ATTENTION. | cozof2pm || idkwhatimdoin || Woo_Infinite_Hyun || akai-ringo |

YOU ARE ALL AMAZING BRILLIANT FABULOUS READERS. HERE, HAVE SOME WAFFLE ICE CREAM. AY/KHUNTORIAFOREVER LOBES YOU ♥♥

The rest of you... probably have no idea what I'm talking about... SO BE ASHAMED AND GO BACK A CHAPTER, SEE IF YOU CAN GATHER WHY THESE PEOPLE ARE SO DARN AWESOME. LEMME KNOW WHAT YOU FIND, IF YOU EVEN FIND IT :P

Okay, I'm done. Seriously cozof2pm, idkwhatimdoin, Woo_Infinite_Hyun and akai-ringo... you guys are great. We should hang out...  start a club... A waffle club... (IDK I HAVEN'T SLEPT MUCH OK, BUT FO REALZ LOTS OF LOVE ♥♥)

Ahem... any way.... CUE THE CHAPTER.

Seohyun's POV

I sit alone on the bench, a nice spot I found for quiet below a willow tree where hardly any one comes... well I can't see anyone any way. It's further out from the school than the other parts of the grounds, and only has one bench, so it's not a very popular hangout for groups.

I have never gotten used to the beauty of the school grounds, with the maintained gardens and wide spaces, plus lots and lots of secluded areas where you can go to think, study, hang out. It's rare that once you found an area like this, and leave to get back to gardens, you'll really visit again, cause there are just so many places like this... it's nice.

How lucky that I ever came to this school

Realising I've been lost in my thoughts, I turn the page again. I'm reading a book I found in the school library surrounding a high school romance by an author I've read a lot from. Or trying to.

It's quiet, peaceful... empty. And I'm happy... But I'm not. I'm waiting for something.

I frown as I shake my head, wondering what is happening to me recently. I can't really focus, and it's a little strange. I inhale and exhale, trying to get back to reading. But it doesn't work.

Strange.... where was I?

Blinking, I got back to my book, only to blink in confusion.

Wait...

I don't recognise the part I'm up to. Shaking my head, I go back a sentence. And another. And another.

When did I read this?

I skip back, scanning the pages for anything vaguely familiar. I've moved at least eight pages backwards before I catch a familiar sentence. Frowning, I realise this is where I had left off the last time I was reading.. and the pages I don't remember are the ones I've supposedly just read.

So this whole time I wasn't taking in any of it?

... Oh well.

Shrugging, I turn back to re-read the last few pages.

It takes me a while to absorb each sentence, weird to say the least, but I'm finally settling down into reading... and as if on cue...

"Friends ditch you again?" I hear a voice by my ear.

I jump slightly though I'm not really surprised. I hold a finger up, signalling for him to wait.

Finishing my sentence on the page, I furrow my brow as I ingest his sentence.

"No!" I shake my head indignantly, glancing at him whilst he just raises an eye brow.

He stares at me, with a strange look. I shift, staring back at him, but a defence kinda crumbles any way. I frown.

"... you?"

"Yeaaap," he nods with a grin, noting a secret admittance.

Huh? Did I admit my friends are ditching me?

"It's not that they're ditching us," I reason, looking down to my book again. "Unnie's are all busy. Even Jieun. We still talk every night and see each other."

"Yeahh, and hyungs are busy-"

"With my unnies and dongsaeng," I turn the page.

"So basically, we're the only ones who aren't busy," he deadpans.

"Yes. Yes we are."

"How is that-"

"Unnie and dongsaengs have other stuff as well. They're showcase for a start. We don't have to worry as much. In fact Taecyeon-ssi doesn't either."

"Yeah, he would be loners with us-"

"It it wasn't for Yoonah unnie," I giggle.

"Aisshhh."

Silence.

My eyes flicker to the next page, and I vaguely see in my peripheral vision, someone sitting down beside me. Two minutes of silence pass, but I can't manage to focus back on the story. Something has changed and suddenly all my senses are heightened. I can hear him breathing beside me, I'm paying more attention to the movement of his shoulders in the corner of my eye as he does so, than the contents of the book I'm reading. I can even feel the heat from his presence beside me. My frown deepens, as I wonder why this happens. This happens quite a lot. I realised it one day after we were hanging out, when both of our friends were busy, which seems to be everyday nowadays. But whenever I see him at first, I feel weird. It's been like this for a few weeks. I find myself timing my heartbeat, and deciding whether or not I'm abnormally warm. Maybe I'm ill?

But then why would I feel so much more refreshed?

My thoughts are just collecting enough to put together a reasonable answer, when a hand reaches forward anddddd...

SNAP.

... Snaps my book shut.

"Omo, wae?!" I ask feeling a weird surge go through me when I look at him at last, which replaces anything else I might've been feeling.

It was weird when it first happened. Unnie said it's cause he manages to annoy me, despite the fact I don't get annoyed much. I guess that's true. This 'giant kid knows how to push my buttons' apparently and this weird feeling I have when I see him is a form of irritation.

