“Guys, I have something to say…I’m moving to Australia with my dad this Sunday since he got a job offer over there.”

The announcement you made that day still haunted Jonghyun’s mind as he laid on his bed. He was taken aback by your words since you didn’t tell him beforehand like you always did. He was your closest friend after all. The news crushed him. He was always looking for the right moment to confess his feelings for you but never had the chance. He swore he was ready to confess within the month, he had promised himself he would and now his chances were ruined. Now that you were leaving, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“It would be selfish of me to confess now,” he thought while sighing in frustration. He had the slight suspicion you liked him as well. Regret was eating him alive when he started thinking of all the opportunities he let pass by without doing nothing about his feelings. He looked at the clock; it was only four in the afternoon. He then decided it was time to return the neighbor’s manga.

“Oh, Jonghyun, what’s up?” you greeted him when you opened the door, heartbeat increasing by the minute.

He needed a moment to process your figure in an apron and your hair in the messy bun he so loved. “H-here,” he handed you the manga and made his way inside your house. You giggled. You knew perfectly the manga wasn’t yours, but you didn’t dare question it. You missed him a lot and the last thing you wanted was to make him go away. He’s been locked up in his house ever since you said you were moving, so seeing his bright side again made you giddy.

It’s been a while since Jonghyun has been in your house and you liked how it felt to be in his company again. You grabbed his hand smiling at him and led him to your room. There, you both talked for countless hours reminiscing the old times together. If you were to miss one of your friends more than anyone, it was surely gonna be Jonghyun. 

You felt him sigh and immediately your smile disappeared. “What’s wrong?” You asked worried. This wasn’t like him. He was always making jokes and teasing you non-stop. You wanted to see thatJonghyun.

“There aren’t enough hours in a day, that’s what’s wrong.” He looked at you with a genuine smile on his face. It made him look like a child. Confused, you glanced outside the window and it was dark already. Your heart clenched, it only meant less time with him. 

The day of the “goodbye-party” Jonghyun was nowhere to be found. All your friends where there to celebrate with you, except him. Celebrate, because you’re father “would often get home sick” and he didn’t want to go through the pain of getting used to a different country. Because he loved you so, you knew he was lying. He was doing it all for you. You couldn’t help feeling a bit guilty and selfish but the truth was you were so happy. You thought you were being a selfish daughter but what mattered most was telling Jonghyun. 

You went outside your house and glanced at your neighbor’s. The light in his room was on and your heart skipped a beat. You took a minute to calm down and when you were about to walk over, Jonghyun was coming out of his house closing the door behind him. He was dressed in a casual handsome manner. “Like always,” you thought ordering your heart to stop the one-man party in your chest.

“Jonghyun!” You called him in a playful tone making him jump. He had a small box in his hand, which he immediately shoved in his pocket to hide it from you.
“Oh! What is the star of the party doing in front of my house?” He laughed nervously.
“You know, just taking some fresh air now that the house feels stuffy agai—” you stopped talking when you noticed the sad look in his eyes. You chuckled with excitement and that made him scoff. He probably thought you were taking his feelings for granted. “Come, let’s go for a walk,” you said and he followed. You walked together in silence not really thinking where you were heading and last thing you knew, you ended up at a park near your house.

“I have something for you!” he broke the silence and took out the little box from his pocket and handing it to you. Curious, you opened it to reveal a silver ring. “I know this might sound stupid but… promise you won’t forget about me,” he grinned making his eyes look smaller. You then took your necklace off and placed it through the ring. Satisfied, you put it back on so that it would dangle proudly for everyone to see.

You felt like you were going to explode if you didn’t tell him the news any minute soon. “I’ll see you every day so that’s gonna be impossible,” you laughed. You loved his confused expression. He looked like a puppy with his head tilted to the side. “I’m not going anywhere. Jonghyun. We’re staying here.” Next thing you knew, his arms embraced your body and he spun you around. His often “yes” was all that could be heard along with your laughter and his. Once your feet touched the ground he hugged you tightly.

“I like you,” he blurted. He let go of you, only to face you. “I really, really like you,” he smiled. You swore you could see him blushing. “I was so afraid of saying it because you might not feel the same but the fear of not being able to see you again was just unbearable. So there, I said it!” He chuckled. You could tell he was nervous and yet there he was grinning at you.

“Can I confess something too?” Jonghyun only nodded at your request. “Your smile is best, most warm smile I’ve ever seen and I love it,” you blushed.

“Well my dear neighbor,” he pulled you in a warm hug, “this smile only exists when I’m with you,” he whispered and kissed your forehead.

-joejoeelfish