SPRING LOVE

"...summer, autumn, winter 'til spring of all my life."

"This is it....", she declared as she faced her two best friends. She paced back anf forth in front of them with a big smile on her face.

"What do you mean by that statement, Min-Min?" asked by Minyoung as she was looked over with  suspicion.

"Well remember last Saturday when I went to my Halmoni's house... Well while I was there, I have heard about this amazing legend..." she excitedly told them.

"And what is this legend?" asked Gaeul

She looked around, checking for classmates that might be eavesdropping at their conversation. Seeing no one near their vicinity she continued, "The legend goes that three hundred years ago, there was this girl who was cursed to always lose a man she will fall in love with. She had loved three times and lost three times. First was her childhood friend, then a painter from another village and lastly a soldier passing by her town. She falls in love with them, but every one month of the guy's declaration, the guy mysteriously leaves her..."

"..And where is this going?" Gaeul interrupted her

She pouted at then and continued her story, "Just wait until I finish the story. okay well she goes up into this temple and prays the whole night asking a love that would last a lifetime or for her heart to turn into stone and not fall in love at all...."

"The next day a prince came, saw her and fell in love with her. She ended up as the queen of the land. She was well loved by her king and people and they lived a long long time. And ever since then, that place has been visited by jilted women and women who is defeated in love. And every girl always ends up getting married and living happily ever after...” she ended.

She could see the comical and knowing glances between MinYoung and Gaeul. Then minyoung asked. "...and this is something important, why?"

She sighed and emphasized, "You know why.....

He looked intently at them and continued, "'THIS' is very important to me..."

"And why is that?" Gaeul , while the corner of her lips were widening in a grin.

"You know my situation, so how could you ask me this questions..." she looked at then. She was feeling hurt by their ongoing joke about her.

She shook her head and continued her story, "Well so, last Saturday night I went there and prayed... and since Sunday I have been feeling strangely... I get this feeling telling me, 'This is it'!!!!"

She loudly announced, "And I am sure that THIS is it..."

Gaeul and Minyoung laughed. She turned to them and glared, she was starting to get irritated, "yah.... come on you two..."

She shouted, "shut up...!!"

"Min min, you know that is the stupidest and most strange idea you have had in a long long time. And knowing you since middle school, that says a lot on how weird this new things is..." Gaeul said, trying to contain her laughter.

"Yah... it is not!" she protested

"Yes it is. i mean you dont need to do all this ridiculous things..." minyoung said

"And what do you suggest I do to have guys like me...? See any guy lining infront of me..?" she asked sarcasticly

she looked around and pouted"...Well I don’t see anyone. and the worst part is almost all people are in a relationship or experience being in one....except me...."

Minyoung and Gaeul mellowed down their laughter. Gaeul walked toward her and said, "come on Min, we are just senior high school students. There is no need to rush things..."

"I know that but.... you really don't understand because you both have someone. As for me, I dont have anyone" she confessed

"Min, come on, don't say that." Minyoung consoled her

"I mean if you just look aro---...” Minyoung continued but was interrupted when two guys waved and walked their direction.

She was first to notice them since she was looking at the direction of the soccer field while her friends were facing her. She smiled at the two handsome men.

"Hey babe..." Yoochun said as he draped his hands over Minyoung. Minyoung looked up and smiled at her boyfriend.

Then Kim Bum sat in the bench and Gaeul sat on the table just at the back of Kim Bum.

Gaeul hugged him from his back and asked "Hey I didn't know you were back already, when did you guys arrive?"

"ahh.... We just arrived a couple of minutes ago....", said lifelessly bu bummie, 'Bummie' as most of his teammate and friends call Kim Bum..

Bummie leaned on Gaeul and continued, "and Oh man.... That weekend practice was like hell; I am actually glad to be back in school...”

Gaeul teased, "woah, that practice session must really be that horrible to make you this glad to be in school. You have never liked school to prefer it more than football."

Yoochun answered, "you don't know the half of it...."

Yoochun or chunnie oppa as she called him looked at minyoung and changed the topic, "By the way Babe, what are you three doing here? You guys are talking so far from all these people."

Chunnie then looked at her and continued, "We went to look for you in the classroom and Shinhye directed us here...."

Gaeul and Minyoung looked at each other then looked at her with a knowing smile on their face.

"Shut up..!!!" she ordered them.

"Hey what is up..? Am i missing something here?" Yoochun asked as her two bestfriends who was now grinned like idiots.

She threw daggers looks at them and that unleashed the laughter they were trying to contain.

