked to her. Well, he didn’t actually talk as in conversed with her but it could have been a chance for her to get to know him but her flustered state just had to blow it all up for her. So, beginning that day, she promised to herself that she would never let herself interact with him once again and as luck would have it, she successfully did as she promised up until the present.
“You’re still into that boy?” her unnie asked her one time as they were relaxing at a café after a long, hard week of midterm examinations.
The question evoked a lot of thoughts to flow into her mind and she realized that she, in fact, have been caught up over the same boy for approximately eight years now and she isn’t even in love. Is it even possible? In her case, it is. As weird as it may be though, they always happen to end up going to the same educational institution ever since middle school and it isn’t even on purpose. In addition, they’re currently taking up the same major in college. Can she call it fate now? Without doubt, no. The schools they attended in are well-known schools in Korea. It sin’t quite a wonder for them to both be there. Her parents always had high tastes when it comes to choosing where to send her for education. His must be the same.
“Aren’t you afraid he’s going to accept a confession someday?” her peers always asked her whenever the topic of him comes into their chitchats all of a sudden.
Is she? Yes? No? Maybe? She doesn’t quite know the answer either. She guesses she’ll probably find out when the right time comes. Now, just the fact that she can continue watching him even from a distance is enough for her. She doesn’t need assurance that he’ll be hers. She doesn’t need to be his girlfriend or something like that. She doesn’t even need him to be her friend. Does she?
“I’m not sure,” she answers.
After everything that she is and is not sure of when it comes to matters concerning the boy, there’s this one thing that she’s definitely positive about. And that’s how she much she craves listening to his singing. Ever since that first moment he shared his angelic voice for the world to hear, she just couldn’t forget and it seems like she has this feeling of never wanting him to end his singing. She wants him to continue and sing for her for eternity if that’s ever possible. Sadly, she could only hope. That’s why every time he performs, she’d always be sure to be there to cherish every single second of it. That’s how much she yearns for his singing voice. If given the chance, she’d possibly also want to sing a duet with him. She, herself, in fact, isn’t so bad in the vocal skill as well. But then again, everything is just a product of her hopes.
“Why don’t you try befriending him?” Eunha once suggested when she saw how she was doing. The said friend has taken notice of the reality that not once in her life had she also dated someone, much like him, and Eunha suspected that it could be because of her keen interest on the one guy that most likely doesn’t even know or notice her at all.
She doesn’t care though. She had a promise she plans on keeping for as long as she could. She’s never going to talk to him. As for the dating part, sure, she had some suitors before but she never comes to a point wherein she wanted to commit herself to one of them. It just doesn’t sit well with her. It’s like trying to fit a circular puzzle piece in a rectangular hole. Heck, she won’t even mind if she ends up living her life with only her dogs by her side as long as she doesn’t end up rashly making a decision about her dating life only to regret it later on. Staying single was her best option.
“Was she reserving herself for him?”
No. As she said, being able to see him and hear him sing is sufficient for her. She has this feeling that taking it to another level would only cause trouble and she doesn’t want that for most of the time, her gut feelings are always right. It’s a gift she was endowed with. Then again, after years and years of mastering the said blessed intuition, not once did she imagine herself not trusting it in the untimeliest moment.
It was a cold winter day in Seoul and Choi Yuna, who happened to have postponed classes for the day due to favorable circumstances, sat comfortably in a cushioned seat at the corner table of a café near her university, sipping her warm cup of hot chocolate.
After all the stressing days of research papers, reports, and other college stuffs, this was her only time where she got to relax and enjoy herself to somehow return her state of mind to how it normally was before she entered university. Being a college student was no joke. That is what she can assure everyone. Almost every single night, she had to study or work on something until the wee hours of the following day. If she were honest, coffee was probably the only thing that kept her going throughout the day because at times, she can’t even have proper meals due to more school works. That’s why as she spends more years in college, she’s also losing a lot of weight, something she definitely needs to work on if ever she finds the time to do so.
