Chapter 15 

A very content sigh left Bom's lips as she quietly appeared inside her room, slowly closing her door and turning around to lean against it, a dreamy smile spreading across her face as her thoughts drifted to the moment that Dongwook placed his lips upon her own until she immediately opened her eyes at the sound of her three female friends lounging around in her room, looking up at her in excitement as Nana exclaimed, "Bom unnie's back!"

The ebony haired girl smiled shyly as she made her way over to her silky and comfortable queen size bed that Nana just so happened to be lying on top of with a fashion magazine in her lap and sat in the now empty space that the young freshman made for her when she sat up.

"So, how was it?" Nana asked first with a curious smile as she turned towards Bom and with her legs criss-crossed on the bed while Ga-yeon grabbed one of Bom's vacant chairs and made her over towards them.

"Yeah, what happened, Unnie?" Ga-yeon questioned right after as she placed her chair beside Bom and made herself comfortable.

Soo-hyun didn't take long to trail behind the other freshman as she set the book that she reading down on top of Bom's desk and rolled over to Ga-yeon's side in the 16 year old's green desk chair with a smile identical to Nana's. "You have to tell us everything, Bom. We want details!" the senior said with the other two girls nodding their heads in agreement.

Bom's chocolate eyes closed for a second, making her friends wait for her as she tried to come up with the perfect words to summarize her and Dongwook's evening while they sat patiently, giving her their undivided attention. Then a heart-warming smile suddenly graced her face before she finally opened her eyes, twiddling with her fingers as she said, "Well...we met at in front of the school and talked for a bit...then he grabbed my hand and...we walked through the park and talked some more and..." She paused, glancing down as she recalled her and Dongwook laughing at something that he said, her smile growing a tad bit bigger as she finished statement, "It was really nice..."

"And you guys held hands the whole time?" Ga-yeon asked with a excited smile and Bom answered by nodding her head shyly.

Nana squealed happily as she grasped the coy girl's hands and exclaimed, "That is so romantic!"

"Totally." Soo-hyun added with a huge grin before saying, "I am a little bit surprised that he didn't attempt to kiss you though. I guess he must have chickened out." 

As soon as the senior had said that, Bom's cheeks began to color themselves pink and if Soo-hyun and Ga-yeon hadn't been laughing at the idea of Dongwook chickening out on something, they would have noticed instantly but they didn't. Instead, it was Nana who noticed and her loud gasp caught everyone's attention as she leaned over towards Bom and asked, "Did he kiss you?"

The doe-eyed girl glanced at everyone as they simultaneously leaned closer to her before she looked down at her lap, sighing softly before nodding her head. "Neh..."

As soon as the word left her lips the three girls squealed in a typical girly fashion. Bom watched with wide eyes as Ga-yeon and Soo-hyun jumped up and down in their seats while Nana did the same thing on the bed, much to Bom's surprise and amusement. 'Who knew that Dongwook kissing me would be such a big deal?'

"Aigoo! Our Spring has finally experienced her first kiss!" Soo-hyun exclaimed enthusiastically before turning towards the shy girl, who was beet red with embarrassment. "Don't be embarrassed, Bom...just tell us how it felt," she heard Soo-hyun say as she reached over and grabbed her hands, giving her an encouraging smile. 

Even though Bom was feeling shy about the special moment between her and her crush, that emotion wasn't the problem she was having. The problem was finding a way to described what it felt like. All of those symptoms that a girl experienced while having her first kiss in all of the books that she had read was all that she had felt wrapped up into one. 

She remembered her heart feel as if it had skyrocketing into the sky, her stomach being filled with fluttering butterflies, and her knees had gotten so weak that she had to grab a hold of his shirt collar, consequently pulling him closer to her much to his surprise before she felt him smiled inwardly and loosen his soft hold on her chin so that he could wrap his arms around her waist.

Unfortunately, they had been without air long enough, especially Bom since the kiss happened so unexpectedly, so Dongwook pulled away first and laid his head against hers, watching her with a light smile as she closed her eyes, her cheeks painted pink against her ivory skin as she tried to catch her breath while the curly links of her hair that had been left out of her ponytail framed her face along with her bangs. The sight of her was just breathtaking. 

So breathtaking that the senior wanted to kiss her again.