"It’s nothing babe, just another one of MinMin strategy plans in the works..." Minyoung volunteered

Yoochun and Bummie looked at her and asked, "huh? What do you mean strategy plans in the works? "

Yoochun then turned to her and asked, "hey Sweetheart, what is up?"

She sealed her lips tight, for she had no plans on telling any guy about her plans. She had no plans to tell guys especially yoochun. She would reather die of shame that let her yoochun oppa knew.

She shrugged her shoulders trying to ignore the question. She ignored as Yoochun try to butter her up onto telling them something. It had always been his way since they were in middle school, to call her sweetheart if he needed and wanted something...

Yoochun's left brow shoot up as he got more curious.

She shook her head vigorously, realizing that telling her bestfriends was a a big mistake in the first place. She should have just kept things quiet that way no one was the wiser.

Then yoochun and bummie would have never tried to bug her onto telling.

"Ah... I am hurt; my own sweetheart is keeping secrets from me now. What is the world coming to?" Yoochun said holding his chest, acting like he was stabbed in the heart.

"It's nothing important" she insisted and glared at minyoung for spilling the beans in front of yoochun and bummie.

Gaeul and Minyoung promptly burst into laughter again.

"Come on sweetheart, it's me, your chunnie oppa. I was the one who taught you how to ride a bike, climb a tree, and how to play computer games. You were the first person I told about liking minyoung. I tell you every secret I have, so you can tell me anything.." yoochun continued to pry her by trying to make her feel guilty.

She shook her head more and she noticed minyoung and Gaeul laughing more. They knew she was uncomfortable talking about this topic in front of the guys. or any and all topic that connected with her plans of snagging herself a boyfriend.

Bummie then looked at her and pleaded also, "Come on MinMin, it seems so interesting. So please, don't leave us out. Please tell us..."

Bummie was looking cute as he brought his hands together and and begged. Bummie had been her classmate since fourth grade. But they didn't become close until he became teammates with yoochun during middle school. Bummie was also considered one of the popular guys from their school being a varsity player like Yoochun. Many girls would have died and swooned to have bummie begging in front of them but he was casually doing it to her, while his girlfriend laughed at his side.

Sighing, she admited to herself that she was no match to the teasing dual perfecta of Bummie and her Chunnie oppa.

She admitted her plan, "Well I was just telling gaeul and minyoung about how I went to an old temple known to grant a broken woman's wish of true love. and I think after going there, I have been having this feeling that my true love is just around te corner..."

She stopped, she expected Bummie and Chunnie to laugh like Minyoung and Gaeul din, but then they just looked at her.

She stared at the unexpected expressions on Bummie's face whose smile was slowly fading but her Chunnie opp was frowning.

She felt hot under her collar, she would have been more at ease if they laughed at her strange notions. She had expected laughted, much like Minyoung and Gaeul's reaction.

Chunnie sighed and asked "sweetheart why are you doing this... why do you persist in having a boyfriend..?"

She sat opposite them and repeated the reason she gave Gaeul and Minyoung, "because everyone has one and I am the only one who hasn't experienced it..."

Chunnie shushed minyoung and gaeul who were laughing, he then looked at her and asked seriously, "But sweetheart, I know that you felt left out about this experience but there is no need to do weird things. These things happen in their own time..."

HE continued, "....you don't have to force these things..."

She looked at her hands, slightly embarrassed at how chunnie explained things to her. She understood it, but her resolve was strong and she finally admitted the truth behind her ongoing quest of a boyfriend that has been going on for 2 years, "I know what you mean. I even understand it. Logically I get it, but somehow, someway I have always felt like prude and an old maid because everyone around me was in love..."

Chunnie's hand reached for her and said, "What do you mean old maid? You are only in senior high school... You are only eighteen.. You are far from being an old maid..."

The laughter from her best friend had died down and the silence was deafening. ', i wish they had just laughed...' 

"I know, I know. Logically I know that but..." she admitted

Yoochun interrupted in his usual 'understanding' tone and manner, "If you know, then you should understand that you don't have to rush into things like this..."

she hated it when he did that. He was treating her like a kid again. 'i am eighteen years old.. i am not a kid anymore...'

She shook her head and pulled her hand away from Yoochun and looked straight inhis eyes, "You don't understand. You dont know.. i mean.. i am not am not like any of you... I am not like Gaeul and Minyoung..."

She signed and looked at Gaeul who was nor serious and frowning, "I am not a great singer like Gaeul. I cant even carry a tune..."

