I fell in love . . .

Woah, wait, WHAT?!

My eyes widen as I realize what I just said. I quickly look down to hide my face; in case, he reads my thoughts with his sharp eyes.

I did not just say that. No way! There is no way someone can fall in love in a single day! It's ONE day! Shincha-

Calm down, you. Just calm down. Now, think about this rationally - why do you l-l-love him?

Is it his . . . face? eyes? lips? voice? What is it about him that attracts you so?

If it's his looks that attracts you, know this: it will eventually fade. His face will lose the sharpness you so admire; his eyes will not smoulder as it once did; his lips will dry; his voice will become creaky. It's not easy to think of these things, but it's true. So, if this is why you l-love him, what will happen when it's gone?

That's right. If I only care about his looks, then my affections for him will also wither. We will start to hurt each other, and both of us will suffer.

But . . . although it's true that it's because of his looks that I first noticed him, it's not what makes me stay . . . 

It's not his face that touches my heart; it's the emotions painted on it. It's not his eyes that hold my gaze, but the thoughts that are reflected within them. It's not his lips that make my heart skip a beat, but his smile that excites me and his frown that causes me anxiety. And it is not his voice that captures my interest, but the words that he chooses to share with it. No matter what changes, these will not. I guess . . . I do love him.

Gaah! Enough, you! Stop with all these mushy stuff already! This is supposed to be a light and happy story!

*sigh* I should really stop talking to myself . . .

I raise my eyes from the ground . . . and saw him staring at me. How long have I been talking to myself?!

His eyes are twinkling with amusement, and a smile is forming on his lips.

"You should really stop talking to yourself", he laughingly says.

Woah, he just said the same thing I thought . . . oh!

His eyebrow goes up and his smile becomes more pronounced - I forgot to answer him again!

"Ah, mianhe . . . I do tend to talk to myself a lot", I blushingly reply as the ground draws my eyes once again.

"How cute!"

"Bwoh?!" My head snaps up as I hear those words.

"What? No one's ever told you that before?" His eyebrows go up in surprise at this.

"Well, of course someone has. If you noticed it after only one day, why wouldn't everyone else?" A smirk is on my lips, but inside - cliche as this might sound - I'm dying of happiness. I don't know how it is for everyone else, but for me just hearing the person I love praise me, well, it's enough - no, more than enough - to set my heart on fire. No, not literally! That would be really bad, if it did . . . I think.

"What would be really bad", he asks. A curious light in his eyes.

Did I say that out loud?!

"What?"

"You said that you think it would be really bad - what would be really bad?"

"Oh, um, that's, um . . . if a heart is set on fire . . .?" It's not like he'll know what I mean, right?

"Why would that be bad?"

"What? Of course it's bad! The heart will burn!"

"Fire is not always destructive, you. It can also protect and brighten - in fact, we need it to live."

"I-"

A sudden ringing interupts me. It's coming from his pocket. He pulls out his phone and looks at it. He glances at me for a moment, and says, "Ah, bian,  you. I have to take this." He then turns and walks a few steps away.

I look at our snowman. It's already starting to melt.

"Arasso. Bye."

Arasso? To what?! Is he leaving?! My heart starts to pound . . . but really, what did I expect? A bitter smile appears on my face.

He walks back towards me. I try to rearrange my expression into a pleasant smile.

"Hey, so?" I ask him cheerfully, or at least I tried to.

"I have to go."

I look at him, trying to read his expressionless face. I can't.  My heart begins a series of painful twists that make my eyes sting.

Finally, I tell him, "Good bye".

His eyes turn to slits.

"Is that it? Is that all you have to say?" His voice sounds mad.

Why is he mad?! Is it because I'm not crying and begging him not to go?! Is that what he expects?! Because I'm his fan?! 

As I am about to accuse him of these things, he continues speaking.

"You still can't tell me what you're really thinking?! Even at this moment when I'm actually leaving and probably never going to see you again?!!!"

I'm in shock because of this outburst. I've never heard him shout like this before.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Why can't you just be more honest", he whispers while opening his eyes and fixing them on me.

"Honest? You want be to be honest? Okay, I'll be honest! I'll tell you! I love you!"

There's silence as I pant from shouting and try to catch my breath. I feel so weak after that confession, as if all the energy in my limbs has evaporated. I can't look at him anymore.

"So what now? You're honestly going to tell me that you're very thankful for my interest in you?! Like I'm just another of your fangirls", I bitterly asks. Already knowing the answer.

I feel his hand touching my cheek, and lifting my face up. My eyes are wide with shock as I meet his soft gaze.

"Yah, pabo! Don't go around making your own conclusions", he answers me. A smile is on his lips and his whole face is cleared up. "Do you remember what I told you before? No? Well, let me tell you again - one should only kiss a person one knows he/she is in love with."

Then, he kisses me.

Just a soft pressure on my lips, and then he pulls back.

A whisper on my ear tells me, "the rest is for later, when we meet again".

And he's gone.

I see him walking up the hill already as I snap out of that wonderful dream.