But he didn't want to try and rush things with the angel that he was holding in his arms nor did he want to get way too ahead of himself either so instead he just removed his head from hers, causing her to open her eyes in curiosity, and laid her head on his chest before nuzzling his nose in her hair like he did the evening that he was shown a glimpse of her past.

And they stood there, Dongwook inhaling the sweet aroma of her ebony colored hair while Bom wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes again, taking in the scent of his cologne and that warm and fuzzy feeling she always got when she was with him, her heart was still beating rapidly, so rapidly that any doctor would have been greatly concerned but she wasn't worried because it was a different kind of beat that her heart was moving to. 

It was excitement, an emotion that she had been wanting to feel for a long time and for the first time in forever, she finally felt it. Dongwook had the key all along and he had finally unlocked it from inside of her, now allowing it to flow all the way through her small body as it started from her lips, along with the beating organ, and traveled all the way to her fingers and toes. All it took was a spark from his soft lips and it flickered into a flame soon moving along her veins like a wild fire, bursting inside of her heart like fireworks on the Fourth of July. 

'So how am I suppose to fit all of that into one statement?' She thought as she looked into the eyes of her beautiful friends surrounding her with desperately curious and eager expression on their faces. Suddenly, a light bulb lit up inside of her head and the answer became as clear as day, bringing a light smile to her beautiful face as she finally said, "It made me feel excited...not just inside...but for the future."

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you to your appointment, auntie? It wouldn't hurt me if I miss a day of school. Plus, Seoul has bad traffic, especially on Fridays." Bom tried to persuade to her favorite relative through her cellular device on a Thursday evening. She had just finished studying in the library with Dongwook and they were packing their books when her phone suddenly went off. Bom, respecting the library's rules for quietness of course, rushed outside so that she could answer the call in case there was an emergency at home.

"Aniyah, I don't want you missing any of your classes. I will be fine, sweetie." She told the young girl before a series of coughs erupted from , causing her niece to frown with slight worry, something that the middle aged lady sensed through the phone so she cleared and decided to change the subject. "Speaking of classes, how are you doing in them?"

"I have all A's so I'm doing good so far." Bom answered, a light smile now replacing the worried frown that she had before even though she was still worrying about her aunt's health in the back of her mind.

Linda smiled and said, "That's great sweetie. And what about your friends? How are they doing?" 

"They're doing good too; they're just ready for Thanksgiving Break. I'll tell them that you asked about them." Bom told her, laughing at the Thanksgiving Break part. It was all they had been talking about, especially the boys. Everyone couldn't wait to see their families to see and catch up while eating their favorite home cooked dishes.

"Okay. Well, I don't want to hold you up. I just wanted you to know where I was just in case I don't pick you up from school on time tomorrow." Her aunt said before suggesting, "Maybe we can order your favorite pizza once we get home and stay up late watching movies?"

Bom quickly nodded her head at the idea of her and Aunt Linda spending some time together, especially since she started hanging with the gang on the weekends a lot more. She suddenly missed talking to aunt and couldn't wait to see her. "Okay, Auntie...Just text me when you're leave the hospital so I'll know, arraso?"

Linda let out a laugh as she said, "Yah! I thought I was the Auntie last time I checked?" Bom laughed along with her until she heard her say, "Alright, I'll make sure to text you but I don't want you worrying about me so much okay, sweetie. That's my job. Now, sleep well and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Neh. See you tomorrow." Bom told her before hanging up the phone and letting out a huge sigh. Even though her aunt advised her not to worry, that moment where she started coughing over the phone kept replaying in her mind, making it hard for her not to. 

But it suddenly left her brain the moment she heard someone cooly whisper, "Boo," in her ear, causing a quiet gasp to flow from her lips as she quickly turned around to see an amused Dongwook standing before her with both of their book-bags in tow.

"Oppa!" She pouted cutely as she got ready to slap his arm, something he predicted so he held his arm out for her to do so while laughing. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"I can't help it. You're just so cute." He confessed, making her cheeks heat up to a pink hue and taking her a bit by surprise when he grabbed her hand as they started walking down the hallway. "So, was that your aunt?" He asked curiously.

