11

All eyes watched as the black door swung open and a man stepped out of the car. He was arrayed in a coat that was slightly more refined than of that those around him. And off he strode through the gates of the school, the sublime aura lingering about him. If this was in any typical dramas, he would have glistened into a ravishing smile and flickered into a couple of lustrous winks that would not cease to dazzle the audience. But this was slightly different, although the drama feel was still there. After all, real life is a drama.

The man greeted the people not with dazzling smiles or mischievous winks but with cold eyes and an impassive face. But it seemed like this cold person did make an impact to the people around him. The people gawked at his superiority and ogled at his appearance. But none made an attempt to approach him.

And this man, who had left the girls gasping for air as he passed and who had this much dominance was none other than Kim Myungsoo.

“Morning, birthday boy,” Sunggyu greeted with a wide smile plastered on his good looking face.

He was the first person to approach the ominous figure that had set foot onto the school grounds.

“Mornin’,” Myungsoo replied lazily, patting his friend’s shoulder.

Sunggyu was left baffled by his action. Of late, Myungsoo seemed to have been more responsive. And that thing he did just now was an example. For as long as he had known that guy, he had never reacted to anything before. He could even stake his life, betting that Myungsoo would not even bat an eyelid should he suddenly tell him that one of their classmates had died.

Yep. That was how severe his ‘unresponsive disorder’ was.

“So, you’re gonna stand there all day?”

Myungsoo turned at the immobilized Sunggyu. His voice brought him out of his trance.

Sunggyu stared at him in amazement.

“Woah, that was the longest sentence you ever said to me without having me to probe you to speak and it definitely was not out of necessity,” he said, a little too excitedly.

Myungsoo ignored him and continued to walk to class. It was not that Sunggyu liked babbling alone. In fact, he had enjoyed the new Myungsoo. But there was just something fishy about it, and he definitely did not like knowing that there was something he didnot know.

He respected Myungsoo’s privacy but there was just something too odd going around here and ignoring it was just impossible.

Sunggyu watched as the girls swarmed around him, finally making the bold move after he approached him. They offered their birthday presents, and some were brave enough to offer to treat him to lunch.

Sunggyu scrutinized the whole scene but realized that Myungsoo was as unconcerned as he used to be. He wholly ignored the countless gifts that they were showering him. Sunggyu frowned at this and decided to step in. He collected one by one from them.

“Yes… yes… I’ll pass it to him. Yes, I won’t take it…. Yeah I promise…. YAH! I CAN USE A LITTLE HELP HERE!” he shouted at Myungsoo’s back after assuring the girls.

To Sunggyu’s surprise, Myungsoo turned—he turned—and smirked. Then, he spun around and continued walking at a slower pace to wait for his friend. Sunggyu continued collecting the presents.

“Yes… I’ll wish him happy birthday for you… uhhuh.. yes..”

With the last of them collected –or so, he thought—, he sifted out of the crowd and ran to Myungsoo.

“You could’ve waited for me,” he muttered, feigning disappointment.

“I did.”

“Yeah you did, if the definition of waiting is walking away.”

“How many did you get?” Myungsoo asked, ignoring Sunggyu’s comment.

“Like, a lot,” Sunggyu said, “Hey, anyway, last night, I watched this show and the people actually eat grasshoppers…”

Myungsoo knew that. In some countries, grasshoppers were regarded with high proteins.  They were boiled, fried and flavored with spices like onions and garlic, drenched with lime and eaten as snacks. Delicious. Not wanting to waste his time listening to things he already knew, he did not pay attention to his friend. And someone distracted him.

His eyes focused as he saw Jiyeon approaching him. She did not smile and neither did she acknowledge him. Instead, she maintained a straight face. Seeing her actions, he did the same and did not meet her gaze.  She stepped aside so she could pass him and he could walk. She did not say hi and walked on as if they were strangers. He had to admit that he felt slightly disappointed and failed to conceal the dismay on his face.

But as she passed him, she was so close that he could smell her sweet scent; so close that their hands brushed. She took hold of his hand and pushed her fingers into his palm. That sent a thousand of electrical jolts through his veins. For a fraction of a second, he stood, frozen with disbelief. As she progressed, he let go of her hand and was forced to look back. He watched her back as she retreated. Her long hair swayed as she walked. And for the umpteenth time that month, he realized that she was beautiful. 

