I sat quietly, waiting Minkyung to continue her story. It’s alright if she didn’t want though. She smiled, and stood up from the seat. She walked to her cupboard, and opened the lowest drawer of it. She took out another photo frame, and showed it to me. I was confused. It was a picture of a guy. He’s so handsome with pointed nose, big eyes, and also a wide smile that plastered on his face. If I should describe this guy, it would be a word ‘perfect’. I knew, nobody’s perfect, but his feature just as perfect as what people desired.

I didn’t ask anything, and just hold the picture Minkyung gave to me.

 

“I met oppa when we’re both in first grade of senior high. I didn’t know him though. I just knew he is Shim Changmin from class B. And then, both of us met again in student council association meeting. He’s so cold and distant toward girls, therefore it was hard to approach him. Moreover, at that time I had a boyfriend. The one in the picture is my ex-boyfriend, Minho Oppa. He was one grade above us, so he’s a senior.

 

“Our meeting was being intense since both of us were often given task to do things together. Still, we’re not familiar with each other then. Until one day, my classmate said that she liked him and asked me to dig some information about him. I did it, and bit by bit Changmin Oppa was being open up to me. It’s not easy though. I had to bear being ignored by him so many times. And when I was finally close to him, my friend said that she moved on to someone else.”

 

I couldn’t help but imagine when Minkyung was being ignored by him. I wanted to laugh, but I didn’t want to hurt her feeling. Minkyung saw my changed of expression and said that I could laugh if I wanted, so both of us laughed. He’s indeed Shim Changmin, my childhood friend. I remembered he also ignored even avoided my junior high friend who liked him.

 

“Until the second grade, we’re being closer. My boyfriend was a little bit abusive to me. When he disliked something, he would slap or hit me. He often said he loved me though, and even though he always hit me, I still loved him. One day, Changmin Oppa saw what my boyfriend did to me, and he came to defend me. Changmin Oppa and Minho Oppa knew each other. Both of them were in one team in basketball. As Changmin Oppa helped me, Minho Oppa got mad and they fought. People who watched thought that they fought over me. They didn’t know the truth. I felt bad for Changmin Oppa, and I got tired of my boyfriend’s abusiveness, so I broke up with him.” Minkyung sighed. I knew, remembering bad moment was hard. I could understand her situation, and if she wanted to stop I would let her stop.

 

“Now, you know the truth, Yoora-ssi. I trust you, because you’re Oppa’s childhood friend. I also want to be friend with you,” she said and smiled. I couldn’t help but smiled along with her. I admitted this girl didn’t deserve my hatred. I actually hated myself for being such a fool, who couldn’t accept the truth.

 

“Of course we can be friend,” I smiled. “Uhm…Minkyung-ssi, if your boyfriend was that abusive to you, why did you still keep his picture?”

 

“Actually it’s a secret. Don’t tell Changmin Oppa about it!” She sighed again before continue, “People say that one’s first love is hard to be forgotten, and that works for me. Minho Oppa is my first love. It doesn’t mean I still love him, but sometimes I remember him and I want to see him. To shorten it, I actually don’t completely move on from him.”

 

This time I could see that Minkyung is actually just an ordinary girl. She’s not as perfect as people saw her. “So about your relationship and Changmin, when did it start?” I reminded her. God, I really engrossed to her story, until I wanted her to finish it. Even though at the end, I might be hurt.

 

Minkyung smiled and she blushed. I didn’t know why. Maybe she was shy remembering her past with Changmin.

 

“After I broke up with Minho Oppa, Changmin Oppa was being so protective to me. We spent time together a lot, whether it was at the lunch time or after school time. We always attached to one another, and people started to gossip more. I felt like my life depended on him, and I knew from then that I liked him very much, it was maybe even love. I’m sure only people who are close to him know that he was warm and caring behind his cold mask.”

 

“Yeah, true. He’s only being his true-self around people he trusts and cares of,” I added.

 

“I like almost everything in him,” she said, and I nodded in agreement. “Ah, I wonder if you also like him, like how I like him, knowing he’s so kind and caring.”

 

I choked hearing her statement, and I couldn’t hide my expression.

 

And then I heard Minkyung laughed. “Hahaha! I am just kidding, Yoora-ssi. Even though he’s so kind and caring, women have different types, right?”

