OST: I Can Wait Forever by Simple Plan

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One sunny afternoon in her high school’s library. 

She was attending a focus group discussion composed of student-representatives from other private high schools. She was bubbly and talkative.

He was the representative of his all boys high school. He was quiet and serious.


“Hey, are you going to join the debate tournament at the end of the month? Our school will be hosting it”, he asked her as the discussion ended.

“Oh, I don’t know yet. Maybe. It’s up to the teacher.”

She was 14. He was 15.
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After three days. 

“Okay, I think that’s about it. Please read a lot and I will see you all next week.” The debating coach went out the room after he finished speaking to the group.

“Yaaaaaaaaaah I am so nervous! This is the first time our school is participating in something like this”, Jessica addressed Seohyun as they prepared to go out of the room. However, the latter didn’t hear her as she was already bouncing to the other part of the room.

“Hey! Jung Yong Hwa, right? We meet again! Can I have your number? We would be joining the tournament and we would also be staying in your school’s dorm. Let’s be friends!” She chattered happily.

“Ah. Yes. Here.” He said as he keyed in his numbers in her phone.

“Thanks! See you next week!” She smiled at him before leaving the room.
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One week later.

He and his friends greeted her and her group as they arrived into their dorm.

“Annyeonghaseyo! Welcome to our school!” Minhyuk has his eyesmile plastered on his face as he led the welcoming of the guests.

“Oh. Annyeonghaseyo! Thank you for welcoming us!” Seohyun and her friends said as they shook hands with the boys.

Seohyun flashed him a smile as he stood in a corner quietly.
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After two days. 

It was the break night party for the tournament. This was the time that the teams who made it to the final rounds would be announced.

Seohyun was doing her make-up to the best of her ability. Since she really is not the girl-girl type, she only managed to put on a very light shade of eye shadow, a slight dab of cheek rouge, and pink lip gloss. After dressing up, she, Jessica and Tiffany went down to the hall.

Yonghwa was holding his handy-cam and taking videos of everyone around the hall, laughing at his friends’ jokes from time to time. He turned to the door just as the three girls were entering. As his eyes fell on Seohyun, he literally stopped moving and just seemed to freeze, with his right arm stuck in mid-air holding the camera. After a few heartbeats that felt like forever, he seemed to get back to his senses and brought his arm down.

“Oh. Seo Joo Hyun-ssi… You look…. Shimmering”, he managed to blurt out to her.

“Ah. Yonghwa-ssi, thank you very much,” she blushed and slightly bowed to him.

Really, Yonghwa? SHIMMERING? Is that the best you can do? What is she, a disco ball?! 

They all went to their respective tables as Yonghwa scolded himself for looking stupid in front of Seohyun.
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The next day around four o’ clock in the afternoon. 

Seohyun was walking around the campus since it was their free time. Jessica was sleeping while Tiffany was busy chatting with the boys who seemed to be all doe-eyed for her. Seohyun decided to go alone since she had no choice, plus she wanted to finish reading her Harry Potter book.

She saw a slightly opened door at the end of the hallway, it was the door to the rooftop. She decided to go up, thinking it was the perfect place to concentrate on reading since there seemed to be no one around. That was her thinking while she went up, until she saw the back of a lone figure sitting on one of the chairs there. The person seemed to be too absorbed in his own thoughts she felt like she was intruding, so she decided to go down and look for another place. As she was about to go, however, the person felt her presence and turned.

“Seo Joo Hyun-ssi!”

“Oh? Yonghwa-ssi! Hi!” She turned and went to sit on the chair beside him.

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

“I was just looking for a quiet place so I can finish reading my book.”

“Oh I see.”

“How about you?” It was now her turn to ask.

“Ahh. Me. I was just….thinking.”

It seemed like there wasn’t anything to answer so she just nodded.

“What do you want to be when you become an adult, Seo Joo Hyun-ssi?”

The random question surprised her, but she still answered.

“Oh. I don’t know. A journalist, maybe.”

“Jinja? I want to be one, too!” He looked at her in awe when he answered.

“Oh really? That’s so cool!” She giggled.

