On the day of graduation, the day that was supposedly be the day we were going to celebrate the last frikkin’ day of excruciating high school life. Assignments? No way. Peers? To hell with them. Stepping nearer to the world and forgetting what’s behind. That was the plan ever since high school started.

But then I met her and when I walked on that stage, all I wanted was to rewind everything from scratches just to give her what she always wanted. Just some alone time for both of us. We’ve been dating for almost a year and the only thing I could do to her without messing her oh so busy schedule was give her pecks and steal hugs. And also buy her food during lunch because she’d be having meeting with the student councils often. Yup. Super busy, super smart and super popular girl dating with an introvert, don’t-talk-much-guy who loves music. Why? Well, I’d have to start from the first year of high school to tell you that, but we are going nowhere that far. Nope. We are going to very end of the book. The finale. The end but not quite. And I’m starting to think that if you read the book, you’d fall asleep the minute you turn page one.

“Hey.” I turned around and found the girl of my dreams right in front of me. Smiling lively, emitting all the positive auras that had me smiling as usual. I gave her a hug, keeping it as long as possible.

“Hey babe.” I let her go and pushed her bangs away from her face, just because she’s beautiful that way. “You got your speech ready?”

She nodded quickly and said, “Yup! I got it all right here.” she pointed her head. Then, she started bouncing lightly on her toes, like always do when she’s nervous, but she still got that smile on her face.

I sighed. I wonder how long did you practice for that speech? It was last week that she came to me during break and dragged me away from the line. I was obviously surprised when she pushed me into the music room and locked the door. And when that wasn’t shocking enough, she literally pushed me that I fell first on the floor. You had no idea what my mind was playing that time. Seriously, like, together with your girlfriend. In a music room. Together. With the door locked and curtains closed. Together. I should’ve punched myself in the face for thinking about that. Turned out, she wanted me to listen to her speech. And it was a long speech, but till the end, I watched her lips move and her voice projected, making beautiful music that I wished I could’ve composed. I watched her fingers fiddle at the tip of her paper. I watched her eyes that were sometimes on mine and very so often on the paper. I even noticed she couldn’t stop bouncing. When she finally finished her speech, she let out the longest sigh and looked at me without a word. After a while, I stood up and hugged her, patting her head because I knew she liked it. “I’m scared.” she said. I sighed on her neck and hugged her tighter. “Me, too.”

Everyone applauded when she, the student council went up stage. Just then, someone tapped me on the back. I didn’t want to turn around and missed a second of her, but It would be rude she would say so I looked. Park Jimin and Jung Hoseok, close friends of hers and became good friends with me, smiled like two dorks in an amusement park at me. I was still pissed off with them for what they did a few hours ago. They gave me thumbs up, and I gave them a middle finger up before they erupted into annoying balls of laughter. It was amusing to watch them. Then I heard her voice through the microphone, and I turned to face the stage again. She stood there, behind the mic stand. Her robe falling below her knees. Her hat perfectly in place on her perfectly done hair. Confident-looking. She wasn’t fiddling or bouncing. She was talking.

Like in every other speeches, some would listen and some would not. Some would understand and some would pretend not to. Me? All I could think of was her. Her and that smile that kept me sane. Her and those eyes that became my favorite color. Her and those lips that made me the happiest man alive

Her speech was almost at the end. “Before I end this wonderful day, I want to say thank you to everyone in the council for being the best team I’ve ever had. You guys rule!” People cheered. “Thanks to my besties for life. You guys have to promise not to violate the school after this. Oops! I’m not supposed to say that, do I?” People laughed especially the two dorks behind me. I laughed, too until I was her soft, teary look. “And thank you to…” I heart stung when I saw her looked down to the floor. Everyone stopped clapping. Was she crying? No. No. Babe. Don’t cry. Please. I can’t see you like that. I stood up and started to scoot pass the other students on their seats. But then, she laughed. I stopped to look if it was her laughing, but there was not a doubt that it was hers.

“Sorry about that. I was just thinking that.. Today’s the last day of school.” She started. That wasn’t in her script. “Today might also be the day we’ll ever get to see each other again. No more classes. No more lunch breaks. No more club meetings. No more detentions. And that’s really sad because that’s the only way we get to see each other. And I’m saying this to everyone. Whether we are best friends or just someone who sits behind you in class, we met for a reason. And I tend to live up to that reason. Till the very end. So to everyone of you, thank you so much for being part of my life and I hope that one day, I’ll get a chance to meet you all again.” She bowed and that’s when the crowd clapped and cheered again. She walked down the stage and walked the path where I stood. I didn’t say a word, and neither did she. I returned to my place and she to hers. Mind was curious, but too burdened to ask. Why?

That time in the music room, in the end, she supposed to thank everyone. And she was supposed to thank me. “And thank you to Min Yoongi. My boyfriend. Or more accurately, my other piece. You’ve made me happy ever since day one and you continued to do so until the last day. I’m glad I could spend part of my life with you, and after this, you will forever…and ever be my one and only piece. This is not a breakup, but it’s a pause for our relationship, because Min Yoongi is going to work in a music industry the day after this graduation. Why am I saying this?  Just to let you guys know that I’m not planning to start another relationship. And to let Min Yoongi know that I’ll wait for him. No matter how long or far it takes.”

After the ceremony was over, everyone now walked different path. Some went home the minute they walked out that hall. Others stayed and bid farewell.

