Three Years Ago   “Close your eyes.”   I stared at Myungsoo weirdly, an eyebrow lifted. There was no one in this world who could give me a command and expect me to obey it, not even my crush.   “Why?” I asked, my tone filled with skepticism.   “Just close it,” Myungsoo insisted without providing the details I sought for. He almost looked like a puppy, his eyes sparkled a shade brighter than usual, his lips grinning widely, and he was a little jumpier than usual.   I had no idea what he wanted, or why he called me to stay after class ended. Everyone else had gone home, and we were probably the only two remaining. Well, it was usually like this whenever I waited for him to finish his baseball practices too, but he didn’t have any today.   In the end I complied, closing my eyes as I sat on my desk.   I swore I could hear him grin, not like a scoff, but I could hear his giddiness as his lips settled on that beautiful dimpled smile. I suppose I have known and observed him too well to hear the slight change.   His warm fingers enveloped around my hand as I felt him lift it up. The touch was so comforting I wanted to bask in it forever. I do not wish for him to let go. But then, I felt sometime cold press against my skin, contrasting the delight of his warmth. My eyes fluttered open in shock.   There, around my wrist, was the most hideous bracelet I had ever seen. It wasn’t branded and looked like something sloppy picked up from a poor street vendor. The beads were made out of crystal, the dark and earthy colors shimmering against the setting sun light. Yet, it was perfect.   “What’s this for?” I asked, looking up at Myungsoo. His smile was a little bashful now, and I unconsciously mirrored it. His joy was contagious.   “I know you like to wear long sleeves and tall socks to cover your wounds, so I thought I’d help out a bit,” he said.   My heart thudded in response, and I couldn’t stop myself from blushing. I had the greatest urge to jump off the table and throw myself into his embrace, to feel his warmth wrap around my entire body.   No one had ever put this much thought into me. No one paid attention to my scars. Only Myungsoo could take something so ugly and give it a beautiful meaning. The greatest gift one could give came from the heart, and when one’s heart contained the beauty of life, everything else will trail along the flowery road.   “Do you like it?” He asked hesitantly, scratching the back of his neck.   I smiled at him, still seated on the table, still fiddling with my new bracelet, still wishing I could hug him.   “I love it.”   ***   Present   “Don’t forget to mark your calendars. We have some exciting events coming up,” the teacher spoke, a crooked smile hinging on his lips. “There will be trials for athletic scholarships held towards the end of the school year. Prom night is coming soon within a few months.”   The students began to cheer out loud, and I winced at the sound. Ah, two events I was not looking forward to.   “But most importantly,” the teacher began, his smile sinking deeper. “The final exams are approaching!”   Make that three events. I sighed a deep breath of annoyance as the entire class vocalized their agony. Seeing their dejection made me encourage these exams. Torture those poor souls. Torture it.   It was break time afterwards, and I was busy copying notes from the board when I felt a cold sensation press against my cheek. I yelled in response, jolting away from my seat, and turned around with a deadly glare.   “Didn’t think you’d be the jumpy type,” Jongin casually remark, laughing at my out of character reaction. He was holding a carton of strawberry milk, thinking it was okay to push it against my cheek.   “Didn't think you’d be the annoying type,” I mumbled, scrunching my nose before I focused back on the board. He set the strawberry milk on my table, and with his own, gave it a small clink.   “I thought I had made it clear since the beginning.” He sat down in his seat and held his drink up. “Cheers.”   I narrowed my eyes at him, watching as he gulped down his own share of milk. The way his Adam’s apple moved was quite an attractive visual that belonged in commercials. I accepted his kind gesture and punctured the straw into the drink. “What are we celebrating?”   “Your spectacular performance yesterday,” Jongin mumbled, his voice quieting down to ensure our conversation remained confidential. Something about his teasing tone change into a timber much darker and sinister than before. I saw his lips twist into a grim smile behind his milk carton, like he approved it.   I grinned, not the sweet and innocent kind of smile, but an equally dark one to show pride of what I have done. If my actions were seen by the world as a trespass to the moral compass, I could always count on Jongin to see otherwise.   “What happened after she ran away?” I asked. Because by the time my lips parted from Myungsoo’s, Suzy and Jongin were already gone.   “She was a crying mess. Wondered why Myungsoo did that when they were already dating,” Jongin recalled as if it were a boring old tale, he shook his drink like analyzing a fancy glass of wine.   “What’d you tell her?”   “I said guys act out of hormones. If we’re caught in the moment, we can’t control our urges.”   An ungraceful snort escaped my lips, and whereas I looked embarrassed, Jongin looked amused. He was only telling the truth, but I couldn’t imagine the hilarious expression on Suzy’s face, realizing her boyfriend wasn’t a holy saint.   “So, mind telling me how you actually got him to kiss you?” His tone slowed down, humming every words longer than usual to test out my willingness to open up.   “I told him I’ll stop liking him if he could give me closure,” I said, my hands unconsciously playing with the bead around my wrist, my first tangible gift from Myungsoo.   “And he believed you?”   I frowned at him. “You think I lied to him?”   “I know you lied to him.”   This earned my smile, impressed how well he knew me. Before I could reply, the classroom door opened, revealing Suzy. Her first instinct wasn’t to look at Myungsoo, but at me. I noticed a small falter in her usual cheery and blank expression, as if my mere presence could her life away. Oh, how I wished it could.   I put up my fake smile, waving at her as if nothing happened, as if I hadn’t kissed her boyfriend in front of her eyes the day before. I saw the struggle as she tried her best to smile back, but every time her lips inched higher, her eyes drooped lower.   “Hey,” Myungsoo greeted her, staring at her in a way he used to look at me. He took her hand in his, but Suzy’s movements were more awkward than