“What do you think?” Jae Hee asked, twirling around in her skirt and blouse.

Jae Hee had decided to wear the outfit her Daniel oppa bought for her the last time he came. It was a demure long sleeved ensemble of light and dark brown, not as fitting or as y as the outfit Jae Hee wore during the Miss Genie competition. But it was sweet and cute on her and extremely desirable in Tae Joon’s eyes.

Jae Hee gave a Sangchu-like yelp and ran out of Tae Joon’s octopus arms.

“Ani! Remember what happened this morning,” she cautioned him.

They decided to go out for the day that Saturday, thinking that being in close confines with each other was a tad dangerous.

Instead of the ‘safe’ position they slept in the night before, they woke up facing each other in the morning.

Whether conscious or not, Tae Joon was found nuzzling Jae Hee behind her ear, making her giggle in her sleep.

His hands were roaming under her white t shirt, gently caressing the smooth white skin above the helm of her grey shorts.

While Jae Hee’s own hands were busy clutching Tae Joon’s waist.

When ‘the powers that be’ finally woke them up, the two teenagers realized their subconscious actions and literally jumped out of the bed – and hence decided to go out for the day.

They did not go very far. Only around Namsan to do some sightseeing and souvenir hunting. Since, Jae Hee earlier decided to leave on the lurch, she did not manage to get any gifts for her family, so the outing served to do that, amongst others.

Tae Joon, having lack of wardrobe choices, was wearing his unwashed new pair of jeans and light green t shirt coupled with one of Jae Hee’s checked shirts and windbreaker.

There's just something warm wearing your partner’s clothes, Tae Joon thought and was somehow thankful of their similar size. This was how girls must feel when they wear their boyfriends’ jackets or clothes.

The couple spent the whole day truly as boy and girl that day, not shy from openly holding hands, hugging and doing the normal couple activities.

They managed to hitch a ride on the cable car, right up to the Seoul Tower; and of course, did not miss locking their vows at the padlock wall.

They took a lot of pictures with their phones, since Tae Joon did not bring his camera with him; and managed to buy some cute trinkets for Jae Hee to bring back to the States.

They managed to fill their constantly rumbling stomachs with drinks and snacks from the numerous street vendors; and they also bought a pair of couple t shirts.

“We can wear it whenever we miss each other” Tae Joon had said.

“We have to buy more than one pair then,” Jae Hee had answered glumly.

Now, they were seated on a park bench, enjoying some warm sweet potatoes and cold pepsi, and was generally people watching.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Jae Hee shrugged. “But I thought sports science would be kind of fun. Plus physiotherapy.”

“Yup, that sounds cool. They teach you sports administration and nutrition too, right?”

“Uhuh, yup. Do you know that John McFall (Paralympic sprinter) studied Sports Science too?”

“Chincha? That’s inspiring, isn’t it?”

“Yup,” Jae Hee smiled as she nodded enthusiastically. “What about you?”

“Me, hmmm…if my sports career will not take me far,” Tae Joon leaned back while answering. “..I don’t mind coaching.

But non sports related, I’d really like to be a professional photographer, open a studio or a camera shop, maybe,” Tae Joon smiled.

“Sounds like a plan,” Jae Hee nodded, approvingly.

“So, you will go back to 11^th, 12^th Grade?”

“11^th, we call it junior year,” Jae Hee corrected him.

“I see, which school?”

“My old one. It’s in the neighbourhood.”

“We have to email each other often to keep up with what we do, ok,” Tae Joon turned to her and made her promise.

“Ara,” Jae Hee nodded again looking down sadly. She suddenly perked up to say, “and next year during my senior year, you have to take a holiday and come down to the States to be my date for prom night, arachi?”

“People are already envious of you – your looks, your talent, money. What is there not to be jealous about?” she laughed, flicking a lint of his shoulders.

“I’m just lucky, I guess.”

“Don’t think too lowly of yourself,” Jae Hee looked up at him seriously. “Apart from your looks, you work hard at everything else you do. You’re never spendthrift, caring, smart…”

“You like me that much, huh?” Tae Joon smiled, cutting her praises short.

“Psstt.”

“When did you know you liked me?” Tae Joon leaned forward and nudged his knee to hers.

“Eh? From the very start, the first time I saw you jump,” she answered with a puzzled frown, was it not already an established fact?

