|018|

I believe a lot of things happened for reasons.

Like how little kids would learn to ride bicycles, and how they would fall down for uncountable times, and get themselves hurt in their own struggles; but afterwards, they would rose up and ride yet again. The wounds would heal in time – though very often, the scars are usually left there to be seen. However, I guess, the most agonizing ones are those of concealed scars. One that is hidden, and buried unsounded within a person’s lost soul.

But aren’t scars are meant to remind you of those lingering, spiteful memories? Scars are scars, but the significance behind it, is poles apart for every lives.

<<>> 

A week after Changsub decided to leave Korea, Bomi fell in sick. I couldn’t help but to feel extremely worried about her, particularly when she was all alone at her apartment. I made it a habit, to call her every night, before I went to bed, and I made it my responsibility to check on her through phone, every lunch time. Whether it was a habit, a responsibility or purely, because of her, herself; all I knew was the fact that I was concerned about her almost 24/7.

“Did you take your medicines?” I asked, with my right hand clipping the sheets of papers with a stapler in my hand (an errand that the senior, Kim Sunggyu had told me to do) and my phone was placed in between my right shoulder and ear.

She sneezed for a quick second, before she replied to my question, “I did. It tasted bitter, I almost puke,”

“No puking, alright.” I warned her. I was well aware of her disliking towards medicine.

“But it stucks in my throat!”

I chuckled slightly at her amusing remark, “Hey, remember the tips I’ve told you? If you feel like puking-”

“Go and grab some candy to eat,” She continued my words, with a mocking rhythm, causing me to giggle sheepishly alone in the office room. “You said that to me numerous times, Hoya-oppa. My ear hurts.”

“Yah-, it’s for your own goods, okay,” I said, as I clipped the last paper, and arranged it in a neat stack. I grabbed a hold of my phone, and swiveled the office chair facing the window across.

She then, became silent for a moment, and I let it be – as long as she was on the line, and as long as I could hear her soft breathing, things were just fine to me.

“Hoya-oppa?”

“Umm?”

“I miss Changsub-oppa,”

I missed my best friend too.

<<>> 

Things were doing a lot better in office these past few days. Though Sunggyu-senior, was still giving me errands, and I sometimes still found myself, bitterly complaining over it. However, I was determined to prove him wrong. Since I sort of gave him a bad impression about my impatient self, I wanted him to know that I was also serious about starting my architecture career – which explained why I had been succumbing to his ridiculous requests all these whiles.

He approached me one day, while I was typing an approval letter on his behalf. As a guy, my typing speed was pretty slow and what could I even do with these two index fingers, clumsily tapping on the keyboards.

“Howon,” He called my name, with both of his hands shoved into his pockets, standing beside me. I looked up to him, as I matched my eyes with his.

“Yes, senior?”

“You and Nicole would be following me to a house property tomorrow morning at nine,”

I widened my eyes in disbelief, blinking once, twice. “Really?”

“Yes, this is what you have always wanted, right?” He remarked, giving me a slight smirk. “Don’t be late, or you’ll miss your chance,”

I definitely, would not want to mess with this chance. Finally, finally.

<<>> 

That same day, I decided to pay a visit to Bomi. I’ve called her beforehand, informing her that I would be visiting her tonight – and childishly, she told me to bring her some snacks or else, she won’t let me entered her apartment and she would let me shiver, standing outside with the wafting cold breeze at night.

I did not wanted to be late, so I quickly put my scattering stuffs on the table into my bag pack, arranged the blunt pencils and pens back to the wooden stationary box; I bought from a night market. I rolled the white papers and tied it together with a rubber band; as I placed it at a rack, and crouched down to collect the crumpled balls of scribbled papers on the floor. Those typical messes I made when I was trying to sketch something.

“Hey, Lee Howon-” A voice channeled to my ear; I turned my back around and I saw Nicole.

I grinned, “Heard the news?” I asked her, as I crossed my arms together.

