They didn’t meet each other the next day. They meet again randomly the next five days after at a different time than before. Seokmin taps Yuna shoulder from behind.

“Hey,” he says.

“Oh, Seokmin. Hi.” Yuna tries to smile casually.

“We meet again.”

He looks livelier than their first reunion. This time Seokmin walks closer to her. There’s no unnecessessary distance between them. He even smiles too. How different.

“Are you happy today?”

Seokmin turns his head to Yuna to answer. “Uh, I’m just my usual self. Today is not a bad day either so maybe you can say I’m happy. Why?”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Hey, that looks heavy.” Seokmin points out her bag. She especially brought this additional bag today because she needs to borrow some books for her literature assignments and it weighs a lot. This aggravates her mood. She is burdened both mentally and physically now.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. They are library books for my reference. It’s quite hea-” Seokmin already snatched it and carried it easily with one hand. What eomma said was true, he’s helpful and strong.

“Thank you.”

They don’t talk much that day. Seokmin also doesn’t initiate anything except “Hey”. It’s good for Yuna, though. She’s not in the mood of making or enjoying conversations. She got an extremely bad score on test because of a silly mistake. She missed a number and all the answers were improperly placed. A little bit of carelessness has tainted her records.

When she finally backs to her senses, she realised Seokmin is still with her.

“This is the way to my house. Aren’t you going that way?”

“Nope. It’s late. I’m walking you home.”

Yuna suddenly feels better as if dopamine just hit her brain because of that sentence. She laughs at herself which making Seokmin confused but don’t bother asking.

“You didn’t walk me home before.”

“Ah, it’s because I’m tired to death because of the soccer practice. I also forgot my sportswear, I played in my uniform. I was soaked with sweat inside my jacket. Then I recognized you on my way home. I kept some distances because I’m afraid that I… smell bad?”

Yuna laughs hard at that. Seokmin is so honest! Maybe most teenage boys are just like that. They accept their nature and don’t fight blood and tears to protect their image like most girls do. Yuna kind of envies him.

“Hey, don’t laugh. You should thank me for my mindfulness,” Seokmin pretends to be offended but Yuna continues laughing until she remembers something.

“Wait, I think you ever used the same reason before. Ah, that day! When I was crying on the swing and you didn’t want to walk me home because you’re too tired. But you still walked me home.”

“But you didn’t know, my mother still pulled my ears because I went home late that day. She thought I didn’t walk you without asking me or your mother first. That was really hurt.”

“Does she still do that now?” Yuna asks teasingly. She has forgotten all her misfortunes today.

“She can’t even reach my ears now.”

“Nah, you’re not that tall.”

Seokmin suddenly stops his steps. “Here we are. Your house.”

“Oh… We’ve reached my house.” She lost the track of time again when she is with him. “Okay, see you. Be careful on your way and thanks.” Yuna smiles at him and waves rather awkwardly because he is looking at her. Seokmin just nod his head as a mean of telling her to get inside.

“Here, your bag. See you next time,” he says before walking away.

-

“I’m home,” Seokmin greets after he gets inside his house.

Just when he removed his shoes, he heard running footsteps from the kitchen to the living room where he’s at. He knows it’s his eomma.

One, two, three…

“Yah, Lee Seokmin! How could you go home so late everyday? You don’t like your house, huh? You like to see your mother and father worried?”

Seokmin knows how this session starts and ends so he just says, “I’m hungry.”

“Yeah, the dinner is ready. It’s still hot because I know you’ll get home at this time. Really, this kid doesn’t even answer my questions. Honey, scold your son. ”

“He’s hungry, honey.” His father says while sipping his favourite jasmine tea on the dinner table. Everyone can smell the soothing aroma in the room. His father is like that, calm and relax. Seokmin is always grateful that he got more of his father’s personality trait or else it would be too festive inside the house.

Seokmin grins and gives his father a thumb up for his remark. His mother acts like she loses nothing and goes to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Seokmin sits across his father and starts filling his plate with the dinner. While washing the cooking utensils, his mother continues her rants.

