Kim Min Seok arrives early at school, again. When was he not? He’d been going to school earlier than anyone else ever since he started highschool. He just likes walking the empty corridors to his homeroom class and being able to sit quietly at his desk and look at nothing. He doesn’t have any particular reason for it. Or maybe he does. He opens a non-descript shoe locker that has been empty for a while and slipped in a blue envelope. Looking around to check if anyone has seen him, but the locker room is still empty. He smiles to himself before closing the locker door. He can’t wait for the end of the day though it hasn’t started yet. He looks forward to opening the same non-descript locker at the end of the day when the rest of his friends has gone home. Imagining the baby pink envelope lying innocently on the bottom of the locker makes his smile grow wider.

            It started about two weeks ago. He was early as usual, but he was so busy worrying about his Biology exam today that he didn’t notice he was opening the wrong shoe locker. He was surprised to see that instead of the school shoes that he usually wears inside, he sees a baby pink envelope. He decided to ignore said envelope and just look for his own locker but curiosity got the best of him.

            The envelope was nothing special, a store-bought stationary with no prints. It wasn’t sealed so he took out the single sheet of paper that was inside it. Written in clumsy writing is one word of greeting, to him it’s like an invitation so he decided to write to that someone who has left it.

            They’ve been exchanging letters for quite a while now, still not knowing the others identity. It started with simple words of encouragement and as time progresses the letters become lengthy. He writes about his interest, a few things that bother him, but nothing really personal. They don’t ask each others identity and Min Seok thinks it’s better that way. Both of them would be able to write freely without being conscious of accidentally bumping into each other in campus. It’s not a large school so the possibility that he might have exchanged a greeting or two with the person he’s exchanging letters with is not impossible.

            Min Seok only knows about this person through letters nevertheless he likes what he has read so far. It feels weird to have to admit that maybe he’s curious to know more about the person, not just in letters. He’s too afraid to tell his friends about it but he needs a back up just in case what he’s planning goes awry. So he shares this particular secret to Lu Han.

            Of course as expected, his friend has doubts of this potential meeting.

            “What if the person’s like a serial killer or if they’re trying to reel you out….” Lu Han looks at him with concern on his face.

            “Lu Han-ah, I’m not a person of importance… I don’t think anyone would want to kidnap me or anything…”

            “But…”

            “That’s why I want you to be there… In case something happens, not that I think this person is bad or something. I mean look at it… the letters came from inside, it must be a student too or anyone from school… It’s just that… I don’t want to be anonymous anymore…”

            Lu Han looks at him thoughtfully. There’s something else in his expression that he can’t read. But he really wants someone to be there when he does this.

            “I’ll still hang out with you even if I get a girlfriend…” He jokes, punching Lu Han’s arm.

            “What makes you think it’s a girl? What if it’s a guy? What would you do?” Lu Han whispers.

            “Hmmmm… Then I’ll have a boyfriend?”

            Lu Han’s face is serious, Minseok realized that it was a serious question, one that he never thought about. He has been in correspondence with this person without knowing who it is. He would be kidding himself if he said he wasn’t a bit curious. He doesn’t have a specific person that he imagine, the letters doesn’t reveal anything about the person’s gender. He likes the conversations that they have, this person seems to understand him. It’s not like he’s not able to confide with his friends. But he thinks the anonymity helps with him being able to open up to that person. But he wants to be able to talk to the person face to face and to be able to tell that person how much he appreciates the letters and he wants to know if that person feels the same. And then it hit him, whoever it was, whatever gender it may be…

            “It doesn’t matter, Lu Han…This person… whoever it is… It doesn’t matter…” Min Seok knows in his heart that he meant it.

            Lu Han looks solemn, almost resigned, for the first time in a long while, he doesn’t know what’s running through his bestfriends mind.

