CHAPTER 16

Crap! I almost forgot there’s school today.

It feels like I haven’t been to school for a long, long time…

I was walking to school until I ran into Junho.

"Chaerin-ah, Wassup?!" He smiled coming towards me.

"Huh?" I said. It’s quite awkward you know even though it was all a dream.

"Oh… well, I mean what you are up to today?" He asked me.

"Obviously school." Then I went off and walked faster so he won’t catch up.

I feel so awkward around him cause I always remember that dream even though it wasn’t real and thank goodness it wasn’t real.

I found Seunghyun oppa and Ji young oppa and Hanbyul unnie with some of their friends sitting on a bench.

"Chaerin ah!" Han byul unnie called me. 

"Hey guys!" I said as I came near.

"Were having this Christmas party this weekend and we were wondering if you could come with us." Han byul unnie asked me.

"Christmas party?" I asked.

"You have to come were planning to make an awesome one…" Han byul unnie said.

"I’m not sure if my mom will allow me to go because I just recently went to Deasung oppa’s birthday." I explained

"Don’t worry I’ll try to talk to her and besides Ji young will be coming to." She said.

"I’ll try…" I said unsure.

"How’s your sprain?" Ji young oppa asked me.

"Sprain? I never remember having a sprain." I said.

"You don’t remember?! When we were about to go home you tripped on the bridge." Ji young said.

"I really don’t remember." I said.

"Don’t tell you forgot about it because of the fortune cookie!" Ji young said halfly joking and serious.

"F-f-fourtune coookie???" I said uneasily. I suddenly remember my dream and looked at Seunghyun then looked away quickly.

"What’s with your tone?" Ji young oppa said and all of them started laughing.

"A-ha-ha-ha…" I laughed awkwardly. 

I saw the girls sitting on the other table and went to them. Dara unnie looked at me but suddenly looked down once we looked at each other.

"Hi guys!" I said cheerfully. The bell suddenly rang

But no one even noticed me or even look at me.

"Uhmm… hello???" I said.

Still no one has been looking at me.

"Is there something wrong?" I start to wonder.

"Look if there is anything I did wrong please tell me." Still no answer…

"Please talk to me Minzy, Dara, Bom???" I said and I was getting worried.

Then finally Bom unnie looked at me

"Did something wrong? And you even have the guts to ask us that?" Bom unnie said.

"I-I don’t know what your talking about." I said.

"Sometimes I wonder if you really treated us your real friends or you just used us to make you closer to your ‘popular’ friends." Bom said rudely.

"Bom unnie, what’s wrong with you?" I said as I started to fell a big lump in my throat.

"What’s wrong with me? Nothing. It’s you who is my problem. Going to Deasung’s birthday and ditching us three waiting for you late at night!" Bom said furiously.

"I-" Then she cut me off.

"Do you have any idea how much effort Dara and Minzy have putted into this?" She said

"Good thing we saw your mom and asked where you were and she said that you went with ‘your friends’ to a party." She said again while the two just looked at me expressionless.

"Let’s go guys she doesn’t need her old friends anymore." Bom unnie said in a bitter tone.

I just stood there until I can no longer see them. I’m such an idiot! How could I even forget her birthday! I knew I should’ve gone to Daesung oppa’s birthday.

I didn’t notice that there was no one around me. I looked at my watch and 5 minutes have passed after the bell. 

Time flies fast and was break time again.

I just sat on my desk until everyone left and even off the lights. I feel so guilty. Should I explain myself? Tsk… would they even listen to me. Then something snapped in me.

Who needs them? I got my own friends anyway and they care for me. From now on I won’t even consider making friends with them or even think of them. Its their lost anyway. 

I went down and saw Han byul unnie.

"Unnie!" I said

"What it is?" She asked.

"I’ll make sure that I’ll be coming." I said.

"Good!" Unnie said. "You can invite your friends if you want to." She said.

"Friends? Ohh… you mean them. I better not tell them. They might feel out of place you know." I said bitterly.

"Well… okay. See yah!" 

"U-unnie. Can I join you?" I asked before she walked away.

"Sure!" She said and linked her arms to mine.

"So where is this exactly?" I asked about the party.

"It would be like a night party sooo… I’m not quite sure." She said looking up while thinking. "We could do it at my house!" She suddenly said.

"My family has this rest house and I think that could be the perfect place though it’s quite far from this village." She said.

"Looks like fun!" I said getting excited. Then we saw Ji young and Seunghyun oppa.

"Chaerin will be joining us for lunch." Han byul unnie said to the two guys.

"Cool." Seunghyun said. That’s it? COOL??? Urghh…

We sat down in the cafeteria and all of thei- I mean our friends we sitting.

"So now we’re all here I’ll make some statements and clarification for our Christmas party since we probably won’t see each other over the vacation we have to make this awesome!!!" She said with a very girlaloo tone…

"It will be held at my parent’s rest house." Han byul unnie said.

"You mean we will be going to Jeju island?!?" Daesung oppa asked.

"No… we have another rest house not too far like Jeju." She said.

And yes Han byul unnie was filthy rich…

"What time?" I asked.

"Hmm… I guess it would be more fun if it’s a night party right?" she suggested.

"Night party?! I like that!" Ji young oppa said. 

"6pm till… we drop!" She said and all of us laughed at her statement.

"What about exchange gifts?! You know for a little Christmas spirit." One of them said.

"That’s a good idea." Han byul unnie said.

After all the talking we ate our lunch.

"Let’s all make a list for the exchange gift but don’t write your name or it will ruin all the fun."

"How will we know if it’s a girl or boy?" Ji young oppa asked.

