It was fall back then. It was fall when their love story started.

“Hey, isn’t that the girl who got dropped out from school?” Sunhwa whispered to Hyosung as her eyes pointed to a girl who was walking limply in front of them.

Hyosung examined the girl from behind. She was tall with black hair that ended on her mid back. She was bowing and not even daring to lift her head up. Hyosung was sure that Sunhwa’s whisper was loud enough for her to hear. Because it was Sunhwa!

When the girl had gone to her class and Hyosung and Sunhwa went to their classroom, she quickly faced Sunhwa.

“Why did she get kicked?” Hyosung asked curiously. It was very hard to not being curious over gossips you know.

“Seriously, Hyosung. You don’t know?! She was said to seduce her ‘boyfriend’.” Sunhwa replied with a smirk to her.

“What?” Hyosung asked as the smirk was too suspicious.

“How’s your relationship with Junjin?” Sunhwa asked again, with a secretive smile.

Hyosung threw her sight to the trees outside, thinking what she should answer the question with. Just when she was going to answer Sunhwa, her friend scooted closer to her before slowly whispered in a very low voice, which was unusual to be honest.

 “Have you and Junjin done ‘that’?” 

Hyosung choked as soon she heard that, her checks felt like it was burnt just by hearing the question. She giggled nervously as she shook her head.

“Silly! We love each other, we don’t have to do that to prove it!” She wasn’t sure either with what she was saying but she had to cover her embarrassment.

Sunhwa who was sitting in front of her only nodded her head as she didn’t say any more words. They only stared on each other for a while before the bell rang and announced their teacher’s coming.

***

“Are you going to a date with Junjin?” Sunhwa asked her as they both walked to the front gate of their school.

Hyosung nodded her head excitedly as her answer. “We’re going to watch movie!”

“You’re so lucky to date an employee of a well known company!” Sunhwa said excitedly, her hands squeezing Hyosung’s until Hyosung winced in pain because of the hard squeeze she gave to her.

When they reached the front gate, the two bid their farewell and parted. Hyosung’s heart was beating faster than usual as she saw her boyfriend was leaning on his car with a cigarette was between his index finger and middle finger.

He was a tall man with an upright body posture. His white skin looked paler than usual, maybe because it was cold. His eyes were small and yet, he squeezed which made them to be invisible. Hyosung’s eyes slowly fell to his lips and smiled as she saw that his lips were getting paler too. She knew she shouldn’t think of this, but his bottom lip was thick and it made her eager to kiss him.  

He was still wearing his working suit which made him becomes ier and cooler. Hyosung loved to see him like that, he was just that cool in front of her eyes. Maybe he looked like that because he was an employee from a well known company?

His head suddenly turned and their eyes met. Hyosung smiled happily as she ran to him. He gently and coolly stubbed out his cigarette. That pair of eyes welcomed her when she came closer to him, those eyes were just warm and comforting.

“Why you’re so noisy, Hyosung-ah?” His deep voice came out as she stood in front of him.

If she was a puppy, she was sure her tail would whip around excitedly. But she wasn’t, so she only jumped on her feet excitedly before he calmed her, with his eyes were looking around apologetically. Just then she realized that they were still on the street and people were crossing around them. Her immature acts had surely attracted attentions on them.

She smiled shyly to him but he only chuckled upon her act. He motioned her to get into the car which she obeyed obediently. When the engine , Hyosung immediately yelled their destination.

“Are you that excited?” He chuckled as he ruffled her hair. She only could giggle shyly.

“I’ve been anticipating this movie! And I know you too! I’ve been sending a lot of postcards to a magazine for these tickets!” She was still talking excitedly but failed to notice the sudden change of expression on his face.

The sudden silence that fell between them made her to notice what effect she had actually got from him. She bowed her head, cursing herself silently. Her minds were flooded with questions that made her to bow her head deeper.

Did he get mad? Did she do something that bad? Did he get uncomfortable by her behaviors?

Hyosung secretly took a peek of him who was driving. His face was stern, no emotions were shown on his face. That expression she wouldn’t ever forget. He was like that too when they met for the first time. They met through internet when they logged into a movies freaks forum. They soon thought that they both had so many similarities and he asked her to meet with him.

She agreed. When she met with him, she was awestruck. He was a very handsome man in her eyes. He was shining and it made her to like him more. He gently asked her to watch their favorite movie together and at the end of the day, they already exchanged their numbers. And at the end of the week, they were an official couple already.

They kept their relationship as a personal thing. At least, he asked her to do it. She didn’t really understand why but she complied on his request anyway. She would get into a lot of problems either if her relatives knew. And as far, he never touched her like kissing or hugging. They never held hands too. Maybe because she was still an underage?  

“Hyosung-ah, next week is your birthday isn’t it?” He asked from her side after the long silence.

She nodded. “October 13th is my birthday…” She mumbled.

***

“Woah! The line is so long!” Hyosung said as they lined up for the movie.

Junjin just chuckled again upon hearing his girlfriend’s immature words. He dragged her to buy some popcorn and two cans of coke for the two of them. Hyosung only obeyed.

When they entered the room and sat, she started wondering if he would hold her hand, like other normal couples would do. She wondered if he would do a skinship with her after their relationship went through not so much skinship.

When the movie began and Hyosung’s hand slowly slipped to grab her drink from the handhold, her fingers accidentally brushed his hand. It made her to become nervous. But when she was about to pull her hand, his hand grabbed hers and held it tight.

She blushed as she felt it. Their first time holding hands would last for two hours! (The movie premier’s duration was two hours for sure, which made her to feel sorry for not choosing the three hours ticket voucher)

No words were spoken from both of them as the movie ended. She felt a little bit sad because he wouldn’t hold her hand again. But he surprised her by kept holding her hand until they got into his car. Her heart was blossoming, like a flower.

***

“Sleep well tonight!” Junjin said before she closed the car’s door.

Hyosung smiled widely as she waved to him and entered her house. She was happy, just because of the simple thing of his touch, it made her very happy. She quickly changed her clothes and came to the living room where her parents were resting.

“Hyosung-ah!” Her mother suddenly said as she entered the living room. “I heard from Mi Youn that you came home with a man who is older than you? Are you alright?”

“Older than me? Ah! I think she was referring to my boyfriend. You don’t need to worry, mom! He’s a nice guy.” Hyosung replied happily to her mother.

Her mother’s face became pale and her father stopped reading the newspaper he was reading. He lifted up his face from the newspaper; his face was red with anger in all of sudden.

“What are you talking about?! Break up with him!” Her father yelled as he closed the newspaper in his hand rudely.

Hyosung was taken back from the yell but she dared herself to answer him. “No, dad! I won’t!”

“Hyosung-ah! He’s almost a decade older than you! What a 10 years older man looking in you?! You’re just a kid and you’re an underage! We don’t know what he would do to you! He’s just playing with you!” Her mother burst into anger as her daughter dared to answer and doubted her father.

“No, mom! Junjin will never do that to me! We love each other!” Hyosung yelled back.

“Go from this house if you insist to not breaking up with him! It’s so immoral to date with a man who is 10 years older than you when he knows that you’re an underage!” Her father yelled.

She did what she told. She ran out from her house, leaving her mother’s yells to comeback and his father’s anger behind. She ran and ran until she came to a crowded street. She shivered as the wind brushed her skin. Tears were flowing down from h