DECEMBER 20, 2013

 

It's still 5 days before Christmas. My wish list says that today I should be receiving a Cookies n' Cream flavored chocolates from Santa Claus or my so-called Santa Claus.

 

I'm currently watching a horror movie in the living room together with my brother. I don't even know why we are watching horror movie when it's Christmas season, we should be watching those kinds of movies during Halloween.

 

We both agreed on watching the 5 movies of Whispering Corridors and we're now on the second.

 

"Je, let's just order pizza for lunch." Daehyun oppa suggests. Our parents were out for work and we're the only ones here at home.

 

"That's okay with me. I'll make the call." I crouched over the glass table where I placed my phone and as if on cue, my phone vibrated signaling I had received a text.

 

From: Unknown number

To: Jehyun

We need to talk.

 

Who could this be? Without hesitating, I still sent a reply for the message I received.

 

From: Jehyun

To: Unknown number

 

First of all, who are you? How'd you get my number?

 

After a few seconds, the person had replied.

 

From: Unknown number

To: Jehyun

 

This is Kyungjae. I asked your number from Minjung. I need to talk to you. Please.

 

I quickly put the number in my contacts, which I didn't know why I did it.

 

From: Jehyun

To: Kyungjae

 

There's nothing to talk about.

 

After a few seconds, he still sent a reply.

 

From: Kyungjae

To: Jehyun

 

Please. This would be the first and last favor I would ask from you. You need to hear me out. Pease. Meet me at the park.

 

Knowing Kyungjae, he won't stop until he gets what he wants. I sighed and stood up, I'll talk to him.

 

"Where are you going?" My brother asks; brows furrowed.

 

"I'll just take a walk."

 

"The movie is starting."

 

"It won't take long. I'll also just drop by the pizza place." I said standing up to go to my room and change.

 

After 5 minutes of changing into my house clothes, I was already done. I passed by the living room to say to my brother than I'm already leaving. He's already in the of the movie.

When I opened the door, I almost stepped at a bar of chocolates. I picked it up quickly so Daehyun oppa won't see. It was from Santa Claus or from so-called Santa Claus, which is which. As usual, there was a note stick to it.

 

The note:

 

Dear Jehyun,

 

11^th wish: Cookies n' Cream chocolates, here it is. Piece of advice, don't eat in front of your brother or you might get scolded and after you eat, drink lots and lots of water. Got it?

 

Eat well. Merry Christmas~

 

XOXO

Santa Claus

 

I folded the note enough to fit in my pocket. I opened the chocolate bar deciding I should just eat on the way to the park.

 

I am starting to think that Santa Claus is just a secret admirer pretending. How would Santa Claus know that my brother would get mad if I eat chocolates? Makes sense right? Either it is a real Santa Claus or just a secret admirer pretending to be one, I'm very thankful that they're making my wishes come true. Kekeke~

 

 

When I finished the bar of chocolates, that's when I arrived at the park. I quickly went to where the bench was figuring Kyungjae was there.

 

"Kyungjae." I call him; he was sitting on the bench with his head hung low. He looks to me and suddenly engulfs me in a tight hug.

 

"Mianhae Jehyun-ah." His voice was muffled and he seems to be crying. He burries his head on the crook of my neck and I flinch at his sudden action. I awkwardly broke the hug and ask him to sit down on the park bench.

 

He wipes his tears away before looking at me, his eyes swollen and puffy. This made my heart broke; I have never seen him like this ever.

 

"What is it you wanted to talk about?" I asked with my usual straight face.

 

"Sorry Jehyun-ah." He says to me staring deep in my eyes. "I'm sorry for breaking up with you."

 

I let out an inward laugh. "Come on, past is past. You didn't have to say sorry."

 

"Jehyun-ah, I still love you." He starts to cry again but instead of feeling pity, I felt anger because the painful memories starts flashing back inside my mind like some damn movie.

 

"Still love me? The last time I checked, you said that you don't love me anymore." I scoffed and was about to stand up but he grabs my hand and pulls me back down to sit again.

 

"Can you just hear me out?" he pleads. I just remained silent on my seat and looked away from him.

 

Now, I am going to tell you a story about my past. Are you excited?

 

Okay, so the reason Kyungjae and me broke up is because I saw him with another girl at a coffee shop and when the day when I tried to confront it about him that's when the day he broke up with me.

 

|Flashback|

 

I was walking along the streets of Seoul alone, I decided to buy myself a bubble tea. While I was walking, I passed by a café and there I saw Kyungjae with another girl. They looked so happy, smiling to each other. I felt my heart broke into a million of pieces because of the awful sight but I didn't jump into conclusions, what if it is just a cousin or a childhood friend right?

 

I was about to walk away but got stopped on my tracks when Kyungjae took the girl's hand and kissed it and it made my heart broke even more.

