Suzy was just the girl next door, really. Nothing else.

I’d come out of my apartment on most days and see her setting down a bowl of milk outside her door, right next to the stairs for the stray cats that love to take refuge here. She was a kind person- that much anyone could see upon first laying eyes on her.

At night, I would be in my room and through the hollow walls I would hear her watching TV and she’d laugh when things were funny, and sniffle when things were sad. I sometimes found myself listening in to find exactly what she was watching, turn on my own TV and watch with her.

The first time I spoke to her, it was late evening she was coming home from her classes at university. Carrying what looked like a heavy load of textbooks in one hand and a bag of groceries in another, she carefully walked up the clanking metal stairs with small beads of sweat running down her forehead. I watched her from my window, wondering if she would make it up alright. Of course, she didn’t and right before she reached level ground, she tripped.

It didn’t take me long to rush out my apartment door, nor did I slow down in picking up her books and grocery bag, placing them beside her door. After I did that, I crouched down to lend her my hand and looking up at me with thankful eyes, she took it.

I breathed as calm as I could as I helped her stand up, trying to prevent myself from gripping on her hand too tight. She dusted her skirt and clapped her hands when I let go of them, frowning at her incident.

“I should really carry my textbooks around in a bag…” she muttered quietly, probably to herself.

I didn’t really think much about it, but when I heard her speak for the first time, there were suddenly a thousand things I wanted to say. However, being strangers and simply neighbors, I couldn’t just start sprouting out things like you’re the nicest girl I’ve ever met- well okay, I haven’t properly met her yet- and your hair looks really nice tied with a ribbon. Oh no, I could never say those things. I would sound more than erted, saying that I watched her. No, I just notice her often.

I push my hands into my pockets, “Are you alright?”

She looked up at me, not saying anything for a minute as if she was studying me, and then smiled. “Yes, I am thank you. It was just a little fall- but thank you very much.” She bowed her head and I looked back at her with a secret awe.

“It’s no problem at all, I’m glad you’re okay. Please be careful next time.” I replied, returning the bow. I have to quietly force myself to turn on my heels and walk to my door, but I didn’t really want to. My knees even felt like jelly.

I reached for the handle, about to pull it down and enter with a heavy sigh when-

“Thank you again, Kim Myungsoo. Have a nice night.” She smiled, only I couldn’t see it with my back turned- but I could hear it.

She knows my name. That means she noticed, just like did. I couldn’t help but exhale a little shakily when I close the door and lean on it, smiling all the while.

-

Two weeks later, we became friends. I guess her little accident and my heroic-helping triggered something. She was a very kind girl, kinder than most girls I’ve ever come across. On Bonfire night, when we chose to eat dinner outside our apartment doors to watch the fireworks, sitting on beach chairs that I fished out from my storage room, we talked a lot about us. Ourselves, I mean. She called me Myungsoo, just Myungsoo, for the first time and I forgot that only two weeks ago, we were just strangers.

She liked to sing. I asked her if I could ever hear her once and she shook her head with a laugh. That means maybe. I told her I liked to sing too, and dance and perform like an idol. She nodded, said she was the same with the others, and smiled at me.

“You look and have the presence of an idol.” Was what she told me.

I blushed slightly and went back to eating. Around twenty minutes later, the local fireworks show began and we both watched with wide eyes.

Colours flew everywhere, sparks shot up into the sky in a straight glowing line and exploded into huge balls of wonder. They were beautiful I must say, and the sound of them was magnificent. I looked to my side one time and watched her with awe like before. Her eyes were glowing, just like the fireworks she watched, and hung open in amazement- she looked like a little girl seeing fireworks for the first time, and she was beautiful too.

I smiled even wider, turning my head back to the sky, because we were sitting under the same one watching the same view.

I didn’t really know it then, but I think that the moment I saw her watch the light show…that was the moment I told myself I liked her.

-

It was the second day of her semester break from university when she came knocking on my door at a questionable time of 7pm. Getting up from the couch to answer the door, I opened it only to come face to face with her radiant bright smile, a big bag hung over her shoulder and a warm-looking jacket in her hand.

“Suzy?” I raised my eyebrows at her. “Where are you going?”

“Good morning, isn’t it a beautiful day today! Would you like to come with me?”

I blinked at her, but amazed at her morning chirpiness. “Suzy, it’s 7pm.”

She giggled and shook her head. “Silly me- good evening! Now would you like to come with me?”

“Only if you answer my question of where are you going?”

