3.

I was doing the revision for the upcoming mid-term examination for my first year in high school when the wind chimes that the store owner put by the door was chiming, indicating there are customers coming in. And so I assumed a group of high school girls were the ones who stepped in just now, as I heard their voices chattering loudly that the whole convenient shop was filled by their conversation. Of course I was annoyed by it, but that is something normal that happens every day, so that did not really bother me.

But then a voice stood up from any other else, hushing her friends as she softly warns, “Slow down a bit, girls. Someone is studying.”

Then another person complains, “Well if he really wants to have a quiet surrounding, he should be revising at the library. Not here.”

“That’s something rude to say, Sun Hee,” the kind girl uttered. “Whatever. Just quickly, get what you guys want and put them on the counter. Then you guys can wait at the outside.”

The other girls seemed to obey what’s that one girl just told them to as I could hear them murmuring, making choices from in front of the fridges for drinks. Not long after that, three girls from that group walked towards the counter, putting the cans of soft drinks and coffees that they picked for themselves in a line before leaving that one friend of theirs to do the payment.

I got up from my seat as I put my books away for a while to do my job and that was the first time we talked to each other as she approaches, “Are you new to this neighborhood?”

Obviously I was quite taken aback by her sudden question but I immediately shook it off as I denied, “Not really. Have been living here since middle school years.”

She hummed, “Then why did I never see you before, even at school?”

My brows furrowed then I looked up at the school logo on the uniform that she was wearing. “Maybe because you’re from A.R. Girls’ School…?”

That girl giggled as she bobbed her head rapidly, “Exactly.” She took out the cash from her purse and handed them to me. “I was just messing around with you,” her finger pointed at my books. “Because you seem like you’re stressed out, dealing with that subject.”

Calculus, by the way.

And I did not able to say anything yet as the girl was very quick when she took one of the cans – a coffee – out from the plastic bag, putting it beside my exercise book before dashing out from the store while saying, “Cheer up.”

“Baekhyun.”

I look up at that person who just called out my name and as our eyes meet each other’s, the corner of my lips curled upwards forming a very pleased smile. The other person’s expression does not look very good as he sees me being here, but still, he looks at me with a thin beam as he drags a chair for himself to sit in front of me.

“So I guess you just…arrived?”

And by that, I know what he actually meant to say but instead of giving the real answer, I pretend to be clueless as I blatantly answered, “Arrived here in this country? Well a few days ago, I guess? Almost a week, maybe… I don’t know, staying here makes me lose the track of time.” Then I frown, “But Hyung, come on. I came to greet you at your workplace…you should at least welcomed me cheerfully, not with this kind of face…!”

“How could I do that when I work at this kind of place, can you tell me?” Minseok’s eyes trail at me from head to toe before crossing his arms. “Why didn’t you stay there? In England? Or some other countries with better environment?”

I pout, shaking my head off. “I don’t want to. This country is the place where I was born, of course I want to settle down here.”

“Really?” Minseok doubts. There is a crease forming between his brows at the moment he asks, “Or is it because of her?”

At that, I honestly did not know what to feel. Or how to react. Of course, I could not deny it either – obviously – but to think of it, my heart just…breaks. The thing that happened between us, the day she left really scarred my whole life. I was hurt, I was devastated. Because she was the one who has been supporting me, encouraging me to chase my dream but out of sudden, a few days after I got accepted by the university that we applied together, she acted up.

And just like stating the day’s weather, she told me to break up with her.

I was really mad at her, for the way she behaved, for the way she dumped me. But to say that I hate her for all those hurtful things she said that day, well – stupidly – I don’t. I could never despise her or get her off my mind. I tried to date other girls, in fact, there are a bunch of them asking me out but I couldn’t.

Which is why I hate myself more when I saw her at the café on last Tuesday. I still find my eyes pinning on her, even after all this time.

Somehow that girl looked extremely different than before, especially the way she dresses up.

I think it’s because of my job that I tend to observe that part first soon as someone caught my eyes.

The color of her outfit, that was not her style at all. That girl I knew was someone’s quite cheeky, making her style also resembles that kind