He looked down on his hand that had brushed Jiyeon’s and grasped it tighter trying to remember how it had felt to have her hands in his. She touched his hand. He let a ghost of a smile linger on his lips before turning his head around. Right then he realized the presence of an almost negligible weight settling comfortably in his balled fist. Opening it carefully, he saw a yellow post-it note, folded neatly in his hand.

Sunggyu stopped as soon as he realized that Myungsoo was not beside him. He turned around only to see his friend a few steps behind him, his head facing the back and his attention on something else further down the hallway.

“Myungsoo, are you—“

Then, he saw the girl: a glimpse of her back before she disappeared in the sea of people who were rushing to get to their own respective class made him stopped midsentence. Myungsoo was looking straight in her direction. Sunggyu was sure that it was Park Jiyeon.

Myungsoo’s gaze shifted to his right hand. There, Sunggyu noticed the yellow post-it note.

Sunggyu frowned. His head was raking for an explanation of some sort that could clarify what had just transpired a moment ago. Whatever secret that Myungsoo might have been hiding, involved Park Jiyeon. That much, he had figured out.

Upon their arrival in class, Sunggyu set the presents on the table. He looked at Myungsoo.

“Aren’t you curious of what I got you for your birthday present?”

“You got me one?” he asked, connecting their gazes.

“Well, isn’t that obvious?” he took out a rectangular shaped box wrapped in a pink paper, “You like pink, don’t you?”

He said in mockery as he passed it to him. Myungsoo took the box.

“Black. I like black,” he accepted the present and began unwrapping it.

Sunggyu snatched it back from him.

“Don’t you have any manners? You’re not supposed to open the present in front of the person who gave it to you. That’s rude. If you want to, you have to ask for permission,” Sunggyu passed the present to him to try it again.

“So, can I open it?” he asked.

“Yes, you can.”

Myungsoo began tearing off the wrapping paper to reveal a black box.

“I knew black is your lifelong obsession,” Sunggyu commented.

Myungsoo opened the box. Inside it was a boundless supply of pens.

“Pens?”

“Seriously, you should stock up your pens. All the inks are running out.”

“Ok.”

Myungsoo was giving short, croppy answers. He did not even show some gratitude. Someday, Sunggyu thought that he would have to teach this guy some social skills.

“Hey, I got another present for you,” Sunggyu said.

He took out two red plastic bags and said, “Thought you might need them.”

He motioned to the presents.

“You can take them,” Myungsoo did not look at the presents before transferring them to his friend’s possession.

“But I promised—“

It was then that he realized that Myungsoo was back to doing his own business and ignoring him completely. He sighed and shoved the presents into the bag.

When no one was looking, Myungsoo pulled out the yellow post-it note from the right pocket of his pants. It had intrigued him so much and finally being able to know its content had lifted a huge weight from his chest. He unfolded it and scanned it. A faint smile landed on his lips.

Meet me at the usual place after school.

Jiyeon

----------

The streets of Seoul were invaded with a variety of sounds. The cries of street vendors beckoning customers to come, the chatters of middle aged housewives taking an afternoon walk and the cooing and laughter of youngsters flooded Myungsoo’s ears. He and Jiyeon were walking side by side, still in their school uniform. Myungsoo had no clue of where they were heading and Jiyeon was no help at all. Despite asking countless times, all he got for an answer was a secretive smile.  

He looked at Jiyeon. She was enthusiastic as always. Feeling his stare, Jiyeon turned to him. And laughed. All her life, she had never met someone so persistent when curious. The way his eyebrows arched and how his lips frowned was so amusing to see.

Myungsoo tore his gaze from her and continued thinking of the possibilities of where they were going. He was dissatisfied that he did not know of her plans. Then, amidst the sounds of the crowd, Jiyeon’s stomach growled.

Myungsoo’s lips curled into a suppressed smile. Then, he chortled. Jiyeon felt her cheeks burn. She was sure that her face was glowing with the color red and that made her blush even harder. She let her hair conceal her cheeks. Jiyeon felt Myungsoo’s fingers lace around her wrist and she looked up, shocked.  He then pulled her to follow him.

She must have shot him an inquisitive look, because he replied with a secretive smile. Okay, she was 99.7% sure that this was some sort of revenge for her elusive answers just now. Myungsoo’s grazed the surroundings. Spotting the nearest street vendor, he went towards it, dragging the clueless Jiyeon behind him.