Fortunately, today was her lucky day. Not only did all of her classes got cancelled but she also just received her allowance for the month which means she could spend as much as she wants on food. So, without much hesitation, she indulged herself in a whole lot of food during lunch before coming over to the café she’s presently in to again order food. This time, she focused on satisfying her craving sweet tooth by ordering a whole box of macarons to herself and the cup of hot chocolate that she’s currently enjoying.
She heaved a pleased sigh after drinking another sip of her warm drink, feeling the hot liquid rushing through her insides, warming up every inch of her cold body. Nothing felt better to her than being able to loosen up her tensed self even just for a day.
“Aaah! This is nice,” she mumbled to herself as she leaned back on her chair and stretched out her limbs which had gone stiff after a long time of staying in one position for she was too tired move. “I could probably get used to this.”
Yuna closed her eyes, feeling the moment. It’s rare for her to be in a situation like this so she aimed to get the best of it in every way possible for she, undoubtedly, would not be able to encounter something like this for a long time after this day ends. Tomorrow, she’d be back to reality. So, as much as she could, she’d savor every minute of today. Also, luckily for her, she, along with an old lady with her book, were the only ones inside the café for most of the customers who come here are her schoolmates who, by now, are in the middle of classes.
“Which means I can also revel in silence while I’m here. It’s hitting two birds with one stone,” she had in mind when she looked around the area only to be greeted by empty chairs and tables.
After examining the expanse of the place, she decided to drink the remaining contents of her cup and munch on the last piece of macaron before she let herself collapse in the long, cushioned seat she was in, shutting her eyes in the process.
It wasn’t a whole minute, she estimated, after she fell back on the seat that the chimes rang, signaling the entrance of someone inside the café. She didn’t bother to check though. She was too comfortable to even budge and take a peek.
“Jin-hyung, annyeong!” she heard the person say in greeting toward who she assumed to be the owner of the café who is the only potential holder of such a name. It would be funny if the old lady was named Jin after all.
“Oh, hey! What brought you here? Don’t you have classes to attend to?” the other replied which confirmed her assumption.
“Classes got suspended and I figured you might need a helping hand especially later when people from university come bustling in and with your workers not being around.”
“Still the caring maknae we know and love…but since you insist, the apron’s inside that cabinet. Help yourself.”
Yuna, for reasons unknown, listened attentively to the conversation between the two males. Something tells her something was bound to happen. It was her gift acting again but this time, she tried to push it aside, thinking it’s ridiculous for her to have a gut feeling in such a minor and unmeaningful situation.
“College stress is getting to me and my special ability,” she reasoned.
Contemplating over the fact that she was still borderline stressed even after hours of constant leisure and eating, Yuna came to a decision that she, most likely, was still not satisfied enough and still needed more. So, carefully, she lifted her form from its rested position on the seat before she rubbed her eyes that threatened to fall asleep. She wouldn’t want to get caught sleeping inside a café now, does she?
With thorough movements, she grabbed her wallet from her bag and made herself stand up before she started making her way over to the counter to order whatever it is that would catch her attention.
“Should I have something sweet again or should I order myself a savory snack? Sweet or savory?” she thought as she continued to walk with small steps, passing by the old lady in her table that still seemed too engrossed in whatever it is she was reading.
“Come to think of it, what do old ladies love to read?” she randomly asked herself, looking up to the ceiling as if the answers to her question were there. “Some crappy romance? Maybe.”
Nodding her head, Yuna settled with the reply she made for her own query. She got too absorbed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice that she was already by the counter which made her collide with the marbled worktop with much force.
“Ouch,” she hissed as the pain from the impact awakened her from her reverie. She rubbed the area that was hit with a pained expression.
“This is so going to bruise.”
“Are you okay, miss?” the employee asked in a concerned tone over her misfortune.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied in a lie for she clearly wasn’t but she decided to tell him otherwise so as not to trouble him. She continued to massage the sore spot in her belly while cautiously eyeing it in pain.
“You don’t look fine. I could get you some ice if you like.”
“No, I’m alright,” she insisted while doing the opposite of being fine, continuously the pained part of her stomach, not even bothering to meet the gaze of who she’s talking to.
“You’re obviously not alright. Wait here. I’ll go get some ice.”
