“Bbom-ah…”

Chorong dared herself to call Bomi.  Half-running, she approached the younger.

“Bbom-ah, can we talk?”  Chorong asked hopefully.

Bomi nodded silently, then walked away following Chorong.

They arrived in a playground around their neighborhood.  They both in silence, sitting on a wooden bench staring at starry sky.

“I went to Suho’s house.”  Chorong broke the silence.

“So?”  Bomi replied flatly.

“I said my apologize to him.”  Chorong said, calm and soft.

“Why did you do it?”  Bomi gritted her teeth, holding back her arousing temper.

“Bbom-ah…  Whatever the reason is—to beat people like that is so wrong.”  Chorong turned her head, facing Bomi who refused to look into her.

“You should not apologize for something which you had not done.”  Bomi replied coldly, leaning backward.

They back into silence.  Only the whisper of wind, the squeak of swing, and the sing of night bugs could be heard surrounding the park.

“I’ll say my apologize later—when he truly have no bad intention to you…”  Bomi said after a long paused.

“And I’ll say my thanks—if he truly treats you well…”  She added.

Chorong stretched a smile in her face.

“He is not that bad, Bbom-ah…  He is good—now.  Everyone has a past, everyone can change, although he might tell a lie—I could feel that he is not a pure bad boy.”  Chorong said in low voice.

“I don’t know why—but I want to get to know him more and more…”

Bomi glanced into her.  Her eyes softened, showing the sadness and loneliness.

“I won’t interfere your decision…  But if he hurts you—you know exactly the place where you should come back.”  Bomi replied sincerely.

Chorong looked up, staring at Bomi proudly.

In teary eyes, Bomi stared back at her.  In half-heartedly and whole-heartedly, she tried to let Chorong walked on her decision.

“And…  about your confession—I want to say something…”  Chorong murmured hesitantly.

“I really appreciated your courage to confess your feeling…  I know it’s really hard to keep that feeling for so long—to say what exactly your feeling is—harder.  But, I don’t think I can love you back with those kinds of love.”  She continued, emphasized the word love at her last sentence.

Bomi sighed, then formed a light smile.

“I already expected your answer, Unnie.  I will not ask you to love me back—to love me like that…  To be by your side, to keep you safe, is more than enough for me.  I was relieved that I could let my feeling out.  I would not have any regret.”  She said softly and sincerely.

Chorong reached her, pulling Bomi into a hug.  Bomi widened her eyes, a bit startled.

“I will stay the same, Bbom-ah…  Even after your confession, I will always love you—my precious friend.”  Chorong whispered.

Bomi was touched and saddened.  She was glad as Chorong would not act like a stranger to her, but she was also sad as Chorong would only see her as a friend—forever.

After sweet and deep talk, Bomi and Chorong got reconciled.  Heading back to the house, they were chattering away, like they used to do.

“Sleep well, Bbom-ah…  See you tomorrow.”  Chorong said before entering her house.

“Ne, Unnie…  You too.”  Bomi replied brightly, waving her hand excitedly.

Right after Chorong disappeared behind the door, Bomi face turned saddened.  She walked weakly toward her house, silently rushed to her room, then tossed herself on her bed, crying hard.

She tried hard to hold back her tears in front of Chorong, so Chorong would not feel guilty at all.  She replayed the scene at the park, how Chorong excitedly admiring Suho, how she wanted to get to know him further, and how she rejected her feeling—her love.  She did feel relieved after confessing to Chorong, but she still could not accept the risk—the pain of heartbreak.

The whole night, Bomi was crying a lot, wishing that it would release all the pain of being rejected by someone she loved.

***

Under the tight and cold night, without a star on the dark sky, Sungjae was walking alone, heading to home after hanging out with his friends.  He entered his house cheerfully, humming a song excitedly, did not realize that he had guests at his house.

“You’re home…”  A voice startled Sungjae.

He was slightly jumped behind the main door.

“Mom?”  He raised his eyebrow.

His gaze shifted to a man beside her, having a sip of tea.

“Let’s eat dinner together.”  Sungjae’s mother invited him, stood up, then pulled a chair in front of her.

Sungjae reluctantly walked there, sitting after a heavy sigh.

“How’s school?  Doing good?”  Her mother asked.

“Eung.”  Sungjae answered.  Uninterestingly.

“Sungjae-ya…  I’ll go overseas—with my fiancée.”

Sungjae lifted her chin up, without looking into her mother nor the man.

“Eung.”

“Can you speak a little longer?”

“I genereally speak longer—but not with you.”

“Sungjae-ya…”

Sungjae slammed his chopsticks, with eyes full of anger he stared at his mother.

“We should not talk when we are eating.”  He stated firmly.

Her mother flinched, before grabbing his palm.

“I am sorry, Sungjae-ya…  I am going because of work, he is my manager, so I have to go with him to.  I am sorry to rarely come home.”

“I got used to live alone.”

“After I settled down all my business, I am going to marry him—and I can be at home and spend my time with you too.”

Sungjae closed his eyes, preventing his tears not to stream down.

“I better live alone.  I am done eating.”  Sungjae stated before dashed to his room, leaving her mother and whoever the man beside her.

He plonked himself on his bed, clenched his fists, holding back her anger.  He was fine when her father left them after a big fight when he was very young, he was fine when her mother rarely home due to busy work, but now he felt betrayed as her mother was going to leave him for other man—a stranger for him.  Although her mother said that she would have many times to spend with him right after she remarried, he did not trust her mother at all.  He got enough to be lied by his mother, telling that she would be with him anytime.

