This angel reminds me of you.

Naeun let out a deep sigh as she closed her diary and rolled over on her stomach as reached out for the edge of her bed to hide it under the mattress where she believed to be a safe place for her diary. She immediately sat up from her bed then took her huge fluffy teddy bear that was leaning against the headboard of her bed. She leaned her head against the soft head of the stuffed toy, making her comfortable, and took a deep breath before closing her eyes. As she closed her eyes, memories of her childhood came to her mind especially her memories with her childhood best friend, Kim Myungsoo.

****

( 8 YEARS AGO.. )

"Oppa, I'm leaving for United States tomorrow." Naeun mumbled while looking down at the green grass, too afraid to look at her best friend’s face for his reaction. The two of them were sitting under a huge tree at the park of the exclusive subdivision where they were living in. The subdivision consisted of mansion-like modern houses and villas and most of the people living here were millionaires and billionaires. Yes, it was a subdivision full of people who lives in a very luxurious life. And this subdivision is unique for it had its own mini shopping malls, restaurants, and movie theaters. Name any and this subdivision had it, just like a little town within a city.

"W-- What?!", Myungsoo blinked his eyes as he looked at his best friend in shock. He couldn't believe what he just heard from her. Did she really say that she is going to leave? And to where? That is impossible! She has nowhere to go as far as he is concerned. Was she just kidding her? “Yah, Son Naeun, what did you say again?”

Naeun let out a sigh while puffing out her cheeks. She knew it; this was going to be hard. She expected him to react like that. Of course, any best friend would be sad and hurt if their one and only best friend decided to leave. Fighting back the tears that wanted to flow from her eyes, she looked at him this time but still, trying her best to avoid his gaze. "I said I'm leaving."

There were few minutes of awkward silence after Naeun said those words again. She looked down at her fingers that were busy pulling out some grass from the ground and shredded some of them into small pieces while secretly wishing that she should have told him about this news few days ago and not on the day of his…

".. B-- birthday." Myungsoo looked at her with tears flowing down from his two eyes. He tried his best not to let his voice crack but failed on it. "O—on th-- the d-- day of my b-- birthday?"

Naeun just let out a small nod while still looking down at her busy hands, too afraid to speak up because her voice might betray her. While trying her best not to look at her hurt best friend, she tried her best not to let the tears that were forming on her eyes flow down but failed at it. She immediately wiped her tears with the back of her hand as she control herself not to look at her best friend and even glance at him but failed at it. She glanced at him for a while when she caught Myungsoo staring at her. She quickly looked down, feeling guilty on hurting him the day before his birthday.

"Y-- You will l-- leave m-- me?" Myungsoo whispered softly while looking at his best friend even though his vision was not clear because of the tears covering his eyes. "I-- thought we're best-- friends. We pr-- promised not to leave each other r--right? And--" Myungsoo took a deep breath before speaking up again, trying to calm himself up, "I th-- thought we will grew up t-- together."

Naeun finally managed to look at him after deliberating for how many minutes if she can really look at him or not despite the blurry vision she had due to the tears that were escaping from her eyes. She smiled a bit to cheer him up although he was crying really hard then reached for his cheeks to wiped his tears with her small fingers, a gesture she hadn’t done to anyone except for her best friend. She wanted to comfort him and tell him that everything would be okay and they would be seeing each other again but she didn’t know how to and just hoped that she could somehow comfort him in her own little ways. She took a deep breath to calm herself up and explained her side. "I just have to leave”, she said after few moments of being quiet then continues, talking in a voice soft enough that it can comfort him, “Appa got a stable and high paying job in Los Angeles and he wants me and eomma to follow him there and live with him.” She pursed her lips while thinking of some right words to say before continuing, “But I will be back. I promise.”

Myungsoo pouted cutely at Naeun as if doing it will make her decide not to leave but it seemed like she had already decided to follow her father in Los Angeles. Oh well, it is already United States. Who would not say no if ever they would be given a chance to migrate there? No one right? So he had no choice but to let his best friend go. She promised anyway that she would be back. She really did and she was not that kind of person who would break a promise. He wiped the remaining tears off his cheeks before pulling out his pinky finger at her, still wearing a cute pout, “Pinky promise?”

Naeun chuckled softly at her best friend’s cute pout that she seemed could not resist. It was really cute and she wanted to pinch his cheeks right now, which she did anyways. She chuckled softly when Myungsoo reacted by scrunching his face before raising up her pinky finger and hooked it on his, shaking it with a cute smile as a promise, “I promise. I will really come back and be my best friend’s best friend forever and ever.”

