(16 March 20xx)

“Soojin-ah, mind if you come outside for a bit? I have something to tell you” – I listened to his lovely voice over the phone.

“Right now?! But it’s almost midnight, Changhyun” – I looked at my watch while resting my body on the bed.

“Yes, right now. Please?! I’m already outside your room! I don’t want to wake Baekhee up”

“Baekhee is showering right now. What is it?!” – I opened the door and saw him standing there with a big grin. “What?! I don’t want to get caught by our teacher!”

 

Yes, that time, we were having our school-trip to Bali, Indonesia. That day was our last night in Bali. My room and his were side by side. So, it’s easy for him to ‘kidnap’ me anytime. He caught my wrist and dragged me to a corner. He told me to sit next to him but I refused. I stood there to watch if there’s any of our teacher in patrol today since it’s already midnight.

 

“Soojin-ah”

“Hmm?!”

“Nam Soojin” – He held my hand. I looked into his eyes. “Nam Soojin. Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

 

DHEG! What?! What did he just say?! Did he just confess?! But…

 

“Cha— Changhyun-ah. What did you just say?!”

“Do. You. Want. To. Be. My. Girlfriend? I. Like. You”

“Yoo Changhyun!! Don’t joke around!”

“I didn’t!”

“Then tell me, what do you like about me?! I’m not pretty like your ex! I’m just an ordinary introvert girl!”

“Everything. I like everything in you especially your kindness. I never met someone that really cares for friends. No one”

“But… You know I like Mi—“

“Minsoo hyung?! He has girlfriend, Soojin! And you never approached him so how he would notice you?! I’m here! Look at me!”

“I… I don’t… Know… Let me think about it and I’ll give you the answer tomorrow, kay?! Bye”

 

I was going to go back to my room when suddenly he stopped me by back-hugging me. My eyes rounded.

“I want your answer now. Can’t you see that I like you so much?! Our friends noticed that but you never. Can’t you see me now as a man and not only your best-friend?!”

“O—Okay” – I blushed when I remember how he adores me so much and he’s always there whenever I need him. He also protects me. I didn’t know that he did that because he likes me. I thought it was just what best-friends do.

“Okay?! You accept my heart?!!” – He smiled.

“Yes. Now, let me go before we got caught!” – I let his hands go from my waist.

 

“Thank you! Good night, Soojin! Dream of me, kay?!” – He said while waving his hand to me.

“Good night!” – I closed the door and blushed. I never expected that he would confess to me like that! Moreover, he just dumped his ex, who was pregnant by some other random guy. I knew that he was hurt by that. He came all the way to me just to tell me about her. I comforted him because I love him so much as a friend. He deserved the best.

 

“Changhyun?!” – Baekhee woke me up from my ‘little memories’.

“Uhh… Yes” – I ran to the bed and covered my face with the blanket.

“Did he… Never mind! Good night, Soojin!”

“Night!”

 

(Next morning)

I woke up around 5 AM, local time and got ready an hour after. I packed all of my stuffs and ready to had a breakfast with Baekhee. Just in time we would go outside, my phone rang. Yoo Changhyun.

 

“Good morning, sweetheart! Arise and (Soojin-ah!! Congratz!! Woohoooo!!) SHUT UP, JONGHYUN!!” – I giggled while hearing those voices.

“I’m wide awake and I’m heading to the buffet now with Baekhee. See you there?” – I still felt new to this. It’s a bit awkward while talking to him.

“WHAT?! WAIT FOR ME!!” – He shouted and in an instant I saw him with his best buddy, Jonghyun in front of my eyes. I blinked a couple of times.

 

Then, the news of me and Changhyun being a couple was spreading among the other students. Some of the girls there didn’t like me for being Changhyun’s girlfriend. On the other hand, some of Changhyun’s friends were congratulated me. They said that our relationship would be long last since Changhyun and I completed each other. I just smiled there, not knowing what to say.

 

(23 March 20xx)

It’s been a week since Changhyun confessed his heart to me and we have been dating for a week. The news of us had spread around the school. The juniors and seniors were acknowledging our relationship now. Even our senior, that I like the most, heard about us.

 

For Changhyun, maybe, it’s a joy for him that I could be his girlfriend but for me, it was completely hell. I used to had some girl friends and now, they’re leaving me one by one. Whenever I came to the canteen or cafeteria, there must be people who were yelling at me. It was tough for me. There’s a junior that lived nearby me and we used to go together to school. But now, she’s getting away from me and made a fake story about me. I didn’t know that she liked Changhyun too. I knew that Changhyun was good to her since I was her friend.

 

One thing that made me sad, she kept on telling people that I stole Changhyun from her. She told them that I used her to get Changhyun’s attention, that in fact, I know Changhyun longer than her. She even cried to her friends telling them that I stabbed her from behind.

 

She ignored me. Whenever I tried to talk to her, she avoided me and her friends (who were also my juniors), bumped their shoulders on me. They kept saying that I don’t look good together with Changhyun.

