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25 Days Of Falling In Love
December 15, 2010
“Oh my god.”
Seo Seohyun was walking down the street towards her bus stop, as per usual when heading to school. With her hands in her pockets, ear buds in her ears, it was a calm December morning.
That is, until she turned around the corner and was startled to find what was on the bus stop seats. Staring at it for a moment, Seohyun slowly walked towards the back of the bus stop. Making sure no one was looking, she put a hand over hiding a large smile.
There on what once was the LG cell phone ad, was an ad for the premiere of the movie music video for “Falling in Love”. It was a picture of Seohyun and Yonghwa during one of the photo stills from the Busan field where they were lying side by side next to each other. Seohyun’s eyes were closed while Yonghwa was looking at her with a melancholy smile. It was a beautiful photo of them.
She quickly took out her cell phone, took a picture, and sent it to Seowoo, Jungil, and Yonghwa. Seohyun couldn’t believe that this ad was so near her home.
Suddenly, Seohyun’s phone began to beep about four times (she had finally taken out the long message tone she had yesterday after finding it so annoying). Seowoo had of course immediately responded.
“It’s EVERYWHERE! -Seowoo.” Along with Seowoo’s text came a picture image. There, on one of the busiest streets in Seoul, was the same large digital ad for “Falling In Love”.
“I saw it near the university! Lol Seowoo showed me it already. Congrats kiddo! -Jungil.”
“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! -Seowoo.”
“The ads are everywhere I walk. Even in the company building! SM Entertainment is fast! -Yonghwa.”
“Oh, and good morning. :) -Yonghwa.”
Seohyun shook her head with a smile as she sat down, waiting for the bus. She felt so good.
“Seohyun ah!”
“Seohyun! Seohyun! SEOHYUN!”
Seohyun looked up and found a group of ahjummas waving and walking towards her.
“Oh no,” She muttered under her breath as she stood up to say hello politely.
“Our sons showed us the music video, what was that again? What did Joowon say? Oh teaser! Is that what it is?! Well he showed it to me last night and you looked beautiful!” said one ahjumma.
“We couldn’t believe it was our little Seohyun on T.V.!” cried another.
“You and that boy should date!”
“Are you a celebrity now?!”
“Does that mean you’ll get a lot of money?!”
“Date my son Seohyun ah!”
“Congratulations!”
The rumbling of the bus pulling to a stop never sounded so heavenly to Seohyun’s ears. She apologized to the ahjummas, explaining that she had to go to school and immediately hopped on the bus.
Making her way to the back, Seohyun plopped down by a window seat with relief. She looked out the window and saw the ahjummas waving enthusiastically goodbye to her. She waved back with a timid smile.
As they disappeared , Seohyun leaned back into her chair. She couldn’t believe the ahjummas saw it. Even her parents hadn’t known until she showed it to them. Her mom, of course, was ecstatic while her dad, equally as happy, showed it through his lecture on opportunities. Her mother kept watching the teaser over and over again with her aunt on the phone. They were screaming nonsensical things and Seohyun had to sleep through that.
“Excuse me,”
Seohyun looked up and found the woman sitting in front of her turned facing her.
“Yes?”
“You’re that girl from the music video teaser “Falling In Love” right?”
Seohyun nodded.
The woman began rummaging in her handbag and produced a paper and pen. “May I have your autograph?”
Feeling flattered, Seohyun nodded her head. She signed the paper and gave it back.
“Wow, thank you so much!”
“You’re welcome,” replied Seohyun. It was her first autograph!
“Wait, you’re really that girl in the music video?!”
Seohyun’s eyes snapped up and saw, just about the whole bus, turned around staring at her.
Some were whispering to each other excitedly while the rest continued to stare with amazement.
Seohyun slumped back into her chair. She nodded yes to the person who asked the question and put her finger to her lips.
That tactic made everyone on the bus go on and mind their own business but Seohyun would still receive occasional glance and whispers.

It is finally her stop, just outside the university. She gives the bus driver her pass, who swipes it again. This time, he too stares at her. Seohyun slowly waves and as quick as she can, hops off the bus.
As Seohyun walked through campus, everywhere in what felt like in each nook and crevice was a poster of the music video movie “Falling In Love”.
Seohyun needed to get to Seowoo now. She was practically running across campus, avoiding pointed fingers and stares in the process, to reach Seowoo’s office.
“Seowoo!”
Seowoo’s head popped out from behind the computer and she motioned Seohyun to come over.
“You won’t believe my morning!” yelled Seohyun as she flopped down into a seat.
Seowoo shook her head. “You won’t believe this.” She pointed a finger at her computer screen.
Seohyun’s eyes followed her finger and looked at what Seowoo was pointing out. It was a Youtube video of the “Falling In Love” music video teaser that SM Entertainment had uploaded. It had accumulated over 120,0000 views over night.
Seohyun put a hand over her shocked mouth as she said, “That’s impossible.”
“And look at all those positive comments!” Seowoo said as she scrolled down the comments section. “We can ignore the bad ones but they say you’re beautiful and they can’t wait for the premiere. They want to see SM put out more teasers,” Then Seowoo laughed. “There’s a lot about how hot Yonghwa is. Oh! And jealous girls all commenting on how lucky you are to be partnered with such a hot guy. This is all actually quiet funny.”
Seohyun gave Seowoo a little shove. “But I really can’t believe this. This morning, all of the ahjummas in my neighborhood hounded me at the bus stop and in the bus I was asked my first autograph! Then everyone continued to stare at me. Then in the campus, all the promotional posters are everywhere!”