“Like father, like son! I’m just worried about him. He only thinks about soccer or his friends, he doesn’t think of me. Moreover, his academics are always good so I can’t scold him about him doing sports. Aigoo! He only loves balls!”

His father spills his tea and coughs, Seokmin suppresses his laughs. “You mean soccer.”

“Yeah, of course I mean that. But, look, he’s a teenager but I haven’t seen him invite a girl friend to our house or smiles to himself when chatting on his phone. Are you normal, my son? Do you really only love balls?”

“Honey, please just say soccer.”

“He has played volleyball, basketball, baseball, soccer, and anything but he never tries having a girlfriend. You should never waste your youth, you know. Having some kind of romantic experiences would help too. That way you can really seize a woman’s heart when you’re sure she’s the right one. Just ask your father.”

His father clears his throats.

“Eomma, don’t you think that average mother usually wants his son to focus on his study rather than dating?”

“You’re doing well on that, the problem is you’re only dating balls and I can’t wait having someone I can treat like my own daughter. I can teach her how to cook, shopping with her, talking about skin products, doing what women do.”

Seokmin pretends to be dejected and puts down his spoon. “So, you don’t like your son, huh? You don’t want me anymore.”

“Aniya, it’s not like that,” his mother hugs his head from behind and kisses his side forehead, water dripping from her fingers. “I love my son. I love you. I love you more than your father.”

His father eyes his mother with a hurt look. “Really? You’re cheating with our son? I think I will cut your shopping expenses this month.”

“Ah, honey! Don’t do that!”

Seokmin smiles. He, too, loves his parents. He hopes one day he will have a lover like his cheerful mother and a household filled with simple happiness between the noises like this everyday.

“By the way, eomma, I was late partially because I walked a girl to her house.”

“Really?! Who is that? Tell me, tell me.” His mother looks at him with an excited expression.

“Give your child some privacy if he isn’t ready yet, can’t you?”

Seokmin just continues eating. “You know her,” he thinks silently.

-

Yuna turns off his table lamp after piling the library books neatly. She sighs, finally finished her assignments and studied for tomorrow’s test. Now she can goes to the paradise called sleeping bed to refresh her weary soul. She falls like a baby blue starfish in her pyjamas.

Just when she closes her eyelids, she opens it again. She can’t sleep yet. Actually there is something she has been avoid thinking and she’s happy that studying helps her about it. But it stays in the corner of her mind and will soon disturb her in her dreams.

It’s officially about a guy named Lee Seokmin.

Yuna covers her face with a pillow out of embarassment when she can completely imagine Seokmin’s face in details in her head. He doesn’t smile too often, but when he does Yuna noticed that his whole face smiles. She can see his gums and perfect set of teeth like in those toothpaste commercials. He is joy personified into human when he smiles. His nose is high and sharp. He has hard features along his jawline. She covers her face deeper and feels shameless imagining this.

“Ahhhhhhh. This! This is what happens when you go to an all-girl school. You rarely interact with boys. So when one good-looking boy is kind to you, you can’t… What is this? I can’t get him out of my head. This is so cliche. Yeah, this must be because I have read or heard about it somewhere.”

“He’s kind,” she remembers how Seokmin listened to her story and helped her with heavy bag, “and I start to expect more. I expect that he would always walk with me, talk to me like a good friend, and treat me well… Sooner or later our familiarity will trick me into thinking that he is a special exsistence to me just because he’s become my only guy friend and he’s… dependable.”

“Meanwhile… I’m just another girl friend to him, right? Maybe I’m nothing… Why do I want him to see me more than that, though? It’s not like we have met many times either after we grew up... Oh, God. Please give me wisdom and self-control. I shouldn’t be greedy. Ah, I don’t want to think anymore. The more I think the more complicated it becomes.”

She wrapped herself in her blanket and rolls on her bed a couple of times to clear her mind and then she slaps both her cheeks with two hands. “Let’s just sleep! Sleep, Yuna, sleep. Don’t think about boys, you’re in your second term of first grade. Your future still has a long way to go! Sleep!”

