Sunhwa & Youngjae - Everything Is Pretty

---

It was sometime in the evening when I just got done with my studies and was heading home from a long day of school.  After I got off the bus and was walking down a dark street to my home that was illuminated by street lights, I heard the soft pitter-patter of paws behind me; someone must’ve been walking their dog. 

I found it weird that someone would walk their dog this late, but being polite I stopped and moved out of the way so whoever was behind me and their dog could pass.  But, when I stopped the sound of paws stopped also and no one passed me.  I looked around the dimly lit area; were my ears deceiving me? 

Just as I was about to continue walking, something jumped up on my leg.  I let out a small shriek as I slightly jumped, until I looked down and saw a small puppy.  The puppy was following me from the bus stop.  I picked up the puppy and brought it up to my face so we were eye-to-eye. 

I stared into the puppy’s big eyes, “Not funny, you shouldn’t be following strangers.  It’s dangerous.”  The puppy in response only cutely barked and my nose.  I stared to puppy down until my expression softened, “…You are lucky you are cute.” 

I noticed around the puppy’s neck, there was a dog collar with a tag.  So, I decided to check if there was any information on the tag because the puppy has seemed to have got loose and run away, and while I was at it I checked the gender; boy.  There wasn’t anything on the tag except for his name.  “Happy?” I read aloud and he responded my barking.  “Interesting name.”

My wrist watch all of a sudden beeped which meant it was seven o’clock, which I was late for curfew.  I looked at the puppy, “I can’t leave you on the streets, so I am taking you home until I find your owner, but until then behave.”  I scratched his head before speed walking my way home with then puppy in hand. 

When I got home my parents questioned me about why I had a puppy until I explained what happened and they understood.  They said I could keep him until we find the owner, but I also have to clean up after him, feed, and bathe him until then. 

After the puppy and I both got settled we had dinner.  We didn’t have dog food or any kind of pet food or other things for pets because we never had a pet before, but lucky for Happy we were having steak for dinner so I gave him a few of my pieces of steak to eat.  Then after dinner I did homework before taking a bath with the puppy because my parents were anxious that he was really dirty and had fleas. 

“Minah,” My mother knocked on the door to my room as I was just about to go to sleep.  “Sorry to bother you, but I just want to get a picture of the puppy so I can make fliers.” 

I gently shook Happy who was partially asleep on my chest.  He growled a little bit, but I lovingly scratched his head before setting him on the ground for a picture.  “Sit…  Stay…” I commanded groggily.  My mother quickly snapped a good picture before giving me back Happy.

“Good night,” She smiled, “If I am done by tonight, I can pass out and post fliers around the neighborhood while you are at school.”  She then closed my door after she said that.

The next day my mother passed out fliers, posted them on as much buildings and light posts as she could, and even went door to door asking if any of our neighbors were missing a puppy.  Then for the next two weeks we did not got a call or knock on the door asking about Happy.

It came to the point where we were going to consider just keeping him for ourselves because he was becoming a member of the family by now.  We bought him a actual dog bed, food and water bowls, dog food, toys, shampoo, leash, and puppy pads so he didn’t pee all over the house. 

I especially got attached to Happy.  He slept with me on my bed at night, followed me around the house, kept me company whenever I was home and when I wasn’t he would become restless and constantly look out the window and wait by the door for me; or that’s what my mother told me.  I couldn’t imagine someone taking him away from me now, but I could only imagine how his actual owner must feel…

It was the weekend and I was watching T.V. with my father and Happy while my mother was cooking dinner because it was the late afternoon.

“Aw shoot!” My mother exclaimed as she got all of our attention. 

My father cupped his hands around his mouth, “What happened, honey?”

“I forgot to buy a couple ingredients for dinner…  I swear I had those ingredients…” She explained as she came out of the kitchen and into the living room.  She looked at me and Happy.  “Minah, were you going to walk happy soon?”

I looked at the wall clock and I realized I should’ve been walking him by now.  Damn television.  “Oh yeah, you want we to buy the ingredients for you while I walk him?”

She nodded her head, “I’ll give you money for bus fair and for the ingredients, get ready.”  She then headed upstairs to find her purse. 

I looked down at Happy and patted his head, “Come on little guy let’s get ready, time to give you a walk.”  He happily barked as I got up and following me upstairs into my room.  I quickly got ready in casual clothes so I wouldn’t be an eyesore to the public in my house clothes.  I put Happy’s collar on him, since when he was inside the house we kept it off, and attached the leash to his collar.

