Jongin beamed as he saw his girlfriend name flashed on his phone and suddenly all the sore muscles he had after training all day didn’t feel painful at all.

“hi sweet-”

But Jongin didn’t even had a chance to finish his word as the voice on the other line cut him,

“Jongin, lets breakup”, his girlfriend melodic voice barely a whisper, but it traveled to Jongin ears as clear as a crystal.

It took the high school boy a whole two minutes to registered the meaning of that words, his smile was long dropped

“w-what d-do you mean, Kyung?”, he asked in monotone voice.

He could hear his girlfriend uneven breath from the other line, and with a shaky voice she said again, “I want us to breakup”

Jongin felt his heart dropped to the ground and scattered into pieces, “w-why, Kyungri? Did I do something wrong? I-I promise I will fix whatever that is and I will never do it again, but please don’t break up with me. Kyung, you know how much I lo-“

“it’s not about you, Jongin. It’s me”, Kyungri cut him again, but this time Jongin could hear the little sobs she produced and how hard for her to say those words.

Kyungri had been his girlfriend for almost three years now anyway, so he knew everything about her like the back of his own hand.

“b-but baby-“

Kyungri sobs became more transparent now, “j-just lets breakup, Jongin. It’s better that way”

“but I don’t want to- hello? Kyungri, hello?”

She already cut the line

Jongin run frantically as if his life depended on it, he even ignored the fact that his tired legs begging him to stop and just rest. No, Jongin couldn’t do that, not before he found that cute face with doe eyes and heart shaped lips.

At the time Jongin arrived at the hidden clearing behind his high school, he stopped. His eyes roaming around that small area hidden between tall trees, and then he found her. He knew it, this was the first place she would run to whenever she had any problems, their secret place.

His Kyungri was hugging her legs tightly with trembled shoulder and heart wrenching cry.

Without words, Jongin walked slowly to the crying girl and hugged her tightly. 

Shocked, Kyungri automatically jerked away from Jongin embrace, but the boy didn’t let him

“sshh, it’s just me”, he said softly.

He could feel her posture relaxed, but still reluctant to accept his hug.

“you don’t suppose to be here, Jongin”, Kyungri said weakly, trying to stop the tears that threatened to fall.

Jongin kept silence

Kyungri let out a tired sigh, “I said it clearly, Jongin. I want to break-”

“no, don’t say that”, this time Jongin cut her. He still back hugged her and although their position was a bit uncomfortable, Jongin didn’t care. Jongin just wanted to hug her if that means she wouldn’t go away from him.

Kyungri about to say something but Jongin beat her, “no, Kyung. I don’t wanna hear a single word about breakup again. You know how much I love you, and I know you love me too. So please, stop that ridiculous thought because I won’t let you do that”

“why you should make this more difficult, Jongin?”, Kyungri whispered, her tone indicating that she was in the verge of giving up.

“because I love you”, Jongin said stubbornly.

Kyungri could only shook her head, tears gathered on her big brown eyes once again.

“I will move to America in three days”

“what?!”

“you heard me, Jongin. I will move to another country and maybe I will not coming back here at all”, Kyungri looked straight into her boyfriend eyes.

Jongin break his hug and slumped on the grassy ground beside Kyungri, “but why so sudden?”

“My parents decided to live together again”, was all Kyungri answer, but deep down inside Jongin, he knew there was something her girlfriend kept from him.

After a long thought, Jongin spoke, “still, I don’t want to breakup with you, Kyung. We will find a way”, he smiled at her.

“I-“

“please, Kyung. Just let us try. We still can communicate with e-mail or Skype”, Jongin pleaded with that encouraging smile again.

Kyungri gave him a tiny smile, “okay, we will try”, she answered before she burst into tears again.

At the day Kyungri and her mom should go to America, Jongin couldn’t hold his feelings anymore. They ended up crying at each other shoulder meanwhile her mother looked at them with great sadness.

“if you find another girl, don’t hesitate to tell me and I will let you go, ok Jongin?”, Kyungri said with tear filled eyes.

But Jongin shook his head frantically, “no, Kyung. I will never find someone like you”

And with a final goodbye and a farewell kiss, they twisted fate began

~**~

A year later

“are you okay?”, Sehun asked in concern as he saw his best friend couldn’t stop moving back and fro in that small waiting room.

