Of Jungle Gyms and The Amazing Spiderman
Of Love Story Clichés and the Woman Who Hates ThemLittle Junmyeon is running away from home. He hates his older brother for teasing him on the low grade he got in one of his quizzes, he hates his parents for laughing at his brother's antics instead of defending him, he hates his dog for barking at him on his way out of the house.
With only his backpack, Junmyeon slowly walks toward the only park in their neighborhood. It has a small jungle gym designed to look like a castle. He has decided to officially make it his new home.
As he walks on sluggishly, he keeps looking back at the direction of his house in case someone runs after him. No one does. Junmyeon stomps his way to the park.
Dusk was already setting in when the boy finally arrives at the park. There was no one else there except for him. He feels a slight chill.
Junmyeon settles himself on one of the forts of the "castle". Just as he was taking out the contents of his backpack, he hears footsteps.
An owl howls in the distance. The footsteps grow nearer. The frightened boy is holding his breath. He and his brother just watched "Friday the 13th" earlier that week and the memory of the mask-wearing psycopath is still fresh in his mind.
Please let it not be Jason. Please let it not be Jason. I promise to never watch movies that are only meant for adults. Young Junmyeon will eventually break this promise once he reaches the age of thirteen and discovers the story behind the birds and the bees.
"BOO!"
Junmyeon closes his eyes and starts screaming. "JASON!"
"It's Jason!" A hand covers his mouth.
"Nope. It's San.da.ra." a soft voice singsongs.
Junmyeon warily opens his eyes. There in his midst, against the dim light of the park's lamp posts, is the most beautiful girl he has ever laid eyes on. Little Junmyeon's little heart starts beating rapidly.
"Manimidmimdunwun." he tries to say.
"Eew. You got your saliva all over my hand." Dara takes off her hand that has been covering the boy's mouth.
"I'm sorry noona." Junmyeon mutters blushing and wipes his mouth. He has to look cool in front of his new crush. He stands up and gives her a 90-degree bow.
"My name is Kim Jun Myeon, it's nice to meet you."
Dara looks at the scrawny boy in front of her. "Dara" she said simply as a greeting.
On a dreary summer night in 2001, inside a crammed and rusty jungle gym, the16-year-old Sandara Park first met the 10-year-old Kim Jun Myeon.
Thirteen years later, a frustrated Dara looks on as her bestfriend cuddles with Choi Seunghyun at the cinema's waiting lounge.
She should reprimand the two for their blatant public display of affection if only she has not done such countless of times in the past five years that the two have been a couple. Her words always fall on deaf ears.
On the contrary, this is better than them fighting, Dara sighs.
She chastised herself instead for agreeing to join the sick couple on their movie date when she knew she'd be subjected to such torture.
But, I was so bored.
"Noona, don't worry my cousin will be joining us today so you won't be bored. It will be like a double-date." Seunghyun said, finally noticing Dara's grim appearance. Bom wags her eyebrows at her.
"Oh great." Dara said sarcastically.
"What movie are we going to watch?" Bom asks Seunghyun ignoring Dara's peevishness which made the latter huff even more in annoyance.
"The Amazing Spiderman 2!" Seunghyun excitedly answers. Bom returns his excitement with the same amount of enthusiasm. Dara groans.
Hanging out with these two for years Dara, for her own peace of mind, has mastered grave rules such as, thou shall not insult superheroes in front of Choi Seunghyun unless you are up for hours and hours of debate.
Therefore, despite not being too enthusiastic on watching another movie about a superhero with a sad backstory, a villain with a probably sadder backstory and a beautiful damsel in distress, Dara keeps mum about it.
"We can watch a different movie if you like." someone whispers in Dara's ear. She jumps up in surprise.
"Junmyeon, glad you could make it!" Seunghyun gives the younger boy a pat in the back. The other just grins while looking at Dara.
Dara regards the newcomer in disgust.
"You!" she points out accusingly in a low voice.
Bom looks at them back and forth, "You two know each other?"
"NO!" Dara shouts out loud just as Junmyeon said "Yes."
The Bom-Seunghyun couple looks at each other, sly smiles playing on their lips.
Dara dislikes romantic clichés the most.
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