Chapter 2 | Eight years being "friends"

“Is it possible that he never once felt a flutter around me?” 

“Mom, I’m home,” Suji opened the door. She paused a little bit as she saw a familiar pair of shoes that was neatly placed at the entrance. “Woobin is here, Mom?”

“He is,” replied the mother. “I asked him to drop in and fix the radio.”

“He’s in my room?”

“Nope. He’s hanging out the washing.”

Suji almost choked on water, “the heck?”

“Why are you reacting like that?”

“Oh gosh, Mom,” Suji cried as she frowned. “How can you let Woobin hang out my clothes?”

Suji plunged to the drying ground just after finishing her sentence. “What’s wrong with her? What makes her shy when they’ve been close since children?”

***

It had been eight years, eight years together going to school, together going home, together listening to soundtracks on the bus, together doing homework, together watching horror, together watching the stars up above, together doing like everything. Little by little, Suji became one of the integral part of Kim Woobin. He always mentioned Suji as the best friend he had in his life.

But to Bae Suji, Kim Woobin was much more than a friend. To Suji, he was a crush that had lasted eight years, her first love, and also a kind of feeling that she would never be able to confess.

Suji wrote diary every single day. She wrote anything that happened to her in the day and her deep inside feelings. But, all the pages she wrote in the past eight years, were filled with Woobin’s figure.

4 July, 1996

Dear Diary,

The very first friend of mine at new school, his name is Kim Woobin. He’s way taller than me and others, and good at soccer. He’s well liked by teacher and friends. I hope I can be like Woobin.

8 July, 1996

Dear Diary,

Today I saved Woobin from a fierce dog. Actually, Woobin looked cute when he was scared. He also thanked me several times. Whenever he smiles at me, I have very strange feelings inside, and I don’t know why.

18 February, 2000

Dear Diary,

That Sunghee girl just follows Woobin around all the time, but what really makes me annoyed is that Woobin doesn’t show he’s any bothered. Even when Sunghee held his arm, Woobin didn’t even pull his arm back. Kim Woobin, you traitor!

29 October, 2003

Dear Diary,

My mood today is great. When the boys were shooting the breeze, Sehun asked Woobin who was the prettiest girl of the class to him. I thought his answer would be Youngeun or Yoohwa, but then Woobin chose me. I’m feeling like I just won the lottery.

10 January, 2004

Dear Diary,

Winter is now here, and it snows every single day. Woobin rode me home today. His back is so huge and cozy. I leaned my head on that back and my heart stopped beating for a while, I believe.

But the thing is, I don’t want to like Woobin.

I can’t like him.

“Ya, Kim Woo Bin!” Sueji jumped up as she saw her bra in Woobin’s hand. She quickly snapped it away and turned her face to another direction to hide her extreme shyness.

“Bae Suji, you really know how to show off,” said Woobin. “You always boast about your C-cup size. Never knew your bra size is that small.”

“Shut up, you fool!” Suji demanded, with red in the face.

“Are you shy, Suji?” Woobin’s face came closer to hers, which made her cheeks become even much redder. “We’ve been besties since little. There’s no problem with me seeing your underwear.”

“Except when,” Woobin put his arm around her shoulders, out of sudden, “you have something with me.”

“What the heck? Me? Having something with you?”

“When you like someone, you hate to show that person your embarrassing things. Just like you right now.”

“Ya,” Suji nudged Woobin, “are you out of your mind? Me liking you, gosh, it gives me goosebumps.”

“You’re right,” Woobin chuckled. “We cannot have something to each other. That’s why we’re good friends forever, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Suji faked a smile. Okay, friends. To him, I’m only a friend, no more no less.

Sometimes, Suji was in a divided mind whether Woobin ever once saw her as a woman. He was chased by lots of pretty girls, and he also went out with some of them, although when they just got to know each other for some weeks, or even some days. Meanwhile, Woobin had known Suji for eight years. Not eight days or eight weeks or eight months, but eight-years! “Is it possible that he never once felt a flutter around me?” Suji asked herself this question all the time, but the question was never answered.

***

At school, the countdown to the Prom night for grade 12 students became crazily heated to the point that you would literally heard about that everywhere all the time, and all the girls and boys were super busy looking for a partner for that night. The Prom night, to every high school senior, was a landmark of adulthood, and it was also a chance for them to make confession with the people they like.

“Got a partner, Suji?” Woobin asked as the two were having lunch together.

“Haven’t,” replied Suji. “You?”

“Me, either.”

“Bad lie, Woobin,” Suji curled her lips. “Sehun told me you were going to be with Cheoyeon.”

“You know it already?” Woobin scratched his head. “Didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d be mad.”

“But, do you like Cheoyeon that much?”

“You can say that,” Woobin’s lips quickly curled a smile as he heard Cheoyeon’s name, “Cheoyeon’s really pretty and adorable. When we look each other in the eyes, something is strange and I can’t explain it, but one thing I’m sure is that I like her a lot.”

Suji rolled the eyes, “Gross.”

“You should find a prince for yourself, Bae Suji. Don’t say that you’re going to go there by yourself.”

“Yah, don’t tell me what to do,” Suji kicked Woobin on his leg, under the table.

It was a challenge for Suji, a real challenge, to see with her own eyes all the pretty girls flirting Woobin, while Suji had never dated anyone so far. Suji had good looks, but the major problem was her personality. Obviously, nobody wanted to go out with a girl who was full of stubbornness and liked to control. Unlike Suji, Woobin was an ideal type to go on dating: approachable, smart, smooth-tongued, and knew how to show off his romantic sides.

Basically, Woobin and Suji had nothing in common at all.

Woobin loved ice-cream. Suji couldn’t stand it.

Woobin disliked horrors. Suji loved them a lot.

Woobin liked black. Suji liked grey.

Woobin liked winter. Suji liked summer.

Woobin liked cooking. Suji liked doing washing-up.

Woobin liked pop. Suji liked rock.

Woobin did not have a good relationship with studying, exams, grades and whatsoever. Suji ranked first every semester.

Sometimes, they wondered how they could be that close for that long time when they were literally different at everything.

***

Finally, Suji got herself a partner for the Prom night.

Woobin grabbed the mobile phone on the table as he heard the text ringtone.

I found a partner. – Suji

Who’s he? – Woobin

Yoo Youngha. – Suji

That freaking nerd? He's cocky and peculiar. – Woobin

He invited me first. – Suji

Do you even like him tho? ­– Woobin

I don’t hate him. – Suji

So that means you don’t like him, either. – Woobin

But I don’t want to be by myself. – Suji

Why? – Woobin

Don’t wanna look like a loser. – Suji

I just want you to find a good guy, who truly likes you. – Woobin

Suji quite paused at Woobin’s text and didn’t know what to text him back. But the person I truly like is you. Don’t you know that?  Suji immediately deleted that sentence and typed another one.

Thanks for caring, but I’ll be good. – Suji

Okay then. See you there! – Woobin

***

Author's note: I'm so sorry for the late update. I got too many things to do the last week so didn't have much time to write =(

Hope you'll like the update. If you like it, please subscribe. If you love it, please upvote. And if you don't like it, please comment what you don't like so I can improve it for the later chapters ^^! Thanks for your time <3 

Much love, Skylar