Quick note: This will be a 4-part series, each having their own themes but on the same synopsis. Another short multi-shot that I decided to keep in this thread as I will be updating it as each season passes so expect this 4-part series to have it's final chapter next year. Instead of making this on a separate thread and letting it be forgotten, I decided to implement this here.

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The sun is bright. The skies are clear. The temperature is hot. Indeed, it is summer time. We are on our summer break for the school year. I can't believe that school started months ago and we're on a break once again. Did I tell you that I met someone this school year? Her name is Taeyeon.

Taeyeon has been a student here at my school for the same time I have been. However, we were never classmates until this time around. She's pretty quirky, usually quiet. She's also artsy and would rather spend her time alone. You could say, she's quite the loner even if she did have friends. Somehow, I was able to befriend her.

"I'm Jessica," was all I told her when she sat right next to the empty chair beside me.

"Jessica? But aren't you Korean?" was her reply.

Taeyeon seemed quite puzzled why I had an American name and soon, I told her my Korean name, Sooyeon. I explained to her that I grew up in America but went back to Korea since my grandparents were sick. Because of her keen interest with my background being American, that was how we started our friendship.

I am currently bored in my house doing nothing but laying in bed and reading books while the warm breeze brushed through the curtains by the open window. What is Taeyeon up to, I wonder.

You are also probably wondering why I keep talking about Taeyeon in the first place. Well, you see, I have a crush on her. Coming from a very feminine girl like I am, it does sound crazy. But she's too cute, there's no denying it.

"Jung Sooyeon!"

That's my mother yelling again.

"How many times do I have to tell you to do the laundry?!" she continued.

I slowly stood up from my bed and scratched the back of my head, annoyed that I am being yelled at when the weather outside is nice.

"I'm getting up now. You don't have to keep yelling," I sighed in response as I slid into my slippers and walked to the laundry room, walking past my mother.

 

The summer breeze was exhilarating. This is another plus when it comes to living around the countryside. There is not a lot of pollution coming from the thousands of vehicles in the city when you live by the countryside. You could say, living in the countryside is peaceful, especially with nature just speaking through your ears with each chirp of the birds to the sound of the cicadas at night. My grandparents are retired here in the countryside hence why we live here now. Sometimes though, I do miss living in the city. California was bustling so it was quite an adjustment coming here in the countryside.

"Are you done with the laundry yet?"

My sister, Krystal, Korean name Soojung, comes out of nowhere with a lollipop in . This little brat could at least help me put up the laundry.

"What do you want?" I asked her.

"Nothing, I'm just bored," Krystal sighed, "here we are living here for a while but I'm still used to California."

"You were literally still very little when we moved over here. How can you even say that," I mocked.

"I guess I'm just born to be a California girl," she giggled, "anyway, do you want to go and ride the bikes somewhere after you're done with that?"

"Sure thing," I nodded in agreement.

 

When I was done putting the laundry up to dry, Krystal and I asked our mother if we could go for a bike ride. Knowing how safe it was around here, she immediately agreed. Had we been in California, she would be hesitant. I guess that's one thing that is nice about living here in the countryside. I could go wherever I want without needing a vehicle or needing our parents to take us anywhere.

Krystal and I set up our bikes and rode it around town. There was a nearby lake somewhere so we decided to take the path down that way. Of course, we stopped by the nearby convenience store first for some popsicles to cool off as we were both sweating from the sweltering hot temperature. We both sat at the outside chairs beside our bikes and ate our fruity popsicles to take a break.

"Don't you have friends you could bother?" I decided to bring up. After all, Krystal was a really popular kid so it was a surprise she would ask me to take on a bike ride around town with her.

"Why bother them when I could bother you?" she responded, laughing. Indeed, we were inseperable. We only had each other when we were in California while our parents were very busy working day and night. Up to this day, we are still very tight-knit.

"I guess a bike ride today didn't seem like a bad idea," I told her with a smile as I kept enjoying the popsicle in my hand.

"What about you? Don't you have friends you could bother too?" she asked, "why have you been spending your summer time alone, cooped up inside your room the whole time reading books non-stop. I would figure you'd get bored of reading at some point."

"Reading is never boring," I corrected her, "but I do need to enjoy summer more."

