Here I am walking to school with this crazy man laughing non-stop behind me. He’s been laughing since, umm, like 10 minutes? No, 10 minutes is too short. 15 minutes? Na-uh-uh. 20 minutes? Nope. It’s nowhere near 20 minutes. Okay, last. 1 hour? “BINGO!” I said to my inner me.

 

If you’re thinking that I’m crazy enough that I’ve been talking to myself, then, think twice for this man behind me is laughing crazily. LITERALLY, he’s laughing crazily and what’s worse is that he’s been like that an hour ago.

 

Ghhhaaadddd. This crazy man is, indeed, crazy. I can’t even laugh for at least 10 minutes with the same event. It’s okay if we were in a movie house watching comedy. I mean it’s normal, right? Laughing for almost one and a half hours watching a movie is reasonable but this man is just pure craziness. In the movie, you can laugh that long because of different scenes and events but this person, this person, this person.. This person!!!!!! is laughing crazily for 1 hour for only 1 reason. Does he not know the meaning of MOVE ON? My goodness, has this person really gone mad?

 

(flashback)

 

“There’s one and thirty more minutes before our first class starts.”

 

I was laughing with my hand holding belly. Really now, it’s not the time for him to be joking like this.

 

“Ya! Has your head gone insane? Or do your eyes gone blind?” I said while wiping the tears off of my face due to this hilarious stupid joke of his.

 

After I finished laughing, I started my well off composure because of his deadly gaze. Tch. He’s joking and now he doesn’t want me laugh. Am I that forbidden to be happy? With that, he now starts laughing hysterically with some snorting effects. ‘Eewww’ is what I said in my mind.

 

“hahaha.. Dara.. hahahaha..” he says while laughing.

 

“Ya! You really are insane aren’t you?” I accused with my forehead creasing. I don’t feel that I won’t like the sound of what he’ll be saying next, well, if he stops laughing. I am now crossing my arms in front of me so as for him to know that I am now irritated by his sudden outburst. “If you won’t stop laughing, I’ll really call 911” with a tone of annoyance. “Ppfffttt.. bwuahahahaha..” Oh my God. He still won’t stop, huh? “Mom! This person won’t stop laughing? Is it really okay for him to be staying with us?” I asked worryingly. Obviously, I wouldn’t want a crazy stranger staying at our house. He might be the death of us.

 

My mom said, “Dara dear, let’s first hear what he’ll say. Who knows, it might be good for you.” What is she saying? And why does she seem that she’s siding with him? Is she crazy as well? Oh my, no. I stood up and walked heading through the telephone. Now holding the wireless telephone, “that’s it. He’s really crazy, Mom. You’ve been infected with his craziness.”

 

I looked at my mom with my right brow raising for she is sending me the looks of I’m-not-crazy-nor-Donghae-ask-him-so-you’ll-know-why. Uh oh. I don’t like the way she’s looking at me.

 

I am now annoyed. First, Donghae did nothing good to me from the beginning of my day. Second, because he did nothing good since the beginning of my day, he now ruins it. Third, he was cracking an awful joke and I laughed at it. Fourth, he’s trying to kill me with his eyes not only before he stops laughing but also the time when he was talking with my mom. Fifth, he’s now laughing for no good reason. Sixth, mom is siding with his insanity. Seventh, I shouldn’t be thinking badly about mom. Eight, it’s all his fault that’s why I’m thinking like this. Ninth, if mom would be mad about with what I’m going to say. Tenth, it’ll be his fault I tell you.

 

I sighed with relief and asked calmly with eyes closed, “so you’re siding with him, now?” I can now foresee with what she’s about to tell. “I am not. And don’t talk to your mother like that” with a tone of warning. “If you’re not, then, why are letting him be crazy like that?” I replied. She now released a deep sigh and turned to Donghae and said, “spill it Donghae dear or else you won’t be talking to each other for a week or so just like before.” Finally, mom is siding with me. I bat my eyes beautifully at the idea of winning over my mom. I looked at him with a smirk and my mind said, huh, get that Donghae person or else I won’t talk to you like before.

 

He now looks at me and tries to stop his laugh and now grinning triumphantly at me. What the heck? I should be the one grinning like that. And now he leans over the table and smile wickedly. As he does that, I lie myself at the wall and crossed my arms in front of me. Hhmmm.. I don’t think staying with him more would be the best for him. I’d like to strangle him off to death for I now know what he’s about to say next.