When I went downstairs my mother gave me the money for my trip, a list of what she needed and a kiss on the head, “Be careful~”  She opened the door for me and Happy and I left.

I first took him around the block before heading towards the bus stop to take a bus into town.  While on the bus I sat at a window seat and had him on my lap so he could look out the window which he enjoys a lot.  Then when our stop came I picked him up and quickly exited the bus.

The sidewalks were pretty empty so I let him walk until we got to the store where I put him in the children’s seat of the shopping cart.  I spent a while in the store because some of the things on the list were hard to find.  By the time I was done checking out at the cash register and ready to head back to the bus stop, the sidewalks were crowded with people. 

I looked down at Happy, “Looks like I have to carry you, I’ll walk you more when we get home.”  I took him out of the children’s seat and held him securely with one of my arms. 

I was so close to the bus stop when someone rudely bumped me from behind causing me to fall.  Before I fell to the hard cement, Happy who was in my arms immediately came to mind.  I twisted my body so I wouldn’t land on him or hurt him in anyway. 

“Oh my goodness I am so sorry!” The person who bumped into me apologized, “I didn’t see you; it was an accident.”  I heard the person get down on their hands and knees to assist me. 

“No it’s fine…” I mumbled as I tried to sit up.  Happy, who was on my chest, sadly whimpered as he knew something bad had just happened.  “It’s okay boy…” I patted his head as he my face.  I giggled as I tried to sit up.  I didn’t notice that the person who bumped into me was leaning over me, so our heads collided.  “Ow!” I grumbled before I apologized while rubbing my head.  I glanced up at him before doing a double take and staring.  The person who bumped into me was a very cute boy about my age.  I felt my face heat up and turn red, he was really cute…

“Ah, it’s fine…” He said while rubbing his head also.  He was looking at the ground until his eyes met mine.  Our gazes locked as time felt like it had stopped and he began to mumble nonsense, “Uh…um…ah…er…”

“Huh…?” I said before snapping out of our trance with him following behind me.

“U-um…  Here let me help you up,” He offered and tried to reach for me but Happy began growling at him.

“Happy, don’t to that,” I scolded.

He looked at me then Happy, “Happy…?  Happy!”  He exclaimed and tried to reach out for Happy but Happy growled and attempted to bite him.  “Hey, don’t you remember me?”

I looked at the boy weirdly, “How do you know Happy?” I wrapped my arms around Happy protectively while also trying to gather the groceries. 

The boy pulled a folded paper out from his back pocket and unfolded it to show me.  It was one of the fliers that my mother made.  “My name is Moon Jongup, I am Happy’s owner,” He introduced himself, “He ran away a while ago and I only saw this today when I was heading back home from the gym, but it seems like it was posted for a while.”

My heart broke just then, I didn’t want Happy to be taken away from me.  “Oh…  My name is Ahn Minah,” I introduced myself as I got up and so did he. 

“Nice to meet you,” He smiled and I felt my heart melt but I still felt the heart break of losing Happy. 

I didn’t say anything back but securely held Happy with one arm while I dusted off myself with the other before taking hold of the groceries.  I noticed I scrapped some of my exposed skin from my shorts that I was wearing and cringed. 

He noticed my scrapes and how attached I was too Happy so he quickly apologized.  “Again I am really sorry for bumping into you, I don’t have any medicine on me,” He bowed and looked at the bag of groceries, “I live somewhat near you, I can walk you home since it is pretty dark out.”  He took the groceries from me and headed towards the bus stop. 

I followed behind him silently and waited with him until the bus came.  He paid for my fair and we sat on the bus together.  I didn’t really talk to him even though deep down I wanted to get to know him but I was paying all my attention to Happy because I knew this would probably be my last time with him.  As I was doing so though, I kept feeling Jongup’s gaze on me.  He was staring, he was watching.

When we got off the bus I set Happy down and I gave him that walk I promised with Jongup until we got home.  We stood in front of my home’s front door facing each other, “Would you like to come in?”  He thought about it before nodding his head.  I opened the door and took a step in.  “I am home,” I called out, “And I have a guest with me.”

“Oh Minah!  What took you so long!?  I was getting worried!” My mother rushed towards me as I continued inside my home and releasing Happy to roam around.  My mother stopped in her tracks when she saw Jongup behind me.  “Who is this young man you’ve brought home?”

“Young man!?” My father exclaimed before getting off the couch to see. 

Daddy’s little girl right here.