Our usual summer time included taking trips to different places and even taking a trip back to the US. This time, it's different since my grandparents are severely ill, especially my grandmother who could not take care of herself any longer. Our other relatives help here and there but they all have other lives to live and families to feed. My parents were the only ones who was able to earn enough money and are still able to take care of our grandparents.

"C'mon, let's keep going," Krystal enthused.

I was not done enjoying my popsicle, but knowing Krystal, she would just keep pushing me. So, I ate the last few remaining popsicle I had and hopped onto my bike. Krystal had more energy, probably from the sugar, and led the way.

 

As we reached the lake, we saw small groups of people enjoying the nice, but hot, weather. Some were having picnics, flying kites, or just spending time alone. Immediately, I saw someone I recognized and ran to them in excitement, rolling my bike with me.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Krystal yelled from behind me.

I stopped in front of the familiar person and tapped their shoulder.

"Sooyeon?" they responded.

"Fancy seeing you here, Taeyeon," I greeted her, "did I bother you?"

"Ah... no. I was just drawing, you see," Taeyeon chuckled shyly. There it is, the cute face that I have been missing.

I looked down upon her sketchbook and saw her drawing of the lake and its surroundings. Remember when I said Taeyeon was pretty artsy?

"Jeez, how can you leave me behind?" Krystal, who was catching up behind me, stated.

Taeyeon looked behind my shoulder to see who it was and I pulled to the side to introduce her to my sister.

"Taeyeon, meet Krystal, or Soojung," I started, "Krystal, meet Taeyeon."

"Oh?" Krystal questioned and all of a sudden, it looked like she realized something.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing, I just remembered that I needed to do something at home," she tried explaining, "anyway, it was nice to meet you, Taeyeon!"

"S-Same with you," Taeyeon gave a slight bow as we both watched Krystal head out for the day.

"Weird for her to say she needed to do something at home when I know that girl doesn't even lift a finger for the most part," I scoffed.

Taeyeon giggled at my remark, "I'm guessing she's the spoiled one out of the both of you."

"You don't say," I sarcastically mocked.

A few seconds after, I received a notification from my phone. I opened the message only to realize Krystal knew my little secret.

"I thought Taeyeon was a boy. Anyway, I'll see you at home and have a good day!" the message read with a picture attached, capturing one of the pages from my notebooks with Taeyeon's name all over.

This sneaky turd.

"Is something the matter?" Taeyeon asked.

"N-No, everything's fine," I hid my phone down to my pockets out of panic.

I decided to prop my bike up on its stand and sit beside Taeyeon instead of standing over her. It seems like a coincidence finding Taeyeon here. My strain of bad luck is definitely breaking its cycle this time around.

"Keep drawing," I encouraged her, "don't let me disrupt your peace."

"Too late now," Taeyeon joked, "how has your summer been?"

Where should I even begin?

"Pretty hectic actually. I've been doing more chores than ever," I began, "my grandmother could not do anything anymore for the most part. She's in need of assistance everywhere."

"That's saddening, you're doing a good job helping out your grandparents," Taeyeon smiled.

"Enough with the talk about my sad life," I awkwardly laughed, "what about you?"

"Summer is the same as always," she told me as she continued her drawing, "we don't go out much even during summer breaks. The highlight of my day is usually when we visit my father at the glasses shop to help out because afterwards, we could see a little bit of the city and have a family dinner afterwards out there."

"What about your friends?" I asked out of curiosity.

"We hang out every once in a while. But they're also enjoying some quality time with their families going out wherever," she explained.

"I see," I nodded, "well, I'm here now so you could barrage me with phone calls and text messages whenever you want to."

"Don't say that," she chuckled, "it will be annoying if someone sends you messages and calls you nonstop."

But what if that's what I want with Taeyeon?

 

After a while, people started leaving the lake. Taeyeon was almost done with her drawing and it was quiet between us. However, it's a comfortable kind of silence since Taeyeon is right next to me. Here I was wondering how she was doing all along while the universe decided to bring us together in each other's paths today to take my worries away.

"Shall we go?" Taeyeon asked me all of a sudden.

I looked down at her sketchbook and saw her beautifully finished drawing of the lake.

"That looks lovely," I complimented her and asked, "do you always draw?"

"Pretty often," she nodded, "sometimes I play games on my phone. Sometimes I stop by the noraebang when I have extra money. What about you?"

