D-12 (12 days before the first snowfall) - The Coward's Secret (Part 1)

I’m a coward.

Well, probably at some certain times.

I can’t say what I wanted to say. If I did, then I would probably take it back, saying that I’m just kidding. It’s just a joke.

You see, in the bottom of my heart lies a secret. But it is not just an any ordinary secret.

The phone rang for the second time before Yerin was able to pick it up. Her hair is disheveled and some are sticking up. She must have a good dream that she probably rolled and actively moved while she sleep. Well, maybe that is also because of her exhaustion from yesterday’s activity. She had a lot of works to do that she even had to come home late again. Wanting to continue her sleep, her eyes are still closed when she put the phone near her left ear.

“Hey.” She sleepily said.

However, she didn’t hear a voice from the other line, but just a clip of notes being played and an angelic voice singing with it. A crease formed between her eyebrows as she checked the caller.

“Again?” She asked herself.  “Thank you.” She added before clicking the end button.

Then, her phone vibrates with another coming notification. A message has been delivered for her. It is short yet the content isn’t something to be ignored. She took a large amount of oxygen before exhaling it out from her lungs. As if that can also put out all the problems she had, all her little issues, and that battle raging inside her head. She briefly closed her eyes, perhaps, she’s trying to get back to her dream. If she could, she would really do it.

Because in her dream, they are an us. There is an us beyond bestfriends.

After some minutes, she gave up and stood up. It’s better to accept reality anyway. There’s still hope. And, who knows she could make that dream come true.

She looked back at her phone with the message still on the screen. Who might that person be? Could she be her? Probably not.

It has been five days when she started receiving those messages and call from that number. She doesn’t know the mysterious caller though. She tried asking, but it didn’t reply at all and answered her calls. She doesn’t have any clue on who it is, aside from a codename written under her everyday messages.

In fact, she doesn’t know if she’ll have to report it to the authorities, but the soft side of her dominated her decision, so she just let it be. There’s nothing wrong happening so far and the messages looks kind and caring anyway.

She is so used to it that it is beginning to become her own alarm, just for her, waking her up to get ready for a new day… and waking her up from her dream. But she doesn’t complain, not that she’s too kind to complain, but it’s because why would she complain when she would wake up from a call and that caller is singing for you. To add to this, that voice sounds like it’s coming from an angel. Probably that’s where the code name come from.

Isn’t that great? Well, if not for you, then for her it is. It makes her feel warm and yet curious. What more is that the mysterious caller is singing her a part of her favorite songs.

How did she know that I like those songs?

She almost jumped when she got shock by the sudden sound coming from her phone. She thought her heart is going to burst out of her ribcage. She put a mental note of finding a plan to stop that habit of hers. She might die young because of a heart attack.

Sighing deeply, she reached for her phone while her right hand is clasping her shirt, just where her heart is situated. She stifled a giggle when she read what is in it.

“Such a cutie…”

The phone left lying there on the cabinet, with its screen brightness put into dim, probably to save the remaining battery charge, is still showcasing that thing that made her smile. On that phone, the message is still open, and is revealing a sweet message from a still unknown angel.

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From: Mysterious Angel

Good morning Jung Yerin! Get ready or you might be late!~ *I’m sleepy. Gonna sleep again.*

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SinB got out of her room when she saw Yerin on her peripheral view going inside of their house. “You’re early again unnie.” She commented.

“Morning DdinB!~” She enthusiastically greeted the younger girl, that is until she saw how the girl looks.

“B-but I’m not early, you just woke up late… again.” She added, trying to act as if she’s not affected with ‘I-haven’t-done-my-hair-but-I-know-I’m-hot-af’ look of the younger Eunbi. Especially, if the younger girl’s hair is still wet, making Yerin wet too, making her upper uniform a bit wet too. She hastily walked towards their kitchen to hide her cheeks, burning with the blood rushing through it and also perhaps with her hormones spiking up. There, she finds Eunha sitting and hurriedly eating her breakfast.

“SinB! Come here faster and eat! You three would be late already!” Eunha’s mother eyed Yerin and added, “You’re even going to drag the student council president with your tardiness.”

“Oh, come on auntie! You talk like I’m always late when it’s just the fifth day I’m like this.” She answered back, walking towards the door to get her shoes from the rack. “And I won’t eat breakfast.” SinB said, shrugging her shoulder as if she doesn’t care.

“I’m done earhing’” That’s Eunha immediately getting up from her seat while she still munches her food.

“She said she is done eating.” Yerin told Eunha’s parents, translating for the younger girl who is now hurriedly getting her bag.

“Good. The bunny is done. I’m going out! Annyeong!~” That is SinB shouting, her energy is now back to the usual state, and with that description, it means it’s at full blast. And as soon as she left, the three ladies in the kitchen heard the door bang.

“Ya! [Hey!]” That, is Eunha shouting not to stop SinB, since the girl hasn’t eaten, but because she heard the younger girl call her bunny.

“SinB-ya!” That on the other hand is Eunha’s mother shouting from the kitchen as she tried to stop the girl from getting out. “Aigoo, that kid. What happened to her?” She asked the two teenagers left with her.

“Here, you two give this to her.” She worriedly gave a bag with packed sandwiches to the two. “Make her eat. Okay?”

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“What’s wrong? What happened?” That’s Yerin interrogating the youngest in them as soon as they got out of the house. She looks so worried that other people might think something bad really happened to SinB. Eunha could only shake her head slowly as she is so used with the usual way of questioning of the older girl when it comes to SinB.

“Nothing. I didn’t do anything and there’s nothing wrong unnie.” She grinned at her, energetically passing by their gates and as soon as she saw Yuju get out of the house near them, she waved her hand and loudly greeted her. “Wow! The class president is late too!”

“Ohayo SinB!~” The class president greeted in response.

Yerin moved nearer to Eunha when the two younger ones are too busy with. “Mind telling me what language did she use yesterday?”

Eunha smiled, knowing what Yerin meant. “She greeted us with German yesterday. She got the habit of learning ‘Good Morning words’ lately.” She said, finishing the sentence with a giggle and a shake of her head.

“Cute.” Yerin grinned. “but weird.” She added, making Eunha laugh.

“That is not weird for her since that is normal in her vocabulary.” Eunha said, still wearing that wide amused smile she has. “What IS WEIRD is her being late.”

“Oh, right. What happened to her?” Yerin asked though no one really answered because no one knows, except the subject, Yuju, who is busy telling SinB about her newly discovered personal talent.

Yerin squint her eyes, trying to get a clearer view of the two girls infront of her, though the girls are actually just less than two meters away from them.  “What is she doing?” She asked, in a breathy manner, still shock.

Eunha laughed at her. “As If this is new to you…. Yuju’s showing off her imitation talent. She got a new one I think.”

And Yerin could only giggle as she thought how weird and yet charming Yuju is.

“Such a cutie...”

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“Yerin-ah” Sowon nudge her and she just hummed in response. “What’s that? Don’t tell me SinB skipped breakfast again?”

Yerin looked at what is Sowon is pointing at. She slowly shakes her head, in disagreement for SinB’s eating habit this few days. “Yeah. But, I’ll bring that to her later. I’ll go once our class is dismissed and their’s ended too.”

“Cool! You really take care of the kiddo, huh?” The other smiled, amusement evident on her face. “Do you like her?”

Yerin coughed. “What?” She managed to say while coughing. “What are you saying?”

“Nothing~~” The other said. “But you have to pay me to keep my mouth shut.” She looked at the younger girl beside her and wink. “You know, I’m close with Eunha… They’re living in the same house, and words can e