When summer rolls around, it’s only natural that Park Chanyeol asks Go Minah what she’ll be doing during that time. “I’m going to do an internship at a stock exchange and securities company. Amazingly, I get to get paid.”

 

“That’s awesome! I’m going to be a coach at a recreation center for sports.” He smiles, “Let’s hang out during the summer every once in a while.”

 

“Okay.” Minah nods in agreement.

 

The first time the two students meet during the summer is the second week after school ends. They go out to eat ice cream together and walk around a park, talking about anything that might come up. However, the next time they meet up, Minah makes a suggestion for once, “Can we visit the cemetery?”

 

After laying down some flowers for her parents, the two walk over to the tombstone Chanyeol had showed her before. Go Minah sets down three oranges and a white rose in front of it while Chanyeol places his own orange. Since the two are already there, Chanyeol invites Minah to visit the grave of his deceased grandparents whom he loved with all his heart. He tells her stories of the different games they would play with him or the different adventures he would take him on in the living room. Sometimes he’d become a pirate, others he would become a race car driver, or maybe a chef at a restaurant serving his favorite customers. They brought his world to life, and he had everything to be appreciative for.

 

Go Minah doesn’t tell Park Chanyeol her story. Not on that day. But some other day that summer, she finally does it. She opens up to someone. It’s the most amazing feeling in the world when Park Chanyeol knows that Go Minah trusts him with her heart breaking story of her parents’ death. How devastating it must have been for her to have to deal with it on her own. How lonely she must have been to have a guardian that was always overseas. How hard it must have been for her to pull herself together for all these years and become someone to make her parents proud even they never really would be able to congratulate her for her accomplishments.

 

That summer day, Go Minah cries. She cries in front of Park Chanyeol and lets him embrace her, and that’s the greatest trust she can ever give anyone. She’s given him the secret to her vulnerability. She’s given away her strength and secrets. She’s given him her. No one will ever have as much of her as Park Chanyeol has now.

 

When school starts again, there’s nothing Go Minah can focus on besides college. When schoolwork and studying is done with, all she can focus on is college applications and scholarships. Without parents to pay her way through college, she’ll have to do it herself.

 

Park Chanyeol finds himself immersing himself in his own studies even more than usual now that college exams are coming up. He doesn’t have too much to worry about, with so many extracurricular activities on his application, but he still focuses on his academics nonetheless. Park Chanyeol and Go Minah’s outings become less frequent with all the studying they do. Sometimes they still go to the library together, but Go Minah declines more often when Park Chanyeol invites her out to eat. They meet less in the hallways to talk about things other than school.

 

But one day, Go Minah spots Park Chanyeol in the hallway and runs up to jump into his arms to hug him, “I got a full ride scholarship for my college of choice.” She announces to him in a strained voice as to keep from screaming or crying.

 

But Park Chanyeol won’t allow for that, so he cheers for her! He carries her up and spins her around in elation, laughing in happiness with her. He has never felt so happy for someone else before. But seeing such a sincere smile on the face of someone who barely ever shows happiness, how else is he supposed to feel? Especially when Go Minah looks really nice when she smiles.

 

The two pull apart and Go Minah is still smiling, “I’m going to go thank the teachers who wrote recommendations for me.” She laughs before jogging away in a fit of a giggles. Park Chanyeol is left smiling himself as he watches her run off. Only when one of his friends claps a hand on his back does he realize that there are other people around, several of whom are giving him lingering gazes from what just happened.

 

“What was that, dude?” his friend Jongin asks.

 

“She got a scholarship for the college she wanted to go to.” He replies proudly with a big smile.

 

“You sure seem happy for her.”

 

“Why shouldn’t I be? She worked hard. I think she deserves it.”

 

“Eh, I would’ve been happier for myself than for other people.” Jongin shrugs, walking past him towards his homeroom. Chanyeol punches him in the arm before walking off as well.

 

Just then, he’s stopped by another person, “Chanyeol-ah.”