-

This time they meet six days after. The interval is increasing. Yuna thinks it is a coincidence again. The magical reasons of their meeting are actually Seokmin goes home early because there is no practice today and Yuna because her ballet club is having a break after successfully performed at a school event. They don’t inform each other about the reasons because secretly they like how the Master of Time arranges their occasional rendezvous.

Seokmin actually cheats. It’s not that accidental. He is supposed to be on his way home right now but he delayed it. He waited for twenty minutes to see if Yuna is coming. He listened to some songs while waiting and acted calm when he sees Yuna. He feels relieved that he didn’t choose to leave and waited for another ten minute.

Regardless of the cheating he never takes note what time Yuna came or what the exact time they met. He still wants them to be a mystery. But he consistently waits thirty minutes if he gets time to spare before going home on loose days. Naturally they meet each other once a week by the irony of fate. His efforts sometimes result in another (half-intentional) meeting so it becomes thrice a week between the six days of school.

Yuna obviously doesn’t know about this.

-

September wind is blowing coldly. The leaves of the trees around her school keep falling and painting her school grounds with brownish colours. She takes a photo of reddish leaves piling on top of her headmaster’s car out of boredom by the window. This month Yuna doesn’t meet Seokmin even once and it makes her way home not as exciting as before. She admits on the seventeenth day of the month she misses him. She has played along with this rendezvous game too well that she has let herself spoiled.

School final projects are coming and she wants to hear him telling her himnae. She is longing to meet a male friend out of the sea of girls in her school. She wants to hear about his friends’ hilarious jokes. She wants to watch him running chasing a soccer ball. She wants to know more about the soccer matches result. She wants to see his short hair that grows on his upper nape from behind.

“I want to see him,” she thinks while looking out of the window in her class. “Why is Physics teacher so boring, anyway?”

“Excuse me, Choi Yuna. Are you saying something?”

“No, Seonsaengnim. I’m just reading the question.”

-

“Seokmin, why are you always going straight to your room after you got home? Are you sleeping? You don’t eat dinner with us,” his mother asks him while reheating his food.

Seokmin eats his dinner one or two hours after the usual family dinner time these days. He pulled his chair and sits patiently with a growling stomach. Having practices for the upcoming competition and studying right after drains his stamina a lot.

“I’m not sleeping, I’m studying. The competition starts next week. I have to make sure my grade is not affected.”

“What a lovely son,” his mother praises. “Here is your soup. Do you want me to massage your back?”

“Thanks, eomma. But you don’t need to. I’ll just take hot shower, it will loosen my muscles. I will eat now, thanks for the food.”

“Okay, then. In everything, do your best. Always remember what eomma said to you-”

 “The true winner never loses or wins, the true winner is the one who perseveres until the end even if he is riding high today and shot down tomorrow. I know, I remember,” Seokmin smiles.

“Why are you so lovely? I wish I have met someone like you in my school days. Really, your only weakness is you’re afraid of cockcroach, tsk tsk.”

“Eomma, I believe there’s at least half population of the world who is afraid of cockroach, especially if it has wings.” Seokmin shudders just talking about it. “It’s not weakness, it’s almost a universal threat.”

“I thought I raise you to be a fearless, but it turns out I’m more manly than you when it comes to killing cockroaches. I will be watching TV. Tell me if you’re finished eating. I’ll do the dishes so you can continue your study.”

Seokmin eats alone. He can hear the sound of commercial broadcasts hosted by a pretty woman with alluring voice that attracts people with excessive homeshopping habit. His mother is watching the skincare products promotions again. He heard the brand especially promoting because it is its twenty-first anniversary.

His mother now saying things like, “Oh, that’s so expensive. Ah, so pretty. I want one set of that. This brand looks good, too. Yah, doesn’t the presenter too beautiful? You think I will buy the product because of that woman….”

“HAH!”

“What is it, eomma?”

“They’re giving promotional discounts for twenty one days, Seokmin-ah! And it is since the beginning of this month. How come I just knew it? Omo. What date is today?” she hurrily stands up and looking at the calendar hanging on the wall. “Ah, I still have time until the October 4^th. Safe! Eomma will use the next month expense, how nice.”