“So Jimin. I heard you got a scholarship to Seoul.” I walked over to Jimin and Hoseok who were sitting on the bleachers at the field. Jimin looked up and smiled, the kind of smile that made girls squeal from cuteness overload. I sat next to him with Hoseok changed place to sit beside me. Jimin replied shyly, “Yeah. After this summer break, it’s off to the big city I guess. Hoseok’s coming there, too.”

I turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “Really? You and those grades?” He just rolled his eyes and made a really cocky look. “Who needs grades if you got these skills?” He showed off some arm waves and top it off with a blinding smile. I shrugged. He had a point. Both of them were going to take major in dancing, so pretty much grades were not really that much to look at. Plus the two had sweet moves that I was sure they had no problem in advancing. “Well then, I hope you get to meet him there.”

Like it was a trigger, Jimin started giggling nervously and cheeks flushed red. Hoseok just laughed along with me. We all knew about Jimin’s small crush towards a certain talented boy who graduated a year earlier than us. That Jeon Jungkook guy was really something. Got offered to the most high ranked university in Seoul, and that was where Jimin planned to go. It was quite amazing to think that he had such a long crush towards a guy who probably might have mutual feelings for him. The faith he had – crazy. “What about you?” Hoseok asked me. “Where’re you heading after this?”

I sighed and looked at the stairs. Then it hit me that this was the exact place where I first met her. It felt so ironic that I wanted to just laugh it off. But all I could manage was a weak smile that I didn’t think the two would notice. “I’m heading to Seoul, too.”

“What? Really?!” Hoseok and Jimin jumped in surprised.

“Where’d you get?”

“A music company.”

“Wait. Wait. A company? You’re… going to work there?!” I nodded. Jimin smiled that I thought his eyes disappeared. “Dude that’s awesome!”

“Yeah man!” Hoseok clapped his hands and stood up energetically. “Alright! Let’s celebrate this with a congratulation party! I vote for next Sunday! And then we’ll invite everyone! Let’s call that rich kid Kim Taehyung not because I wanted him to come or anything but he’s friends with your girlfriend and he’s rich so he could help with the decorations and—“

Hoseok kept going on and on about the party. I couldn’t say anything at that state. It made me… sad. I thought no one noticed, but then Jimin held my shoulder that almost startled me and gave me a worried look. “You okey?” He asked. And then Hoseok stopped talking and gave the same look at me. I should tell them. My mind kept saying. My palms were getting sweaty. I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

“He’s leaving tomorrow morning.”

We turned around and I didn’t know if I should feel happy or guilty to see her still in her ceremonial robe. I had my eyes locked to hers for a few seconds before looking away. Yeah. This is definitely guilt. “O-Oh..” They stuttered. They looked at me and then at each other before creating a very dense silent that I wished I could just curl into a ball and rolled out of there. “Can you give us a minute?” she said. It wasn’t long before Jimin and Hoseok walked away with Jimin looking back at me and at her. When they were gone, I was hoping that she would sit down next to me and talk it out. But she just stood there, giving me the look that said It’s your move. So gaining all my strength and mind, I walked to her and stopped when I was a few centimeters away from her.

She looked at me with a look of anticipation. I collected the things that I wanted to say. From why she didn’t follow the script to if she was mad at me for leaving her so soon. I breathed in. “Babe.. I’m—“

Without warning, she swung her arms on my shoulders and kissed me. I was very much shocked and speechless (obviously), but I returned it as passionately as her. It was like my words melted and was reformed into this kiss. No words needed. No voice presented. With the girl I loved, this moment was one of the rarest in our book. Of course we kissed before, but the emotions that flowed were not as intense and the words not needed to describe the desperation. In what felt like a full minute, we broke the kiss. She spoke first. “No time to talk, Yoongi. We’ve got things to do.” I barely had time to register what she said before a grabbed my hand and walked fast. “We do?” “Yup! I have it all list down.” when we passed the gate, she called a cab for a stop and that’s when I realized I left my bag on the bleachers. I had my phone with me, but my wallet and other things were in the bag. The cab stopped in front of us and she opened the door, but I stopped her.

“Hold on! Where are we going?!” I asked in shock.

“I’ll explain in the cab just get it.”

“Look calm down. I’m gonna go back and take my bag and—“

“Min Yoongi. You have less than 15 hours before you and I will not see each other again for god knows how long and to be specifically short, we’re going to use that time to cramp everything we’ve always wanted to do ever since we f***ing knew about each other existence. That kiss was one of things in the list. We’re a busy couple. Now move!”

I followed her in the cab and she told the driver to take us to the park. We vehicle moved. She leaned on the car seat and I just looked at her with an amazed expression. She noticed and raised an eyebrow. “What?” I let out a short laugh and shook my head in disbelief. “You’re crazy.” She just shrugged it off and smiled at me. I smiled back. “Can we kiss again?” She snorted and playfully slapped my shoulder. “Second round of hot make outs is not in the list.” she looked in front and I just smirked at the window. “Yet.” she added and I burst out laughing as I pulled her into a hug. Gosh this girl.. Then I saw her face. She was smiling. Anyone else might’ve thought she was okey, but I knew she had something in her mind that kept her from smiling sincerely. And I knew I was the cause of it. So I hugged her tightly. Less than 15 hours huh..