The beginning of fall has always been my favorite time of the year. I halt my steps for a while to admire the breathtaking view around me.  I love how the trees are all blanketed with vivid golden and red autumnal leaves, the sky is clear blue, and the flowers aren’t withering yet. The cold breeze seeping through my jacket is something I enjoy as well. Although it requires me to wrap myself under layers of thick clothing, there is something calming in the way the autumn wind blows my long, straight, black hair. I tuck back some strands of my hair, revealing my pale skin that flushes because of the low temperature. I tighten my uniform coat—a long, dark grey coat reaching my knees with five huge buttons in the front—and continue my steps with a smile on my thin lips.

I stop in front of a modest, white painted house and press the bell. A middle aged woman, with black, curly locks decorated by a few strings of white hair, greets me cheerfully.

“Junghye! How are you?”

I smile at her politely as I greet her back. “I’m fine, Mrs. Choi. How are you?”

The older woman, whose traces of beauty is still apparent on her aged face, replies jovially. “I’m great! Uh, about Jinri, I’m really sorry; she is still getting ready in her room. Please come and wait inside, Junghye.”

“It’s alright.”

 This isn’t exactly the first time that my best friend, Choi Jinri—or Sulli, as how she is affectionately addressed by me and her other schoolmates—is being late. I’ve grown accustomed of arriving early at her place and wait for her that it is barely something I mind anymore. Without any hesitation whatsoever, I tail Mrs. Choi inside. Her pastel-colored house isn’t nearly as spacious as mine, but it feels much warmer and more welcoming, which is why I love being here.

“Jinri!” Mrs. Choi hollers so that Sulli, whose room is on the second floor, can hear her. “Junghye is already here! Come down quickly!”

“In a minute, Mom!”

Mrs. Choi shakes her head in disbelief before letting me sit next to her in one of her comfortable sofa while smiling apologetically. I guess Sulli gets her friendly traits—and the tendency to be a chatter box—from her as she effortlessly jumps from an interesting topic from another one, keeping me occupied all the time. Although I’m not much of a chatty person, I really enjoy her small talks. We are talking about the teachers and my extracurricular activities when a disheveled Sulli shows up in front of us. Her fall uniform--which consists of white shirt, dark blue vest with black linings, and light grey, knee length, plaid skirt--is crooked and ruffled in many places. However, Sulli’s beauty still shines under all the messiness in her. Her doll-like features—large, clear eyes, small pointy nose, and plump, rosy lips—are perfectly framed by her short locks. The tousled, black, fluffy hair contrasts well with her healthy, milky-white complexion.

“I’m ‘o ‘orryy. ’ets ‘o,” Sulli tells me with mouth full of her breakfast. One of her hands rests on the strap on her school bag—slung over one of her shoulders—while the other one supports the piece of bread that she forcefully pops in to . I chuckle while Mrs. Choi clicks her tongue, clearly distasteful of her daughter's untidy appearance. "Jinri! Be like a girl for once! Look at how neat and clean Junghye is!" she scolds her daughter while massaging the bridge of her nose. However, the said girl only nods her head quickly while pushing the content of down to .

"Don't have the time; maybe next time. Bye, Mom.”

Sulli gives a fleeting kiss on her mother’s cheek after she swallows, paying no heeds at the older woman’s groans of frustration. Sulli then proceeds to circle her fingers around my small wrist and drag me out of the door.

"Come on Junghye, we're late!"

"We made it!"

Sulli yells victoriously when she reaches my table on the second row from the front. Just like every other school days, we were running to the bus stop, almost missing the last bus heading to our school, dashing like crazy to our classroom, and barely making it before the homeroom teacher come. I nod weakly as I slump myself on the chair, panting furiously and ignoring the massive sweat beads running down my temples and back.

"Hey, Sulli!"

"Sulli, you go girl!"

"Hahahaha... You're lucky this time, Ssul!"

Like a sun beaming brightly in a spring day, Sulli greets back everyone cheerfully, giving out high five or “secret” handshakes to each of them. Sulli is indeed beautiful the way she is, but it is her kindness and friendliness that attract everyone's attention. I smile contently like a proud mother as I watch her bubbly exchanges with our classmates. I find my lips unconsciously curves upward as well, for Sulli’s brilliant smile is really contagious.

While Sulli chirps merrily like a fluffy little sparrow on an early morning, I can only nod back in respond to everyone who say ‘hi’ to me since I am still pretty out of breath. Albeit not having many friends, I'm not as socially awkward as a rock either. I consider myself to be pretty friendly—in the sense that I can be polite and voluntarily greets everyone that I know—but I tend to be in a loss for words after the first few 'hello's and 'how are you's, which eventually drives people away from me.

 "Junghye, you should exercise more so that you wouldn't get tired easily," Sulli smugly lectures me while comfortably leaning on my table. Unlike me, she can casually speak without any difficulties since a little sprint like what we had is only a piece of cake for her. Did I mention that Sulli is a part of the track team?

"Says the girl who likes to slack off in the track team practice,” a familiar male voice sneers in a mocking tone.

"Shut up, you unhealthy vampire!" Sulli retorts fiercely without wanting to see the owner of the voice. I, in the other hand, turn around and get into an eye-to-eye contact with our classmate, Sehun. The pale and tall boy nods at me in acknowledgement before he carries on with his mockery.

"Midget, I'm just saying the truth. Coach Jung was in a rage."

"I'm not a midget! You're just... Tall!" Sulli puffs her cheeks in anger as she stomps away from my table and onto her chair, which is placed a couple rows behind mine.

"Midget."

Sulli turns on her heels immediately and puts out her tongue childishly. "Giant!"

Sehun rolls his eyes, but his eyes have never left Sulli's back. He quickly turns around on his seat when he sees Sulli sits down. He lets out an uncomfortable laugh when he catches me watching him with amusement glinting in my eyes. "There is nothing interesting to see," he mutters confidently despite of his embarrassingly reddened cheeks.

"If you are a little kinder, you might actually get into her good graces, Sehun," I softly say with a knowing smile, purposely teasing him for my own entertainment.

"I don't need Sulli's attention, thank you very much."

"I didn't tell you that I was talking about Sulli, did I?"

Oh Sehun's pale cheeks become ten-shades redder than a tomato before he turns down his head and hides his face in the space between his arms resting on the table.

“I hate you.” I hear his muffled muttering coming from the pathetic lump on the table behind me. A bitter smile is formed on my thin lips as my eyes follow how his soft-looking black hair falls perfectly to his shoulder, raising and falling rhythmically along with his steady breathing.

It happens again, my crush is in love with my best friend.

TBC

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himalayancat