“Oh I’m…,” but he stopped before the word ‘sorry’ came out of his mouth when he saw her. They had bumped into each other on the corner. His tone turned as cold as ice as he hissed, “Watch where you’re going.” He smirked a bit at the sight before him. She was picking up her things off the floor. It was amusing, for him.

“Oh I would, if you are not that disgusting and annoying, trust me, I would” she stood up confidently, staring him straight in the eyes. Their eyes were of the same colour – brown. Hers was a shade lighter though.

He was about to retort something when his friend, Yoseob, came and dragged him suddenly. Yoseob apologized to Hyorin. Then, he said something that sounds like ‘not a way to treat a lady’. What opposites those two are, Hyorin thought to herself. One’s a complete jerk, the other very kind and sweet. Opposite attracts, no?

“Why oh why, do you guys always, like always, are at each other’s throat?” The school infamous gossiper, MinRa who had witnessed their small fight, asked her. Always repeating the question, always repeating her words. Hyorin rolled her eyes. That girl was getting on her nerves.

“Nothing.”

“Come on, there must be something. Did he reject you or something? Or did you reject him or something? Or did something happen or something?”

“OH GOD. NO!”

“He’s hot you know. Very smoking hot, boiling hot. I’d die to even have him talking to me. Die! You know? He thinks I talk too much. He thinks I’m annoying. He said to me. ME! I’m very beautiful. But he’s still blind. I’ll wait for him. Or for that very hot Kim Jonghyun-“

“Yea yea yea. Everything’s hot on the summer,” Hyorin cut her. She was very annoyed with this MinRa girl. “Bye! See you after summer break!” And she ran off, leaving a disappointed MinRa behind.

***

“Oh god. This school is full of annoying people!” Hyorin complained when she met her friends at the school gate.

“Junhyung?” Eunjung asked. It was short, but they knew what it meant. They knew what can annoy and piss Hyorin off – Yong Junhyung.

“Yeah. And the MinRa girl. Who does she think I am? Her best friend?”

“She’s lunatic,” Gayoon added.

“Definitely,” Hyomin agreed.

“Hey, Hyo,” Gayoon called her. She was the only one who called her Hyo. “You’re going to your Grandma the whole summer right?”

“Yeah,” Hyorin replied sadly. “Starting tomorrow. I’m going to miss you guys so much.”

“Now, don’t be sad. Let’s wish Hyorin will meet a dark, mysterious, handsome guy there,” Eunjung joked around.

“Now, group hug!” And the friends hugged.

***

“Oh dear, I should have called Boram’s grandson here. He sure can lift your bags. He’s also very polite,” Hyori’s grandmother said after seeing Hyorin having difficulties lifting her bags on the staircase. “He’s handsome too.” And Hyorin’s grandmother chuckled.

“Grandma!” Hyorin exclaimed.

“Your grandma is old but I’m not blind. I say, let’s visit them tomorrow. Boram makes the best cake in this town,” Grandma said. “Now, here’s your room. I’m sure you want some rest while your grandma here went to Boram’s for a while. We have so many things to organize.”

“You sure you’re gonna be okay alone? Do you want me to help you?” Hyorin was concerned for her grandmother’s well-being.

“Oh, no dear. You just stay home. Boram’s driver is going to pick me up. You go to your room and unpack now. It’s a long summer. And if you want to go out, do as you please. Lock the doors and the key is under the pot under the window on the left of the door.”

“Well, okay. If you said so.”

***

The room was simple and neat. It was painted with a soft yellow. A single bed was in a corner of the room. Hyorin guessed that her Grandma had purposely put it like that because she knew that Hyorin liked sleeping facing the wall. When she was a child, facing the wall was the solution to not see ghost when you wake up. Her cousin had thought her that. And it had become a habit for her. Plus, facing the wall felt safe for her. There was a white modern dressing table beside the door that leads to the bathroom. Hyorin was glad that she had her own bathroom.

After unpacking, she decided to go for a walk. It had been years since she last came here. She decided to make the best of her summer days here even if she really wanted to be with her friends but her parents sent her off here because they were too busy travelling for business.

After a little while, she found an ice cream parlour. Hyorin went in. It was the cutest ice cream shop she had ever set foot into. It was packed. Lots of teenagers were hanging out there.

“Hello, what do you want?” The waiter asked her at the counter.

“3 scoops please. Dark chocolate, strawberry and oreo.” She watched as the waiter proceeded to make her order.

“No, we can only have a scoop,” a little boy said to his sister.

“I don’t want to share with you!” His sister said.

“Then I’ll eat it myself.”

“I’ll tell Dad!” The girl threatened.

“I’ll tell Mum.”

“Why don’t I add some money so you both can buy 2 ice creams?” Hyorin interrupted. She pitied them. And they were both so cute.

“Really?” The girl’s eyes widen with happiness.

“Yes, now take this.” Hyorin gave them some money, enough to buy another 1 scoop ice cream. Then, the waiter arrived with her order. She paid for them and bid goodbye to the siblings.

“Thank you pretty stranger!” The girl waved to her.

“I’ve never seen you here. Are you new?” A guy of her age approached her. His blond hair was spiked up. He didn’t look Korean at all.

“Just visiting,” she faked a smile and dashed out of the shop before he had any chance to say anything.

***

Hyorin’s grandmother knocked on the wooden white door. It was her friend’s, Boram’s house. Her grandmother had been very excited about this ever since she woke up that morning. She had insisted Hyorin to wear her best dress. And there she was, wearing the yellow sundress that Hyomin had given to her.

“Oh boy, there you are,” her grandmother said as soon as the door was opened. She couldn’t see the guy’s face. “This is my granddaughter.”

“Oh,” the familiar voice said. Then they met each other’s eyes.

It was Yong Junhyung.