Happy KyuWook Anniversary (August 15)! I hope this chapter will be a perfect treat for you! :)

April 18, 2016 (Monday) 

My heart skips when I receive a text from Ryeowook, saying that he wants to meet me in front of the school fountain. I'm glad that we're not meeting at the park because we've been there quite often. I mean, I would love to go back there to see the cherry blossoms, but after that scene happened, I don't feel like being all quenched up by flowers again. The cleaners probably have a hard time sweeping the petals off the bridge right now. But anyway, I have a feeling that Ryeowook is finally ready to talk to me. I've been thinking about him the whole day today; I can't even focus on my classes. I remember a couple of my instructors waving their hands over me to make sure that I'm paying attention. Come on! Can't they give me some space?

            I'm the last one to leave the classroom. The sky is a dim blue; the maze garden is lit up with tiny golden lights. I immediately spot Ryeowook by the fountain, which is located at the very end of the maze. He looks nervous; I can tell by the way he takes deep breaths. 

                  "Ryeowookie!" I wave as I walk towards him. 

                  He looks up and greets me with a small smile. "How are your classes today?" 

                  "Not too bad," I shrug, "I have two quizzes on Wednesday, so I'll have to stay up late to study tonight."

                  "I hope you won't have an hour of sleep." 

                  I roll my eyes. "I'll probably stay up till 2 am." 

                  "Good, because you look like a zombie this morning." 

                  "I barely had any sleep last night." 

                  He looks down at the ground. "So am I." 

                 I look at him curiously. "What are you thinking about?"

                 He looks back up and breathes deeply one more time. "At first, I thought that falling in love with you is wrong. I've never thought that I would be in love with a person I am friends with for so long. But...Yesung makes me realize that it doesn't matter who I fall in love with because that person is the one who makes me feel special. I have to accept that I've fallen in love with that person...and I shouldn't regret it." 

                "So you're saying that...you're in love with me?" He nods. Even though the little lights around the garden aren't as bright as a street light, I can see him blushing. Goddamit! He's so cute! He makes my heart flutter! "Besides, it's your fault that makes me like this." 

                 I my head to one side. "What do you mean it's my fault?" 

                "You just...have the most handsome face I've ever seen! Your eyes, your lips, your....everything! Everything of you is just so tempting! You make me...kiss you." 

                I stare at him for a moment. I suddenly burst out laughing. My laughter echoes through the evening air; it almost erases the sound of water spraying from the fountain behind us. Ryeowook looks at me in surprise. "Isn't that how falling in love suppose to be?" I point out. 

                 "I...I guess," he mumbles. 

                 I can't help with how innocent and embarrassed he looks, so I step forward and wrap my arms around his shoulders. I can feel his body stiffens at first, but he shortly relaxes. "Don't you worry, okay?" I say softly, "I'll help you to know what love feels like. Actually...what real love feels like." He slowly wraps his arms around my waist and rests his head on my chest. "See? You're doing it!" I grin, "I don't know why you say that you've never been in a relationship before. People must have a blind eye on a beautiful person like you." 

            "Oh, stop!" he giggles and slaps my back lightly, "I guess I've watched way too many dramas." 

            "So, you're imitating TV shows just to get my attention?" I tease. 

            "Kyuhyun!" he whines and slaps me again. I laugh as I hold him tighter. This is the moment I've been waiting for! His small body fits perfectly against mine, and I wouldn't want to let him go. 

            "Ryeowook, there's something you should know, and I hope you'll remember this," I say. He lifts his head to look at me. "I don't care if you're my best friend or not. All I care about right now is you. Even if we hadn't met when we were kids, even if we only have just met this term, I will still fall head over heels in love with you because my heart chooses you. I love you too, Ryeowook. I am in love with you." His eyes are shining under the moonlight. His lips curl into a smile that is sweet enough to make my insides melt. "We may be friends back then, and even now, I'm happy that I've caught up with you. But also, I've realized that I love you more than that. I love you as a person. I love that you never give up on me and convince me to know more of you. I love everything about you. Every single thing about you, Kim Ryeowook." God knows how long I've been staring into his eyes. Behind those eyes is the feeling that I know he wants to get across to me. With no regrets, I close my eyes and seal my lips onto his. As he kisses me back, I cup his cheeks to kiss him again. We eventually kiss a few more times, and we begin to ruffle each other's hair. I've never noticed that we kiss so lovingly until Ryeowook finally pulls back. We look at each other as we catch our breath. 

            "That...was...amazing," he mutters. 

