He’s standing right outside the restaurant when I arrived. He smiled at me at first then he approached me with that worried look on display. I frowned, wondering what made him worried and met him halfway there.

 

                “What happened? Why are you wet?” he asked as he took my hands gently from the side. I just smiled t his touch.

 

                “I played with Kyu-hyun.” I gleefully answered while appreciating the hands that holds me now. I looked down at our joined hands and lifted up my gaze again at his face. I saw a flash of confusion in his eyes but he managed to erase it before I can even register what else is there. He took off his coat and handed it to me. I refused it but he insisted.

 

                “I’m fine.” I lied as I shiver with the dampness of my body.

 

                “You’re not.” He replied, still giving me his coat. I shook my head. “Then change to my clothes before anything else.” He motioned, eyeing the bag he’s carrying with him.

 

                I stared at him in disbelief but he just smiled at me. “Don’t worry, I haven’t worn them yet.” He explained defensively. I giggled.

 

                We made our way back to the restaurant and I changed to the clothes he gave me. It’s an army colored baggy short which looks like pants on me as it covered my whole thigh and my short legs and is way too big for me to wear without a belt. The shirt he lend me is a plain white one with its round neck line hanging loosely from me and which length reaches my thigh. I look like a dwarf wearing the clothes of a giant. His rubber shoes are pretty big too and I have to wear two thick socks just to accommodate the space within it. I glanced at my reflection at the restroom of the restaurant and shook my head. I grabbed the hem of the shirt and twisted it well enough to make a shape out of it. I tied it up to my waist and nodded with approval as my body’s shape became a bit visible with it. I tied the twisted end of the shirt at my back and smiled at myself again. Better.

 

                I went out of the restroom and head towards the table where Ki-bum is seated. I stood in front of him for a while and I swear I saw him lighten up and smile at my current state. I grunted. “I better change back to my wet clothes.” I murmured as I started to march back at the restroom again.

 

                “No. It’s fine. You look fine, don’t worry.” He said, holding my arm from behind. I glanced at him but saw him suppressing his laughter. I pulled my arm off his grasp and walked again.

 

                “Okay, okay. I’m sorry if I smiled or even laugh at you.” He said as he blocked my way. “You look fine, really. I just didn’t thought that you’re that small with my clothes.” He reasoned. I frowned more.

 

                “I’m THAT small?” I stomped my feet on the ground and he just smiled. Being called small isn’t really good for a woman. Especially when it comes from the guy you like the most.

 

                Instead of apologizing, he nodded. “That’s what makes you so cute and irresistible.” He ruffled my hair again and smiled genuinely. “Hungry?”

 

                I smiled at his words although I knew girls out there won’t be really happy to hear the words he just said. But thinking that he finds me cute and irresistible, it makes me want to wear these clothes everyday now.

 

                “I already ate some porridge with Kyu-hyun.” I tried to gain my composure back after acting all so childish again in front of him. Honestly, I’m really full because of that porridge and although I played a while ago, I can’t say that I’m hungry enough to eat again.

 

The look on Ki-bum’s face made me regret being honest. What if he’s hungry? I’m being too selfish, aren’t I? “But we could grab some light dinner if you’re hungry.” I tried to continue as I saw his expression change back to normal after a fraction of a second.

 

                “No, it’s fine.” He said as he smiled again. “Let’s just go somewhere else.” He invited, totally ignoring the manager behind us which extended their time just to accommodate us. I felt a pang of guilt in me.

 

                “But the restaurant, you said they extended because of us. Won’t it be a waste?” I pulled him back again.

 

                “It’s fine, Yuna.” He resisted. “Let’s go.” He invited as he pulled me with him. I could do nothing else but follow. I remember hearing the same words earlier from a different person, but I can’t quite comprehend things correctly now given that the guy I really like is here with me, pulling me with him. We could travel across the world tonight and I wouldn’t even mind. As long as he’s here holding my hands, we could even fly.

 

                “Let’s go.” He said as he pulled me with him to grab something warm to ease my freezing muscles and my cold pale body.

 

                Kyu-hyun!

 

                Another pang of guilt.

 

                He couldn’t still be there, right? I told him I’ll go back here to meet with Ki-bum so he must’ve went home. I’m a bad friend. I just left him there and forgot everything he did for me tonight just because Ki-bum called. But he knows that I like Ki-bum so he must’ve understood. Argh, I’m going crazy.

 

                I looked up at Ki-bum, pulling me with him towards someplace I have no idea where exactly and sneaked a glance back at the place where we’re from. I hope Kyu-hyun’s okay.

 

 

 

                “So, where are we going?” I asked Ki-bum when, after almost fifteen minutes, we’re still walking to nowhere.

 

                “We’re here.” He announced, pointing to a vacant playground ahead us. He pulled me again and pushed me down to sit in one of the swings. I waited for him to settle down on the swing next to me and smiled when he did.