She glance at Minyoung whose shoulders now sagged and with worry etched in each corner of her face, "... and I am also not a great dancer like minyoung.... I am clumsy to a fault. I almost always walk through and bump into walls..."

She glanced at her hands, she didnt want to look at bummie and Yoochun while she confesses wht has been bothering her for the longest time, "I am not even cute or pretty. I have the face that gets glanced at and passed by..."

She sighed and contined, ".....I am like a wallflower..."

She sighed and reiterated her faults, "I am not that smart or that talented. I have no artistic ability what so ever. I have no trait that would make me stand out..."

She paused a little trying to contain her emotion, she didnt want to cry but her emotion was like a crumbling dam ready to break free when she started confessing all the things she found so wrong about her, "It would have been better if I were dumb, that way I will not be so forgettable..."

"Min.." minyoung said as she stood up and went to her side hugging her.

She shook her head at the concerned voice of minyoung, "No, I am not just saying this cause I am insecure. I know who i am, I know where I stand..."

She took a deep breath, thinking 'well i started confessing might as well get this over with...'

She continued, "It gets worse when I am with you guys...

She reiterated, "minyoung is an honor student who gets awards during competition.. Gaeul is pretty and popular as well as very talented. Bummie and Chunnie oppa are varsity players who get scouted even when we were in junior high, while.... while I am THE wallflower..."

She felt Gaeul sit beside her and squeezed her shoulders to give her support as she continued, "I am not blaming you guys. Heck! I love you guys. You are the best friends that i would die without...

she wiped the tears that seemed to form in her eyes and continued, "But you don't see me when I am with other people. You dont see how both girls and boys seem to ignore me. They act like I dont exist. Even worse, sometimes I feel like they hate me, especially the girls... or sometimes I feel this weird looks they give me. "

"Sweetheart...” yoochun called

she shook her head and she continued, "I don’t want to always be depending on you guys to take care and defend me. and I don’t think its right that I always need you guys by my side. That is just wrong. I am already eighteen year old. I should be able to take care of myself."

Tears were continually falling from her eyes, but she had cried a million times before because of her situation but this time it was different cause her friends was seeing her pain.

She continued, "I dont want to always be the third wheel or the fifth wheel. I want someone beside me who will not feel duty bound to always protect me. I want someone to protect me because they love me. Like  how Bummie does for Gaeul..."

He looked at chunnie and continued, ".. or how you chunnie oppa shouts at all those anti's that seem to hate Minyoung."

"You guys have always been protecting me. Chunnie oppa has been doing it since we were kids. Gaeul and minyoung has done it since middle school.I dont like being a burden to you all.." she ended

"Sweetheart, what is wrong. what happened?" Yoochun asked, his voice shook. She knew he was worried.

He was like a brother to her. they grew up together. He like a brother, played with her like a brother and protected her like a brother.

"Nothing is really wrong...." she answered.

"But... Yes, I am jealous of your relationships. That is why i have tried again and again to get a boyfriend. I throw a tantrum and always tell you that its because i want a boyfriend of my own. That is just part of it. I mean i want a boyfriend cause i am the only one in class who has not yet had a  boyfriend but mostly because i dont want to always be the excess baggage and a burden to you guys.." she explained

"And i dont want to feel like i am not wanted..." she had said her last words the things she wanted most, the things she craved most.

"Min Min..." Gaeul said squeezing her hand

Their quiet isolation was broken when screaming girl voices came. She immediately looked up and composed herself as she saw KimHynjoong striding toward them.

Kim HyunJoong was chunnie's bestfriend and also varsity soccer player much like bummie and yoochun.

He sat beside yoochun and asked, "Hey Chunnie, Bummie. Why didnt you wait for me to finish my shower. You two just left me, I wondered why but seeing you here I am disappointed. It's a sorry day when guys leave friends for girls..."

Hyunjoong's comment usually gets a rise of minyoung. 

She glanced at her hands, she wished Hyunjoong never came, he was the last person she wanted near her at the moment. she was too vulnerable to be near her mortal enemy. 

"Hey what is wrong with you guys?" hyunjoong asked as the silence and tension contined.

Looking at her, he smiled and said, "Hey what do we have here. how has our little snail been, slow as usual..?"

Chunnie then reprimanded him in a tersely and controlled voice, "hyunjoong stop that..!!!"

"Oppa don't! Just leave him be. A stupid fool will always be a stupid fool.." she said. she needed to get out. she needed to be as far away from the person who had beaten her composure time and time again.