“Give me one of your… uhh… whatever you sell,” he said to the middle aged woman with the short, curly hair.

He had strode to the stall with confidence but lost his words as soon as his voice escape his lips. How could he not know what he was about to buy. He should have stopped and observe what the woman was selling before blurting out nonsense.

“You want ddeokbokki?” the woman asked.

“Uhh, yeah.”

Jiyeon looked at him weirdly.

“What? Do you think I never did this before?” he retorted.

The truth was that he had never done this before. He had walked through these streets a few times but buying these things was Sunggyu’s job. Why was he so ignorant before?

“That’ll be 3000 won,” the woman announced after scooping up the reddish substance into a container and putting it into a plastic bag.

That cheap? Myungsoo thought as he took out the note from him wallet. He accepted the plastic bag from the woman and handed her the money. After collecting his change, they continued venturing into the street again.

There was only one skewer. Myungsoo held the container as Jiyeon devoured the ddeokbokki. It was only half a minute since they bought that thing but half of the contents had disappeared.

“Yah, don’t finish it,” Myungsoo said, alarmed.

Was this girl a monster?

Jiyeon shrugged, took one more and buried it in .

“My turn,” Myungsoo said quickly.

He had to take that wooden thing away from her or this thing will be finished in a second. His left hand which was not holding the container swung up to snatch the skewer away from her but she dodged immediately. This girl had fast reflexes.

“Yah, give it to me.”

Jiyeon shook her head and stole another from the container. She presented him a mischievous grin. Myungsoo’s hand jerked forward to seize the thing from her hand but Jiyeon lifted the thing above her head with remarkable agility.

Height was no problem for the man: a good head taller than Jiyeon (not really) and could easily reach the skewer she was holding. This realization finally knocked into Jiyeon’s mind and she quickly tried to swing it away from his reach but it was too late. The skewer was safe in Myungsoo’s grasp.

“I got it.” Myungsoo smirked and began picking the food before embedding it in his mouth. He stole a few more bites before Jiyeon began to provoke his peace. She kept reaching for the wooden stick but he swiftly avoided her prying hands. Prying hands?

He took another one and chewed on it, teasing Jiyeon of what he had and what she could not. He showed her as he savored the delicious flavors and his lips formed an evil smile.

This man, Jiyeon thought as she bit her lower lip in bitter annoyance. Oh, the tantalizing flavors of the food. The moment Myungsoo gained dominance over the skewer; the food had been vanishing at an alarming rate. She could let this go on.

She reached for it again but as usual, Myungsoo prevented from doing so and hid the stick behind his back. Without thinking, her hand slithered across his back to find the hidden ‘treasure’. Her forehead was already rested on his shoulder as her hands fumbled behind him. While she was busy searching for the skewer, Myungsoo calmly swung his hand up. His hand went around Jiyeon’s head and in no time, he managed to swipe another piece from the container in his left hand and triumphantly gobbled it up while having a smile plastered on his face.

Seeing this, Jiyeon broke away to snatch the stick from him but as usual, Myungsoo managed to prevent her and once again hid the stick behind his back. This time, Jiyeon went straight behind him to get the stick. But Myungsoo only saw this as an opportunity to eat some more. While Jiyeon was behind him, he managed to gobble a few pieces.

Jiyeon stood in front of the man, panting in frustration. There was only one piece left and she had not been successful in getting the stick away from him. The pointed end of the stick had already touched and made its way through the last piece. Myungsoo raised it towards his lips.

Acting quickly, Jiyeon clutched his arm and stopped the food from travelling any further. Then, she pulled his arm away from his mouth in hope that she could bring the food back to the container. This caused the food that was hanging precariously on the stick to rock violently.

“Whoa, whoa, Jiyeon. Don’t pull.”

Don’t pull and what? Let you eat it? Never going to happen. Jiyeon continued pulling.

“Jiyeon don’t! It’ll fall.” Myungsoo brought her back to her senses and she stopped. She breathed sharply.

Myungsoo laughed at her sullen look and Jiyeon shot him a sharp glare.

“Here. Aaah…” Myungsoo extended his arm and raised the food towards . His mouth was slightly opened, signaling her to do the same.

Jiyeon was startled.

“Come on,” he urged.