“Yeah, how nice. I thought it was something serious,” her son frowns in disbelief.

“Eh, by the way, isn’t there anything special on October 4^th? I feel like remembering something. I remember I used to receive snacks gift to give to you on October 4^th.”

“Ah, I know. But I stopped receiving them since middle school,” Seokmin added. “But I forgot, who gave them to me?”

“You stopped receiving them because after Yuna entered middle school she doesn’t want her mother to celebrate her birthday with the children around neighbourhood anymore. But you rarely came to hers anyway. You’re really thoughtless when you’re a kid, you know. You only did what you want. But you changed so much now I’m proud of you.”

When his mother mentioned that name he felt like getting a renaissance. He doesn’t remember Yuna’s birthday at all. It’s because back then he didn’t want to come to her birthday party even though she gave him invitation card every year. He never liked it for most of the children who came are girls (her subordinates when she ruled as queen at the park) around the neighbourhood.

The pure-hearted Yuna still gave him the snacks gift through her mother, gave them herself to Seokmin, or left it on Seokmin’s table at class. Being the brat he was, he just ate them without much thinking. This time he will return her kindness and properly tell her a happy birthday.

-

Yuna is staring at her smartphone screen.

Two new text messages from the LINE official account. Group chat messages appearing endlessly. A private chat message from her friend about ballet club schedule. She locks her screen. Turns it on again. Locks it again. Turns it on again and looking on the green-coloured application named LINE on the corner.

She wonders. The world knows about the high technology of South Korea internet networks. Maybe it’s the world’s fastest internet access country. They call her country a sleepless one that is living in the future. South Korea also has the giant company of Samsung which produced the amazing sophisticated device she is holding now. By that, she knows that actually she has all what she need to contact someone and ask about his whereabouts or what is he doing these days.

But she doesn’t have that person’s contact. Specifically, his LINE ID. More detail, Lee Seokmin’s LINE ID. She can’t send chats to him and everything seems pretty useless to her now. She heaves a long sigh.

“What are you thinking, Choi Yuna? It’s not like you would chat him first if you have his contact. But… at least I can read his timeline or what kind of posts he would like. Heck, why do I even want to know? He could be the type who uses LINE only when he needs it. He’s not a girl.”

Yuna stares at her room ceiling as if it would show Seokmin’s LINE ID on its pale white surface if she continues staring. “I wonder what his display picture is. What he wrote on his profile. I wonder, I wonder, and I can’t stop wondering. He doesn’t ask for my contact. Yah, Seokmin, are you doing that because we are neighbours? If you don’t ask me, I can’t do anything. We are so close yet so far. God, I wish I could meet him accidentally again... That would be natural.”

Yuna is always busy at school, whether busy discussing the new K-pop song or groups with her circle, studying something she can’t understand, practicing ballet with her club, or sleeping at the library. She is good at making herself not thinking about Seokmin in day. Night is the time she prefers to do so. The reason is because night is closer to Seokmin because she used to meet him at the evening after school.

“If I’m doing well in my life, I will also receive the goodness in life, right. Then I’ll be doing well, I’ll do my best until we meet again,” she resolutes.

It seems that she really meant her words before. God grants her wish on the first day of October. She just stands there. The original soundtrack of her favourite drama is playing in her ears through her dangling headsets. She pulls them off without turning off the player on her phone. She doesn’t have time to care about such trivial thing. After all humanity shouldn’t be worried about 10% of battery when what’s really important exists in front of them.

Seokmin is there, across her, a friendly grin plastered on his face. The crossing light shifts but she doesn’t move an inch. She wants to look at him for a long time to make sure this is not some kind of Fata Morgana due to her blurred faith of wishing to meet him. She forgot to cross when it’s the time, now she has to wait another five minutes but Seokmin waits for her.

She almost runs to him but she keeps her pace like how she normally walks. When she is near to him, she stretches out her hand to touch Seokmin’s arm. He’s real, he’s here.

“Yuna?” Seokmin asks.

“Huh? Ah, oh, sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just…” she looks confused when Seokmin meets her eye. In the next second a smile blooms upon her lips. “It’s just that I thought I’m imagining things. This is real.”