Well, that's what Chaerin unnie said anyway. I'm not so sure. If it's irritation it should feel negative, right? It doesn't feel negative... it just feels kinda... intense?

Chansung pulls the book out of my hand quickly, yanking my thoughts away with it.

"Wae?" I repeat, glancing up to him.

"Noona, you haven't looked at me for more than five seconds since I came."

"I was reading," I insist, looking back up to him.

I guess we really are friends now, since we are together a lot. I don't mind his company at first, but he seems to get more and more annoying each time.

And calling me noona isn't okay, but it seems to have no effect on Chansung when I tell him so. I think I know why even Qian dislikes it, from people about our age any way. Boys in class, or even a year younger than us, that have tried to court her in the past. It makes me feel old and burdened. Obviously, she doesn't mind her little cousins saying it, and anyone she has a platonic relationship with... so half the school then, being the 'School Unnie' she is.

... And she apparently doesn't mind 'Unnie' either.

"Annddd I was talking," he emphasises.

"And?" I ask. 

He stares at me, blinking... Dopey. Yes, that's Chansung. Dopey.

I stare at him blankly until his expression changes... he grins, goofily.

Dopey and goofy. Just the perfect words for Hwang Chansung...

Since when do I know his family name?

Shaking away the thought I go back to staring at him, but he's now examining my book.  Deciding he's not gonna answer me, I just stare at him, as his eyes dart around the back of the cover as I guess he reads the blurb quickly, his expression souring. He opens the book, flicking through it quickly and carefully, like he's actually conscience of what to do with a book, even familiar with it.

Which I doubt.

I've always loved reading, and I go through loads of books a week, largely the same genre, although sometimes it relates to a studying purpose or some kind of self improvement books, but mostly I stick to love stories. Fate, destiny, soul-mates... true love...

Stories are as close as I've come so far.

Shaking my head again, I stare at Chansung, whose expression quickly shifts to one of disgust, as he holds the book out in front of him, handling it like it's some kind of diseased pigeon.

"What kind of... stuff are you reading," he squints at me.

I just stare at him. "It's a love story about two childhood friends."

"Exactly."

I still just stare at him. Unnies tell me that my staring unnerves people, staring at them so openly, my emotions blunt. I don't see it.

But whatever they're talking about,it doesn't seem to work on Chansung.

"It's a love story," he screws up his nose. "Yuck."

How immature.

"Why would you want to read this?"

I stare at him again. In fact, I haven't stopped since he stole my book. But my eyes widen. 

"You wouldn't understand," my expression sets, which makes me frown deeper as I feel the sour expression on my face that I can suddenly name as a scowl.

Chansung, do you introduce these feelings of increased irritation to everyone you meet?

"Seriously?" he asks, squinting. "Fairy tale romance? It doesn't happen like this in real life, you know that right?"

"That's your opinion," I blink.

"No," he shakes his head. "Your opinion is just what sets people up for unhappiness."

I stop at his words as I see him changing his direction.

"Teenagers are just easily convinced."

I continue staring at him, squinting as it hits me why I stopped to listen. More than just his strange opinion. He's different. Talking about something, and he actually has an in depth opinion on it, I can tell. And that's weird.

Who would've thought he even spared a thought to the affects that books cause on the teenage mind-set? Not me. But now that he apparently has an opinion, his eyes are sharper, his expression strong, which is weird since he usually seems indifferent no matter what; just in his own bubbly world. 

Plus he's behaving like a guy.

"Some people believe in things such as soul mates." I insist, realising he's waiting for a riposte.

I want to see more of whatever side this is.

"Soul mates," his eyes sharpen. "Soul mates how?"

I furrow my brow. He has to know about that.

"Two people who are meant to be together, tied with the red string, who are perfect for each other in every way. A prince charming for a Cinderella."

He snorts, and my eyes widen as I see his behaviour change abruptly. He's gone from oblivious to opinionated.

"Prince Charming and his princess? Surely that's just a load of speel made up to play at the insecurities of teenagers, ensure no one is ever happy with what they have. Have everyone have the perfect ideal of what a relationship should be, and be unsatisfied if they get anything less, not even less just anything different. Create a mainstream idea of what love should be, rather than what it is. Whose to say Prince Charming an Cinderella are what every couple in love should be? Whose to say it isn't just an unrealistic load of crap?"

My eyes widen far more, and I just stare at him gob-smacked, my exploration of his new side long abandoned.

Unrealistic?  Crap?

Cinderella has her prince charming. Every girl will find someone just like that, to be perfect together, be in love at first sight... right? That's what I've believed since I first heard the stories, fairy tales I've heard since childhood, old sayings about fate. It was just a matter of waiting...

How can he saw that's not true?

"We all have someone who is perfect for us, we just have to wait for fate to arrive," I insist, frowning as I go over his words again and again. "If that's not true then what is there out there?"

"Not any of this crap for sure," he frowns, his eyes on my book again.

"It is," I shake my head, not liking this, not at all. "H-how can it not be? What else could it be? How do we recognise it?"

He seems to have knocked my world out of balance. How can he tell me everything I know isn't so?

Who is he to even say that? He doesn't know any more than I do.

Right?