Slowly, Jiyeon opened and let Myungsoo feed her. After it was carefully inlaid in , Myungsoo pulled the skewer out. He was wearing a gentle expression that shoved away all the frustration and unfurled the warm, fuzzy feeling in her. Her lips formed a crook and she started chewing the food that suddenly tasted more delicious.

Jiyeon yanked Myungsoo’s hand as she spotted a vendor that was selling accessories. The shop was brightened by the colorful key chains that came in a variety of shapes and color. Jiyeon did not even glance that the key chains section and went to examine the phone chains cursorily. She picked the ice cream chain that had intrigued her but there was a slight scratch on the object. She inspected the others of the same kind of shape but lost interest in them immediately. She looked at the red heart shaped pendant but it was too ordinary. She wanted something that was distinguished.

Then, something swiped her attention. It was a four leaf clover, colored in flaming orange and outlined with a black border. It was made out of metal and looked like a flower at first glance. She checked if there were other versions of the chain but there was only one left. She took it and gave it to the person in charge to purchase it.

Myungsoo watched as Jiyeon took the plastic bag from the staff. He didn’t know what was in there or how much it cost. After taking the bag, she continued dragging him into the street. After a silence, she gave the plastic to him.

“For me?”

Jiyeon nodded. Myungsoo took it from her. Forgetting what Sunggyu had taught him about manners earlier that day, he opened the bag. The tangerine flower revealed itself, its color flaming with brilliance. Despite appearing feminine, he had to admit it was kind of pretty.

“A flower?”

Jiyeon shook her head and Myungsoo observed the object. It was not a flower after all.

“A four leaf clover,” Myungsoo breathed.

Jiyeon nodded, smiling. There was only one left. You’re one in a million.

-------

“So you got me a four leaf clover which looks like a flower for my birthday. How… pleasant.”

Myungsoo commented trying his hardest to put it in the nicest way possible. He was used to expensive gifts; someone--he forgot who-- gave him a limited edition watch that cost thousands of dollars for his last birthday. He pushed the plastic bag containing the present that Jiyeon had gotten him into the depth of his pocket.

The sun was beginning to say goodbye to the world and night was welcoming itself. The sky was bathed in a warm, pinkish orange glow. Jiyeon sighed exasperatedly. That was not the only thing she was planning to give him. She pulled him towards a building. The security was familiar with her so they let her enter. She went through the double doors.

Dimness covered them. But from the outline of the things in the room, he could see that this was a concert hall. When Jiyeon lost her voice, her psychologist suggested that she pick up a hobby where she could express herself. She chose the piano and joined the music club where activities were held with music. Since then, she was granted access to this concert hall which was owned by the club.

“Jiyeon!!” A girl’s voice boomed across the hall and a figure came running towards her. She pulled Jiyeon into a rough hug. They both looked pleased to see each other.

“It’d been a long time. Where were you?” she said. Her tone had a slight accent and her hands gestured some sign language as she talked. Jiyeon replied through her hands and she laughed: a twinkling sound. Her eyes strayed to Myungsoo.

“Oh? Who do we have here?”

Jiyeon explained to her and she looked at Myungsoo, smiling.

“I’m Eunjung. Jiyeon’s friend,” she introduced herself and extended her hand.

He tentatively brought his hands up.  

“Myungsoo.” He took her hand and shook it. “Jiyeon’s,” he looked at Jiyeon briefly, thinking who was she to him before continuing his sentence. “….friend.”

“I’m deaf and I play the violin. Awesome, huh?” she began explaining about herself.

“You’re deaf? How do you hear the sound of the violin?” Myungsoo asked, slightly baffled.

“I don’t. I feel the vibrations on my shoulder. It’s hard sometimes but the feeling is beautiful.”

A smile hung at the corner of her lips as she said the last sentence. Her eyes were distant as if embracing the whole feeling again, right then. Myungsoo nodded, awed.

“Then, how do you know what I am saying?” He asked again.

“I read lips. If I can’t see your lips, I won’t know.” She said matter-of-factly.

Jiyeon tapped Eunjung’s shoulder and explained something to her in sign language. Eunjung nodded and smiled.

“Got it! Bye!” she waved and disappeared into the shadows.

Half a minute later, the stage was lit up and a black grand piano was exposed. Jiyeon pushed Myungsoo down to sit on one of the auditorium’s chairs and she went up the stage.  Jiyeon sat on the stool.