“What? Were you daydreaming? I saw you forgot to cross when the lights turned,” he chuckles. “You should pay attention to your surrounding. You’re a girl, you should be more careful and… I’m sorry, though.”

“Sorry? What are you sorry for?”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t walk home with you. I just think that I have to say sorry. You went home alone. I felt a little lonely so I think you also felt the same.”

Yuna can’t say anything. That last sentence hits her soul. Every concern Seokmin sheds for her sparks something inside her chest. On the other side, Seokmin is waiting for her reaction but she just casts down her head. When he sees her feminine side face covered with some strains of sleek hair, he realizes that night is not so dark when she is beside him. He assumes that day would not be as bright without her presence. He wonders how it would be like to be walking with her in daylight.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about me. How about you? Have you been busy lately?” finally she answers.

“Yeah. I had a lot of practices last month. I think my feet is really worn out right now. We had a classmeet soccer match and we lost to the third year team at the final. It is fine, though… I’m sure we’ll win next year. I also participated in schools competition. I feel really grateful to be able to join the representative team for my school. I’m the youngest in that team but they treat me well. It’s beyond my imagination the team brought victory and I was a part in that. That moments were… unbelievable,” he can’t hide his smile.

“Wow… Wow. That was amazing. I’m sorry your class lost the match. But, wah, being a player for the schools competition. That must be thrilling, I know that feeling too. When I was practicing I danced as if I were numb, but when the competition was over, I couldn’t even stand on my feet. Really, I understand how great your effort is. Congratulations, Seokmin.”

“Thank you, Yuna.”

“I want to give you something as a congratulations gift. Unfortunately, I don’t bring anything today.” Yuna pouts . “Usually I always bring my favourite drinks in my bag but I drank them all today.”

Seokmin stops and that makes Yuna do the same. Seokmin turns his head to see her in the eyes. Yuna being looked like that fidgeting with the tip of skirt.

“Yuna, I know this is sudden but… let’s meet each other again in three days. I want to meet you in the usual place.”

Yuna can feel her blood rushed to her ears. She’s glad she never changes her hairstyle which covers most of her face and ears. Seokmin wouldn’t see them getting red now. What does he want from me? That’s my birthday. Does he know my birthday?

“Aren’t we going to meet each other eventually without your saying?” Yuna wants to test him a bit.

I have to say something good here. But after three seconds passed it turns out Seokmin can’t find anything good to say to Yuna so he just says what he feels. “No, usually we meet each other in a kind of, quite, accidental. This time I need to meet you. I think we have to plan it beforehand. Can we? Do you… have any plan that day?”

“I don’t have any plan. Yes, we can. We can meet. I’ll be there at 7 PM. Are you okay with that?”

She lies. Actually she can’t meet him because she is supposed to go home at 8 PM that day because of her ballet club schedule. She doesn’t care. She will apologize and bow deeply to her seniors and ask for their permission. She will still go even if they don’t allow her. Seokmin matters and it’s her birthday, whether Seokmin knows or not.

She doesn’t want to know why Seokmin wants to meet her. She just wants to spend her birthday with him even just for half an hour of walking together.

“Okay, 7 PM then.”

-

At the night of D-1, Seokmin can’t sleep. He is sitting beside his father on the couch. They’re watching late night soccer match. Seokmin usually streams the re-run in the morning at school but tonight’s an exception. He was hugging the pillow in his chest.

“Son, why are you taking all of the pillows for yourself? Give me one, at least. More importantly, why are you here? You have to wake up early, right?” his father says without leaving his focus on the TV. “Oh, no. Pass it to your left!”

Seokmin throws a pillow to his father softly. His expression doesn’t change.

“You’re not enjoying tonight’s match either. You look really restless. YES, YES. KICK IT! WHOO, A GOAL. Seokmin, did you see that?!” His father shakes both of Seokmin’s shoulders in a huge excitement. “What a beautiful goal! My favourite team is going to win if they keep playing like this. Ya! Can’t you be happy for me? What’s with that stoic face?”