I'm suddenly snapped out of my thoughts, as I see Chansung grimace one final time at the book, before throwing it somewhere behind him, causing it to make a soft thud when it hits the ground. I see it land far in the distance, due to the force he threw it with, before it tumbles down the small hill and disappears from sight. I watch it vanish in horror.

That's the final straw.

"YAH!" I yell, jumping to my feet, causing Chansung to turn abruptly at my scream. "Don't do that! Don't you know it's wrong to disrespect other peoples beliefs?! Even if you don't feel the same way, even if your world is entirely different. It doesn't mean you can come along and knock everything out of balance, completely disregarding principles that they believing, make them question their hope! Who are you to say there is nothing for me?!"

My pulse thuds in my ears, as I stare at Chansung indignantly, my limbs just a little too stiffly locked, as I stare at him with fire.

But as I stare at him, it begins to extinguish, as I go over the scene in my head, my calm slowly coming back. I stare at the boy in front of me. Chansung still stares at me in shock, as my hand lifts to my mouth, covering it slowly, as my eyes widen in shock and I wonder whether that spew of fast paced and loud words just came from me.

Wow.

I just screamed. Loudly. A whole bunch of things... that I still standby, I find. Still, when did this feeling get enough to make me do that?

What was that?

 I blink repeatedly as the sudden hurricane of annoyance rushes over me one final time, before leaving abruptly.

I keep my eyes locked on Chansung, but he hasn't moved a centre metre.

Omo.

I straighten up, uncurling my fingers, relaxing gradually. My eyes flicker back to him.

"Jwesonghamnida," I bow, before walking quickly past him still a little alarmed, going to collect my book quickly. 

I can feel Chansung following me with his eyes.

Quickly moving out of his line of sight, I shake my head as I move further from him, wondering what that sudden burst of... whatever was.  I make my way down the small burrow or whatever it tumbled down, finding it finally way out of the way of the bench. I pause in front of it, as it lies cover up on the grass. I take a few deep breaths, closing my eyes momentarily to try and put out the remaining weirdness. Opening my eyes again, I bend to retrieve my book, but stop as I see the empty grass below me. Frowning, I blink at the grass, before looking around myself in puzzlement.

It was here, right...?

 I scratch my head, looking all around me again. Confused, I glance up from my crouched position, only to be met by a waiting figure in front of me. Chansung stands above me, his hand extended towards me with a serious look on his face. I glance back to the direction in which the bench is located, where he should be, then to the grass where my book should be and finally back to him, standing where he shouldn't be. I stare at his expression, as it catches my attention for some reason.

"Seohyun," he calls, indicating to his waiting hand. 

After a second more of trying to work out why he looked different all of a sudden, I just shrug it off and take his hand like I guess I'm supposed to do. He pulls me up easily, but doesn't let go of my hand. I look at his hand, disregarding it, before looking back to him for an explanation.

"Mianhae," he says seriously as he squeezes my hand, passing my book to me with his other hand. "You're right. Just because I say something, doesn't mean I'm any more informed than you. It's just an opinion... I didn't realise it was so important to you."

I stare at him, noticing his sudden drop in formalities and mood, despite him already calling me Noona from the start. I find myself blinking wordlessly simply because I am thoughtless right now. Here's another thing I've realised. These strange symptoms of mine seem increase the closer together we are. As I feel a pressure on my hand again, I realise he's waiting for me to reply.

"It's okay," I shake my head, sincerely. "It's just a little scary from your point of you..."

He raises an eyebrow willing me to expand, something that wouldn't usually be worth the while with Chansung. Yet,  I suddenly find myself forgetting the immature guy who usually hangs around me. This definitely can't be him.

"I just..." I inhale, looking back up to him again, my brow furrowed. "So, you don't believe there are such things as one person out there for you? That everyone has a soul mate? How can you find a purpose, what do you look forward to if things like that don't exist?"

I find myself wanting to understand his opinion, rather than just completely reject it. He must see this, because he moves a step closer to me, staring straight into my eyes.

"I didn't say that," he shakes his head softly. "I don't mean that there's no one out there for you. I'm just saying that you need to open your mind. Sure there is such a thing as powerful as they go on about in books, love, just look around you. Look at your unnies, my hyungs, even your dongsaeng. But no one is exactly the same, it can't always be the so-called ideal situation. I'm saying you shouldn't sit around waiting for prince charming to sweep you off your feet, cause you will be waiting a very long time."

My expression changes as he speaks.

"So... it doesn't happen?" 

"Maybe it does," he shrugs. "But looking out for your pre-programmed idea of love, could make you blind to the real thing when it's standing right in front of you. Don't reject what you feel just because the person you feel it for isn't dressed in a tuxedo, holding out a rose to you or asking you for the first dance, but instead rocks up in his Mc Donald's uniform and spills ketchup all over you after messing up your order."

I giggle at his analogy, looking down and his smile broadens.

"Think about how much more special it is, to be out of the cliché," he grins.

I nod slowly, realising that no, I'm not just humouring him as I usually do. What he's saying... makes a lot of sense.

"And I for one don't want you to be distracted, looking for your knight in shining arm