CHAPTER TWO: Hello

Jessica looked happier than usual as she closed her locker door and smiled to herself. Tiffany and Yuri were overjoyed to see her like this, smiling at each other and bugging her about the sudden change.

“Is it a new boy?” Tiffany nudged the blonde girl and smiled sheepishly.

“Who is it? Is he hot?” Yuri said and giggled.

“What’s his name?” Tiffany asked.

“Is he foreign?” Yuri looked up dreamily.

“Do you have his number?” Tiffany asked.

“Do we know who he is?” Yuri said.

“No. No. No. No. No!” Jessica laughed. “It’s nothing, really.”

“Oh really?” The other two girls chorused and looked at her weirdly.

“Why? Is it wrong to smile?” Jessica retorted. “Besides, you probably won’t believe me if I told you.”

“Oh we’ll find out.” Yuri laughed.

Jessica walked on the way to the cemetery, books in hand.

“Aigo. These are so damn heavy.” She said to herself as she balanced the books in her arms. “Why do we have so much homework today?” She complained.

She continued walking and tripped on a rock on the road, and the books were sent flying out of her arms. Jessica fell down on her knees and sighed before collecting the books that were scattered on the sidewalk.

“Huh? Where are my other books?” she wondered. Her Chemistry and Algebra books were nowhere to be found.

“Here you go, miss,” A voice said. Jessica looked up to see a hand reaching up to her. She grabbed the hand with a bit of hesitation and the person helped her stand up, then, gave her the missing books. She looked at him closely. He had dark brown hair, fair skin, small eyes, and the most wonderful smile she had seen in forever.

He was the kind of you only read about in books, or get to see in romance movies.

You know, the kind of guy who lights up the room when he walks in.

“Th- thank you!” She bowed 90 degrees and smiled at him. He chuckled lightly.

“You’re welcome, pretty lady,” he said. An awkward laugh escapes her lips.

“I’m not that pretty,” she said, but sent a smile flying his way nevertheless. “Pleased to meet you, my name is Jessica Jung.”

“Oh. Jessica? What a pretty name,” he replied as another smile crossed his features. “I’m Lee Jinki, but people call me Onew,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

He extends his hand, wearing a bright smile on his face. It’s like he’s a commercial model for dental products.

“I really can’t...” Jessica says as her eyes travel down to Onew’s extended hand. He looks at her sheepishly and laughs as he realizes she had both her arms wrapped around her books.

“Oh,” he pulls his hand back and giggles at his own mistake. “I’m sorry.”

A silence proceeds to wrap itself around both of them, and Jessica wanted to get away. She was never really good with strangers. She tries to get her leg to take a step backward to escape, but she couldn’t move. It was like an invisible smoke was tying them together.

So instead she stares into his barely-there eyes, trying to figure out what he wants and trying to read him. He didn’t look like a bad guy.

But then again, looks can be deceiving.

She continues to stare, yet she finds no answers to the questions flooding her mind.

It wasn’t long before she realized she didn’t have anything to talk about.

She barely even knew the guy.

“Well,” she starts. “It was nice meeting you, Onew-sshi. But I have to go now.”

She takes cautious steps back, afraid of what a man she didn’t know might do to her.

“Oh...well, see you around!” He smiled as she walked away and waved to her.

Jessica walked down to the place where she first met Krystal. She smiled as she saw her younger sister seated on the soft grass, surrounded by flowers.

“What took you?” her sister asked as soon as she saw her.

“Oh, me?” Jessica laughed, remembering meeting Onew. “Nothing.”

“Really, now?” Krystal said and laughed. “Don’t you have anything to tell me?” She pouted. Jessica raised her eyebrows. “What am I supposed to tell you?” She asked with a questioning look on her face.

“Hello, you tell me everything that happens to you every day!”

“But that’s different! It’s weird now that you’re actually here in front of me...”

“I’m not actually here,” Krystal laughed.

“That’s just the same,” Jessica replied.

“It’s not! And besides, why won’t you tell me anyway?”

“I told you that it’s weird!"

“Come on.”

“No.”

“Yes?”

“No.”

Jessica and Krystal argued about that for a while. They both insisted that the other was wrong. So, they never came to a conclusion. When finally, Jessica said...

“I DROPPED MY BOOKS AND MET A BOY!” She shouted and then covered , realizing it had slipped. “Oops...”

Krystal laughed at her sister. “I knew it!” She said. “What’s his name?”

“Jinki. Lee Jinki. But he says that people call him Onew.” She smiled and continued about how sweet this Onew boy was. Krystal smiled. “Congratulations, unnie. You found love.”

“What?! I did not find love! We barely know each other,” she retorted.

“You know his name! And he did call you pretty lady,” krystal said and clasped her hands together, smiling in a mocking way.

“Krys!” Jessica screamed.

“Okay... It was a joke. Chill, dude,” her sister replied coolly.

Jessica and Krystal stayed like that for a few more minutes, when the older suddenly asked about the younger’s ‘mission’ and what it was like in the other world. Krystal refused to give anything out and insisted that she would find that out all by herself...someday. Jessica didn’t force it. Since, she knew that there was nothing she could do to Krystal. Krystal, right now, was a soul. But thanks to Jessica’s ability, she could see, hear, and touch her younger sister as if she were human. Only she could do that, though.

