*There was a slight change from the school time:
It's no longer half the school year, but the end of school year.

They remained silent and frozen for a while. Haneul sat there and Seokmin stood there like they were statues.

It was safe to say it was a very awkward silence. Too awkward.

He was smiling. She was trembling.

Seokmin inhaled, preparing to finally speak, when his phone rang. Talk about timing.

He took out his phone to answer the call, ‘Kim Mingyu, I will murder you tonight,’ he thought to himself as he swiped right.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m…” Seokmin looked at Haneul, “I’m with Haneul.”

He heard Mingyu choke over the phone, and then his coughs, “Wait, what?! You are?! Where?!”

They were still looking directly into each other’s eyes when Seokmin let out a sigh, “Somewhere. Listen, we still need to talk, I’ll call back later, yeah?”

Mingyu replied back before Seokmin ended the call, still looking at Haneul.

Neither of them can tell whether it was an intense eye contact or, again, just plain awkward.

Seokmin stifled a laugh, “You were supposed to come down here and play with me,” he said as he climbed the bleachers and sat right beside Haneul. Her eyes only followed him until he was sat.

It was silent again.

Haneul was still frozen, she looked terrified.

Seokmin smiled, “How are you?” No response, “Yah,” he called. Still silent, “Haneul…?”

She began blinking, shook her head a little before looking at Seokmin. To his surprise, she jumped up and then down a step before facing him, “Seokmin!” A very bewildered expression plastered on her face.

Seokmin’s heart fluttered after hearing her voice once again. He only laughed, “Is this how you’re going to play with me?” He stood up and planned to approach her nearer, but she took a little step back.

“W… What are you doing here?”

“I moved here around two years ago, Haneul, just before high school started” he replied, his signature smile back onto its place, “I should be asking you that too,” he smiled, “I thought you were in America,” he told her. He instantly regretted it when he saw Haneul’s expression darken and she looked down.

She looked away, to the side this time. “Ah, that…” Haneul sat down on the step, “You must be mad at me, huh?”

The boy only stifled a laugh, “Do I look mad to you?”

“No, but you never show what you’re truly feeling unless you can’t hide it,” Haneul remarked.

Seokmin moved down next to her, and this time she didn’t even make any movement, “I’m not mad,” he stated, wanting to ease her mind.

Haneul turned to him in shock, “But you should be,” she replied, “I avoided you, I left you, my best friend, and didn’t even say goodbye.”

“To tell you the truth, I was only saddened that I had to know from your friends,” Seokmin’s voice was as soft as ever, “And that yeah… You left without telling me,” He let out a deep sigh as he leaned back on the higher step, “But someone once told me people do things for a reason,” he looked at her, implying that she knew who that person was, “So I looked at it that way.”

Haneul also sighed, “I’m sorry,” she said, “I know it sounds insincere and that I’m only apologising because I saw you again,” she hugged her knees and rested her chin on them, “but I’ve practiced saying it in my head for millions of times.”

“I forgive you,” Seokmin immediately answered, “in a few conditions.”

Haneul looked at him, “What?”

Seokmin leaned closer, making Haneul’s heart race, “We continue where we left off.”

Haneul blinked, confused, “What?”

Before replying, Seokmin went back to his previous position, “Well, it’s not exactly going to be the same and all, I mean our parents aren’t here, and you’ve sold your house so I can’t wait in front of it anymore…” He started to blabber, “Oh, but hey, you’re in another class right? 2-C? With Minah? She’s very nice, by the way, I wasn’t even surprised when I found out she was the one assisting you…”

Haneul stared at him, a small grin forming on her lips. One other thing she loved about him was that he’d just blabber on about things excitedly and it’d make him shine even more, because these are things that he loves talking about.

“Anyways, so I can wait for you in front of your classroom like I used to,” Seokmin was still going, the excitement in his voice was still audible, “Oh! And you’ve got to meet my friends! I told them about you and they’re excited to meet you!” He was so hyped about it, like he always have been about things and people he treasures most; especially towards Haneul.

She was trapped in a trance, just staring at Seokmin, watching him talk intensely and smile. But she came back to reality and immediately realized what situation she was in. Haneul knew… She knew she had to answer quickly, “No.”

“They did say they we—” He was still in his blabbering session when he heard that word. For one, Seokmin had never had Haneul turn him down, ever. Secondly, it hit him. It hit him that Haneul said ‘no’ to probably everything he suggested, “Wha… What do you mean ‘no’?”

“Ah- I- Tha- That came out wrong,” her tongue got tied and she didn’t know how to respond. Internally, she was surprised at herself for even being able to say that to