“Hello,” Jongup bowed, “I am Moon Jongup.”

“What brings you here?” My father bluntly asked being protective.

“I am the owner of Happy,” He informed and I watched as my parent’s expressions changed 360.

“Oh…” They said in union and I quickly filled them in on what happened. 

“I guess you would like to take him home then?” My mother asked.

Jongup nodded his head, “Yes.”

My mother took the groceries from Jongup, “Why don’t you stay for dinner because it’s so dark out.” 

At first Jongup denied their offer but she persuaded him until he said yes.  As my mother was finishing up dinner my father made me show him all the things we got for Happy after I cleaned my cuts and scrapes.  As I did so we sort of got to know each other and I think he was sort of flirting at times.

When dinner was ready we went down stairs and ate while getting to know Jongup more and a little bit more about Happy.  We found out that Jongup is the same age as me and goes to an art and music school, lives with his mother a couple blocks away and is very kind and polite. 

By the end of his time here we packed up all the things we bought for Happy in a bag and saw him out. 

“Minah, why don’t you walk him home,” My mother suggested, but before I could say no she quickly pushed Jongup, Happy and I out the door, ready to shed tears for our loss. 

I was about to tumble forwards until muscular arms caught me just in time.  I looked up and saw Jongup who was gazing down at me.  “Are you okay?” He asked before straitening me out and letting go of me. 

I nodded my head, “Thank you…”  I didn’t make eye contact with him because I could tell I was beginning to blush like crazy. 

“No problem,” He rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced over at me.  He began to walk away and I took that as my queue to start walking him home.  That’s weird the girl walking the boy home.

Early into the walk I took control of my feelings and calmed down and then a little while later he began a conversation with me.  He said that my family and I got to know a lot about him but hardly anything about the three of us.  So he took this time to get to know me a lot more.  He asked me about my interests, my future, if I have any hobbies, what school I go to, how old I am and what grade I am in, and much more.  I was surprised by the time we got to his house he basically knew everything about me as well as I did him. 

We stood in front of his house still going on with our conversation until it suddenly died down after he cracked a funny joke.  I looked from his home, to Happy, and them to him.  “Well, I guess this is it,” I smiled trying to hide my sadness.

He nodded his head and smiled back, “Yeah, seems like.”

I knelt down to scratch and kiss Happy’s head one last time then I stood straight looking at Jongup.  “Well I guess this is good-bye to both of you,” I bowed, “I hope you take good care of Happy.”  I fake smiled again as tears began to form in my eyes.  I turned before my tears could fall but I felt Jongup grab my wrist and pulled me back towards him like a yo-yo.  Him arm was wrapped around me and he was intensely looking me like the other times throughout the day.

“I have something to say before you go,” He said and I didn’t answer from all the emotions I was feeling.  “I think that this must be fate that brought us together.  I kept feeling something with you today…some kind of spark, and I think you’ve possibly felt it too.”  I froze and tried to process what was happening.

He was confessing after we just known each other for hardly a day. 

“I know you and your family are pretty unhappy with me taking Happy away, and I am just springing up my feelings after a day with you, but…um…” He began to freeze up because of his loss of words.  “Sorry I really am bad at explaining things…like really bad.  But the point is, you wanna hang out sometime?  Like go to a movie or get a coffee?”  He let go of me and gave me scape to react and think.  

I didn’t answer for a while as I was thinking, but the longer I took the more doubtful he got and began to change his mind.  I had a lot to think about.  I mean I felt a spark with him like he said, even if it was a day.  It would befun to hang out and get to know each other and be friends or something more…and I would get to see Happy.  But, I had to remind myself It wasn’t just Happy I would be getting to see often but him too, and not in a using type of matter.

“Listen, I think I just jumped into it.  I understand if you don’t feel the same―”

“No it’s fine, actually I felt that spark too,” I confessed, “And, I would love to hang out sometime; it sounds fun.”

A big smile formed on his face and I could tell he wanted to jump around, but instead he scooped up Happy and held him up to his face.  “I promise I’ll make you ‘Happy’~”

I laughed at his cheesy line but that’s when I realized him and the puppy had one major thing in common that I liked…

They both made me happy…

---

Jongup accidentally bumped into me on the busy sidewalk and as he couldn't stop staring at me he said, "This must be fate that brought us together."

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

Written by:  808_Appler          

I have noticed I never actually use the exact meme but I somewhow weave it in a alter it.  Anyways,  I hope you like this Jongup meme~!