“I'm leaving the country soon...” MyungSoo confessed. His face seemed expressionless yet there was an air of seriousness somewhere between the look in his eyes and the way his lips parted.

“Huh?” a squeaky voice gasped from a girl that was sitting in the swing beside him.

“My parents want me to continue my studies abroad.”

“Mwo?” the girl giggled, giving the guy a look. “Kim MyungSoo, are you serious? Do you think this is some kind of drama where your parents send you overseas just because they don't want you to be involved with some girl?”

MyungSoo laughed and reached over to touch the girl's face but she moved away and giggled again. “Well, the setting isn't as elaborate as that, but didn't you know drama is the imitation of life?”

The girl groaned and pushed away his hand. “There you go again, always philosophizing about everythinggggg.”

“I'm not,” he said, shaking his head as he struggled to touch the girl's face. “Ahn JaeIn, can't you just stay still for a moment?”

“Ani,” JaeIn refused, distancing herself from him. “You just want to pinch my cheeks till their red! I'm not letting you do that!”

“I'm not,” he laughed and then suddenly went quiet. MyungSoo stared at the girl in front of him and sighed. JaeIn's smile disappeared as she neared her childhood friend and asked what was wrong. “I'm really leaving, JaeIn. I can't believe it myself.”

“Really?” she gasped, her eyes widening at the truth that she did not want to believe. Just a minute ago she really thought MyungSoo was just teasing her. But when he himself had trouble believing it, then how would she be able to? “MyungSoo...really?”

He sighed again, averting her pleading eyes to look up at the night sky. He made a wish to every single star he saw; he wished it wasn't true either. But what other choice did he have? He had always wanted to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional photographer and his parents were actually ecstatic at the idea. So they decided to send him abroad where the real challenge lied. He was the one who had wanted it, it was his dream yet now that it was right in front of him he realized that there were a lot of things he had to leave behind just to chase his dreams.

“MyungSoo...” JaeIn touched his hand and gave him a worried look. She had known him for the longest time yet she couldn't quite read his expression. Did he want to go or did he not want to? If he did, would he be able to leave her behind?

“JaeIn...” he took her hand and gave it a squeeze. He had to leave JaeIn behind...that was one thing he was sure about. His childhood friend who had always been there for him. He knew he would miss her the most because she had been part of his life longer than any of his other friends. Ahn JaeIn, the girl who stole his heart...

“Is it me?” she gasped, clamping with one hand. “So I'm the girl your parents don't want you to be involved with? Do they not like me hanging around you? Do they not approve of our relationship?”

MyungSoo just smiled at her. How could she possibly be the reason for his leaving when his parents like her so much like their own daughter?

“I didn't think so either,” sighed JaeIn, grinning at her friend. “How can a plain girl like me be the reason for sending you away, right?”

“Yeah...” he agreed, earning him a punch on the arm. “You're so plain and boring, it makes my feet leave.”

“Where are you going?” she asked, getting up and giving him another worried look.

“I have other friends, you know,” smiling, he waved his hand above his head and turned away.

“MyungSoo-yah,” she called out to him one last time. “But when do you leave?”

He stopped in his tracks and slightly glanced over his shoulder. From his peripheral vision he could see her standing at the exact same spot where he had been standing just seconds ago. “Tomorrow.”

Gasping, she wanted to say something more about it but MyungSoo was walking away again. She stared at his back hoping to burn a hole in it. How was she supposed to react to him leaving tomorrow? JaeIn groaned and sat a little while longer at the spot where MyungSoo had sat. It was still warm yet when she looked up at the sky, her heart felt cold. There was not even a single star in sight.

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

“Yaa, isn't that great for you?”

“I always knew you would be the one leaving us behind in Korea!”

“When's your flight?”

“I'm leaving tomorrow,” MyungSoo sniffed and took a sip from his mug. Then he saw shadows towering around him. He knew he was dead meat before he could even react. His friends ganged up on him and gave him a fake beating.

