Sunggyu

“Aaaah, it feels so refreshing,” Woohyun beams as he stretches his hand wide, inhaling the fresh night sea breeze. As usual, Woohyun, Hoya and I are at our weekly spot by the beach, clearing our minds off of our busy weekday schedule as we catch up with each other. “Soju or beer?” Hoya asks as we sit on the cold sand. “Beer,” Woohyun and I chorus, making us look at each other. Well, we are not best friends for nothing. “Thought so,” Hoya smirks as he takes out a carton of beer from the plastic bag.

“So, how’s your week?” Woohyun starts up a conversation. I sip on the beer. The bitter taste of the beer makes me frown and cringe my eyes. I swear if people look at me now, they might even think that I’ve got no eyes. Tsk, even when my eyes are normal, they complain that they can’t see my eyes. “I’m still trying to court Tiffany,” Hoya answers Woohyun’s previous question. “It has been almost a month, and you’re still trying to court her?” Woohyun raises his eyebrows. “She’s so hard to get, which makes things way more interesting,” Hoya states.

As my eyes wander around the beach, I spot a girl in the water. I squint to get a better view. What is she doing in the waters at this time of the night? Isn’t the water cold? She keeps on walking deeper into the water. Wait! Don’t tell me… “Guys! Do you see a girl there?” I ask Woohyun and Hoya and point towards the direction of the girl. Both their heads move in unison as they try to look at the direction I pointed to. “Oh my god? Is that a ghost? , I’m scared of ghosts! What are we going to do now?” Woohyun starts to panic, earning a good smack on the head from Hoya.

I don’t think I can wait here any longer. The girl might just die anytime soon. I’m pretty sure that she’s trying to commit suicide right there and then. There’s no way I’m letting that happen right in front of my eyes. Without thinking any further, I stand up and start walking towards the girl. “Hyung! Where are you going? I don’t think you should meddle into people’s business,” I hear Hoya’s voice trying to stop me. “Hyung!” he calls me again but I just decide to ignore him. Crap! The girl is nowhere in sight now. , , ! She must’ve drown herself already. Damn! Without even realising, my feet starts pacing faster. No, that is an understatement. My feet is practically running now. I couldn’t careless about the cold water, or even my clothes getting wet. All I care about is that drowning girl.

“Jeogiyo!” I call out for her. But of course, I receive no response. “Jeogiyo!” I call out again, water splashing on me but is at the last in my list of concerns right now. After the water reaches about my chest, I finally found her. I quickly take her out of the water and carry her bridal style towards the shore, where Woohyun and Hoya are waiting for me. I lay her on the soft sand and check her breathing. I try calling her several times, lightly tapping her cheeks, asking her if she’s alright or not. But she just lay there unconscious. Looks like I’m out of choice. I have to do CPR. Thank god, I’d learned CPR when I was a member of the Red Crescent Society back in high school.

I open her airway and lift up her chin gently with one hand while pushing down on the forehead with the other to tilt the head back. I check to see if she’s breathing but unfortunately, she’s not. Looks like I have to do the breathing. I pinch her nose shut using my thumb and forefinger, keeping the heel of my hand on her forehead to maintain the head tilt. My other hand remains under her chin, lifting up. After inhaling, I give her two full breaths and immediately give her a chest compression. After a few round of doing so, she starts coughing out water. Thank god, she’s alive.

This girl is seriously something! Because of her, I had to go through all this trouble. How can she be so stupid and decide to kill her life? Life is precious! How could she want to just end everything? There’s always a solution for every problem. When she has gotten a little conscious, she looks at all of us. I had no idea why, but I suddenly outburst, “Yah! What were you thinking? Are you stupid? Who is their right mind would end a life just like that? Did you not think before you act?...” “Hyung…” “…There’s a solution to every problem. If you wanna suicide, next time, don’t do it here, where I come and hang out every we-” “Hyung! Stop!” Woohyun demands.

I’m shocked for a couple of seconds and I snap back to reality as soon as I hear sobbing. . The girl is crying. I freaking made her cry god damnit! What do I do now? I look at Woohyun and Hoya for help but to my dismay, they just shrug as a response. I bite my lips. These two idiots are really useless. I guess I have to settle this on my own. I look back at the girl and I see her shiver in her sobs. Of course, the night is cold and breezy. I open up my backpack and take out my spare jackets. I have no idea why but just now, I had an instinct to pack two jackets. Maybe it is my fate to save this girl tonight.

I put a jacket on me and after that, I wrap the other jacket around the girl, apologising, “I’m sorry.” She stops her sobs and raises her head to look at me straight in the eyes. For some strange unknown reason, my heart starts beating rapidly. I’ve seen her before, but where? I look at her for roughly ten seconds before snapping back to reality. She looks like she’s out of words. I guess she needs her own space. It was my fault. Why did I scold her just now? I really shouldn’t have done that. “I-I’ll take my leave first,” I say. I should give her alone time and let her clear her mind. I shouldn’t bug her any longer.

“Let’s go,” I tell Woohyun and Hoya and we head back home. “Hyung, you really shouldn’t say that to her. You have no idea what she went through, so you have no right to tell her what to do or not do,” Hoya states. I couldn’t agree more, so I just kept my mouth shut.

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Sara (You)

I wake up the next day with swollen eyes. I had been crying all night last night. I look at the person in the reflection of the mirror. She looks nothing but hideous, ugly and pathetic. Yes, pathetic. That is one word that describes my condition perfectly. My savior's voice keeps on ringing in my head. ‘There’s a solution to every problem. There’s a solution to every problem. There’s a solution to every problem.’ I splash the cold running water on my face, and then I rest both my palms on the sink. Is there really a solution to all problems? If there really is, what is the solution to mine?

As I already get ready for school on Monday, I spot his jacket on the armrest of my couch. I should return it to him. Even though it was dark that night, I could clearly see his face. How can I not? It was as if the moon was shining on his face, highlighting all his perfect features. He looked like an angel. If only he wasn’t scolding me, the scene would’ve been perfect.

Kim Sunggyu is his name. He is the kingka in my college, along with his two inseparable best friends, Woohyun and Hoya. Among this clique, he is the oldest. How do I know this stuff, you ask? Even as oblivious of a person as I am, I still have ears. I don’t need to be a paparazzi to know how popular they are. Girls literally scream everywhere they go. I’m pretty sure that most of the boys here worship them and if they are given a chance to kiss the ground he walks on, they will.

So, I roam around the school, searching for Kim Sunggyu. No, I’m not one of his fangirls and that is not why I search for him. I want to return his jacket and say my appreciation. If only he wasn’t there that night, I would’ve gone to hell by now. I have to at least say ‘thank you’. Oh, there he is! I make my way towards him, as soon as I spot him amidst the heavy crowd. “Excuse me,” I call him out as I tap his shoulder. He turns around and looks at me with that small eyes of his. Wait, his eyes are opened now, right? “Yes, how can I help- wait a second! You were the girl from that night, weren’t you?” he asks me. “Yeap. That was me,” I smile sheepishly. We then walk towards an area that is a little secluded, since there are too many people around.

“So, how are you doing? Are you alright? Look, I’m sorry for my sudden outburst that night. I know I wasn’t sup-” I cut him off, “No, no, no. You’re not to be blamed. My action was stupid. And you’re right. Every problem must have a solution. It’s just that, I was a little emotional that time. I wasn’t thinking straight. My boyfriend of three years, dumped me just like that, and his excuse was that because ‘I’m too clingy and boring’,” I explain to him, and without realising, I’m already crying. “Hey, don’t cry,” he persuades me in a very soothing voice as he takes me in his embrace. Yes, that is all that I need. A hug. A warm yet comforting hug. Being an orphan since I was four and an outcast since preschool, I never had enough love and care. That was until, he came along and taught me how to love. That was why when he wanted to break up with me, I decided to end my life. It’s not worth living anymore if I have no one to hold on to.