“no, I’m not okay. What if I messed up? What if I suddenly forget the move or or twisted my legs?”, Jongin said in frustration written all over his face.

Sehun rolled his eyes, “chill down, dude. We practiced hard those past months and your move is always perfect. You don’t need to worry we will kicked their and win this battle”, he said with high voice but monotone expression.

“but we will never know what will happen on the stage, Sehun”, Jongin still wearing his frustrated face.

Sehun rolled his eyes again, and with a loud huff he walked to where Jongin wouldn’t stop moving and tap his shoulder, stopping him.

“you already send the invitation and ticket to Korea to her, right?”, Sehun questioned calmly, this was his last hope.

Jongin nodded

“and she already promised you to come, yes?”, he asked again.

Jongin nodded again, but this time with a little smile on his handsome face

“so you know Kyungri will sit on that VIP seat and watching you, yes?”

Now the smile on Jongin face grew bigger as he nodded more eagerly.

“so what are you waiting for? Lets beat that damn team and impress your pretty little girlfriend!!”, Sehun shouted in a cheering manner, but still his face was lack of expression.

Jongin grinned and pumped his fist in the air, joining his best friend, “yeah!! Lets beat them and impress my Kyungie!!”, then he marched outside their waiting room to where the rest of their crew already waiting.

Sehun followed him with the last rolling eyes.

~**~

Jongin peek his head to glance at the big theater full of loud humans, his eyes searching a certain girl in anxiety. If earlier he was nervous because he was afraid of ruining their hard work, now he was nervous for a whole different reason.

Endless questions swirled inside his head, but the top question was

‘What if she didn’t come?’

Jongin wasn’t a fool, he knew that Kyungri intentionally distanced herself from him although he didn’t know the reason behind her act. The once frequent video call now limited only once in a blue moon. Kyungri never replied to his email, and when she did it was only short and cold words.

But even though she treated him like that, Jongin still love her and he swore would fix everything that disturb their relationship. That was why he emptied his piggy bank to buy a ticket from America to Korea for Kyungri.

“look who’s finally showing up”, Sehun whispered to Jongin ear, making the latter jumped in shock.

Sehun laughed at Jongin expression, but he pointed at the entrance where a petite girl looking around to find her seat

“Kyungie, she come”, Jongin said dreamily with a big smile stretched on his face.

She still as perfect as the last time he met her although her once long brown hair now shoulder length and dyed bright red. But Jongin also couldn’t brush the thought that there was something different about his girlfriend, but he didn’t know what it was. In the end he just shrugged it off and when the mc announced their group to perform, he and his crew stepped in to the stage and began their dance with perfection.

“and this year winner of SM annual dance battle is…. Exo!!!”, the mc announced and the whole theatre cheered loudly.

Jongin and the other crew jumped in happiness and the tan dancer quickly glanced at Kyungri direction with a big smile. Kyungri smiled back with her infamous heart shaped smile and waved a little

And Jongin couldn’t be happier

But as soon as he checked his phone in the waiting room, his smile instantly dropped as he read a new message from no other than Kyungri

From: Kyungie

Jongin, I’m so sorry, there is an emergency so I should go

Congratulation on your win

~**~

Later that night, Jongin was sitting alone inside his spacious apartment after telling his dance crew that he didn’t feeling well and needed some rest so he couldn’t celebrate their victory with them.

Honestly he had something inside his mind to celebrate it with Kyungri, but the girl gave him a cold shoulder again as if the smile she showed him earlier that night was nothing but an act.

But-

Jongin train of thought interrupted by his phone ringtone, and upon seeing the name at the screen he slid the green icon with a speed of light

“Kyungie-“, Jongin said in that dreamy tone again.

“hi Jongin-ah!!”, Kyungri chirped from the other line, she sounded cheerful like the Kyungri Jongin remembered.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t meet you a while ago, please don’t be mad?”, she asked in her cute voice making Jongin silently chuckled at her cuteness. Damn he missed this side of Kyungri so much

“I don’t know, Kyung. You make me pretty disappointed”, Jongin played along.

“aww I’m so sorry Jonginie~ I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, how’s that sound?”