“I did,” She replied as she nodded, with a smile. “Should we celebrate it?”

“I would love too, but-”

“But?”

“I have to attend to a sick person, tonight. She kind of needs me,”

“So, that lucky sick person is a she?” She questioned, there was a slight change in her expression, I noticed. She shrugged her shoulders, “Well, there’s always next time for Nicole Jung, right?”

I only smiled in return, didn’t quite get what she was trying to imply. But that night, we walked out from the building together, and being a chivalrous person like I am, I walked her to a taxi nearby before I proceeded to my destination.

A destination to what my heart wanted.

<<>> 

I bought Bomi a bunch of snacks, including the chocolate snack bars, she liked the most. I even bought a large loaf of bread, and three bottles of fresh milks from the convenience store nearby, so she could have it as her breakfast. I gave her a surprise too. Well remember that take-away noodles that she liked because of its boxes? She shrieked and jumped in happiness when she saw those little boxes in the plastic, and when she asked how did I even remember about it? I would simply answer – it was because I cared.

We spent the night eating our dinner together, while sitting on the living room’s floor. We would talk and talk endlessly, about the most random topics ever. We switched on the television and although most of the times, we basically ignored the broadcasted shows, but when Mister was played on the television, Bomi quickly sprung up from her feet and went all excited about it. She then demonstrated me how to dance the famous, dance from KARA and I would just simply hug my knees together and laughed as I watched how cutely and clumsily she danced.

I did not know how many times had I laughed that hard because of her random jokes. When we got tired of biting and eating snacks, we tried to divert our attention towards the television, but somehow, none of the shows were amusing enough for both of our likings. So, Bomi came up with a game. Her little game called paper-rock-scissor and if we lost the battle, the loser would get a finger flick on their forehead as their punishment.

The first round, I put out a stone, and she put out a paper, which obviously meant that she won. And I, however, had to receive my punishment.

“Hey, I’m still older than you and you’re not allowed to flick your finger so hard, okay?” I warned her, as I put my fringes up, letting my forehead completely vulnerable. I heaved out a little sigh too.

“Ahh, oppa! Just be quiet and be a man, already!” She said, as she giggled.

I swore I could’ve seen a glimpse of mischievous grin on her lips, as she gritted her teeth, putting a force on the back of her middle finger.

Then, without even a warning, she flicked her finger – hard. It felt as if I had my forehead bang on a metal pole or something. I got a little lightheaded too, afterwards.

“Yah- Yoon Bomi!” I cried out, rubbing my forehead with my palm. “Okay, I get it! Let’s play another round!” I challenged her this time, mostly because I wanted revenge. That childhish side of me.

“You, petty oppa,” She remarked, but I only narrowed my eyes in return.

The next round, pettily, I won and I grinned impishly as I stretched my fingers out. I tried to practice flicking my fingers too, wanting to intimidate her, who was looking at me, with her pouting lips.

“Now, you get ready,” I said as I hold my finger flick, putting it a force, and tried to aim it perfectly on the middle of her forehead.

Like me, she put her fringes up with her hand too, as she closed her eyes, and gritted her teeth. I guess she was anticipating a hard hit on her forehead, since she continuously gritted her teeth together, and crinkled her nose.

I stared at her face and a smile graced my lips. How could I even possibly lay a single finger on this person in front of me?

So, I pinched her nose instead.

“I’m a gentleman, I won’t hit a girl,” I said, making up an excuse. I then shoved a biscuit into my mouth, hiding my restlessness.

She looked at me, with her eyebrow raised. But then she smiled, and the way her eye smiles together were very endearing. I couldn’t help but to smile too.

“Thank you,” She said.

“For not hurting your forehead?”

“For that,” She paused for a moment, darting her eyes elsewhere, clearing the lump in , “And for always accompanying me whenever I needed someone to talk to.”

I don't need a reason to be there for her, she was practically the only reason. 

my writing skills has been rusty these days :/ and i'm sorry for not updating that much anymore :(