“Dearest Teacher, Eunji,

                Our class hope you have a great winter break to spend. And we also hope to see you next year with a new smile. We can feel your loneliness, Miss. We know you’re going through some things. Always remember to not be selfish and give yourself what it deserves. Be happy, cheer up and show your sweetest smile.

                See you soon, Miss Eunji! Take care and have an amazing Christmas!

                                                                                                                                                                                               

Love,

Sophomore, class 2"

 

It's a good thing I didn't read it on class. Cos I am literally crying now. This class is always so sweet. Now I know the reason why they always spill jokes and sometimes they send me chocolates, especially on Valentines.

 

It's a pity I didn't formally send them my greetings. I just don't want it to be so emotional so I just send them text messages saying I hope they have a wonderful break and Christmas. 

 

I send those after we meet this morning. 

 

I am a happy and bubbly looking person and I want everything to be and look happy. I don't the like an emotional atmosphere cos I really cry so hard.

 

 "Wow! A letter?" Howon suddenly appear beside me. 

 

"If only I didn't know you're alive I might consider you a ghost." I mocked causing him to laugh. "Yeah. A letter from my class in sophomore."

 

He then suddenly took it away from my hand and read. "Dearest Teacher Eun----"

 

Luckily, I got it back. "That's invading of privacy, sunbae-nim."  

 

"Yah. Since when did we have a privacy? We promised no secrets between us, right?"

 

"Yeah. But thi---"

 

"No more buts." Then he took it away again and run to the corner of the office. 

 

He read it with just his eyes and he became serious.

 

"Loneliness? Going through some things?" He confusedly asked.

 

"Haha! Don't mind them. They're kids. They exaggerate every thing they noticed." I convinced. But I'm hoping he don't believe me and ask more. I just like the feeling of having someone concern for you.

 

"Make sense." He said as he give me back the letter. Wow. I didn't expect that. "But just in case in the future you feel lonely or you're going through some thing, don't bother to call me." 

 

I smiled sweetly just by hearing him say those words. "I will."

 

"Chorong wants to eat with you this lunch, I hope this time you agree." 

 

"The three of us?" 

 

"Yes. Please?" He then showed me his puppy eyes which I missed all this time. Now I wonder if he already showed this side of him to Chorong. Because if no, I'd feel special. 

 

"Aigoo. Okay. I'll join you guys."

 

"Yes! See you later, then." 

 

I agreed not because Chorong wants to. I agreed not because of Howon's puppy eyes. I agreed because it's been a long time since I ate with Howon and because this might be the last time for me to eat again with him. Though there is someone else between us.

 

After we ate together, Chorong thanked me for agreeing. She even gave a present. A winter gloves. She really is sweet. Maybe that's one of the reasons Howon fell for her.

 

Even if it hurts, I cannot totally hate Chorong. She's been so good to me since the first day. And why would I hate her, right? She don't have any idea about my feelings, so she doesn't also have any idea she's hurting me. All she just knew is we treat, Howon and I, each other like friends near to being brother-sister relationship. 

 

"Howon will drive you home." Chorong suggested which shook me. "I have friends to meet. Howon needs to get home right away." 

 

"Okay." Well, why would I resist? I'd love it if Howon will drive me home. Like again, it's been a long time!

 

So, Chorong parted ways with us. And now, I am at Howon's car. 

 

"You changed your style huh?" I asked roaming the inside of his car which totally has changed. "There's a pink color now." I smirked.

 

"Don't laugh." He said but later on he is the one laughing. "It's so girly! If only not for Chorong." 

 

We are both laughing, thinking Howon really hates the pink color. Dark pink maybe a consideration. But in this case right now, it's really a pink.

 

"So when are you going to the orphanage?" He asked out of the blue.

 

"Tomorrow."

 

"Already?"

 

"Yeah. I don't want to jail myself in my house. So it's better to leave right away."

 

"Sorry." Again, out of the blue he apologized. I was shocked. "Sorry for not going with you this time."

 

"Eeey, it's okay." I said feeling nervous, I wonder why.

 

"Also..." He stopped the car, when I look outside I noticed we're already in front of my house. "Sorry for taking away your plan for us. At Jeju."

 

So, he remembered. Yet he chose it.

 

"We can do that still next time. With Chorong." 

 

"Why didn't you tell me early before?!" Suddenly he seems mad.

 

"What?" I asked cause I don't know what is he talking about.

 

"I called the Ahjumma in the orphanage. The Ahjumma you are close to." 

 

"Huh?" Really, I don't understand him. 

 

"She accidentaly spill how you feel for me." 

 

That's when I knew what is he talking about. Now I can hear my heart beating so fast, so loud. 

 

"Yah. She must just making fun of you. You know her personality, right?" I tried to erase the thought he's having about it but I think it won't workout.

 

"She was shocked when I said I am engaed and it wasn't you. She thought we end up together..."

 

Flashback of the phone call of Howon and the Ahjumma.

"Omo! Not with Eunji? But why? I thought in the end you guys will end up together. Aigoo, our Eunji must've been so lonely all this time." 

 

"What do you mean, Ahjumma?"

 

"Don't you noticed how Eunji looked at you? How she held your hand? How she called out your name?" 

 

"...."

 

"You must really don't know what love is yet. Because you didn't seem to noticed the love Eunji has for you." 

End of flashback.

 

Howon told me everything they talked about with Ahjumma. Now I don't know what to say or how to lift my head and face him.

 

"I thought you only treat me as your friend or a brother. I tried to show you how I feel back then but there's no confirmation from you noticing it. That's why when Chorong came I decided to only focus on her. Changed my heart. And not disappoint you. By not breaking our friendship that I thought you treasured so much." 

 

"I do treasured our friendship. So much." I smirked. "How funny. We have the same thought. But have different reason. I think I am the one who doesn't know love. Cause I didn't noticed right away how you treat me. That you are already showing me how you feel. I just realized that when Chorong told me how you treat her, I found out that's how you treated me before. And since then, in my eyes I saw you changed. You don't treat me the way you used to anymore. So I give up. And just stay on being friends with you." 

 

I remembered a song that resembles this scenario we have right now. Ugh why does my story always connected with a song. 

 

"You came to me, into my heart, as something more than a friend.

Next to you, I hid my heart, hiding behind the friendship label."

 

Just like what the lyrics said, we both hid our heart, hid behind the friendship we have.

 

"I'm so sorry." Again, he apologized.

 

"Don't be. I should be the one saying sorry. I let my feelings for you as a friend grew to this extent. If only I don't let myself, we would still be the way we used to."

 

"No. If only I waited. I swear, I really loved you for so long. Until Chorong came."

 

"Me too. I have been loving you for so long. Even if Chorong has already came."

 

 

******

Hi! Thanks for reading! Hope you had a great time reading even just for a bit ^__^

P.S. 

I know this is a GYUJI story but this chapter and the last 2 are about Howon and Eunji. Hehe sowwy, I just think it's the best way to start the story of GyuJi ^_^