“Hiking! I went on a school trip a few days ago and we went to a mountain resort. We weren’t allowed to go out of the place so it meant we couldn’t go hiking…so I thought, why not go today?” She grinned.

I contemplated in my head for a few moments whether or not to go. Of course, I ended up deciding to go.

“Okay, I’ll go with you. Let me get some stuff-“

“No need!” She chuckled, punching the huge bag on her shoulder. “When I realised I wanted to go hiking today, I felt like inviting you and in case you did want to go, I saved you the trouble of getting anything ready by already preparing things for you!”

I could only stare at her wide-eyed, grateful and forever in awe. “You did all that for me?”

“Yeah!”

“But what if I had said I didn’t want to go, or that I couldn’t?”

She shrugged, “Then I’d save this all for a different day and just go hiking with you another time.”

The corners of my lips tugged up into a smile, “I would be honoured to go hiking with you then, dear Suzy.” I opened the door for her and gestured for her to come in. “I’ll just go get ready and then you can lead the way.”

She nodded, quietly entering my apartment. That was the first time she came in, sat still on my tiny dining table and waited for me. I was quick to prepare and only changed into warm clothes, making sure I didn’t make her wait long.

When I finished, I found her fidgeting with the jacket she brought with her.

“Oh yeah, I need a jacket. Hold on one second.” I said, realising that was the thing I had forgotten. I turned around to go into my room but I heard her stand up and stopped.

“Here, this is for you.” She looked down, unable to meet my eyes as she held out the jacket.

I looked at it, pointing to me. “Me? But you didn’t need to go to the trouble of getting me one…”

She looked up and shrugged her shoulders with a smile, “I’ve seen you wear a few different jackets but never one that looked warm. So please use this one.”

Something, deep inside in the corners of my heart, told me that I was falling for her even more.

-

“Come on Myungsoo, this mountain is so beautiful!”

That was easy for her to say, she was already right at the top. Her arms were raised above her and her head tilted back, taking in the afterglow of the sunset, the breeze and the view in all at once. I was only a few yards away but I found the trip up here incredibly hard, especially since I had the big bag on my back after offering to carry it for her. I did find it a little bit easy wearing the coat she gave me though.

When I reached the top, she jumped with joy and pointed at everything she found beautiful. Which was, actually, everything. I laughed at her admiration for the scenery and appreciated the fact I was standing here with her.

I looked at my watch for the first time since leaving for the trip. 11pm. Time flew by fast…did it really take that long to climb this thing?

“There are so many lights up here.” I whispered, breathless as I sat down and stared at the small town beneath us.

“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” The smile in her words made my heart flutter.

I took this chance to catch a glimpse of her from the corner of my eye, just to see that expression of wonder on it like that night we watched the fireworks. But I found her staring at me.

She looked away quickly, flustered. “Um…” she took a deep breath in. “Thank you for coming with me tonight, on this out-of-the-blue hiking trip.”

I shook my head and returned to watching the yellow and orange city lights. “It’s no problem, you asked me to so I wanted to come. It was really fun, so I should be the one thanking you.”

She let out a light laugh, “Honestly…I had another reason for coming up here.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s watch the stars first. I’ll tell you about it a little later.”

I did wonder what she wanted to say, but she told me to wait so I was going to. I took the jacket off and neatly laid it down behind us.

“Let’s watch the stars then.” I smiled a small smile as I lay on top of it. She looked behind to see me keep my eyes up, watching little orbs of light that weren’t even the same shape as their name, and eventually decided to lie next to me.

That was the first time too, that I had stayed beside a girl and watched the night with her. You can only get this in TV shows and movies, but I guess that’s where you learn.

“Do you like the sky, Suzy?” I asked, taking the cool, fresh breeze in. My hands were clasped on my chest, and I could feel the light hammer that was my heartbeat.

She nodded and I caught a scent of her hair. She smelled like flowers. “I like the sky when it’s blue, black, orange and red. Purple on some occasions. What about you?”

“You like the colours?” She nodded. “I like what the sky stands for. I’m not sure what about the sky I really like though.”

“What does the sky mean for you then?”

“Infinite possibilities. Dreams, I guess. Perhaps people. Meeting a person out of the blue and having them become a person important to you. That’s a wonderful possibility.” Do you think she heard the stutters in my heartbeats when I said those words? I was talking about her, of course, but I wonder if she knew that.

She stayed silent for a while and I could just hear her breathing.

“What’s the time?” She asked, speaking up after a calm, peaceful ten minutes.

I squinted my eyes to look at my watch. Luckily, it had a light button for me to press and see it properly. “11:50. It’s pretty late. When are we planning on going down?”

