[ Ten Things About You ]

Description

 

You said that love wasn't what I thought it was… something ethereal and beautiful that I've always dreamed of.

 

"Be mine. Instead of being his. You looked pathetic every time you cry about him."

"I'm not crying because of him!"

"It may be dark. You might not have your make-up on. But I see you… and I can see your eyes. It's screaming his name."

 

You said love isn't the three words spoken, not the three words screamed. You said it was in every language in every word put down in a sentence that would only mean the world if you've said it right enough…

 

"Hey! No one treats their girlfriend the way like this!!"

You laughed. "Irene, dear, I may have asked you to be my girlfriend but I don't like you."

"What?!"

"I told you. I didn't like seeing you cry because of that bastard. So I asked you to be my girlfriend. You look like a crocodile when you cry."

 

You said that love wasn't a fairy tale I've read in books, or something I've seen in movies. When I asked you what it was, you just shrugged your shoulders and held my hand. I thought you don't have the answer…

 

"Yah, is your beauty all you have? Get that stuffed toy for me!"

"I'm not a slave! And I'm not all beauty you know. The whole student body is head over heels for me?"

"Tss…Then why the heck are you head over heels for a stupid guy when there are obviously more people better than him."

"I—"

She pushed me on the side and held the controller, her eyes focused on the claw machine.

"You don't need to be the best to get what you want. It's just—are you sure about what you wanted all this time

 

…Now I think you had, that you did answer me. I wasn't just too quick to notice.

 

"Why do you like looking at the sky so much?"

"Well, it always marvels me how it didn't look quite the same every single time."

"And the sunset?"

"It's beautiful."

"Do you think our ending would be beautiful as well?"

 

You said that you liked sunsets because you think it's beautiful… because you think it's beautiful because I said so. It's like a wonderful ending of a day.

 

You said we're gonna have our ending too. However, you said it wouldn't be beautiful.

 

And I finally understand why when you got lost to the oceans, like the seafoam reference you told me.

 

It's been six years since then…

 

And I'm still wondering where you were, Ms. Darling.

 

[a/n this one is loosely based on the stories That Girl 1 & 2 by haveyouseenthisgirl so if this familiar to any Filipino readers, yeah that's probably why. It doesn't have the same story though, only some premises were based on those short stories. Credits to the original author for the prompt. and I hope you'd like this as well... Will edit this soon too :D ]

 

 

 

A new semester started. The cherry blossoms started blooming as spring finally came. The sunlight wasn't blinding to the eye still, and the random students passing by surely made a glance at me before walking away. The rumors were probably around the whole student body already. A sigh escaped my lips.

 

"Have you heard about it? Apparently, Irene Bae's best friends were actually dating behind her back!"

"But wasn't it known that Irene was super in love with her best friend Suho?"

"Yeah, it turns out that Suho and Solar didn't reveal their relationship because they are afraid of hurting their best friend."

"Well, seems like their plan backfired."

"Mmm… I truly pity Irene now though."

 

Another sigh escaped my lips. Now, it was obviously among the whole student body, huh? Tugging my coat tighter as the cold spring breeze starts to chill me up, I decided to finally get inside the school building. I've avoided people's eyes, not because I scared but because I didn't like what their eyes were telling me. It was filled with pity and apology. I didn't need that. I-I—

 

"Coming through, coming through—A-ack!!!!"

 

It was too quick that the next time I opened my eyes; I was already on the floor with a bunch of feathers falling around my body. It took me a few moments to compose myself and when I did, my eyes finally landed on the culprit.

 

And my eyes almost grew wide at the sight.

 

It was from Wendy Son. A second-year student, captain of the softball team, one of the lead actresses of the music club, and my hugest admirer of all.

 

Ok, maybe not entirely.

 

But it was an infamous rumor, how this girl was apparently head over heels on me. I never proved it though. We have no reason to meet and we rarely even see each other in the cafeteria or the hallways. When our paths cross, she would just pass by as if she didn't see me and when our eyes do meet, she would hold some sort of blank expression that I bet no one could read.

I've heard stories though. How this Wendy girl apparently has a photo book filled with stolen pictures of me. That one totally creeped me out that I swore I would never walk even a step closer to her.

 

Well, I guess if fate wants to make games with you… this will happen.

 

"Sunbaenim!" The girl shrieked, standing up so quickly and helped me. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"N-no, I'm o-okay." I mumbled, still a little disoriented.

"Should I take you to the infirmary? You know what, I think I totally should come on—"

"Wendy-ssi, I'm okay. Don't fuss about it." I sighed, dramatically, to stop her from her overdramatic acting.

She grew silent, almost gaping from what I said. For a moment, I was clueless why until she asked.

"H-how did you know my name, sunbae?"

"I-I—" Cold sweat started forming on my neck as I tried to come up with a sad excuse. "I-I—because I w-watched your w-winter play? A-and you w-were one of the leads there right?"

"You watched our winter play?!"

"I-I—Yeah—You acted great as a—"

"—as a tree. WOW! That's awesome! Yeri told me I at acting like a tree but since you said my acting's great, I believe you more!" She cracked a grin and I hoped that the ground below me would just swallow me whole in embarrassment. I heard a few snickers from the students around none decided to in, thankfully.