Jongin technically jumping around in excitement right now, finally he would have his girlfriend back, but instead he said, “well, we’ll see”, he said cooly.

“okay then!! Pick me up at my old home at 10 am okay? We’ll have a whole day for ourselves”, Kyungri giggled then without waiting for the boy answer, she cut the line.

Jongin stared at his phone in disbelieve,

“I couldn’t even say ‘I love you’”, Jongin grumbled but a wide smile adorning his handsome face.

Ahh it was too long since he felt this happy

~**~

Jongin waited in front of that big house nervously. He already pressed the bell but even after a good five minutes no one opened the door for him. And when he was about to press the bell again, the door swung open and Kyungri stepped out from her house with all her perfection.

Jongin almost flying to the moon to finally able saw her lovely face up close. She wore a black hot pant that successfully showcasing her milky white legs, a black and white v-neck shirt, and a pair of white Adidas sneaker. Her red hair was framed with a black snapbag. That was not the outfit Kyungri he knew usually wore, but Jongin didn’t care because she looks gorgeous nonetheless.

Kyungri gave him her heart shaped smile and said, “let’s go!”, excitedly, grapping Jongin hand in the process.

“why are you looking at me like that?”, Kyungri asked playfully without even lifted her head from her ice cream.

Jongin only smiled wider, “I miss you so sooo much”, he whispered like a boy in love he was.

Kyungri looked up and smiled sweetly, “I miss you too, Jongin-ah”

But Jongin didn’t miss the way she gripped her spoon tightly until her hand slightly trembled. He wondered why? But in the end he didn’t say anything.

“so, how’s America?”, Jongin asked, distracted his own mind from any unnecessary thought.

“good, I enjoyed living there”, Kyungri answered, and before Jongin could ask another question, she asked, “how about you? What are you doing without me this past year?”

“I don’t even remember, Kyung. I just feel that everything suddenly became too dark and too lonely without you by my side”, Jongin confessed sincerely. 

There was obvious sadness inside Kyungri beautiful brown orbs and she made a gesture like she would touch Jongin hands that rested on the table, but she didn’t. Instead she just smiled sadly and said,

“I’m sorry, Jongin-ah. I’ve told you before that it will be easier if we break-“

“ah! Why don’t we go cycling at the park?”, Jongin suddenly exclaimed, purposely cutting her sentence.

Kyungri sighed, but put a forced smile afterward, “hmm that’s sound good”

For the rest of the day, Jongin enjoyed his date with Kyungri. But there were those feelings that wouldn’t leave his heart. Something about all of this was wrong, like his girlfriend was finally at his side, but Jongin still had this feeling that she was far away.

Ah, maybe it is because we are separated for too long so it makes us a little different around each other. Kyungie doesn’t change, we just need more time to catch up.

Jongin nodded at the thought as he eyed the said girl cycling happily in front of him although as long as he remembered Kyungri couldn’t ride a bike.

Maybe she learned it in America

“come on, Jongin!! What are you doing?”, Kyungri yelled from afar.

The rest of the day runs too smooth and too cheerful although Jongin didn’t complain about it one bit. The thing was, the weird feeling he felt from the moment he saw her again wouldn’t leave his mind.

It was as if the girl in front of him was Kyungri, his girlfriend, but at the same time she wasn’t.

“you ok?”, Kyungri said in concern written in her big brown eyes, finally noting Jongin sudden silence.

Jongin gave her a smile, “of course, Kyung, how couldn’t I when you are right here with me?”, he said sweetly.

Kyungri only gave him a twisted smile and it didn’t leave Jongin mind for the rest of the night even after he dropped her in front of her old house.

~**~

After their little date three days ago, things between Jongin and Kyungri started to get better, almost like years ago before the petite girl left him to America. But the key word was ‘almost’ and everyone knew that almost was never enough.

Jongin was happy, he didn’t argue with that. But those weird feelings never leave his mind alone, preventing him to sleep at night to think about his girlfriend sudden change of almost everything, like her favorite movie, her favorite food, even the way she looked at him was different. And she didn’t even let Jongin to kiss her…

“why you don’t want me to kiss you?”, Jongin suddenly blurted out, voicing his thought.

