I looked down to check on what I was wearing. I looked ridiculous with pink puff-sleeved blouse and short floral shorts with suspenders. As if it’s not enough, I was also wearing leather black shoes with knee-length striped socks.

I heard a camera flash somewhere. I looked up and saw Jiyong. Instead of getting mad at him because he just took another candid photo of me, I just couldn’t. He looked more ridiculous than me. I realized that he changed his clothes as well. His shirt was tucked in his shorts. He was also wearing suspenders just like me. To complete the getup, he had leather shoes as well and knee-length socks like me. Unlike me though, he was also wearing a baseball cap backwards.

I bent forward as I laughed aloud. I don’t care that I looked ridiculous. At least Jiyong looked more absurd. I stopped laughing when another camera flash clicked again.

I straightened up and linked my arm with his.

“This is a sight I shall never forget,” I said grinning. “We should take a photo of us together.”

After the picture-taking, we headed towards the Stone Park which was still a walk from where the car parked. When we arrived, my eyes widened and then I shot Jiyong an accusing stare. He stared back at me while smiling.

I turned my back roughly and left him on his spot. I was already a few meters away when I heard his running footsteps following me. He held me on the shoulder but I crudely slapped it off.

“Dara! Stop. Listen to me,” he said, almost pleadingly.

I turned to him and slapped his face.

He was surprised; it was evident with his wide eyes. But when he turned his face back to me, his face turned serious.

“What now?” I asked him.

“Just listen,” he said. “I don’t mean anything with this, I just-“

“I started trusting you, Jiyong. It’s still too early to break it.”

“I didn’t mean it that way, Dara. I just wanted to-“

“You know I hate celebrations. You know I hate seeing birthday parties, birthday cakes, birthday balloons…” I trailed off as hot tears formed in my eyes. “You know how much that hurts, right? You know how much-“

I got cut off when he pulled me to his chest. “I don’t mean it that way, Dara, ”he whispered. “I know it hurts. I know how much it hurts. But I’m here, right?”

I pushed him away. This time though, he didn’t stop me.

“I just want you to see beyond birthdays not just another day to remind you of what happened twenty years ago. I also want you to see it as the day that your parents gave birth to the most amazing person I have ever met. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, Dara. You’re missing too many things because you’re holding onto your past too much. There’s more to life than living in the past.”

I just stared at him.

“I will always be here for you,” he assured me.

Still, I stayed silent. I just stared at him.

He took my hand, then. “Let’s walk this road together.”

As if he said the magic words, the tears stopped falling.

We walked back to the park. We stopped as I absorbed the sight in front of me. It wasn’t a simple park. As I expected it, there are stone figures everywhere, because, well, it’s a Stone Park after all. But that wasn’t the thing that made me surprised just a while ago. I got shocked because the park was turned into a children’s party. Streamers were everywhere. Balloons were floating everywhere. Kids were running here and there. There were foods presented on a long table. In the middle was a pink cake. Above the long table hung a banner that says – “Happy 8^th Birthday, Dara!”

I stared back at Jiyong who looked like he was silently complimenting himself inside his mind. I pulled my hand off. He quickly grabbed it again.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” I said as I pulled my hand off again.

I hesitantly walked towards the kids who were oblivious of the newcomers.

“Kyaaaaa!” one squealed while pointing at us. “They’re here!”

The kids all went towards the food table and assembled themselves.

“1, 2, 3…”

“Saengil Chukha Hamnida…” the kids started singing. If I expected to have another breakdown hearing them singing, I was wrong. A small smile curved my lips as I saw them singing and danced along with the song. They were too adorable to ignore.

I was too engrossed with their performance that I didn’t notice a warm hand enclosing mine. I only noticed him when he pulled me towards the table.

“Let’s make her blow the candles,” Jiyong said in a high-pitched tone. He then turned to whisper in my ear. “Happy 8^th birthday, Dara…”

I bent forward to blow the candles. Everyone clapped and then they dispersed everywhere. They continued playing again. When I thought I’ll be forgotten, a few of the kids started pulling my arm, causing Jiyong to let go of my hand.

“Noona! Let’s play together!”

“No, unnie is mine!” a little girl said pushing the little boy. “I’m going to fix her hair.”

I smiled as they had their small bickering.

“Okay, okay,” I said, breaking their fight. “I’ll play with you after I have my hair done, arasso?”

