*10 years prior*

“Hey Chaeyoung! What are you going to do this summer!?”

“Oh..um..I signed up for this karate summer camp!!! It sounds super cool!”

“Summer camp?!? Isn’t that an entire month wasted doing work?? This is our second last high school summer to spend together...”

“No no!! It sounds really fun, trust. We can hang out before and after the camp!”

“Well okay… I guess you would like it since you’re into that karate anime..what’s it called? Pokemon?” No... Hmph >:(

“Chill.. I’ll have fun, don’t worry about me!”

-

I took a long glance at myself in the mirror. My hair was cutely fashioned, with several braided strands of hair intertwining with bundles of straight black hair. The attractive do compensated for the comfortable, loose clothing I had decided to wear for the entire trip.

“Are you going to pack makeup as well?”

“Huh what? Oh...umm, I don’t think so. I don’t want to look too extravagant for such a rigorous camp.”

“But you love makeup! Here, I’ll just pack some blush and tint for you. I’ll put it in this pocket.”

“Thanks, mama. Don’t miss me too much for the next two weeks.”

“With your brother and sister still here, I’m sure I’ll cope fine….but come here and give me one last hug.” I comfortably go to embrace my mother, with her hands firmly secured around me. “Be safe, okay? Please don’t come home crippled.”

“Mooom, don’t worry. I’ll be super safe and have the best time of my life. I’ll even come home with some cool karate moves to show you, teehee.” I smile warmly at my mother, who is poorly exhibiting a strong facade with the subtle tears peeping out her eyes. I blow a fat , wholesome kiss, and with those words, I leave for the bus to camp.

-

I sit next to the first empty seat I find to prevent any additional attention drawn to me. Beside me, a boy fast asleep, with blaring headphones. ..I definitely sat next to the wrong person. I wanted to sleep too… I swing my bag from my back to put it under my seat, but I accidentally swing it towards the boy next to me instead. Ohhh myy goddd Chaeyoung you nooobb!! He flinches from the shock of being suddenly hit, and scans my clearly stunned face. He looks at me blankly and scratches his scalp.

“I’m so so so sorry!! I can’t believe I did that. Oh my god, I’m so sorry for waking you up! I’m so sorry!”

“No no..I wasn’t really asleep. It’s fine, haha, it didn’t hurt at all, I was just surprised. Oh..but is my music too loud? I think my music's too loud. I’ll lower the volume. Sorry.”

“Ah..thanks. I’m so sorry.. I’ll make sure to be much more careful for the rest of the trip. I just wanted to get my phone…” I turn on my phone and slip my headphones on as well. I open the app of the latest game I have been occupying all my high school time with.

“Hey..you play Clash too?? What level?”

“Umm level 20? I just started a month ago but it’s so addicting.”

“I know right? Let’s play together right now! I’m around level 78.”

“78?! Won’t I tank our team then.?”

“Nah don’t worry, I’ll carry. It’ll be fun.”

For the duration of four hours, the boy and I intensely played Clash, interacting with eachother the whole ride through.

-

“The person next to you, memorize their name. They’ll be your partner and go-to person for the time we spend here. Know their dorm area, number, something cool about them…”

“What’s your name?”

“Lee Chaeyoung. Lee Chae Young”

“Kang Daniel. Kang Dan EE El” He’s imitating the way I just spoke.

“I have an English name too! Flora Lee! I was born in New York but moved here when I was 10.”

“Really? Well, Flora, I guess that’s the cool thing I’ve learned about you! I’ll show you mine:” Show?

Suddenly, Daniel motions his face right up to mine. W-whaat?!?!

“Look closely” Wh-whattttt!?!?

He’s cu.. his face is a little, cute... but still..WhaaatT??! What is he doing?!

“Underneath this eye, I have a little birthmark. My friends call it my beauty mark. I like it a lot, haha. I think it makes me look hot.” Whaaaatt ?!?

“Ho-hot? Hmm….I’m not sure about that but,, yeah, that’s pretty cool. Ok, I’ll remember that!” He moves his face back and leans on the window.

“So..why are you here?”

“I want to learn self-defence!! I want to cooly box people out one day! Hm..I also want to get into shape by learning more karate!” Should I tell him about the anime ..? .

“Seems legit. I’m here because I want to be more flexible. When I grow up, I want to be a legendary dancer. B-boying especially. Maybe I can be a triple-threat idol and have a lot of fans! Hah...one day, I want people to one day call me God Daniel” Oh how cliche..but cool “I’m part of my high-school’s dance team, you know. I hope I can dance forever, so I should be flexible and fast. I think karate would help with that a lot.” What a stable dream.

