It’s been exactly ten years when he moved to Korea, struggling to get used to the language, culture and everything in between. He relieved as he passed those problems now, because his Korea is fluent now and he already adapted well. In fact, he is slowly starting to like South Korea more than the land where he spent his 7 years of his child hood.

“Hey, what are you doing, huh?” Seungkwan patted the brown-eyed boy’s shoulder, taking him aback from his thoughts.

“Nothing in particular.” he answered, “It’s just feels amazing that I could actually like this country.”

“Yeah, I’m amazed too. At first I think you would never get used to it here. What most amazed me is that you could speak Korean so fluently now! You even sound like a native speaker.”

Hansol smiled proudly, “Well, all thanks to Kim Yewon though, she is really a good teacher and she helps me a lot. I’m one hundred percent sure I won’t able to go through all of these struggles without her.”

In the mention of the girl, Seungkwan’s expression suddenly turns dark. “You still contact her?” Seungkwan asked carefully.

“And what kind of question is that? She is my friend. Of course I still contact her.”

“Hansol, I got the feeling that you’re clueless about her condition now.”

Hansol frowned – honestly didn’t get what he mean by that. “Explain to me so I can understand.”

“Hey, did you wait long?”

Hansol smiles and shakes his head. “No, I’m just arrived too.”

Yewon sits beside him, handed him his favorite taro bubble tea and smiled. “It’s my treat.”

Hansol mumbled thanks, and the guilt take over him so badly as soon as he sees her smile. He never thought about what kind of struggle she faced – to think about it – he never really care. Yewon always put a sincere smile on her face, so he never suspects anything. He always thought that she is alright, she is doing well, and there’s nothing to worry. When actually the fact it’s total opposite. He wonder how did Yewon manage to hide all of it from him all these time, and the fact that she suffered something that caused by him, but never told any of it to him made him feel hurt and useless.

“Hey, I think you called me to help you for Korean’s literature quiz, but I guess not? Why? Is something happened?”

“Is something happened?” Hansol asked her back, worries written all on his face.

“Hey, you look so strange. What happen?”

“How could you hide all of it from me?” Hansol look at her sadly, “Seungkwan told me about it. The girls bullied you, right? Because of me?”

Yewon left with no words, she averted her gaze to somewhere else, before look at him again and gives him a faint smile. “It’s not a big deal, so I really think I didn’t have to tell you.”

“How could it’s not a big deal when they sent you a death threat?”

“Seungkwan must hear it wrong. He sometimes likes to overdo it, you know.”

“That’s not the problem!” Hansol’s voice raised, he looks so angry, “How could you pretend like everything’s okay when it’s clearly not? The fact that the girls bullied you itself it’s already a big problem!”

Hansol looks at the girl with full of anger. He takes a deep breath to calm his self, quickly sip his bubble tea.

“Yesterday when you go home with your sport uniform, it’s because the girls doing, right?”

Yewon looks at him and sighed. “Yeah, it’s them but just stop. I can handle it by myself. You don’t need to worry or anything else – I’m fine.”

“Yewon, am I not your friend? Why can’t I know your problems too and help you out too?”

“It’s because you are my friend!” Yewon hissed, and let out a deep sighed a second after. “You know, why they’re bullying me? They want me to distance myself with you. They want me to not meet you anymore, they want me to break our friendship!”

“I didn’t tell you because I’m afraid you might do stupid things. I’m afraid you would distance yourself from me with the thought ‘for my sake’. I don’t want it to happen.”

“Of course I wouldn’t distance myself from you!” Hansol almost burst out his bubble tea, “Oh my god, believe me, I won’t do that. But still, you can’t receive those bullying with open hands like that. I’m going to stop it.”

“What would you do? The girls will –“

“Believe me.” Hansol suddenly speak in English, “Let me help you. I’m your friend, right?”

Yewon look at her best friend’s clear brown orbs, and she finds none than sincerity.

**

It’s an unusual morning when she already found Hansol in front of her house, waving at her with his gorgeous smile. Yewon sighed as she couldn’t tell what would Hansol do to help her stop from getting bully, when he did is act exactly like the girls hate to see.

“What are you doing here in early morning?”

“Pick you to school – of course! I think it’s obvious enough?”

“And why are you pick me –“ Hansol suddenly put his arm on Yewon’s shoulder, make the girls shocked in instant.

“Let’s go to school!”