 

I didn’t tell Changhyun about this because I didn’t want him to worry over me. I just kept silent until one day, I heard my own class-mates bad-mouthing me. They were saying the same as those juniors of mine. I didn’t know what I did that made them hate me that much for having Changhyun as my boyfriend.  Well, except for Baekhee who is my best-friend. She kept on supporting me.

 

But then, I felt that Changhyun became over-protected to me. Before, he wouldn’t mind if I gathered with my friends or even just with Baekhee. Now, he would always come with me, walked behind me, watched over me. He even texted me whenever we went separate, like went home. Changhyun just wanted to make sure that I was okay. He heard about my ‘pain’ from Baekhee and Jonghyun. Both of them knew the troubles I got into after becoming Changhyun’s girlfriend.

 

Jonghyun got mad at those juniors, especially the one who provoked them. He told her that she was the one who wanted to steal Changhyun from me and once again, she cried. She was such a drama queen. Jonghyun was really mad at her and he said that he didn’t want to become her friend anymore.

 

And me, when I realized that Changhyun was willing to do anything to protect me, I felt such a slight feeling changed in my heart. I started to see him as a man. A man who loved me the most, after my dad. Whenever he came into my house, he played with my younger brother and stole my parents’ heart for him. My heart was beating fast. Faster than when I saw Minsoo oppa. I knew that I slowly fell in love with Changhyun. But I denied it.

 

(29 March 20xx)

One fine night came and I received a message from Changhyun. I just finished showering and I read the message as soon as possible after getting dressed. My eyes rounded. I got a big shock after what I read before my eyes.

 

“I know I’m so sorry, D! I can’t get closer to you even though I love you since you are Daejun hyung’s girlfriend. I can’t betray him. You know that we are best-friend and he was the one who helped me so much in this school”

 

Tears were flowing out from my eyes. D?! That’s the initial of that junior student who lived nearby me! The one who bad-mouthing me. I knew Changhyun always called her D. Yes, it’s her! I hugged my pillow. I cried. Not long after that, I received another message from him.

 

“Soojin-ah! I’m so sorry! I sent it to a wrong person! I’m so sorry!! It should be sent to D! I’m so sorry!! Please don’t misunderstand me!! I can explain everything to you!”

 

I didn’t reply it. I just sat there on my bed, stared on my phone screen where he tried to call me several times. I cried really hard. So it means that I was just a substituted because D had boyfriend already?! My heart was hurting badly. I took courage to reply him,

 

“Nothing to explain”

 

(The next day)

At school, I felt really gloomy. I moved my seat. I just didn’t want to see Changhyun. I avoided him. I ignored him. Baekhee and Jonghyun noticed. Both of them asked me what exactly happened between us. I didn’t tell them, in fact, I just gave them a faint smile and shook my head.

 

Recess time was over. I approached Changhyun who was sitting in front of the class. He looked pale. I smiled to him.

 

“Changhyun-ah”

“Soojin-ah… I’m so sorry for what happened. I didn’t mean to. I swear I just love you now! I swear!” – He held my hand.

“I know. I know. But… I really can’t take any of this anymore. The bullies I got, it’s from her. I’m tired”

“Then… Do you want a break-up?!” – I nodded.

“Let’s break-up then, if that’s what you want” – He left me. “You never love me back” – I swear I heard he said that even with a faint voice.

 

And just with that, we broke-up.

 

(A week later)

The news of us breaking up was spreading up around school. Everything became normal again like usual. No bullies and that fake D tried to catch up with me again. I didn’t respond any single thing from her. Just let her be and see what would that -with-no-shame did to me. My days became peaceful once again.

 

Changhyun was still contacting me. He called me every night. At first, I received his calls, reconsidering him as my best-friend but then, I became annoyed by his calls. Why?! He called me every minute. When I wanted to study, he called. When I wanted to do my homework, he called. It looked like he was still hoping that I would go back to him.

 

Then one day, I completely ignored him. Whenever he called my name, I never budged and looked away. I knew this is wrong. So wrong. But I guess my emotions drove me like this. He kept trying to talk to me but I avoided him.

 

After a few days, we never talked to each other again or even greeted each other. Never until we graduated from school. I remember that he and that fake D became a couple not long after we broke up but then they just going out for about 2 weeks and broke-up as well.

 

(Present Days)

*1 notification from facebook*

I open my notification and I see a message was sent to me from someone I know. It’s him!

 

“Hello, Soojin! How are you?!”

 

I stare blankly at my netbook’s monitor. Is this really Yoo Changhyun?! The one that used to be my best-friend and my ex-boyfriend?! Really?!

 

“I’m good. How are you, Changhyun?”

 

That feeling of loving him comes back to me. Memories of us replayed on my mind. The touches he gave me when he was my boyfriend, I’m longing for that. I want him to embrace me like what he did for me some years ago. But it will be only in my dream. I never dated anyone else since then but he, the one who had colored my life when he was by best-friend and was my caring-over protective boyfriend, is now someone else’s fiancé.

 

-THE END-