The cafeteria was really loud. Everyone was so happy, laughing with their friends. I smiled and my head glanced outside. There was a boy sitting under the shady tree. I know it was a beautiful day, but where were his friends?

I got up to the vending machines to get a closer look at the boy. His face was covered by the shade and his hair. My hand was about to push the door open, until the bell rang. I looked at everyone, getting to their lockers. I turned my head back to the tree.

He was gone.

~~

The next day during lunch, the boy was out there again. I decided I'll get to know him.

I walked outside and stood in front of him. He looked up from his book, having headphones around his ears. This boy was handsome, too handsome for his health.

“Mind if I sit?” I asked.

“Not at all,” he replied.

I sat right next to him. The space between us said we're friends, though we could be more.

“What's your name?”

His eyes looked into mine. I could hear my heart beating faster at the second he pierced that look into my eyes.

“Cho Kyuhyun, what's yours?”

“__________,”

He kept staring into my eyes. What was he trying to do, melt my heart?

“Uhm, why don't you ever eat inside?”

“I don't like being with people and people don't like being with me,”

Kyuhyun's eyes went back to his book.

“How about me?”

As he looked at me, the wind blew my hair into my face. He brushed it off slowly and away from my eyes. I swear – this was a perfect moment for a kiss. I wanted to, if only I knew him better. He gave me a half smile.

“You aren't like other people,” he assured me.

“How do you know?”

“I can tell by your eyes.”

~~

THREE DAYS LATER

Waking up, I realized it was Saturday. I was so happy ever since I met Kyuhyun. He made my day with our little conversations during lunchtime. Thing was, I could never be able to find him during school time. It was weird.

Today was a day where my friends and I go to the club. I got ready with black skinny jeans and a red plaid shirt.

When I got to the club, it was comforting. No stress, no pressure. It felt lonely since I've been getting so attached to Kyuhyun.

But there he was.

Sitting in the corner, all by himself. I walked up to him with a smile.

“Kyuhyun! What are you doing here?”

He shrugged and replied, “I was in the neighbourhood, thought I'd stop by,”

All of a sudden, my favourite song came on.

“Let's dance!” I grabbed his hand. He was unwilling to move.

“No – it's okay. I'm not that much of a dancer anyway,”

“Please? For me?” I asked with puppy eyes. He smiled and gave in.

When we got onto the dance floor, everyone who was on the dance floor got off and looked at us with strange expressions.

“Is there something wrong with my outfit?” I whispered to Kyuhyun.

“No, none at all. You look perfectly gorgeous,”

He was too sweet. I got up the courage and started to dance with him. Everyone was still staring at us.

I couldn't care less. So what if Kyuhyun was unsociable? So what if he was different? They didn't know him like I did. He was smart, cute, funny. Their loss.

~~

ABOUT A MONTH LATER

It was a Friday afternoon. Happily, I opened the doors to outside, hoping Kyuhyun would be there.

He wasn't.

Lately he's been skipping a lot. I couldn't help but wonder why.

When I got home, I checked the local phone book. Cho as a family name is very rare here, so there was only one number under it. I called the operator and found out where the address is.

I rang the doorbell and an old lady opened the door.

“Hi, I'm _________. Is Kyuhyun home?”

She looked at me with a blank expression. Walking away and leaving the door open, I assumed that was her invitation for me to come in. I walked in and she brought me upstairs. The lady opened the door and left me to be.

The room was lifeless. Just a plain, made bed. A desk. No colour. Everywhere was filled with dust. I walked back into the house, looking for the old lady.

“Where is Kyuhyun?”

It was as if she was hit by lightening and was brought back to life. Her blank expression was no more and she said,

“Kyuhyun doesn't live here anymore, dear.”

“What do you mean?”

“He's doesn't live here anymore,”

I walked back to the school library since I forgot my homework there.

Next to my homework, there was an old yearbook that was opened. It was from about 40 years ago. I looked at the opened page.

The graduation class of '68. They all looked so happy and it seemed like it was a lot of fun.

I noticed that the picture had the cherry blossom tree from outside the cafeteria. The one where Kyuhyun & I sit under eveyday.

Then I realize something.

Or should I say someone.

First row.

Fifth person.

It was Cho Kyuhyun.

I gasped, holding my mouth up to my face.

He looked so happy here. I touched his face from the picture.

This was why everyone at the club looked at us strangely.

This was why no one talked to him.

Because he was a ghost.

“I see you found an old yearbook,” the librarian said behind me.

“Did you know I used to teach that graduation class?” he told me.

“Really?” my eyes were starting to fill of tears. My hand was still on Kyuhyun's face.

“The one you're touching is Cho Kyuhyun. He was brilliant, funny, nice to the girls. Very quiet though...” he took off his glasses and wiped them. Putting them back on, he said,

“But then he commited suicide a week later. It was devastating to everyone,”

“Why did he commit suicide?”

“Died of a broken heart, unfortunately. The love of his life broke up with him. He hung himself by the cherry blossom tree outside the cafeteria,”

I was on the edge, about to cry.

“Wanna know something interesting? Rumour has it that he still lives near the cherry blossom tree and that it stays unhealthy due to his broken heart. But today, I saw it. The cherry blossom tree bloomed. Weird, huh?”

Why would the tree blossom?...

I ran outside to the cherry blossom tree. Remember that moment where I met Kyuhyun and I wanted to kiss him? The moment was here again. I found a paper under the tree. It read,

__________,

You made me fall in love again. Thank you.

Saranghae, forever & always.

-Cho Kyuhyun

*****