 

Turning around, he sees his best friend Baekhyun, “Hey dude.”

 

“What’s with you and Go Minah? I know you’re friends now, sorta, but that was way out of character for her.” He blinks, staring in the direction in which Go Minah had run off.

 

“Does someone have to have a certain character when she’s happy?” Chanyeol says, “She’s got a scholarship and an acceptance. Wouldn’t you be dancing too?” he laughs.

 

“Go Minah is dancing now?” Baekhyun asks incredulously, “Whatever, that’s not the point. But I can tell that you care about her. Which is why I think I should advise you not to look so close with her.”

 

“What? She’s my friend, why would I do that?”

 

“You got a lot of jealous girls hovering around you, bro.” Baekhyun says quietly in his ear, “Especially after you broke up with Lena.”

 

Yes, it was big news that Park Chanyeol had broken up with the gorgeous Choi Lena. Of course there were rumors that he would be going out with Go Minah next, but it never really happened, so lots of hopes were raised. But whenever he would hang around Minah, it wasn’t hard to tell that there were several envious glances thrown her way.

 

“It’s okay dude, I doubt that anyone would do anything drastic. Besides, what if I really liked Minah that way? That’d be kind of disrespectful to diss the person I like.” Chanyeol reasons.

 

“Whatever you think. She’s your friend.” Baekhyun puts his hands in the air.

 

That day after school, Chanyeol convinces Minah to go out for some food. They end up getting bubble tea together and walking around the city, talking about their futures. “The company I worked for this summer said that they’d keep a spot open for me if I ever decided to actually get a real job there one day. I’m going to intern there again this summer and learn some more about how the company works.”

 

“That’s awesome! Do you get paid well there?” Chanyeol asks.

 

“Absolutely.” She widens her eyes at the thought, “Some guys just out of college already get six figure salaries. Apparently, it’s not that uncommon. I could do that too.”

 

“But you’re going to finish school and earn your way to the highest position?” Chanyeol asks.

 

“Actually, I might just go through enough schooling that I need and give it up when I feel like I know enough if I have a stable position at that point. What’s the point of paying for so much schooling when I’ve learned everything I need to?”

 

“That’s true too.” Chanyeols nods with a slight pout, “Well I’m going to get my results from the other really good university I want to go to.”

 

“You said that the one you have right now gives you close to a full ride though.” Minah says.

 

“It does, but this other university has better curriculum and facilities. I still get a scholarship, but only for tuition. I’d only have to pay for books and living expenses.”

 

“But those are the most expensive things.” Minah argues.

 

“Well, sometimes you have to weigh things out.” Chanyeol shrugs.

 

“Either way, I hope for the best for you.”

 

“Thanks.” Chanyeol smiles, “That means a lot, actually.”

 

 

 

A week later, an article from Seoul National University’s school newspaper appears, revealing the essay that the most impressive application sent in.

 

 

Park Chanyeol, a senior at Bundang High School, submitted an impressive application compared to the rest submitted by his peers. What makes him stand out from all other applications is his essay? Compared with the grades and extracurricular activities, he shows a rather sensitive side to go with his intelligent and athletic one.

The student writes in a passionate tone of voice of his friend, who is a rather isolated and hard-shelled person, whom he befriended. His story traces to the beginning of their friendship, when all that was exchanged between the two were curt words and bows. Transitioning to their current relationship, he realizes he was able to bring someone out of her shell and earn her trust when she tells him of the painful story of her parents who died in the hands of drunk driver who happened to a close acquaintance of the family’s. The heartbreaking story is depicted beautifully by Park Chanyeol’s hand at writing in the essay he submitted to this year’s application prompt: What gives you a feeling of self-fulfillment and how do you plan on achieving it in your course of study in university?

His feelings can be conveyed clearly in his concluding sentences, “What makes me feel self-fulfilled is the instance in which someone you love truly gives herself to you. The amount of happiness that comes with trust can never be measured, but the size of the smile on my face reveals a lot when Go Minah smiles at me. My course of study in human psychology will allow me to bring about the same smile when I get others to smile along with me. The trust I see in a smile brings me nothing but a feeling of fulfillment.”