And while watching the sun set, their conversation went on like that, from one random topic to another.
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The next day. 1 o’ clock in the afternoon

“Where’s Yonghwa hyung? I can’t find him! The championship round is about to start!” Jungshin asked as the four boys looked around frantically, asking everyone they know if they saw Yonghwa. The girls saw what they were trying to do and so they helped in looking for him. Suddenly, Seohyun stopped in her tracks when she remembered something.

“Wait! I think I know where he is!”

She rushed to the steps and went up the rooftop. True enough, he was there, seated at his usual spot, looking the same as he did yesterday, except for the coat and tie he was now wearing for the championship which, by the way, is about to start in fifteen minutes.

“Yonghwa-ssi!”

She called him as soon as she reached the topmost step. She went to sit in the same chair she was seated in yesterday.

“What are you doing here? The championship round is about to start in fifteen minutes!” She added as soon as she sat down.

“Hmm… Honestly… I am nervous.” He looked at her with the eyes of a lost child.

“Aigoo. Yonghwa-ssi, don’t be! You are one of the eight individuals who made it into the final round. Of course you would do well! Even I didn’t get in.” She said with a comforting look.

“So come on, let’s go! They are all waiting for you”, she pulled his hand and they went down the steps together.
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The tournament week ended and it’s now time to separate ways. His team did not win but he fought a hard battle, so they were all still proud of him.

“Bye, everyone! Thank you for being accommodating and friendly to us.” The girls exclaimed in chorus as they were getting ready to board their service van. They all shook hands and exchanged half-hugs and said their well-wishes.

When it was time for the girls to finally leave, Yonghwa gripped Seohyun’s hand for the last time and greeted her an advanced Merry Christmas.

When she was seated in the van, Seohyun looked at the piece of paper Yonghwa passed her when he gripped her hand.

Thank you for listening. It was very nice to talk to you.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Joahe.

Seohyun blinked. She could not believe what she just read.
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Hi. How are you?

I’m fine. You? I’m busy with school requirements since we only have a few months left before graduation day.

Same here, been very busy with school stuff.

I see. Fighting, Yonghwa! I have to go somewhere. I will just text you later, okay? Bye!


It was months after the debate tournament. They remained friends and text each other from time to time. She even goes to visit him and his three dongsaengs along with Jessica and Tiffany. The girls do the visitation since his school was very strict and would not let them out of the dorm if it was not their schedule to go home.

His confession did not go ignored. She thanked him for his admiration but politely said that she already has a boyfriend. He said it was fine and that he was only expressing his feelings. They decided to become good friends after.
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“Cham!” Seohyun slammed the book on the table as she took her seat across Jessica.

“I don’t ever wanna see him again! Unnie, he dared cheat on me! And with my own neighbor at that!”

“Aigoo Seohyun-ah, don’t let that bastard get to you. Just forget him from now on.”

“Algesseumnida, unnie. I will.” Seohyun promised despite her flaring nostrils.

Kyuhyun was her first boyfriend. And he cheated on her. With her own neighbor. He was her puppy love. And now it’s over. That day she found out, Seohyun shed her first tears from a broken heart.
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“I can’t understand why he did that! Jeongmal!” Seohyun said on the phone, frustrated.

“Aigoo. Just forget about him and be happy with your life. You are still young and a lot will still happen to you”, he said to comfort her.

“Yeah. I know. I’m feeling fine now, really. I’m just insulted at what he did to me. I mean, we were together for ten months and he dared cheat on me!”

“I don’t know why he did it, either…”

“If it were me…”, he added in a whisper.

“What? What did you say? Sorry your voice was too low I didn’t catch what you said”, she asked him.

“Oh, ani. I just said that I don’t know the reason why he cheated on you, but all I know is this, you would be wasting your time if you continue feeling miserable like that. So cheer up, uri Joo Hyunnie!”

She giggled. “Ne, I will. I’m better off without him, anyway. Thank you, Yonghwa. I will sleep now, good night!”

“Good night! Take care.” He waited for her to drop the call.
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For months, they continued like that. Text messages sent and calls made each time they can, and her visiting him in his dorm. Until one day, he popped out the question.