Bom nodded her head. "Neh. She has another doctor's appointment tomorrow and this time it's all the way in Seoul but she doesn't want me to miss school so I can't take her to it this time."

"So, the doctors still haven't figured out why she's coughing so much?" Dongwook questioned as he looked over at the female junior. When she shook her head "no," he said, "Well, if they scheduled for her to have an appointment all the way in Seoul, then I wouldn't worry. They'll find out what's going on and have her well in no time."

Bom sighed again as she said, "I know but that isn't what bothers me... It's the traffic." Everyone who is everyone knows that the Seoul is notorious for their traffic and it didn't sit well with Bom that her aunt had to travel through it on her way to and from there, especially when she was still sick.

"Don't worry, Bommie. I'm sure Ms. Linda will be fine. Who knows? Maybe the traffic won't be so bad tomorrow." The senior reassured her as he let go of her hand so that he could hold the door open for her as they walked to the side of the school where the dormitories were located.

Bom smiled softly, murmuring a soft, "Thank you," as she turned towards him, waiting as Dongwook shut the door and when he turned back to her, his eyes lit up in a joyful surprise for a second when he saw her holding her hand out for him to take into his own, causing a faint blush to rise on her face.

She couldn't come up with a valid reason for what made her do it other than the fact that over the course of a single week holding Dongwook's hand had become such a natural thing to do. It had gave off such a peaceful and fuzzy heart warming feeling that it became instinctive for him to grab her hand, first whenever something good had happened and eventually just because it felt right. 

Everything felt right with Lee Dongwook...

At least that's what Park Bom's heart was telling her.

And even though they hadn't kissed since that fateful day in the park, the day that she dreamed about over and over every single night and couldn't help but smile about when it crossed her mind during the day, it was okay because just a single touch was enough for the both of them. 

So as Dongwook showered her with that beautiful smile of his and slowly slide his large fingers in between her tiny and delicate ones, Bom mirrored his smile and they both started walking towards the girls side of the dormitories. "So, Thanksgiving Break starts after tomorrow. You excited to see your family?"

Bom nodded her head immediately. "Neh, I am. I haven't seen my parents and grandparents in forever so I can't wait to see them...even if it's only for one day."

The boy nodded his head in agreement. "Same here." Then he used his other hand to fix his snapback as he said, "I was thinking about going to the skating rink the day after and I was wondering if you would want to go with me?"

"O-okay." Bom answered as she looked up at him with a soft smile before abruptly stopping in her tracks as something crossed her mind. "But I don't know how to skate."

"That's okay. I can teach you." Dongwook said as he chuckled at her cuteness before gently pulling her along.

Bom mumbled "Okay," with a slightly embarrassed smile as she followed him along the hallway where her room was located, both of them waving at the dorm lookout, who waved back, while doing so.

Because Dongwook was well known around the school for being an outstanding student in academics and sports as well as an reliable school assistant to all of the staff, especially the office, he was allowed to go anywhere with no questions asked. So while any other male student would have been stopped and turned around by the dorm lookout if they were trying to walk a girl to their dorm room, Dongwook was able to walk Bommie to her room with absolutely no problem and she was glad.

As they finally made it to her room, Dongwook let out a light sigh as he removed Bom's bag strap from his shoulder while she took out her and unlocked her door, giving it back to her once she turned back around to face him, their chocolate eyes instantly connecting with each other's. 

Truthfully, Dongwook wanted to spend more time with the beautiful doe-eyed girl in front of him. There was so much he still wanted to know about her and so much he wanted her to share with him from her childhood memories all the way down to her favorite food, which he assumed was corn. No matter how big or small the details were and no matter how good or bad, he wanted to know.  Even though her past seemed to be a painful topic for her, he would eventually wanted her to share that with him too when she was ready. He wanted to know everything about her and tell her everything about him and his life in return.

'But I don't wanna rush anything...' He thought as he reached over and tucked a strand of her silky black hair behind her ear, losing himself in two pools of her sparkling brown eyes during the process and the space between them seemed to disappear as his lips met hers for the second time in a slow and passionate kiss.

All the symptoms that had taken place inside of Bom during their first kiss started back up and this time, she couldn't help but wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him back with equal force, much to the senior's delight. 

