JR

Choi MinKi’s mom couldn’t make it. We made another plan for them to meet up again. After a week of working with MinKi, I had made my mind to try and get to know him and at least be nice to him.

I call in to my room and close the door behind him. I sit in front of him, thinking of a way to break the awkward silence.

"Choi MinKi, let’s be friends" I stand up and do a couple of arm stretches, before sitting back down.

"Why?" He whispers, looking down at the floor.

"Because I want you as my friend. Is it that so hard to believe it that I, Jonghyun wants to be your friend?" I question him, trying to get him to look up.

"Yes it is. You hate and despise me with a burning passion. You're the one who said that you wish I was dead. So why would you want to be my friend? Why?" He looks up at me with innocent eyes. I quickly avert eye contact and look elsewhere.

"Well I apologize for ever saying that I wish you were dead. I just want to be your friend...Ren" I bite my lips as I call him his female name.

"We can only be secret friends. Treat me like the way you always do at school. I don't want anything bad happening to you" He whispers. I turn and look in time to see a smile playing out on his small lips.

"Thank you, Ren"

"I want to get to know one another. I don't know anything about you and I don't think you know anything good about me!" I get up from where I'm sitting and walk to my bed.

I beckon Ren to where I'm sitting and pat the seat next to me. She gets up and slowly walks and sits next to me.

"Are you an only child?" I ask, interlacing my fingers together.

"Yes, are you?"

"No I have an older sister who lives in Australia with her husband"

"That sounds nice! What are your hobbies?"

"Rearranging music, watching movies, writing raps/songs. You?" I fall against the bed, waiting for her answer.

"I like writing songs, watching music videos and watching movies/dramas" I grab her elbow and force her to lie down on the bed so that I'm able to hear her clearly.

"Sorry for that. It's just that I couldn't hear you" I look up at the white ceiling, enjoying her company.

"How many girlfriends have you had?" Her question takes me by surprise and I'm unprepared to answer.

I lay there and think for a while. "I've only had 4 girlfriends: beginning, experiment, pro and professional. I hope experience will be my last. Those are the names of my past girlfriends" I let out a small chuckle as I look at her confused face.

"Beginning was my first girlfriend who I dated back when I was around 12-13 years old. She was the first girl who I held hands with and gave my first kiss to" I giggle as old memories come flooding in.

"Oh okay, those are really interesting names"

"How many guys have you dated?"

"I've only dated one and it's currently Chunji" I see the smile on her face as she says his name.

"I thought that you were a playboy at first but only dating 4 girls is very interesting" She says, tagging at her bangs.

"Have you already had your first kiss?" I question her, turning my attention back to the ceiling.

"Yeah. It was kind of unexpected and came as a surprise to me. Chunji gave me a peck on the lips before going home after dropping me off at home because of my knee. Some may say that it's not a kiss because it doesn't involve the tongue but it was the best kiss I ever experienced. It brought butterflies to my stomach!"

I can almost image the happiness that she was feeling that day.

 "My first kiss was at beginning's 13th birthday party. My friends and her friends knew that I liked her. Well they locked I and her outside her house in an attempt to get us closer. There we were, 2 shy and awkward children walking in a garden full of roses and other beautiful flowers. We stopped in front of a garden and she bend down to smell one of the flowers. I quickly confessed the fact that I liked her and waited for her to say something. She didn't say anything so I panicked and pulled her up and looked at her, telling her once again that I liked her. She told me that she liked me too and that gave me the signal to kiss her. Our lips touched and I kissed her like the way I saw people do in movies. And the rest is history"

"Awwww that's so cute! Where's beginning? How come she doesn't go to our school?"

"Well....Her older brother died the next year from a car accident and I guess it left the family traumatized and in shock. They moved away that following year to New Zealand" I answer, blinking. Now that I think about it, Min Ah (Beginning) is just like Ren. Fragile.

"Oh that's so sad to hear that!"

"Yeah it is" I clear my throat, trying to clear my memory of that sad day.

"Hey can I lean against you?" I get up from the bed and jump on it.

"Me?" Ren asks, getting up also.

"Yeah you. I'll just lean my back against your back. Nothing big" I get into a sitting position, bringing up my knees to my chest. I close my eyes and feel Ren's warm back against mine. I rest my head on her shoulder, freeing my mind of all bad thoughts.

"My mom really likes you"

"Yeah, you're so lucky to have a mom like that. She's so pretty. Ahh I wish I was that beautiful!" I hear her sigh. I chuckle a bit, feeling a bit awkward.

"Hey what's so funny, huh?" She moves away

"Hey what's so funny, huh?" She moves away, causing me to come crashing onto my bed. I get into a fit of hysterical laughter seeing her all worked up at such a small matter.

 "Okay fine. I see how it is now. If you're not going to tell me then I'm leaving" She begins to get off the bed but I grab her wrist, stopping her.

"Okay I'll tell you!" I pull her towards me.

"The way you were talking about my mom and then seeing your expression was the reason why I was laughing" I wipe the tears away from my eyes.

"Oh well glad I made you laugh!" She bows, making a little heart. I pull out my phone and look at the time, shocked. A whole hour has passed.

"Hey what do you want to do?"

"I don't know!" As she pushes herself off the bed, I can see a scar on her shoulder, peeking out.

"Hey wait!" I quickly get off the bed to stop her.

"What?" I grab her shoulders and pull her shirt down a bit to reveal a long scar running from her shoulder to where her sockets are.

 "What's this?" I ask, letting her go. She turns away, shaking her head.

"It's just a scar. Nothing big that you need to know" She mumbles.

"Oh if you're not going to tell me, then I'll show you mine" I walk towards one of the desk chairs, sit down, and roll up my shorts to reveal a deep scar on my left thigh.

"How did you get that?"

"I fell while playing football (soccer) when I was little."

"I got my scar from when you and your friends beat me up. You guys were really merciless"

"I'm sorry" I mumble quietly, looking down at the floor.

"It's alright. It's all old news now" I look up at Ren as she lets out a chuckle, waving her arms around.

"Okay" I let out a smile, feeling reassured.  I talk to her for a while before she has to go back to work.