The next day to school, Il Kook still didn’t come to see her. She dragged her feet to school as someone popped by her side. She turned to see who it was. Bolin act like he didn’t see her but kept walking beside her.

“Oppa,” she called him. But he ignored her and kept walking forward. She quickly ran to his side. “Bolin oppa.” yet he didn’t turn to look back at her and kept going forward.

Why is he ignoring me? I thought that we were good…

“Chen Bolin!” She yelled this time.

He then turned around to look at her with his nonchalant, cold face.

She stopped for a moment and walked up to him. “Why are you ignoring me? Are you embarrass?”

He smirked slightly, “Why should I?”

“Because,” She cracked a grin, “You were crying…like a crybaby.” He suddenly frown and started heading to school. “You are huh? I knew it. Bolin is a cry baby too!” She shouted happily. Although he gave her a face, he slightly smiled too, without letting her see it.

****

As Seong Im entered the class room, all the girls were lying face down on their desk as Yoo Jung Sadly looked out the window. Seong Im went to shake her.

“Hey, what happened?” she whispered, “Why is everyone so down?”

Yoo Jung looked at her with eyes a bit swollen.

“Il Kook is leaving.”

“What?” Seong Im was shock. He confessed to her not too long ago then disappear for a few day and now he’s leaving. She couldn’t digest it, her brain was not processing properly. “W-why? Where to?”

“He’s going to the States. He came to school with bruises all over his face.”

“Accident?”

“I don’t know.” Yoo Jung laid her head on her desk and sniff. Seong Im felt like her head was spinning.

Class started and the whole class was gloomy. Not many students laughed. Seong Im grimly looked out the window and didn’t pay attention in class. Her mind was all over the place as Il Kook was stuck on her head all day.

She looked for Il Kook everywhere but he was gone, as if he never existed.

Then she saw Il Kook standing outside as it was raining, without an umbrella. Her heart pounded quickly as she walked towards him and clutched on tight to the umbrella.

****************************************************************************************************

Seong Im walked closer behind Il Kook.

“Song Il Kook,” she called him. He turned around to see her swiftly handing the umbrella in her hand to him, making him scare that it was something else.

She saw the bruises and blood on his face. Slightly, she started feeling sad, who could have done this to him?

“Use this on the way home. It’s going to hurt more if you get your wounds wet in the rain.” She handed him the umbrella again.

He only stare at her. There was no happiness in his eyes, only a dark expression. Somehow, Seong Im was a bit afraid.

“Oppa.” she whispered. He stepped back and let the rain soak him. The rain trailed down his face and was against his wounds. She was about to step forward.

“Stop!” his sudden shout made Seong Im jumped. “Don’t come near me.”

Seong Im was hurt, why was he pushing her away. She didn’t know why but a struck on disappointment pulled her heart. She felt a rush of tears.

“W-why?” she managed to say and tried to step forward again.

“I said stop!” he shouted louder, making Seong Im halt with her foot in midair. “I don’t like you.”

She was hurt.

“I’m leaving soon. I don’t want to be attach to anyone.” He stated.

“A-aren’t we friends?” Seong Im cracked out.

He slowly shook his head. “I’m not… your friend.”

“If I ignored you, then just take the cue and go away!” he ended.

Seong Im put her head down as the watery droplets drip down her face.

He looked at her, as if he wasn’t expecting her to cry. Seong Im tried to stop and spoke to him.

“It’s okay, I’m not crying because I’m sad. It’s because of the wind. It’s making my eyes water.” She concluded with a guilty smile as tears ran down her face. She walked away pass him, into the rain as it soaked her.

Il Kook stood agape as a sense of guilt hit him.

( listen to BTS – Run or SNSD – Not alone)

‘When I’m not around, if you feel the wind blowing, then that will be me.’

“I’m not crying because I’m sad. It’s because of the wind. It’s making my eyes water.”

A tear dripped from the corner of his eye as her words echoed in his head.

****

Seong Im ran home in the rain as it soaked her uniform. Her tears mixed with the rain as her flowy hair drenched down on her shoulder.

His smiling face stuck in her head, his scared face, the look he gave her.

Fear and coldness.

Raising his voice at her.

The bruises on his face and cuts.

She ran and ran, even when her shoe fell off, she didn’t even bother to go get it.

Him twisting the swing for her to sit as he hover behind her, their faces met by a glance as she looked up and he looked down at her, almost touching.

Her vision grew blurry as she tripped on the muddy ground.

Them holding the umbrella together, against the wind as they ran.

