“This I want this!” I said to Sehun.

I was hangout with Sehun. We went to a famous accessories store in the town. I saw a beautiful necklace on the display. It was a simple necklace with a pearl on it. But I like it. And I want Sehun to buy it for me.

I saw Sehun’s face when he check the necklace’s price. He looked surprised and in trouble.

“It is beautiful. But the price is $750…” Sehun said to me.

Yes, I like this necklace because it was expensive.

“I can’t have it? It’s really cute” I asked Sehun and put the necklace back to the display spot.

“Yes…”

I entwined my fingers and place it in the bottom of my chin. I put my pleaded face and looked straight at Sehun’s eyes.

“Really, really, can’t?” I asked him again. Pleaded. And I think my method was successful now. I saw Sehun’s pinkish cheeks when he saw my pleaded face. And finally he gave up.

“I… I understand. I can’t win against you. You are cute. Here, give me the necklace. I’ll pay it”

I smiled brightly to him. “Yeaaaaay! I like you Sehun-ah~” I gave Sehun the necklace that I want. He received it and turned his body to go to the cashier. I waved at him and said I’ll wait him outside.

Yes. This is me. I really like playing with guy. I think it was easy to deceive a guy. As long as I looked at them with pleaded and pampered face, everything I want surely they would buy it for me. And they would hear everything I say. Because I born with beautiful face, I think it was right to use it well.

I exited the store. Everyday I feel happy. But I didn’t know why I feel something was deficient. I walked toward the door and suddenly someone bumped at me.

“Aaaaaaaaaaah”

I fell to the floor. I lift up my head to see who was bumped at me. It was a boy and he looked familiar to me. I analyzed the face. Wide set eyes. Chubby chubby cheeks. Thick eyebrows.

“I’m sorry. Are you okay? Eh? Ra Nee si?”

I looked at the person and a little bit flustered. I tried to remember his name. And finally I recognize him. He was a student council president of my school.

“Minseok si? Wow, what a coincidence to meet you here” I greeted him and stand up with his help. I looked at him. He was wearing a blue parka with a black shirt beneath it. It suited him well. “This is the first time I see you with a casual clothes. You are cute!”

“Eh? Cute?” Minseok made a face because of what I said but I ignore it.

“What are you doing here?” I asked that. Because it was unusual to see a guy in one of girls accessories store alone. Minseok flustered because what I asked. I notice his cheeks completely flushed now. I smirked.

“Eh? I…” Minseok stuttered and I bit back my giggles as the color slowly started to rise up Minseok’s face.

“Please don’t see me with that expression!”

“I know! You were stealing something here, right?” I guessed with still my teasing face on.

“No!!!”

I chuckled lightly at his flustered face. He was really cute. I could see him struggling to maintain his composure. “I know. I know. You are looking for a present, right? I surprised that our student council president already have a girlfriend~” I sing song.

“Eh?! Girlfriend?!!!” Minseok’s eyes widened. A warm, red flush crept up his cheeks as he fumbled for an explanation.

“Eh? It is not?”

Minseok scratch his not itchy head. “Not my girlfriend… But, it is her birthday soon. So I want to give her a present”

I looked at Minseok with my shocked face. It was out of my expectation that people like Minseok thinking about a girl. He always get top score in my school. So I think there was nothing in his head beside his study. I smiled at him. Teasing smile and nudge at him.

“What are you planning to give to her?” I asked him.

Minseok lift his hand that hold something. He showed me a twin hairpin with strawberry ornament on it. I frowned.

“Ugly!”

Minseok’s face turned gloomy after I said that.

“That ugly strawberry isn’t suit with high school student today! Twin hairpin also. Plebeian. Really really ugly.” I said that to him and I couldn’t miss his shocked face.

“Is it like that?”

“Yes!” I nodded at him and looked at him. He looked like that he was furious about what I said before. I prepared myself to receive any anger from him. But I tried to calm him first before something harsh come out from his mouth.