            “Ya! Don’t be like that…”

            “Like what?” Lu Han heaves a sigh and slowly packs his things. “Ask Chan Yeol or Chen to accompany you… I have things to do after school…” 

            “Lu Han-ah…”

            Lu Han slings his bag on his shoulder and leaves the classroom. Min Seok lets out a heavy sigh. He’d have to appease his bestfriend one way or another. He doesn’t want to gain a friend only to lose Lu Han. But his decision is firm, there’s no way he’ll change it.

            Three days later, Min Seok finds himself in front of the familiar empty shoe locker. Letter in hand, the last letter he thinks. He’s either going to get another response saying that it’s better to keep this type of correspondence or nothing at all. He’s prepared for both, although he wishes those weren’t his only option. He’d be bluffing if he says he’s not nervous of the potential meeting, if the other party agrees. He is excited and he wanted to share his excitement, only Lu Han is no longer talking to him or meeting his eyes.

            He thought abut asking his other friends to go with him but Chan Yeol and Jong Dae aren’t particularly good at keeping secrets and hell hate them for their continuous teasing. He knows they won’t rest until he gets to meet this person and they would still continue to tease after that. He wishes Lu Han wasn’t avoiding him. He doesn’t understand why Lu Han is mad at him, if he really was. 

            He has known Lu Han since the latter moved next door from Beijing. They were both entering elementary school then. Their parents would constantly visit each others houses and they would let the two play together. Lu Han was a shy kid, but he smiles a lot, his smile is the complete opposite of his solemn face and Min Seok started teasing him about it. Lu Han would get mad at Min Seok but not for long because Min Seok would ask the sulking Lu Han to play soccer with him and everything would be forgotten. They have been inseparable since then not until now.

            This is the first time since they’ve known each other that they haven’t spoken to each other for an entire day. Usually Lu Han would be clinging on to Min Seok 24/7 and it feels weird that that the latter is keeping away from him.

            He is aware that him keeping about the letter exchange a secret might be one of the reasons why Lu Han was acting like this, but the sulking with be over within a day or two. In the back of his mind he thinks it might have something to do with the person on the receiving end of the letter, but Min Seok shakes that off. Lu Han wouldn’t really be jealous of that person, right? Why would he…

            Time flies when you’re having fun or in Min Seok’s case when you want it to slow down. Lu Han is still not looking at him though he told him over lunch that he’s going through with his plan today and leaves as soon as the bell rang.

            Min Seok braves the stairwell alone, he arranged the meeting at the school’s rooftop garden, a place that the other person keeps mentioning on their letters. A place where he or she frequents to be able to think clearly (and sometimes sleep if the person’s feeling lazy.) If Min Seok was thinking deeply to what the person has written, about spending time at the rooftop garden, he might think it’s an invitation, but he passes it up as something trivial.

            The door to the rooftop garden is slightly ajar. That person is early, Min Seok thinks. His heart pounds wanting to escape from his ribcage. He opens the door wider and stills himself fro the most awaited meeting.

            His eyes fell on the person whose back is facing him, standing right under the arch of vines with small flowers. The person must’ve heard him arrive that person turned around to face him, finger to that person’s lips, indicating for him to not say anything.

            “My last letter for you…” the person hands him a familiar pink envelope.

            Min Seok takes the envelope with shaking hands, eyes not leaving the other person’s face. He currently doesn’t know what he feels at the moment. Surprised because he never expected this, relief for finally being able to meet the person and dread because this might be the first and the last.

            He opens the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper but instead of the same word that he saw the first time, what was written in the same clumsy handwriting.  

You don’t know about the foolish person
Who loves you more than you love yourself

           Kim Min Seok smiles at the note. Looking so relieved he thinks his face would split in two with the way that he’s smiling. So this is how it feels like to have your feelings reciprocated. The person in front of him continues to look at the ground not meeting his eyes. Min Seok thinks it’s only polite to answer the greeting that started it all.
            

            “Annyeonghaseyo to you too… Lu Han-ah...”