[ In Class, during break-time ]

“Stella, it’s your birthday today. Let’s go somewhere to celebrate!”

Cherry went to Stella’s seat along with a few classmates, surprising the class by talking loudly about Stella’s birthday. All classmates paid attention to them and some classmates rushed to go to her seat too.

“It’s your birthday, Class President? Then let’s celebrate it together after class!”
“Yes we all would love to go. Let’s go altogether!”
“Yes let’s go!...”
“Can I go too?…”
“I would love to go too…”
“Yes, it’s a wonderful day because it’s our lovely class president…”

All classmates kept insisting Stella that she couldn’t refuse. “Thank you for all the love! Let’s go somewhere!”

“Yeahhhhhhh!!!” all classmates made victory noise in harmony.

“How about Karaoke?” a classmate gave his idea.

“It sounds good. Let’s go to the old shop where we celebrated new term together!” another classmate spoke up her idea.

After making agreement to go to Karaoke shop to celebrate Stella’s birthday, some classmates started gossiping and some turned to look at me… looked like they hesitated if they should invite me or even if they invite me I would join or not….. I ignored them by putting on ear-phone and left the class, intending to skip all the rest of lectures today.

“Really ill-mannered! I guess we don’t have to invite him.”
“That beauty he has can’t make him popular because of his rude behavior.”
“Such an unsociable person!”

These are all words that my classmates were gossiping about me. They were talking in small voice but I could hear it well. It is a bit hurt but nothing I can do with it.

-----

I went to sleep on the green grass at playground as always… I wish I could follow the original past where I went to join everyone at Karaoke shop to celebrate her birthday today. It was a happy day back then. I remember how she laughed and enjoyed the moment with all of us that day. I believe what is happening in the party today is exactly the same so I will just recall it and celebrate alone at a different place from them.

-----///-----

At this hour, maybe everyone and Stella are enjoying celebrating her birthday. I remember we finished the party around 8PM. Now it’s 7:30PM so in half an hour, the party will be finished.

I was walking alone on the street without having the exact destination. While walking, I was thinking about how I was enjoying her birthday party 7 years ago today and I couldn’t stop smiling.

After two hours walked, I arrived at Namsan Tower's Love Locks without realizing myself…. Ahh why did I come here?... I hit my own head lightly a few times for being this clumsy as it’s quite far from my rent house and I need to take a few hours to go back…..

“I didn’t even think of it. Why did I end up coming here?”…. I stood still, looking at the tower from the ground while questioning myself. However, since I was already here and not to waste my energy walking here, I decided to have a look a little bit so I entered.

[ Namsan Tower's Love Locks ]

It’s 9PM. There are still many couples here. Everyone comes here with their partners because we can’t lock the love lock alone. I’m the weird one right now. I came here alone and especial in school uniform, everyone looked at me like an alien. I felt a bit awkward so I turned back, intending to leave. But suddenly, I saw a familiar figure was standing not so far from me at a corner.

It was Stella…

Without thinking twice, I walked to her because I was curious why she was here at this hour. I was standing quietly right behind her and she didn’t realize my presence yet. She was emotionally standing alone, looking at those Love Locks.

“Here is the place that couples usually come together to lock their love, right? I’m sorry to break the rule but I want to lock a lock too tonight.” She said as she took out a pink lock from her bag.

She closed her eyes and crossed her fingers together with the lock. “Please make my crush love me back! I don’t know why but I love him so much. Love so much that I want to be a part of his life and future. I love Hwang Minhyun.” She prayed then locked the lock.

I was so shocked to hear. I thought I already made her hates me but why….. Why does her love for me not change? Why can’t I change her past of loving me?.....

She finished locking the lock then turning back to leave suddenly she bumped into me who has been silently standing behind her.

“Min… Minhyun…” she got surprised to see me.
I was dropping my tears in front of her sadly. She looked lost and confused to see me in that condition. “Minhyun, did you hear…” she couldn’t finish her words yet, I pulled her into my embrace and made her lost her words.

“Why do you love me? Why don’t you hate me? I want you to hate me. Please hate me!” I burst out crying louder as pain and stress kept rising up. “Please don’t love me!”

I was hugging her and crying so hard. She remained silent and didn’t protest with my embrace at all. A moment later, she patted my back to calm me down. “So you heard everything…”

I released her from my embrace. She was already crying too. I looked into her eyes. I cupped her face with both hands. “I hope what I heard isn’t true. Please don’t love me! Please stop loving me right here so that you won’t be hurt.” I tried to speak up with my shaky voice that full of ton of sadness inside my chest.

She kept crying, looking at me. “Why can’t I? If you can’t love me back, just allow me to love you alone. I’m fine with one-sided love. Allow me to love you until the day that I stop. Can I? Please give me that permission!” she was asking with sincere eyes that full of tears.

I faced down to escape from those innocent eyes. I continued crying. It took me a while to collect my power to give a reply to her. “Why do you lov