            "I agree." I smile. He smiles back and rests his head on my chest again. I hug him again, wishing that I can ditch my priorities tonight and just standing there with him by the fountain. It creates a serene melody that goes well with the silence of the surroundings, just like the satisfied heart in me right now. 

                                                                                                      *                              *                         *

July 27th, 2017 (Wednesday)

            "Junwo Aki, one of Osaka's criminals known for harassing gay men, has escaped from prison last night at 2:42 am. The police of Tokyo Detention House and several police stations are currently on the search for the culprit. If you've happened to spot him, please contact the police at 110." 

            All eyes are on the flat tv screen at the student lounge. The photo of the criminal shown on the screen creeps me out. His whole head is covered in a black hoodie and mask, but his demonic-looking eyes are visible enough for the world to see. Why would he only attack gay people? He's very much against the LGBT community, but he has put his life on risk way too far by being one of the city's most feared people. It's like he wants to warn people not to be gay or not to support those who are gay. I mean, why he has so much hate on them? We all are humans, and we will be attracted to someone according to our preferences. Whoever we are, we all need to be supported and to be loved and cared for. What's the difference he sees? I don't see any difference, because humans do fall in love. 

          My thoughts are cut off by a vibration tickles in my jeans pocket. I smile once I see the flashing screen. 

          Wookie: "Hey Kyu! Same place 2nite?" 

          Me: "Yeap! By the Takoyaki stand!" 

         Wookie: "Ok! I'll see you then! <3" 

         My heart beats with excitement as I think of my special plans with Wookie tonight. Today is our 100th day anniversary, and I have a gift (well actually a few gifts) all prepared and stored in my backpack. We've been to many dates despite our busy schedule. It's almost the end of the term, but we've managed to pull off short hours of alone time together. From hugs in front of Wookie's homestay house to stealing air smooches behind an annoyed Yesung to three minutes kissing in the middle of our study group when Yesung goes to pee, every single moment with my love is just so precious. Unlike any other girls I've gone out with, Wookie is the first and only one who never fails to magnetize my heart.

        As I make my way to Informatics class, my mind flashes to the scene when I saved Wookie from being stabbed by Junwo. I was about to start the engine of my car when suddenly I spot a man in black who was seemingly choking a man. I quickly took out my phone and dialled 110. A policeman answered my call after three beeps; he said his unit would get to the campus as soon as possible. Another man appeared under the flickering street light, and he caught me by surprise because I recognized his small figure and red hair. Wookie seemed to say something that makes Junwo pissed. He immediately dropped the man he just strangled, walked towards Wookie and pointed a knife against his chin. I wondered how long it's going to take for the police to come. The scene I saw looked very intense, and I didn't want Ryeowook to die. Yes, even though I was not friendly to him in class, I wanted to help. 

        My car was parked in front of two other ones. I got out and closed the door as quietly as I could. I noticed that Wookie was pushed against the wall. I had a feeling that he was about to slice Wookie's neck off. I was about to tackle him when suddenly three police cars and ambulance skidded to a halt in front of the scene. Police officers and pediatricians hopped off the vehicles, causing the criminal to drop his weapon and surrender himself. Perfect timing!  Wookie was surprised when he saw me running to him and hugging him. It was a hug of relief. I was just happy that he's safe, except that he has a cut on his chin. 

       "Don't worry about it. It's just a scratch." Ryeowook forced a smile. 

       "It could have gotten worse." I frown. And I know that he's lying because he looked terrified when Junwo held that deadly weapon in front of him. Despite that he nearly becomes the criminal's prey, he did save the couple's lives. Heechul, if I remember his name correctly, thanked Ryeowook for not only saving him but also his boyfriend, Hangeng's. Ryeowook was just so brave for stepping forward, which it's the right thing to do. He's putting his life at risk, but it's a good thing that no one died. 

        By all means, I hope that we won't have to face Junwo again. He has escaped, but I think he won't ever come after myself or Wookie. Whatever happens, no one is allowed to hurt my love. I will protect Wookie at any cost. 

                                                                          *                                       *                                   *

        The sky is blushing pink, just like my warm cheeks when I see Wookie coming to me right now. My heart skips a beat when he moves his feet lightly and when he smiles sweetly. Every day, he looks more beautiful than before. I can't help but fall for him; it's like my love for him gets bigger and bigger as days pass by. I feel lucky to love him, and tonight I want to show him how much I love him. 

        "Kyu Kyu!" he chirps.