Myungsoo smiled back happily at his best friend as he shook her pinky finger with his and released it. Hearing her promise that she would be back already made him happy and felt assured that she would really be back. He trusts her very much to the point that he thought that she was his only trusted person here on earth. Even how much sadness he felt, Naeun would be always there to make him smile. Only Naeun could make him smile during his lonely and painful moments and no one else - not even his family. Everytime he saw her smile, it seemed like his day would be complete. But now that she would be leaving, he didn't now what to do. He couldn't imagine his best friend leaving him and be somewhere far from each other. She was not just his best friend but his angel. He always thought of her as his angel for only she could make his troubles fade away and, because of the troubles he had in his life, the two of them became best friends.

Myungsoo grew up in a filthy rich family. They owned a lot of businesses in the country such as hotels, malls, and beach resorts in Seoul, Busan, Incheon, and Jeju Island. People thought of them as perfect and very happy because they could have everything in this world because of the incomes from their businesses but little did they know, his family was not perfect as well. His father and mother were not always with him. They would visit different countries all over the world just to promote their business and have more partners and, because of their ever busy schedules, Myungsoo would be left behind with the nannies and the bodyguards and no one else. Seeing families being happy and complete made him sad and would secretly wish that his parents would be with him as well but it seemed like it was hard for him to achieve that. Also, because they are multi-billionaire, it was hard for him to make friends because his parents were very overprotective of him to the point that his body guards were with him during classes. They would not even allow him to play with other children his age because he might get hurt while running around or got into a fight.

Because he got tired of the people around him and felt like they were choking him, Myungsoo decided to run away from them for a day and hid at the subdivision’s playground. Luckily, during that time, there were only few people since it was supposed to be naptime. He sat on the swing and cried while wishing that his parents were there for him. He really wanted to bond with them so badly but it seemed like an impossible dream for a kid like him that had multi-billionaire parents. While crying, a little girl approached him and handed him a handkerchief. It was his first time to experience someone who would hand her handkerchief to someone; he thought that it only happened in movies. He took the hanky from the little girl and wiped his tears from his cheeks using it. The little girl smiled at him in an angelic way. He couldn’t help but return the smile that the little girl gave him and waved a hand at her, “Hi, I’m Myungsoo. What is your name?” The little girl’s smile widened as she introduced herself to the boy, “Hello, I’m Naeun.” And the next thing they knew, they started playing at the playground until dawn.

At first, his parents were not approved of him hanging out with the little girl since the little girl was not rich as them and only had small business but they noticed the change in Myungsoo’s behavior few days after they met each other so they just let him play with her until they became best of friends. From the day they met until they reached adolescence, 12 and 14 years old, they still considered themselves as best friends.

But, without Naeun’s knowledge, Myungsoo started developing special feelings towards her and saw her as someone more than just a best friend. He already saw her as a little lady becoming a woman soon but he decided to keep his feelings as a secret because Myungsoo was afraid that if ever he confessed his true feelings towards his best friend, their friendship would be destroyed anymore. He would rather be her best friend than being no one to her at all.

That is why it was hard for him to accept deep inside that she would be leaving her already. What if she would not come back? What if she would find another guy whom she would love more than anyone else in this world? What if the girl of his dreams would forget him someday? All of those worries were buzzing around his mind at this very moment but he managed to ignore them.

But little did he know that Naeun also felt the same way towards him… But only secretly.

Myungsoo suddenly remembered something he got for her. He found it at a store few months ago at the mall that their family owned and decided to buy it for Naeun for he thought of her when he saw the necklace. The necklace was silver and had a small angel pendant with it. Yup, an angel and Naeun was his angel so he would give it to her. It fit her; it should, for he got it for her. He secretly reached for his pants’ pocket and clutched his hand around it to hide it from her as he took his hand from his pocket.

"Naeunnie?” Myungsoo looked at her with a smile.

"Yes, oppa?" she looked at her with a smile as well. She couldn’t help but smile every time he smiles.

"I have a surprise for you.”, he smiled sweetly at her.

"Surprise?", she tilted her head in confusion because why would he surprise her when it was not her birthday? She let out a chuckle and reached out to poke his cheek gently. "But you're the one who is celebrating his birthday!"

But you're the one leaving, Myungsoo thought to himself, which made his heart slowly broke into small piece but just ignored it and let the pain not be showed on his face. He wanted to blurt those words out but he could not and decided to just be quiet instead. “Why? Does giving surprises only exist on someone’s birthday?” He chuckled before instructing her to close her eyes first, which she did. While her eyes were closed, Myungsoo raised his hand and holds it in front of her so that she could see the bracelet once she opened her eyes. “Naeunnie, open your eyes now.”

Naeun obediently opened her eyes as what he instructed her and got shocked when she saw a beautiful silver bracelet on his palm. She took it and looked at it with full admiration as she stared at the silver angel pendant. "Oh my, oppa, it's so beautiful!"

 Yes, but you are more beautiful, Naeunnie. Myungsoo thought to himself as he blushed while staring at the young lady’s beautiful face. A face of perfection, as what he described it every time someone asked him how does the girl her likes look like. Still young but can already be considered as a Beauty Queen, he thought to himself again. He was so lost in his own world while admiring the young lady’s beauty that he didn’t notice that Naeun was already asking for his attention.

"Earth calling Kim Myungsoo!" Naeun called after him as she repeatedly poke his soft right cheek to help him get back to his senses. She let out a soft giggle when Myungsoo jumped a bit in shock and looked away in embarrassment after staring at her like that. Naeun chuckled as she spoke up, “Yah oppa, you okay? Aigoo, and anyway, I love the necklace oppa.” She smiled at him happily, feeling grateful of the present he gave her even though it was his birthday.

Myungsoo smiled softly at Naeun, feeling great amount of happiness deep inside since Naeun loved the gift he gave to her. "Glad you love it, Naeunnie. Uhm, do you mind if I put the necklace on you?"

“I don’t mind, oppa.” Naeun grinned widely as she handed Myungsoo the beautiful necklace he just gave her. She turned her back at him then put her hair on the side to give him some space to put the necklace in, feeling her heart thumping a bit as she waits for him to put it on her. It would be the first time for a guy to do it for her so she did not know how to feel about it.

Myungsoo took a deep breath as he stare at the soft and fair skin of her neck while fighting back the urge to kiss it and be all romantic. No, Myungsoo!, he thought to himself. No kissing! For God's sake, you are 14! Myungsoo shook the thought right away as he unhooked the necklace and reaches out for her neck to gently put the necklace around it. While doing it, he felt his cheeks blushing at the thought of just being few inches away from her neck but managed to calm himself, “Naeunnie, it’s done.”

While Myungsoo was putting the necklace on her, she felt her cheeks getting redder as his soft breathing were brushing against her neck. She didn’t know how to react or what to do but all she knew was that when that happened, it seemed like everything stopped except for her heart that was beating hardly against her chest, feeling giddy over the scene. She held the pendant after Myungsoo put it around her and turned to him with a smile, not sure if her blushes were still there or what, “Thank you, bestie.”

"Welcome!", he chuckled softly as he ruffled her hair slowly before putting on a serious face as he looked into her eyes while trying to think of the words to say to her, "Bestie..."

Naeun felt her cheeks blushing more as she felt Myungsoo’s intense stare into her face. She felt herself melting because of his beautiful eyes but just ignored it and whispers, “Yes?”

Myungsoo took a deep breath as he slowly reached for her hands and took it, holding it between his while his gaze locked on hers and whispers…

"Son Naeun, I know you're leaving for Los Angeles tomorrow and I think that this is the right time for me to say these things." he smiled softly at her but with a hint of sweetness in it as he put a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing, "I want you to keep that angel necklace, okay? I kept that for months as I wait for the right time to give that to you and I think that this is the right time. I want that angel to be the symbol of our friendship. I want that to symbolize me - your angel... guardian angel. I promise that - as your guardian angel - I will always be here for you no matter what. We may be thousand miles away from each other but always remember that I am here for you. I will never leave you. If you need me, I'm just here no matter what happens. If you're sad, I'm just here to cheer you up. With that angel pendant, I hope that it will make you feel my presence. Just hold that pendant and you can already feel me and remember me, your best friend that was and will always be by your side. I promise that when we see each other again, I - Kim Myungsoo, your Guardian Angel - will still be here for you. I promise that forever and ever."

Myungsoo leaned in to seal the promise that he made to Naeun with a sweet kiss on her forehead while an arm was wrapped on her shoulder tightly, too afraid of letting her go.

****

Naeun went back to the present with a soft chuckle. She could still remember how her stomach was suddenly filled with a lot of butterflies while listening to the vow her best friend promised her and, of course, the moment his soft lips touched his forehead. She lied down on her bed while hugging her stuffed toy tightly as she closed her eyes again and remembered the sweet memories of her childhood love, feeling the love that she felt that day as if it only happened yesterday, while holding on the pendant of the necklace she wore since the day he gave it to her.