A Wide Window
Once Bitten, Twice Shy
"Woohyun, I like you."
He ran his fingers through his fluffy hair, feeling bad for the blushing girl before him.
"D-did you hear what I said? I like you. Do...do you want to go out?" Down the hall, her friends strained to hear his response.
He sighed. "I'm flattered, especially that someone as special as you could like me." He flashed her a greasy smile that made her swoon. "But someone else has my heart." He shrugged. "I'm sorry?"
He turned away from the girl and made his way down the hall.
Dongwoo joined up with him. "Yah, Woohyun. First week of school isn't over yet, and you're already turning down the ladies?" He smiled widely and threw an arm over his dongsaeng. "Sunggyu said you like someone. Who is it? Who, who??"
"Aniyo," he said with a grin.
Just then, he looked down the hall, and he felt his heart jump. Walking towards them was the one girl that made his heart soar. The one girl that didn't seem to notice him, didn't seem to notice anyone really, but whom he knew intensely.
Yoona.
She watched her feet as she walked, her face ducked behind her thick-rimmed glasses and cascading hair. When she passed, time seemed to stop for Woohyun, and he found himself desperately wishing she would look up, just this once, and meet his eye.
"Yah," Dongwoo's voice brought him back from his reverie. "Who is it?! Tell me, tell me!!"
"Aniyo," he said again, weakly pulling himself together and continuing down the hall.
*******
Life was lonely for Yoona. She entered her classroom like a ghost, sat at her desk, and pretended to busy herself with doodling on her notebook. Around her, her classmates gathered to talk about new boy bands, the latest knit-hat trend, and the hot new guys that just enrolled, but she wasn't interested in any of it. Instead, she focused on maintaining her solitude.
Home life has always been difficult for her, and impacted the way she acted in school. As an orphan, she bounced from foster home to foster home, consistently tearing down and reconstructing her life at each new school. Whenever she made friends, she would have to switch schools again, and soon each of them lost contact with her. She quickly lost trust in relationships, and always felt so painfully, incredibly alone.
Worse, her newest foster home was run by aloof and absent parents. They were nice, but they never seemed to be there. Plus, they turned a blind eye to the two other foster kids who were already there when she moved in--twin girls who were a little older than her but who continually ganged up on her. As she unpacked, they watched and claimed dibs on her clothes and jewelry. When she resisted, they attacked her, clawing and scratching at her arms and face until she gave up. Then, they took off with their new clothes and left her to alone to weep and tend to her wounds.
She told herself that she just needed to float through school and home life. Eventually, she'll graduate, go to a good college, and get away from all of it. Someday.
"Uh... hey. Yoona! Wanna join us over here?" some girl offered cautiously.
"No," she replied curtly without looking up from her doodles. The girl frowned at her and turned away.
That's right, she thought. Everyone stay away. I don't need any of you. None of you would understand.
She didn't notice that behind her, a few desks away, a pair of eyes bore into the back of her head.
*******
When Woohyun got home, he stood still, listening for sound. Tennis practice was cancelled so he came home early, and to his delight, it seemed that no one else was home yet.
He raced to his room, threw down his backpack, and peeked through the blinds. His house sat atop a small hill, and from his window, he had a good view of the neighborhood below. He stared at the house just down the hill. There was a wide window with the blinds left open, letting him peer into a simple room with a white bed, flowery rug, and small desk. It seemed that no one was home.
Suddenly, he saw movement, and his heart skipped a beat. A girl entered the room, threw down her backpack, and flopped onto her bed. Woohyun held his breath as he watched. She lay still for a moment, rubbing one eye under her thick glasses, before she got back up and began to take off her school coat.
"Yah."
Woohyun jumped at the sound. At the doorway was his best friend and step-brother, Sunggyu.
"What are you looking at?"
"Nothing!" Woohyun scrambled for words. "J-just... admiring the view."
His hyung cocked an eyebrow and smiled broadly. "You're spying again aren't you. Is she home already?"
Woohyun gave a half-smile. "Yah. You said you wouldn't tell anyone that I like her. Dongwoo was pestering me about it today."
"I mean, you can't seriously like her, right? You haven't even talked to her before!" Sunggyu mussed his dongsaeng's hair playfully before sitting at his desk.
Woohyun scowled, fixing his hair. Then, he peeked once more at the girl in her room. She had changed into house clothes and sat, writing at her desk.
But someday, I will talk to you, he thought. Someday, Yoona.
---
Hello! Thanks for reading Chapter 1!
So, I was looking out my own window, and the house up the hill had its window open. I realized how they could see into my room, and it freaked me out a little. That night, I dreamed about it.
Unlike my other attempts at fanfic, this story is already all finished, so I'll update quickly! Please look forward to it :)
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