He sat down when he reached his favorite tree. A girl followed him and gave a sigh. She sat next to him and whined because she didn’t understand why he would always take her here.

“Myung, why do you we keep coming here?” asked the girl.

“Because I love this place, isn’t that an easy explanation?” he stated as he patted the girl’s head.

She gave a smile and took out her sketchbook. She drew Myungsoo and his favorite tree. He turned his head toward the girl and smiled. He then felt sad as he decided to reveal the truth

“Eun, I have to tell you something,” said Myungsoo.

“What is it?” asked Naeun as she closed her sketchbook.

He glanced at her and gave a sigh because he was leaving his special girl to go to an art academy. He took out a heart shaped locket and placed it around her.

“Myung, what is this? Yah! You should give this to your future girlfriend,” protested Naeun.

“Aniyo, it’s for you. I’m sorry that I couldn’t buy the key. I bought it with my allowance,” stated Myungsoo as he rubbed the back of his head.

He still wanted to tell her that he was leaving soon but he couldn’t. Naeun admired the locket and realized the lock of the locket looked similar to her necklace. She took it out and placed it on the locket. The key fitted perfectly onto the locket and it opened to a small lovely tune. She hummed the tune while looking back at Myungsoo. Myungsoo widened his eyes because he didn’t know that Naeun’s key could open the locket.

“Where did you get that?” asked Myungsoo.

“I had this since I was five, Myung. Where have you been?” laughed Naeun as she knocked his head, gently.

Myungsoo laughed and ruffled her hair while saying that he was kidding. Naeun rolled her eyes and smiled at Myungsoo. She then took out the key and placed it around Myungsoo.

“What are you doing? I can’t. . .” said Myungsoo as he tried to take off the key.

“Keep it. You gave me the locket so I’m insisting that you should keep the key for me.”

“Why?” asked Myungsoo.

Naeun bit her lip as she looked at the ground. It turned out that Naeun also had to leave him. She inhaled and then exhaled before she looked at Myungsoo.

“I’m leaving for Japan,” she stated.

****

Myungsoo woke up from his nap and saw his girlfriend sitting beside him. He looked at her and saw that she was reading a book. She turned to Myungsoo and saw him clutching his key necklace. She didn’t understand why he kept that thing and why they would stay this particular tree. It was a beautiful view but she didn’t like the outdoors that much.

“Myungsoo, what happened?” asked his girlfriend.

“Nothing. It was nothing, Suzy. Just go back to reading your book,” said Myung as he sat up.

She nodded and opened her book once again. Myungsoo sat next to Suzy and looked at the book she was reading. His heart ached once again because it was the same book that Naeun loved to read. He sighed sadly as he pecked Suzy’s cheek to make it seem like he was fine. The only reason he dated Suzy was because he wanted to forget about Naeun. He remembered Naeun’s sudden surprise that she was leaving for Japan. It was the last that they saw each other. He thought Naeun was joking until he saw her empty house across the street.

Suzy looked at Myungsoo and saw that he wasn’t himself. She didn’t want to ask him because she knew it would an answer that might hurt her. She heard the bell ring and she stood up immediately.

“Myungsoo, study hall is over. We need to get to 2^nd period,” said Suzy.

Myungsoo nodded as he followed his girlfriend into the school.

****

At class, Myungsoo looked at the window and gave a sigh. He listened to the teacher take attendance. He glanced at Suzy and saw her paying attention to the teacher. He decided not to listen to class today. But before the class stated, the teacher had stated that there was a new transfer student from Japan. He rolled his eyes and started to doodle on his paper.

“Hello, I’m Son Naeun,” stated the girl.

He stopped doodling and looked at the girl in front of the classroom. He studied her features and something had caught his eye. It was the necklace she wore around her neck. Suzy glanced at her boyfriend and saw that he was staring at the new student. She didn’t understand why he was staring at her with a bewildered look in his face. She started to feel jealous. Poor Naeun, she didn’t understand what she had gotten into. She sat next to Myungsoo because the teacher had placed her there. Naeun and Myungsoo exchanged looks and then looked away from each other.

Myungsoo started to feel suffocated because he wanted to forget about Naeun. Seeing her made him remember all the memories had with her. Naeun, in the other hand, didn’t know who he was. She didn’t really remember her childhood. All she remembered was a boy named Myung and how she had given him her key necklace.

When class ended, Naeun saw that Myungsoo had bolted out of the room. She tilted her head to the side because he had left a key and chain on his desk. She studied the key and chain and saw how old it was. She took the key necklace and placed it into her pocket as she walked out of the classroom. The problem was that she never returned it back to Myungsoo because she had forgotten about it.