“No, I-”
She tried to stop him but the moment she looked up, he was already gone.
“He’s one persistent boy.”
Yuna chuckled a little before she proceeded to take a seat at the nearest chair to her while still clutching her stomach with a hunched form.
“Good going Choi Yuna. Not only are you hopeless in life but you’re also clumsy,” she told herself as she took a deep breath to somehow alleviate the discomfort she got from the impact.
“Here,” the previous boy said as he arrived, handing over an icepack to her.
“Thanks,” she muttered before lifting her gaze toward the person in front of her.
However, instead of reaching out to receive what was offered to her, Yuna could only stare, probably not wide-eyed or else she’d give herself away, but something close to it. In a sudden, her heart began beating faster as if she had just run a complete marathon. Her hands sweated and her mind went completely blank. Everything in her was going haywire. Why?
It’s because standing before her, only a few centimeters away, was Jeon Jungkook, the one boy she admired and followed all her middle school, high school, and even college life.
Yuna gulped as she tried to desperately think of what to do as of the moment. Should she accept the icepack? Should she smile and act as if nothing is bothering her? Or should she do something crazy and make a run for it?
Weighing the options, Yuna foolishly went with the last one.
“What’s that?!” she exclaimed pointing at nothing in particular behind Jungkook’s back causing the boy to turn around in curiosity. Instantaneously, Yuna stood up from her seat, wincing a little at the still prominent pain in her stomach, and making a mad dash toward her table to retrieve her bag before running straight out the door of the café.
“Wait!” Jungkook shouted only to be paid no attention. Instead, he was left to himself with the icepack still in his hand, droplets dripping from it. He let out a desperate sigh before his gaze fell on the object situated on top of the table. It was a gold wallet with a black bow adorning its front.
Chuckling a little, Jungkook shook his head in disbelief at her forgetfulness over something so important as he went to pick up the folded case and placed it securely inside the back pocket of his jeans.
Choi Yuna grudgingly made her way toward the inside of the university’s Music building as her mind was still dysfunctional after the events of the previous day. Everything still seemed untrue to her no matter how much she assured herself that it did happen. Last night, she even spent a solid two hours staying up, contemplating on what should have been her proper reaction whether she should have stayed or not. What seems to be a day of repose for her turned out to be just a dream. She might as well just accept the fact that not once will she ever have a day of complete ease ever again.
“So much for relaxation…”
She let out a sigh as she reached the location of her first class, forcefully opening the door knowing that she’s probably the first person to arrive, as usual. She is an extreme morning person after all.
“Good morning.”
Yuna’s eyes widened at the sudden greeting. First, it’s because in no way has someone ever arrived before her during first periods. Second, it’s because she knew that voice quite well. In fact, she craved its singing and she just heard it yesterday.
“Oh, .”
Immediately, she turned herself around, ready to again make another run for it but before she could even do so, he called out to her, his voice somehow sounding desperate or was it just her imagination?
“Wait! Don’t go,” he said which made her stop dead on her track with her heart pounding fast in her chest as if trying to escape when she hasn’t even run yet. She could hear his footsteps getting closer to her and with every step, she felt like she was going to faint any time soon.
“Oh, God. What did I do to be in this situation? I swear I’ll be kinder. Just please get me out of here,” she prayed sincerely in her thoughts as she shut her eyes, hoping that when she opens them once again, she’d be somewhere else. But that’s just being delusional.
“Hey,” he exclaimed as he placed a hand to her right shoulder causing her to flinch in response to the unexpected and sudden touch. Feeling her discomfort, he removed his hand in an instant while moving a few inches away. “Sorry,” he mumbled almost incoherently but which she still managed to understand.
Yuna bit her lower lip, eyes shut, as she took slow and even breaths to calm her raging nerves. This was not how she expected to have a conversation with the boy she followed for eight years. In fact, she did not even expect to hear him talk to her like this. It made her feel pleased while also troubled. It’s complicated. She just couldn’t get a proper hold of herself, not with him being so close to her with no one else in the room but the both of them.
“Here. You forgot this yesterday,” he managed to say after a while of silence as he nudged the wallet to her arm, asking her to take it.
