A SO CALLED LOVE STORY – by Fatin Nurfaziera bt Jaamin

 

CHARACTERS

Heechul – SJ’s Heechul

Jiyeon – T-ARA’s Jiyeon

Sulli– F(x)’s Sulli

 

            Today, I’ll be entering a new academy, a famous and well-known academy built 15 years ago special for those who can sing, dance, act or loves to entertain. In my mind this time, I am so curious about the students’ behaviour there. Will they accept me as a freshie? What should I do if they hate me?? To forget my anxiousness and curiosities, I keep listening to songs from my MP3 player. .

            After about 2 hours, my long journey from Busan to Girin Art Academy in Seoul had finished. I step out from the bus, and I am now standing right in front of  GAA’s luxurious gate. I start my step with my right feet and whispered to myself, “Fighting, Jiyeon! You can do it!”.  Just as I thought, the academy’s atmosphere is so cheerful and bright, making me to start thinking positive to myself. I can see a lot of colourful banners and bunting saying courageous words hanging everywhere. Cheerful students are so busy chatting with their mates. Then, alone, I had my way to the registration centre and fill in every single form given. I’d given my ID number and my class schedule, and also a simple map of the academy’s structure and surrounding.

            Then, I made my way to see the surroundings, just to make sure that I won’t have hard time to go somewhere in the future. While I was too into the map, “Bukkk~!!” I accidentally bumped into a young beautiful lady. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I didn’t see you just now. Owh, I’m so sorry. Mianhae”, I said. “ Hahahahaha~ It’s ok. I’m just fine. By the way, are you a new fellow here? Never seen you before. I’m Sulli. Choi Sulli”. “Hehehe~ Yuph, I’m a new student of Dancing course. Just finished registering. I’m Jiyeon. Park Jiyeon”. I smiled. “What? Dance?? Me too! Nice to meet you Jiyeon.I bet we’re going to have some classes together. Wait, do you have room  to stay yet? If you don’t, come and stay with me, I just finished repacking my things and still don’t have any roommate at the moment.”, Sulli asked me eagerly. “Really?? I don’t have any. So glad that I bumped into you just now”, we laughed heartily. Then, Sulli and I went to pick up my luggages which I had left at the registration centre earlier.

            The next day, during practise, our choreographer, Hyuk Jae a.k.a The Dancing Machine announced, “ Guys, before we start our first practise, let’s us watch a special performance by the winner of last time Girin Dance Competition, Infinity! Welcome!!”. Out of the blue, Infinite’s latest song, Before The Dawn (BTD) fills in the air. Then, a troupe of 7 dancers gets in. My eyes caught on a figure. One of the male dancers, tall and fair. So like my prince charming. His steps were so energetic and skilful. Noticing me not blinking my eyes looking at the figure, Sulli whispered, “Hey!! You like him, I guess??”, I just can nod and smile. “ He’s Heechul, the best dancer here. Yeah, I admit he is so good-looking, but he is such a jerk, selfish and always look down at his juniors. I don’t like him”. “It’s ok,Sul. Human’s nature. Nobody’s perfect,” I smiled, again. “Well, don’t tell anyone about this,it’s just between us,ok? Promise me?!” I said and Sulli nodded confidently. “I’ll only like him, I know that I’m not as perfect as him. I won’t let my feelings go further”, I promised. “That’s better, Yeonnie”, Sulli replied.

3 Months later...

            It had been 3 months since the first day I stepped into GAA. This morning, I saw something at the main notice board, ‘Girin 10th Annual Dance Festival’. There are 3 categories: Solo, Duo and Group.  “I want to compete too!” I said to myself. In the class, Hyuk Jae announced the shocking guidelines for the competition. “Everyone, this year is going to be a great year for us since our vice-president, Mr. Kim Sung Gyu wants ALL students of Dance course to participate in this competition this year. To make sure that everyone participate, I’ll give you your tasks and will divide into the categories that you’ll be competing”. Then, he started announcing the names chosen to compete for solo categories. Sulli was mentioned. Next, names for group category. Also, my name wasn’t mentioned. Heart quake. Dup. Dap. Dup. Dap.~~ That’s mean that mine will sure be in Duo’s. Wonders who’ll be my partner. Anyone. Just not him!! . “1^st year Park Jiyeon, you’ll be partnered with 3^rd year, Kim Heechul. Ok, that’s our last couple. Do your best for the competition. I’m looking forward for everyone’s performance. After the class, my partner, Heechul came to me. “Is it really you?? Cheiitt~ why am I paired with a girl like you? Hope you do your best to fit my image as the best dancer here”, he walked away with smirk on his face. I felt like crying. “Sul, I’m going to show me what I can really do. I’m not a loser!”, I said confidently to Sulli.       