"I can't draw at all," I shook my head, "props to you for having that talent though."

"Oh right, you like reading books," she chuckled, "I'm not much of a reader so I guess it balances out. But anyway, what did you want to do since we're here already?"

"Um..."

Come on, Jessica! Think!

"... I don't mind just walking around unless you have somewhere else to be."

"I actually don't. I have nothing going on," Taeyeon scratched the back of her head shyly, "I sound like a boring person, do I?"

"Not at all," I shook my head, "I had nothing going on today either except for the fact that I have to be at home before the sun sets."

"Same," she smiled.

I got up from the ground and prepped my bike, rolling it along with me as I walked beside Taeyeon.This day is soon coming to an end but I didn't want it to stop. An opportunity to have Taeyeon alone with me, is this a date? I'm just being delusional as usual.

"Today was pretty nice, wasn't it?" she opened up, "maybe if you're free the next time, we can swim on the lake like the others were doing."

"Sounds like a good idea," I agreed, "I'll just have to let my parents know of my whereabouts tomorrow and I will let you know if we could."

"Right, right," she nodded, "let me know if you could. The summer is just getting hot and a nice swim on the lake will probably feel pretty nice. Besides, the lake is quite clean."

"What does one do during summer anyway besides taking trips and cooling off in the waters? It's too hot to do much of anything and I feel like I'm dying from heat exhaustion," I pondered.

"Well, you wing it!"

"Wing it?"

"You know? Just see how it plays out?" Taeyeon explained.

"That's usually what we do in life anyway, right?" I giggled.

"You're not wrong about that one," she laughed along, "maybe I could pick up a summer job to take the boredom away too."

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea but with where we are, what kind of job could we even try and pick out?"

We were in the countryside out of all places were business is slim and there's only mostly farms around the area. Most people that did not want to do farm work have gone to the city to search for a job or have already placed themselves a job here as a worker in a market, automotive shop, and whatnot.

"There's a few but this is why you wing it, see where your plans take you," she answered with a smile.

Taeyeon is so nonchalant about everything it seems. Happy-go-lucky, driven by where life takes her.

"Then maybe I should wing this one too," I blurted out and stopped on my trails.

"Huh?" she wondered and turned around to look at me, "what is it?"

"Well, I've been meaning to tell you this and it may sound weird since we haven't known each other for that long but..." I continued, "... I think I like you."

"Like me?" Taeyeon was bewildered, "I like you too?"

"Not in that way, I mean... I think you're pretty cute and talented. The only thing I could focus on in class is you, the sight of you. You're beautiful in every way I could ever imagine."

"Um..."

"Since we're talking about winging things, I might as well wing this one and see where this leads me," I shyly scratched the side of my nose.

I had no such response from Taeyeon the whole time we were walking together. Eventually, she led us to her house. She said her goodbyes and I rode my bike all the way home carrying nothing but a broken heart. This burns more than the summer heat burning my skin.

 

Back at home, Krystal greeted me and gave me a playful stare. She immediately dragged me over to my room and pushed me to my bed while she sat on my desk chair. Her eyes were just gleeful and excited as if I was supposed to tell her something.

"So... how was it?" she finally decided to ask.

"My day with Taeyeon?" I questioned.

"What else would I be asking?" she sarcastically scoffed, "I left the two of you alone. You should be thanking me!"

"Well... if only you were there I wouldn't have said whatever I have said," I sighed.

"Why? What's wrong? Did you confess to her?" Krystal was surprised.

"Ah... I can't believe I'm so stupid," I groaned.

"I didn't know you're pretty bold," she teased, "especially confessing your feelings to another woman."

"Is there something wrong with confessing my feelings to a woman?!" I retorted.

"Nothing's wrong," she shook her head, "except for the fact that you probably didn't even know if she reciprocated your feelings."

"How would I even know if she reciprocated my feelings had I not confessed how I felt about her?" I questioned out of annoyance, "but now I think I know."

"It's okay sis! You still have me!"

"Ugh... the pain," I mocked, before she reached over and slapped my shoulder.

