Lee Hyukjae is taking a stroll in a park near his house. He's wearing blackglasses with headphones covering his ears shut, making him unable to hear anything outside the music that's blasting from his iPod.

He approaches a Belgian waffle shop and ordered a take-out. Then he walked off to his favorite spot in the park, a cherry tree, and sits under it, claiming the tree as his territory. As he munched on his waffle, a familiar figure appeared before his eyes. He isn't sure, but he remembers having the same butterflies in his stomach just by seeing her face. The only girl who can make him insane to his limits, and now she's walking towards him. Before losing his guts...

"Jung Jaeni?" Hyukjae finally said.

"Are you.... Could it be? Hyukjae oppa?" Jaeni said with an unsure tone in her voice.

"Yes, it's me," Hyukjae breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you remember."

"How can I forget?" Jaeni said. "I can't believe we met under this very same tree again."

 

flashback

"This cherry tree is my favorite spot in this park! How come could you be here?" a little girl raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"Well apparently, this is my favorite spot in this park too. I'm sorry, but this is my territory," a boy laughed at his own sentence.

The little girl slightly pouted, but then says, "Then let's just share this tree, just the two of us. What about that?"

"Okay then, but it's just the two of us. Pinky swear?" the boy held out his pinky finger.

"Pinky swear," the girl said as she unites her pinky with the boy's.

"I'm Lee Hyukjae," the boy said, puffing his chest. "What's your name?"

"Jaeni," the girl said sheepishly, "Jung Jaeni."

end of flashback

 

"How's life?"

"Okay, actually. I'm now working as a teacher in a dance studio."

"Whoa, daebak!" Jaeni grinned as she clapped her hands.

"What about you? What have you come to be?"

"I'm currently working as a magazine editor," Jaeni said proudly. "I have wanted to be one since a long time ago."

"That's pretty cool," Hyukjae said with a nod. "Why did you stop taking visits to this cherry tree?"

Jaeni hung her head low before saying, "I'm sorry, oppa. But now I'm here again, aren't I?"

"Well, you are. And that's just enough," Hyukjae hides a smile.

They talked and talked until they realized that the sun has set and it's getting dark. They decided that they should probably part ways and go home.

"Bye, oppa. It was really nice meeting you again," Jaeni said, smiling.

 

She's smiling

It's really been too long

I've missed that expression

 

"Oppa? I have to go home already, okay?" Jaeni waved her hands in front of Hyukjae's face.

"Uhh, yeah. Okay. See you some other time," Hyukjae said. In his mind, a million thoughts are racing.

 

Hyukjae couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about his meeting with Jaeni earlier. All of the memories wafted out of his mind just like that. He kept spacing off, remembering all the time he spent with her. But that night, he had a dream that frightened him.

 

She's walking away

Embracing another person

My chest's like it's being crushed under a heavy weight

I'm dreaming again, right?

It hurts to dream about things you don't want to happen

 

Hyukjae woke up in the middle of the night. It's 3 AM. Cold sweats were running down his body. He couldn't sleep for the rest of the night, so he stayed awake. And during that period of time, he managed to made up his mind and to muster up his courage to tell the only person he has ever loved the truth about his feelings, that he kept inside for long, for too long.

The next day, Hyukjae walked up to the same spot he walked up to yesterday. Crossing his fingers, he waited for someone to came by. The only person he wanted to be with, to own, to protect,

Jung Jaeni.

 

If I could only see you today too

If I could do it again

If that happened once again

If you come back again...

 

One and a half hour has passed. The park has gotten much less crowded and busier. And yet, Hyukjae is still sitting under the tree, patiently waiting.

"Hey, oppa!" a voice screamed from nowhere. "What are you doing?" the voice grew nearer.

Hyukjae turned around to face the owner of the voice. Relief washed over him.

"Have you waited for long? Sorry. I didn't know you would come again. I'm a little late than usual today because just now I still have some papers to deal with - "

Jaeni wasn't able to finish her sentence because now Hyukjae is embracing her in a hug. As Jaeni replied his hug, Hyukjae's hug tightened. It felt warm for both of them.

"Jaeni, I'm sorry. For not letting you know my true feelings from the start. But now I'm telling you, that I really like you sooooo much I couldn't express it with words."

Jaeni, who is unable to respond, freezes in her spot like a statue.

"Look. I know you must've been surprised. You shouldn't answer now. In fact, it's okay if you don't want to answer. I have said my feelings for you, and that's what's most important," he said. "But for this moment, would you just lay here with me? Accompany me here, for just today?"

Jaeni nodded and managed to smile.

Hyukjae smiles too. Now he knows that he has made the right decision.

 

I wish I would fall asleep forever like this

I wake up with her presence still

Although I hope I don't dream again

Like today, it seems I fall asleep in her presence

 

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed it! The words in Italic are taken from Super Junior's song In My Dream from their fourth album, Bonamana. Thanks for reading!