 

                I started pushing the swing to move, sending my body with it flying through the air. I giggled as my feet met the sandy surface beneath me. I stopped swinging and bent down to remove his shoes and socks off my feet. I threw it at the sides and started to move the swing again. I was flying high after just a few seconds and it felt great. The night breeze rushing through my face and my body gives me chills that make me shiver and laugh at the same time. I feel like I was back at my very own country and place where I used to do this almost every night when I was a child.

 

                “Like it here?” I heard someone murmur beside me then I remembered why I was here in the first place. I quickly put a stop on my swing and sighed. I must’ve looked like a crazy girl to him. I lift my head up and met his eyes. His eyes are soft and smiling at me when I looked at it; like a child enjoying watching his favorite cartoon where he can’t take his eyes off. I blushed deep red.

 

                Right, he asked me a question. What was it? I can’t remember. But his eyes looking at me like that, I guess there’s only one sound I can produce now. “Neh.”

 

                He smiled at me. Not the usual bright smile he gave me back then. It’s more of a gentle, comforting and painful smile. It makes me wonder why it looks like he’s remembering something hurtful but still forcing himself to give me his smile. He sighed and broke the connection of our eyes as he looked up to the sky.

 

                “I used to spend most of my time here back then, before our debut as Super Junior.” He started and it makes me feel like I should listen carefully. It’s as if he’s opening something deep inside him which he repressed for a very long time. It’s as if he’s letting me see through him; making me know him better than anyone else. I rested my head on the chains which holds the seat of the swing I’m occupying  and tried to listen harder, staring at his face and watching out for whatever expression he’s about to give out. Each would help me understand him more and there’s nothing better than understanding the one you like completely.

 

                “I was like you back then.” He continued, still looking up at the sky. “I was foreign to this country since I grew up at States. When SME scouted me there and brought me here, I was so delighted that I didn’t have any second thoughts or doubts. At that time I feel like everything will go on smoothly.” He sighed. “I was wrong.”

 

                He glanced at me, perhaps checking if I’m listening or if I’m sleeping since I make no sounds since he started talking. I just smiled at him, encouraging him to continue. I accompanied my smile with a soft nod as if saying “Go on. I’m listening.”

 

                He returned my smile and kept his eyes locked with mine. “Having no one who stands by your side, having no one who’ll listen to you attentively and just having no one; that .” He laughed a little then he started playing with his fingers, looking down at it like watching a cartoon roll perform some hilarious acts. “I’d cry here, thinking and wishing I could come back to my home but thinking that I was defeated by this simple set-back made me stay.”

 

                I looked up at the sky too, thinking of the day Cha-eun talked to me and having no one to tell about it. Although I knew that they’re there right beside me, just the threat holds me back from spilling even a single word. Being held back like that from doing the thing you thought would do better than anything else really .

 

                “I experienced the same thing when we moved at the States. I have no friends there, no one to talk to, no one to play with, just no one.” I heard him start again as I was pulled back to the present, leaving Cha-eun and her threats behind. “Having experienced being alone in a foreign place twice, I began to think what if I’d meet someone who experienced the same thing? Would I help him or would I pretend that he’s okay and do nothing at all; just like what everybody did when I was alone.”

 

                I heard him laugh and my head snapped to his direction. He wiped something from his face but he’s still giggling. He glanced at me and I saw what he was wiping; a tear. I started to reach out to him but thought better of it. It’d be better if he’d let his emotions flow out, even once. Since I moved in their dorm for over a month now, I never saw him cry or even sad. He’s always smiling in front of me or serious sometimes but never sad.

 

                “I don’t want to see anyone suffer like I did. I knew how it felt to be so alone and I knew how sad it could be. Thinking that someone experiences the same thing somewhere out there makes me feel worse. It makes me wish that I could meet that person and tell him that he’s not alone; that we’re the same and that we could be friends.” He gave out a loud sigh and my eyes just continued to watch him.

 

                I remembered the first day when we met at their bus. He tried so hard not to make me feel alone or isolated. He even hugged me when they were all out celebrating because of something I didn’t get. He shared his happiness with me (which made me faint because of shock) and he was always there, talking to me and asking me if I’m fine every now and then. He was even the first one to welcome me at their dorm calling it home for me and for him. I can never forget those things.

 

                His eyes, if it was even possible, turned even softer as if it’s going to melt any time now. His pupils dilated with tenderness I never saw from anyone else. It makes my heart want to melt with it too.

 

                “Then you came.” He stated in a matter-of-fact tone. Then he stood up from the swing where he was sitting for a while now and walked towards me. I watched his every step and sat up straight on the swing, lifting my head from resting on the chains of it. He stopped in front of me and my breathing stopped when he kneeled down in front of me, leveling his face with mine.

 

“You’re that someone I’m wishing to meet.” He smiled. “You’re that someone and now that you’re here, I’d do everything to make you feel that you’ve got someone with you, no matter what.”