 

“Please reflect on what have you questioned me,” he said with puppy eyes. Ugh. He disgusts me with that look. I know that that look of his says, I-won-and-you-lose-don’t-think-of-me-losing-to-you. He now looks at his arm and looks at it as if he’s looking his watch when he doesn’t even have one. After that, he grins at me AGAIN and gives off a smile with a telepathic message saying so long er.

 

“Pardon?” is all I could say. Although I already knew the answer to his question and to the answer of his question’s answer, I still try to act innocently.

 

He coughed, fixed his shirt and finally said, “Well, you were asking me ‘has your head gone insane?’ and ‘Or do your eyes gone blind?’”

 

“Yes, I did. And?” I asked confidently trying to hide the defeated person in me. He now looks again to wrist and fixing his imaginative watch. “You really are insane,” I said with a fixed tone.

 

He is sighing and it only means that he’ll be showing off his victory over my loss. I really want to kill him now. I told my inner self. He now stands up, put his hands on his pockets and eventually walk towards me with a smirk on his face while saying, “Dara, I know that you’re not that slow for me to tell the whole world, right?”

 

I looked on the floor and sighed heavily. Okay, that’s it. I give up. I already lost. As I now walk towards the kitchen door heading to the staircase, he laughs crazily again like the one he did a while ago but now, he’s already rolling on the floor with fists punching the tiles.

 

I asked my mom not facing her “how many?”

 

I can sense that she’s trying to suppress her laugh for she’s still not replying. Even Mom, huh? After two or three minutes of silence ‘but not literally silence for this crazy person is laughing while rolling on the floor like there’s no tomorrow’, she finally said, “I’m sorry. It’s two.” With that, I ran hastily to my room before my dignity dies finally. My mom burst into laughter as I stepped outside the kitchen. I can’t let the little of my dignity be dead by now. I guess running ahead would be the best way to save it.

 

---

 

After 30 minutes of locking myself up to my room and curling my self onto bed, I finally stood up and fixed my things especially the time of my watch, alarm, cellphone, and every gadget of mine that has time on it. I’m really going to kill you Donghae person. Do that again or your future would not become present and past.

 

I really am angry. I can’t believe that they set the time of every gadget of mine to two hours advance. Am I really that slow when it comes to waking up? There’re other good ways other than doing that, right? Oh no Dara, that’s the best way for you not to be late on the very first day of your last term.

 

*sigh* I guess, there’s no other way, huh? Even my conscience is telling me that it’s good. I really did lost this time. Well, it’s not only this time that you lost. You never even won at least one, well, if what you’re thinking is competing with Donghae. I sighed again thinking that this inner me would stop spitting at me that ‘I never won’ or that ‘I was born to be a loser’.

 

Finally, I’ve got a peace of mind.

 

As soon as I’ve got it, I looked for my bag and went straight to my bedroom door. I could still hear Donghae’s laugh right now. Really, when will he stop that act? It annoys the heck out me.

 

I sneakily went down stairs and head towards the front door.

 

“Hey… hahaha.. I’m… hahaha..” he said in between his laughs. I already know what he’s telling me so I repeated what he said and continue with what he’ll be going to say, “’hey, I’m going with you. Wait for me ‘til I finish.’ Sorry, I can’t wait so I’ll go ahead.”

 

(end of flashback)

 

“Dara-ah” he says while laughing. I turned my back and looked straight to his eyes while me hands on my waist with my brows forming one line and wrinkles forming above it, “better stop or you won’t see me smiling for the rest of your life.”

 

(Donghae’s POV)

 

Uh-oh. I don’t like the look on her face. But still, it makes me laugh. Pffffttt. She’s just so cute when she’s like that. Well, most of the times.

 

I breathed hardly so that I could stop myself from laughing. I don’t want this cute little girl be mad at me for the rest of my life. I still want to marry her and have kids, you know? Her being mad at me won’t make my dreams come true.

 

*cough**cough* “Sorry.” I still can’t stop myself from laughing.

 

“Don’t be!” she said with the tone of Dara’s annoyed tone.

 

“Bwuahahahaha.” I laughed out loud making those around us look at us suspiciously. While I was seating on the cement holding my abs suppressing my laugh, she turns again and walks ahead of me while saying, “that’s it. You’ve even made fun of me around this number of people. You never failed to disappoint me you Donghae-person.” Oh no, she mentioned my name with person countless times today.

 

As she was walking away from me, I could not let myself stand from the ground for people around me are looking at me while murmuring like, “couple fight”, “it’s early in the morning, yet, they’re already fighting”, “young children of today”, “awwhh.. they’re so cute”, “that’s so unmanly of him”, “what happened?”, etc. How I wish we really are a couple.