“Eh… Minseok si. I don’t mean to say a bad thing about that hairpin. If you want to give her that, it’s okay” I tried to assure him and looked in to his eyes and I shocked. His eyes was tearing up. He looked like he really sad. And he started crying. I feel guilty to him.

“I don’t have any girlfriend to ask about what I should give to her. I don’t know any girls interest” Minseok stuttered because he tried to hold up his cry.

I flustered because of his sudden cry. And people started looking at us. They think I’ve done something to him so that he was crying now. But it was not fully wrong after all. He was crying because of my insult about his choice.

“I… I understand! I’ll help you to choose something for her!” I said to him and he looked at me. Finally he stopped crying.

“Re… really?”

“Yes!” I nodded at Minseok to reassure him.

“Wa… Wait Ra Nee! What is this?! You are with me!!” Sehun walked closer to me and yelled at me. He tried to prevent me to go with Minseok. I took the paper bag that he hold. It was my necklace. I waved at him.

“Yeah. Thank you for the necklace. Goodbye!” After said that, I left Sehun and walked away with Minseok.

I talked with Minseok and asked him when I should accompany him to buy the present. And because he had course today, we decide to go tomorrow after school.

***

“Wait. Why I should secretly observe the girl that you like, Minseok si?”

I was in school’s library with Minseok. He asked me to secretly observe the girl that he like. He really looked like a stalker now. Secretly seeing his girl between the gaps of the book shelves. He turned his head to me.

“You must investigate all about her. So you can choose the present that suit her well”

I sighed after Minseok said that to me. Why I become troubled like this. He just want to give her a present, why he must doing something this troublesome. I think it would be finished if I accompany him to buy the present. Better if he didn’t think too much. Just bought her an expensive thing. She must be like it.

“Ah yes, Ra Nee si. I’m sorry about yesterday. I didn’t know you were in a date with your boyfriend”

“Eh? Boyfriend?” My eyebrows furrowed when I asked what he mean.

“Eum. The guy that was with you yesterday… He angry to you because of me…”

Then I remember. The guy who Minseok meant was Sehun. “Ah! He we are not dating! He is not my boyfriend. We just hangout. I just want him to buy me an expensive thing. I never picky with who I went hangout with. As he have money and not too ugly, it’s fine”

I observed Minseok’s face after I said that. His face didn’t look so good.

“Is it… Behavior like that is not good? Ah, not like that. Why you don’t appreciate yourself more?”

I startled when I heard that from Minseok. I know my behavior was bad and not good. But it was not his business, right?

“Why you are concerned about my business! Quickly show me the girl that you like! I’ll observe her!” I said that to Minseok with annoyed voice.

“Ah… Yes…” Minseok turned his body and showed me the girl that he like. “That’s the person”

I looked at her. She was tidying the book on the shelf. From what I see, she only ordinary girl. A girl with ponytail with bangs hair. She wear her uniform neatly. A top student style. Not beautiful but not ugly too. Really ordinary.

“She is Ah Reum sunbae. Our senior. What present that suit her?” Minseok asked me.

“Sorry. It was me that wrong” I said that to Minseok after I saw the girl that he like. “Just give her the hairpin that you choose yesterday”

“Eh? But you said it was ugly?”

“That’s why it suited her!!” I half yelled at him. Because we were in the library, I can’t make a noise. I looked at him and he looked a little annoyed.

“Ra Nee si…”

“I think you like someone that more pretty!”

“What do you mean?!”

“Just imagine it! What kind of stare will you get from people if you hang out or dating with her?! If you with her, you won’t feel proud on you”

“Hiaaaaa”

After I said that, I heard someone screaming. I and Minseok turned our head to the origin of the sound. And it was Ah Reum that was screaming before. She was being bumped by two students when she tidying the books. And now she was sitting on the floor with the books scattered around her.

“Sunbae…” Minseok called Ah Reum. And before he walked toward her. He turned his head to me and said something. “I want to date her not for show off in front of people!”