I’m not really good with kids, but I was surprised how I had this side of me.

The little girls started to gather all around me as they combed my hair. Then they started fixing it with rubber bands and ribbons. When they finished, they gave me a mirror. What I saw made me laugh. I look like a cute little school girl with my pigtails. Kyaaaaa! I look cute!

After that, as promised, I played with the other kids. We played tag, hide-and-seek, just about anything. When I got tired, I sat on a miniature chair with Jiyong who had been observing me for a while now.

“I’m tired,” I said.

“You look cute,” he said, pinching my cheeks.

“Ouch! That hurts!”

He giggled.

“You know I’m not eight right?” I asked him after a while.

“You are at this hour,” he said. “And you will be eighteen in…” he trailed off as he glanced at his watch, “…about half an hour.”

I stared at him, confused. “I don’t understand.”

He giggled again. “We’re going to time travel.”

“Time travel?”

“Yep,” he said, smug. “So enjoy your childhood while it’s still here.”

I just stared at him. Time travel? What?!

“Oh, here comes the clown,” he said as he pulled me towards the gathering kids.

The kids’ party finished. A while ago, Jiyong left me with these hairstylists and makeup artists in the limousine. Of course, I refuse at first. I don’t know any of them. It’s just natural not to trust them, right? I don’t want to be left alone with them. But Jiyong insisted that they’re his friends and I shall start trusting them too.

I have been sitting here while my hair was done and my face was made-up for almost an hour now. And they haven’t finished yet. I’m starting to get cramps. I wonder where Jiyong was.

I looked out of the window and it was almost sunset.

After I was done, they instructed me to wear a gown. Well, I refused of course. But when they mentioned Jiyong’s name, I followed. They told me to step out of the car when I’m done so they could see me.

After I changed into the gown, I got off the car. When I did, the makeup artists and hairstylists stared at me in awe. They started to act as if they were teary-eyed with the sight of me.

I looked down on myself as I studied every detail of the gown. The gown I was wearing was a beaded spaghetti strap gown. Not to mention it was in my favorite color – pink. The gown was fitted to show my curves. And I must admit, I think I look good on it.

“Oh come on, Miss Dara, smile for us,” one of the makeup artists said. When I looked up, she was holding a camera. “Don’t frown like that. Master Jiy – oh, I mean, Jiyong would get mad.”

After the picture-takings, they ordered me to get back to the car. For the nth time, I refused. I didn’t want to ride that car without Jiyong. But they assured me that he was waiting for me in a very special place. Anticipating to what he had on his sleeve now, I got mixed feelings – nervousness, excitement, giddiness. Giddiness?! Why am I even giddy?

The car stopped in front of some kind of a convention center. I felt my entire system freeze upon seeing someone in a suit looking handsome as ever by the doorway. He looked excited as well as he saw the car.

Someone opened the door for me. But I stayed still inside. I didn’t want to step out. I might be shaking.

As I was praying silently that Jiyong wouldn’t come towards me and fetch me, a warm hand enclosed on my hand. As if I just jerked awake from a deep sleep, I snapped my head towards the source.

Jiyong was smiling down at me. “You don’t want your guests to wait right?”

I hesitantly stepped out of the car with Jiyong assisting. Another set of photos were taken. We walked towards the hall and stopped just right in front of the doorway.

He leaned in to my ear and whispered, “You look dashing tonight, my princess.”

I snapped my head towards him. He just flashed another of his boyish grin.

Did he just call me princess? No. he called me ‘my princess.’

As we walked inside the hall, flashing lights met my eyes that made me blink rapidly.

Jiyong’s hands cupped my face and he whispered. “Are you alright, my princess?”

As my eyes adjusted, we continued walking through the aisle. I looked around me as I saw my students in dresses and suits. Whenever my eyes meet theirs, they would willingly wave and smiled at me. I never failed to return the same to them too.

When we reached the grand couch for the princess (which was me, obviously), I was instructed to sit. Then after a while, they let me stand again as the ‘Eighteen Roses’ segment started.

From the first and seventeenth roses, my students all danced with me. They all asked me the same question – am I still eighteen years old? I would just laugh it off as I answer that I’m actually twenty eight. I also ask them why they’re here and they answer the same thing too – they were instructed by Teacher Kwon.

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poster credits to LokiCraze123