I was packing for a mission trip so I didn’t really have anything nice to wear actually. I casually wore a shirt and jeans with a cardigan and flats that evening. The weather up in the mountains was a bit chilly.

“Where you going?” my roommate, Lyn asked.

“I-I’m going out with Kyu for dinner.” I said honestly. I mean what’s there to hide right?

“Ohhhhh? You guys are together?!” She squealed.

“No, Lyn, it’s not what you think it is. We’re just friends. Friends. He said he needed to talk to me about something.” I said as I check myself out in the mirror.

“You two do not behave like you’re just friends, you know.” Lyn said, eyeing me.

“What do you mean?” I questioned her, turning to face her.

“Don’t tell me you don’t notice! Firstly, both of you are partners. The time spend with each other is already more than enough to build a relationship! And even though you’re partners, there’s something between both of you, something that I don’t know how to explain. But there’s something there! And the way Kyuhyun looks at you, I can see that he really likes you! Do you like him?” Lyn said.

I blinked.

As I tried to absorb everything she just told me.

“There’s something between both of you, something that I don’t know how to explain. But there’s something there! And the way Kyuhyun looks at you, I can see that he really likes you! Do you like him?”

Even an outsider could see through all that. I lowered my head. I don’t know.

That’s the answer. I don’t know if I liked Kyu a not.

If you asked me weeks ago, I could definitely tell you a straight no but now, I can’t. It’s like something is caught up in my throat that I’m unable to answer to that question.

“So do you?” Lyn repeated her question in my face.

I looked up at her.

“I-I don’t know.” I muttered.

“That means you do!” Lyn chirped happily unaware of my situation.

“What? No, no, I don’t. I…. It’s just a dinner, Lyn!” I said as I grabbed my bag and left the room.

“You never know until you try, Rae!” She shouted back.

I tried it already. And it didn’t give me a happy ending so why should I try again?

I walked aimlessly to the entrance of the children’s home.  Kyu was already there waiting for me.

He kicked his foot in the sand softly as he waited. Hands tugged in his pockets.

I walked up to him.

“Hey, am I late?” I asked.

“Nahh, I was here early.” He said with a smile.

“Kyu, why did you ask me out? What was so important that you have to say it over dinner?” I asked curiously.

He started walking and I caught up with him.

“You’re not answering me.” I whined.

Kyu just continued to walk.

“If you don’t tell me the reason, I’m not going for dinner.” I remarked as I stopped walking.

Kyu turned around with a grin on his face.

“It’s your birthday, Rae.” He said softly.

I looked at Kyu as he continued to grin at me as I counted the dates in my head silently. It WAS my birthday! And I forgot all about it! I was preparing so many lesson plans that my birthday totally slipped out of my mind.

But what was more astounding was that he remembered my birthday.

Kyu remembered my birthday.

“Y-You remembered my birthday?” I asked as I walked next to him.

He nodded cheekily.

“How can I forget?” He breathed.

He said it like it was a fact for him to remember my birthday, like he was boyfriend or something. There was this warmness in my heart that started spreading through my body. How sweet of Kyu to remember my birthday.

“Thanks Kyu.” I said.

“So can we go for dinner?” He asked.

I nodded my head, “Yes, we can. Let’s go!” We walked for quite a bit.

There won’t many choices up in the mountains but there was a shop, right at the end of the village, near the edge of the mountain that sold ramen. It was the most popular store up there in the mountains, the ramen store is run by a pair of elderly couple, and the husband makes the noodle dough while the wife cooks it and pours the soup into the bowl of noodles. It was crowded every day, mostly because it was cheap too.

“I hope you don’t mind the place.” Kyu said as we sat across each other next to the push cart stall.

“No, I don’t. Ever since we came here, I’ve always wanted to try their ramen but I didn’t get a chance to! So I’m happy we came here tonight.” I said.

Kyu placed something next to him on the wooden bench. I tried to peek but he covered it.

“It’s a surprise.” He said as we ordered the ramen.

I lifted an eyebrow at him and he just smiled back.

We talked about how fast time flew by and the school was already halfway through the construction. And how some children can be so funny during lesson time.

I laughed. Which was surprising because after that time, I never laughed with Kyu anymore.

I found myself once again being drawn towards him. He had this charm in him which I found appealing and attractive but somehow it always goes back to the same reason.

He lied to me.

And that was something that I cannot tolerate in a person.

When we were done, Kyu paid; he said it was my birthday so he wanted to give me a treat and left the stall, walking back to the hostel, taking the longer route back.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake, the pounding getting stronger.

I looked at Kyu as he turned to look at me. Everything around us started shaking.

“LANDSLIDE! EARTHQUAKE!” One of the villagers shouted.

Kyu immediately grabbed my hand and we started to panic. This place hadn’t had an earthquake in decades!

I wanted to run but my legs couldn’t move. I was frozen in a state of shock. The tremor grew stronger as things that were hanging started to fall

“YOUR PRESENT!” Kyu shouted as he let go of my hand and ran back to the shop.

“KYU! COME BACK, FORGET IT!” I shouted as I grabbed his hand, with fear in my eyes.

“IT’S YOUR PRESENT!” He said as he ran back.

I shouted again but he ignored and he continued running.

My heart felt like it was suffocating, I thought of all the possibilities that could happen. And the one that was right at the top of the list was that Kyu could die.

I looked back in the mist with the ground still trembling but the tremors have weakened. It was slowly subsiding.

I could barely see Kyu anymore.

All the dust in the air was making me blind, I coughed endlessly.

And with a pounding heart, I collapsed on the pavement.