She started with a simple ‘Happy Birthday’ song. When the song was almost finished, she faced Myungsoo and laughed. Myungsoo laughed along too, not knowing what the funny thing was. When the song was finished, Jiyeon continued playing with the same tone but improvising some things here and there. The beat was getting faster and Jiyeon’s fingers rolled up and down the keys.

The room resonated with the sound that was flooded with emotions. There was laughter in the song and it bounced off his ears and he obliviously formed a smile. As the song roared and crooned, Myungsoo realized that it was more than a song that Jiyeon was giving him. Jiyeon was giving him her trust: that she had believed him completely.

Myungsoo found his mind singing along with the melody and wondered how Jiyeon could make the dull ‘Happy Birthday’ song sound so rich and beautiful. Not wanting to be left out anymore, Myungsoo got up and joined her on stage.

As usual, he played the upper keys, adding playfulness into the song. Jiyeon intensified the song with endless depth. Their hearts sung with each other, their silent voices raising high with their emotions. A warm aura swelled around them.

Soon, both of them were bounded by a promise that only their souls perceived. The promise of trust that both of them had vowed. This promise was neither unreal nor fleeting; it would mark its existence forever.

-----------

Jiyeon handed him a box when they both reached her gate. The box was no bigger than his palm and was in a dark color; as dark as the sky that night. Some white pattern that represented light was painted on the box, as if the designer refused to let darkness dominate the external surface.

Myungsoo had offered to send Jiyeon back home after their performance. They walked in thoughtful silence throughout their journey, letting the gentle breeze carry them away. When they were nearing her house, Myungsoo suddenly felt heavy, as if not wanting to let her go.

Myungsoo took the box absent mindedly.

“See you,” he breathed lightly.

Jiyeon managed a faint smile before going in. He swore he saw dismay in her eyes and reluctance in her steps. She waved at him before slipping through the opened door. Myungsoo sighed and dragged himself away from her house. He looked at the night sky. The moon was hidden behind the clouds and only one star was seen, blinking desperately against the darkness.

He took out his phone and called his chauffeur. After a few rings, someone picked up.

“Pick me up.”

There was a rustle on the other line before the man answered, “Where?”

Myungsoo read the nearest signboard and the man replied in comprehension. He ended the call.

After a few minutes, a sleek, black car was spotted. The chauffeur opened the door for him and he slipped in. Throughout the journey, he looked out of the window, his mind elsewhere. Upon reaching his house, Myungsoo walked straight into his room and sagged onto his bed. Then, he looked at the box Jiyeon gave him. Slowly, he opened the lid.

It was empty.

He realized that the box came with a card and he unfolded it. His forehead creased as he scanned what was written.

Myungsoo,

Happy birthday. I hope that in the future, when you look back to this day, you will remember this present and treasure it.

He fumbled with the little box. He studied it thoroughly for any hidden compartment that might have been concealing his birthday present. Myungsoo let out an exasperated sigh.

No, it was definitely empty.

---------

Sunggyu came to him running the next day. The class was boisterous without a teacher in charge. Myungsoo ignored the noise and continued playing the game on his phone. When Sunggyu came, he looked up.

“Myung… Myungsoo… Did you know—“

Sunggyu’s eyes strayed to his phone and noticed the chain attached to it.

“Is that a flower?” Sunggyu asked, laughter his voice.

“A four leaf clover.” Myungsoo corrected, “So what did you have to say?”

Sunggyu snapped up.

“Oh. Did you know that Park Jiyeon is mute?”

Myungsoo froze. His breath stopped. No one knew that the girl was mute except for him and the teachers.

“How did you know?” He asked in disbelief.

“What do you mean how do I know? The whole school knows.”

---------

A/N:

A really really long chapter. Hahah. I hope I don't strain your eyes D: I hereby congratulate those who managed to read the whole thing without taking a break. *applause* Anyways, I decided to show Myungsoo's playful side in this chappie. And guess what's in the box? HAHAH NOT GONNA TELL YOU. until it is time to tell.

I changed the main poster :D

Thanks for your comments, I absolutely LOVE reading them, though I don't reply all of them, I read and absolutely appreciate each and every one of them. :) 

So do stick with me till the end of the story. The big drama ain't that far away now...

-Faith