 

The next day welcomed me with open arms as the sun shone through the window. I forgot what time I slept since I was so bothered by the idea that I had confessed to Taeyeon and got seemingly rejected the very same day. We were supposed to go out to the lake again and swim together but I guess that's not happening anymore, especially with my embarassing confession. Instead of moping some more about the whole ordeal, I tried to sleep once more before getting interrupted once again by my very own mother. I swear, this must be her favorite hobby.

"Jung Sooyeon! Get up and prepare the dinner table."

"Ah... seriously?!" I complained, "I'm still sleeping!"

"Are you going to get up or do I have to drag you down the stairs?" my mother taunted.

"Ugh!" I rose up from my bed, "fine!"

I marched down the stairs and started grabbing the dishes from the cabinets while Krystal was helping my mother put out the breakfast on the dinner table. Meanwhile, my father was helping my grandmother walk to the dinner table alongside my grandfather. This was now our family dynamic. At least it beats having my parents gone constantly for work. At least we're complete. But I have to be honest, it does get annoying now since my mother is free to nag me as she pleases.

"This looks good," my grandmother weakly described the food on the dinner table.

"Krystal helped me with breakfast, umma," my mother told my grandmother.

"Ah..." my grandmother turned to Krystal, "... you've really grown up now have you?"

"Of course, halmoni," Krystal responded with a bright smile on her face, "I cooked this especially for you!"

Trying to kiss as always.

My mother began serving food for my grandparents and my father while Krystal and I sat ourselves in front of them and grabbed our own servings. My mother soon sat herself down after making sure everybody was taken care of. I do adore my mother for the hard worker that she is, from raising us then working nonstop and now she's taking care of our grandparents. I wonder if she does get tired of life sometimes with all the ups and downs she seemed to have encountered. But as Taeyeon said, sometimes you just have to wing it. I guess that's what it is to wing it in life, to go with the flow since life will bring you a lot of things you may not expect coming.

"Are you girls planning on going out again?" my father questioned all of sudden in the middle of his meal.

"Us?" I asked.

"Yup," my father nodded and took a bite of his food.

"I was going to have plans today but I guess that's not happening anymore," I sighed and put my chopsticks down.

"Something the matter?" my father asked out of curiousity.

"It's nothing, dad," Krystal told him, "just eat your food. I might take her out for a stroll in the bikes again."

"Alright, just be careful out there," our father pursed his lips, "I'm working until late tonight so make sure you get back home early to help her out."

"We will," I nodded.

 

After the meal, Krystal decided to help out my mother clean up while my father set out to head to work. I helped my grandparents walk over to the patio under the awning to get some fresh air and a little bit of sun. As soon as they were nicely seated in their rocking chairs, I sat on the nearby outdoor sofa and picked up a book I had left underneath the table.

"Sooyeon-ah... do you have any friends you wanted to hang out with?" my grandmother weakly asked.

I looked up at her and shook my head with a smile, "no halmoni. I'm perfectly fine sitting here and reading a book. It's a nice weather to read a book."

"I see..." she responded, "... I'm sorry."

"What's wrong, halmoni," I asked her.

My grandmother had a painful look in her and it hurts to see her like that.

"I know I'm holding all of you from enjoying your summer time," she explained.

"It's alright, halmoni," I reassured her, "it's nice just sitting here and reading anyway. Books are very entertaining, you know?"

Deep down, she knew what we felt. Deep down, I really felt it. Our summer routine was usually busy, enjoying with family and other relatives and taking trips at different places. It is true that the reason why we are not doing anything for the summer this time around was because of my grandmother, but she could not be blamed. She is really sick and we have to help her around the house. It is not her fault that she is sick. Life just happens that way.

"I hope whatever you are bothered with will go away," she told me all of a sudden as if she could read my mind, "having boy troubles?"

My grandfather could only chuckle. He was not much of a talker.

"Halmoni!" I whined.

"Ah... to be young and in love..."

Of course they can read through my mind. They have been through the same feeling before... or am I just that obvious with how I feel? Ah... now the pain is back. The burning feeling in my heart. The embarassing moment I told Taeyeon how I felt about her.

I looked over my phone to see what time it was and noticed there weren't any messages either. I should just stop expecting for anything to happen at all. I got rejected and that's it. I could only wonder how awkward it would probably be when summer vacation ends.

 

The very next day, my grandmother passed away. Our family held a funeral at the local mortuary. Distant relatives came by to visit, even some of the locals that have known my grandmother for years. It was shocking, to say the least, that Taeyeon, along with her family, came to visit as well.

Krystal elbowed me as soon as she saw Taeyeon and whispered, "are you going to talk to her?"

I shushed her immediately, "be respectful, will you?"

"What if halmoni brought her here for you?" she added.

"How about we just pay our respects for halmoni?" I told her, "besides, it's not like Taeyeon would probably want to talk to me anyway."

"Right," Krystal nodded and thankfully went back to being quiet.

I cannot believe that my grandmother passed away quietly just like that. To think that I was just spending my time with her in the patio and now she has passed, it feels so surreal. We never know when our loved ones will pass away hence we should always cherish the moments they are still alive. Once again, the summer heat is burning.

Taeyeon's family paid their respects and talked to my grandfather the whole time to make sure he was holding up. My grandfather and grandmother had been part of the community for years. This is where they grew up together and they have made plenty of contributions to the community. It is no wonder why almost everyone in the neighborhood knew them.

All of a sudden, I saw Taeyeon look my way. A sudden burst of electricity ran through my whole body as if I had been shocked by a defibrillator. I wanted to wave to her but she immediately looked away right after. Of course, it's still awkward between us after that day.

 

After a few days, we buried grandmother to her resting place. Everyone showed up for the burial and everyone was crying. Meanwhile, I'm at a standstill. I have not fully absorbed the fact that she had passed away just like that. At some point, I'll succumb to reality and face it. With everything that has happened, this is definitely the worst summer I've had so far.

After the burial, certain visitors finally left. All my relatives stayed behind to have some more time with grandmother along with neighborhood friends my grandparents were close with. This included Taeyeon's family. Who would have thought.

While Krystal and I were sitting beside each other behind the crowd, Taeyeon decided to walk towards us. Krystal looked up, held my hand tightly, and got up to walk towards our family, leaving Taeyeon and I amongst ourselves.

"How are you holding up?" Taeyeon asked as she sat beside me.

"I'm okay..." I meekly answered.

"My condolences," she responded.

There was an awkward air between us. I did not know what else to say or what else to do. The summer heat is getting extremely hot.

"Thank you for coming," I decided to blurt out.

"Don't mention it," she shook her head, "my grandparents were apparently really close with yours. I'm surprised I haven't met you beforehand."

"Same here," I chuckled lightly.

"It's nice to see you smile again for once," she smiled at me.

Kim Taeyeon... just stop what you are doing right now before I embarass myself again.

"I'm sure your grandmother loved you very well," she continued.

"I know," I nodded and looked up at the clear skies above us, "I'm sure she's looking over us at the moment. She's probably smiling now that everyone's back together."

"Taeyeon-ah!"

I looked down from the call to see a lady that seemed to be Taeyeon's mother was calling onto her.

"Yes, umma?" Taeyeon responded.

"Let's go," her mother told her as she motioned for her to come along.

Taeyeon turned towards me and squeezed my hand, "I have to get going now. I'll see you some time around."

"Sure," I nodded, "thank you for coming."

I wonder if she was just being nice because of my grandmother's passing. Eitherway, I guess this is a sign that Taeyeon is still fine being around me... maybe.

 

A couple weeks has passed from my grandmother's passing. My grandfather seemed really lonely but we kept him company and tried to divert his loneliness away. We could only do so much and I understand how he must be feeling. After all, they have been together for so many years. This time around, it was only me and my grandfather absorbing the summer heat outside on the patio. The rocking chair that my grandmother used to sit in is empty. I could see my grandfather taking quick glances at my grandmother's usual spot.

"You know, Sooyeon, we've been inseparable since the first time I laid my eyes on her," my grandfather, who doesn't usually talk, decided to tell me, "we met in high school, the same time around where you're in right now."

"High school sweet hearts?" I responded, "that's very sweet, halabeoji."

"Yup," he nodded, "I knew since then that she was the one for me."

My grandfather must really miss my grandmother's presence right now.

"However, everyone finds their soulmate at different times, like your umma and appa," he continued, "if you are hung up on a boy, like your grandmother assumed, and nothing has come out of it, don't fret. You'll find the one when you know deep within you they're the one."

As my grandfather was talking, I immediately got a notification from my phone. I excused myself and picked up my phone from the table to see who it was from. Surprisingly, it was from Taeyeon.