“Seohyunnie, would you be my girlfriend?”

She smiled at him. “Of course I will!”

She was 15. He was 16.
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They were both in their senior year in high school and were therefore busy with school requirements. They barely text each other anymore, since it was already difficult for him to get hold of a mobile phone in his dorm without getting caught. He was only allowed to go out of the dorm once every two weeks, and this made it more difficult seeing each other. In their five months of being together, they only saw each other four or five times. And so, now comes the inevitable.

Let’s break up. I think it’s better for us to be just friends. We barely see each other anymore. We don’t even talk or text.

She texted him first.

Yeah, I agree. Let’s do that. Let’s still be friends, okay?
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Being the teenagers that they were, they could not handle the kind of commitment required for their relationship to last. At their age, what they are after is a boyfriend/girlfriend that would always be present for the other.

Their set-up, him being in an all-boys school closely resembling a military camp, without personal access to a mobile phone and without the freedom to go wherever and whenever he likes, the breakup was bound to happen. It was not a bitter breakup, though, and so they indeed continued being friends.
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Hey, how are you doing? I heard you already have a boyfriend. Chukahae! ^^

Keukeu. Yes I do. Thank you! How about you, do you already have a girlfriend?

Ah, yes, I do. I’ll send you a picture of her.

Oh. She’s pretty. Chukahae! ^^

Not a month after they broke up, Seohyun gave her YES to Donghae, a school mate who confessed to liking her.

“Just say yes, Seohyun-ah. And if you don’t like him, then just breakup after graduation. Just give the guy a chance!” Jessica said while she was buffing her nails. It was another one of their sleepovers.

“Aigoo, unnie. Can I do that? Isn’t that rude?” She asked her.

“Seohyunnie, look at me. You’re giving the guy a chance. What’s rude about that?”

“Err… okay.” Seohyun typed her YES on the phone and sent it to Donghae.
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2 years later.

“Donghae, please, let’s work it out. Don’t leave me!” Seohyun was on the floor, shaking from too much emotion, her eyes red from crying.

“Ani. Seohyun-ah, get up. We talked about this. We’re not working anymore. Whenever we talk, all we do is argue. Then you start getting emotional, so I apologize even if it’s not my fault. So we’re back to being okay again. And then the cycle repeats. I’ve had enough of this. WE NEED TO GROW UP.” Donghae finished his monologue with tears in his eyes.

“Please. Please. Don’t do this.” Seohyun almost begged, fresh tears falling on her cheeks, puffy from too much crying.

“I’m sorry, Seohyun-ah. We just have to do this. And you know it.”

It was her first real heartbreak. She cried herself to sleep every night for six months. Whenever she goes to a place they have been to before, she cries some more. She goes to school and continued with her life like a lifeless zombie.
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A few months after.

Hi. How are you?

He sent her a message.

I’m fine. Getting by. You?

I’m okay, too. Missing you.

Hmm….

Seohyun-ah? Can I tell you something? Promise you won’t get mad?

We’ll see. What is it?

Do you remember two years ago, when I told you I had a girl friend?

Yes, I remember. She’s pretty. Why, what about it?

Well…the thing is…she was not really my girlfriend.

Huh? What do you mean?

What I said. She’s not my girlfriend. Seohyun-an, I’m sorry. Sorry for saying that there was someone after you , were in fact, there was none. It is only you. Then and now. I have loved you then and I still love you now.
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Author’s Note:

Hi guys! Please don’t kill me. Hihi. Sorry for the cliffy. Thing is, this was based on real life, with only a few tweaks to it. This was really experienced by a real-life person. Someone I know very very well. Therefore, the cliffy. And sorry if there were some confusing parts. I, myself, was really confused while writing this. :D (Reposted from my livejournal)

P.S. Please leave comments. This is only my second fic and I’m still looking for ways to improve. Hehe. Thanks!

P.S.S. A shoutout to @Merki589 for giving me tips and for always always prompting me to write. :D
And to @yourJham, thanks dear! It was our recent string of conversations that prompted me to write this. ;)

P.S.S.S. Could you guess whose story this is? ;)