The next day, the first day I am going to practise with him. Kringgg!!!!! “OMG! It’s 7 a.m already??! I’m dead!” I was so finished. I’ll be late. Practise starts at 7.30 a.m. I spent about 15 minutes to get myself prepared. I only had a toast and a slurp of hot milk. Thinking of him, I ran as fast as I could to the dance studio preserved for us. I don’t want to make him to think badly to me at our first official practise. It’s so fortunate that the place that me and Sulli stayed wasn’t too far from the studio.

5 minutes more,

            Panting, gasping for breath. . . and sweating, I arrived. At that moment, I said, “Oppa, I’m sorry for being late, I’m really sorry”, I apologized. He, who was doing his routine, stop for a while, looked back at me, and as expected threw me away his smirk and continues his dance routine, with the song of MBLAQ - Stay as the background song. I was so amazed seeing him dancing. So energetic, lively and flawless. The side of that I admire the most. Then, I tied my shoelace and start to do my routine next to him. I just do it with a smile carved on my face, confidently. Heechul gave me a glance, and then made his rotten smile on his white milky face. Suddenly, he stopped the song and gave out his firm white hands as if he wanted to shake hand with me. Automatically, I stopped my routine, and staring at him with wrinkles on my forehead. “Hey, girl. Congratulations. You proved me that you’re a dancer. Indeed a great one too.” We shook hands. “Thanks for the compliment,oppa. I won’t let myself look pathetic as your partner. I’ll do my best and hope we can win this year.” I replied. “Alright. Now, I think we should discuss about the routine we’ll be doing for the competition right?” he asked. “ Yeah, we should”.

            I had spent the whole day with Heechul today. We’d decided to combine some different type of dances. We’ll do ballroom, hip hop and modern dance with medley songs. The songs we had chosen are All My Heart and Boom Boom by Super Junior and Teen Top’s Supa Luv. From what I had observed the whole day, he is truly an annoying person physically, but he has such a great and warm heart, and that made me felt like wanting to know him better.

            There’s a saying that said,’ Time will flew fast when we are with our beloved ones’. I never trust that saying before. But, now I do. 2 weeks practising non-stop with him, I felt like it was just yesterday I started practising with him. Surprisingly, we had gotten much closer now. We always spent our time together after the practise. He often took me out to a scenic and beautiful near our place, Myungdong. We prepared some snacks and sometimes I even made made some for us. The place was like a heaven. Sakura trees are everywhere. The scenery was so breathtaking. There’s also a big clear lake there. We made the green grasses as our mattress. Heechul even sang me my favourite songs from my favourite band, Super Junior such as Thank You, Endless Moment and No Other. I can’t help myself from falling in love with him. Now, we had knew a lot more about ourselves. I realised that we had so many common interests. He told me the reason why he had to be annoying and mean all this time. “I did that to prevent the girls from following me and liking me all the time. Their over-reacting made me felt tired of them”, he said. After all, I was so happy for this improvement. I even told Sulli about this, and she congrats me and wish the best for both of us.

            My heart was so fluttered when I’m with him. He always made me smile with his silly jokes. From now on, there’ll be about ten more days until the competition. We should practise our moves hard to master them, but Heechul suddenly gone. Disappeared. I’d asked his best friends ; Sungmin, Donghae, Jongwoon and Kyuhyun about his disappearance. Unfortunately, they also didn’t know about it. I tried to text him, call him, e-mail him for million times, but it was useless. I still couldn’t reach him. This condition lasts for five days in sequence. Without him, I felt so empty. His disappearance turned me into a vulnerable person. I cried every time before I sleep. I failed to find his family and relatives because he lives here on his own. But still, I practised hard on my own, alone. I can see him at every corner of the studio. After practising, I went to the place that we always spent our time together. Again, I cried under a sakura tree. Questions keep spinning in my mind. “Where did he go?”, “Why is he doing this to me?”. In a blink of an eye, I just realised that the competition will start in 3 more days.