"Is that the boy you've been hung up on?" my grandfather laughed, "must be a sign."

I didn't know how much my grandfather could be funny since he barely spoke. But what if what he said was true? Maybe this is a sign?

"I didn't forget about our plan to swim on the lake. If you're up for it, I still am," the message read.

"So what is it?" my grandfather asked immediately.

I looked up at him and smiled, "it's just from a friend."

"Friend they say," he chuckled.

 

I decided to meet up with Taeyeon the very next day, excited to see her once again. I haven't seen her or talked to her since the burial. With high hopes of everything not being awkward at all, I was excited to see her once again. I excused myself from my parents and set off on a bike ride towards the lake, carrying a backpack with a change of clothes with snacks and drinks in case we get hungry later on.

As I arrived at the lake, I noticed Taeyeon wasn't there at all just yet. I decided to prepare myself on the meantime, grabbing the floatie from my backpack and airing it with my breath. Soon enough, Taeyeon arrived and greeted me with a smile.

"Sorry for being late," Taeyeon apologized and I shook my head in response.

"You're alright. I just got here not too long ago."

"I see," she nodded and noticed the floatie I was airing, "you brought a floatie?"

"I can't?" I pouted. She probably thinks I'm a child.

"It's fine," she chuckled, "it's cute."

Oh, Kim Taeyeon. The things you say to make my heart flutter.

As soon as my floatie was properly aired up, I ran to the lake and bathed myself with the refreshing water. Taeyeon joined me immediately and dipped herself down before resurfacing again.

"Ah... this feels nice indeed," she said as she started positioning her body to float on the water.

I thought it would be funny to splash some water onto her face, so I did. Taeyeon choked on the water I was splashing onto her and readjusted herself.

"Yah!" she yelled while I could do nothing but laugh and repeatedly kept splashing water her way.

We soon calmed down and looked up at the sky as our bodies floated on the lake. Our wet bodies were cooling off from the cooler breeze that was brushing through. It felt nice to laugh and enjoy once again after what had happened the past few weeks. I needed this.

We were surrounded with nothing but nature. The joyous laughs of the people enjoying the lake could be heard within the vicinity. The birds were flying freely above us. The skies were clear and the clouds were beautiful. Nothing can top this feeling at the moment, especially when I'm spending it with the person I wanted to be with the most.

"Hey, Sooyeon," Taeyeon spoke up.

"Yes?"

"About that day..."

Ah... of course we can't avoid that subject.

"It's okay, Taeyeon... You don't have to answer or respond. It's okay as long as it's not awkward between us and I accept your answer," I told her. Having her company just like this is fine enough.

"I didn't really give you my answer though," she continued.

"That you don't think of me that way?" I spoke up for her and readjusted myself to face her.

Taeyeon readjusted herself as well but she looked away.

"Yah... we were just having a good time---"

"I didn't respond because I didn't know how to answer," she cut me off, "after all, what would everybody think?"

"Everybody would probably think it's weird... maybe," I told her, "but I can't help how I feel for you... so I winged it and said it."

"Do you live life this carelessly?" she asked.

"You said that in life, we just have to wing it. So I decided, at this part of my life, to wing it," I retorted, "it's fine, Taeyeon. I accept that you don't feel the same."

"You haven't even heard what my answer would be though," she brought up.

I should probably shut up and just let her have the floor, even if it hurts for her to say what I think she's about to tell me. Rejections are hard.

"Alright... what is it? Just hit me with it," I told her.

"Jung Sooyeon I... I like you too."

Say what again?

I splashed myself with water a bunch of times before coming into reality of what had just happened. Did I hear it right? I, Jung Sooyeon, was not rejected all along? Kim Taeyeon felt the same way towards me?

"Yah! Don't leave me hanging!" she splashed water towards me.

"Kim Taeyeon!" I yelled, "here I thought all along that I was definitely rejected."

"What did you expect me to do after you just cooly confessed your feelings for me?" she smugged, "not everyone is as bold as you!"

"But all along you said to wing it in life," I retorted.

"That wasn't what I meant when I said it!" she rebutted and smiled right after, "but... I'm glad it turned out that way."

Despite the water cooling us off, despite the trees surrounding us, despite the breeze brushing through our bodies, I could feel the summer heat once again.