        "Wookie!" I grin and stretch my arms so that his body cushions against mine. He giggles when I nuzzle his hair and peck his forehead. "I didn't get to see you all day today." I pout. 

         "I know...ごめんね (Gomen ne- sorry)!" he replies, "I went straight home after my class at 4 pm because I'm preparing this." 

          He's carrying a picnic basket. My jaw drops slightly. "You've prepared dinner? But...I thought we're having Henry's Takoyaki." I briefly shift my eyes to the Takoyaki stand which is a few feet away. Despite the queue of three customers, I'm sure Henry can listen to our conversation. 

         "We're still getting Takoyaki, don't worry." he explains, "but I also want to do something special for our anniversary. This is my gift for you, Kyu." I can feel my heart grow warm. I hug him again and whisper, "thank you." We then wait for our turn in the line. I ask him what he has brought, but he shakes his head and points out that it's a surprise. I beg him a couple of times, but he says he can't tell me yet. I pout and cross my arms, but he squeezes my arm gently and says, "Be patient, Kyu." 

         "Well, there's the Kyuwook couple! How are you two lovebirds doing?" Henry welcomes with a toothy smile. 

         "You're calling us that?" I raise my eyebrow. 

         "Why not? It suits you!" he smirks. 

         "I've never thought of that. I actually like it." Wookie says. 

         "See? Even he likes it!" Henry smirks again. 

         "Whatever." I roll my eyes jokingly, "Anyway, two sets of Takoyaki, please." 

         "Actually, we'll just go with one set." Wookie cuts in. 

         "What? Why?" I ask in surprise. 

         "Well, I've so much food here! I'm afraid that we won't finish them all tonight!" he reminds me. He almost trips over his own feet when he lifts his basket in front of my face. 

          "Okay, okay fine! One set then."  I laugh as I push his basket down gently. 

          "Awwwwww you two are so adorable! Wait! Let me take a pic for my dad to see!" Henry says. He pulls out his phone from his apron pocket. 

          "Shouldn't you be getting back to work?" I groan. 

          "Come on, Kyuhyun Senpai! Just one picture!" he says. Wookie wraps his arms around mine and leans against me. We exchange smiles before we pose with peace signs.

          We've gotten our order two minutes later. Wookie suggests that we should lay his picnic mat under one of the trees. Spring is long gone, so the trees now have green leaves. As we walk down the river to look for a spot, Wookie suddenly gasps. He points at a tree which looks slightly bigger than the others. He has found the perfect spot because we can see the breathtaking view of the sun sinking between the hills. 

          "Okay! So what you got there?" I ask, and he sits next to me. My eyes are glued to the basket. Wookie finally opens it and takes out three bento boxes, a thermos flask, two plastic bowls, and two pairs of chopsticks. My jaw hangs open once he lifts the lids off each box. There are Tamagoyaki (fried egg rolls), sashimi, potato and pumpkin croquettes, fruit salad, Onigiri (triangularly shaped rice balls), string bean and shrimp tempura, steamed broccoli and carrots, seasoned salmon, tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet) and Taiyaki (fish-shaped red bean pancakes). Each food is in four squares of each box. 

           "You...made all...of this?" I gasp. 

           "Well, Leeteuk-san and the kids helped me." Wookie replies with a wink, "We're excited for you to try them all." 

            "Wow! It must be a lot of work." 

            "Well, it's not too difficult." He's about to pass me the chopsticks when his eyes suddenly widen. "Oh! Wait! I almost forgot!" 

            "What?" 

            "I have something for you here." There is a sticky note on top of the thermos flask. He peels it off and hands it to me. I stare at the neat handwriting for a minute before I realize that it's in the form of a poem. 

When I first saw you,

after a long time of separation,

I couldn't tell whether it's you.

But when I encounter you once again

with chances to believe in you 

and time to get close to you 

like we did before,

I realize that there's something more

than just our reunion. 

When I keep glancing at you,

my heart goes beyond my control.

You remind me so much of the beauty of spring.

And I think it's not the cherry blossoms that got me hypnotized to you.

You've made me fallen into your spell.

You are the missing puzzle piece I've been searching.

All of the questions that have been whirling in my head

about myself

have been answered,

because of you. 

My heart is glued to yours for 100 days,

and it will forever be with yours for more days

until eternity. 

I love you, Cho Kyuhyun. 

Happy 100th day anniversary! <3 

             "I'm the worst when it comes to doing art on food, so I write a poem for you instead." he smiles shyly. I can feel my heart melting. This is literally the sweetest poem I've ever read, and I can tell right away that the words are from his own heart. And the fact that he has made all of the food touches me a lot. "Kyu? Is everything okay?" he suddenly looks worriedly at me. I realize that I've been staring at the paper the whole time. I shake my head and wrap my arms around him. 