“Well, what did you expect?” asked Seowoo. “SM Entertainment really wants this movie music video to be a huge hit. It only makes sense to publicize as much as possible.”
Seohyun nodded. “I understand I just have to get used to it.”
They stayed silent for a moment, as Seowoo continued to scroll down the comments page. Seohyun looked around Seowoo’s messy desk. Open wedding magazines, strew papers with illegible scribbles and scripts for plays adorned her work area. Seohyun picked up a To Do List titled ’Wedding’ and realized that the event was in two days.
“Seowoo! Your wedding!”
Seowoo looked up, surprised at Seohyun’s sudden outburst. “What about it?”
“It’s in two days!”
Seowoo let out a laugh. “Yes it is.”
Seohyun shook her head. “I just can’t believe its so close already.” She placed the To Do List back on the desk and said, “As your maid of honor, I fell like I haven’t done much.”
“Oh please Seohyun. It’s a rushed wedding. All I want you to do for me is show up at the wedding in the most gorgeous maid of honor dress you’d have ever seen.” Seowoo went back to staring at the computer screen. “The dress should arrive at your house tomorrow morning.”
Seohyun couldn’t believe how nonchalant Seowoo was being. Under all the stress of planning a wedding, she was surprisingly under control.
“What? Did you think I was going to be a bridezilla?” asked Seowoo, laughing at Seohyun’s silence.
“If I only had a week to plan a wedding, I would be breaking out every single day.” replied Seohyun.
Seowoo shrugged. “I’m just going with the flow.”
Seohyun sighed in admiration. “I wish I could be just as laid back as you are.”
“You’ll have to be! Celebrities are cool and collected on camera,” joked Seowoo. “And you can’t falter under pressure.”
Seohyun ran her fingers through her hair. “If I couldn’t even handle this morning, how do you think I’ll be in the future?”
“How about I take you home later on, if you don’t feel comfortable going on the bus.” suggested Seowoo.
“Are you sure?” asked Seohyun. “You don’t have to go out of your way for me.”
Seowoo gave her a small smile. “It’s not a big deal.”
Before Seohyun left the office to her first class of the day, they agreed to meet at the front where Seohyun would call. She couldn’t express how thankful she was to Seowoo. As she left, Seowoo gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. Reminding her, that she as well as Jungil will always be there for Seohyun. It didn’t matter that they were teacher and student, for Seohyun, Seowoo was just like an older sister.

Throughout the day, the posters around the campus grew of Seohyun to the point where she would slightly chuckle at her own face. Students weren’t reluctant to go up to Seohyun to offer their congratulations. They gave her heartwarming and positive comments and it instantly lifted Seohyun’s mood.
As the day wore on, Seohyun just couldn’t wait to go home. She had signed five autographs and had answered so many questions in her classes. She just wanted to have a warm cup of tea and a nice bubble bath.
When it was late afternoon, spilling into night, Seohyun jetted out of her last class and to the entrance of the university to meet up with Seowoo. Bundled warmly and breathing out cold air, Seohyun waited shifting her body, heel to toe.
“Seohyun!”
She looked up finding Seowoo running towards her. “Were you waiting long?”
She shook her head. “No, I wasn’t.”
Seowoo then ran off to \get her car in the faculty parking lot. A few minutes later, two loud car beeps were heard and Seohyun jumped in the warm car.
“How was your day?” asked Seowoo.
Seohyun relayed the details of her day back to Seowoo. They talked for a little more until Seohyun’s phone began to ring.
“Who is it?”
“Its Yonghwa.” Seohyun could see Seowoo break out a large grin.
“Well answer it!”
“Hello?”
“Hey.”
“Hey, what’s up?” Seohyun looked over at Seowoo who was silently shaking her head and chuckling at the same time.
“I don’t know,” answered Yonghwa. “I just wanted to talk. Are you busy?”
“Uh…” Seohyun turned to Seowoo who waved her hand at her telling her it was okay. “I’m not. But I’m in the car with Seowoo. She’s dropping me off home from school.”
“Tell her I said hi. You know, today everyone kept asking me about you.”
“How so?”
“Like if you were nice,” said Yonghwa. “Or if you were a diva. Was you skin really that clear? Or are you better looking in person?”
“And what did you say?” asked Seohyun as she leaned into the car seat.
He paused for a moment before answering her. “Look outside the car window.”
“Are you trying to change the subject?”
“No, just look outside at the sky.”
Seohyun did as she was told and stared up at the sky. The stars were shining brighter than usual and the moon was overwhelming the sky.
“That’s what I told them,” began Yonghwa. “That you shone as bright as the night star and that your beauty was as illuminate as the moon.”
Seohyun smiled. “I don’t believe you.”
“Then don’t,” replied Yonghwa in a joking manner.
“You’re just trying to make me happy.”
“Is it working?”
She laughed. “Yes.”
“But seriously Seohyun,” said Yonghwa. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you receive hundreds of calls for commercials or movies.”
“The thing is Yong I’m scared that things are going to change.” sighed Seohyun.
“Things are going to change. You’re in the spotlight now.”
“So are you.”
“And I’ll be there for you.”
“Every step of the way?”
“Every step of the way.”
Yonghwa then told her to have a safe ride home and hung up.
“You really like him.” said Seowoo.
Seohyun looked up into the night sky. “Yeah, I do.”
Seowoo let out a long sigh and then a small chuckle. “Then can you not be like me and do something about it?”
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