“Hey Sejeongah. Sally will be coming over to our house later to hang out and play, do you want to join?”, Soyee asked excitedly with a smiling Sally looking expectantly at me.

“I’m sure it’s going to be fun”, Sally added making feel guilty knowing I’ll be disappointing them again.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I can go. I have piano lessons later”, I said feeling sorry for declining their invitation once again.

“Again?”, Sally asked pouting.

“It’s okay, you can join us next time”, Soyee says as I gave them an apologetic smile.

Soyee and Sally were my closes friends here in class. I’ve always felt sorry whenever they invite me to play with them after class as I always decline them because of my tutor classes. But I really appreciate their efforts to ask me even though they know I can’t go.

“How was your weekend? I heard your father is here”, I asked to change the subject immediately making Sally excited as I smile on her cuteness.

“It was really fun, we went to the amusement park yesterday”, Sally said and told us some fun stories about their family date with Soyee also sharing her own stories.

I can’t help but feel jealous with them as I never went to amusement park with my parents. My mother do take me on some trips whenever she comes here but I never experienced to go out nor eat with a complete family even before they got divorced. In fact eating with my father was actually a torture for me because aside from repeatedly reminding me about aiming to be number 1 at everything, I have to sit with a straight back and eat with a proper posture which is very uncomfortable for me.

“How about you Sejeong? What did you do this weekend?”, Soyee asked catching me off guard as I don’t know how I should answer her question since mine wasn’t as exciting as theirs. All I did was read, study and practice playing some classical instruments.    

“Get on your sits now my children, our class will start soon”, Mrs. Choi, our teacher says saving me from Soyee’s question as they went back to their assigned sits.

My attention was immediately caught by a cute small girl beside Mrs. Choi. I can’t help but smile seeing how adorable she looks like especially that she kinda reminds me of a hamster.

“Starting today, our new friend here will be joining us. I hope you’ll get along with her”, Mrs Choi added as I notice how nervous she is. I immediately smile at her as soon as I met her eyes hoping to ease her nervousness.

“My name is Kim Chungha and I’ll be joining your class starting today. Please take care of me”, she says adorably making me smile wider thinking how cute her name is.

“I hope you’ll enjoy the rest of your school year here. You can sit beside Sejeong”, Mrs Choi says as I immediately raised my hand to let her know.

“Hi my name is Sejeong”, I introduced myself and offered a handshake as soon as she sat beside me.

“Nice to meet you”, she said accepting my handshake.

“I hope we can be good friends”, I told her.

“Yeah”, she said smiling shyly at me making her a hundred times cuter.

We immediately became closer and inseparable until I started to have feelings with her and find myself broken in the end.

“Chungha unnie, can we talk?”, I asked as soon as she walked outside her classroom with Nayoung and Huihyeon behind her.

“Please”, I said with pleading voice as she nods and told Nayoung and Huihyeon to go without her.

“So what do you want to talk about that we really have to drive out of the University?”, she asked in a teasing tone.

“I’ve been thinking about what happened that night after the party and-“, I said not being able to finish it as she interrupt me immediately.

“No please don’t”, she said this time with a serious tone.

“I’m sorry but I’m not yet ready to talk about it yet”, she said making me feel a bit disappointed but decided not to force her.

“Okay let’s talk about it when you’re ready but I want you to know that I don’t see you as just a friend anymore. I’ve always liked you as more than just a friend and loved you more than just a bestfriend”, I told her as she stayed silent.

“So where do you want to go? Or eat? It’ll be my treat”, I said smiling and changing the topic as if I didn’t confessed to her seconds ago. I do feel hurt about her response but I have to understand her and give her time to think about everything.

“How about we go to our favourite café instead? I miss Haebin unnie”, she said finally smiling although I can still feel some awkwardness in her voice. Not wanting to make her feel more uncomfortable with me, I started to divert our attention to other things and talk about random topics instead.

Days and weeks had passed and I still haven’t got any answer from Chungha unnie. Although she became extra affectionate and intimate with me, I still tried to ask her about our relationship in which she always try to avoid until she rejected me in which I didn’t expected. I was so sure she has feelings for me too as I felt it that night.

I tried to pursue her numerous times and also tried to court her properly but due to her persistence to just stay as bestfriends, I stopped.

Everyday was painful and a torture for me. Being in the same circle of friends together, moving on was really hard. I have to always have to pretend that I’m happy and okay eventhough I feel really broken inside, not wanting to make anyone worried about me or make everything awkward with our friends.

I tried my best to move on and divert my attention to different things like my studies and learning how to manage our family business but I kept on failing to do it. And it doesn’t help that Chungha unnie will go from ignoring me then suddenly being sweet and affectionate to me and then giving me cold shoulders again. I felt so confused and lost. I don’t know if I should let go of my feelings or hold on to it and believe that she really do feel the same way as me.

“Hey Sejeong unnie, whats with that bruise on your cheek?”, Doyeon asked poking the bruised part of my cheek.

“Yah it hurts, don’t touch it”, I said trying to look angry at her as she only gave me a mischievous smile attempting to touch it again.

“Did you hurt yourself unnie?”, Yoojung asked in a worried tone in which I can’t help but found adorable. Just what did Yoodaeng find in Doyeon to date that giant?

“Kinda, I was browsing on my phone really late and because I was feeling sleepy I accidentally dropped it down on my face”, I said earning a huge laughter mainly from Doyeon. But that wasn’t really the reason. The truth is, I got slapped by my father last night after being late to some business party. He was wearing a ring that time causing a bruised mark on my cheek.

“Now that’s some idiotic way to get some bruise”, Somi said laughing with Doyeon.

I just ignored the two giants who seem to can’t stop laughing at me.

“Didn’t I told you not to play on your phone on late nights?”, Chungha unnie said sitting beside me. I was a bit startled as I didn’t expect her to talk to me after avoiding me for days. She didn’t even pickup my calls nor answer my messeges.

“Here, let me see that bruise”, she said holding my cheek to look at the bruise and apply some ointment to it.

“Thanks”, I said with her hands still on my cheek.

“I miss you”, she says suddenly and buried her head on my shoulder.

“Can’t we just stay as bestfriends?”, she added making me feel the never ending pain once again.

“I’m sorry”, was all I could say knowing I can never stop my feelings for her anymore. The more I tried to stop the more it gets stronger and more painful.  

As expected Chungha unnie avoid me even more to the po