Junyoung walked down the street, still wearing his coat and his uniform in it. It’s been already an autumn and this semester was his last because he was a third grade of high school student and going to be a college student soon. He had to enjoy his hometown for the last time because he was going to go to another city for his college. Well, he thought it was a good thing because, at least, he could live alone or apart from his parents, so he could live more independently.

He was busy inhaling and exhaling the last autumn’s aroma at his neighborhood when suddenly his eyes fixed at a boy who stood not far from him. He wore a wool hat and a dark brown autumn coat, playing with the fallen leaves.

“Boy, what are you doing?” Junyoung shouted.

The younger one turned his body and widened his eyes, “Oh, hello, hyung,” he bowed politely.

Junyoung walked closer and looked at the boy’s hand.

“Are you collecting dry leaves?”

“Ah…” he smiled awkwardly, “kind of…”

Actually Junyoung didn’t know about him well. His name was Ha Minwoo, his junior in high school yet his neighborhood. Both of them lived in the same apartment and their flats were side by side. He knew him, or it would be necessary to say that he recognized him, when he first entered the same high school as his, it was a year ago. Let's say that Junyoung started to know him since then while actually both of them had become neighbor since long ago. It was all because Minwoo never really looked like wandering much in his neighborhood, plus he seemed so shy in front of strangers.

Lately, because Junyoung felt a bit bad because he never recognize him as his neighbor before he went to the same high school as his, he tried to approach Minwoo. It’s been a year, but he didn’t really think his efforts were worth. These things made him became more curious about this Ha Minwoo boy.

He often saw Minwoo played with his classmates joyfully, while when he tried to talk with him, even in front of their flats, he still looked shy or awkward.

“What are you gonna do with that?”

“I just… like the orange ones,” the boy smiled, awkwardly.

Junyoung blankly nodded. He guessed that Minwoo was going to make something with that to be played with his friends at his school, like a prank. Minwoo never told him about his habit, make a prank to his classmate, but Junyoung knew it.

“Aren’t you going home?” Junyoung asked.

“Oh, yes, I was going to…”

Both of them walked together in silent until both, awkwardly, said good bye before they went in to their own flats.

***

The alarm beeped continuously until a firm hand pushed the stop button and lazily unveiled the blankets. Junyoung walked to the bathroom to wash his face and walked into the living room. His mother was busy doing something in the kitchen, and his father, maybe, already gone to work. Today was Saturday though, and the school was off.

He opened the transparent door which ruled him into the balcony, as usual, and peeped to the neighbor’s balcony.

There he was, Ha Minwoo, unconsciously rubbing his eyes. He just woke up, he thought. The boy was wearing a gray shirt and a towel was clung around his neck. It seemed like he’d just washed his face too.

Junyoung never realized since when he had this kind of habit: observing the neighbor, more specific, Ha Minwoo. One day he found that this was a creepy habit, kind of stalker, but then he shooed his thoughts with I was just curious since he was a bright person at school but suddenly became so polite in front of me.

 

“Minwoo-ya,” someone shouted from inside his house, maybe his mother or sister, “Happy birthday!”

 

Junyoung could saw Minwoo’s surprised facial expression before he laughed joyfully and went in to his flat again.

What? Today is his birthday?

There was a moment of silence, and well, he never thought to do something to Minwoo though, but it was kinda weird if he did nothing. He also didn’t know why, but he felt like it would be his last chance before his graduation in the next spring.

“But how?”

***

“What are you searching for?”

“A cake.”

“Cake?”

“Mom, can you bake a birthday cake? Oh, no, it’s too much.”

“What?” Junyoung’s mother stared at her son whom crouched in front of the refrigerator confusedly.

 

He was searching for a chocolate not long ago, he even asked her mother if they had any seaweed to be cooked as soup, and now he asked her mother to bake him a cake.

He sighed hopelessly.

 

“Is there someone whom had his or her birthday today?”

He nodded.

“Who? Kwanghee? Siwan?”

Junyoung sat on the dinner table with no spirit, “not them.”

“Is there someone else whom you closed to beside Kwanghee and Siwan?”

“We’re not close yet.”

“Wait, is it a girl?”

“Stop it, Mom,” Junyoung moaned.

His mother shook her head, “If it is a girl and you are not close yet with her, don’t freak her with a sudden gift, you’ll be mocked.”

“I'm not ugly though,” Junyoung annoyed, “and it wasn’t a girl.”

“A boy?”