 

Suddenly, someone covered my eyes. From the texture of the hands, I knew it was Junhong oppa. I am really thankful for him for covering my eyes so I won't see the awful sight in front of me.

 

"Guess who~" an excited voice whispers in my ears.

 

"Junhong oppa." My reply came out to be in a sad tone. He removes his hand that was covering my eyes and he turns me around by the shoulder by kept my head hung low.

 

"Eh, aren't you happy to see me?" He asks. I just nod my head in disagreement.

 

"Are you okay?" He lifts my chin up and looks to me in the eyes with concern. "Are you crying?"

 

"Aniya. Just got dirt in my eye." I gave him a fake smile. "Come on and join me drink bubble tea." And then I start pulling him away.

 

The next day, I asked Kyungjae to meet me at our favorite ice cream shop.

 

"One vanilla ice cream please." I said to the cashier lady. It doesn't even take a minute before my order was already done.

 

"Here miss." The cashier lady hands me my order and I gave her the payment with a smile. I then find a seat and wait for Kyungjae.

 

I was halfway on my ice cream when Kyungjae arrived.

 

"Jagiya, sorry I'm late." He was about to lean in and give me a peck on the cheek but I turned my head away.

 

"Eh, are you mad?" He asks taking the seat opposite to me. He acts so innocent as if he doesn't done anything wrong. How can he do that? I'm hurting right here, can't you see it?

 

"Who was she?" I asked, looking sternly in his eyes.

 

His eyes get wide for a little second and then regain his natural composure. "What are you talking about?"

 

I slammed my hands on the table. "This is bull Kyungjae! Don't act so innocent like you haven't done anything wrong. I saw you yesterday with another girl at a café." I burst out in anger. All people in the shop were looking at us but I don't give a damn care.

 

"Jehyun, please calm down." He says calmly.

 

"Calm down?! You're telling me to calm down?! How can I calm down when I found out that the boy I love is betraying me with another girl?!" I shout at him like I wanted to break his eardrums. Tears that were threatening to fall a while ago already made its way out and they all flow freely down my cheeks.

 

"I can explain." He mumbles.

 

I breathed in and breathe out. I looked at him and sent him a glare. "Come on, tell me a ing damn explanation."

 

"I don't love you anymore." He says bluntly and walks away leaving me dumbfounded.

 

|End of Flashback|

 

I hear Kyungjae let out a sigh. "The girl you saw at the café was the girl my parents arranged me with. My parents wanted me to marry her but I refused. If you were wondering why I kissed her by the hand, it's because my parents were watching us at that time so I had to act lovey-dovey towards us."

 

"What a pathetic story Kyungjae." I said wittily. He continues like he didn't hear me say something.

 

"What I said that I don't love you, it was all lies. I still love you, even until now." He continues.

 

"Really? Then you could've just said the truth rather saying that harsh thing to me. Do you know how much it hurt me that I almost decided on ending my life?" I turned to look at him and he looks at me with a disbelief expression.

 

"I’m sorry. That time, I was still finding ways to cancel the arrangement off and if I said the truth to you and we still continue our relationship, what if I couldn't find a way to cancel the arrangement off? I didn't want you to get your hopes up. I didn't want you to get hurt. I didn't want to tie you down, to believe in false hopes. I just did what I thought was right." He laughs bitterly.

 

After hearing his explanation, I felt my heart melt if that's even possible. Now I felt guilty that I hated him because he broke up with me when he only did that because he wanted me to be free, to not get tied down and not believe in false hopes.

 

"Mianhae." I mumbled.

 

"It's okay. Maybe I could've just said the truth right?" He laughs bitterly again.

 

I nod my head. I was still not looking at him. "Then where is the girl?"

 

"Her parents decided to call the arrangement off."

 

I looked to him and smiled. "That's good."

 

"Yeah, so I wanted you to come here because I wanted to ask something from you." He replies. He was now smiling.

 

"What is it?"

 

"Can I still have another chance to make things right?" He asks full of sincerity in his eyes.

 

I was taken aback by his words, if he only asked me that question a little bit earlier then maybe he could've have a chance but right now my heart only beats for one person only and that's Junhong oppa.

 

"Kyungjae ----" He cuts me off by placing a finger on my lips.

 

"I know someone already holds your heart." He says frowning. He can read minds now? "But can I be selfish just for a sec?" He asks. He slowly closes his eyes and leans in and I involuntarily close my eyes as well. It takes a few seconds when I finally felt his warm lips on mine. His lips start to move on mine and I don't know why but mine moves as well with his. It felt like it was right but at the same time wrong.

 

I snap my eyes open when I felt Kyungjae's lips weren't on mine and the only thing I saw was Junhong oppa punching Kyungjae's right in the face. They were both on the snow-covered ground. Sounds of punches and hisses fills my ear and made me start to cry. My knees began to wobble because of the sight. What should I do?