 

I sighed in relief, but my heart hadn’t been calm yet. After she stopped laughing, she continued, “So I confessed to him, and asked him to be my boyfriend.”

 

I was surprised to hear her confession. “You’re the one who confessed?!”

 

“Yeah, I am. I don’t know why people didn’t make big fuss about it,” she laughed dryly. I still couldn’t believe what I heard. So Changmin wasn’t the one who confessed.

 

“Yoora-ssi, are you okay?” she asked.

 

I quickly backed to my consciousness. That was really unexpected. “You must be feeling lucky, right Minkyung-ssi? Since you must be his first girlfriend.”

 

“Oh, anniyo. I don’t think I was his first girlfriend.”

 

This one was the most shocking to me. “Changmin had a girlfriend before he was with you?”

 

Minkyung’s expression was no different with mine right now. “I don’t know, I thought you know,” she stated, more like questioning me.

 

Both of us were puzzled. It was quiet. Minkyung and I were thinking about it.

 

“Changmin Oppa never said he had a girlfriend before…or did he? I don’t remember.” Then Minkyung laughed. Of course she wouldn’t care about it, but I did care. I was someone from Changmin’s past, but I felt like I didn’t know anything about his past.

 

I didn’t want to look like I lost in thought about it much, so I went on with her story. “So anyway, we went about 1 year and 2 months together. Right before the announcement of university acceptance, I ended our relationship. We broke up, and keep the good term between us. I have to admit, I still like him a lot. He might also like me, but I don’t know. I can’t figure out what is in his mind.” She sounded like whispering the last part.

 

I could feel my heart ached again, but looking at Minkyung, my heart felt less pain. I felt like sharing this pain with her. I didn’t know why, but I knew that I wasn’t the only one who hurt. Yeah, she didn’t hurt by Changmin, but she had through hard relationship that I’d never experienced. And though it wasn’t the same, I would just consider it equal.

 

I patted her shoulder, and she smiled. “I’m okay, Yoora-ssi. For me, Changmin Oppa is just like an angel. He always protects and helps me out of troubles. And he once said that I’m his princess.”

 

“Princess?”

 

Minkyung nodded eagerly. “Sometimes he jokes that instead of an angel, like I said, he feels that he is a bodyguard who should protect a princess.”

 

The word ‘princess’ kept repeating in my mind over and over. How pretty and graceful Minkyung for Changmin until he called her princess? I wondered if it were me, what he would call me. Of course I admitted the word ‘princess’ suits Minkyung well, but not me. I couldn’t help but felt pathetic for myself.

 

“Why do you call him ‘oppa’, Minkyung-ssi?” It was something that I always thought about actually. And now was the time to get the answer.

 

“Ah, I haven’t told you that. Actually, I also have to call you ‘unnie’, Yoora-ssi. But I don’t think we can be closer if I call you that,” she said. “When I was in junior high, I took acceleration class. So I finished my junior high in only 2 years. My parents want me to finish school soon, so that I can be like my sister who is in Unites States now. She is in her PhD program when she is only 3 years older than me. But I said that I want to be like normal student who can spend times with their friends to shop, or watching movies in theater. They let me chose my path after I struggle to ensure them. And now, I live here alone. My parents only come once a month to visit me. I miss them of course, but because of Changmin Oppa, I don’t feel lonely.”

 

“It’s impossible that you don’t have any friend beside Changmin, right?” I asked her.

 

“Of course I have some friends with me, but only Changmin Oppa who would willingly spare his time for me.”

 

I still wanted to know more about her, but then the maid from before came in with my dry clothes. She handed me my clothes, and I changed into it. Minkyung wanted to invite me for lunch, but I didn’t want to bother her. Besides, the rain had stopped, and I needed to go to Changmin’s place do to my work as his maid or slave.

 

My stomach’s growling. It begged for food, so I stopped at a food stall vendor to get a bowl of ramen before going to Changmin’s house. After feeling full, I went to his house. And to my surprise, it wasn’t him who opened the door for me. A middle-age lady, who was very familiar to me, opened the door. She had the same expression as me when she saw me. But, I was the one who greeted her first.

 

“Omoni!” I couldn’t hide happiness in my voice. I wanted to hug her so very much.

 

“Omo, Yoora-ya!” she suddenly enveloped me into her embrace. It was so tight that I almost choked.

 

She eagerly led me to her living room. She sat me on the sofa and she sat very close beside me, not forget how tight she held my hand. If it were someone else, I might get irritated, but I was as happy as her with this reunion.