“Yaa, Kim MyungSoo!” SungYeol yelled, his face full of dissatisfaction. “How dare you tell us you're leaving Korea the day before you leave Korea!”

“Mian~” laughed MyungSoo in response, sticking out his tongue. “I just didn't want anyone crying their eyes out, trying to stop me from going...”

But he was wrong about that because DongWoo's eyes were already watery. “Yaa, you jerk! Don't goooooooooooo”

All of the guys burst out laughing at the display of waterworks. DongWoo laughed along but it made him look ugly what with him trying to not cry at the same time.

“There's no reason to be sad, DongWoo-hyung!” MyungSoo chuckled. “It's not like I'm never coming back here ever again!”

“Then make sure you come back every time there's a break,” HoWon joked but then his features softened. “It's not gonna be the same without you around.”

“So have you told your girl friend yet?” asked SungGyu out of the blue.

“S-she's not my girl friend!” MyungSoo stuttered, his face turning a slight shade of red at the unexpected question.

“But you want her to be, right?” SungJong jumped in, earning a nudge in the ribs from an annoyed MyungSoo.

“Did you tell her?” SungYeol asked excitedly, not wanting to be left out from a chance to see a very embarrassed MyungSoo. “How did she take it?”

“I told her but she didn't really seem bothered by it.”

“Mwo? Are you sure?” WooHyun chipped in, finding interest in the conversation.

“How can she not be bothered with you having feelings for her?” DongWoo shook his head, confused.

“Eh? I thought we were talking about my leaving tomorrow??” MyungSoo blurted out, getting more murderous glares from his friends.

“Yaa,” WooHyun grabbed MyungSoo's shoulder and shook him hard. “Why haven't you told her you like her yet?”

“...”

“You're so helpless, MyungSoo.” SungGyu yawned and took hold of MyungSoo's other shoulder. “What if she hooks up with some other guy while you're gone?”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” MyungSoo finally said his thoughts out loud exasperatedly.

“Tell her how you feel!” his friends echoed.

“But I can't just confess to her!” MyungSoo tried to reason. He didn't want to do it. It was too embarrassing. “What if she doesn't feel the same way about me?”

“Well, that's a risk you'll just have to take.” WooHyun gave him a pat on his shoulder for encouragement.

“Who knows,” SungYeol smiled his gummy smile, his eyebrows moving in a wave-like motion. “She might have been liking you as long as you've been liking her too.”

“But I can't just confess before I leave the country!” groaned MyungSoo. His friends were just trying to make fun of him. He didn't like where it was going. Even if he wanted to tell JaeIn his feelings for her...he had to leave her behind anyway. “What kind of confession is that?”

“Yaa, if she really likes you, she'll wait for you.” DongWoo finally spoke up again, sounding like the most reasonable person to MyungSoo.

Yet still he had his doubts... “But what if she doesn't?!”

“Yaa, Kim MyungSoo! You have too many buts!”

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

“Here's your kimchi supply. I put some bean paste in there too, so be careful with that.” MyungSoo's mother said, tears b in her eyes. “Make sure to call every single day okay?”

“Ne, eomma,” MyungSoo grinned and took his mother in his arms. As he swayed from left to right, comforting his mother, he saw JaeIn and the rest of his friends entering the airport.

“Yaa, Kim MyungSoo,” SungGyu called out as they came up to him. “You're really leaving aren't you?”

“Why else would we be here, hyung?” MyungSoo shook his head, chuckling at his friend. Then he caught JaeIn greeting his parents with such affection. Affection that he wished she had for him too.

“Yaa,” WooHyun nudged his elbow and gestured towards JaeIn. “Take this last chance to confess to her face to face.”

“It's not like I'm not coming back,” MyungSoo gave him a sideway glare. “Besides, it's too embarrassing. Everyone's here.”

