“So Miiiin! Let’s go!” Hyun Joong called loudly in the corridors. He was catching his breath after all the running from the canteen.

“Oh! Okay.” So Min smiled at him and gently reached for her backpack. She slowly placed it in her back and walk into Hyun Joong’s direction. He placed his hand around her. She smiled when she felt it; she can feel his warmness like before. That gesture doesn’t mean she’s mine, but because she is his best buddy.

-FLASHBACK-

So Min was having her usual nap at the rooftop during that day’s lunch break. Hyun Joong was running to the rooftop so he didn’t notice the sleeping So Min and accidentally kicked her. They were classmates but not close enough to exchange glances.

“Aww! What the hell?!” She screamed in pain.

“Oww! Sorry! Sorry!” He said while helping her to stand up.

“Don’t touch me you E!” she shouted and threw a strong punch in his face. He was caught in surprise and his lip was cut, he felt the blood from it.

“Tsk. What a violent girl you are!” He said while touching his lips.

“You were the first one to disturb me here! What are you doing here?” She asked innocently as she fixed her uniform.

“None of your business lazy, violent, fool girl. How could you sleep in here?” He asked while looking around.

“Hyun Joong! So Min!” The student council president called them. “You exactly know that students are not allowed in here. Whoever tries will be punished.” He told them.

Later that afternoon, they’ve been put to detention. Their punishment is to clean the gymnasium, sparkling clean. They were both mopping the floor for so long but they’ve just cleaned ¼ of it. Hyun Joong got pissed so he kicked the pail; the water was all over the floor again.

“Hey you e! You messed it again! STUPID!” She shouted at him.

“I’ll kick Gino out of his when I see him.” He exclaimed as he sat.

“Here you go.” So Min handed him her handkerchief. He took it and wiped his sweat in the forehead. “Stupid! Wipe off your blood in your cut. I can’t stand the sight of blood.”

“Thank you!” He said and wiped off the blood.

“What have you been doing with Gino?” She asked as she sat opposite of him.

“He’s so mad about Celine and I being friends in Facebook. I already told him that I don’t have a thing with Celine.”

“Oh I see. Girls again. You’ve been dealing with a lot of them recently.” Hyun Joong looked at her curious of what she is pointing out. “The classroom is in a mess because of it.” She said and glared at him. She stood up and reached for the mop. “Don’t be lazy, let’s finish this up!”

He sighed after she finishes. He thought So Min is just another stalker of his. He was staring at her for a moment, he was dumbfounded. He cursed himself for not noticing in the past few years. So Min poked his forehead using the mop to gain his consciousness back.

“You’re really violent!” Her eyebrow raised 60 degrees and he immediately got his mop and run far from her. “Don’t be lazy or else we won’t go home.” He smiled at her.

That was the beginning of everything. Their friendship started from there. Two not so closed classmates became the best buds, more than friends, less than lovers. Both are very comfortable at their life, they would usually go home together as they live in the same area. They were partners in everything from assignments, projects, activities and in craziness.

-End of Flashback-

Now on their last few days in school before graduation, just like any other girls So Min is being nostalgic about leaving her school; the place where she felt all the happiness and loneliness of being a high school student.

After parting with So Min, Hyun Joong stayed in a bar to think and kill time. He sat on the counter and ordered a bottle of beer. His feeling was bothering him for the past few days. He is so broke and lost at nights, especially after parting with So Min. Appearing happily and cool at day time is a proof that he can be good actor. His sweet smile is full of pain at the end of it. Images and memories of his best bud is nailed in his mind and its haunting him especially while watching her walk home alone. It was killing him, remembering that she will fly abroad to study and he won’t. It will be sadness and brokenness after her departure; he’s so sure of it. He may live for the past 16 years of his life without her but the last two years with her is a memory to be treasured and remembered for the rest of his life. She made a big impact in his life, too much to ignore and too painful to live without her.

He already gulped two bottles of beer, when a girl stood in his side and introduced herself. She danced flirty trying to seduce him. He just smiled and looked at her with the image of So Min.

“I Love You.” She whispered into his ears and started to play with it. The I Love You got into his nerves, the stimuli slowly crawled into the neurons and it took some time before the receptors produced its conclusion. He stood up and passed the girl after realizing it was not So Min. He walked outside and stood there blankly thinking of what to do next. His feet started to walk without direction until he stopped on a book store, he saw a book. It was the book So Min was reading the same night. Just looking at the title he was tempted to buy it.

He was on his bed while reading it, the sweetness from the main characters made him close the book. After flipping at the last page, the last sentence made him smile. “This will be it.” He said with excitement.