“Ya!” Yewon hissed, trying to move his arm but Hansol dragged her to his motorcycle.

“Here is your helmet. Wear it properly, okay?”

“What is your plan?” Yewon asked directly, ignore the helmet he gave and give the boy stern look instead.

“Easy. I’m not planning something evil.”

“Don’t act fool like this, let’s go to school separately like usual and meet during lunch, okay?”

 “Are you afraid you might get more bully just because I pick you to school? Didn’t you say you don’t want me to distance myself because we’re friends?”

“Yes, I said that but –“

“Nah, other opinion is unaccepted! Now wear your helmet, we might late!”

Yewon just look at him, couldn’t utter a thing and that’s when the boy put the helmet on her head carefully and lock the fastener for her, make his face just several inches from hers.

Yewon gulped hard as she couldn’t take her eyes off from his face. He is so gorgeous – no wonder why the girls hate me so much for being so close with him, but it’s nothing than friend though why they –

“Nah, it’s done!” Yewon startled as she heard his voice, make the boy chuckled. Cute – he thought to himself.

“C’mon! Let’s go to school now, we don’t want to get punished, right?”

And Yewon has no other choice than ended up joining on his plan – whatever it is.

**

The girls that used to bully Yewon are in complete shook as their bullying only gave them a result of a closer friendship between those two. They basically glared at her when she gets off from Hansol’s motorcycle. She couldn’t help but lowered her head, because she couldn’t lie that she is somehow afraid of them and what kind of scary thing they would do to her this time. It isn’t possible for them to kill me – I’m not even exaggerating.

Guessing from her expression, Hansol could predict that she is afraid. He looks at her from the back, while walking to their classes. A thought cross his mind and he decide that it best to do it as soon as he could, so he slowly reached for her hands, and held it gently.

Yewon eyes widened in shock at the sudden skinship, but he just gave her his best smile. “I’ll protect you, don’t worry.”

Yewon know well that she should get rid his hand before the girls look at them and cause bigger problem for her, but another part of her doesn’t want to get it off as she finds comfort in his warm grasp. His hand feels way too good, to the point she careless about her pain she got from those jealous girls all this time and yet to come.

“Yewon, what would the girls do if they know I’m doing this?”

Yewon need several seconds to back from her dreamy thought and answered to him. “I don’t know? They could lock me in bathroom for day, I guess. Since cause a mess on my locker and desk is not a new thing.”

“That’s scary.”

“Indeed.”

“Don’t take off this hand, then.”

“What?”

“I’ll protect you. And let them know which side I stood at. Let them know that I’ll be your protector from now on! No one could hurt you as long as I’m here.”

“People will misunderstand us.”

“What will people thought about us though?”

“Oh, don’t let me say it. It’s embarrassing.” Yewon averted her gaze to somewhere else, make the boy chuckled. “What? People will think as a couple, is that what are you trying to say?”

“Sort off.” Yewon mumbled quickly.

 “Let’s make it official, then? Let’s give them what they would think.”

“It’s not funny.”

“Of course it’s not funny, because I’m serious now.” They stopped since they arrived at Yewon class, but the girl is too stunned to step in.

“What did you mean?”

“I’m serious. Do you need another reason for us to be official, huh?”

“Wait, you just confessed?”

Hansol chuckled and ruffles her bangs. “Silly girl. Do I have to make it loud and clear? Right here?”

“Ssh! Don’t do that!” Yewon hissed in panic, make Hansol laughed hard.

“So, did you accept me or not?”

“Uh, did you really have to confessed and demand my answer right now? At this kind of time? Why so sudden? Why did you pick the worst timing out of 24 hours that existed?”

“Remember that your safety is threatened, so I can’t wait any longer. Geez, did you not like me that much?”

“Nonsense!” Yewon quickly replied. Hansol’s smile grew wider as he heard that. “I consider that as ‘yes’! I’ll pick you for lunch. See you then, my girlfriend!”

“Wait, wha –“

Hansol waving his hand and run to his class with wide smile stuck on his face. Yewon stunned in front of her class, seeing him get further away and eventually lost in her sight. She feels her cheek burning and her heart that wildly beats, as she realized that her admiration towards him is not only one-sided.

She get in to the class and receive death glare from those girls – but different from any other day when she usually lowered her head and fear overtook her – now she look at them with brave smile on her face.

No, not because she got someone backed up for her that she feels so strong than ever, but because her old-secret love is finally requited.

i love english line ; u ;