But what made Dongwook even more happy was when Bom pulled back after a while, looking him straight in the eye as she said, "Oppa... I know that I don't say much or tell you enough about myself...and I just wanted to thank you for understanding me and for always being there for me... From now on I want to try to open up more, not just to you but to the others as well..." Bom stopped for a minute, taking a deep breath before she continued, "Starting tomorrow, I want to let them know about my past at Suji High."

"You mean how Nana's cousin, CL, and her friends use to hurt you, right?" He asked as he started caressing the side of Bom's face softly in concern. He knew it wasn't an easy topic for her to talk about based on how badly it effected her behavior and self esteem but he was ready to stand by her side and protect her no matter what. That's how important she had became to him.

She nodded her head and sighed yet again. "Yeah...I think its time that they knew. And there's something else that you should know as well but I want to tell you all at the same time, if that's okay." 

Dongwook unhesitatingly nodded his head. "Of course. Whatever you want." He said as he gave her a bright encouraging smile before embracing her lovingly. "I'm so proud of you, Bommie." He told her as he reached down and kissed the top of her head before suddenly feeling as if they were being watched. 'I must have overstayed my welcome,' he thought before saying, "Sleep well, beautiful."

"Okay. Goodnight, oppa." Bom replied as she pulled away from his warm embrace, her cheeks still covered in a red hue due to his compliment but just when she got ready to turn around and walk inside her room, she felt Dongwook grab her hand so she quickly turned back around to see what he wanted.

"Do you believe that everything's gonna be okay tomorrow?" He asked, a serious expression suddenly masking his handsome face. It took a minute but when Bom nodded her head, he genuinely smiled as he said, "Good because I believe in you."

And from the moment those words left Dongwook's lips, she started to actually believe in her own self because she knew that change always starts on the inside rather than the outside. It was also something that Bom heard her aunt say more than once. But her aunt also said that change doesn't happen over night because it's a one step at a time kind of process. Sometimes you will have your good days and sometimes you will have the opposite but as just as long as you try, things will eventually change for the better.

'But as long as I believe in myself...everything will be fine.' Bom thought as she finally was able to slide under her soft white colored duvet covers after she showered and changed into her pajamas, hugging her stuffed animal close to her chest. "Everything's going to be okay, Poong-Poongie," she whispered to him fiercely even though her eyes was drooping with fatigue and a huge yawn followed her statement less than a minute after. "Starting tomorrow, everything's going to change for the better..."

And she believed that...

At least she did until Friday afternoon at around 12:15 pm during lunch period where she was happily surrounded by all of her unique yet loving group of friends, minus Dongwook, laughing and conversing with one another as if they didn't have a care in the world and because of that it was a moment that Bom knew she would never forget no matter how hard she tried. 

Kang-Joon and Minwoo passed their test with flying colors. Chan-yeol asked a pretty girl name Sandara out on a date and she said yes. Soo-hyun was picked to star as the lead character in a school play. Nana and Ga-yeon passed their algebra quiz. Seho got an early acceptance letter from the university of his dreams. And Bom couldn't have been any more happier for her friends. Everyone was in such a happy and joyful mood during that afternoon that no one would have thought that a tragedy had taken place, ready to strike right at the heart of the angel in the group any minute now.

All of the students would have never assumed that when Dongwook finally appeared inside the cafeteria with a grave expression on his face that he was bearing news that would shatter Bom's whole world. The group would have never figured that when the senior made it to their table and asked Bom to come with him to the main office that their angel who had been feeling like she was soaring high in the clouds that Friday, would soon feel as if her wings were suddenly clipped from her very back and that she was plummeting right to the ground. 

Bom would have never thought that as Dongwook grabbed her hand, immediately leaving the cafeteria and heading towards the main office, stealing glances at Dongwook's unusual somber expression with concern, that as they stepped in the office, before she could get a chance to ask the boy that she had so deeply fallen for what was the matter, that Dr. Sora Lee and the both of her parents would be standing there waiting for her arrival- her mother with a grief stricken look on her tear stained face and her father wearing the exact same expression that Dongwook had. 

And she wouldn't have guessed that it was because her favorite and dearest aunt, Park Linda, had gotten in a car accident coming back from her doctor's appointment in Seoul after losing control of the wheel due to one of her coughing fits, was taken to the hospital and was now pronounced as dead....