There was always one person in life, who threw your expectations of who you thought he was out of the window. There was always one person, who caused you to question all your previous first impressions, and all those strangers you have yet to meet. There was always one person, who you couldn’t stop wondering, just how many secrets he had.

He was that kind of person, Kim Jongdae.

He was not the type of person who would attract attention on purpose. With a kind smile and bright eyes, Kim Jongdae was everyone’s friend, but how many of us knew him? He was around, he was always included, but how many of us pay any attention to him?

Perhaps, what made him stood out, was the fact that this was someone who gave his all. He was a person of extremes, all or nothing. When he studied, Jongdae studied harder than any. When he played, Jongdae was wilder than most. When he laughed, Jongdae was louder than all. 

The first impression of him was, Kim Jongdae was one of a kind. It would be fun to have a friend like him.

When I first met him, he had told me such colorful stories of his past. He was an adventure seeker and Jongdae refused to let a year past without exploring new parts of the world. He hated tourist traps and avoided big cities. Jongdae’s idea of traveling was trekking through mountains or driving to small towns without any internet connection. After disappearing to another new place for two weeks, he would return and share these unforgettable experiences. It wasn’t entirely clear, if these experiences were that memorable, or was he simply good at adding colors to the memories. They were always funny, always exciting, always something that made one think, that was indeed something that Kim Jongdae would get himself into.

What an interesting friend he was, I noted down, he was someone knew how to happy.

It was rare. You see, not many people know how to happy. Most of us were always searching, some of us were always lost. And it seemed only natural, that we gravitated towards someone who radiated happiness.

Note: Kim Jongdae was always smiling.

It was a smile which highlighted sincerity. It was a smile which eluded warmth. It wasa honest smile, one in which you knew he was truly happy to be here with you, one in which made you feel truly happy to see him. There weren’t many people like him. There weren’t many who could smile to the whole world. Was there anyone who disliked him? For someone who was friendly to all, for someone almost always joking and full of cheer, it completely natural that he was well liked. Honestly, it was hard to hate someone like that. It was near impossible.

Note: He was easy to like, difficult to love.

"It must be terrible, being your girlfriend."

Jongdae had laughed at my random observation. I gave him a reassuring smile in return, I knew he was not one to be offended, but I didn’t want him to think it was an insult.

"Why is that?" He asked out of curiosity.

"You are nice to everyone. It is easy to like you. And hence, it is easy to feel insecure with a boyfriend like that."

Maybe that statement was unfair, after all, I had a history with someone who was nice and easy to like. Jongdae didn't mind that observation at all.

"You will be surprised, I don't get a lot of admirers." He said it, almost regretfully before he laughed it off while clasping his hands together. It was a habit of his.

"That's not possible." I remained unconvinced. He was good-looking enough and great fun to be around. Jongdae deserved his very own fan club.

Raising a finger to silence me, Jongdae dug out his phone and started frantically scrolling through it. He was looking for something. When he finally flipped it around to show me, I realized that he was looking for an old picture of his high school days.

He was very plain then, to put it nicely. He didn't dress as nice as he did now. He had a terrible haircut, possibly done at a neighborhood salon at a students’ rate. The spectacles on his face were ill-fitted, blocking out his kind eyes that I had grown used to seeing in. In a class of many other same-aged friends, Kim Jongdae faded into the back.

"You clean up well," I noted.

He shrugged. "Life's hard lesson #21: Appearances matter."

"Your old friends must be shocked."

"It's not that much of a change!" He raised his eyebrows as he kept his phone back into the pockets of his jeans. "I am still me. I just… put a little bit more time in my hairdo and outfit now. Can't dress like a broke student forever."

"I suppose so." I nodded. Indeed, the change was good for him. "Surely though, you turned a few heads that you couldn't then."

"Ah…" he let out a sheepish grin. "It was interesting to see girls who were once very mean to me, suddenly reaching out. But I don't really care."

Note: it was easy to forget, those who were selflessly kind often knew best what it was like to receive unkindness. And it was easy to forget, those who did suffer from unkindness, always remembered.

"They were mean to you?"

"They weren’t always this kind. But that was a long time ago."

Kim Jongdae was one of a kind. He was sensitive to things people overlooked. He overlooked things that people were unreasonably sensitive about. He was always ready to help. He was always kind, humble and full of smiles.

"I don't think you can ever be unhappy."

It was a comment which he had heard before. He chuckled. "Really? Just because I laugh a lot?"

"You laugh at the smallest thing."

"I find most things funny!"

He really did. But if you paid close enough attention, Jongdae had his days when he withdrew, when he spoke little, when his laugh doesn’t reach his eyes.

Note: Kim Jongdae was human.

"Fighting with your girlfriend again?" I asked him, during one of those days. It was a common affair and I was used to it by then.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter