Another day just passed. Another day crossed out of Kyungsoo’s calendar. He crossed out today’s date and wrote two simple words on tomorrow’s date.

Confess now.

He has been writing the same exact words for three weeks now, yet each day would pass by without Kyungsoo having the courage to actually do so. He would wake up with all the motivation and courage but always ended up chickening out. He would start off his day fresh with great determination, tuning in to the electric guitar sound from ‘eye of the tiger’ pumping up his adrenaline as he cleans up and gets dressed to look his finest for this big day. But then sadly, it all shatters the second he sees her.

Her name is Joohyun. They met on the first day they both started training for S.M. entertainment. They were both quiet, mysterious, and they rarely smile. All other trainees are intimidated by their presence, that is except one to another. This is what first attracted Kyungsoo to Joohyun. She wasn’t one bit scared or intimidated by Kyungsoo’s sort of dark facade. Maybe that is because she is one herself. Joohyun initiated the first conversation and ever since then they became each other’s best friend. Although they don’t do much talking, their actions are enough to show that they love one another. As friends. Don’t rush your minds just yet.

They got even closer to one another as both of them live in the same neighbourhood. They would help each other’s homework, Kyungsoo was good in Math and Science while Joohyun had straight A’s in English and Korean Literature. After school, Kyungsoo would be waiting outside of Joohyun’s school, and they would go to SM together. There is a ddeokbokki spot outside of Joohyun’s school, and they would eat there together first. Kyungsoo would wash the ddeokbokki in a bowl of soup because he knows Joohyun can’t handle spicy food that much. When training gets late, sometimes even at midnight, they would take the last train and go home together. Joohyun was very thankful for this because she didn’t know what it would be like if she had to go home alone late at night.  

The day Kyungsoo first looked at Joohyun as more than just his best friend was during that one autumn night.

~

Kyungsoo was on his way back home with Joohyun when it started raining. It was only drizzling when they stepped out of the train, but within a split second, it started pouring heavily. Just to her luck, Joohyun forgot to bring her umbrella.

“Oh no, I forgot to bring an umbrella this morning,” Joohyun sounded sad as she looked at the rain, noticing that it won’t be stopping anytime soon.

“I’ll drop you off at your house,” Kyungsoo offered.

“But, my house is farther than yours,” Joohyun contemplated on the offer.

“We can go together until the intersection, and hopefully it would stop raining by then.”

Joohyun smiled at the idea and agreed. They were walking together, Kyungsoo deliberately inclined the umbrella so that it's slightly leaning more towards Joohyun. It didn’t matter for him that his bag was a little bit soaked. They walked in silence because it felt awkward that they were so close to one another.

As they reached the intersection, the rain hasn't stopped yet. It turns out, the rain became heavier. They stood in silence for awhile until Joohyun spoke up.

“If we're going to wait for the rain to stop, I might be back home tomorrow then," Joohyun joked, "thank you for walking together with me, I can just use my bag to cover my head now,” she bowed a little before Kyungsoo held her arm and stopped her from leaving.

“Hold on, can you hold this umbrella for me?” Kyungsoo asked, which made Joohyun confused, “I need to tie my shoelaces.”

Joohyun did what Kyungsoo asked of her, and as she did, Kyungsoo bowed a little pretending like he was about to tie his shoelaces when he suddenly ran off towards the direction of his house. Joohyun was surprised and was about to run after him when Kyungsoo looked back and shouted,

“Take the umbrella with you!” Joohyun can still see Kyungsoo's huge grin as his face is already drenched with water, “my house is already closeby, you need it more than me!” Kyungsoo waved.

“See you tomorrow!” he shouted his goodbye to Joohyun to overcome the loud noise of the rain.

As Kyungsoo ran off, soaked in the rain, Joohyun can’t help but smile as she looked at his back slowly drifting out of sight.

Kyungsoo went straight to take a shower because he knew how quickly it gets for him to get sick. He took a nice warm shower and changed into his pyjamas. As he dried his hair, he started sneezing and felt a bit dizzy. He knew he shouldn’t have gone into the rain just now, his body is fragile and prone to sickness. His parents were on vacation abroad, and he was left alone at their house. Kyungsoo is both ignorant and slightly pampered by his mom, which is why he didn’t know which medicine to take that night. Instead, he went straight to bed, thinking that sleep would make him feel a little better.

It was 2.00 AM when he woke up feeling worse. The rain had stopped, but he felt colder. He held his own forehead only to be shocked by the warmth and sweat that was trickling down. He wanted to call his parents but didn’t want to bother their vacation and worry about him, so he called the next person he could think of.

The doorbell rang, and with mustering all of his strength Kyungsoo opened the door with a blanket wrapped all around his body.

