“YOUR ARMS ARE FAT!” Seunghyun yelled.

I could not believe my ears.

“WHAT?!” I yelled out.

“YOU HEARD ME. YOUR ARMS ARE FAT!” The five-year-old Seunghyun repeated.

I felt my cheeks start to burn; I knew that my pale cheeks turned a shade of light pink. I was about to raise my fist and knock Seunghyun out but the recess bell rang.

“OH YEAH?!” I yelled out, trying to save my face but it was too late.

Seunghyun had already left me; he ran to our classmate, Daesung, who, I heard, ate paste when the teacher wasn’t looking.

I sighed, Seunghyun managed to humiliate me again. Reluctant, I walked back to class, late.

I sat in the empty chair next to, you’re right, Seunghyun. He was smiling at me, looking innocent.

“What?” I muttered, sitting down.

“Nothing, nothing.” He just smiled, looking at the front board. He started to giggle; I ignored him, doodling on my notebook.

All of a sudden I heard the whole class giggling as well. I looked behind me and everyone was giggling. I shot a confused look at Seunghyun but he just looked at his notebook and tried to stifle his laughter.

I looked at the front board and gasped.

“AIKAS ARMS ARE FAT.” Was written on the board in bold, capital letters. There was even a drawing of me, and arrows pointing at my arms.

All of a sudden I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I felt tears about to escape from my eyes, I felt bad butterflies in my stomach, fluttering; I felt so annoyed, mad and sad at the same time.

Next thing I knew, Seunghyun was on the floor, holding onto his nose; red liquid trickling down his jaw; and I, walking down towards the principals office.

 

FAST FORWARD TO HIGH SCHOOL: SENIOR YEAR

 

“I hate him.” I muttered, while playing with my corn.

 Irina threw a crumpled piece of napkin at my forehead. She just laughed at me and continued to eat her food.

“Yah, what was that for?” I whined.

“You keep saying that when we both know you like him.” Irina replied.

“Ugh, you and your failed assumptions again. Remember what Danny Oppa said, “Assumptions are worse than stupidity.” I said.

“Shush, we both know you like him. And I’m always right about these things.” She said.

“Whatever, whatever.”

Suddenly, a tall, tanned, chinky-eyed boy hugged Irina from behind. It was none other than her boyfriend, Daesung, who coincidentally is best friends with Seunghyun, my mortal enemy.

“Yebbo~” He cooed in Irina’s ear.

“Hey Aika.” He waved at me, giving me his signature eye smiles.

“Hey Daesung-sshi.” I muttered, still playing with my corn.

“What’s with her?” Daesung asked.

“You know, same old, same old. She’s madly in love with your best friend, and she doesn’t even know.” Irina smiled.

“YAH STOP FEEDING YOUR BOYFRIEND WITH LIES!” I yelled out, throwing my fork at Irina.

“Yah, you know its true!” Irina laughed.

“Aish.” I muttered, scratching my head.

“It’s the same with him.” Daesung said.

“What?” Irina and I both said at the same time.

“You both are madly in love with each other but your lame idiot rivalry masks it.”

“You guys are perfect for each other. Both delusional and high.” I chuckled dryly.

I stood up from the table.

“Since I do not want to be infected with whatever kind of idiocy you both have, I will go and leave you two alone.” I announced.

I walked out of the cafeteria and into the deserted hallways.

 

“You both are madly in love with each other but your lame idiot rivalry masks it.” Kept repeating in my mind.

 

I started to hit my forehead and sighed.

“Don’t let their dumb words get to you.” I muttered to myself.

I bumped into someone.

“Sorry- Oh, its you.” A familiar voice bellowed.

I looked up and rolled my eyes.

“Ew.” I cringed.

“Are your fat arms causing you to tackle innocent people now?” Seunghyun smirked.

I felt my cheeks heat up.

“I HATE YOU.” I yelled out.

“Same with you.” He smiled teasingly.

“Just GAH!” I yelled out, storming away.

I was too busy throwing imaginary rocks at the imaginary version of Seunghyun in my mind that I didn’t realize I walked into the older part of the school building. And supposedly, this part of the school had ghosts and you’d be trapped in the hallways for months.