"Y-yeah—tree—u-uhh… I better get going, I still have a class, you see—"

"Don't you have an acting class this morning? I can walk you there sunbae!" She grinned as she started picking up the fallen feathers to the box she's carrying. It took her only a few moments until she's good to go.

"No! I-I can handle it! Walking alone, that is—"

"Silly! It's not a bother, sunbae! I'm on my way there as well. I'm taking the same class."

"You are?"

"Yeah, the only second-year advanced enough to take the course." She grinned proudly, "I'm the class monitor!"

I didn't think that it was a good thing.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Wendy is creepy. I finally decided on that one as we finally took a seat in the class. Considering we are in a practice room filled with only a few chairs, I was unlucky enough to sit next to her and I was able to observe her a little bit more.

The professor decides to tell us about the semester's syllabus throughout the whole class, and he spoke about random theories here and there that he thought would be helpful. I was trying to listen but it was hard when your seatmate was distracting enough.

She was glancing at me from time to time, her cheeks in a pinkish hue like a young middle school student sitting next to her crush. She has a creepy smile on her face and when I turn to her, she would avoid my gaze and look up at our prof, although I caught her multiple times already.

Our class ends at 11:00 and when I checked at the time, reading that it's already 10:55, I was internally cheering. 5 minutes more and I'm free from this creepy girl named Wendy.

 

10:56…

 

 

10:57…

 

 

 

10:58…

 

 

 

10:59 ….

 

 

 

"Oh, class! Before I forget! As a requirement for this month, I'm gonna let you know about your fellow classmates to get closer with then, and hopefully, we could all learn acting comfortably with one another soon. It will be in pairs and your partner would be the one sitting next to you."

 

As I heard those words, I can already hear fate mockingly laughing at me from far away.

 

"You need to write down 10 things about your partner and one thing about yourself. You can do this for a few days or even just a single day as long as you finish it up. I'm giving you a month to finish it. Okay, class dismissed."

 

Have you ever experienced that before? Hoping for five minutes to last but then that last five minutes ended up extending to eternity?

 

Well yeah, me neither….

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

"Irene, you already know my heart now, please."

"But what can I do? You know how much I loved you, Suho… you know how much you're breaking my heart right now."

"I don't love you. I know I should've told you sooner instead of leading you on and I'm sorry, Irene."

I choked back my tears. "What are you even sorry for? For leading me on? Or for not loving me back after everything I did for you?"

"I-I—"

"We were dating, Suho! But I decided to hold it all in when you wished not to tell about it to other people. And now, I just found out that y-you—you're dating her, after all, this time." An empty laugh escaped my lips, along with a few tears trickling down my cheeks. "You were playing with me and I was too dumb—You could've told me all along Suho! I would understand!"

"Would you really?!" Suho spat back, his eyes cold. My best friend long gone before me. "You were obsessed with me, Irene, despite having the two of us denying it! I was the only thing you ever think of and I know if I told you the bomb, you would desperately hold unto me—like what you are doing right now."

"Suho—"

"So no, let's put an end to this right now, Irene. Let's not be friends anymore."

 

He walked away. All I see was his back disappearing into the corner of the alleyway as I collapsed to the ground, crying. He was far too gone before he heard my next words.

"I would've understood… because you two were all I had."

 

 

And then I heard a shutter of a camera.

"Stop crying. You look like a freaking crocodile when you cry."

It was from Wendy. I only noticed it was her through her voice. The faint light from the light post a few meters away wasn't helping in seeing anything from that dark darn hallway.

"Shut up. Are you my stalker? What are you doing here?" I muttered, trying to wipe my tears away but to no avail, it kept falling down.

"I'm not. You just happen to always be where I am taking a picture." She answered, taking something out from her pocket. It was a handkerchief. "You weren't even that pretty to be in my photos."

"B-but—"

 

"Won't you be my girlfriend?"

 

I almost puked my dinner at her sudden question.

 

"What?!"

 

"I asked you if you want to be my girlfriend." She said firmly, looking down at me as if she was bored as hell.

"Why would you even ask that?"

She shrugged.

"You seem sad."

"So? Being in a relationship makes people happy now?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Should I ask that back to you?"

Now that totally stumped me.

"Be mine." She continued. "Be mine, instead of being his. You looked pathetic every time you cry about him."

"I'm not crying because of him!"

"It may be dark. You might not have your make up on. But I see you… and I can see your eyes. They are screaming his name, sunbae…"

 

The ongoing drizzle started to turn into a downpour and I was sure any moment, I would probably be drenched wet.

I didn't.

Wendy was standing next to me, looking down at me with a pair of eyes filled with wonder and worry. Her right arm was stretched out, her right hand holding unto an umbrella that shields me from the rain. She was the one getting soaked in the rain instead.

 

That night, I was able to write one thing for our requirement.

 

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

 

1. Wendy Son is crazy.

 

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

 

 

 

 

"Girlfriend! Wait for me!"