After said that, Minseok left me. He went to Ah Reum’s place and helped her. I stared at him intensely. He was helping her to stand up and helped her to tidy up the books too. And I was right. Minseok was different with other boy that I know. I had met a lot of boys, all of them different, many of them nice, but never one whose own visage embodied his true nature like Minseok.

‘I want to date her not for show off in front of people!’

I can’t believe someone would say words like that. But I think I can believe it if it was Minseok who said that.

***

“Hey, Minseok”

I called Minseok when he was busy looking at the accessories display in one of the mall’s accessories store.

“Why you like her?”

I could feel Minseok was startled when I ask him that even I didn’t see his expression.

“This! How about this earrings?!!”

Minseok showed me an earrings with strawberry decoration.

“Why strawberry again?!”

I asked him and stared at him. Then I smirked. Pleaded at him to explain something to me.

“Ukh… Fine! I’ll tell you. But please don’t tell anyone about this. It is a story about me when I was in middle school. My figure was really small. Not as tall as now.”

“Really?!”

“Yes. And I was a crybaby back then”

“I know that. And you still a crybaby now”

“Eh...?” Minseok’s face showed that he didn’t acknowledge about him still a crybaby. But he ignored that. “My friends always bullying me back then, without any exact reason. One day, I was secretly crying in the back of school’s building. And then I heard someone’s step. I panicked. I turned my head to see who was seeing me cry. And it was Ah Reum sunbae. I turned my head to avoid her and ducked my head to hide my face from her. I heard her step slowly approaching me and she tapped my shoulder. Then she gave me strawberry candy to cheer me up. She said strawberry is her favorite flavor. Since that, I determined to not being a crybaby again. And in high school, I will confessed to her”

I looked at Minseok’s face. What a manly face. But I can’t stand to not to . “But you were crying before…”

“I know!! I swear I won’t cry again! Never!!”

“Ah. So it is like that. It explained why you looking a present with strawberry decoration. You didn’t say that before. So I said that your choice was ugly!” I chuckled lightly at him and continued my words. “It’s okay. If you give her with all of your heart, I think she will understand your feeling” I give my smile to him.

Minseok smiled back to me. “Thank you”

“So, let’s look for thing with strawberry decorated!”

I dragged Minseok with me. We wandered around the mall. We entered every store in the mall one by one. And it not happened only once. We went together everyday after school until the birthday. Went to each mall in the city. And we still didn’t get the present that suit Ra Eum well. Eventhough I was somewhat reluctant to admit it, going around the town with Minseok was really fun.

We exited one store in Myeondong and sighed deeply.

“Still don’t get anything for her. It’s really hard. And tomorrow is her birthday already” I said to Minseok.

“Yes. Why we still don’t get the present” Then Minseok paused his walk and saw someone. “Ah! It is her!!!” He yelled and I turned my head. I saw him pointed at someone and my eyes followed the direction. And it was really her.

Minseok held my wrist and dragged me with him. He took me to get closer to Ra Eum place and then he made me hide in one of the ambush. He asked me to secretly follow her. One thing that I didn’t understand, why I must hiding. She didn’t know me though. But I still followed Minseok to hide from her.

She was with her two other friend. She just came out from minimarket. She held something in her hand. A food I believe it.

“Ah Reum. You really like strawberry, huh? That is strawberry buns, right?” One of Ah Reum’s friends asked her.

“Yes! Strawberry is really delicious!” Ah Reum answered her friend and bite her buns. “Strawberry buns is delicious. But the most delicious is strawberry cake! I want to eat a pan of cake that have a lot of strawberry on it alone”

I heard that conversation with Minseok. I glanced at him. And I know. What was in my mind was already in my mind. We quickly went to the supermarket together to realize what was in our mind for Ah Reum’s birthday present.

***

The day after, Minseok bring the cake ingredients that he bought with me yesterday, we went to school’s kitchen to make the cake. Minseok was made the cake alone. I just watching him. And finally the strawberry cake finished. I looked at Minseok’s work. It was not bad from the outside. As Ah Reum’s wants, Minseok put many strawberry as a garnish for the cake.