"Easy. Just write boy or girl then write the gift that you want."

Hmmm… I wonder what I’ll write??? Bag? Shoes? I think that’s too much to ask. Stuff toy? I don’t want to look so childish… CD? I REALLY DON’T KNOW!!!

Well here goes nothing…

I wrote it then gave it to Unnie.

"Drumroll please." She said while shaking a box filled with our list. "Who wants to go first?!"

"I do! I do!" Ji young oppa sounded like a total kid! He looked cute.

"Watch??? A girl… Now who wrote watch? I need to know so that I’ll get the right size." Oppa said. 

"Save it Ji young you’ll know her by Friday." Han byul unnie said.

"Seunghyun, your turn…" Unnie said.

I tried to peek at his paper but I can’t see it. I had this feeling that I wish he picked me. Hihihi!

After all of them had picked one it was my turn.

And guess whom I have picked… Snow? That’s what he wants for an exchange gift? How can I give him Snow?!

Does he expect me to catch snow and put it in a jar??? Who is this guy anyway? Well whatever… I’ll just buy any random thing for only God knows what he really means.

. . . . . .

Since that today is the only time where I have free time I guess I’ll just try and buy something … 

I tried looking around and… 

What do guys like anyway? If you were to give a girl presents that would be easy but for a guy… I think I’ll need advice.

Shirt would be good but I don’t know the size. Watch? I can’t afford that. I didn’t think about the thought of “snow” which is by the way taking me to nowhere… 

I was looking around the miniature snowed city inside a small glassed globe and in coincidence the one that I was about to get another hand was on the same object.

"Sorry." Then I looked at my right and SURPRISE!!!

"Chaerin? What are you doing here? You know the whole coincidence thing is getting a little suspicious." And yes the almighty Seunghyun… we have met again, unintentionally.

"And you actually thinking I’m following you?" I said.

"I’m just kidding Chaerin…" He said while finishing it off with infinity and beyond smirk.

"What are you doing here anyway?" He asked.

"Buying an exchange gift which is actually a lot harder than I expected." I said.

"Well who did you picked?" 

"Some guy with “snow” as his wish list. So a miniature snowed city inside a small glassed globe will probably be the closest" I said.

"Wow. That’s a and by the way that miniature snowed city inside a small glassed globe is called a snow globe." He said.

"Ohh… ahaha is that so… I really have no idea what a guy likes so I kinda need your help here." I said hopping he’ll help cause if he won’t I’ll will feel so rejected.

"I don’t think I’m the right person to be asked." He said. 

"Well there is no right or wrong person when asking advice." I said. Oppsss rephrase… of course there are wrong people when asking advice because apparently I always get the wrong people when getting advice soo yah….

"Tsk… funny." He showed off his smirk and walked. Is that a compliment or an insult cause I really can’t tell the difference?

"But nothing too expensive. I don’t have that much money." I said

"Hmmm… Let’s see." Then he was thinking of something.

"Well???" I was waiting.

"Food is the easiest." He said.

"Your right…" Why didn’t I realize that???

"So are you solved now?" He asked.

"But what kind of food?" I asked. I sensed this feeling that he wanted to go. But I didn’t want him to go. 

"Since you are a guy and guys knows best for their… other guy… brotherhood…" What am I talking about?

"And???" He was waiting for my continuation.

"All I’m asking if you could be my food critic today… just for today.?.?" MY food critic? Hahaha!!! I like how that sounds.

"I’m okay with that." He said. And so because of that I already have someone to help me find an exchange gift and I get to have time together with Seunghyun oppa.

We headed to the Christmas food fair where all stands has their free samples.

"What about brownies?" I suggested. Then I took one brownie which was held with a toothpick

"Let me try." He like literally ate the one I was holding . Was it because I was showing it to his face he thought I was making him eat it??? I know I’m blushing but let’s just pretend that it’s all because of the weather. Even though it’s cold.

We went from stand to stand and I have bought a lot already but minus the exchange gift. 

"Bear shaped cookies!" I ran to the stand like a little girl. "How much are these?" I pointed at it. 

"You better buy now already, they really ran out fast." The lady said.

"How much for each box?" I asked.

"23,787.20 won." The lady said. 23,787.20 won?!?! Just so you know each box contains 4 pieces only!

"How much was it?" Seunghyun oppa asked.

"23,787.20 won" I said with a very kiddish expression on my face. And I wasn’t doing it to look cute. I just really wanted to take that bear shaped cookie home!

"Are you guys together?" The lady asked.

"W-what??? No… a-ha-ha-ha." I said in a weird tone.

"Ohh… your courting her? Based from your looks your a real winner." She said in a joking manner.

Then my and Seunghyun oppa just laughed it off.

My phone started to ring and it was mom. Seriously mom… what it is this time? 

"Chaerin-ah?" 

"Yes?"

"You need to go home right now I have to wrap all the presents and I won’t get it done over the night by myself and I’m really in panic mode right now."

"Ughhh… Fine." 

"Thanks sweetie!"

"Sure thing mom."

Then I hanged up. Just when everything was so perfectly joyful it just had to end and what more ended by my mother.

"Seunghyun oppa, I’m really sorry but I have to go now." I said feeling so guilty.

"After dragging me here and you’ll just leave me?" He said half joking.

"I’m really sorry about today but I’ll make it up to you I promise!" I said then turned my back.

"Chaerin!" He said then I looked at him.

"Your coming on Wednesday right?" He asked.

"Of course. You?" I asked.

"I’ll be there." He said then gave off an electrifying smirk that had my feet glued on the ground which felt like cloud 9…