When Hyejin arrived, Wheein was still sitting on the edge of her bed with her hair askew and eyes staring into thin air. Today is one of those days where they chill for a while, maybe watch some movies and have fun, before they get back to reality and study their asses off once again.

Hyejin freely moved towards the windows and unapologetically drew open the curtains to let the sunlight through and lighten up the room.

“What the heck, Hyejin?” her hoarse voice did nothing to intimidate her friend, instead, Hyejin dragged her towards the bathroom, “Take a shower and wipe that drool on the corner of your mouth.”

Hyejin anticipated it but yes, Wheein indeed rolled her eyes at her while muttering an answer, “Yes, mother,” while stomping her feet on the way and fist on both of her sides. Hyejin would like to call it more as paws because Wheein just happens to have the cutest and tiniest fists in the entire world.

“Come here,” she urges a fresh from bathroom Wheein to sit down on the floor to dry her hair. Hyejin combs over her hair to let it dry with Wheein’s hairdryer, “So, what do you recommend to watch?”

Hyejin hums and Wheein takes it as I don’t know, you decide so she just let the TV on and settled on a random channel and let the noise fill in the empty room.

Wheein knew it has been not long since she woke up but Hyejin drying her hair is making her sleepy. Today is a lazy day, indeed.

Before she could even settle in her sleep, Hyejin wakes her up by shaking her body. She groans in annoyance but then her stomach thought that it was the perfect time to act up. Hyejin smirks, “Your mom left you food on the kitchen.”

Right.

It was probably all cold now since it was nearing noon but Wheein has to eat.

It was past one in the afternoon when the pair decided to go back to Wheein’s bedroom after watching a rerun of a variety show. They plopped on the bed at the same time and stared at the ceiling for a while. It was a quiet afternoon, only the thrum of the air conditioner filled the room, that is until Wheein broke the silence.

“So, I was thinking, about my secret admirer…” she drawls, “who do you think it is?”

Hyejin propped up her elbow and faced her as she regarded her with a contemplative sigh, “Who do you think it is?” she asked instead, throwing the question back at Wheein.

There was a pregnant pause between them before Wheein could answer, “I… I don’t know.”

“Is it really that important to you to know who this person is?”

“Yes, of course!” she answered with no second thoughts, “How can I not?”

“Suppose we say that you have finally found this person, what would you do?”

Hyejin just stared right into her eyes, as if she’s seeking answers, however, Wheein couldn’t give her one. Wheein herself is full of uncertainties. If she meets this person, what happens next? Would it change something? Wheein doesn’t know.

“I don’t know. I– maybe I just want to thank her? Thank her for cheering me up whenever I’m down or whenever I needed reassurance on things. I can’t explain it well, but, you know that feeling of relief because you just know that someone is out there supporting you?” Wheein finally unclenches her fist, the tension on her shoulders finally dissipates as she reaches her conclusion, “ I guess I just want to thank her for… just being there.”

“Hyejin-ah, if you were in my shoes, what would you do?”

“After all these years, this person could have stepped up and introduced herself, you know? But she didn’t. If she wants to be found, then she would do just that.”

“But why? I don’t understand.”

“Why do you think this person has been hiding behind those letters?”

Wheein didn’t answer and Hyejin didn’t expect her to.

“It’s because she is afraid that she is not what you have hoped for.”

“But that’s–

“By receiving those letters, you have subconsciously created an image of that person regardless of the contents of the letter is true or not. I can’t blame you for that, you just want to put a face on the person who has been with you throughout these years. This person knows that and she’s scared because of that. She’s scared that she is not what you thought she would turn out to be.”

Wheein was quiet after that and so is Hyejin. She is still trying to let her words sink in and she is having a hard time doing that. Before Hyejin, she thought that everything was so simple. She thought that the person might just be shy that is why she hasn’t tried introducing herself throughout these years. She didn’t know that there were implications and reasons behind that.

She’s so stupid.

All this time, she has only been viewing it from her point of view.

“So, what should I do?” she asks quietly, afraid to break off the silence that loomed over them.

“I think you’ll have to wait for now, Wheein-ah,” Hyejin replies with the same volume of voice, knuckles caressing her cheek, “You’ll have to wait for now until she’s ready.” Even if I wanted her to speak the truth already, Hyejin thinks to herself.

“But what if she will never be ready?” there was a hint of sadness in Wheein’s voice that made Hyejin sigh.