“You’re really different when you’re watching matches.”

His father slaps his arms and confirms, “Of course. Soccer match is like my first love and second wife combined.”

“Appa,” he calls. “Honestly, I have another match tomorrow.”

“Are you worrying about that?”

“Yeah. Kind of.” Seokmin sighs. “It’s… something personal.”

His father pats his shoulder. “It’s okay. Don’t worry. Match is just a name. We fight everyday, battling with ourselves and daily concerns. What are you afraid of?”

His father opens up a jar of peanut. The TV is now showing the comentators analyzing the players’ skill in oh-so-knowledgeable way his father doesn’t like. “Do you want some?”

Seokmin shakes his head.

“Actually, the real battle is not when we face other people.” His father takes another palm of peanut to his mouth. “It is when we face our own fear and settle it down. Do we really want to be the winner? Are we willing to take the risk? Will I stand up again if I fall? You’re the only one who can answer that. Ah, this peanut is too salty.”

Seokmin listens and still quiet. He doesn’t say anything but he feels a lot better now.

“Can you sleep now?” his father asks with a smile.

Seokmin nods. “That’s good,” his father says.

-

Seokmin takes a deep breath. It’s almost the time now. Yesterday was hectic. He wanted to buy something she can wear with ease. He consulted with his friend’s girlfriend about what to give to a girl who is not a girlfriend before he went to department store.

“Don’t buy necklace because it is like you’re tying her. Don’t buy bracelet because it is like a handcuffs. Definetly don’t buy a ring because it means deep commitment and bond. Don’t buy dolls or flowers that will die tomorrow, that’s lame. Buying her favourite Kpop album would be nice, though, but it won’t represent your feelings.”

“Sorry, you’re not helping me.”

“What I mean is just give her what you think suits her dream and her charm best.”

Seokmin is really good on that point. He knows best about that and he easily found what he wanted to give to Yuna as soon as he entered the gift store. He traced the thing with his fingers. He felt greedy. They just meet each other sometimes yet he wants her to wear something like this for him. Nevertheless, he doesn’t know how Yuna feels. Guessing it is not the best option, cherish her is the answer.

It has been a long time since I felt this nervous. I’m just giving a birthday present. Is this how those girls feel when they give me something at school? If this were, then Yuna should be accepting my present the way I accepted presents, right?

“Yeah, she must be. It’s okay if she doesn’t think about it much. I’m already happy to give this to her.”

“Hey, who are you talking to?” Seokmin hears a panting voice of Yuna who was runing to him but he didn’t realize. Yuna catches another breath before Seokmin can reply. “Have you been waiting long? I’m sorry I’m late. Ah, it’s 7.24 already! I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Seokmin doesn’t say anything instead he puts a hand on top of Yuna’s head which is bowed down slightly because she feels guilty to Seokmin.

“It’s okay because it’s your day. Happy birthday.”

Something in Yuna bursts like fireworks. It’s her heart. It bursted but she wonders why is it still there. That wasn’t a burst though, it’s her heartbeat. It beats as fast as the fireworks shot up to sky and disappear, shot up again another seconds causing festivity inside her. Seokmin who can’t see that doesn’t move his hand and pats her head twice before caressing the long strain of her hair down. When his hand almost leaves her the feeling is similar to when she watched the last, most anticipated fireworks. It’s beautiful but a bit painful.

“Here, your birthday present.”

A rose quartz coloured box tied with a white ribbon is put on Yuna’s hands. She looks at Seokmin and Seokmin gestures to her to open it. It’s not her first time receiving gifts from a boy on her birthday. This one makes her trembles especially when she unties the ribbon. It feels so new to her.

There are two sparkling things inside. The first thing she holds up is a keychain. A silver dancing ballerina attached to it. She remembers she told Seokmin she does ballet. “Thank you, this is so pretty.”

The second thing is a thin silver tiny flowers and its branches hairpin. Yuna looks at Seokmin in disbelief. “Did you choose these by yourself?”

“No. I chose them myself. I gave you two things because they are too small,” he laughs at himself. “You… don’t like it?”