“Oh,” was her only reply before she took the wallet from his hand, still not turning around to face him.
“Isn’t it rude not to look at someone when you’re talking to him or her?”
Her eyes opened widely at his words that were indeed true. But how can she face him when she can’t even already think properly with her not looking at him? How much more when she’s staring at him? She doesn’t want to embarrass herself further. Yesterday was enough.
She heard him chuckle behind her back before it turned into laughter in an instant.
“What’s so funny?”
As if reading her thoughts, he answered while holding his amusement, “You’re funny. I didn’t know you could be this awkward toward boys. I mean, you do tend to distance yourself from males but to be this uncomfortable, really?”
Yuna processed his words thoroughly in her mind, dissecting every syllable for meaning and what she came up was only “Does that mean he noticed me too?”.
“Hey,” he said once again only this time, he bravely reached out a hand to grasp her arm and turn her around in one swift and fluid motion. After doing so, he quickly made sure to hold her by both arms to stop her from toppling over. “Now that’s much better.”
Yuna continued to avoid eye contact as she stared directly at the floor, her heart beating more wildly that it did a few minutes ago.
“I can see that you’re still ill at ease around boys but that could change.”
Confused at what she just heard, Yuna unconsciously looked up and at the moment she did so, he flashed her the most charming smile she had ever encountered in her life, exaggeratingly speaking, and their eyes met which made her feel as if she was in some kind of scene in a movie. It’s like everything around them stopped as an imaginary background music starts to play.
“Now I’m just losing it.”
“Is something wrong? Does your stomach still hurt?” he suddenly asked in concern over her.
Snapping back to reality, Yuna blinked a few times at the guy in front of her while trying to gather her thoughts back if it was still even possible considering her current situation.
“Are you even listening to me?”
“No.”
She timidly nodded while averting his gaze for she could take it no more. The longer she holds eye contact with him, the greater the probability of her passing out. And she would not want that to happen. She already embarrassed herself enough to even consider the idea of fainting.
“Anyway, as I was saying, since you look like you’re having a hard time dealing with boys, you might need help. Want me to assist you?”
Not quite comprehending at where he was going with his words, she replied, “Huh?” with a dumb look on her face coupled with a tilt of the head.
He laughed a little at the complexity of his own statement before he cleared his throat and began once more. “What I meant was do you mind if I try and befriend you?”
“All these must be a dream. I must have fallen asleep while inside the café and imagined all these due to stress,” she thought as she mentally slapped herself.
Jungkook waved a hand over her face as she could only stare wide-eyed at his proposal of friendship, not fully believing the actuality of it all. Props to her for denying even reality.
“Is that a no?” he inquired with an interested look as he tried to figure her out. Not only was she awkward but weird as well. He didn’t mind though as he flashed her another smile. “I’m persistent though. I don’t usually take no for an answer,” he said before laughing once again.
Yuna simply prolonged her stare, examining how his eyes sparkled in glee and the way he throws his head back as he laughed. Instinctively, it’s like a switch inside her mind was suddenly and it made her realize just now how much she wanted to see this scene for more- how much she wanted to watch him laugh or even how much she wanted to see other expressions etched on his face. No longer does she want to hear his singing alone nor does she want to only observe him from afar. This time, she also felt like wanting to see more sides of him. She wants to get to know him better, be with him more. She desires to start something she should have started a long time ago. She yearns friendship between them, something she wasn’t entirely certain of up until now. How come? She doesn’t know but as of the moment, for her, one thing’s for sure…
“To hell with my promise and my gut feeling…I’m taking the risk.”
Behold! Another oneshot! Hahaha! I don't know why but I tend to prefer writing oneshots rather than longer ones. Anyway, this is a break from 'Only You'. I'll be updating soon though...probably tomorrow or the day after that. It depends on when I can finish or when I can get satisfied with how I developed the continuation of the last chapter. Please bear with me and I hope you enjoyed reading this. Take note, this is just for fun and was only written to compensate for the bratty Jungkook in 'Only You'. Excuse any errors you might find. I'm too lazy to proofread it the second time. :)
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