“Well, best of luck. I’ll support you! All Hail God Daniel!!” I playfully snicker.

“Really!?! Wow, thanks! When I make it big, I’ll dedicate a dance for you. I promise.”

“It better be good.” Kang Daniel, you really are making quite the impression on me. “What’s your number?”

“Already? Haha…”

“Wh-wh-whaaaat!!? No!!! The instructor told us to have each others’ numbers! Don’t be weird..”

“Right.” He takes out his phone and swaps it with mine. I input my number into his phone and he does the same to mine. “I saved my ID as DanielK.”

“Oh..well, mine is just Chaeyoung.”

“Non o..I already have a Chaeyoung in my contacts...Save it as something else.”

“Oh. ummm.. I’ll just put Flora then..and put a flower emoticon too.”

“Well then..is that it? I think we’re supposed to find our own dorms now.”

“I think so too..well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Do you want to play Clash tonight though? You’re pretty good for a rookie.”

“Eh...I don’t think we should. I’ll just see you tomorrow.” I wave an exaggerated goodbye to him. He halfheartedly reciprocates. We get on our ways to find our camp dorms.

Who is this boy? Chaeyoung, get yourself together

-

“Chaeyoung..you’re wearing lip tint right?! Give me some.” I blushed. No!!! Don’t say that!! Not in front of him!!!!!

“T-t-t-tint? N-no, what t-tint?”

“Your lips are so red!! And they’re pretty and glossy tooo!! Please give me some, I want to impress a boy at this camp. Please, pleasseee shut up!! You are saying this in front of the boy I WANT to impress!!! Aish!!

That day, I decided to wear the lip tint and blush my mother packed me. I’m not sure what I was trying to accomplish, but I wanted to look pretty for him.

“Just..whatever!!!” I hand the lip tint hidden in my hoodie pocket to my dorm-mate friend. In front of Kang Daniel.

“Thank you!!!!” She excitedly leaves after obtaining the tint.

“You’re wearing tint today?”

“Heh...yep. I had it in my bag, so I mean, why not? Why? Does it look weird? Ah..I knew I shouldn’t have worn it.”

“No no..it’s pretty. It’s the same color as the flowers in that field over there.”

“Ah, well then...let’s just continue practicing.”

-

“Okay, for our final activity, let’s actually put what we have learned over the past two weeks to work. With your partners, practice three of the five self defence mechanisms, but don’t go too hard; We don’t want any injuries.”

“You first” I suggest to Daniel.

“Okay then...which ones should I do?”

“How about the back kick one?”

“Whaaa??!!! How can I do that without hurting you???”

“Just try. I’ll dodge the part that’s supposed to pummel me to the ground.”

“No way, Chaeyoung. I won’t do it.”

“Daniel, just trust me, okay? Come ooooonnn”

“...Fine..but if you’re hurt…”

He slowly takes my hand and twirls it forcefully, twisting my entire body. Okay, you have to dodge this next move or you’ll get injured. Okay. One. Two...Thr- WAIT!!

It only took a split second to feel a hard jab to my shoulder, and I go down. Why did he have to kick me so early on in the move!??!?!

Daniel screeches, kneeling down to hold my head. He squeezes and shakes me until my eyes open and meet with his. “Are you okay?! Are you hurt?! Ah!!! Oh my god!!!! I shouldn’t have hit you!! Where did I hit you?!”

“No no, it’s fine. It’s not that it hurt, but..your force is incredible.. And too quick.” I massage my bare shoulder, now with having my oversized shirt flung to one side. Daniel squeals.

“Oh my god!! Look at that bruise!!! I’m so sorry!!!”

“Bruise? What? Where?!”

“He-here.” He lightly touches my shoulder.

“Ohh...this?.. Haha! It’s my birthmark. It’s pretty weird right? Don’t worry, that’s not a bruise. You didn’t hurt me.” Daniel exhales, laying his hands on his heavy chested heart. He ruffles my hair. after.

“You seriously scared me. It would’ve been so bad to have hurt you in the last hour that we spend at this camp.

Really..I was so scared.” He moves closer to me and softly embraces me.

“I’m so sorry, but I’ll never hit you again anymore. It’s too much for me.

His hands wrapped around my body felt so wonderfully warm. What..what is this feeling? His large shoulders could comfortably fit my entire body, but I didn’t hug him back. This moment seemed like a dream, and I didn’t want to wake up from it. I never knew how much happiness one hug could give me. I never wanted to leave.

-

I didn’t go to camp the next year. Or the year after. For the next ten years, I never saw Daniel again. Our short friendship was a brief happiness, and like every encounter, our paths had to eventually go on their ways. I thought by now, I would have forgotten everything about him.

But now, he is standing right in front of me.