She couldnt take his digs and teasing at the moment, not when her wound were still bare and raw after her confession and not when she was still feeling sorry for herself.

"Yah! What is wrong with you guys. I was just joking. What is up with you guys.. Min min what is wrong?" hyunjoong asked and the shifting sound of the table suggested he sat opposite her.

She was not interested. hyunjoong was yoochun's bestfriend since they were kids of five years old. He was also her childhood friend, much like Chunnie is.

But their friendship had turned into that of mortal enemy, after he had developed this weird idiocracy of teasing and battering her character to the pulp..

But although he was her mortal enemy, he had been someone important to her. Because before anything else he was her first love...

"Nothing!!" she answered in a clipped tone.

She turned to chunnie and said, " oppa, bummie i will go up now..."

"Gaeul and minyoung can stay here with you guys..." she said as she stood up

Hyunjoong seeing her expression stood up and grabbed her hand and asked, "What is wrong min min?"

"let go of my hand now!" she whispered under her breath. She saw his fans a couple of feet away. She knew how fatal it was to be this close to him. she was always bullied for being the only girl that was able to be picked up with him on his family car, or the girl that was allowed to watch the practice game due to hyunjoong and yoochun. She had that priviledge since their family were friends. They were neighbors and they were childhood friends. The girls hated her for that.

"Min what is----...?" he asked now with a note of worry in his face and voice

"Let go now. your fans are looking this way.." she snatched her hand away and ran away.

"Somin..!!!" he called again but he heard chunnie call him, "Joongie we need to talk.."

She had ran almost until the corner of the building when she heard her name being called, "min min.."

she stiffened fearing it was still hyunjoong coming to bother her but when she turned around she was quite relieved when it was Minyoung who grabbed her right hand and Gaeul who walked beside her as she felt the angry stares of hyunjoong's fans.

They walked together to their classroom in silence. She was still in a big ball of her own world punishing herself for confessing her inner pain.

At their classroom, everything seemed to be ordinary. she hated the fact that her jubilation from the weekend was now gone due to her confession and the encounter with hyunjoong. he had always had that power over her.

He had some control over her emotion. He could always make her feel happy with his smile, or be afraid when he would just cut her directly or just cry when he was being so mean.

She hated that fact.

Gaeul and minyoung stayed by her side not asking questions. she was relieved. she didnt want to talk at the moment.

She looked out in the window from the third storey classroom.

Then when she looked down, she was shocked to see that hyunjoong, yoochun and bummie were out in the back and that they were arguing.

She called Gaeul and Minyoung to watch what she was seeing.

What she saw next surprised her. She saw her Chunnie oppa punch Hyunjoong straight in the stomach. she was shocked to see the first punch but more so when yoochun's punches were followed by a couple more punches that landed on hyunjoong chest, torso, head, legs and hands.

Though Bummie tried to stop yoocun, Chunnie seemed to be an animal on the lose and he kept going after hyunjoong. and hyunjong lay on the ground not fighting back.

She tried to scream but no voice came out. and a whisper came. "oppa... what?"

she ended up running down to try to stop the fighting. minyoung and Gaeul ran with her.

Her heart was palpitating and her head was spinning. she has never  seen yoochun and hyunjoong fight with their fist even when they were kids. she has seen them fight but it usually a friendly banter.

when they arrived at the palce where hyunjoong and yoochun fought a crowd had gathered, she pushed through the people only to see them both at a halt.

she was shocked to see that hyunjoong was laying to in on the ground breathing heavily while yochun was kneeling taking deep breaths

Minyoung immediately went to yoochun and hyunjoong lay alone, she walked slowly to him, scared at waht happened, "oppa... "

Yoochun looked up at him and stood up. she called yoochun again, "oppa what happened? you shouldnt have fought.. you could both end up being suspended... "

Yoochun shook his head, and minyoung suported him into a stand. she saw her hand bleeding but not as much as hyunjoong's lip.

"Babe... what happened?" minyoung then asked called again

"Dont ask me, ask that bastard.." yoochun said

She flinched at his words, though hyunjoong was now her mortal enemy, she didnt want yoochun and hyunjoong to fight. They were bestfriends that seemed more like brothers. They grew up together, played together, protected each other and had done things together.

Everybody seemed to be frozen in action. She kneeled infront of hyunjoong and yoochin

She called hyunjoong "hyunjoong-ah..."

his eyes were closed and it was as if he was sleeping, "hyunjoong-ahh" she called again

she could hear Gaeul ask bummie, "what happened..?"