He could feel Kyungri tensed in his embrace. They were currently watching an old horror movie –the genre the old Kyungri hated the most- in Jongin apartment.

“what do you mean? You never asked for that”, Kyungri answered a little too late in Jongin opinion. Her voice was calm but her body still rigid.

“then I ask for it now”, Jongin whispered into her ear, his tone daring her.

Even in the dark, Jongin could saw the way Kyungri fidgeted with the hem of her blouse and the way she bit her lover lip in anxiety.

But why?

They kissed a lot it the past, they even done much more intimate activity before, including , so why she looks so anxious?

Jongin was too deep in his thought he didn’t realize that his girlfriend hand already leaving her blouse and now she circled it on his neck while the rest of her body facing him.

“then do it”, Kyungri said, lips showcasing a tiny smile.

Jongin smiled back, but when he was about to lean in he stopped. Because her eyes, even though she was smiling, those beautiful brown orbs were blank.

“I don’t think this is a good-“

Jongin couldn’t finish his sentence as a pair of plum lips pressed softly on his thick one.

The kiss was innocent at first, but soon turned into a heated one where their tongue dancing freely in each other hot cavern. They both fight for dominance when once again, Jongin knew the old Kyungri never did. She was the type who received everything and let Jongin dominate her.

But this new Kyungri was a whole different story. She was wild, aggressive, and an explorer.

Not that Jongin mind it, not at all

The way she kissed every inch of Jongin body from his neck down to the sixpack adoring his stomach was sinful and so y it almost made Jongin exploded.

But all the good things must come to an end, right? And in Jongin case it ended too quickly

Just when Kyungri hand accidentally pressed on his already hard member, Jongin let out a moan,

And she stopped

As if Jongin body was made of fire, Kyungri distanced herself at the speed of light, abruptly standing and grabbed her hand bag, muttered “I’m sorry I’ve got to go”, then practically running from Jongin apartment before he could even process what happened.

That night, Jongin dreamed about Kyungri, about years ago when they first met. When little Jongin got lost in a crowded market when he tagged along with his mother. He still remember how scarred he was that time, but his dad said a boy shouldn’t cry, so he bit his lower lip so hard to prevent him from crying.

‘your lip will bleed if you bit it like that’, a voice said, and Jongin looked up only to met with big eyes that reminded him of an owl.

He thought that was a boy from the way the stranger dressed and the fact that her hair tied into a little bun and hidden behind her cap, but he turned out to be a girl. And Jongin didn’t know what made him wanted to cry even harder under the girl intense gaze, so he didn’t answer her question and bit his lip even harder, eyes filled with tears

Seeing that, the little girl calmly patted his trembling shoulder and said, ‘my dad said, that’s ok to cry sometimes. It wouldn’t make you look weak’.

The way she said it was so serious it made her looks cute, so Jongin laugh a little, but his tears now falling freely on his cheek.

‘that’s ok, just let it go. Here, I’ll give you a hug. My dad always hugs my mom when she cried’, she said as she hugged Jongin and put his head on her shoulder. It made their position awkward because Jongin was taller than her so he should bend much lower to reached her shoulder

They stood in silence after that as Jongin cried on her tiny shoulder and she was busy patting his back

Jongin met the little girl again a week later, wearing his school uniform as the teacher introduced her as Kyungri, a transfer student from America.

~**~

Things started to go downhill after that night. Kyungri obviously avoided Jongin, leaving him only with the thought ‘what have I done wrong?’ over and over again inside his poor mind.

Jongin couldn’t erase the look on Kyungri eyes when she left him a week ago, it was full of regret. As if making out with Jongin was the biggest mistake she ever did.

But Jongin loves her so much to the point it made him blind. He would do anything to mend whatever crack in their relationship. So here he was, with a bucket of roses in his hand, waiting nervously in front of Kyungri old house.

What he didn’t expect however, was an appearance of a tall guy who opened the door for him with thick brow furrowed in confusion, but soon turned into an angry one once his eyes landed on the roses Jongin held.

“who are you?”, he said in flawless English, tone harsh and irritated.

And it snapped something inside Jongin, ‘why is he angry? I’m the one who suppose to ask that’, he thought.

“who are you?”, Jongin asked back in his heavily accented English, then added, “and what are you doi