“I’m sorry for wetting your shirt. I was just trying to return your jacket, but I never expected to burst like this suddenly,” I reason out. “It’s alright,” he assures me. Suddenly he comes out with an idea, “Hey, do you want me to help? I can help you get him back, you know?” I pull away from him and wipe away my tears. “What do you mean? How can you help me? You don’t even know him,” I raise my brows. “First, I don’t need to know the guy to help you. And second, how are you so sure I don’t know him, Jung Sara-shi?” he asks me. Wait…what? He knows my name? But, how is that even possible? A kingka like him, knows the name of an outcast like me? “B-bu-but how do you know me? I mean I-” He puts his index finger on my lips, shushing me abruptly. He smiles, “I have my own ways. So, Kim Myungsoo, right?” I blink a couple of times, and slowly nod my head.

“You told me that he says you are too clingy, right?” he asks me and I nod my head again. “So, this is what you’re going to do. You call him everyday at noon, just to talk with him. At noon only. Don’t call him other times,” he explains. What is he trying to tell me here? Before I could question his plan, he continues, “And then after a few weeks of doing that, you stop calling him. This will make him wonder about you. ‘Why is she not calling me today?’ ‘Is something happening to her?’ Let him wonder about these things, since this will lead him to thinking about you.”

Wow, that plan is actually not bad. Should I really follow him? “Are you sure this plan will work?” I ask. “A hundred and ten percent positive. Why? You don’t trust me in this?” I flail my arms out in front of him, “No, no that’s not it. I’m just not very sure. I mean, why would a kingka like you, want to help me out?” He holds his chin with his index finer and thumb, as his hands are crossed across his chest. “Well, since I was the one that brought you back to life, I just thought that I might at least make it beneficial for you. If I were to just leave you like that, who knows what you’d do again. I can’t always be around to save you like last time,” he reasons out, making me grin sheepishly.

“Alright, you have a point right there. So, when shall I start?” I question. “As soon as possible. This afternoon ok?” “Yea, sure.” “Great, so, don’t forget to thank me once you’ve succeeded alright?” I chuckle, “Sure will do. By the way, can you give me your number?” He raises his eyebrows. “I mean, I thought that I might need your help along the way. So, if you give me your number, I can easily contact you,” I explain. “Oh, you’re right. Here’s my phone so, just put your number in here and I’ll miss call you.

So, I’ve followed his advice for a few weeks. And he’s right. Now,  I have gotten close to Myungsoo back, that at certain points, he initiated the phone call. Whenever he texts me, I won’t reply immediately. Sunggyu told me that I need to play hard to get a little bit. If I reply immediately, that just points out that I’m desperate and I have been waiting for him. For my relationship with Sunggyu, we are getting closer each day. Sometimes, we hang out along with Woohyun and Hoya too. I’m really starting to appreciate life now. If Sunggyu did not save me the other day, I would have missed out so much of this wonderful life. That is why I’m very thankful towards Sunggyu. I’m so happy of his presence in my life. We are really good friends now.

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Sunggyu

“Sunggyu! Sunggyu!” Sara beams, and her voice echoes throughout the empty hallway. I can clearly see her grin even though we are around fifteen metres apart. That grin of hers is the only thing that I need to make my day. If she’s happy, I am too. If she’s sad, my heart hurts. But why is it? Is it because of love…? I’m not sure of it too. As soon as she reaches me, she says, “Guess who has a date tonight?” Ouch, my heart hurts. Why do I feel like it’s being torn and ripped off? That’s it. I’m sure now. I’ve fallen for her. That is why I’m happy whenever I see her beautiful face. I think about her all the time. And now, I’m jealous to see her happy with Myungsoo. “T-that’s wonderful! Congrats, you finally won him back. I’m-I’m really happy for you,” I say as I try to plaster a smile on my face.