Yuna stares at Seokmin’s face and smile for what feels like an eternity for Seokmin.

“I don’t like them.”

Seokmin was going to say something and his face looks funny but Yuna cut him off.

“I love them.”

That line sounds a thousand times better than the crowd cheers when his team won any soccer match. Her happiness is his triumph.

They are walking side by side like usual. Yuna can’t hide her happiness. She hums a song when silence wraps around them. Seokmin likes to hear her hummings but he breaks the silence nonetheless.

“Do you have anything you want to achieve in this age?”

“Hm… Me? Nothing special. I’m still a teenager. I want to grow up to be a better me. I’m immature and inexperienced in many aspects. I don’t even understand myself sometimes and would blame myself when I make mistake. So I want to… learn about myself more, my feelings, and my dreams. People say only when you know yourself, you know how to live.”

“You didn’t sound like a teenager just now. You sounded like my teacher.”

“Ya, you mean that I’m old? I’m seventeen.”

“Yeah. Me, too. Well, I hope your wish come true. Just grow up according to your own our pace. Enjoy your youth so so you won’t look back with regrets.”

Time moves so fast when people want it to slow down. They come to the end of their walk again. Yuna stands in front of her house. Suddenly she giggles and covers with her hand shyly.

“Why? Are you that happy today?”

She nods. “Yes, I am. I am happy and thankful. My father gave me more pocket money than usual. My mother will cook me my favourite dish for tonight’s dinner. My friends and juniors were singing for me from the balcony at school. Then, I got two birthday presents for you. You also walked me home. Thank you.”

She really wants to stay longer but she says, “I will get inside. See you-”

“Wait, Yuna.”

“Yes?”

“I know, uh, this is birthday but you still have to… fulfill your promise that time, right? So can I request something as my gift of winning the schools competition now?”

“Yes, you can. I’ve promised you. What do you want?”

“I want you to thank me again,” Seokmin says with a teasing smile.

Yuna looks at him with questioning eyes. “Okay. Just that?”

“Yes, but you have to do that in the way you thanked me that day after you were crying in the park and we played swings together.”

Yuna can feel her blood rushing to her cheek, out of all requests it has to be this. Lee Seokmin is really, really!

“What...”

“I won't take no because you’ve promised me. Someone who wants to grow up to be a better person shouldn’t break her promise.”

“Fine! We're not kids anymore. It's not that hard for me.” But Seokmin can see her blushing under the warm yellow light lamp in front of her house and he's enjoying it.

Yuna comes closer. “Yah, why are you so tall? C-come here.”

She tiptoes and Seokmin can tell their gap is closed. Yuna is beside him, he can hear the sound of her breath. It still tickles him but this time he also handles it well.

“Gomawo.”

 She whispered and then quickly tries to avoid Seokmin’s gaze. As if flower petals just bombed out of his chest, he almost loses his balance and laughs. “You really did that!”

“Don't laugh at me! You're making a weird request!”

“Oh, you're not going to run away from me like that day?”

“I wanted to run but y-you're holding my hand...”

“Oh, I'm sorry.” He immediately releases her. He can’t remember, when did he hold her hand?

Yuna just stands on her spot.

“Why don't you run?”

“Why should I? I'm not a kid anymore. I’m officially seventeen today.”

“You look embarassed.”

“No, I'm not,” she insists. Seokmin face is in front of hers now. He’s observing her expression.

“You are. Want me to take your photo as a proof right now?”

“I'm not and don’t ever do that. Bye! I'm going inside, take care!” Yuna can’t hold her embarassment any longer, she walks without looking back.

Seokmin laughs again. “Bye, happy birthday once again!”

“Just go away!”

A/N: Educations in South Korea is quite scary. Most students go to school from 8 AM to 7 PM or 10 PM and they still have courses after that. I am sorry for the late update. Thank you so much for subscribing. It means a lot when some people show commitment to read your works. There will be Gaon Music Awards soon. The first line up is including GFRIEND, I believe SEVENTEEN will attend it too. Let’s hope there will be SEVENTEEN and GFRIEND interactions or reactions fancam. I want to see Seokmin’s reaction again!