At the sudden sound of the devil calling me, I started to pick up my pace in our school's building, hoping, praying that she wouldn't be able to catch me and that she would lose me in the crowd. There were a bunch of students around anyway. She wouldn't catch up—

"There you are!" She held my wrist and tried to catch her breath as she panted. "How come you walk so quick, sunbae? Can't you even wait for your girlfriend for lunch?"

"I-I—"

And finally, cue in the rumors.

"Irene and Wendy are dating?"

"Oh? Since when? I never thought that that weirdo will ever have a chance on our school queen though?"

"Well, Wendy's huge admiration with Irene was known by the whole school anyway…"

"But what about Suho?"

"Who cares? They look cute—oh! Wendy's pouting in Irene's way! They're adorable!"

 

I can already feel a headache coming in its way…

 

"Are you already on your way to the cafeteria, sunbae? But it would probably full of students already. Let's go to our music room instead?"

 

x x x x x x x x x x x x

 

2. Wendy Son talks too much.

 

x x x x x x x x x x x x

 

"Why the music room?" I asked. "And for the last time, I'm not your girlfriend!!!"

"Eyyy—don't be like that! You can't say that after everything that happened last night, sunbae!"

 

"Last night? WOW! Perhaps—"

"If that's what happened then it must really be true!"

"They look so good together! I ship it!"

 

"Yah! What the heck are you even talking about!?" I slapped her back in embarrassment. My cheeks were obviously pink already. "Don't say things like that out loud!!!!"

"So should I only say that when the two of us are alone, sunbae—OWW! T-that hurts! A-ack! I'm totally putting this in our requirement—OUCH!!!"

 

 

"TADAAAAA!" Wendy grinned widely as she presented two lunchboxes from her bag. "I brought us lunch!"

She quickly opened it before me. She was obviously excited, although I didn't understand why. The music room was too private, which I somehow like. I didn't want to encounter stares from the student body again. They are all looking at me like hawks as if my whole life was some kind of an interesting reality show on TV.

The food looks great though.

"Uhh—are you sure you're not trying to poison me though?" I asked, taking my chopsticks and ready to devour.

"Come on! I cooked all of these for you, unnie! So of course, I made it with utmost care and affection!" She grinned widely as she took a bite of the kimbap and grinned. "Issh shreally dellishoes too!"

"Can you at least pick between the kimbap and your snot? You're disgusting." I mumbled, taking a bite of the kimbap as well.

She swallowed and giggled. "Sorry, I had a runny nose today. Maybe because of the rain last night."

 

I was then reminded of the night before, the very night she asked me to be her girlfriend and I couldn't even respond.

Did she ask me because she has a huge crush on me? Did she ask because she pities me?

Did she ask because—?

Suddenly, she pulled out a scrapbook from the tables and handed it to me. I gave her a questioning look and then she shrugged a smile on her face.

When I opened it up, I was greeted with pictures of me; all of it was stolen shots of me.

"You had a lot of admirers in the photography club. I figured that they probably took the photos without consent so I sneaked from time to time to take it. I never dared to give those photos to you though so I decided to keep it instead." Her smile got wider. "I guess I finally mustered up that courage now."

"Are you sure you didn't take these photos yourself though?" I interrogated her, giving her a cold glare that never failed to take the truth out of people.

She shook her head.

"I told you. You were not pretty enough for me to take photos for."

I threw the book on her way. She dodged it, but this time laughing her off.

"Wow, I surely have a violent girlfriend! Wait until the whole student body hears about this—OWWWWWW!"

 

 

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

 

3. Wendy Son eats like a three-year-old kid who doesn't know how to hold chopsticks.

 

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

 

 

 

It was a normal day, at least as normal as it possibly can. My ex-boyfriend-slash-best friend was sitting a few seats in front of me and next to him was my other ex-best friend. Their hands were intertwined below the tables and it was totally distracting my attention.

Of course, I was dead hurt. I felt betrayed in more ways than one. And I could understand why they decided to not tell me about their relationship. Everyone, from an observer's perspective, could speculate that I was dead in love with Suho that I would probably get bat crazy if they were to find out.

They were wrong. I was hurt more at the thought that they didn't trust me enough to tell me. They were the only few people who truly cared about me. Now, everything just felt like a lie.

 

*tok*

 

I ignored the noise and looked up at the professor teaching in front.

 

*tok*tok*

 

Now I started wondering where the noise was coming from. My other classmates didn't seem to notice it, especially since the knocks were a little low, silent enough.

 

*tok*tok*tok*

 

And there outside the window was Wendy Son sitting in a Bosun's chair with a wide grin on her face as she waved my way.

 

"Hi! Bae Joohyun!"

My eyes grew wide at the realization. Our classroom was in the freaking fifth floor, for goodness sake—

"YAH SON SEUNGWAN!" I screamed in surprise, finally taking the whole class's attention to us.

"Oh?" The culprit just tilted her head cheekily, "How did you know my full name, sunbae??" She then took a glance down and grinned widely at the height. "Wow! If I got out of this alive, I'm deeming myself immortal already!"

"What the heck do you think are you doing?!" I exclaimed, opening the glass windows. (as if she fits there, silly me) "You better go