Eunsuh’s POV -- FLASHBACK

The night of my thirteenth birthday I went to Han Gang. With the puzzle piece strap grasped in the palm of my hand and a small paper boat on my other hand, I just closed my eyes to make my wish.

Just one wish. I don’t care if this is all made up but I just want one wish…

Please, I just want to hear him call my name, seven years from this day…

With that, I let the little boat go. I knew that he would not be able to see me off before I go to America. The thought of not being able to see him, talk to him, made my heart sink. He was already busy. And, it always seemed like I wasn’t even his priority nor placed second anymore. Instead, it seemed like I was placed at the bottom of his to-do list.

With that said, came the day I would leave for America. With the remaining time I had before my grandfather’s chauffeur would take me to the airport, I had spent my time at Han Gang.

Remembering my last wish, I held onto the lucky puzzle piece around my neck. I held another origami boat, debating whether or not to make another wish. One last last wish. However, I couldn’t think of any more wishes. I didn’t care for anything anymore. I just wanted to leave. Finally, I put the boat down on land. Instead of letting it flow with the current, I just put it down on a rock nearby the water. With one look back at the boat, I walked to the car with the chauffeur and we were off to the airport.

The following year, while in America, a new band debuted in 2007. FT Island. Interested in their music, as it sounded similar to the songs that Jonghun used to play, I looked up their information. Lee Hongki—main vocal/visuals. Oh Won Bin—secondary vocal/guitarist. Lee JaeJin—bass. Choi MinHwan—Drummer. Upon seeing the leader’s name, age, and picture, my heart skipped a beat. Choi JongHun—leader/lead guitarist. From then on, they were exceptional. He may not know it and even after what he has done and what I have done, I still supported them all the way. However, of course, before long, Won Bin left the group and Song SeungHyun entered.

Like I said before, FT Island was and still is exceptional to me. I knew he was going to be something great and he did become something great. Plus, after he became part of FT Island, watching him on TV and watching his concerts, I just knew that I had to let go. I didn’t want to deal with his fans and I couldn’t bother to deal with the massive attention that started from a childhood crush.

However, he was still special to me. I knew I had to let go. I knew that I couldn’t be with him. I knew that he was a celebrity and I was another person…aside from the fact that I live in a renown family. BUT, even though I knew all that, I just couldn’t let go. I held onto that dear puzzle piece as if it was the last thing we had together.

Now that’s gone…

When I said that FT Island was exceptional to me, it was true.

However, when I said FT Island was the last people on Earth I wanted to see, it also was true. Why?

I did not want to face him. FT Island JongHun. So why did I make that wish? That wish where he would call my name when I come back to Korea?

I guess…I was just hoping for the Jonghun from my childhood. The Jonghun who would always take care of me. Jonghun who would tease me but would be the one to wipe my tears when I cry. Jonghun who was my first love. I was just hoping HE could be the one to call my name…

End Flashback—

My heart skipped a beat as he approached closer. My wish…actually came true. I couldn’t move nor say anything. Everything played back in my head. Our childhood, my birthday, his recruit, drifting apart, and finally leaving. Now we’re back were we started…

“Choi Jonghun…” I whispered but I looked away. I couldn’t face him. When he had finally recognized me, I just couldn’t face him.

He slowly took another step forward and reached for my hand. I only took a step back. Not only was I in disbelief that my wish came true, I just didn’t want to face him. I was afraid.

“Eun Suh…?” He asked as he took another step in front of me and reached for my hand.

Tears started to overwhelm me. I tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let go. When I had finally met him, I suddenly had the urge to run again. Afraid of how things changed. Afraid of how he changed and how much I changed. I could feel him staring me down, but I couldn’t get myself to look into his eyes.

“Let’s go talk somewhere…we need to talk..” He stated as he was about to pull me away from the scene

Suddenly, Seunghyun interfered and held onto my wrist, in which was in JongHun’s grasp.

“I don’t know what’s going on or what went on between you two, but Hyung…she seems uncomfortable. You should let go.”

Jonghun glared at Seunghyun and it seemed to have taken Seunghyun by surprise as he took a step back.

“I’m just saying…she can’t even meet eyes with you…” Seunghyun mentioned as he looked towards my direction.

Jonghun focused his gaze back at me and back at Seunghyun. “Seunghyun, mind your own—“

“Don’t. Oppa. Stop.” I managed to utter with my eyes still on the ground. It took me a moment but I finally lifted my head to meet his eyes. “Seunghyun oppa hasn’t done anything. Just give me a minute.”

I dragged Seunghyun away from Jonghun, far enough so that he couldn’t eavesdrop. “I think you should go…thank you for today. It was amazing” I said with a smile as I tried to hide my fear of confronting what came next. 

Seunghyun looked over at Jonghun and back at me. “Oh okay…” He saw my discomfort and poked me on the cheek. “By the way, you called me oppa. Does that mean you forfeit?” He asked to lighten my mood

I managed to stutter, “Don’t even...it was just…well…he—“

There was a long pause as he was waiting for an answer and I was trying to come up with a good reason behind it. But with everything going on, my amazing brain could not think...

”AISHH! go home already! You're a PABO! GO AWAY! NO!”

I turned my head so that he wouldn’t see a smile curl on my lips. From the corner of my eye, I could see him stick his tongue out before he got serious again, which wiped off my hidden smile and got me to face him directly.