            “Praaakkk!~~”, I heard something sounds like someone’s stepping on twigs under the trees. Not far from where I’m standing. So weird. Because when I was here since 2 hours ago, I didn’t see anyone here. Just me. Alone. After a moment of searching, I suddenly saw a figure, wearing a white cap (the one like a patient always wearing), with a sapphire blue hoodie, black jeans and sneakers walking away slowly from the beautiful place. I stunned. “Oh, my! It’s him!! I’m sure!”. Instead of shouting his name from the place I’m standing, I chose to ran after him. Eagerly. I ran my steps out. When I got him, I held his cold bare hands. Heechul turned. I was shocked. It’s him. But, he’s no longer the old white and bright Heechul that I knew. He looked so pale and sick. His cheeks were too sunken. “What happened, dear? Where did you go? You looked so sick. What happened to you? Share with me please”, I rained him with tons of questions. “Jiyeon, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for disappearing at the moment we need each other to accomplish our routine. Sorry for letting you face those alone. I need some time to prepare myself to tell you about this”. He continued after taking a deep breath. Our eyes met. “We met weeks ago. But, during that short time, you manage to turn me over. You made my life brighter and warmer. You made me felt like a human. Now, I had to admit that I’d fallen in love with you in the nick of time.

And sorry to say, my dear, I’m going to leave you forever”, his big eyes became teary out of the blue. “W-w-w-what??! What are you talking about Heechul? Why are you going to leave me? Where are you going? Please, tell me now,” I forced him to tell me the truth. He looked at me, and I looked at him back. We stare at each other for a little moment. “I’m suffering from 3^rd level of brain cancer. My doctor said that my time will be just around the corner. But, I’ll try my best to stay by your side as long as I can”. I let go a hard breath. Full of misery. I couldn’t say a word upon his shocking statement. My eyes suddenly feel warm and teary. And I cry as hard as I can. He hugged me tightly. I can feel his warmth. I can feel his love towards me. “Why, Heechul. Why? Why do you have to leave me?”, I grabbed his hoodie. “I’ll try my best to compete. I’ll still do my duty to pair with you for the competition.We’ll win. Together. That’s my promise”, he sweared. I hugged him.

 

            We had been practicing for 2 days, and the competition will be starting this evening.  Me and Sulli went to the place where the competition being held. And met Heechul with his buddies all along. Smiling bitterly. I walked towards him and he gave a me a good morning hug. A warm one. “Hi kiddy. Ready?”. He asked. Then I said, “Pretty much ready. But still have much nerve.” And he gave me a sudden tight hug. “That’s my vitamin for you. Hope you’ll gain some nerves from that”. I smiled. Just right after the little meeting, we had been called by the management to vote for our turn to perform. And guess what, we were the Lucky No1 contestant. So, we quickly prepared ourselves to perform. Sulli was my image coordinator for the day. She dressed me so well. “Oh My… Jiyeon-ah, you looked gorgeous dear,” Sulli said with a smile on her shining face. “Thanks to your magic touch sweetie”, I pinched her chubby cheek. Then both of us went out from the dressing room and found Heechul was already waiting me outside. With his pale face, he smiled bitterly, the smile that he tried to make; I can feel that he was suffering at that moment.

            “One word. Stunning,” he said with his sparkling eyes. “LOL. Stop that kind of words. That’s so not you, and by the way, you looked so damn handsome today,” I winked and ran away from his catch. As soon as he caught me, I could hear the backstage crews were calling for us, telling us to get prepared. “Ok. This is it. Let’s do our best, let’s dance as this is going to be our last, ok?” Heechul said while his cold bare hands were holding mine and his sincere eyes, looking at mine. “Yes. Let’s show them all. But remember, don’t push yourself too hard dear,” I gave him my last words and kissed his pale white cheek. Then both of us gone to the stage. We danced like we’re not going to dance anymore. And the crowd was so lively, we were given unexpected thunderous claps and shouts from the crowd. Something that we never expect to get.