 

When Kyungjae was about to return a punch to Junhong oppa, I quickly pulled Junhong oppa then I sprinted to Kyungjae who was laying flat on the snow-covered floor with blood on the corner of his lips and some bruises on his face.

 

"You okay?" I ask him worriedly. Sometimes I feel stupid in asking someone that he/she is okay when the answer is already evident in the eyes. Kyungjae just nods his head and his lips that bled.

 

I turned to look at Junhong oppa with a glare. "What's wrong with you?! Why'd you punch him?!" I shout at him. I don't know why I did that. It was the first time I got mad at him and the first time I shouted at him. What he did was wrong, I know he's mad at Kyungjae for hurting me but he didn't have to hurt him back. He didn't have to punch him.

 

"I was trying to protect you from him." He shouts back at me.

I heaved out a sigh and turned my attention back to Kyungjae and helped him to stand up. "Sorry but I don't need you to protect me. I'm old enough to know what I am doing. And besides, if there's someone who should be punching Kyungjae, it should be me because I'm the one whom he hurt and not you."

 

Junhong oppa's face was fuming with anger then he threw his skateboard at some distance and it made a loud thud making me jerk up. He looks at me with a mad expression. "Well, I'm sorry. I didn't know protecting and caring for you was a bad thing to do." He then walks out leaving me dumbfounded.

 

"Jehyun?" Kyungjae asks me with a worried expression.

 

"I'm fine. Let's get you to the hospital. We need to treat those." I said pointing to his bleeding lips and bruises.

 

 

I arrived back at home at 2pm, exhausted and hungry. Once I got in the house, my brother came to me with a worried expression.

 

"Where have you been? I've been sick worried. Why weren't you answering my calls nor replying on my messages." He bombarded me with questions.

 

I just kept my head hung low. "Sorry for making you worry oppa. My phone's battery got drained."

 

"Okay. Are you all right? Have you eaten?" He asks me questions again. He's becoming a question generator.

 

"I'm fine oppa. Can I just go to my room? I feel sleepy." He nods then I start to walk pass by him.

 

Once I got inside my room, I quickly went to my bed and fished my phone out of my pocket. The battery's phone wasn't actually drained. I started to type a message for Kyungjae.

 

~~~

To: Kyungjae

From: Jehyun

 

Hey~ You okay now?

~~~

To: Jehyun

From: Kyungjae

 

Never better :) Thanks for accompanying me at the hospital.

~~~

To: Kyungjae

From: Jehyun

 

No prob. Sorry again. By the way, I really appreciate it, you telling me the truth.

~~~

To: Jehyun

From: Kyungjae

 

You deserved to know it. But I guess, we can't be together again huh? You like someone already :(

~~~

To: Kyungjae

From: Jehyun

 

Just find another girl :) Keke~ There are plenty of them all over the world, more prettier than me.

~~~

To: Jehyun

From: Kyungjae

 

You're right, there are plenty of girls all over the world but it's only you that I want. <3

~~~

To: Kyungjae

From: Jehyun

 

Stop being so . Even if I can't be your girlfriend anymore, we can still be friends.

~~~

To: Jehyun

From: Kyungjae

 

Being friends with each other sounds nice. At least we still have connections. Anyways, the person you like is Junhong-ssi right?

~~~

To: Kyungjae

From: Jehyun

 

How'd you know?

~~~

To: Jehyun

From: Kyungjae

 

I just sort of figured it out. I think he likes you too. He was even jealous at me for kissing you a while ago.

~~~

To: Kyungjae

From: Jehyun

 

What makes you say that? It is so impossible. Him liking me? Him jealous? He only sees me as his little sister :(

~~~~

To: Jehyun

From: Kyungjae

 

Trust me. He likes you too. I can see it in the way he looks at you. He's jealous because he punched me :(

~~~

To: Kyungjae

From: Jehyun

 

He's just mad at you for hurting me back then, that's why he punched you. :P

~~~

To: Jehyun

From: Kyungjae

 

If he was just mad at me for hurting you then he could've just punched me already that day when he saw us about to kiss in front of Minjung's gate or maybe that day during Christmas party when he saw me with you. Don't be so naïve!

~~~

To: Kyungjae

From: Jehyun

 

Maybe he was just able to hold back his anger during those times. I am not naïve! I just don't want to assume and get false hopes. He doesn't like me. He isn't jealous and that's final!

~~~

To: Jehyun

From: Kyungjae

 

I'm also a boy Jehyun. I know how boys look like when they like someone. Don't bother to reply. I need to sleep. Bye!

~~~

 

After a few minutes of text messaging with each other, I put my phone on top of my bedside and shut my eyes close so I can think properly.

 

Could there be a possibility that Junhong oppa likes me back? Jehyun is such a conceited girl. Before you assume, try this crazy method called asking.