“I don’t know what went on between you two…or what your history with him is…but he’s here, right? He was the one you were waiting for, right? So…face him with confidence. Meanwhile I’ll be dead when I get home because he’s probably going to beat me up.” He joked at the end. I could tell that he was just trying to ease my discomforts.

I let out a small laugh and exhaled a large amount of air, when I was reminded that he was still there.

“It’ll be alright. Fighting!” He held up a fist in motion for the ‘Fighting’ and I smiled and followed along. He then ruffled through my hair and patted my back. He smiled one more time before he waved and turned his back towards me.

After I watched him leave, I walked back to Jonghun. I looked down, puffed my face while inhaling a lot of air and exhaling it back out. I could feel his stare boring into me.

“Hi…oppa…” I uttered as I looked up into his intense eyes.

He smiled reluctantly and said, “You really haven’t changed, Kim EunSuh. I recognized you from a mile away.”

“Oh please, oppa. You were too busy playing basketball the first time I saw you.” I tried to joke, but failed to hide my discomfort.

He let out a soft chuckle before he started, “And of course, you would be the one to refute everything I say to make myself look good.” This kind of made me freeze for a moment as he started hinting things that I did in the past. The eyes that were about to face him, decided to look up no further, and I was just staring at nothing in particular.

He noticed this and walked over to me, cupping my face in his hands, making me look at him. “Look, EunSuh…I’m sorry. I’m sorry for what happened back then. Please let me make it up to you…”

My heart skipped a beat at his words…but I knew it wouldn’t be this easy. I looked away from his gaze and let out a small laugh.

“If only it was that easy…oppa. You and I both know it’s not that easy to get back to what we once were…” I whispered…but loud enough so that he could hear.

He came from behind and embraced me, arms around my shoulder. Again, I felt my heart skip a beat. How much I missed this embrace. How much I missed him…I could feel tears welling up in my eyes but I refused to let them fall.

“Listen, we could make it work…I’m sorry. I’m really sorry for what happened but—“

I pulled away from his embrace and faced him, interrupting him.

“But what? Oppa…honestly, yes, I did leave for America for seven years…seven LONG years. I tried to call you, I tried to contact you. I tried to tell you. I even told myself. If you stopped me, if you, by chance, decided to call me, talk me out of this, I would reconsider going to America.”

I looked away for a moment, trying to contain myself. My voice started to shake as I was trying to hold back the tears.

“Couple months after you were recruited, you told me that YOU would contact me, so I waited. However, your calls became less and less. When we talk, you seem like you don’t want to talk to me. Yes, we were young, but oppa, did you think I would forget that? Not only that, when it was my birthday, I realized, your personal number changed. And after that, I never got anything from you. No calls, no letters, nothing.…”

All these memories started flooding back into me. I forced myself to look up at him, into his eyes.

“And, even when I was in America, my personal number never changed until last year. My e-mail still remains.  You NEVER decided to contact me. And what? But What?”

I couldn’t hold my tears any longer. One teardrop escaped my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. Luckily, it was raining. We were soaked as we weren’t even able to distinguish whether or not it was tears or rain.

“I understand, you were busy. But you didn’t have time to even e-mail me all this time?” I uttered softly.

He finally removed his gaze from me and bit his lips.

“I’m sorry. Maureen…EunSuh…I’m really sorry, but I could mend your heart. I could put the pieces of your heart back together, to create a whole” He said as he cupped my cheeks, making me look into his eyes.

“Seven years…oppa. Make that eight since we never talked for a whole year before. Eight years, and you haven’t changed either. You’re still very simple minded. Just like puzzle pieces? Like scattered pieces of a puzzle? If only a heart can be mended so easily…”

The puzzle piece…whether or not I had it, it was in my mind and I wish I had it. It really was a piece of my heart, that was now lost…

“Where is it?” He suddenly asked, catching me offguard.

“Where is what?” I asked, trying to sound uninterested.

“The puzzle piece. It was on your cellphone. Where is it now?” He asked again.

“I took it off. Now that I’m in Korea, I thought I would go for a change” I lied. I failed to look him in the eyes.

I heard him smirk as he reached for my hand. “You still fail at lying.” I felt something in my hand…the familiar shape and form. My eyes widened as he let go of my hand, to reveal my puzzle piece strap.

I couldn’t say anything. I was still in shock. How did it…get to him..?

“I guess you can call it coincidence” He started as he looked towards the river. Looking back at my shocked expression, he continued, “but I’d like to call it fate…that you are still clumsy and drop things here and there. Who knew it would end up with me, right?”

He walked back over to where I was and put his hands on both side of my shoulders, making me face him. “Your wish…did it come true?” He asked.

I turned my head and started, “It wasn’t anything silly like, ‘Please let me marry Jonghun Oppa’ so don’t get too excited.”

He smiled and bent down to meet my eyes. He held out my hand, and unfolded my fingers to reveal the puzzle piece. He then took out his own puzzle piece, and put the puzzle pieces together, making it whole. “If it came true, then it’s all that matters…”

He pulled me back into his arms, embracing me. I tried to pull back at first, but he held me tighter. My mind wanted to reject and refuse the situation at hand, but my heart had accepted it. It felt so right in his arms, I missed it so much. I continued hitting his chest with some force but he still held onto me tightly as I just dug my head into his chest, crying, He wouldn’t let go, and regardless of how hard I hit him, he remained still, filling the gap that he had left behind eight years ago...

Wow. I feel like this was pretty long.

Sorry if it wasn't that great. School started but I thought I would update something before I get busy.

Hope you guys enjoyed!

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