              "I love it. Thank you, Wookie." I whisper happily. 

              "Really? Thank goodness! I thought you don't like it." he sighs in relief. 

              "Are you kidding me?" I exclaim, "No one has ever either wrote me a poem or given me a bento picnic this big before! You're the first!" 

              Ryeoowok smiles wider and kisses me on my right cheek. "I'm delighted to hear that," he says. 

              We spent less than an hour talking and eating Ryeowook's homemade food, which by the way, is one of the most delicious meals I've ever tasted in my whole life! I may sound like I'm exaggerating here, but I swear I am not. The croquettes and tempura are crunchy. The Onigiri and sushi are fresh. The seaweed soup he has poured from his thermos flask is well-seasoned. The red bean paste in the Taiyaki is not too sweet, which I love. "Wookie! These are just so good! You should be a chef after you graduate!" I say after I swallow my last spoonful. 

              "That would be awesome," Wookie giggles, "but I've never thought of being a professional chef. I like to cook just for fun." 

              "Liar." 

              Ryeowook laughs and punches me lightly on my arm. "You know what I like the most about cooking?" 

              "What?" 

              "Seeing people smile when they taste my food." he answers, "When they like my food, I feel like I should cook more for them. It's like I should thank them for liking my food, so I should give them a bigger portion the next time I cook for them." 

              "That's why you always give me a larger portion." I chip in, "You should give yourself a little more as well." 

              He tilts his head to the right. "Why?" 

              "Because you look so small." 

               "I thought you're gonna say I look so skinny." He laughs again. 

               "Well, I think small is a better word than skinny." 

               He smiles and rests his head on my shoulder, "I just have a small stomach, unlike yours." 

               We watch the sun disappearing underneath the hills. I remember that I still my gifts, so I snatch my bag from the corner of the picnic mat. "I have something for you as well." 

               "Really? Oh, Kyu! You shouldn't have!"

               "How could I not for this special day?" I hand him a rectangular-shaped object wrapped in purple paper. I watch in anticipation as he opens his present. When he finishes tearing the paper, his eyes sparkle. He holds the familiar giraffe origami in one hand and caresses a box of carbon pencils glued to a hardcover sketchbook in his other hand. 

               "I know I should have given the origami to you earlier. I've been waiting for a time like this to do so." I explain. 

               "So it was you." he says as he looks at me in awe, "Is there a reason why you're holding on to it?" He's gazing deeply into my eyes, acknowledging me that I have to tell him what I truly feel of doing so. 

               "I was about to give it back to you, but at that time, I wasn't still sure whether I can talk to you. When you first came into the classroom, I wanted to believe that you'd come back for real...after all those years. Yesung even convinced me that that new boy was you. We were planning to talk to you on the second day of our class, but then...the incident happened." 

               "When I was about to be murdered?"

               "Yeah...I saw you there, and I was so relieved when the police arrived moments ago after I called them." 

                He nods in agreement. "You even hugged me, which caught me by surprise." 

                "I was just glad that you were safe; otherwise you could be killed." 

                "I guess it's too late to say this now, but...thank you." 

                 I shake my head and hug him again. "I'm just happy that you're safe, alive, and mine." Wookie smiles back and pillows his head onto my shoulder. "Since that night, I've realized that I've gotten closer to you, and that's how I've come to fall in love with you. I wanted you to fall in love with me too, but I knew that you were uncertain with your feelings." 

                 He nods again and takes a deep breath. "Yeah...I was indeed confused with myself. I couldn't believe that I had feelings for you. I thought it was impossible for me to love my childhood best friend, and I was scared that if I got to love you or tell you that I love you, our friendship would be ruined. But I was wrong. Thanks to Yesung, I've realized that there's nothing wrong with whomever you're falling in love with as long as you've put your trust in that person or whatever reason that makes you feel that you want to be with that person."

                "I was gonna return the origami to you before we had our first kiss," I add, "but then I think that tonight is the right time." 

                Wookie presses his lips on my cheek. "Well, this is indeed the perfect moment. And I love the sketchbook and pencil set as well. How do you know what I wanted?" 

                "Because I'm your boyfriend, duh!" I roll my eyes. 

                He narrows his eyes and punches my arm lightly, "I'm serious, Kyu! How do you ever know?" 