Il Kook put a clip on her bangs and ruffles her head.

She turned around and looked up at the sky, covering her face with her arm as rain and tears ran down her face, flooding her.

‘I don’t like you.’

She broke down and cry miserably.

‘When I’m not around, if you feel the wind blowing, then that will be me.’

She got up and started running again, feeling the wind against her body.

She finally stopped running when she reached the edge of the neighbor. She looked at the message she wrote on the wall.

She walked up the stair slowly to rub it off with her hands. She started crying. It hurts, her heart. Her crush. Her hands started turning red as she stop and stumble on the stairs.

The rain stopped soaking her as she heard small droplets stop dropping above her head.

She turned her head slightly to see who it was. Bolin stare at her with his big eyes.

Sad that it was not Il Kook, she turned back to the wall and continue rubbing the crayon off. A hand reached out to her shoulder gently. She shrugged it off and continue her own thing. This time he roughly pulls her shoulder to make her face him with tears rolling from her eyes.

His big eyes stare at her, he looked hurt too as she look away, biting her lip. But bravely, he softly pushed her into his chest. She felt a warm body hugging her from behind.

Bolin wrapped his arms around her with an umbrella over them. Seong Im cried, trying to suppress her cries, knowing it was her brother and not Il Kook. After holding her in that position for a while, he finally spoke.

“Go ahead and cry out loud. I won’t call you a crybaby.” Bolin whispered to her, assuring her, his voice was cold yet gentle.

Seong Im finally cried out loud. They both stood in that place for a while. He didn’t ask or yell at her. It was just the sound of her crying and the rain and wind whistling.

****

The sun was setting and the rain had stop. Seong Im stayed in her room the whole evening. She wouldn’t speak at all. After hour of gloominess in the house, she got out of the house and went out for a walk. Thinking about Il Kook broke her heart and the fact that he is leaving soon.

She arrived at the park that she and Il Kook often went to. She sat on the swing and sat down.

She looked at the gray sky with no stars and started swinging.

‘When I’m not around, if you feel the wind blowing, then that will be me.’

The words ramble in her head. She missed Il Kook badly. She tried to reason with herself for why he would say those harsh words to her. She swung harder and harder and jumped off the swing, falling on her knees.

Instead of getting up, she sat there and look into the sky as the wind blew. Tears flowed down her face again. Her first crush rejected her.

‘I’m not… your friend.’

“If you’re not my friend,” Seong Im spoke her heart out. “Then who are you?” She sniffed sadly. “I must be really crazy,” she held her chest. “Even when you’re next to me, I still think of you.”

A shadow hovered over her. She opened her eyes to see who it was. She blinked again and again.

Il Kook look down at her with a sad face. She got up and looked closely, although her knees hurt. He was still in his drenched school uniform. His lips were pale and quivering, the sweetest sadness in his eyes.

“W-why are you-“ She stuttered.

“Transferee.” He called her. “Number 27 in room 3A.” she looked up at him, his moving lips, and her ears listening well to her. “Miss Mong.” He called her nickname, did he really just call her nickname?

“Cheon Seong Im.” He concluded, she was anticipating what he was going to say. “You are more than just a friend to me.” She opened her eyes in surprise, still listening.

“I lied. I like you. I like you very much, so much it hurts to pretend I don’t hurt when you get hurt. I don’t want to just be the wind to you. I want to be by your side. So, will you…go to the States with me?” he sincerely asked her.

Seong Im felt her world spinning. “W-what?” It was just too much to digest.

“Will you, Cheon Seong Im, the girl who has stolen Song Il Kook’s heart, go with me to the States?” He asked again, his voice slightly cracking too and his eyes grew watery.

Seong Im jumped into his arms, afraid it was just a dream. “Yes. I will. I will.” She hugged him tightly. “Please tell me, this is not a dream.” She smiled with joyful tears.

He hugged her back tightly and chuckled. “It’s not a dream, I’m really here.” His wet clothes transferred on to hers. Seong Im smiled happily. “I miss you.” he whispered in her ear.

“I miss you too.” she whispered back as droplets of rain fell on them. It started raining again. Yet they didn’t move themselves from the rain. They both smile cheerfully through tears and rain. The wind whistled around them.

He let go of her and clutched her hand, interlocking their fingers. “Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“To ask your parents.” He then started running with her by his side.

“What?” She was shock by his answer but continue running. He was serious. They are going to the States together. Although the questions to why he treated her badly wasn’t answer, as long as he was there, she rest assured that it was.

But we didn’t know that we had just climbed over a small hill to meet a mountain.