till the last

She's just adjusting, it's only been a couple of weeks and she's just getting the hang of being separated from her classmates of four years. But she chose this path, she chose a different strand than the rest of them. Out of thirty-one, she had two for her classmates. The rest went their separate ways and found new friends and went to new schools and explored new cities. Most like her, stayed in their small, humble town and in their godforsaken school. Two years, just two more years and she'd get to go to a college of her choice and that's where it all really starts, doesn't it?

She just not used to this, she is but barely. She can't fully grasp the fact that the same thirty faces she sees everyday in the classroom, the people who were part of her everyday and of her norm, aren't there anymore every time she enters a room or looks around during class. It's quite sad. 

"We're only a building away." Jaehyun says, to cheer her up. "And besides, we all knew we couldn't be together forever. We'll all keep in touch, we'll try because we promised." His smile is so sincere and full of reassurance that she's momentarily left in a trance, nodding to every word he says and believing it to the fullest because what else could she do? Worry? That would bring her no good at all. 

There are a few chirps here and there from little birdies of hers telling her there's a really pretty girl in Jaehyun's class and Chaeyeon's stomach just drops. She's not exactly insecure nor distrustful towards others, but she just doesn't know how to feel about this when Jaehyun does confirm it. 

"Is she pretty?"

"Yes." he says, hesitating for only a second or so. 

She frowns, but before she can say anything, Jaehyun smiles sweetly and holds her hand. She's tempted to pull away, but something in the look behind his eyes made her stop. "There are lots of pretty girls out there, Chaeyeon. But they're not you." 

A standard, safe answer. Chaeyeon wants to roll her eyes but he has more to say, and obviously, he means every word he's about to utter.

"I didn't start liking you for your looks, if I did, I would've liked you ages ago. It's not that you aren't pretty, you are, you really are. You're pretty both outside and inside. I love you for you, and there's nobody else like you. It sound so cheesy, please look at me when I say it because it's true anyway. I fell for your soul, not your looks. Beauty fades, but I'm pretty sure your personality won't. So I'll stick around longer than you'd expect."

He slyly winks at her before she envelopes him in a hug because somehow, Jaehyun always knew the right words to say.

They try their best to make ends meet. She's busy, he's busy, the whole school is too big for them to see each other sometimes. Jaehyun walks her home everyday, but it's too short and too fleeting of a moment between them. She misses those lax days where they can spend every weekend together hanging out. They still chat, like usual, like always, but it's different when they're together in person. 

By midterm, they barely see each other for the whole week. 

But, they still try. It's really okay if he sends texts in intervals and not the usual continuous stream of messages, she gets it. And it's fine by him if she mis