“Just a junior that I take care of at school,” Junyoung walked away from his mother, afraid of being questioned more.

“Oh my God Moon Junyoung, just say a happy birthday then, or treat him a meal, why are you thinking so hard and messed the refrigerator like this?”

How can I ask him to get some meal while we walked together to our house awkwardly?

 

He gave up. The sky darkened and he still couldn’t figure it out what thing should he do for the neighbor. Forget it, it doesn’t matter, you didn’t give him anything last year too though, he tried to cover his thoughts. He walked to the balcony and found his neighbor’s balcony was empty, only the light from the opened door emitted out. He was enjoying the autumn night when suddenly he heard some noises from the neighbor.

 

“Minwoo-ya, where are you going?”

“Dad called me and asked me to buy him cans of beer before he arrived!”

 

It was Minwoo’s voice.

Junyoung didn’t hear anything else and walked quickly to his room to get his cardigan before he went to his front door.

***

“Alone?”

 

Minwoo who sat on the provided chair in front of the supermarket startled and politely greeted Junyoung. He drank a can of cola after went out from the supermarket.

“May I sit here?”

“Yes, hyung.”

 

Junyoung swear he must break their awkwardness this time.

“How’s your school?”

Minwoo blinked several times before answered, “Um… well, so far it is fine.”

 

There was a silence, again.

“Are you always like this?”

“Y-yes?”

“I saw you at school several times, I thought you are not a dim person,” Junyoung finally asked.

Minwoo bit his lips for a moment, “Am I? I’m sorry, hyung! I really didn’t mean to misunderstand you,” he scratched his head, “I was just trying to be polite.”

Junyoung stunned. That was the longest sentence Ha Minwoo ever gave to him, and he looked cute being panic.

 

“Am I looked disrespect to you?” he finally looked at Junyoung’s eyes.

“N-no,” stupidly he stuttered.

There it was, a moment of silence came again.

Junyoung tried hard to break it in his thoughts. His hand pulled out strawberry milk from the plastic bag which he got from the supermarket earlier and put it on the table before pushed it to Minwoo’s side.

“For you.”

“Me?”

 

Oh no. more awkward.

 

“Yes,” Junyoung nodded and tried to control his facial expression. He peeked and saw Minwoo’s little cute smile after receiving his milk.

“It’s your birthday anyway.”

Minwoo turned his head up, staring at the older, “How could you know, hyung?”

 

Damn.

 

“Um… I heard kind of happy-birthday-noises from you house…”

“Is it that loud??”

Junyoung raised his shoulder, tried to act cool. Actually it wasn’t that loud to be heard by the neighbor, but he was standing in front of the balcony after peeping at his birthday neighbor, how can he didn’t hear that?

“I’m sorry for disturbing you,” Minwoo apologized politely, again.

“Nah, it’s okay, and stop that formal thing you always did to me!” Yes, Junyoung finally said that. Honestly, he always wanted to be close with Minwoo and get rid any formal things between them.

Minwoo smiled and nodded.

 

“Oh,” the boy pulled out something from his jacket. It was the dried orange leaf that Junyoung saw on Minwoo’s hand yesterday, but it was laminated.

Junyoung blankly looked at it.

“For you, hyung.”

“Me?”

“I heard you are going to go to another town for your study.”

“Well…yeah, so?” he didn’t understand with the laminated orange leaf thing.

Minwoo scratched his head with his shy expression, “I just wonder if you may take it as a memory of your last autumn here.”

 

Junyoung raised his eyebrows. A bit surprised. No, not a bit.

“For me?”

Minwoo nodded again while smiling.

Junyoung took a long look at the laminated dried orange leaf on his hand. It was just a leaf, but it’s priceless.

Minwoo was a kind and bright kid. He’s not an arrogant person. He was just always shy in front of people whom he didn’t know before, so he took that polite manner everywhere. Finally Junyoung knew it.

 

He chuckled, “You are the one who had a birthday, why are you giving me the present?” he spontaneously patted Minwoo’s head, “thank you.”

Minwoo set his shy smile on his face again after sudden pats from Junyoung.

“Let me buy you something tomorrow,” Junyoung asked, “Let’s meet again.”

Minwoo’s smile got wider and he nodded right away.

 

That night both of them, finally, chatted more in front of the supermarket and got closer. Junyoung was very grateful that luckily Minwoo went to the supermarket tonight, so they could meet like this, while also Junyoung didn’t realize that Minwoo actually didn’t buy anything until both of them went home.