She nodded as I replied to her. “Hmm…wait a little longer and I’ll tell you what’s next.”

So I did wait.

Seven minutes passed when she stood up and dusted herself off. I leaned on my elbows and watched her.

“Stand up.” She grinned at me, stretching her hand out for me. I took it with very little- or simply none at all- hesitation and she pulled me up.

Now we stood side by side again, two people under the same sky watching the same view in front of them.

“What time is it now?”

I looked again. “11:59.”

“Please tell me when it’s midnight exactly.”

I nodded.

I held my breath for the entire minute, really anticipating what it was she wanted. I exhaled nervously when I glanced at my watch. “It’s midnight now.”

She grinned, clapping her hands silently. “Okay, I need you to do me a favour. Close your eyes, please.”

So I did.

“And don’t move.”

So I didn’t.

“I hope you’re not planning on pushing me down the mountain.” I joked.

“No way.” She laughed. I smiled.

Seconds later, I felt her hands find my hands and she laced her fingers through them. My heart stopped.

Some more seconds later, I felt her raise her arms up, our hands still entwined, and she suddenly –ever so slowly and gently- she hugged me.

I felt her reach up, slightly on her tiptoes, to place her lips right beside my ear. I couldn’t really explain the emotions running through me as she held me,  so so close to me for the first time since we met. But I could say there were more than butterflies. There were birds and eagles and dinosaurs and just…everything.

“Happy birthday.” She whispered, giving me goosebumps everywhere.

I had actually forgotten all about my birthday today, being on this hike with this wonderful girl. I had forgotten that the day we set out was the 12^th, the date before it. I had forgotten everything about me today –or yesterday- to make space for every single bit of her.

And it had just dawned on me that she was making space for me.

She began to sing happy birthday, quietly and so beautifully, in my ear as she held me. I wanted to so badly hold her properly in my own arms and hug her for the first time ever. I waited until she finished singing.

“Thank you.” I whispered, turning my body around so that I was facing her. So that I was holding her. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” I actually felt like crying.

She shook her head, her eyes glittering, and laughed. “Today was all for you, the hike, the coat, everything- for your birthday.”

“But how did you know?”

“We first became neighbours last year, you moved in on your birthday. I remember that day because you had your friends- I think their names were Sungyeol and Sungjong- with you helping you move in. I remember seeing someone called Woohyun play with the cats I usually feed, but he got clawed by one of them and he ran away.”

When we both laughed at her memory, I raised my eyebrow. “You remember all of that? We never even spoke before that day when you tripped on the steps…you really remembered?”

She nodded. “Of course I remember. After we started talking, I remembered a lot of detail from that day because that was the day we first met eyes. You probably don’t remember though because your friend kept hovering strawberries in your face and by the time they disappeared, we had already looked away. Hey, Myungsoo, I have something to say.”

I nodded. “Me too.”

I tightened our hands together and held her even tighter.

I lifted her up and spun her around, having the cheerful sound of her laugh and squeals echo in my ear. I grinned when I set her down and we were both left breathless just looking into each other’s eyes.

“We both probably have a lot to say actually, but we should leave it for some other time.” She muttered, her warm breath fluttering at me.

I wanted to tell her a lot of things. The first thousand thoughts I had that I wanted to say to her ever since that day she tripped on the metal clanking stairs, the next thousand that I had bottled up inside of me while we watched the fireworks… so much that we both had to wait for.

Instead, with every bit of instinct inside of me telling me what I had to do, I closed the tiny gap between us and landed my lips on hers.

“I guess for now, we’ll have to make do with saying nothing at all.” I smirked, pulling away to brush her hair off of her face. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

“Then lean in and kiss me again…Myungsoo.”

Every time she calls me Myungsoo, a new fire is kindled inside me. Any other girl could call me Myungsoo, but with I don’t hear it the way I hear it from Suzy. It’s different.

So I leaned in and kissed her again to tell her that.

I had a great birthday, giving myself the present of admitting that I was in love with her.

-

Suzy was just the girl next door, really. Nothing else. That’s what I thought.

But now, looking at her from a distance- me being in the living room, and her in the kitchen- she was no longer just the girl next door.

Two years exactly have passed since that night on my birthday, and now…now she lived with me in a little house next to the river a few miles from town.

She came into the living room, standing behind me as she encircled her hands around my neck. She leaned down to plant a simple kiss on my cheek.

“Happy birthday, Myungsoo.” She muttered against me.

I smiled. “I love you, my dear Suzy.”

xxxxxxx

...the ending is so...=_=