Days go by just like that; Hongki and I would always ate lunch together in our secret place. We would either buy food first before going there or he would let his mom prepare it since he doesn’t really trust my cooking skills. I remembered one time when I have finally convinced him that I would prepare the lunch; he had one condition ‘let my mom do it.’ I was hurt of course, I didn’t bother talking to him the whole ride home but as soon as we stepped outside the bus he went and bought me an ice cream. I forgave him right away even though I admit it’s kind of childish—oh well, it is childish.  

In our class, he wouldn’t to talk me that much but as soon as we were out of the gates, he talk like there’s no tomorrow. After all, he was still the Hongki I knew, the talkative, naughty little kid.

~~

“AHHHHH!!!!!!!!” I shivered as I hid behind the pillow.

“Yah! What’s the point of watching horror movies when you would always cover your face when the ghost comes out,” Hongki had his eyes on the screen while forcefully seizing the pillow from me. It was Saturday night, Hongki and I were in my dark room munching junk foods and watching movies. It wasn’t in the original plan that we would watch horror though.

I held it tight. “But it’s scary,” my voice sounded like a whining child.

“That’s the point. Now give me that pillow,” he said as he snatched away the only shield I had. Since we we’re sitting on the floor near the television as soon as the pillow was out of my face, a bloody ghost appeared on the screen.

That did it. I screamed my heart out and hugged tightly anything that was close to me. I shut my teary eyes close as I tried to calm myself down. I hate these damn horror movies!

A moment passed, when Hongki finally spoke up. “Erm—could you loosen up a bit? I can’t breathe.”

“Eh?” I flickered my eyes open taking in the awkward position we were in. My arms were actually around his neck the whole time and that our faces were almost touching. I immediately backed away with a burning face. “I’m sorry.”

He breathed in relief as soon as I let go. “I thought I was gonna die. You’re arms might look thin but— are you working out or something?” he mocked.

“Yah! “

“Okay okay I’m sorry,” he said sounding not sorry at all.

I stood up to turn on the lights but was suddenly stopped by him. “Wae?!”

“Sshh,” he put a finger on his lips appearing to be looking past me. His eyes seemed frighten at something in my balcony. He pointed at it trying to say something but his voice won’t come out.

Hongki’s action brought a chill down my spine. A cold wind came striking every part of my body, I froze.

“F-fatty? What’s that behind you?”

“W-what’s behind me? Y-yah, stop joking around Hongki-ah,” I stammered.

  “I-I’m not joking. T-there’s really something behind you!”

At that very moment, I gave out a scream that might crush down the whole building and without a second thought I run out from the room freaking out.

“Yah fatty, chakaman!” I heard Hongki said but I didn’t care, all I know was that I’m going out of this apartment.

I felt tears poured down my eyes. I hate these freaking ghosts!

I reached for the main door but someone one stopped me. I gasped.

“Yah! Ji Yeon-ah! I was just joking back there!”

“Joking?” it took me a while to process what he just said. “Didn’t you know how scared I was?!” tears won’t stop as I said that. My knees gave away this time as I buried my tear-soaked face in palms.

Suddenly, I felt warm arms wrapped around my shivering body.

“I’m sorry I didn’t know you would react like this. I was insensitive. I’m sorry.”

 “You’re really an you know?” I said after a while, sniffing.

He looked down at me and when he noticed I wasn’t that angry after all, he smiled and gently let go of me, “I know, right? I’m an .”

I rolled my eyes as the side of my lips twitched up. “You finally called me Ji Yeon, right?”

“Huh? Did I? The ghost is getting in your head, you must be hearing things.”

“Yah!” I threw him a one-more-ghost-talk-or-you’ll-die look.

He laughed. “Okay I’ll stop.”

All the lights were out and the moonlight was the only thing that brightened up the place. There came upon a moment of silence, we were sitting side by side and was looking out at the wide glass window in front of us. I noticed he was looking at me for a while and so I stared back.

“Wae?”

“A-aniyo,” he shook his head avoiding my eyes.

I shrugged.

“Fatty?”

“Wae? Yah! Don’t call me that!”

“Erm— will you promise me that you’ll always come whenever I needed you or whenever I’m depressed these coming days?”

 “This coming days?” why won’t you make me promise to be by your side not just this coming days but always? I mentally gasped. What am I talking about?  

“Yeah if you do, I promise to make anything you wish come true and tell a secret of mine you haven’t learned before.”

“Eh? Promise? Secret?” my eyes glittered. I love those things. “You’re on!—oh anyway can I make a wish right now?”

Hongki wore an I-thought-so expression, “Yep sure.”

“Take me to the beach!”

“Beach? Haven’t you gone there yet?”

“I have but I haven’t gone with you. We only went to mountains when we were kids.”

 He snorted, “Alright the beach then.”

“How about your secret?”

“That can wait.”

“Eh???” I pouted.

“I’m going to tell you about my that at the beach,” he said and stood up. “Well I must go know. I’m sure your parents will be here in a minute.”

“Oh right,” I got up feeling my lower body numb.

 As soon as I was on my feet he patted my head. “You don’t know how much I’m thankful that I finally found you again after all this years—Ji Yeon-ah,” he smiled almost as if a moonlight angel just came down from the skies and for some reason that made my heart beat so fast while I felt as if the earth just run out of oxygen.