“Do you like this person, Wheein-ah?”

“I– I don’t know.”

“I guess I’ll have to say that there may be a possibility that this person might not reveal who she is, ever, that is why I hope that you won’t be too fixated on this person, Wheein-ah. Maybe because you are to engrossed on looking for this person that you might miss the person who is actually right in front of you,” with Hyejin’s smile, the solemn atmosphere from earlier slowly dissipates into thin air.

“What do you mean?”

Wheein could already feel the cheekiness from her incoming answer. The glint of playfulness in Hyejin’s eyes was telling her of what is to come and she was right, “How about you do something about your stupid cru–

Wheein didn’t even let her finish as she covers Hyejin’s mouth with her palm, “Speak another word and you’ll never get out in this room, alive.”

Hyejin did tell her to wait for now but Wheein thought that it wouldn’t hurt to probe a little, right?

And probe a little she did, however, it didn’t meet Wheein’s expectations. At all.

Wheein started to go around the room, waiting for the perfect timing to jump in and start a small talk with her classmates. She slyly asks questions that might help her find her and she did it so naturally that the conversation just flows smoothly.

It was a total failure.

She got nothing.

She couldn’t find any match at all.

Maybe… maybe she was wrong all along?

The thought just dampened down her mood. She buried herself on her table and sighed.

“Hey, you alright?”

She forced herself to look up and found her classmate, Cheol sitting in front of her desk. He adjusted his glasses and smiled at her.

“You look down, thought you might be having a problem.”

Cheol is somewhat like a brother to Wheein. He sometimes annoys her but he’s kind and nice. He’s one of the people who Wheein could run to when she has problems. Maybe she could talk to him?

“So, wanna talk about it?”

“I guess,” she sighed.

“Okay! You can ask me anything aside from money! You know that I’m broke so I can’t lend you some,” he said enthusiastically then drank the rest of his water before he faced Wheein seriously.

“So, about my secret admirer– Cheol?! Are you alright?!” Wheein immediately stood up to help Cheol who spluttered the water out of his mouth. He could not stop coughing as Wheein rubbed his back for relief.

“I–it went to the wrong pipe,” he said and coughed once more.

“Are you really fine now?” she asked again and offered Cheol some tissue.

“Yeah,” he replied after wiping his nose, “So, you were saying?”

Wheein gave him a small smile and shook her head softly, “No, it’s fine. Thanks.”

I think I should just listen to Hyejin, she thought.

Hyejin ditched her again. What's worse is that it started to rain and much to her luck, she didn't bring any umbrella. But then again, Wheein doesn't bring an umbrella at all. Between her and Hyejin, the latter is the one who always brings umbrella and Wheein would just leech off on Hyejin so that she wouldn't have to bring an umbrella at all. And Hyejin left her. That means she can't go home.

"I should just wait until it stops," she mumbled on her way to the locker area. 

Nearing the area, she saw Sandeul. Byulyi must be near since Sandeul is here. Aside from Yongsun, Sandeul is one of Byulyi's closest friends. He's a cool guy and quite nice too.

Wheein smiled at him when he finally noticed her but instead of smiling back, Sandeul looked at her with wide eyes. He looked like he was panicking?

Wheein was rooted in her place when Sandeul started barking like a dog… no, it’s more of a puppy?

The two of them stared at each other not knowing what to do.

This is awkward.

Why did he just start barking?

A Moon Byulyi then emerged from the side and rested her arms to Sandeul’s shoulders, “Oh, hi Wheein-ah.”

“Uh… hi,”

An air of awkwardness hung over them.

“Uh, so I’ll just go. I still have something do to,” Sandeul awkwardly waves goodbye to Wheein after nudging Byulyi with his elbow.

The squeak of Sandeul’s shoes disappeared in the hallway as he took a sharp turn to go upstairs.

Aside from the light, rhythmic, tapping sound of the rain, there was only silence looming between them. The area was barren from any students or staff. Probably because they already went home before the rain got heavy. Smart choice indeed.

Byulyi cleared as she leaned on the lockers, “So you’re going home?”

Wheein went to her locker, near to where Byulyi is, “It’s raining and I don’t have an umbrella so I’m stuck in he– Oh,”

There was an umbrella inside her locker.

She noticed the pastel post-it on the umbrella and read it.

you’ll need this. bye!

“You said you didn’t have one?”

“Someone left me one,”

“Ooh, from your stupid admirer?”

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter