JIYONG’s POV

 

I felt like I was being pulled into the deep, black waters. Slowly, I can feel I’m running out of breath. Gradually, the air starts to thin, making my throat constrict. I’m beginning to taste it, taste death at the tip of my tongue.

 

No! my mind screamed at my failing body but my body’s not listening. I smiled bitterly. I didn’t want to end my life like this! I don’t want to die young. I still have a wish to fulfill. Out of nowhere, my bestfriend materialized in front of me. Her smile was so peaceful, almost angelic but I felt fear. I’ve known her for years, for all of my life actually, and I definitely know what’s going on in her mind right now. Right on cue, the angelic expression was replaced by an expression I’ve seen too many times already.

 

“You look stupid!” she sneered. “And you won’t see your wish fulfilled unless you bow down to me and kiss my cute toes!” she laughed.

 

My eyes suddenly snapped open. As I did, I felt something blocking my mouth and nose. As I cast my eyes down, I saw one foot atop my mouth. Aish! Then, I also felt something very heavy on my stomach. I suddenly stood up. Ugh! That was SO disgusting! I ran to the bathroom and brushed my teeth several times. I swear, I can still taste her foot in my tongue. I went back to her room and threw her a disgusted look.

 

She was strewn across the bed, lying horizontally with her head dangling off the bed. was slightly open while a loud snore can be heard from her. Have I mentioned about “MY BESTFRIEND IS A GUY” theory?

 

No?

 

Well, I’ve made this theory since we were kids, but of course I know it’s a bit ridiculous. You see, I believe that Sandara Park is a guy trapped inside a girl’s body. How you may ask I came to this theory? There are too many to mention. But to name a few:

 

KWON JIYONG’s MY BESTFRIEND IS A GUY THEORY

 

1. She always wears loose, baggy clothes, except for her school uniform.

 

2. She despises skirts, especially her school uniform, that’s why she always wears black leggings with it.

 

3. She likes hanging out with me and the guys than have a “stupid girls’ talk”. And most of her friends are “male”.

 

4. She hates cute girl and TOO feminine girls (we always argue about this).

 

5. She acts like a boy sometimes, most of the times.

 

6. She likes stealing my freshly-bought boxers and wears them. (I don’t have the guts to take them back, so her closet is full of my boxers).

 

7. She said she’ll die first before I can see her wear heels.

 

I looked around her room and my eyes landed on her bedside table. Oh, another thing, SHE’S TOO DISORGANIZED for a girl. I went to her table and started gathering the scattered papers, pens, notebooks and books. But there’s one thing I admire about her, and her scattered things are the evidences of it. She’s really hardworking.

 

Or not. Okay, let me rephrase that. She’s really hardworking when she badly and desperately wants something. I sighed as I saw her assignment unanswered. Aish! She can be a pain sometimes. No, scratch that. She’s ALWAYS a pain in the . I took a seat and started answering her assignment. I was a bit thankful that we don’t go to the same class together. I’m very proud to say that I belonged to the top class of our year.

 

I stretched as I finished her assignments. Yes, assignments. I found out that she had tons of assignments unanswered. Then I arranged her stuffs neatly. After being satisfied of the neatness, I smiled. My eyes darted to the shelves above her table. My smile grew wider upon seeing the queue of photo frames in it. Each photo had a story, a memory. A story of our friendship. A memory of how long we’ve been friends together. I chuckled as I saw the first photo frame, it holds our baby picture. I think we were about two months old in that photo and we were given baby bath by her mother. Ah, memories.

 

Then, a sweet smell filled my nose. Umma must be finished cooking. My bestfriend’s mom is the best cook in the world! I got excited so I went out of the room and hurriedly went to the kitchen. I saw Umma preparing the table.

 

“Umma, let me help you,” I volunteered. Don’t get confused, I just got used to calling her Umma, since my real mom is not always at home. Well, both of my parents actually probably because of their jobs. My mom is a well-respected surgeon while my father is a well-known businessman. But my father chose to live a simple life, so instead of living in a mansion, I grew up in an apartment. Instead of going to the most expensive private school, I’m studying at a simple school.

 

Both my parents and Dara’s parents go long way back, too. They’ve been bestfriends since highschool. Eversince Dara’s father died, his bestfriend who happened to be my father, took responsibilities of Dara and umma. That’s probably why me and Dara have a different level of friendship, it’s like we’re not just bestfriends but more of twins.

 

After taking my breakfast, I went out to go to my family’s apartment, which was just sitting beside Dara’s, to take a bath and change into my school uniform.

 

After fixing myself, I went back to her place. I found out she’s still sleeping, as always.

 

“Dara!” I loudly called, shaking her. But she didn’t budge. I put my bag down, feeling confident on what I’m going to do next since I’ve done this A LOT of times already. I pulled one foot and dragged her out of bed. Her head hit the floor with a soft thud, but still, she was snoring loudly. With one foot on hand, I dragged her towards the bathroom and poured cold water in her face. She jerked awake.

 

“Move quickly. I don’t want to be late again,” I sternly said.

 

~o~

 

“Jiyong-ie oppa!”

 

I saw Dara rolled her eyes.

 

“Great! What a perfect way to greet my day: Ms.-All-So-Cutesy with her Gorilla stepbrother,” she puffed, shaking her head.

 

I smiled as I saw Ahn Sohee, my girlfriend, coming from the opposite direction, ran towards me. My arms automatically opened wide as she threw herself to me for a hug.

 

“Hey, you two, be decent, will you? It’s creepy!” my bestfriend sneered with a disgusted expression. I looked at her disbelievingly while still locked in Sohee’s tight embrace.

 

“What’s so wrong with a hug?” I . I forgot to mention, she hates romantic, cheesy stuffs.

 

“Yeah, what’s so wrong with a hug, Park? Are you jealous? Do you also want a hug?”

 

“I’m not talking to you, Gorilla!” she hissed at TOP hyung. “Put a meaning in your life and shut up!”

 

The older guy clicked his tongue. “Where’s your sense of humor, Park?”

 

“My sense of humor disappears everytime I see you, Mr. Choi, ‘cause everytime I see you, I can only think of ways how to boil you to death!”

 

TOP hyung rubbed both of his ears. “Ugh! Hey Park, have you tried listening to a screeching crow? Your voice sounds so much like it.”

 

“Why you-”

 

“Hey, hey, Dara!” I interfered. I freed myself from Sohee’s hug and pulled Dara backwards as I saw her advancing on TOP hyung. “Calm down, will you?”

 

She gave me an evil look then pulled her arm roughly from my grip and walked away.

 

“Hyung, can you please stop teasing her like that?”

 

The guy smirked. “Have some fun, don’t be such a spoilsport.”

 

“Seunghyun Oppa, he’s right,” Sohee agreed.

 

I smiled. That’s my girl! See? She sides with me, that’s an ideal girl right there.

 

“You can’t really blame me. She started all of this anyway. You saw how I tried to be friends with her before. . . “ hyung shrugged.

 

“That was a year ago, Oppa.”

 

“Sohee, little sister, just let your Oppa have some fun, okay?”

 

Hyung turned around and a playful smirk appeared on his face. I followed his gaze and saw Dara bent down, fixing her shoelaces.

 

“Ya! Park! Don’t bend down like that! You’re behind is too skinny, it’s embarrassing me!” hyung shouted.

 

My bestfriend suddenly straightened up and took one shoe off her and threw it towards hyung. But hyung dodged it and the shoe hit me straight in the face instead.