At the dressing room, I gave Heechul a deep stare, and I can sense something. He was hiding something from me. Out of the blue, he fell down from his seat, grabbing his head, hard and screaming out loud before he passed out. I checked his bag, and just like I expected, he didn’t bring his medication. I cried out loud, full of despair. His friends took him to the hospital, Sulli and I followed them along. I couldn’t stop myself from stop crying and praying for his safety. Heechul was admitted to the Operating Room, the doctor said, “We have to do an emergency surgery towards Heechul. I think he had skipped his medication. His tumor is getting bigger. He is in a really critical condition. Hope everyone is waiting with patience, the team is going to do our best to save him,” just right before he went to operate Heechul. All of us waited. My tears were flowing non-stop, and nothing can stop it.

Suddenly, two nurses got out from the Operating Room, rushing, while pushing a stretcher, and clearly, I can see him, taken to the ICU ward by the nurses. Then the doctor appeared, “We had tried our best, the tumor had been expelled from his brain, but unfortunately, he is in coma,” he said. I was so glad that the tumor had been thrown away, but why did he have to be in a that state after all suffering? “Doc, may I, I mean, we go to his room now?” I asked. “Yes you may, but don’t let the room too crowded at a moment. Thanks,” then he went to his room and we went to Heechul’s ward. I let his friends to meet him first because I decided to stay at the hospital to accompany him.

It had been about two weeks since the day of Heechul was admitted to the hospital, and still, he did not show any signs of waking up. Everyday, I buy seven white orchids, and put them into a small vase on the table in his ward. “My favourite number is seven, I like white because it symbolized innocence and sincerity and my favourite plant is orchid. Orchid, even though it doesn’t has nice smell as roses, it is a plant that easy to take care of, not as fragile as roses, and it may live longer than other flowers even if the owner neglect it for some time. And that is just like you, sincere and tough even you looked weak from the outside, I want you to stay strong even if I’m not there for you,” he once said that to me. That’s the reason why I chose to buy seven white orchids. My eyes became teary again. His words were tearing my heart apart. On the table also, our winning trophy of the dance competition. I wanted him to see that. I wanted him to know that we won, and everything that we faced, became worthy in the end.

“His hands, it’s moving, oh no, it moves! Doctor!” I shouted from his ward, but he seems to look bad, he was gasping for air, he grabbed his hair hard. I went a little far from his bed, letting the doctor and nurses to take care of him. I called everyone to come. “Miss, can you call all of his closest relatives or friends? He is dying”, the nurse told me. My knees were weakening, I can barely stand, “Oh God, I don’t want this to be the end for us,” I couldn’t do anything except for wailing. In a moment, Sungmin, Donghae, Jongwoon and Kyuhyun arrived along with Sulli. Sulli gave me a tight hug to cool me down. “Ji ji ji Jiyeon-ah,” a sick voice appeared, calling me. And with sobbing voice, I said “Yes, Heechul. I’m here,” I paced him closer, holding his hands tight. “Sorry to keep you guys waiting, I don’t have much time anymore, I just want to thank you all for everything, and Jiyeon, I love you so much,” he said stutteringly. “Yes, I know, I know, me too. I love you. Look at this, we won, Heechul, we won the dance competition,” I smiled with unwiped tears on my bare face, showing him the trophy  that we won. He smiled brightly as he was not dying. And then, a long beep covers the ward atmosphere. His eyes closed. Forever. “Heechul?! Heechul??!” I shook him hard, but still, no response. I cried my eyes out. I fell to the floor, hugging the PIALA tight to my chest. “Sorry, we tried our best, and sorry for your lost Miss,” the doctor said. I cried. And so do Sungmin, Donghae, Jongwoon and Kyuhyun too. They tried to hold their tears, but they failed. And this is the end.

Two years passed, all of us had lost a star. I had lost my toughest orchid. Everyone is doing fine. Heechul’s die makes my passion to dance grow a lot. At the moment, I own a dance school with Lee Sungyeol, the man of my life now, but I’ll never ever forget Heechul and our memories together. Being with Sungyeol now making my life brighter again. Thank you Heechul, for giving me such unforgettable memories. May you are happy there now.

“You’re the light that make my darkness disappear.

You’re the harmony to every song I sing”

 

           ~THE END~