                "Well, I've noticed that you've almost used up your old sketchbook. You've also said before that you can't afford to buy carbon pencils or any other art supplies, so I bought you these." 

                Wookie immediately wipes out the frown on his face and pecks my lips. "Thank you. This is the best gift I've ever had." As I look deep into his eyes, I can see that he's feeling touched, loved and thankful. His smile melts my heart, and I swear to God that I will do anything to protect his beautiful smile. I cup his right cheek and kiss him. I can't remember how long we kiss; all I can remember is the wonderful feeling when my lips touch his. It tastes like the softest cotton candy I can ever imagine. When we've finally stopped, I realize that both of our lips have become swollen. If only time can stop, I can kiss Wookie for the umpteenth time. No limits. No worries. Just himself in my arms and his lips marked as mine forever. 

               Fifteen minutes later, we pack our things and walk back to the parking lot. We wave goodbye to Henry, who is still working. He calls us "KyuWook" once again, and I have to admit that I would like to see more people calling us that. It suits us. Anyway, we are about to head to my car, which is parked at the very end, when suddenly we spot a man in a completely black outfit walking quickly towards us. His hoodie blocks us from seeing his face, but I can see a pair of evil eyes through the dim yellow street light. 

                "Freeze!" he barks. Wookie and I stop walking; our eyes widen with fear. I feel Wookie clutching my arm tightly. 

                "What do you want?" I ask as calmly as I can. 

                "Don't you remember me?" he gruffs. 

                "Huh?" 

                 He pushes the hood off to reveal his face, which causes both of us to gasp in shock. It's our first time seeing Junwo's real face. A couple of poorly-healed scars are not enough to be camouflaged in his square-shaped face full of pimples. His upper lip has a clear cut close to the edge of his mouth. The most frightening features are still his piercing black eyes. Worst of all, he's staring at Wookie. "You ruined my plans of beating that darn couple back at your school." he says, "Now I'm going to make you pay." 

                "W...what are you...t...talking about?" Wookie stammers. 

                "Don't you dare pretend that it's not your fault, kid!" Junwo snarls, "You are my target now! And it looks like you are gay too, so I have to teach you two a lesson."  He fishes in his pants pocket for the same knife we've seen back then. I wrap my arm round Wookie's shoulder and pull him close to my chest.

               "Why would you teach us a lesson?" I snap, "We love each other. Nothing can break us apart." 

               "Two boys or two girls are not supposed to love each other. That's wrong and disgusting." Junwo says as he approaches closer. 

               "Love is never wrong." 

               "You don't understand, idiot! Gay people must be gone from this world. They're ruining the generation." 

               "Nothing is wrong with whom you choose to love. Don't you know that when you love someone, you are happy?"

               "I'm not into your stupid pep talk! Give me that boy at once!" He points his knife in our direction. 

                "Never!" 

                Before I knew it, Junwo charges towards us. I push Wookie away and duck under just as his knife hovers in midair. I then creep behind him and kick him in the legs. He nearly loses his balance, but his feet manage to grip the ground.  Good thing that his reflexes are slow because when he turns back, he is surprised that I come running towards him and kick his stomach. Once he collapses to the road, I run to Wookie, who is hiding behind a parked car nearby. Unfortunately, I feel a punch and a kick on my back, causing me to fall. The way he kicks is pretty rough, so I feel a slight sharp pain on my back. I hear Wookie screaming; I look up to see Junwo trapping him in a neck lock and pointing his knife close to his cheek. 

                "Kyu!" Wookie cries. 

                "Wookie!" I yell. I mentally tell myself to bear the pain in my body as I get up. "Let him go!" 

                "Not a chance!" Junwo snickers, "I'm going to kill this boy right in front of you." 

                "You wouldn't!" 

                "Oh yes," he grins as he holds the knife inches away from Wookie's chest, "I would." 

                Wookie struggles to escape, but Junwo is so strong he can't free himself away from Junwo's arm. He's shaking. He stares at me in horror, calling my name in a shivering tone. When he sees the knife, he closes his eyes. My mind quickly flashes to the scene back at the school when I saw Junwo's knife meeting Wookie's chin. It's happening again. Wookie is targeted for homicide. Under the street light, I can see tears streaming down on his face. I want to save him. I don't want him to kill my love. I don't want him to take Wookie away from me. But how am I suppose to stop him? H...how?

                 "Say goodbye to your pathetic boyfriend!" Junwo guffaws.

                 "KYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" Wookie wails. 

                 Please...God. Please let this be just a dream...I'm begging you...please! 

Kyuhyun (キュヒョン)