 

My breath hitched as he my face with the back of his hand; starting from my hair, down to my eyes, then to the side of my face, to my cheeks, the side of my lips and, finally, to my chin. He repeated it several times and I don’t know how I did it but I held my breath as he’s doing it.

 

                “I want you to remember that.” He looked deep in my eyes and I know deep inside me that the last thing I’ll do now is to flinch away from his eyes and look away. His hand dropped to my lap, where my hands are painfully sweating because of the intensity of his expression, at the same time when his eyes looked down. He grabbed my hands and kept it in between his; not minding if it’s wet with sweat or not. He lifted his gaze again and held our hands up.

 

                “I’ll always be here for you…” he almost whispered and I nodded in appreciation. I glanced at our hands but was forced to look at him again as his left hand took a hold of my chin to lift my head up again. Still looking at me with those irresistible tender eyes, he leaned down on me closing the remaining distance between us.

 

He kissed me. Gently, firmly and confidently; he kissed me.

 

                And I don’t mind being here in his trance for the rest of my life. I closed my eyes shut and savored the moment. I felt his lips move and, being new to this activity and to this feeling; I just let him do all the movements as my lips stayed joined with him, motionless.

 

                When he broke the kiss, he smiled at me and I smiled back. His smile is different once again. If earlier it was gentle, comforting and painful, now it’s benign, confident and assuring. He leaned down again and rest his forehead on mine. I closed my eyes and inhaled his breath on my face. When he pulled off, he gave me a kiss on my forehead and entwined his hand with mine. Then he pulled me up and hugged me fully like what he did at the bus on the day we first met; only now, I didn’t faint, instead, I hugged him back.

 

 

 

                The lights were out when we arrived at the dorm. It’s almost dawn and we both knew that Lee-teuk oppa won’t be happy to see us going home that late; or early, really. With our hands still interlaced with each other, we giggled as we stumble on our way. We didn’t want to announce our return so we chose not to open the lights. We felt our way up to Kyu-hyun’s room and entered there silently, forcing our laughter from bursting out. I don’t know what’s so funny with what we’re doing but I just can’t stop laughing and smiling all the way. Maybe it’s because I’m so happy with the fact that me and Ki-bum are finally together.

 

                Ki-bum stood by the door and I faced him, trying to level with his tallness by my shortness. His face is sincere and his smile is so bright it could light up the whole room without breaking a sweat. I stared deep in his eyes and he stared back, still smiling at me. He pulled me close to him and the next thing I knew is that I’m enveloped within his arms. I s my arms around his waist in return. I let my face press hardly on his chest and inhaled his scent once again. He smells like mint; the strong, cool and spicy smell of mint covers him fully and I wonder if his perfume is really like that or if it’s his natural scent that I’m sniffing.

 

                “Saranghae.” I whispered, not really minding if he heard me or not. I guess he did because he started my hair gently.

 

                “Nado.” He replied and it made me smile wider and snuggle closer to him. He showered kisses on my hair and I sighed in contentment. He let go of the hug and looked sweetly at me again. “Take a rest.” He said, pushing me inside the room towards the bed. I nodded in reply.

 

                I walked backwards until I hit the edge of the bed. I slowly lay there, not taking off my eyes from Ki-bum. When I was finally settled down on the bed, I saw him smile again, and then, as if being eaten by the darkness behind him, he disappeared slowly to it as the door close in front of him silently.

 

                I closed my eyes and wished that I wasn’t dreaming.

 

 

 

                When I opened my eyes, light flooded the room. I rubbed my eyes and glanced at the clock beside me. It says 9:23 a.m. Wow. I slept that long. I stretched my arms out as the memories from last night came back to me slowly. I smiled and wondered if it was a dream or not. Better ask Ki-bum then. I laughed at the thought.

 

                I threw my lower limbs out of the bed and stretched them as well. I yawned one last time when I noticed something’s missing from the bedside table. Cheon-sa is not there sitting peacefully. It was empty.

 

                Maybe Kyu-hyun took it with him.

 

                But he never did before. He never took Cheon-sa out of the dorm even once. Not even when we went to SME for the first time. He never even took Cheon-sa out of this room after he put it at the table. If he wants to play with it with me, it’ll always be here in this four-walled room.

 

                Maybe he’s mad at me for leaving him last night. Maybe he took Cheon-sa with him because he’s mad at me and he’ll torture Cheon-sa instead. I should’ve known. Who would be happy if you’re left behind anyway? I need to talk to him and tell him the progress of my relationship with Ki-bum. Then maybe he won’t be that mad anymore.

 

                I glanced at the table again and saw something lying there. It’s almost as white as the table that I didn’t notice it was there until I walked close to it. It’s a piece of paper. I opened it and gasped. I glanced at the calendar and saw the date.

 

                April 8.

 

 

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don't hate me... PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE...

 

^____^ i had the next chapter ready but i just want to hear from you guys first!!! ^____^ thanks thanks!

 

 

♦rhei_07♦