Chapter 12

Tiffany stared at Jejung for what seemed like forever until she finally brought herself to break the contact. She turned her back to close the door & lock it. Then she hid the key back behind the stem of the flower. Jejung smiled briefly behind her action, ‘She still hides the key in the same spot.’ He thought, as he remembered back to when they had to separate.

*Flashback*

“Jaejoong Oppa, you should keep this key.” Miyoung said, handing him back his key. Jaejoong took it, stared at it before smiling & putting it into his rose pouch. Miyoung then held up her key, “I will hide this key in the hedge so that when you come back & lose your key, you will at least be able to use mine.” She smiled & looked behind her at the hedge, pondering where she should hide the key. She got up on her toes & felt around the hedge & grinned widely when she felt a little space hidden behind a flower stem. She was about to turn back to the young boy when she lost her balance & started falling backward. She let out a little scream but Jaejoong, of course, caught her right on time.

He wiped away the perspiration that had formed on the girl’s brow after being scared half to death. He laughed & smiled down at her as he put her back to her rightful position, “Eh, Miyoung, you need to be more careful.” Miyoung brushed the leaves that had gotten onto her clothes off & smiled back at Jaejoong, “One day, I will grow taller than that flower.” She said, pointing to the one that she had been inspecting earlier, “Then I won’t fall anymore.” Jaejoong patted her head & just smiled, “So, show me where this hiding place is.”

Miyoung was about to stand on her toes again, when Jaejoong placed his arms around her waist & lifted her up easily, ‘She has gotten thinner.’ He thought, frowning at how light & bony she was but before he could say something about that, Miyoung laughed happily as she was lifted above the flower. She pointed at the flower again, & looked down at Jaejoong, “This is where I’m going to hide it.” She said, & put it behind the flower. After it was done, she jumped down from his arm & hugged him close to her.

“Oppa, I will be waiting for you to meet me again, at this place. Promise me that you will come back to our secret place & find me.” She looked up at her best friend’s face with earnest & he brushed away some of the hair that had gotten into , “I promise you Miyoung that I will meet you again, at this place. This will be our place & our place only so when I’m not with you & you are feeling sad & missing me, come here & it will be as if I’m with you. The roses will be your company &.” He got out of the embrace & went to his bike & took something out from the covered basket. He held it behind his arms, not letting her see what it was yet. Miyoung tried to peek behind him but she didn’t have to because he brought it out to the open & showed it to her.

The teddy bear was the most precious thing that Miyoung had ever seen. It was a white angel bear & wore an embroidered with roses dress. A bow of fake roses rested atop its head. Miyoung opened wide with shock & awe. She grasped the bear & held it tightly to herself. Tears leaked from her eyes & Jaejoong placed his arms around her & the bear, “This bear will also keep you company & think of it as me.” He then placed a kiss on top of her head & just hugged her close. They stayed that way until they finally went inside the treehouse to play.

*End of Flashback*

Tiffany turned her back to him & he quickly snapped himself out of his memory. He straightened himself up & stared at her, “What are you doing here so late at night?” He asked, somewhat coolly. Tiffany stiffened at his tone & willed herself not to cry. She had cried too many tears for him already. She didn’t know what to say. She panicked since she believed that he wanted to ban her from coming here again, “I’m sorry, I guess you don’t want me to be here anymore but please don’t? This place means a lot to me. Don’t pushed me away?” Jejung took a step back. He didn’t even consider taking this place away from her. He asked the question out of fear that she was out so late & alone.

However, before he could say anything, Seohyun, who had been waiting in the car long enough, came marching up to them & she wasn’t happy. She got up to Tiffany & pushed her to the ground & kicked her once, “What are you doing here freak?! Trying to put your grimy paws on Jejung Oppa again? Have you no shame?” She glared at Tiffany. At those words, Jejung remembered why he despised Tiffany now. His anger & hurt from her betrayal came back at once. He gave her a steely look, “I would be happy if you never returned here again. Beautiful places like this shouldn’t have your presence in them.” Tiffany gasped & her heart shattered for the hundredth time that day. She stayed on the cold ground & cried, “Please let me explain Oppa.” She said quietly.

Seohyun seethed with anger at that pitiful ugly girl who actually had the gall to take this guy from her. She looked at Jejung & saw that he was starting to give into that girl. She couldn’t let that happened. She kicked Tiffany once more & said, “What do you want to explain? Your reputation is known. You are the only poor person in this school who just bribed her way in. Well, Oppa isn’t going to listen to your gibberish.” Tiffany hung her head down low, ashamed at her foolish thoughts that anyone like Jejung would actually pay attention to her. She was just a nobody & that was how it should have stayed.

Before Jejung could say anything, Seohyun had already pulled him away & dragged him back to the car. Jejung looked behind him once more before driving away. Something about the whole Tiffany thing just didn’t seem right. For the first time since he saw Tiffany again, he thought with his heart & something just snagged it, telling him to give her another chance but he pushed the feeling aside as he remembered the Chika & Jiro thing so he shook his thoughts aside, not willing to let himself go through that torment again. He took Seohyun back home & when he saw that she got back in safely without having him go in with her, the nagging thoughts came back to him. He went on his instinct & drove back to the park.