“You really do need a huge push before you can do it, don't you?” SungJong sighed, crossing his arms across his chest.

“MyungSoo-yah how can you be such a coward?” DongWoo laughed loudly causing JaeIn to look in their direction and then excuse herself from MyungSoo's parents to join her friends.

“Here she comes~” SungYeol sang, poking MyungSoo in the ribs making him flinch. “MyungSoo-yah, you should ready your speech, we'll back you up.”

“Yeah,” HoWon agreed, waving his hand at JaeIn as she neared them. “We'll give you the extra push.”

“What push?” JaeIn asked innocently, watching the guys muttering among themselves with the same sly smiles pasted on all of their faces. She knew they were planning something yet she would never have guessed it involved her too. So she turned to MyungSoo who was the only one not smiling. “Did you forget something?”

MyungSoo was about to open his mouth to answer when SungGyu intercepted. “Yeah MyungSoo, I think you forgot something.”

“Something really important?” WooHyun added, gasping dramatically.

“Wait, if it's that important why are you just standing there,” SungYeol emphasized. “Standing there doing nothing, MyungSoo?”

MyungSoo started to speak but then HoWon grasped his shoulders. “Yaa, come on Kim MyungSoo. You can't just leave without this forgotten thing.”

“Unless he forgot what he forgot,” SungJong shrugged.

So that was the push that his friends had thought about. MyungSoo mentally face-palmed himself.

“I wonder what it is?” DongWoo asked exaggeratingly, gaining glares from the others including MyungSoo. Then he added more slowly, “I wonder...”
 

“Okay, what is this all about?” JaeIn finally asked after eyeing the other guys suspiciously. She was catching onto their act and it annoyed her to not know what it was about.

“Omo, she's on to us!” SungYeol shouted.

“Runnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!” they gleefully said together and scattered like chickens.

JaeIn laughed at their childish behavior then noticed that MyungSoo was also laughing. His eyes in the shape of crescents and his laughs coming out in awkward hiccups. A smile played along her lips as she stared at him. It was his laugh that made her heart skip a beat. He always seemed to laugh his heart out. Looking at him, JaeIn truly believed that he was the happiest person alive. She loved that about him. It was so precious.

MyungSoo saw her watching him so he stopped laughing and then rubbed the back of his neck, feeling embarrassed that it was just the two of them. As he gazed at his parents sitting in the cafe near the departure hall, holding hands, he knew he had to do it. He wanted to but he never knew it was that hard to just speak his heart.

“What was that all about?” JaeIn said, breaking the silence.

“Oh, those guys are just crazy...” he sighed, reaching up to touch her cheek.

That time JaeIn let him as he pinched it gently, he grinned again. She took his hand and waited for him to say something. MyungSoo was always like that when he wanted to have a serious talk with her. She knew him all too well yet what he said next amazed her.

“When I leave, we'll be apart,” he said. He actually wanted her to stop him, keep him in Korea.

JaeIn tried to smile, a lump forming in but she then said as cheerfully as she could, “Even if we're apart, I'll still support you.”

“JaeIn-ah, why...?” he croaked almost not believing that she wanted to send him away.

“Because I want you to realize your dream,” she sniffed as if it was natural. But the truth was that she was trying to hold back her tears.

“But what if I told you...” MyungSoo started, staring straight into JaeIn's watery eyes. He knew she wanted to cry, she was trying too hard to not make it obvious but that it made more obvious. “What if I told you that you are my dream.”

“What are you talking about?” she scoffed, ridiculing his words but a single tear betrayed her facade. “Babo, since when were you so cheesy?”

“Since I've loved you,” he smiled at her, then brought his hands up to wipe away her tears. He really did become hopelessly romantic when it came to JaeIn. He loved the way she made him feel.

“MyungSoo,” JaeIn giggled, taking his hands in hers and then laced their fingers together. “Make your photography dream come true first. So when you come back, you can make our dream come true as well. I will wait for you.”