“Wherever I am, I’m always yours

I’ll always give you a back hug by your side”

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Ji Hoon’s eyes were still on her the entire time. From the time they had entered into the small ice cream parlor, chosen their ice creams and sitting down on the small round table just next to the gigantic window, his eyes never left her.

He couldn’t help but ask himself questions about ‘Why’. Why had he come into this neighborhood? Why did he have that dream of the girl right in front of him? Why did he end up in the same neighborhood as her? Why does the girl in front of him make his heart beat fast as if it was going to burst at any moment?

He groaned, trying not to think of all the questions he had. He knew it was impossible for the girl to answer- since she had completely no idea of what is going on with this boy who suddenly went crazy for a while.   

He glanced at the girl in front of him, who was trying to feed her little sister ice cream. “So…” he opened his mouth and tapped his finger anxiously onto the table.

The girl looked up from her sister and stared at the boy. “Yes, Ji Hoon?” She asked. Her head tilted, showing that she was curious and listening to Ji Hoon.

“How long have you been living here… in this neighborhood?” He asked.

“I don’t think you might want to know about it,” the girl replied with a thin smile. “Because we just started talkin-“

“Don’t forget we became friends on my first day in this new neighborhood… in the park,” Ji Hoon smiled gently.

The girl immediately pressed her lips together and straightens her back. Her face reddens.

“You don’t need me to remind you what happened right, Da Young?” Ji Hoon chuckled.

“What happened?” The little girl next to Da Young perked her head up. “Tell me!”

“Nothing, Da Rim,” Da Young pushed her little sister’s head down to focus on the ice cream before looking back at Ji Hoon. “Why are you even so interested about me, may I ask?”

“Nothing,” Ji Hoon replied simply. “I thought that this would be a good time to get to know one another… after becoming friends?”

“We’re not actually friends, you know.”

“Yes we are. You said it yourself in the park. You told me your name after I asked for it and I told you that if you were to give me your name, you’re officially my friend!” Ji Hoon was still smiling.

“Wow… can you stop trying to soften me with your smile? It’s making me not take anything seriously,” Da Young sniffed, trying to hide her laugh.

“Well, I can but I wouldn’t… just for you,” he replied with another chuckle.

“Ew!” Da Young shrieked back, wrapping her arms around herself from the comment made by Ji Hoon. “Can’t you stop it?”

“Don’t you know how many girls would want to be in your place right now for me to say that?” Ji Hoon asked. “I can guarantee you that they would be having heart attack from the Ji Hoon attack.”

“I can see that you’re proud of getting this much of attention,” Da Young raised her eyebrow. “Let me guess… you have never experience anything like this before right? Where you literally gathered the eyes of so many people?”

“Shut up,” Ji Hoon rolled his eyebrow. They stayed like that for a couple of moments before the boy felt a tug on his sleeve.

Ji Hoon looked down to find his little brother staring at him miserably.

“Hyung…” Ji Woon started to whine.

“Is there a problem, Woonie?” Ji Hoon asked immediately, cupping his brother’s small face into his hands.

“I want to go back home now… I’m stinky and I’m tired,” Ji Woon pouted.

“Me too!” Da Rim squeaked as well, making Da Young hug the younger girl to stop her from complaining so much.

Immediately, the two teenagers glanced at one another before giving the other a silent nod.

“Let’s go back home,” the two of them said simultaneously. They were surprised for a moment but managed to maintain their posture.

They quickly got out of their table and the ice cream shop and stopped in front of the small store. The two little ones hugged one another tightly before letting go.

“Well, I guess this is when we say goodbye now,” Da Young smiled slowly at Ji Hoon as she held her sister’s little hand.

“Goodbye, Da Young… See you in school… tomorrow?” Ji Hoon asked, tilting his head slowly- only to receive a mysterious smile from the other girl.

“Maybe…” she replied before turning around with her sister. “Goodbye, Ji Hoon,” she waved her hand before parting ways from Ji Hoon.

✩✩✩

There are still questions yet to be answered by her… He thought to himself. He was again staring at the girl by the window. Despite the noisy environment, he was surrounded by a quiet atmosphere that would only occur when he realized that he was still staring at her.

It was officially the eighth day that he had been realized that he was still staring at her… without talking or even making any interactions with her ever since the day at the ice cream parlor. Maybe… maybe we’ll see and talk to one another in school tomorrow, her voice recalled in his mind. But it never happened.

“Hey, Ji Hoon! Watcha looking at?” A person immediately jumped onto his back and wrapped his arm around the boy’s neck.

“Nothing,” Ji Hoon replied, breaking his glance from the girl who still had not noticed the glances. He turned around to look at his friend who had long released his grip on Ji Hoon. “How dare you come so late and leave me all by myself for an entire half an hour, Park Woo Jin?”

“Yah! Says the one that left the dance battle when it hasn’t even started… and do you know what that results? Resulting for no-“

“No one to cheer for you, yes. I know. And it’s not my fault! I literally forgot about fetching my little brother from school!” Ji Hoon continued. But it wasn’t that bad since I got to talk to her…

Woo Jin pressed his lips together and rolled his eyes before slouching on the chair next to Ji Hoon’s table. “Fine… you win… as always,” he muttered, earning a chuckle from the latter.

“I’m sorry okay? But at least you won-“

“Only over Kim Jae Hwan…” Woo Jin replied in an annoyed tone, causing Ji Hoon to laugh again.

Woo Jin glanced at the laughing boy before a smile escaped from his pressed lips. And the two of them started to laugh again.

✩✩✩

Da Young was leaning on her locker, waiting for Yena and Seongwoo to finish their first period. Her arms were crossed and her eyes were on the ground, searching aimlessly. She was tired and bored.

Her first class with Mr Im, her Math teacher, took barely 30 minutes but it felt to her as if it had been going on for more than 3 hours. She was dreaded to leave immediately when her teacher announced their more than enough homework that was due within a week time. So she was having a crisis: To do all the homework or to ignore it because it would be worth it.

She groaned and closed her eyes, ignoring all the stress that was weighing on her shoulders without rest.

“What’s wrong?” Someone asked.

Da Young opened her eyes to find a blonde boy approaching her with a smile. His hair almost covering his eyes. A smile curled on her lips.

“Hey Dae Hwi,” she greeted the newcomer who had leaned on the neighbor lockers beside her. The boy stretched his hand out and patted Da Young’s head.

“What’s wrong?” Dae Hwi asked again with a pout.

“Nothing,” Da Young replied and shook her head, slowly moving her head back.

“Yah! Don’t lie