 

“How are you? Omo, you got prettier and taller!” she praised me.

 

“Annieyo, Omoni.”

 

“How do you know we live here? You have met Changmin?”

 

Ah, I remembered that Changmin hadn’t told her parents about me yet. And I said I wanted it to be surprised for them. But instead, I was the one who surprised. “Ne, Omoni.”

 

“Jinjja? He didn’t tell me anything,” Before I could answer, she called Changmin in very loud voice. “SHIM CHANGMIN!”

 

I expected Changmin was sleeping before, because he came with mess hair and sleepy eyes. “Wae, Umma!”

 

“Come here! Sit Here!” she pointed to the space beside her. Changmin did what she said lazily.

 

“You didn’t tell me that you met Yoora!” she scolded.

 

Changmin looked at me, and sighed. “She didn’t want you to know.”

 

I froze. What should I say to her? “It’s not that, Omoni. Actually, I just wanted to surprise you.”

 

“Is that so, Yoora-ya?” she calmly asked me. I nodded. And then she glared at Changmin, who felt innocence. “Changmin-ah, make us two cup of hot tea! I just arrived and it’s just rained. She must feel cold.”

 

I smiled in satisfaction, but said, “That’s okay, Omoni. I’ll make myself one later.”

 

“Andwae. You are my guest, okay? Changmin, go!”

 

Changmin had this annoyed expression plastered on his face, but he didn’t say anything and just went to the kitchen. Meanwhile her mom and I talked and talked about anything, since we hadn’t met for more than 5 years. She asked me about my parents, and how I got into this town, and met Changmin, and etcetera.

 

Without I realized, the night fell. Omoni asked me to stay for dinner, but I couldn’t fulfill her request. I promised to have dinner with her, and she was okay with it. Today, instead of being Changmin’s slave, I was treated like a real guest, and Changmin did the role of host by serving me food and drink. It was because his mom was here. He sometimes gave me threatening look, but I acted as if I didn’t see it.

 

I asked her permission to go home, and she called Changmin, asking him to send me home. She insisted even though I said that I was okay by going alone. Changmin lazily grabbed her key and jacket, and sent me home.

 

During the way home, there’s no sound between us. We were quiet, and fell into our own thought. I yawned, remembering today was really tiring. Especially after being drenched by the rain, I felt like my body did need some rest. My eyes were being so heavy, and finally I fell into deep slumber.

 

*Third person’s point of view*

The car stopped right in front of Yoora’s apartment building. Changmin was thinking how he should wake her up. He looked at her tired feature, and he actually didn’t want to ruin her sleep nor dream. But he couldn’t wait until she woke up, could he? Slowly, he leaned toward her to unclasp her seatbelt. He did it very slowly, because he didn’t want to startle her. After unclasped it, he put the seatbelt slowly to its place, so that the rubber wouldn’t strap her. Without he realized, his face was drawn very closer to her. She suddenly moved from her position, felt something touching her arm, startled, and fortunately Changmin who also startled by her sudden move turned his head toward her direction, and they lips touched by accident. Because when Changmin was leaning downward, his position was equal as Yoora’s, nose by nose as well as their lips.

 

The accident happened in very fast motion, because as Changmin realized what happened he moved back to his right position. His mind was in total confusion right now, and he didn’t dare to look at Yoora. It was an accident, but he didn’t want as if it was just his excuse. Yoora, on the other hand, was trying to comprehend what just happened. Her mind wasn’t in right state, because she just woke up from her sleep.

 

“I was just trying to take off the seatbelt,” said Changmin while rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

*End of third person’s point of view *

 

Did he just…just kiss me? As I finally realized what just happened, I looked at Changmin who was avoiding my gaze. The car felt so hot, even though he had the AC. Both of us didn’t utter any word, and as always it was very awkward. I quickly opened the door, and got off from his car. I couldn’t stand the atmosphere at all. I knocked my head with upper part of car door. I didn’t have time to care about the pain.

 

“Thanks for sending me home!” I said quickly, and ran into the building. It was very embarrassing. My breath was panting, and my heart was beating so fast. I could feel my face getting hot. How could I show my face in front of him tomorrow?

------

 

I know I haven't updated this story for a long time. My apologize for all the readers. :(

I'll try to update more. Mianhae once again.. T_T