Seoul, 2013.

A letter arrived from Los Angeles after being sent one week before. With chocolate envelope, and an old kind of ancient stamp.

From : Jessica

It says.

I opened the envelope. And found a white piece of paper, with flowers design all around.

It brings back memories, I thought.

I read the letter that my sister wrote by herself.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your face, Soojung.

How are you ? Are you fine living by yourself like that ?

If you’re worried about me being alone at L.A, then you don’t need to.

I’ve lived together with my best friend here. And, I’m doing fine.

Well, how ‘bout you ? When are you going to come back here ?

I really missed you.

I stopped reading for a while before reading the second part. I gulped down my saliva and started reading again.

Do you remember your sweet seventeen party ?

And since before, have you ever met that guy again ?

I felt a fire pierced through my heart.

I met him yesterday, and he told me to tell you that one day, he is going to see you again.

Isn’t that romantic ?

You should meet him soon. He’s looking for you.

I closed the letter and put it inside the drawer, and locked it.

The memories that I’ve locked deeply inside all went out at that moment.

I still remember perfectly what had happened back then at my sweet seventeen party.

A memory that once was remembered, but now is forgotten. And my sister, reminded me about it again.

Los Angeles, 2011

In the midst of the full packed city, I was there. Standing in the middle of the lonely park.

The wind blew my hair, and made all the petals ran away.

There, I sat down, listening to my music. And hummed along.

Just then, another thing drew my attention.

A guy with a natural blond hair and a model posture was standing in the midst of the trees.

The time I saw him, I clearly knew who he was.

The mysterious guy, Kris Wu. He’s known as the coldest guy and the coolest guy at school. Girls go crazy for him.

But well, he acted like it was nothing.

I stared at him….

“What are you looking at ?”

My eyes blinked.

He noticed me from afar. Guess he got perfect eyesight.

“What are you looking at ?”, he asked again.

“N-Nothing. I’m looking at those trees”

“You’re not looking at me ?”

“N-No”, that’s a lie, “Why would I ?”

“Ah, I see”

“Guess you’re too over confident”

“What ?”

“Nothing. I’m just mumbling to myself”

He chuckled. “Weird”

That was, our first conversation.

“Oh”, he noticed, “hey”

“O-oh”

Every time we passed by, we didn’t talk much. But I felt, we talked a lot.

That were the times before the days of my seventeen. Sweet, and cute ?

2 days before my sweet seventeen party.

“Sweet seventeen ?”, he asked.

“Uh-huh”

“Why would you invite me ? We’re not even that close”

“No. We’re close. Because of that greetings”

“Weird girl. Okay, fine. Thanks”

It was precisely 5 hours before the big news.

5 hours later.

“Kris Wu ? I heard he’s going to transfer to another campus this week”, Amber said.

“What ? He’s going to ?”

“Well, it’s just the rumor I heard about”

I ran out of my classroom and search for him.

But, nowhere.

I guess he’s still having his class, since he was in different grade.

I decided to ask him after the classes finished.

But well, maybe we’re not fated to meet with each other.

Even if it was after all of it were finished, or not.

We were just not meant to be.

1 day before my sweet seventeen party.

“Are you really going to transfer ?”

“Well, you heard about it”, he answered.

“Then, when ?”

“Maybe, tomorrow”

A hole was made in my heart.

“I-I see”

I left him right after then.

That time, the feeling was like falling down from the sky.

After reaching the top part of the sky, a hole suddenly appeared and I ended up falling down, and hit the ground hardly.

I realized that I wasn’t only attracter to him,

But I fell for him.

And was rejecter before I even confessed.

Nothing went well.

Sweet seventeen.

“You look pretty”, my sister said.

“Thanks, sis”

I was wearing a bright blue dress with blue roses as decorations. It’s bright. But unlike me, I was totally dark.

All I could do is to fake a smile, even at the most important day of my life.

All my friends gave me birthday wishes, gifts, kisses and hugs. But, not as sincere as they were, all I did was fake.

“I’m going to get some fresh air. Enjoy yourself”, I said.

I grabbed my vest and went out.

Walked through the rough road in front of the ballroom. Humming along my favorite song. Stepping on the little stones. Breathing in the night air.

And then…

A miracle happened.

Flower petals came down from above. A red and white petal came down. And the pink petals followed.

I looked up. It’s snowing flowers.

No. It’s not snowing.

Kris. Did that.

“Happy birthday”, he shouted from above, “Sorry I’m late”

My real smile came out. He ran down towards me, bringing a bouquet of red, white and pink flowers.

“Sorry, the petals are all gone. It’s for the snow earlier”, he said, handing me the bouquet.

“Thanks”

“And, one last gift”

His face came closer towards mine.

Then…

A kiss landed on my cheek.

1 second.

2 second.

3 second.

4 second.

5 second.

He pulled his face back and smiled. “Don’t think too much about it. It’s just how Americans greet others right ?”

My mind was blank.

Although I know it was just a greeting, still, I felt a bit precious.

All I could do is to just touch my cheek and smiled.

Just then, a firework blasted on the sky. Clearing up my mind.

On the dark sky, there comes the bright firework. Lighting up the darkness.

On the dark me, there comes you. Who light up the darkness in my heart.

After the party, we never see each other again. He left me a photo, where he and I, the two of us were in it.

And then, one week after he transferred, I moved to Korea.

I started to live alone, study at Korea’s university, and forgetting all that had happened to me when I once was at the L.A.

But…

Some memories were never meant to be forgotten. Even though if we tried to forget about it, there are just some ways to remind us about it.

And it’s just like how it is now.

Maybe… Right now, we’re just meant to be.

I reminded myself about once, when I greeted him, I will always greets him first. And that never happened.

Right now, if I get to meet him once a…

“Hey, Soojung !”

My head turned. A familiar figure and voice. The one who makes the dark becomes light.

Right now, if I get to meet him once again,

I’ll smile honestly, greet him, and thinks of it as the best miracle that has ever happened in my life.

“Hey ! Kris !”

Probably, my seventeen, was the start of it.

~

“A birthday is a miracle that happens once a year,

 Being thankful for the day that we have born,

 Being a special person,

 And to give and receive wishes,

 It’s what birthdays are.

Happy birthday and be happy"