“Thanks Sunggyu! It’s all because of you, really. I’m so happy that God had sent you to me. If you did not save me and come to my life, this wouldn’t happen and I won’t be happy like this. I’m so happy that I have you as a friend,” she says as she hugs me. ‘As a friend. As a friend.’ That’s right. That is all I am to her. A friend. “Sure, glad I could help,” I reply as I hug her back.

Hoya and Woohyun are at my house now, loitering around. If only Sara isn’t on a date, she would be here as well. No, Kim Sunggyu! Snap out of it. She’s getting back with her boyfriend, all thanks to you. You were the one who came up with the idea to help her but it looks like you fell for her instead. But this should not happen. I didn’t plan for this. Why is the heart playing a game that I don’t want to play?

“HYUNG!” Woohyun calls me, snapping me out of my daze. “What the hell is up with you? I’ve called your name for at least ten times, yet you still didn’t answer me!” he yammers at me. “Hyung, if you really like her, you should’ve confessed. If you keep on hiding your feelings like this, you’re gonna get nothing but a broken heart. That was why we didn’t agree on you doing this, but you still insisted to help,” Hoya speaks. He is right, but if I confess, what will happen to our friendship? I don’t want to ruin what we have now. “Aish! You know what, hyung? We’ll just leave you here in your room. If you need anything, we’ll be downstairs,” Woohyun says as he and Hoya leave my room.

As I was thinking about this things, I hear Woohyun’s voice calling out for me. “Sunggyu hyung, come down now!” I descend the stairs, and Hoya speaks, “Someone’s at the door, looking for you.” I furrow my eyebrows, confused. “Who?” I ask. I expect an answer but all I got was, “See for yourself, hyung.” I swear I see him smirking along with Woohyun at the corner of my eyes.

I open the door and I see… “Sara?” My eyes widen. “What-what are you doing here?” I blink a couple of times. “Why? You don’t want me here? Fine then, I’ll take my leave,” she says as she turns around to leave. “Wait,” I grab her wrist and she spins around to face me back. “I mean, aren’t you supposed to be on a date with Myungsoo?”

“Oh, the date already ended,” she says. “Why? The night is still early,” I question. “Well, let’s just say that I was a little…I don’t know…bored?” she rubs the back of her head with her free hand as she avoids eye contact with me. “But, why?” I ask her again. “Oh my, why are you so ignorant? Can’t you realise my feeling towards you? I acted as if I was happy just now to make you jealous and stop me but you were too oblivious to even notice that. Yes, I admit, at first I really wanted to get him back but then, we got closer and all I think about is you, not him anymore. You, you, and only you,” she exclaims, with her eyes getting teary.

I’m left speechless. She…likes me? But, how? “Sara-ah…” I call her. “I… I didn’t kn-know,” I stutter. She still keeps her head hang long, not wanting to take a look at me. I carefully take her hand that I’m holding on and put it on my chest. “Can you feel that?” Then only she looks up at me, “Y-your heart...” “My heart is beating fast, because of you. I… Actually, I… I like you too,” I finally confess.

“You…like me too? But, I never knew… I mean, I thought that you just thought me as a friend. I like you a lot Sunggyu, you saved my life and you-” Without a second thought, I place my lips on hers, shushing her on the spot. I can feel her body stiff, because of my sudden action but after a while, I feel her soften as she replies back my kiss. There are no words that can perfectly describe the moment. Our mouth perfectly fit each others’. I wrap my arms around her tiny waist to bring her closer to me as I deepen the kiss. Her arms automatically make their way around my neck. The kiss is very, very sweet yet passionate. Our feelings for each other is being explained through that kiss. I feel so over the cloud right now. Everything is just, perfect!

After a while, I pull away for some air, and rest my forehead on hers. “Saranghae, Jung Sara,” I confess again before I pull her for another round of a mindblowing kiss.

The End

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HAPPY 23^rd BIRTHDAY, KIM SUNGGYU!!