Taeyang pulled back.

He loves my best friend.

Those words lingered on his mind for too long he felt that the silence was becoming awkward. He shook away the idea.

No. I know Dara is her best friend but I’m not the only one who likes her right?

He edged closer to Bom. He was already on the edge of falling from his swing.

Bom felt him pulling back when she said that then she felt him pulling close again. Whatever. I have to tell him now. If not now, when?

She continued. “…he’s my childhood friend and he calls me a moron,” she faced Taeyang who wore a shocked expression, his eyes wide open, but he never pulled back. “I love you, Taeyang. I’ve fallen for you. I’ve been keeping these feelings for years now,” her face was tear-stricken. “I love you.”

Awkward silence…

Awkward distance of faces…

Bom stood up, immediately wiping the tears on her face. She was about to go home alone. She doesn’t want to face Taeyang now.

Taeyang was late to react. He was still in shock. But when Bom stood up, he woke up from his reverie. “Bommie!”

Bom was shocked. She never expected Taeyang would call her. She expected to ignore her. She hoped Taeyang would say something about his confession of love that’s why she turned.

“Let’s go home,” Taeyang said plainly. He gave her his helmet. He wasn’t able to bring one for her. But Bom shook her head.

Taeyang started the engine. Bom got on behind him. She was scared. This is her first time to ride a motorbike, especially now that she’s with Taeyang. But she felt safe.

“Put your arms around my waist,” Taeyang ordered.

Bom hesitated but followed. She was shaking. She was crying. She hoped Taeyang didn’t notice.

But he did. He didn’t say anything. He was too mad – too mad at himself – for not realizing her feelings for him, for being dense, for even teasing her that she’s jealous of Dara – which is right. She WAS jealous of Dara. How come you haven’t noticed? He told himself.

Dara saw it all from her window. She thought if she had said the right things to her. It was as if the things didn’t turn out the way she wanted it to be. Maybe it was too early. Because she knows Taeyang still likes her. She thought if what she must’ve had to do was to make him realize his feelings for Bom. But she failed. She wanted to help her friend. But not now. She has things on her mind. Especially the thing she told Bom.

It’s never wrong to love someone who you think you would not fall for. It’s never wrong to love a friend.

Tonight he’s not thinking of Jiyong. Tonight, he’s thinking of someone else.

“Seung hyun…” she whispered as she looked over the playground. “It’s been some time.” She sighed and closed the curtains of his window and turned in to sleep.

“Taeyang! Bom!” Jiyong said running down the stairs. “It’s good that you arrived safely.”

But Taeyang went straight to his bedroom. Jiyong just got ignored. He turned to Bom.

“The maids told me you were not yet here then I found out Taeyang left to get you. Where were you? ”

“At Dara’s. I’m sorry I made you worry,” she said plainly and went straight to her bedroom too.

Jiyong was left standing at the middle of the living room. He just got ignored by the two. He’s not used to being ignored. So he just ignored them too.

Taeyang went straight to the shower. He knew he was haggard from looking for Bom.

As for Bom, she lied down on her bed. Tears fell from her eyes again. Not a good decision. She stood up and removed the jacket she was wearing. The jacket, she remembered. She was about to go to Taeyang’s room when she felt her body sticky from sweat and face from tears. So she showered too.

When she was done, she immediately put on her pajamas and went to Taeyang’s room with his jacket neatly folded on her hands.

She knocked but the door was open, so she entered. At the same time, Taeyang just got out from the bathroom, topless, with a towel on his dripping wet hair and another around his waist.

Bom squealed and immediately turned. “I-I’m sorry,” she stammered. “The door was opened so I entered… and I…”

“Bommie,” Taeyang called.

“Yes?” Bom turned around. She saw once again his body, his awesome body – his perfectly-shaped abs and bare chest. She felt her face red, so she lowered her head.

“If you came to return my jacket just place it at my bed,” he said and continued to dry his hair.

So she did. After that, she stepped back and left the room.

Taeyang looked longingly at the still-opened door. “I don’t want our friendship to be affected.”

The next morning, at the limousine, Jiyong felt himself squished at the side. He noticed Bom too closed to him, with a space between her and Taeyang.

There’s something wrong with these two, he thought.

As soon as they got off the car, Jiyong could notice the two not fighting nor teasing each other like they usually do; instead they went to two separate ways, once again leaving him alone in the middle. He just shook his head. Let them fix these themselves.

At lunch, while Bom was talking with Dara and Honey, they met Taeyang at the hallway. Bom immediately shut and lowered her head. Dara noticed this.

“What happened, Bom?” Dara asked.

“Nothing. It’s just…” she hesitated. “I did what you told me.”

“What I told you?” Dara seemed to forget. She thought for a second. “Oh, last night? So, how did it go?” She knew it didn’t go well. She saw how they were last night. But still, she wanted to know all the details.

“Now, it’s as if I’m inexistent.”

“That’s normal.”

“It’s not helping Dara,” Bom said.

Dara hugged her friend. “I’m sorry if I’m not a good adviser, Bommie. But I’m sure it’s going to work out the way you want it to be,” she said then pulled back. “Come, let’s eat our lunch.”

“I’m going to the rooftop to freshen my mind. Eat with Honey instead,” Bom said then left.

Dara didn’t have a chance to protest.

At the rooftop, the fresh air breezed against her face, her red hair flying beautifully behind her.

After making sure that there are no people on the rooftop, she started to talk to the wind. “Stupid! Stupid Bom! I’ve fallen for the wrong person. How I wish I never told him my feelings.” She doesn’t want to blame her best friend from advising her to pursue her feelings so instead she thought positively.

In the classroom…

“Dara!” Honey called. “A visitor!”

“Who’s she?” Dara asked.

“Not a she. He’s a he!” Honey said excitedly.

Dara rushed outside the classroom and saw Taeyang.

“Where’s—“

Taeyang was cut off by Dara. “At the rooftop. She can use some company,” Dara winked and left.

Dara was right. Taeyang can see Bom talking to the sky. She can really use some company. And he might help.

“Bommie!” Taeyang called.

She was hesitant to look back. She knows the voice very much. But she still did.

“I came here to—“

Taeyang was cut off. “Are you mad at me?” Bom asked.

“Why would I be?”

“I don’t know. Because of last night, perhaps.”

“No. I’m even happy that you were able to tell me what you really feel. There’s no other girl like you, nowadays.”

“But you were ignoring me since this morning,” Bom felt a tear fell from her eyes.

“I was angry at myself,” Taeyang walked towards her with a smile on his face. He wiped off the tear from her face. “You know, we’ve been friends since we were kids. For all those years, you kept your feelings to yourself. What I’m angry at myself was that how I became so dense and I never once speculated you had feelings for me. And I just realized, how could I be so stupid to not see this coming?”

“No, I’m the stupid one; I told you my feelings at the wrong time. When you were ready to give your heart away to Dara, I’m stupid. I destroyed our friendship because of my feelings.”

“No,” Taeyang reached out and hugged her. “We’re still friends.”

Friends? Bom thought.