“Oh my gosh, you look really bad,” was Joohyun’s first word as she entered his house.

“Thank you for- achoo- coming here this late, I just- achoo- didn’t know who to call,” Kyungsoo told her as he sneezed a couple of time in between.

“No, I am sorry,” Joohyun took off her shoes and went inside dragging Kyungsoo to his room. “This is all my fault, you should’ve taken the umbrella.”

“No, it’s not,” Kyungsoo said as Joohyun forcefully made him lay down on his bed pulling the comforter on top of his body. “I am just weak,” he tried to smile and make it seem like a joke. Joohyun didn’t laugh, instead, her face looked more worried than before. Kyungsoo swore, he was happy and all giddy inside seeing how worried she looked.

“Where is the medicine drawer? I need to get you some paracetamol.”

“It’s the second drawer on top of the sink in the kitchen.”

Joohyun almost immediately went outside. In a matter of a few minutes, she came back with two pills on her hand and a glass of water.

“Drink this. I’m going to get a towel and some warm water.” Kyungsoo obeys and sat up to drink the pills that Joohyun gave him.

She left the room, only to come back with a bowl of water, a towel, and a thermos. She made him drink two more glasses of water because she insisted that drinking water would make him heal faster. Afterwards, she asked him to lay down, started dipping the towel into the bowl of water and gently pressing it on his forehead.

“Is it too hot?” she asked.

“Nope.” Kyungsoo closed his eyes as the medicine probably made him a bit drowsy.

“Just close your eyes and try to get some rest,” Joohyun told him in a soft and calmer voice, different to the frantic and panic Joohyun just a few minutes ago. “If you need anything, just ask me, I’ll be right here.”

“Thankyou, Joohyun-ah.” was Kyungsoo’s last words before he drifted to sleep.

Kyungsoo opened his eyes the next morning due to the sunray that was shining from his windows. His head was still banging, but he felt so much better. He managed to sit up in his bed and looked to his bedside table only to see a bowl of porridge with a note right by it.

Hope this tastes decent. Please finish it and get better. I’ll tell your school teacher and trainer at SM of your absence today.

He took a spoonful of porridge and Kyungsoo can’t help but smile, instantly his face lit up.

And ever since, Kyungsoo started writing two simple words in his calendar.

~

“Joohyun-ah!” Kyungsoo called out to Joohyun from where he was waiting.

“Oh! Kyungsoo annyeong!” Joohyun smiled, and that smile never fails to make Kyungsoo’s heart skip a beat.

It was a lovely Tuesday afternoon, and they were walking by each other’s side on such a beautiful sunny weather at the park close by their high school. Kyungsoo finished class earlier, but he waited for Joohyun because they were supposed to go to SM together.

“How was your presentation?” Kyungsoo started the conversation.

“It went okay I guess.” Joohyun stopped as she started rummaging through her bag looking for her T-money card. Kyungsoo saw it drop to the ground and was about to reach for it the same time Joohyun reached down for it. Their hands touched, and an electrical wave went through both of their bodies.

Joohyun quickly took it, and both of them straightened themselves

Suddenly, water was dripping above their heads. First a drizzle. They started running towards the closest tree and sought for shelter underneath the huge cherry tree. But then the rain was pouring hard within seconds. Kyungsoo instinctively closed the gap between the two and held his bag above their heads. Hoping that it would be of some sort of shelter from the rain. He wasn’t thinking ahead as now, they were standing so close to one another. Kyungsoo can feel Joohyun’s hot breath on his chest.

Upon this, Joohyun slowly moved away a little bit and looked up to stare at his doe eyes. Kyungsoo didn’t know what he was thinking. All he could think about was Joohyun’s cherry red lips. How they looked so kissable and reachable now. He shrugged the thought off and instead started talking. Saying the words he was meant to say weeks ago.

“Joohyun-ah, I..I..li.” Kyungsoo hesitated

“Say it,” Joohyun’s face was now only inches away from Kyungsoo’s. “Please, say it.”

They were so close with one another; he could smell Joohyun’s floral scent. Kyungsoo didn’t know where he got the courage. He skipped his confession and planted a kiss on Joohyun’s lips. A sweet peck that wasn’t too short for their liking but also wasn’t too overwhelming for their first kiss. Joohyun blushed hard, but then she broke into a smile. She tilted her head and moved in closer towards him. This time she initiated the kiss. This time the kiss deepened. Their lips danced together with one another and it’s pretty clear that by now a confession is no longer needed.

“Me too, Kyungsoo, me too.” Joohyun pulled away from the kiss to catch her breath. Their foreheads still stuck to one another. “I like you too.”

Kyungsoo got home that day, and Joohyun drew a heart on today’s date, checking ‘Confess Now’ off his list.

the end.