“Sungjae-ya…  I am leaving…  I’ll call you later…  I am really sorry.  I promise to finish my work soon.”  A soft voice woken up Sungjae’s sleep, but he still pretended to sleep.

His mother sat beside his bed, Sungjae’s back, a while, before finally leaving him.  Sungjae stayed still, refused to give any respond.  Soon, he heard his door closed.  Under the blanked he stared blankly, feeling lonely.

He got up from his bed, reaching the window, watching his mother and the man putting luggage inside the car.  It had been quite long for him since he chatted with his mother, he missed his mother so much, but the reality of seeing his mother back only for leaving him again, successfully slapped his face, really hard until he forgot how to lift up his face again.

Chorong had just walked back from her English course when she bumped into Sungjae’s mother.  She approached her and bowed to her.

“Aaaa…  Chorong-ah?  You’ve gotten so much prettier.”  Sungjae’s mother cupped her face with her palms.

Chorong smiled shyly.

“You are prettier, Auntie…”  Chorong threw a compliment.

“Are you going somewhere?”  Chorong peeked at the bunch of luggage being stuffed inside the car’s baggage.

“Ne, I am going overseas this time.”  Sungjae’s mother answered weakly.

“Please take care Sungjae when I am away.  I am really sorry to leave him—but I need to work to support our living…”  She continued, looked so guilty.

“Don’t worry about it, Auntie…”  Chorong smiled lovingly.

After a short conversation, Sungjae’s mother excused herself to depart.  Chorong sent her off with a light and sincere smile, hoping that she would do her job well.

The car slowly disappeared through the dark night, Chorong glanced on Sungjae’s home.  It was dark and empty.  She ignored it and entered her own home.  Entering her room, she reached out the window which directly face Sungjae’s bedroom.  She stared at it quite long.  Her mind filled by curiosity, about Sungjae’s condition after his mother’s leaving.  She tried to distract herself by playing with her cellphone, reading random book, and listening to music.  She sensed something wrong about Sungjae.  She turned around and headed to Sungjae’s home.  It was cold and quiet when she passed through the front door.

“Sungjae-ya?”  Chorong softly called, crawling on her feet as the room was really dark.

She noticed a movement near to the refrigerator, carefully listening to the breath in the middle of quiet night.

“Sungjae-ya?  Is that you?”  Chorong asked carefully, her hand busily rubbing the wall, trying to find the light’s switch.

“Yook Sungjae!!!”  She yelled out as the light .

Sungjae was sitting on the floor, with the back against the kitchen counter, and many beer cans beside him.

“Yaaaa!!!  Why did you drink alcohol?  You are not even in legal age to drink this!”  Chorong scowled.

Sungjae lifted his chin up, staring into Chorong’s face in red eyes.

“I wish my mother would say that to me…”  He murmured.

Chorong calmed down by the heart-breaking voice.  She kneeled down in front of Sungjae.

“Sungjae-ya…”  Chorong said softly, caressing the back of Sungjae’s palms.

“She should take care of me…  She is leaving me for long time, why should she left so many beer cans in the fridge.  I am in my rebellious age, why doesn’t she protect me?  Why she is not around when I need someone to talk to?”  He complained, drunken hard for sure.

Chorong eyes welled up seeing Sungjae’s act.  He generally looked playful and tough, but she knew that he actually wanted to shield himself about the hardship and loneliness of lacking parent’s affection.

“It because she trusts you, Jae-ah…  She knows that you will not touch every illegal and dangerous thing—which might ruin you…”  Chorong soothed him.

“To trust somebody too much—is hurt then…”  He smirked.

“Because she trusts me so much, she does not even pay any attention to me.”  He continued, raising her voice.

“Jae-ah…  trust me, your mother is really love you.”

“If she loves me, why she always leaves me alone?!”

Sungjae yelled out, bursting into anger.  Chorong a bit backed away hearing Sungjae’s scream.

“Jae-ah…  She does this for you…  For you to have good life and future.”  Chorong cajoled.

Sungjae was silenced a while.  The room back to silence.  Only their breaths could be heard.

“Jae-ah…”

“Don’t ever leave me, Nuna…”

Chorong was startled hearing Sungjae’s utterance.

“If you leave me, I really have no one to rely on.  You are the one who care a lot about me—and I respect you—and love you—more than you know…”  Sungjae said, looking sincerely into Chorong’s eyes.

Chorong could see how desperated and heart-broken Sungjae was.  His heart was empty, and he only had Chorong to depend on.

“Arasseo…  I will never leave you…”  Chorong smiled sweetly, caressing Sungjae’s cheek.

Sungjae held Chorong’s hand, with the eyes still deeply looking into Chorong’s eyes.  Full of relief—full of love—full of desire.  He leaned forward, close enough to feel the air coming out from Chorong’s nose.  Chorong backed away, but Sungjae pulled her closer.  He tilted her head, closer to press Chorong’s lips with his.

Chorong blinked her eyes, trying to understand the situation.  In a close distance, she looked into Sungjae, who closed his eyes, tentatively tasting her lips.  It was cold and soft kiss at first, but slowly turned to warm and sweet kiss, which drawn Chorong to taste the unexpected first kiss.  She was going to retract her lips out of the kiss, but the —and caressing of Sungjae’s kiss sink her into fluttering and pleasuring taste.

They played a long, swallowing each other’s lips until they did not realize that a pair of eyes was watching over them.  The owner of the eyes standing still, rounded the palms into a fist, clenched it to restrain the shocking and pounding heart.  Looking away the view, those pair of eyes leaving quietly the scene, swearing to them in the middle of her wailing.