It’s a little weird to be sitting here alone, well to be completely honest it’s pretty weird. For three summers straight I sat here with someone I’ve never been ready to say good bye to, but every year at the end of vacation I had to, I said good bye and we promised every time “I’ll see you next summer.” A pinky promise, it sounds so childish, but I think in that we found something really great. The innocent relationship we grew just became something I looked forward to every summer I spent with my mother in Seoul.

Biting my lip I look around, he’s late, maybe not late, maybe not showing up? I suppose I should leave, I’ve been waiting for a few hours…

“Dayoungie, let’s promise to meet here next summer and every summer after that.” Jonghyun says holding out his pinky in my face, I glance at him to see his face is completely serious. Sighing I nod my head, wrapping my pinky around him I smile happily. “This is a promise. You can’t break it no matter what!” He says accusingly.

“Jonghyun, I think if anyone would forget or break the promise it’d be you.” I tell him smirking; it’s always fun to . The way he widens his eyes at me in complete shock, it’s priceless. “What? Are you acting like you’re more reliable?”

Jonghyun can’t even form words at me, he’s just sputtering for a while. “I will never be late or forget Dayoung. I swear!” Jonghyun says pulling me into a hug. “We’re just too good together.”

I hug Jonghyun tightly, I don’t want to let go, I don’t want to go back to the states for school, I don’t want to leave.

Looking down at my lap I let out a long sigh, I suppose it would have to be Jonghyun. I was right. Getting up I dust off my shorts before heading off to the ice cream shop I saw on my way over here. I might be able to justify an hour, but three is a bit more difficult. I want to believe he’s just messing around like always or he really just forgot I was coming back today, but let’s be honest. Jonghyun has never been like that. Jonghyun can either be the sweetest person or the cruelest.

That last summer…

“Dayoungie, let’s never forget.” Jonghyun says holding my hand. “You have to promise you won’t forget.” He says smugly. “Kay?”

I can’t help but roll my eyes at how smug Jonghyun can be, but I nod my head anyways. “I won’t ever forget so let’s go get something to eat already.” I whine tugging Jonghyun’s hand. Honestly I thought it was weird he was bringing up something like that, I mean why would I forget, we have next summer, and then then one after that. “Jonghyun, why would you say that?” I ask him while he walks me back home from the fair.

“Because we won’t always be like this.” He says cynically. “We’re happy right now, we can’t always be happy, and we can’t always be together, but we can always remember.”

I wanted to ask him what he meant, I wanted to ask him why he was saying such weird things, but then again I felt like he was right. We couldn’t be like this forever; summers don’t last forever and ever. They only last for a little while before we have to say goodbye.

I had held his hand a little tighter, just like he was holding me that night, a little closer, a bit more. We cling to things when we’re afraid, when things come to an end; we get scared it won’t happen again. I guess that’s why summer after summer when I visited my mom I still went to that same bench.

“I can’t believe you still come here.” I hear a voice, turning around I just shrug my shoulders before I turn to face forward. “Dayoungie.” He says my name, and I feel that same beat in my chest, that same rush and twinge of pain.

“I couldn’t not keep out promise” I whisper quietly, I know he can hear me, I just I can’t bring myself to face him now. “It’s like I said, you’d be the one to break the promise you made.”

“I am sorry.” Jonghyun says taking a seat next to me. “Are you here visiting you mom again?” He asks me while we sit on this bench together, the same bench that we’d sit at years ago.

“No, she moved back to the states a few years ago.” I tell him calmly, “I moved here a couple years before that.” I let out a bitter laugh before I finally work the courage to look at Jonghyun. “You know I’ve never let anyone but you call me that.” I say smiling at him.

“I was afraid.” He says suddenly, the air still like it knew not to move. “I was afraid after you graduated you wouldn’t come back anymore, I was afraid that you’d realize being half way around the world was ridiculous, I was terrified you’d meet someone closer.”

I sit just absorbing all that Jonghyun has just said to me. “You know, I was afraid of the same things, that first summer you didn’t show up I just knew it’d be a while before we’d see each other, but more over I was afraid that I’d already seen you for the last time.”

“Is this the last time?” Jonghyun whispers quietly, I can hear how scared he is in his voice; I can tell how terrified he is by my answer.

“Me waiting for five years isn’t proof enough? I ask him chuckling. “Jonghyun it’s like you said, we can’t always be together, and sometimes we aren’t happy, but I’ve just waited hoping to see you again, to be happy with you again, to be with you again.”

“I’ve made you wait too long.” Jonghyun mutters taking my hand and leaning closer to me to peck my cheek. “I’m sorry for that Dayoungie.”

I obviously had no idea where to go in the end with this, but I guess for me that's
part of the fun of writing. Not knowing the ending every single time.
I get worried that I make things too sweet, too bitter, too much, just too something.
This is dedicated to chekkuame. > u <
 

So I've decided to do ten of 'Reasons to Smile's.
I'll be starting the mini-series after I do Minho's and Onew's next One Shots, so please look forward to them!
^ u ^

[22 Left]
[10 planned]
[12 slots available]