"I like you, Hwang. Would you like to be my girlfriend?"

What? What did he just said? What was that supposed to mean? Did he just ask me out? Did he just confessed to me? I could not believe what i just heard. "I am sorry. But.. Did you just ask me out?" I asked him, uncertainly.

He looked so confused. "Well, yeah. What do you think i am doing right now, Hwang?"

I opened my mouth, but i closed it immediately. I could not let the most popular guy on the campus to see me with such a weird face. "I know exactly what you're doing right now. I just... Can't believe it. I mean, you're like, the most popular guy in this campus. So, why are you asking me out? It's just so unexpected"

He laughed. Yup, he laughed. Just that. He did not answer me. I felt annoyed. What's wrong with this guy? "Sorry, can you please explain it to me, LEE DONGHAE?" I asked him with a loud voice. I felt sooo impatient.

"Okay, okay. I can't explain anything to you, Hwang. Because, to be honest, i really don't know the reason why i like you. You can say that love is blind. All i can say is that i am serious, and i really want you to be my girlfriend. So, please consider me" After that, he left. I really could not believe it. He's Lee Donghae, the most popular guy in this campus. So, why did he confess to me? It did not make any sense, right?

"Well, i think it's because you're such a pretty girl, Fany. That's why he likes you. It's not surprising for me to hear that" said my best friend, Kim Taeyeon. She always calls me with my American name, Stephanie. Even though i already told her so many times to call me Mi Young, my Korean name. But she would not listen to me. "I think that guy just want to play around. You should reject him. Besides, you don't really know him, do you?"

I nodded. Taeyeon was absolutely right. He just wanted to play around. And, i did not even know him well. But, for some reason, i just could not say 'no'. It was probably because he was so charming. "But, strangely... I really think that he's serious about this, about liking me. I know that i don't suit him, but there's just a feeling that i don't want to reject him. Why is that?"

Taeyeon shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe you like him, too"

Today, the weather is soo cold. It's fall season, and it's very windy outside. I walk on the road under the trees. Their leaves are falling. It's such a romantic view. It must be good to walk on this road with our beloved one. This place reminds me with that day, when everything was all about happiness...

"Actually, i still can't believe that we are dating now. At that moment, i really thought that you were going to reject me. Why did you accept my feeling?" said Donghae, full of curiousity. We were walking at this road that time. We held hands. It was one of the happiest moments in my entire life. I did not know why, we were just holding hands. But i felt so happy. Well, i guessed it was because i loved him.

"I think, i've fallen for you before you've fallen for me. Well, at first i thought that i just so amazed with your look. But then i realised that i've fallen for you, not because of your look, but because of you. Because it's you" after saying that, i smiled. Then, i sang a song while holding his hands. "You know, Hae. I have to say that you've changed my life"

He looked confused. "What do you mean, Young? Well, to be honest, i really think that you have changed"

"What have changed about me?" i asked him.

He rolled his eyes, it was the sign that he was thinking. "Well, it's your personality. Before i confessed to you, you didn't smile this much. You always had a straight face or a grumpy look. But, after we started dating, i guess you've changed. You smile more, like now" Donghae smiled at me. "And i like this you better than the old you"

I gave him my famous eye-smile. "I think you're right. That's why i told you that i've changed, and it's all because of you. Actually, this is the real me. I have a secret that i always keep. And i never tell anyone about this" My face became so serious. "But... I guess i have to tell you, since you were the one who brought me back to life"

Suddenly, his expression changed. "What kind of secret?" 

I took a deep breath. "It's about my mother's death"

Donghae looked extremely shocked. He could not say anything for a few moments. Then, he tried to speak, "What death? I just saw your mother yesterday. She still alive, and she was healthy. What do you mean, Young?"

I could feel tears were filling up my eyes. But, i tried my best to hold it. I took a very deep breath, and explained everything to him. "She is my stepmother. My real mother was died when i was 14 years old. Back then, i was staying in America with my dad and my mom. I am half American. That's why i have an American name. My father was really busy with his work, so i stayed at home with my mother. I was very close to her, like she was my blood, flowing inside my body and stayed in my heart. I loved her so much, and i still do. Until one day, she got sick, and she was hospitalized for two weeks. I came to visit her everyday after school, until dinner time. I even read her stories, because i knew that she was bored. But, one day, i came to visit her like i always did. I fed her, told her a story, i told her about school, until the time when i should go home. I did not want to go home, i wanted to stay by her side, but she told me to. Before i went home, she kissed my forehead and she said that she loved me. Believe it or not, that was the last time i saw her"

Donghae was speechless. He could not say anything. He held my hand, tighter than before. I thought he was afraid that i was going to cry. I smiled at him, but he did not smile back. He must be feeling uneasy at that time. "After my mother's death, my father re-married with my stepmother. I didn't accept that. My mom just died, how could he re-married that soon? I could not believe him. I hate my stepmother, i didn't even want to look at her face. Then, we moved to Korea. And i became that grumpy Hwang Mi Young. Luckily, i met you. You've made my days brighter. So, i am very thankful for that"

Donghae looked gloomy. "I... I'm very sorry to hear that. I never knew that she is not your real mother"

"You don't have to feel bad. You're the one who saved me from despair" I tried to cheer him up. I really did not want to see him with sad face. "After my father re-married, i forgot how to smile. I couldn't smile anymore. Strange, because i was such a cheerful girl. But, thanks to you, now i can be that cheerful girl again"

Donghae hugged me tight. "I promise that i will never leave you. I will give you happiness. I will stay by your side forever. I'll be there whenever you need me. I'll lean my shoulder for you to cry. But i hope that you won't cry, because my job is to always keep your smile. So, please don't cry anymore"

A tear was falling down from my eyes. I hugged him back. "Promise?"  i asked him with a husky voice.

"Yeah, i promise"

I fall down on my knees. I burst into tears. I am crying very loud. I am trying to shut my mouth, i am trying to hold my tears, but it's no use. I am crying, and keep on crying. "You told me that you would never leave me, liar!" i am screaming. My chest hurts. My heart breaks. "You said that, remember? So why did you leave me? Huwaaaaa" i am crying and screaming as hard as i can. But i know. It won't change a thing. He's dead, he won't ever come back. He won't be here, even though i call him. He won't lean his shoulder, even though i cry. He's already dead. All i can do right now is just moving on. I have to stop crying, because i promised him that i would not cry anymore. I stand up and i wipe my tears. I look up to the sky, put a smile, and say,

"You gave me happiness, you already did. I will not ever forget about you, Hae. Because you were the one who brought my smile back. Thank you, saranghae"

So, that's it. How do you think, guys? :) sorry if it's a bad story. Thank you for reading. By the way, the words with Italic means that it's flashback. Once again, thank you so much :D