"Jiyoon-ah!" I hugged her from behind.

"Oh, oppa! Goodmorning!" She greeted me happily but tried to escape from my hug. I frowned.

"Don't be sad Junhongie! You're still the cutest!" She pinched both my cheeks and made a funny face in an attempt to cheer me up. She never fails to do so anyways.

"Jiyoon-ah, I have a surprise for you! But I forgot to bring it. Do you want to come over at my place?"

"Keugae... I want to oppa but my teacher's making me finish a report later."

"You didn't finish it on time? You!?"

I couldn't believe it. "Wae?"

"Oppa, you asked me to help you with your presentation..." She said somewhat regrettingly. I felt guilty mostly because she did almost all the work for my presentation and it cost her time to do her report.

"Mianhae Jiyoon."

"Gwaenchanha Junhongie."

"Aniya! It's not okay! I'm gonna stay with you today until you finish your report. Arasseo?" I immediately held her hand and pulled her.

"Junhong..."

"Ne?" I looked at her and smiled. 

"We're going the wrong way." She said while chuckling.

"Oh.... Well you didn't tell me where we're going in the first place!" I justified myself. She sighed and held my hand tighter.

"Let's just go okay?" We walked normally in the almost empty hallways of the school. I constantly looked at her, heard her laughter and cherished the feeling of her hand on mine. My heart was fluttering loudly. We were in the library alone with only the librarian who was busy fixing the remaining returned books for the day.

"Junhong, can you look for some books about Electromagnetism?" I eagerly searched for what she wanted. But I'm not really good at finding books. After a ten minutes, I managed to find one book.

"Jiyoon-ah!" I found her sitting with Hyunjung, who as far as I know, was Jiyoon's INFATUATORY crush and whose crush was Jiyoon herself. But he had many other crushes and the way he always sticks around her pisses me off. My heart shattered into a million pieces seeing her laughing there with him. I went closer to them and heard what they were talking about.

"Jiyoon, you know you're getting prettier everyday." Hyunjung said.

"Keu-rae." She said sarcastically which added to my delight but I know she's just like that. That's her defense mechanism. She knows Hyunjung's status as a lady's man. But I'm still afraid she'll fall for him.

"I'm not kidding. You know you should really stop wasting your time with that loser friend of yours- what's his name Jung Hoon? The wanna-be rapper?" He laughed loudly. I was about to make a grand entrance into their conversation but Jiyoon spoke.

"His name is Junhong. And my 'loser friend' has more balls in every inch of his body than you Hyunjung. And all the stupid girls that are foolishly lining up for you will be his fangirl one day and you're going to be a lonely bastard you're always meant to become." With that, she saw me listening to their conversation but I couldn't move or react. I was just so speechless. She always stands up for me like that. Jiyoon took the book from my hand and pulled me out of the library. We ended up going to the grass field where I used to play soccer.

"Why did you say that?" I asked her. "Aren't you happy that I did?"

"Actually I'm very happy. But I know that you like HyunJung."

"Yes I do! I like him very much! He's not the nicest person but I'm just butthurt that he likes many other girls besides me. He can stop liking me anytime he wants. But I can't talk to him sweetly no matter how much I want to! You know why Junhong? Cause I'm always busy protecting you! I can't have my own life because of you!"

I left her there and ran all the way home. Each step, her voice faded more and more till all I heard were muffled words that sounds like a combination of my name, tears and sorry-s. I should be sorry too but my heart can't bear to just stand there and let her words replay in my head.

 

 

 

"Junhong! Ya! Wake up. Today's the big day!" Omma's voice was the most irritating to hear first thing in the morning. She removed the blanket from my head. "Aigoo. Were you so excited, you couldn't sleep?"

"Omma what are you talking about?" I looked at the mirror and saw my eyes were swollen. I guess I cried myself to sleep. Hyunjung was right. I am a loser.

"Son, get ready now ok? You need to be at the train station by two."

"Ne."

Omma was about to exit my room when she asked "By the way, isn't Jiyoon coming to send you off to Seoul?"

"Aniyo, omma. She has a school meeting to attend to." I gave a lame excuse. Remembering the short scenes from yesterday was enough to make me cold.

"That's too bad. Are you sure you don't want to move on another day?"

"Gwaenchanha, omma."

"Arasseo, arasseo. Be ready with your things and your father and I will wait for you downstairs." Omma left. I started fixing my things for Seoul and I was done within a few minutes. I didn't forget to bring my trainee contract with TSE- my surprise for her. Jiyoon would've been proud, unless her fondness of my rap was also forced. There' just too much regret and pain. I didn't want to do anything else but start new. And one day, if she does see me on stage, then maybe then will I finally be proud of myself.

At the train station.....

"Son, I'm really sorry for pressuring you too much about soccer. I hope you understand. I just don't want you to work too hard because that's what I'm supposed to do." Omma kept on babbling heart-wrenching things. But I was emotionless on the inside no matter how many smiles I try to give them for their own comfort.

I'll leave Mokpo and the people I love with memories of me but only one person will occupy most of my memory.