 

I guess letting her go ahead will probably the best move for me. I’ll let her think first so that she won't remember my burst this afternoon.

 

You’re probably wondering who am I to Dara. We are not a couple nor near being one. We’re siblings. That’s right, you’ve read it correctly. And you read it correctly that ‘I want to marry her and have kids. I’m not interested in the kind of love. And if you’re wondering how could I not have thingy to Dara when I like her, then don’t think ahead of me having thingy to Dara because I’m adopted.

 

(Dara’s POV)

 

I really hate that Donghae person. How could he laugh that loud around those people? I hope they won’t think that I made myself look stupid a while ago that’s why he’s acting that way. Also, I hope they’re thinking that Donghae is insane rather than me looking like stupid. Hihihihi. I’m sorry Donghae but you’re, indeed, crazy and I bet those people around are thinking that way too. I hope so.

 

Please people from before,

 

Don’t think like I’ve done something that stupid to make him go crazy because it’s true. But still, please think that he’s only crazy. Thank you.

 

Regards,

Random Person Being Laughed At.

 

I prayed while eyes closed still walking. Ugh. He isn’t even following me. I’m going to tell Mom about that.

 

Huh! Wait ‘til I tell Mom and you’d probably be kneeling before me. Hahahahaha. I thought evilly while imitating Bom’s sidekicks. I never knew that they would come in handy when it comes to this hihihi.

 

---

 

Here I am still walking en route to our school. There’s 12 minutes of time frame running from the gate of our house to the main gate B of our university (which I use frequently for it’s the nearest from and to our house and food chains not found in our university). And if I calculate it correctly, going to the room of Mr. Yang’s class from the main gate B of our school would only take more or less 3 minutes. So I have a couple of 20 minutes coming from our house and do some stuff at the restroom first then straight to our room.

 

I didn’t went to our University because it’s the nearest from our house but because it is the best in Seoul and that it comprises the world-wide state of the art architecture of the buildings, facilities, technologies, cafeterias, libraries, different mini museums, gardens, and classrooms. Also, not all can go this University that easily such as throwing their money at it because the University does not offer their name but a good quality education for both rich and poor brilliant students. Although this University has the state of the art quality, it does not offer high tuition fees because most professors/ workers/ professionals of this University are also graduates from this and that some of them works part-time and some are telling that they’re working for free. Wow, the idea of working for free for part-time somewhat tells me that when I’ve graduated here, there will be a high chance that I’ll be successful that I don’t have to work full-time to my supposed-to-be job and that I can relax after the hell I’ve experienced in here. *phew* So, now I know why most professors are that strict when it comes to grade giving. I guess I am lucky to be here and am able to stay this long. Graduation, here I come.

 

I looked into my watch and there’s still 40 more minutes before my first class starts with the ever so cool prof, Mr. Yang. Hmmm. It wouldn’t be a problem if I just roam around the market place, right?

 

---

 

“Free taste! Free taste!”, “Candy, get your candy for free”, “Miss beautiful, this looks beautiful on you”, “Here! Here! Grab a taste”, “Buy two get one”, “We’re on sale up to 80% discount”, etc. Whoa, there’s so much offers. I can’t decide which to get, eat, and grab first. So this is what is like in the market place during the first day of classes, huh?

 

---

 

I am still roaming around the city when my eyes and ears caught the attention of “GET A CHANCE TO WIN TWO TICKETS AT LOTTE HOTEL JEJU”. Whoa, a chance to win two tickets to Lotte Hotel Jeju and Jeju itself is bigtime. Yeah, some sort of promo saying, 2-in-1 package. I immediately ran onto the shop and asked the salesperson while catching my breath, “are all expenses especially the plane tickets are also for free?”

 

With confidence tone, the salesperson said, “of course they are, you wouldn’t be able to go to Jeju without having tickets to go there first, right?” I face palmed myself. Oh what the hell am I thinking? Of course they are.

 

“Miss, what should I do to win?” with a hope shining in my eyes.

 

“Buy whatever you want in our store. Even if it just a single good you can join and exchange your receipt with a coupon.” So it’s that easy?

 

“What if I buy only a paperclip?” I asked stupidly and shamelessly. I know it would be stupid because it’s vague for a person to be joining when one purchased something so cheap.

