CHAPTER 13: Expectation

It’s indeed not my day.

Hanna sighed heavily before she told herself. "Don't be disappointed, Hanna. There's no need to be disappointed because of untrustworthy human. I should have known my place."

When she was drowning in her thought, she suddenly bumped her head to someone. She looked up and saw him. "Oh, Jonghyun ah.."

"Anyeong, Hanna ya.." Jonghyun greeted with a smile.

It was really a simple smile, but somehow it could ease Hanna’s heart. Jonghyun’s sparkling eyes and sincere smile could shine over Hanna’s gloomy feeling.

Hanna thought in her mind,

This person

Who had been through many hardships in his life still could smile after everything that happened

So why can’t I?

It’s not a big problem for me.

It’s all fine.

In the end, Hanna was smiling back at Jonghyun

-00-

"Why are you walking while looking down like this?" Jonghyun asked Hanna softly.

"Uh? N-no.." Hanna tried to hide her disappointed face.

"Are you done with your choir meeting?" Jonghyun asked again.

That question reminded her again of the reason why she was gloomy. Hanna could only answer shortly. "Uh? Yeah.."

With that, Jonghyun chuckled. "Uh? Uh? What happens to you?"

Hanna could only give him a foolish grin as a reply, she didn't know how to explain to him.

But then Jonghyun asked, "Do you have another agenda?"

Hanna shook her head. "No.."

"Then, let's go." Jonghyun signed Hanna to follow him.

Hanna naturally asked, "Where?"

"Escape.." Jonghyun answered shortly.

And it made Hanna open her eyes widely. Escape?

-00-

"Here.." Jonghyun said as he gave a chocolate ice cream to Hanna and sat next to her in a mini market counter near their school.

"So this is your escape? Going to mini market, eating ice cream, especially in this specific season, winter." Hanna said as she tried to hold her laugh.

But Jonghyun was the one who laugh. "Why not? Let me tell you, there are three reason why eating ice cream in the winter is a good option."

"Okay, what is it?" Hanna showed enthusiast expression to Jonghyun as she ate the ice cream.

"1st. It will soothe your sore throat from the terrible cold, 2nd. It won’t melt easily and drip over your hands, 3rd. When you're cold, your body tends to burn calories faster. This sugary creamy ice cream gives the fastest replacement."

Jonghyun's habit to never miss the chance to explain something scientific in his every words made Hanna chuckle.

"But the most important, Ice cream is one of the comfort foods. Plus it's a chocolate flavored, so it's a double kill. A perfect choice in a bad day."

Jonghyun's words made Hanna realize that he ask her to get ice cream is his way to comfort her.

"What happened?" Jonghyun asked softly.

"Nothing.." Hanna answered while looking down.

But that made Jonghyun sigh. "Don't lie.. Your face say it all."

Hanna looked up and tried to smile. "It's just..  I feel like today is not my day. Everything feels so wrong. Nothing is working the way I want."

Jonghyun responded fast. "Hey don't be too selfish."

Hanna was surprised to hear his respond. Selfish?

Jonghyun smiled before explaining, "There are millions of people in this world, Hanna. You can't be selfish to want the world working only like you want. They must also want it to work out for them too."

Listened to that, Hanna chuckle. Yeah, that’s right.

"Maybe now you feel sad but on the other day you feel happy. So does those millions of people. Sometimes working out, sometimes not. It's circling like the world itself."

Hanna listened to what Jonghyun saying carefully.

"I don't know what your problem is, Hanna. But I can share you the formula of a happiness."

"Uhm? What is that?" Hanna asked softly.

"Expect less." Jonghyun answered short and firm.

Hanna was absorbing the meaning of that words while looking at Jonghyun.

"Low expectations are the key to happiness." Jonghyun told Hanna firmly. He even added with a supporting reason, "It's not something I created by myself. That's one of the findings of a study conducted by researchers at University College London."

It got Hanna laugh. Jonghyun did it again, everything must be related with the result of a research.

Jonghyun continued, “When you have low expectations, you are enjoy things for what THEY ARE instead of what you think THEY SHOULD BE."

Hanna nodded. She understood now that she shouldn't expect much from people so it won't hurt when they let her down.

"But don't stop expecting, Hanna. It still helps you to achieve your goal. The analogy is like a fire. A little fire can warm your body, but a big fire can burn you. So keep your expectation a little. A little, like this." Jonghyun made a small circle with his hand to show how much Hanna should expect.

And it made Hanna laugh. Jonghyun is indeed cute, and kind, and wise.

Hanna couldn't help but to smile brightly. Thank you Jonghyun ah, for brighten up my dark day.

But didn't stop to that, Jonghyun even caressed Hanna's hair softly as he said, "That's good. Keep smiling like that, Hanna. Your smile is really pretty."

Hanna was suddenly blushing. Her heart was beating so fast like it want to explode.

To hide her nervousness, Hanna tried to change the topic. "Mmm.. W-where are the others?"

"I don't know about Dongho and Minki. I've just finished the meeting for Olympiad with Minhyun.. But he's nowhere around." Jonghyun answered calmly.

Hanna nodded as she still tried to calm herself.

"Oh! It's the time I have to go to the restaurant." Jonghyun said after he checked on his hand watch.