****

Myungsoo looked for his key necklace everywhere. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t find it. He had searched for it for days and there was no sign of it. Angered by Myungsoo’s actions, Suzy slapped Myungsoo because of his obsession.

“Who do you love more? The key or your own girlfriend? Ever since that transfer student came, you became a mess. What happened to you? I want my own boyfriend back again!” yelled Suzy as she started to cry.

“I’m sorry Suzy but I love the key. That key belonged to my first love and we both promised that we would love each other until we found each other again,” said Myungsoo as he turned away from her.

Suzy wasn’t surprised by Myungsoo’s statement. She knew that key was more important than her. She just didn’t want to admit it. When Myungsoo turned away from her, she stated something that hurt Myungsoo more.

“You promised that? Well, you already had broken your promise to her didn’t you? I mean, you decided to date me. I can’t believe you, Myungsoo. I thought you were a caring person but it turned out that you were only heartless and selfish,” stated Suzy as she finally had left him.

Myungsoo held onto his heart as he broke into tears. He walked toward to his favorite tree in a sullen manner. When he arrived at the tree, he saw the transfer student sleeping with her sketchbook. The sketchbook was opened to a page dated back when he was only ten. He glanced at the picture and saw it was him.

“Naeun. . .I’m sorry,” he whispered as tears fell down his face.

He was a horrible person because he didn’t wait for her like she had waited for him. All these years, he felt betrayed that she had left him. It was because of her that he decided not to go to his favorite art school. It was because of her that he dated Suzy. He just wanted to forget about her but he couldn’t. He dreamt about her. He couldn’t believe that she came back, seeing her again was a living nightmare. He was the one who broke their promise but the worst part was that Naeun didn’t remember him.  Maybe it was his punishment for betraying her? It was his fault that he wanted to forget about her.

Naeun felt tears falling onto her cheeks. She opened her eyes slowly and saw a dark figure blocking the sun. Her vision started to get clearer and realized it was Myungsoo. She was confused on why he was crying as she took out her handkerchief and smacked it onto his face. Myungsoo was furious as he took the handkerchief off his face and glared at the smirking girl.

“What the heck was that for?” yelled the older.

“You were crying and it was getting onto my cheeks. Next time if you cry in front of me, I will punch your flower boy face,” teased the girl.

Myungsoo wasn’t in the mood to fight back as he leaned against the tree. He gave a sigh as he looked at Naeun’s sketch. Naeun was confused because she had heard from Sungyeol that smacking Myungsoo on the face would bring him back to his sense. She frowned slightly and then looked at Myungsoo.

“What’s wrong?” asked the girl.

“Nothing, it’s none of your business,” whispered the boy.

Naeun didn’t like sad depressing people as she smacked him on the face again. Myungsoo was outraged that Naeun had the nerve to smack him. He placed his hands onto her shoulders and pinned her to the ground as he sat on her. Naeun widened her eyes and felt scared for the first time.

“Don’t you ever smack me again,” snarled the boy.

“You were sad! It was annoying me! Be happy or at least have a calm expression again,” stated the girl as she tried to squirm out of his grasp.

Myungsoo saw something next to her and it was the key necklace. He grabbed it and looked at Naeun.

“Where did you get this? Did you steal this?” asked Myungsoo as he pushed Naeun’s shoulders onto the ground harder.

“I found it on your desk. I was only trying to return it,” squeaked Naeun as she gritted her teeth due to the pain that she was starting to feel.

“Lies! I was looking for it for days. Explain why you had it!” yelled Myungsoo

“Look! Why do you have it in the first place!?! It belongs to the initials S.N. That key belongs to me. It belongs to Myung! I gave it to Myung back when he was ten. Why do YOU have it!?!” yelled Naeun as tears fell down her eyes.

Myungsoo was hurt that Naeun didn’t remember him as he when closer to her and whispered into her ear.

Because I’m the Myung from 6 years that you are looking for,” whispered Myungsoo.

He got off of her and left her there. Naeun was in a daze. She couldn’t believe what he told her. How could he be Myung from 6 years ago? He looked nothing like Myung. She remembered old Myung’s hair was like a beehive. How could Myung from 6 years ago turn into that handsome guy? She wanted to chase after him but knew it wasn’t worth it. She knew there were problems in that boy’s head as she decided it was best that they acted like strangers.

From this day forward, Myungsoo and Naeun pass by each other with regrets and heartaches for they both decided to part their ways, trying to forget about each other’s love for one another.