 

“You are still eligible provided that you can only get a coupon once a day,” she said smiling though it’s obvious that deep inside her is that she’s annoyed and somehow embarrassed. Of course she would be embarrassed, asking that silly question is embarrassing enough to make yourself embarrassing as well. Yes, inner me. I know that I have no shame in myself.

 

“I’ll join. When will the promo ‘til be?”

 

“It would be until 10:05a.m. only. At exactly 10:15a.m., We will be drawing lots on who will get the chance to win the grand prize and consolation prizes.” I immediately ran through the store for I can’t waste time. I only have 5 minutes to buy and shoot that coupon to that machine.

 

As I scan through the shop, I saw a cute little yellow stuff toy with buttons as its eyes and stitches as its lips. I immediately grabbed it and sent it flying to the counter shouting, “Catch! Miss, how much?” I can’t waste time running with my toy and at the same time knowing how much it would be so I threw it instead. She scanned the tag price of the toy and said, “that would be 6,000 won, Miss” I am still running while I ran my hands through my backpack and voila, my wallet.

 

I paid my new cute little stuff and grabbed the coupon. Hmm. She thinks ahead of me for exchanging my receipt to coupon ahead of time. I immediately wrote down my details on the coupon and put it into the machine. Oh yeah! Last minute of joining this promo, I wasn’t expecting that this kind of promo would be right in front of my eyes. Although I already know that I won’t win because I just joined last minute, it’s not that bad to be optimistic.

 

While I was putting my stuff toy on my backpack, I went beside the counter while waiting for the winner to be selected. I know that I wouldn’t be winning this because I’ve joined it for just once.

 

I scan through the ad of this promo reading the terms and guidelines of this promo. It says that:

 

GET A CHANCE TO WIN TWO TICKETS AT LOTTE HOTEL JEJU

 

How to join?

1) Buy anything that you want from our store.

2) Exchange your receipt with a coupon.

3) Fill out the coupon concerning your details.

4) Put your coupon onto the machine.

5) Do numbers 1 to 4 starting August 18, 2012 to September 17, 2012 10:05 a.m.

 

*You can win more than one time at this promo provided that you’ve followed the rules.

 

Rules:

1) You can buy as much as you want provided that we will be giving you only one coupon within 24 hours.

2) You can also buy only one for your coupon for that day.

3) Receipt that will be exchange for the day after of purchase within 24 hours shall not be exchanged to a coupon. You can only exchange your receipt within the 24 hours of transaction provided that you’ll be held liable missing another chance of exchanging that receipt for coupon on the transaction date. To be sure, please exchange your receipt as soon as you receive it.

4) The machine will eject any coupon containing the same details within 24 hours of joining. Thus, the 2^nd or/and more of your coupon containing the same details will be null within the 24 hours.

5) Writing incorrect details so as to double your coupon within 24 hours of timeframe shall also be regarded as null.

6) Take good care of your coupon for damaged coupons shall not be read, therefore, regarded as null.

7) Be sure to check your e-mail/cellphone/etc. on September 17, 2012 10:15a.m. so you could know if you win.

8) Starting September 17, 2012 10:15a.m. until November 12, 2012 10:15a.m., you should have gotten your prize for at exactly November 12, 2012 10:16a.m. onwards, it will be regarded as claimed.

 

What can I get?

1) Two tickets for Lotte Hotel Jeju- 3 days and 2 nights (Grand Prize- one winner)

         A. Two-way plane tickets going to and from Jeju International Airport via Jeju Air

         B. Pocket money worth of 100,000 won

         C. All expenses shall be handled by Korean Random Shop inside Lotte Hotel Jeju

         D. Your date of preference as to when you’ll go may be handled by you provided that you’ve given prior notice about it, before December 10, 12:00m.n. You may inform us through our e-mail or at any Korean Random Shop. If not, the default date on your plane and booking tickets shall be on December 23^rd, 24^th and 25^th. (Notice: You must comply with Rule number 8)

2) Nikon 1J1 – color of your preference (2^nd Prize – two winners)

3) 30,000 won worth of gift checks- can be used at any Korean Random Shop (3^rd Prize – five winners)

4) 15, 000 won worth of gift checks- can be used at any Korean Random Shop (4^th Prize – seven winners)

 

How can I know I won?

1) Upon the date and time of draw lots, an e-mail/text/etc. shall be sent to you immediately whether you’ve won or not.

2) The winners shall be drawn electronically. Upon the drawing of your coupon, the machine will immediately send an e-mail/ message noticing that you’ve won. When the drawing is done, an e-mail/ message shall be sent to you, informing that you’ve lost. *Messages shall be sent depending on how many coupons that you have given.

