“Once upon a time, there was an idiot who never took anything seriously. He played around, he acted cool, he threw himself at whoever could satisfy him momentarily. He seemed shallow and carefree and he didn’t want any responsibilities. Sure, he was a bit foolish and ignorant, but more than anything he was afraid. He didn’t know what love was, but he knew it could leave a person crippled. He wanted nothing to do with it. But the thing is, he never knew how beautiful it could be. It crept up on him and pleasantly surprised him…

It didn’t suddenly hit him; it wasn’t as though it was a full blown love-at-first-sight sort of thing. Rather, it was a sort of spark that went off that urged him to learn more about her. Or at least talk to her. She seemed worthy of at least being his friend…

So they talked. At first it was like his other conversations; playful, teasing, flirtatious. But eventually, he found himself opening up to her without even meaning to. The words came out so smoothly, as if he had known her forever. He spent hours talking to her, not once finding it difficult to keep the conversation going. It wasn’t shallow, it was meaningful. Someone took him seriously; someone looked at him as more than a handsome dancer and a flirtatious kid. She made him feel as though his personality was more attractive than his appearance, that his words were more important than his mere actions.

In truth, he had never felt that way before. It was a new sort of feeling. He wasn’t used to it and it scared him a little. Yet, he began to crave her attention and her presence; he wanted to learn more about the girl who made him not only frustrated with her beautiful appearance, but also her genuine feelings.

The girl he fell for is quite different from him. She’s the sort who picks up on things very quickly; a smart and mature sort of girl. She never flung herself around to satisfy momentary desires, the way he did. While the boy only knew things about love that he had heard of, the girl had more experience when it came to actual heartbreak. In fact, she had been hurt deeply before, and as a result, a hard shell seemed to form around her. She wasn’t completely closed off, but she learned to be cautious.

Therefore, before even talking to the boy, she saw him for what he was right away. He was a flirt, he was the sort who didn’t take things seriously, he was the type who cared only for fun and for hunting pleasures. Yet, after talking to him a bit more, he surprised her. He grew comfortable enough to open up a side he hardly showed in public, a side that was more sensitive. She underestimated him, but more than anything, she underestimated her own ability in unlocking this side to him. She didn’t realize how differently he treated her from the rest.

But the truth was, he was a shallow kid. He was a pleasure-seeking idiot. It wasn’t until she came and changed it. Yet she was oblivious to her affect on him, and she didn’t seem to understand just how much he was starting to like her…She couldn’t help but think it was shallow attraction, that perhaps he cared only for her appearance. Yet, after they talked for hours and hours about more serious and deeper issues, she found herself starting to crave his presence, just as he began to crave hers…

So, the more the girl talked to the boy, the more she began to enjoy being around him. She started to think he might be more than just a douchebag who was out looking for . Instead, she began to view him as a friend who was quite fun and easy to talk to.

The boy felt the same—He loved the fact that their conversations bounced so well and were always so effortless. Moreover, he felt as though he could let all his guard down with her because she seemed so genuine and trusting.

And as it was said before, love began to creep up on him, just like that. But there was one night, when they went for a walk and sat on some grass together, that the boy began to realize how much he wanted to make her his. His only, and no one else’s.

They talked for hours that night, although both of them were beyond tired. There they were, beneath the stars, the girl lying down and the boy watching her with an automatic smile. Every time she was around, he felt warm and happy. Even with her hair messed up and her face worn out from a long day, she looked more beautiful than anyone he ever knew. That night she gave him courage, hope, and assurance that he was worth something. That night he wanted to kiss her, but he knew it was too soon. He wasn’t sure if she was feeling the same things, or if she was just being nice…

So the boy took his time getting to know her before making any ‘moves.’

The fact that he took a while was actually very different for him—when he wanted to be with someone, he was usually quite quick about it. He knew he was good-looking and he usually knew when people liked him. But with this girl, he felt nervous. She was the first to really make him wonder—to make him question whether he was good enough, whether he was handsome, and whether he was worth any attention at all. He had never felt so insecure in his life, but it intrigued him. The insecurity helped him realize that he had deeper feelings for her than he had ever had for anyone else.

What came along with those insecurities was also a sense of fear. It was a healthy fear, though. He feared he wouldn’t be able to talk to her, he feared she’d be gone too long and forget about him, he feared she’d find someone to sweep her up off her feet before he could get the chance.

Little did he know that the girl felt the same exact way about him. Insecurities began to form for her too, but even deeper. This was primarily because she had suffered heartbreak before, and she was a very strong and tough girl who wasn’t about to let it happen to her again. This boy would have to prove himself before she’d ever admit her feelings for him—he’d have to show her that he really cared and wasn’t going to break her heart.

And so he did. He spoke to her. He comforted her. He told her of all her worth, he spoke from his heart. His motives for all this weren’t only because he wanted to make her his girl, but because he truly cared for her, whether she ever liked him back or not. He didn’t care, as long as he could help her and make her smile in any way.

Then one day, when it was thundering outside, he comforted her just as any friend would. He tried to distract her and together, they built a fort. They talked for a bit, about nothing in particular, until the girl expressed how much she enjoyed being there with him. The look on her face, her smile, her eyes. That’s when he kissed her, softly, shyly, and purposefully.

Her reaction was perfect. She blushed, she bit her lower lip, but best of all, she smiled. The boy could have sworn time froze as she gave him that look of happiness and acceptance. She liked him. He liked her. All was right in the world at that very moment, even though their fort broke and the blankets fell on their faces. They laughed, and he asked her to go on a date with him.

Even though her eyes answered him before , hearing her say “yes” made him all the more excited. They held each other’s hands, they talked some more, they hugged. And over the next few days, the boy slipped a little further, and the girl tripped a little harder. So they became official. He was her boyfriend, and she was his girlfriend. Finally, after knowing each other for weeks and after becoming good friends, they became a couple.”

Krystal smiled and bit her lip as she stared down at the paper that held her favorite story. This story was always one that could always cheer her up no matter how terrible her mood was. She wasn’t one to fall for sappy love songs and stories but this one was one she’d always hold close to her heart.

She reached the closing paragraph and was ready to finish up reading her favorite story for the umpteenth time until a voice gained her attention.

“Soojung-ah! Come on! Let’s go or we’re going to be late!” Krystal quickly got up from the chair she was lazily sitting on and ran towards the door. Because of the abrupt motion, the paper that held such a special story to Krystal slowly fell to the floor.

A/N: Hi guys! This is my first fic that I’m writing. I’m going to try my hardest to make this something worth reading and not make it so noticeable that this is the first thing I’ve ever written. It may seem odd at first but just stick with it and you’ll see it unfold into something memorable.

-ForbiddenSimplicity