I looked around and started to panic.

“DAMN SEUNGHYUN!” I yelled out.

“If it wasn’t for that stupid butthead, I wouldn’t be lost!” I walked endlessly in the hallway, but I couldn’t figure out where I was.

All of a sudden I heard footsteps. I started to walk towards the footsteps in hopes of finding my way out.

Oh s.hit.

 

It was one of the crazy people in my school that tried to get you to be in their gang. This guy was named Thunder.

I started to quietly walk backwards, hoping he doesn’t see me.

“YOU!” He yelled out.

OH MY GOODNESS!

I started to run away, I heard his footsteps right behind me. I took a left turn in hopes of losing him; I can hear the booming noise of his running feet echo in the empty halls.

“OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG.” I yelled inside my head.

I DON’T WANT TO BE IN A GANG! I’M TOO YOUNG!

All of a sudden I felt my arm being yanked from my side. I felt a hand cover my mouth.

“MMMM!” I protested.

“SHUSH.” A familiar, husky voice whispered in my ear.

SEUNGHYUN?!

I heard Thunders footsteps pass by us and heard him mutter, “d.amn.”

We stood there in silence, not moving a single muscle for about two minutes then finally Seunghyun let go of me.

I fixed my clothes in place and brushed my hair with my fingers. Seunghyun stood in front of me, his hands in his pockets, looking down at his shoes.

“Thanks.” I muttered.

He nodded his head.

“Well, I’m going to go now.” I said and felt him pull on my arm.

“And get lost again?” He said.

“Wait how did you know I got lost? And … what are you even doing here?”

He let go of my arm and smiled.

“I-uh, I was following you …”

“W-what?!”

“Well you’re an idiot, you were the one who ran into the forbidden hallway.”

“WELL IT’S YOUR FAULT!” I yelled at him.

“WHAT?! MY FAULT?!”

“IF IT WASN’T FOR YOU, I WOULDN’T HAVE STORMED IN HERE.”

“MY FAULT?! YOU’RE THE DUMMY WHO STORMED IN HERE.”

“YEAH, ITS YOUR FAULT.”

“HOW?”

“YOU SAID MY ARMS WERE FAT!”

“SO ITS WRONG FOR ME TO TELL THE TRUTH NOW?”

“YES, I MEAN, NO. I MEAN. GAH YOU !” I yelled, storming away from Seunghyun once more.

I felt my arm being pulled once more.

I glared at Seunghyun, I felt tears at the brim of my eyes. Seunghyun noticed; his expression changed from smiling to concerned.

“I-I didn’t mean it like that. I-I just thought …”

“Thought what?” I said, blinking the tears away.

“It was our thing.” He muttered softly.

“Our what?” I asked, dumbfounded.

“You know, our thing…”

“Choi Seunghyun you’re being a dumba.ss right now.” I chuckled dryly.

“I just thought it was our way of, you know, like a couple thing …” He scratched his head.

“A WHAT?”

“Aish, nevermind.” He sighed.

I pulled on his arm.

“Yah, tell me.”

“I-I- you really don’t know?” He asked.

“K-know what?”

He started to laugh. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head in disbelief.

“How can I be so in love with a clueless babo?” He muttered.

“CLUELESS BABO- WAIT WHAT?!” I yelled out.

“I thought I was obvious.”

“Obviously a jerk.” I muttered.

“I just, I really don’t know how to act towards you.” He said.

“When we were five, I didn’t know what to say so I said, “your arms are fat”. I wanted to tell you that I like you, but I saw that Teddy was about to confess to you so I blurted that out.” He looked at the floor.

“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.” He muttered.

I looked at the floor. I didn’t know what to say.

“I-I forgive you.” I replied.

“But you’re still a jerk.” I said.

“Can we start over at least?” He asked.

I felt my cheeks heat up. I nodded my head.

“I guess.” I muttered softly.

“Okay.” He smiled.

He placed his hand in front of me and smiled.

“Hi, I’m Choi Seunghyun and I like you.”

“Hi, I’m Aika and I think your arms are fat.” I smiled at him and ran.