 

How can I get it?

1) You can go and visit us at any Korean Random Shop provided that you have 2 valid IDs.

2) If overseas, please send us an e-mail @koreanrandomshop.krs and we’ll send you the guidelines and details upon getting your prize/s.

3) If you prefer to have your prize/s claimed through mail, please refer to number 2.

 

This promo is made possible by our following sponsors:

1) Jeju Air

2) Lotte Hotel Jeju

3) Nikon

 

Whoa, so many prizes to be given. Jeez, I should have known this from the very start. Who knows, I might win all of these? I thought with a grinning smile. *sigh* Too bad, I’ve only known this the last minute. TnT

 

I looked into my watch to see what time is it. 8 minutes more ‘til they announce who the winners are. Should I be going now? I guess waiting for this long would just end up me being late, besides, the winner shall be announced electronically and will send an immediate notice.

 

---

 

While I was on the way to the door, I saw a somewhat familiar face through these glass walls just across the street standing still. I guess that he’s one of my uncles for he’s in his mid 40’s.

 

Okay, let’s start describing him with his face. He somewhat has the Chinese eyes but not too Chinese with eyebags under it. His eyelashes are thick and straight that you could see it from here. His nose is small and y to look at. To be precise, it’s sharp but not too sharp making it perfect for the shape of his face. His lips are of naturals, not too thick nor too thin. His jawline is oh so y (because it’s not too broady) that you are tempted to touch it. He has neck is long that it stands out from his coat and his adam’s apple slightly exposed. He has an orangey blonde-dyed long hair but not that long compared to other people whose hair are more like of a girl’s. He has dangling earrings on his ears that its shape seems to be a cross. And that his face is somewhat unshaven for you can see from here his thin beard and mustache but he still looks tidy enough to be called well presented.

 

Also, he wears neat clothes. Of course he does. No one can probably walk dirty clothes unless he’s tight poor right? And mind you, he’s supposed to be a relative of yours according to you so don’t think that he shouldn’t be clothed properly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry inner me.

 

Okay back to what he is wearing which seems to be formal attire. He’s wearing a black pocketless coat with a lapel that’s different from usual coats because his is colored dark shiny gray with diamond patterns on it and it does not even have a collar. He isn’t wearing a tie probably because it would be so over fashioned to pattern it with his lapel. He has inner white sleeves with two buttons left opened so you could see the in-between of his collar bones- sternum to be unsurely, and that the cuffs of the white sleeves serves as the cuffs of his coat, covering the coat’s cuffs. His trouser is colored black with pockets covered by his coat. His dark shiny but not too shiny gray shoes seems to be crocodile-skinned, patterned by his lapel. Oh yeah, he also wears a ring on his right middle finger. What the eff. Middle finger?

 

He moved. Probably he noticed I was staring at him.

 

He’s waving and smiling at me so I did the same. As I was doing that, he is already crossing the pedestrian lane with his hands on his pocket of the trousers while looking straight in my eyes. I wonder, shouldn’t he be looking at the stoplight first before crossing? And in a blink of an eye, I saw a truck running ahead of him.

 

I ran immediately to him to save him even though I know it is impossible. And as the truck was about to hit him with horns honking loudly, I felt like the time has been frozen.

 

I looked around us to check if I am just daydreaming. I see that the birds stopped flying. The truck it self has been stopped. The noise around the place became silent. People are still. Everything around us stopped.

 

With blinking eyes, my heart keeps pounding and pounding faster because of this sudden time freeze.

 

He’s still walking towards me with a smile on his face. Creepy. Why are we the only ones who can move? And what’s with that smile?

 

I, again, looked left and right just to check that we are only the ones who can move. It’s true - the time has really stopped. Even my watch has stopped ticking.

 

He’s now in front of me.  I swallowed the lump in my throat thinking what I should tell him. “Ha-have we met before? Oh, sorry. Hi uncle?” I asked nervously.

 

He is still smiling. And after a minute – or I don’t know if there’s a minute for the time has really stopped, his smile turned into a wide green, flashing me his oh-so white teeth. Whoa, nice teeth. I can say to myself that it’s glittering. Just like that, I closed my eyes trying to relax myself. And suddenly I heard a poof sound.

 

Huh? I wondered and immediately opened my eyes.

 

I am now seeing pink clouds around this new person about the same age as mine in front of me. What the hell did just happen?

 

“Hello Dara. It’s a beautiful today isn’t it?” he told me with his wide smile. I was really shocked so I ended up punching him in the face.