 

A copy of Park Chanyeol’s full essay may be found on the school website.

 

 

“Dude, as cheesy as that is, it’s really kind of sweet.” Baekhyun says when he folds up the newspaper. Copies of it had been distributed throughout the school to homerooms to showcase one of the school’s students being well recognized by the top university in South Korea.

 

“I’m going to stick with saying it’s cheesy.” Jongin says, putting the newspaper back on his desk.

 

“I went online and read the full essay, it was really nice. You really seem to like Go Minah, Chanyeol.” His friend Kyungsoo says, “You have some pretty good writing too.”

 

“Dude, I would marry you or something if you wrote about me so beautifully to impress a college. It’s like you want to show me off to the world.” Baekhyun says.

 

“Well, I don’t know about that, but I really d—“ Chanyeol is interrupted when the classroom door is swung open and Go Minah barges in.

 

No one can say anything before she grabs Park Chanyeol’s shirt and pulls him out of the room, making him trip behind her along the way. When the door is slammed closed again, Go Minah shoots daggers at Park Chanyeol as she holds up the newspaper, “What’s the meaning of this?” she demands.

 

There’s no hiding the pure anger in her voice, so Chanyeol is kind of scared at the moment, “Minah! Please don’t be angry!”

 

“How can I possibly NOT be angry when you totally gave away the biggest secret I’ve kept all my life?!” Minah almost screams. She’s never screamed at Chanyeol before, but she was getting close. “You totally gave me away! How could you allow this?!”

 

“I didn’t give you away and I didn’t allow for anything!” he tries to calm her down, “Please don’t—“

 

“I know how journalism works, Chanyeol! Your entire essay is up for everyone to see and I know for a fact that they’re not allowed to post that without the writer’s consent. Why in the hell did you let someone publish this?!”

 

“I just—Listen, Minah. They asked me a question and all I did was answer it. Can I really help it if I want to write about you?” Chanyeol asks.

 

“You don’t get it! This! What you wrote! That’s me. You gave them me. Although you make this sound like it’s your story, it still has mine in there! That story, that secret is my everything! I gave you everything, Park Chanyeol!” she throws the newspaper down onto the ground. Go Minah is starting to cry now. Park Chanyeol has only witnessed Go Minah cry once, and that was when she was recalling an emotionally scarring incident. If she’s crying like this now, he knows that he’s hit her hard.

 

“Minah! Listen to me. Don’t you know understand why I wrote something like that about you?” Chanyeol grabs her shoulders, “It’s because you’re something really special to me. I really like you. No one else makes me feel as fulfilled as you do when I see you happy, okay? Go Minah, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have let them publish it.”

 

“No, you shouldn’t have written about me in the first place!” she pushes Chanyeol away, “Do you have any idea how many pitying looks I’ve been getting? That’s the thing I’ve been trying to avoid the most in my life! It’s all gone now. My hard work… I don’t want to be pitied… I don’t want to…” she’s kneeling on the ground now, covering her face with her hands.

 

“Minah…” Chanyeol kneels down as well, rubbing her arms soothingly.

 

“I should never have told you that story. I shouldn’t have become your friend. I should have been more careful…” she sobs, shaking her head. A moment later, she pushes Chanyeol’s hands away and leaves.

 

Chanyeol should go after her. But if there’s anything he’s learned in becoming Minah’s friend, it’s that she needs her space. He shouldn’t push his limits. Park Chanyeol is still kneeling on the floor with his hands on his knees when he realizes that several of the students from his homeroom had been watching or listening from inside the classroom. This would be big news now… Go Minah is never going to forgive him.

 

When he reenters his classroom and sits down, his friend consoles him and pats him on the back. “This might be a really bad time to ask, but in this midst of all that drama, did you just confess to her?” Baekhyun asks curiously.