Time flew by slowly, and Jessica had to return home. She stood up, promising her younger sister that she would come back at the same time tomorrow. It might even become part of her daily routine, she says. She smiled at her sister and waved goodbye before going back to her house.

In the next few days, Jessica continued to visit the garden at the back of the cemetery. It was usual, yet unusual, because something was different. Every day, she would go there and always take the same path, the one she followed when she searched for the voice of her little sister. What was unusual? Well, it wasn’t really unusual, but to her, it was just weird. Every day, as in, every single day she would go there, she would see Onew. He would always be there somewhere on the way, and every time she would pass by, he would wave to her and smile. ‘Is he waiting for me, or something?’ Jessica thought. Then, one day, she decided to speak to him.

She just said goodbye to Krystal a little earlier and spotted him on the bridge. Jessica approached the boy slowly. He was looking around with his hands in his pockets, and humming to the tune of some song that wasn’t familiar to her. Onew stopped and smiled as soon as he spotted Jessica. The boy walked over to her slowly, his hands still stuck in the pockets of his faded Levi’s. He wore a bright smile that could possibly outshine the sun. Jessica opened to say something, but no words came out.

“H- hi there, Jessica-sshi!” Onew smiled shyly, scratching the back of his head.

“Onew-sshi! It’s nice to see you…again,” Jessica replied and bowed politely, trying as hard as ever not to show him how suspicious she was about seeing him everywhere she went.

“Ah!” Onew waved his hands. “Please don’t do that…I’m still a teen like you.” He laughed.

“Oh…Sorry,” Jessica said and laughed awkwardly. Onew chuckled and cleared his throat.

“So…Uhh…Ehh…” Onew looked down and puffed up hi s cheeks, looking for words to say.

“Mmm?” Jessica looked at him questioningly.

“Uh…Wannacomewithmetodaymaybejustidontknowwherewannacome?” Onew said nervously.

“E- excuse me?”

“I mean, do you like…wanna walk with me, or something?” Onew said and smiled sweetly. Jessica kept silent, she barely knew this boy. But something inside her was shouting ‘YES!’

And more than that, it was like some kind of force was pushing her closer to where he was.

“It’s okay…If…You know. It’s okay If you don’t want-“
“No! Uhh…I’ll go with you!” She laughed gauchely and smiled. “I’ll go.”

Onew took her books, insisting that real men carry women’s books, although Jessica kept telling him she was fine. And he walked with her. He took her to the back of the cemetery, where she found Krystal.

‘Is it possible that he met her too? No way!’  Jessica thought nervously as they neared the area. Krystal wasn’t there at the time, and was probably wandering off. Onew and Jessica walked past the garden and deeper into the place. He led her to a lake with a stone bridge built on it. Jessica was never a regular until recently and she never knew what was on the other side of the bridge.She looked down at the clear water as Onew sat down on the soft grass, placing Jessica’s book bag beside him. He called for her and patted the empty space next to her, gesturing for her to sit down.  He lay down on the grass. His head rested on his crossed arms, using them like a pillow.

“Have you been here before, Jessica-sshi?” Onew said and turned to Jessica, who was looking around.

“No, actually. How did you find out this place was actually here?” she replied. Onew laughed and told her that he got lost there once when he was a kid, but his cousin, Hongki found him. Hongki didn’t tell their other relatives of the place though.  From then on, Onew always went to that place when he wanted to escape from reality.

“Oh? That’s pretty interesting,” Jessica laughed. “What’s on the other side of the bridge?” she asked. Her curiosity was taking her over.

“Oh, there?” he said pointing to the area across the bridge. “There’s more grass, like here. And there’s a road that leads to a huge farm. Actually, the owner of the farm is friends with the owner of the cemetery. So, I guess they built this place together.” He laughed, so did she.

“That’s nice,” she said. “Do you live around here?”

“Oh…No. I just moved from Gwangmyeong.” He laughed awkwardly. “I, uh, move a lot.”

“Oh…Where do you live now?”

“The apartment two blocks away from Seoul high,” he said. “You?”
“I live somewhere near Jongno,” she said and laughed.

Onew and Jessica talked for a while and got to know each other more. Jessica learned that, like her, Onew also lost his parents at a young age and lived with his grandparents. When he became old enough, he moved to Seoul. She told him that her parents died in an accident 5 years ago and about her recent loss, the death of Krystal. They shared things about themselves, with Onew throwing random things out, making Jessica laugh heartily.

It felt so strange to her, that they talked like they’ve known each other for a lifetime.

“Hey Onew, I have to go.” Jessica said, looking up from her watch. Both of them were now lying on the ground next to each other. It was already 6PM.

“Oh. Well, let’s go. I can walk you home.,” Onew said, sitting up.

“No, it’s alright. I can find my way back.”

“Really?” Onew laughed and cocked his eyebrows. Jessica looked around and thought, ‘Maybe not.’

“Yes?” She said.

“Come on. I’ll just drop you off and leave. Cool?”

“Cool,” she said and he held out his hand. Jessica grabbed it and Onew pulled her up. She dusted her clothes off and Onew took her book bag and brought her home.

“Bye Onew!” she smiled. “Thanks for today.”

“Bye Jessica!”

Back with chapter two. Thanks to all of you who subscribed.

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--author.

EDIT: November 23, 2013.