I massage my temple. Feeling a little dizzy. “It is not bad for giving cake as a present. But…” I looked at the cake and pointed at that with my index finger. “Are you sure the taste will be fine?!!!”

“Maybe I must add the strawberry again…” Minseok murmured and put a strawberry on the cake, ignoring me.

“Hey? Are you even listening to me?!!” I yelled at him. But he seems didn’t bothered by me.

“Where’s the wrap…”

Minseok wrapped the cake into a box. He wrapped it carefully, didn’t want to ruin the cake. Finally the cake already wrapped in a box with a bow on it. He hold the box really carefully and exited the kitchen. I followed him.

We stopped at the lockers and checked the gift again.

“But, thankfully, it finished on time” I said that to Minseok.

“Eum!” Minseok nodded.

“If then, I’ll wait the good news!”

“Yes…”

I looked at Minseok.  And I saw his smile on his face. Really a beautiful smile.

“Thank you for everything. It turns out you are not like that I think during this time”

I ducked my head to hide my expression from Minseok. I couldn’t say or show him that I little sad because it is maybe our last encounter with each other. “Me too. I’m happy getting closer with you” I said that, refusing to show my disappointment face.

Then I tried to make a happy expression. I lift my head and give him a teasing smirk. I high fived him. “Fighting! I wish you won’t cry later!”

“I won’t crying!!!”

After said that, Minseok walked away from me. He paused a while and waved at me. I waved him back. After he fully showed his back to me, I ducked my head and frowned. But after a while, I didn’t heard a door being opened. I lift my head and saw Minseok stopped at the door. His hand on the door but he didn’t pushed it. His eyes darted to outside and I can’t analyzing his expression because I couldn’t see his face.

“Minseok?” I asked him and walked closer to him. “What happened?”

My eyes widened and my mouth half opened when I saw to outside the building. I saw Ah Reum with another guy. I saw her linked her hand with him. She looked at the guy lovingly and give him a bright smile. As the world was just for the two. And I saw their figure slowly disappeared from my sight. And I couldn’t looked at Minseok’s expression. My heart broke a little as I watched him watching Ah Reum behind the glass.

***

I went with Minseok to a park near the school. He sat on one of the benches and didn’t say anything since he saw Ah Reum with another guy. He didn’t give her the cake. I looked at him with sympathy. I allowed myself a depressed sigh as I watch him.

Then Minseok lifted up his head and smile at me. I was sure that was fake.

“Sorry, it is my fault. I don’t know that her already have a boyfriend. Let’s go home”

Minseok said that with painful voice. I can’t stand to look his this broken.

“Minseok….”

“Yes… I’m a little shocked now. But, I’m okay…”

After that, he smacked his face with his hands. Hiding his face. He was crying and he didn’t want me to see him in that state. It made me want to cry too.

“I’m sorry. I said I wouldn’t crying again…”

After Minseok said that I rose up from my seat. I encircled my hands around his neck and pulled him in my embrace. His head on my shoulder. I hugged him tightly. I felt Minseok a bit startled because of what I do. But then he didn’t hesitate anymore. He cried on my shoulder. And I patted his head, tried to assure him that everything would be alright.

I felt a little bit guilty to Minseok. My heart was beating very fast now because of the hug. And I know Minseok would heard it too. But I couldn’t doing anything to fix that.

Minseok cried for two hours. Nonstop.

“Aaaah. What a relief” Minseok said that while walking to exit the park. His eyes was swollen really bad. Of course. He cried for two hours though. It would be strange if his eyes not swollen after two hours of crying.

“Thankfully if you fell that. And your face is really terrible now, you know?” I said that to Minseok.

“I know. But I confused with what I should do to this puffy eyes” Minseok sighed. “But now I have a great feeling for continue my life. Maybe it only my reason to get over this. But it is better, right?” Minseok paused and glanced at me. “And there’s still you beside me”

I surprised with what Minseok said to me. Maybe he didn’t know what he mean with what he said before. But I let it off, as long as he was happy, I’m okay for now. I would thinking about how to make him looking at me. And I know. It would be a fun fight to make him mine.