"Just something that needed to be said.." bummie answered

"But they didnt speak, they threw punches, you should have used more force to stop them.." Gaeul abdonished.

"this things cant be solved with words..." bummie said quietly as she heard minyoung asked chunnie, "baby where does it hurt..?"

"It hurts everywhere..?" chunnie complained

"you know you could have done this outside school.." minyoung reprimanded.

"Well yeah i guess so.. but i couldnt control it.." chunnie admitted

"So is it resolved now?" minyoung asked

"i think so.. Depends on that bastard there.." yoochun said as he spit out some blood

While she was listening to Gaeul and bummie conversation and CHunnie and Minyoung exchanged she had tried to check if there were any serious wounds on hyunjoong. she had called him a dozen times and she was getting worried he he didnt replied.

she looked at the people who seemed to have watched the whole things and she called to them, "can someone please call the nurse..."

"no.. There is no need." hyunjoong said finally, spitting out blood from his mouth.

His voice was like fresh air, it made her breath. 'He is okay'

She tried to check him again as she asked "joong-ngiee... are you--"

"i like it when you call me that, its been two years since you last called me that.." he interrupted

"are you okay?" she asked

he chuckled and replied, "yeah pretty much..." then he winced

"why did you and chunnie oppa fight.." she asked

he opened his eyes and  replied, "he was punishing me for my mistakes... it seems like he felt that it was high time that i finally wake up to the truth and admit something.."

"hmmnn but did he need to punch you this much..." she asked worriedly

he smiled and answered, "well he also felt that i needed to be punished for being a bastard, a leech and a controlling freak.."

she shook her head, she didnt get it. "but...i mean dont you think you should have defended yourself somehow. it is okay to be punched a couple of times but to be pulverized to the pulp is another matter..."

"ahh well i allowed him to make his peace with my mistakes and i do believe i deserved it.." he said

"but what did you do...?" she asked

"i am sure that if you apologize that he will forgive you.." she volunteered

"ahhh well. That is where we disagree. i do think i deserve all this. I didnt know hjow much of a jerk i was until he mentioned that fact to me.." he said as he winced again while holding unto his stomach

she then placed her hand over his and asked "but why..? what did you do?"

"Min, i have to tell you something..?" hyunjoong said interrupted, soing pit of topic.

"hmmnn?" she looked at him, awkwardly

"you are not a great singer like gaeul or a great dancer like minyoung. you are not smart or talented." she winced at his harsh criticism, the same words she decribed herself to her friends. she turned back and glared at hr chunnie oppe.

He then held her hand and shouted. ".... but i love you..."

She held her breath, "and you are not pretty but to me you are beautiful..."

She didnt understand what was happening and she ask, "what are you saying..?"

he brought his hands to her stray hair and brushed it at the crook of her ears and added, "havent i told you before, I loved you since we were kids.."

"huh?" she was shocked. she looked around and she saw yoochun looking at them. she could also see minyoung, Gaeul and bummie now smiling. she shook her head and hynjoong nodded his

he was getting senile from the punches yoochun threw at him. she looked around and more schoolmates were watching them like an avid audience.

"all the boys ignore you no because you are like a wallflower its because i warned them all not to bother you. Since we were middle school they knew that you were off limits cause I would kill them if they tried to get near you. I have pulverized a couple of guys who wanted to court you. I cant let them be near you."

"you were mine since we were kids, since we played married couple. Since you said 'I do' when we played wedding..."

"huh.. what are..?" she asked again, she was getting confused

"I have loved since we were five years old..." he confessed

"i didnt know that you were having such a hard time. I am sorry. I have always thought of you as my girlfriend. all the people think of you as my girlfriend. all the people who knew us knew that we were meant to be. and we will always be mean to be.." he declared

she was stuneed and tears started to fall from her eyes and he asked, "why the tears min?"

"Because i never thought you would say that. I had given up on you two years ago. you were my first love but i knew i couldnt have you but now you are confessing..." she said but couldnt continue dur to her tearsm

he sat up and took him in his arms, "... you should have believed like i did that we were meant to be. we were always meant to be..."

He hugged her so tight and his words and his hug was all she needed to comfort her.

As he comforted her he shouted, "Did you hear that! SO min is no longer available!!! she is officially mine and Me officially hers!"

She punched him due to his words and he added, "and to the girls, don’t follow me around anymore."

And he looked into her eyes and continued, “I am solely hers from summer, autumn, winter ‘til spring of all my life.."

- The End -