Hae Won was surprised seeing the familiar face at school the next morning. She smiled at the guy who was leaning on the window frame at the narrow school alley, looking so uncomfortable because he’s still in recovering period. Hae Won walked closer, giving a warm greeting as a friend, like there was no problem between them before.

“Good morning,” Hae Won said, shoving her head from the left side.

“Ah, hello,” Joon nervously replied.

“I didn’t know you’re allowed to leave the hospital already,” Hae Won stood beside Joon before the bell rang. “And sorry I didn’t visit you often.”

“That’s okay...I already feel better though. No reason to stay longer there,” Joon made his excuse. Hae Won nodded her head lightly, she didn’t ask him more question. “So, how are you ?”

“I’m great. A little bit tired because I’ve studied too much,” Hae Won smile vapidly. Suddenly the atmosphere between them became awkward. Joon tried to relax himself and erase the moment that happened in front of Seung Ho’s apartment before. But the fact he heard before Hae Won addressed him hit Joon again.

“So, I heard about you and Seung Ho,” Joon continued. “Something happened at the school gate.”

Hae Won tried to stay calm.

“Are you guys officially couple now ?”

Hae Won couldn’t hide her redden face. Seeing Hae Won’s body reaction, Joon could only put light grin on his face. He should give up soon. Facing the view framed by the window, Joon calmly stated, “I think I don’t need to protect you anymore.”

“Joon-ah...What are you talking about ?” Hae Won disagreed. “You said it like you don’t want to be my friends anymore. What if I need a friend to go to the arcade together or watching movie or just laughing at random things ?! You’re still my best friend !”

Joon knew nobody could change Hae Won the kind-hearted girl.

“Listen,” Hae Won circled her arm around Joon’s arm. “I understand that we’re still awkward with each other. To be honest I was surprised that you kissed me that night. I never knew you have that kind of feeling toward me. I personally feel bad because I can’t reply your feeling, Joon-ah. I’m—”

“Don’t say sorry !” Joon cut off. “It only makes me feel like a loser.”

“What I’m trying to say is,” Hae Won continued. “I’m really grateful to know you. I know you care about people that close to you alot. So, please, since we’re still friends, don’t act differently to me after ‘that’ situation between us. Please care and protect me as much as before.”

Joon bursted out laughing. He noticed the awkward wall between them slowly had been collapsed,“Ya, Kim Hae Won, you are really awesome... Okay, I take back my word. As a friend, I’ll care and protect you—but not as much as before, because you already have your own prince charming.”

Hae Won laughed, “Please, Seung Ho is not even close to prince charming-type.”

“True, especially after he punched me on the face,” Joon made the girl beside him giggled.

“Actually,” Hae Won continued, “there’s someone you should protect more than me.”

Joon knew who’s she’s talking about. Hae Won didn’t have to mention that name because both of them were close friends of that person. Joon did feel grateful for having someone who cared about him alot, but he’s afraid it’s too early to say that he likes her more than just friends. So Joon only replied shortly, “Ah...her...”

Wondering at Joon’s short reply, Hae Won asked further, “What ?”

“I’m really grateful that I have someone who cares about me so much, although I’m a little bit late knowing this. But I’m afraid, my feelings right now is a wrong feeling,” Joon explained. “She’s facing her own problem—you know, her parents—while hoping me to respond her feeling. Like if I tell JiYeon I like her, it will be sound like—”

“You like her because you feel sorry for her,” Hae Won straightly said her thought.

And Joon agreed with that, “Exactly.”

What they didn’t notice, JiYeon had listened to their conversation about her from the very beginning. She was standing behind them, close enough to hear everything. She gripped the bag’s strap on her shoulder hardly, entering the class without saying anything.

*

“Yang Seung Ho, I brought you dinner !” Hae Won shoutted as she unlocked the door. There was no answer from the owner of the apartment. Hae Won continued walking in and put the plastic bag on the table. She looked around and sighed at the messy room. “Yaish, why he messed his room so much.”

Hae Won started cleaning the room by putting the books back to their shelves. She collected the dirty clothes and put them on the laundry basket. When she grabbed the last piece of clothes, something fell to the floor making the light thud sound. Hae Won remembered that square leather thing she saw before. As she got a chance to look closer without Seung Ho’s interuption, Hae Won noticed that it was an old leather wallet. She spun the wallet in her hand, opened it and saw an old picture inside . The edge of the old photo was burnt and the colour was fading, but Hae Won still could recognize the two people in that picure : the older version of Seung Ho and the younger version of Seung Ho in one picture. Both of them looked so happy together, the older one—Hae Won believed he’s Mr. Yang—circled his arm around the young boy’s neck. The sunlight their wide smile, giving a warm feeling through a blurry image.

Hae Won couldn’t hide her smile staring at the picture. Maybe because Seung Ho had been through lots of hard times before they knew each other, she hadn’t seen any sincere smile just like the little Seung Ho on the picture.

“Touching other people stuff without their permission is disrespectful.” Hae Won startled when Seung Ho suddenly appeared from behind. He moved forward trying to grab the wallet, but Hae Won dodged. “Ya !!”

“Do you want to talk about it ?” Hae Won asked, taking another steps to stay away from Seung Ho.

“Kim Hae Won, give it back now.”

“I want to know more about your father.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. Give me the wallet.”

“But I want to know,” Hae Won quickly moved to another direction when Seung Ho approached her.

“Kim Hae Won, stop playing around.”

“Not until you tell me more about him.”

“HE’S ALREADY DEAD, OKAY ?!”

Hae Won stopped when Seung Ho shoutted. She froze as Seung Ho finally grabbed the wallet and threw it somewhere. Seung Ho sighed, “I said I don’t want to talk about it. Knock it off.”

Hae Won never meant to make Seung Ho so angry. She suddenly felt guilty because she just made Seung Ho threw his personal stuff somewhere. The memory behind the picture might be so precious for Seung Ho that he never got rid off the picture from its place. Hae Won also didn’t mean to make fun of it, she literally wanted to know more about Seung Ho’s dad. “I’m sorry,” Hae Won said, “I just want to know the guy that becomes the reason why you hate my dad. Remember that we’re still in this complicated situation ?”

Seung Ho realized that he’s overreacted. He turned his head to Hae Won, but the girl already walked to the front door. “Hae Won-ah,” he called.

“Your dinner is at the table,” Hae Won wore her shoes while facing her back to Seung Ho. “I should go home now, I have to study.”

Hae Won closed the door behind her. She left the apartment area with empty feelings. Instead of crying, she was so angry to herself because she brought back the memory Seung Ho wanted to forget the most. The death of his father. It was not his fault that he ended up hating Hae Won’s father for what he did to his family, but Hae Won still wanted to know the full story behind it. She wanted to know everything about Seung Ho’s life she never knew. Her thought kept spinning around until she reached the bus halt. She was sitting alone on the bench until a shadow covered her from the street light.

She looked up and saw Seung Ho was breathing heavy after running to chase her. White thin smoke came out from his mouth because of the cold weather. His blonde hair was in a mess. “Let’s go out to eat,” Seung Ho said between his breath.

“But I already bought you. It’s on the table,” Hae Won innocently replied.

Seung Ho grabbed Hae Won’s hand and pulled her body to get up, “I’ll it eat later. Let’s find something hot to eat, somewhere...and I’ll tell you everything you want to know about me.”

-

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