Ha Kyung was standing in front of her mirror in her room looking at herself wear her school uniform for the very last time. Today was the last day of her high school career and she couldn’t be happier. Today marked the beginning of her future, whatever that might be.

Kang Joo was eating breakfast and reading the paper as her family was running around getting ready for the day. As she finished her breakfast she went to her room to finish packing. Her and her best friend Ha Kyung were going to travel the world for awhile then go to college much to their parent’s chagrin. But the girls were determined. This was the start of something.

Go Nam Soon and Park Heung Soo lazily got ready. They were so happy they didn’t have to worry about school for the rest of their lives. With their records they couldn’t get into college anyways and that was fine with them. They decided along with their friends Ji Hoon and Yi Kyung that they were going to serve their 2 year mandatory army service. They just had to get through the day.

OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL

Ha Kyung was leaning against the tree with the sun in her face. She put her hand up to block the sun from her eyes. But she didn’t really mind. Nothing could ruin her day or take that ridiculous smile off her face. She put her hand down and giggled.

Nam Soon smiled as well. He had never seen her so happy. Ever. For some reason it made him happy as well.

“What are you smiling about?” Heung Soo looked at Nam Soon with a strange expression

“Nothing you punk,” they crossed the street to get to school

Kang Joo ran to Ha Kyung with a smile on her face

“Are you packed?”

“I was packed 2 weeks ago,” they linked arms and laughed

“I can’t believe it’s happening. Are we really going to be in London in 3 days?”

“What?” Nam Soon overheard Kang Joo

“We are going to London,” she said

“I thought you were going to college?” he was surprised

“We are; in a year or two,” Ha Kyung shrugged her shoulders and giggled again as Kang Joo hugged her tight and they went into the building

Why were these two acting so out of character? Well Kang Joo was more of a risk taker but Nam Soon was so surprised by Ha Kyung. She was always so serious about her studies and she was so set on S University. The fact that she was totally flipping all her plans around kind of turned him on. He smiled at the girls and continued walking with Heung Soo.

IN CLASS

“Why was Nam Soon smiling at you?” asked Kang Joo once they were in class

“How should I know,” she turned to look at him and caught him staring at her. She blushed as she turned back around, “He’s staring at me,” Kang Joo looked at Nam Soon

“Maybe he will miss you,”

“We barely have a relationship to miss each other,”

“I always thought that there was something between you two,”

“Are you serious? He doesn’t have any life goals. If it weren’t for the teacher being on him, he wouldn’t be graduating. I wouldn’t date a guy like that,”

“Well he is graduating and I hear he’s serving his army term right after graduation. Plus he has good boyfriend qualities. He’s loyal to his friends which mean he’ll treat you good. He keeps his word. He’ll always protect you and he’s, well let’s face it, very good looking,”

“I always thought you liked him,”

“I did” Ha Kyung was surprised she was so honest, “But now I like someone else,” she shyly moved her eyes on Heung Soo but she was really looking past him but Ha Kyung thought she was looking at Heung Soo

“What!” she was kind of loud, some of the students looked at her

“Ha Kyung keep your voice down,”

“Why don’t you tell him?”

“Are you out of your mind? He was in a gang and he used to beat people up,” she was serious then her face soften, “But he changed and on his own too. I hear he’s going to vocational college,”

“Hang on Lee Ji Hoon is going to vocational college,”

“That’s what I just said,”

“OMG I thought you were talking about Heung Soo but you like Ji Hoon,” she laughed

“Well you like Nam Soon so we’re even,” she stuck her tongue out and Ha Kyung frowned

“I can’t wait till this day is over,” Ha Kyung said to herself

She wanted to see if Nam Soon was still looking at her; he wasn’t. He was joking with his friends. She smiled. Even though they weren’t super close friends she somewhat felt she would miss him. And the more she looked at him, Kang Joo was right; he was very attractive.

Nam Soon felt eyes on him and he looked to the front of the class. Their eyes met and time slowed down. He thought she would be embarrassed and turn around but she didn’t much to his surprise. She kept their eye contact strong and it gave him butterflies suddenly. She then playfully squint her eyes and then nodded her head towards the door signally him to follow her in the hallway. No one noticed except Kang Joo and Heung Soo.

Once they reached the hallway Ha Kyung suddenly lost her nerve.

“You caught me,” she had her arms folded looking at the floor

“I did but you caught me too,” she chuckled

“So the army,” she was still not looking at him

“Mine as well get it out of the way,”

“Smart move,” she shook her head as she finally looked at him

It was like time stopped…again. Her heart started pounding and she got nervous. Unbelievable.

“So London,”

“All over really. We have a plan of course but a time schedule, no. So it can be longer than a year,”

“How does your mom feel?”

“Not happy but she has loosen the reins so it’s really my decision,” she smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. Nam Soon forgot how to talk. His mouth went dry as he his lips. She saw him do that and she suddenly couldn’t stop staring at his lips. Since when did he have such gorgeous lips? Lips she wanted to kiss. WHAT! Wake up Ha Kyung, get yourself together, she said to herself. She was sweating now and because she was nervous she started biting her lower lip.

“Don’t do that. You’ll ruin them,” Nam Soon touched her lips.

He surprised himself and Ha Kyung, so embarrassing. They never acted like this in the past. So why now? Maybe because they were about to part and live their separate lives. It was sad in a way. So Ha Kyung decided she would end that anxiety of not seeing Nam Soon ever again. She had no idea this one move would change her life forever.

“Let’s stay in touch, ok?”

“Ok,” they exchanged numbers as they walked back in class