So Min finished the book at almost 2:00 o’clock in the morning. She put the lights off in her room and smiled to herself. “This will be the first and last resort, if it won’t work then I’ll accept it wholeheartedly. At least I did my best, no more regrets. I can surely move on.”

So Min was busy fixing her hair when her mother entered her room. Her mom helped her to fix her hair. She hugged her mother tight and a tear fell from her eyes.

“Don’t cry my baby. You won’t look good on your graduation picture. Stop it.” Her mother wiped her tears. “You’ll be able to meet a lot of friends in California baby. If you’re plan won’t work just think that your prince is waiting for your smile in California. Okay?” She nodded.

“I’ll still do this Mom.” She said with a smile.

Their graduation lasted for about one and a half hour. Everyone bid their goodbyes to everyone. Pictures, smiles, farewells, and tears are everywhere. Everyone was shocked when the best buds So Min and Hyun Joong ignored each other.

‘What the hell is he thinking?’ She thought.

‘What the hell is she thinking?’ He thought.

Unknown to both of them they were thinking of the same thing, they both frowned as they pass each other. So Min entered their family car with that face.

“What’s wrong my baby?”

“None mom.”

“As you say my baby.”

So Min placed a letter in Hyun Joong’s locker.

Hyun Joong, if you are interested and if you can still remember meet me at the place where we first exchanged words. This will be the first and last shot, if you won’t come I understand. Don’t worry I won’t be hurt, I know where to place myself. Take care.

So Min

It was already 8 in the evening; So Min was still sitting in the park’s swing. It was cold but she didn’t mind it, for the last two hours she was just sitting there waiting for Hyun Joong. She was very confident that he will see the letter, because he told her that after graduation he will vandal his name at his locker, when she put the  letter she didn’t saw any vandal.

She promised to herself if he won’t appear before 9, she’ll just leave and her feelings for him will be kept as secret for a lifetime, where they first talked to as a child playmate.

Hyun Joong was at the bus stop with the flowers he personally arranged and picked at the flower shop. It was already 8:40 when he checked his watch, he also checked if his message for her was sent, and it was.

“That So Min! I told her to meet at 8:00 o’clock. She’s 40 minutes late!” He said in frustration. He started at his watch for a whole minute and he called her.

-------

So Min was awakening suddenly by a vibration she felt.

-------

“Why are you not answering?” He asked on the other line. “Finally! So Min---”

“Hyun Joong this is her sister. She forgot to bring her phone.”

“Where did she go?”

“Aren’t you---” Hyun Joong’s phone ran out of battery. He cursed it and put it in his pocket.

-------

So Min found the air making the vibration into the swing. She looked at her watch and found his time left is just 10 minutes. “These 10 minutes will tell it all.” She said after a deep breath.

Hyun Joong remembered the song So Min always sings, her favorite English song indeed. After walking for a while wondering where she could bee, he found himself singing…

Going Back to the corner where I first saw you
Gonna camp in my sleeping bag I'm not gonna move
Got some words on cardboard, got your picture in my hand

…(She always stop there and jump on the chorus.)…..

cause If one day you wake up and find that you're missing me
And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I could be
Thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet
And you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street
So I'm not moving, I'm not moving,
I'm not moving, I'm not moving

He stopped when he remembered that he first met her in the park. He decided to go there.

While staring at the watch So Min found herself singing Avril Lavigne’s My Happy Ending and tears flowed from her eyes.

(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
So much for my happy ending
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
So much for my happy ending
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

------(She jumped to the chorus.)------

You were all the things I thought I knew
And I thought we could be

You were everything, everything
That I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be
But we lost it

All of our memories so close to me…

“It won’t fade away. Don’t sing the best breakup song ever again. I won’t let you.” Hyun Joong cut her, appearing right in front of herface and handling her flowers.

“Your time is almost up.” She looked at him.

“Whatever! I LOVE YOU SO MIN!” Hyun Joong said.

“Is that for real?!” She asked, Hyun Joong just nodded and hugged her.

“Next time bring your phone with you. So Min I love you. I can’t answer the 3w and 1 h question, I just felt sad and broke knowing that you will leave me.”

“I love you too. I didn’t know that you will come and bring me flowers that’s why you’re late. I’m almost leaving.”

“What are you talking about? Don’t tell me you are on your destiny tricks again.” So Min just nodded. “I love you so much that unknowingly I found you even though you’re playing childish games.” Hyun Joong scolded So Min with a smile while in his arms.

They were in each other’s arm while talking about their craziness. Finally they were on each other’s arms not because they are just mere friends but friends and lovers.