Almost a week had past after that incident in the café, it had been a very exhausting week since I, Park Ji Yeon, decided to avoid, ignore and stay away from Hongki. I think this is the best solution to clarify things up, with this maybe my feelings for him would calm down, settle or even forgotten. With this, I hope Hongki could go back to Min Ji and I, on the other hand, could return from where it all started, a friend.

I opened up my locker and placed my books in a messy way. I usually am a tidy person when it comes to my things but not to the extent of being a neat freak but these past few days it seemed not to bother me anymore because every time I clean my locker up the next day I’ll still find it filthy anyway, a fake snake, cockroach, tarantula or rat would come out of it as if it was a reptile room or something. But the thing is those prank don’t even scare me anymore; I have too much in my hand to even go down to the level of this childishness. Maybe if they really put a ghost there, it’ll sure scare the hell out of me.

This time tough I didn’t find anything strange in my locker and with that I shut it closed.

“I finally caught you,” the voice suddenly made me jump.

I span around and there he stood. “H-Hongki-ah.”

“I’m glad you still know my name. I thought you had amnesia since you act like were strangers this couple of days,” he said almost pouting. “Are you mad at me?”

My heart started to pound hard as I looked at his face, He really is pouting right now and he looks so damn cute. Otteokaji?!  Otteokaji?!  My feelings for him haven’t settled yet, I can’t see him right now or it’ll be too late. Miyanhe Hongki-ah!

Instead of answering, I started to run as fast as I could, I could be a runner. But if it was a race against me and him, I bet Hongki will surely win the first place.

As I reached the hallways where students don’t pass by often, my pace slowed down because of the fact that I was out of breathe and that the place was leading to the principal’s office. When I got at the bottom of the staircase, a hand suddenly seized me and pinned me against the wall.

“Ya stop fooling around and tell me what’s wrong already,” Hongki said towering over me. His palms were against the wall in each of my sides so that I couldn’t escape. My face and his were almost an inch away, it made me uneasy, “Tell me; is it because of the kiss? You haven’t been acting like this until after I kissed you.”

 “Ya! Are you just going to keep your mouth shut like this? Tell me what’s wrong please. I can’t stand this already; you were avoiding me the whole week, ignoring my calls and we even stop going home together, at least give me an authentic reason why are you doing all of this. Is it because of that kiss? Forget it ever happened then, that it doesn’t mean anything at all just please stop avoiding me like this!” his voice was more remorseful than I expected.

“I’m already doing that you idiot! I tried forgetting it but whenever I see you, I can’t stop thinking of that moment. And I already knew from the start that it doesn’t mean anything at all because you already have someone you love,” tears uncontrollably fell from my eyes leaving him surprise. “I—I thought my first kiss would be as special as I expected. I thought I could share it with the one I love who loves me back but that—that kiss we shared was one sided because you—you already have someone special in your heart and now she’s back!” I wiped away my tears with my hand and broke free from him, “Instead of wasting your time on me. You better get back to the girl you truly love,” I turned to walk away as I tried hard to smile but a frown came out instead.

My feet uncontrollably broke into another run. This past few days I have been running quiet often and I wasn’t a runner at all. Compared to an amateur runner, I’m only just starting but I already lost my very first race.

Does first love have to be this painful?

~~

I’m falling, falling again. How many times do I have to trip and stumble down to make them happy?

I found myself lying face flat on the ground savoring the pain made by the impact of my forehead and the ground. It made me dizzy for a bit but I still managed to get up. I felt blood oozed from the fresh wound on my forehead.

“Oops! I’m sorry about that…my foot was on the way,” Soo Jeon’s face was the first one I made out from the crowd of girls surrounding me. Oh and it was her who said that too.

Suddenly I felt water pouring down my head.

“Oops! My hand slipped,” a girl from behind said.

Flour. Water. Egg. And more cake ingredients were thrown to me as if they were baking me into human cake or something. But I just stood there, I just couldn’t feel anything anymore, my body, my mind and my heart felt numb. I don’t care what happens to me anymore. I feel tired.

But before they can even bake me alive and put me inside an oven and before my consciousness escape me, someone put a blazer around me while he held my hand.

“Stop with this nonsense already!”

This voice. Hongki?

As if confirming my guess he squeezed my hands tightly and spoke up in anger, “I don’t understand why you keep on doing this things with the girls I like but one thing for sure if you ever lay your hands on Ji Yeon again; I swear you’ll never get away with it. This time…I will not make the same mistake I did,” with that he dragged me away from the center of the silent crowd.

~~

We were seated side by side in with overwhelming silence on the infirmary bed. For some reason, every time we visit the infirmary the doctor is a no show.

Hongki’s expression appeared to be so worried as he brought out his handkerchief and started to wipe the flour off my face.

“Thanks for saving me. I’m glad you still see me as a friend after I have told you,” I thought without realizing I said it too loud.

But before he could even say anything, I drifted off to unconsciousness.