“Ani, that was Kang Tae Joon, the flying boy, that you liked,” explained Tae Joon slowly, taking her hand in his. “When did you start liking Kang Tae Joon, the boy?”

She smiled, understanding his question.

“I don't know, really,” Jae Hee said, looking into the distance. “But if I were to pick the beginning, it would be at the Ms Genie competition.”

“At the competition?” he cocked his head.

“Uhuh, when you put my clothes by the door, and not even come in,” she smiled, remembering the relief she felt that day.

“Chincha?”

“Uh uh, and the fact that I knew it was your arm. I was like....you've got it bad, girl. You can even recognize his hands in the dark,” she grinned.

“You sound like a stalker,” his eyes widening and moving slightly away from her.

“Ha ha ha... you mean, you don't already think that I'm a stalker; masquerading as a boy and camping in your room, no less. Imagine if I was a seasang fan,” Jae Hee advanced towards him with a her arms in a pouncing manner.

“Ya, that does sound scary actually,” Tae Joon laughed catching hold of her hands again.

“Then, when Ha Na ssi came to sing with you; and it really hurt me here,” thumping her chest.

With one of her hands still in his, Tae Joon repeated the smoothing gesture he did at their fountain date.

“Mianhe. It must have been really difficult for you. Hiding your identity like that.”

“It’s ok, I got used to it. And it was really worth it for me,” she smiled. “What about you? When did you realise you liked me?”

“Hmmm...after you got back from camping,” Tae Joon smiled at her.

“I really missed you that night. The room felt so lonely. And I was confused with Coach Horton’s offer. And then your ‘boyfriend’ came to visit,” he smirked. “But then I hugged you when you were changing the light bulb, and everything was clear again.”

“You said you were afraid I would slip.”

“And I was. I was afraid you’d slip away from me.”

At Jae Hee’s raised eye brows, Tae Joon laughed, “Too cheesy again? Sorry, can’t help myself. I really enjoy talking to you, you know. You make it so easy. I never get on that well with the other boys.”

“That’s because you were a snob,” Jae Hee said nonchalantly, nudging her shoulders at his.

“Mwo?”

“Seriously, I observed that about you. You only liked Sangchoo when I first came,” she nodded.

“But everyone else is so dorky.”

“Eun Gyul is not.”

“Eun Gyul again, you still think of him.”

It was Jae Hee’s subtle way of reminding him that he will not be alone when she eventually left, if he chose not to.

She was joking when she called him a snob.

Living with Tae Joon has thought her that while the boy may seem aloof and cold most of the time, he truly was not.

He was an only child who was initially protected by his mother and later treated like a prized commodity by his father and manager.

Room for friendship building were few and far between.

He was a lonely child, just like her.

And she supposed, that was what drew the two of them together.

While Eun Gyul was sweet and attentive, it was Tae Joon that she could really relate too.

But while Tae Joon managed to lift her from her slump from mere online presence alone, she had to reciprocate by physically attending to him.

“Promise me, you’ll stay with those guys and get them to keep you company,” she said quietly. “I don’t you to be on your own again.”

Understanding her concern, Tae Joon simply smiled and said, “Ara, I won’t.”

This sweet episode in their lives was being cut too abruptly. They had promised each other so many things, yet at the rate things were going, even they themselves wondered if they could ever fulfill any of the things they talked about.

The future was too huge for them to predict.

While as adolescence, they were optimistic enough to dream of a future together, they were also matured enough that the fickle finger of fate can change anything in the split of a second.

However, they were comforted by the fact that, once a upon a time, they were together. And so sweetly so.

It was around 4.30 in the afternoon, and the sky was already turning dark. The autumn leaves glimmering in gold around them.

“Let’s go ‘home’,” Tae Joon said, standing up, extending his hand to her. Their empty food packages, already crumpled and ready to be dumped in the waste bin.

“Will it be safe, you think?” Jae Hee asked worriedly.

“Well, even if it is not safe,” Joon shrugged, “at least it’ll be fun,” he said, grinning mischievously.

And who can ever resist that smile, Jae Hee thought.

Nothing could be more wonderous than looking up at Tae Joon’s beautiful and carefree face.

So, she replied his grin with one of her own and hand in hand, they laughed and ran to the nearest stop to catch the bus ‘home’.

- End of Part 4 -