 

That’s right. Park Chanyeol had told Go Minah that he liked her. No, he told her that he really liked her. At the moment, he was letting himself go off a limb. But by the time the words had slipped off his tongue, he knew that they were true. But with the reaction she gave him, it seems that Go Minah couldn’t care less that he liked her. She cared that he had betrayed her trust. How could he have made such a mistake?

 

Park Chanyeol runs his hands through his hair and drags his hand down his face with a frustrated sigh. He looks to his friends and asks, “With what just happened, do you think she’ll ever forgive me?”

 

“I don’t see why not.” Baekhyun shrugs. “I mean, you only wrote good things about her.”

 

“Yeah, but she told him her secret in confidence.” Jongin points out, “Being as secretive and isolated as she is, I think being appreciative is the last thing on her mind.”

 

“Ugh…” Chanyeol groans away, “I ed up…”

 

“It’ll be okay.” Kyungsoo pats him on the shoulder.

 

But it didn’t become okay. Go Minah didn’t show up for school for the rest of the week. In fact, she didn’t show up for school for the rest of the month. The final college entrance exams were coming up soon. Although Go Minah had received an acceptance and scholarship, they were conditional in that she scored a minimum on the college entrance exam. Where was she?

 

One day, Park Chanyeol decides that it’s too much not knowing. He sneaks into the school office and finds Go Minah’s home address. However, when he arrives there and rings the bell, he’s greeted by someone who doesn’t seem to actually live in the house judging by his crisp suit. “Uhm, hello.” He greets the man.

 

“Who are you?” the man asks.

 

“Park Chanyeol,” he answers, regaining his composure, “I’m here to see Go Minah. I’m a classmate of hers.”

 

“A classmate?” he asks, “Do you happen to know of her whereabouts?”

 

“What? No, I don’t. She hasn’t been in school for a while… Is… Something going on?” he was afraid to ask, but he needed to know.

 

“Go Minah’s only living guardian has passed away on a plane crash. We came to inform her of the information a week ago, but the next day we came back, she wasn’t here. No one else resides in this home, so we have no way of contacting her. If you say that she hasn’t been attending school as well, then it seems that she’s disappeared.” The man explains.

 

“Oh my god…” Park Chanyeol’s world has just turned upside down.

 

 

~O~

 

 

“Chanyeol!” the barista calls Park Chanyeol’s name for his order. When the boy walks up to retrieve his drink, the barista confirms his order, “Black?”

 

“Thanks.” He smiles brightly, taking the paper cup in hand and leaving the coffee shop.

 

It’s 7:48 in the morning and Park Chanyeol is on his way to macroeconomics class. Morning classes are brutal, but the coffee should keep him awake through the next two hours. When he makes his way into the classroom just one minute before 8 ‘o clock, he seats himself near the middle back of the classroom. There’s no seating chart, but everyone tends to sit in the same seats anyway.

 

At 9:13am is when Park Chanyeol receives the call. He looks away from his half-filled page of notes and checks the caller ID. Normally, he would silence the vibrations on his phone and return the call later. But this time, he looks up at the professor and bows before walking out of the room with his phone in hand. Once the door is closed behind him, he brings the phone up to his ear, “Yes, hello?”

 

“Yes, is this Park Chanyeol?” the man on the other side asks.

 

“Yes, that’s me.”

 

“Are you the friend of a Miss Go Minah who disappeared five months ago?”

 

“Yes, I am.” Chanyeols heart jumps at the sound of her name after so long.

 

“Well, we seem to have found her.”

 

“You have?! Where?! Where is she? Can I come see her?”

 

“Well, you see, Mr. Chanyeol, we seem to have found her but we’re not entirely sure. So we’re wondering if you’d come to the investigation department office and try to talk to her.”

 

“Why? Is there something wrong with her?” Chanyeol inquires, trying to hide the worry in his voice.

 

“She’s telling us that she’s not Go Minah.”