Summer 2013

Author's POV:

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock.

Tick-tock. 

That was all JaeEun could hear. She sat quietly in the back of the classroom tapping her pencil's end against the blank piece of paper that sat on her desk that should've been filled out half an hour ago. Today was the last day of school of their Junior year for Kwon JaeEun and her fellow classmates, yet they had one last assignment: to write what they liked the most about this school year. Honestly, there was nothing that JaeEun fancied this school year.

It was the same like all other school years: boring and stupid. Well, that's how she would describe it. She honestly couldn't care any less about next year either. Next year would be her senior year. She knew it would be the same. Nothing exciting would ever happen to Kwon JaeEun.

You would expect all of the students to be loud and rowdy on this wonderful day, but no. The teachers of her school were extremely strict. JaeEun's school wasn't all that like private schools; it was just a simple public high school. Nothing special.

Suddenly, a piece of paper scrawled onto her desk. She sealed her eyes shut, annoyed. She already knew who it was from. JaeEun decided to ignore the piece of paper, that laid there, waiting to be unfolded. The person who wrote it watched the girl sleep from behind. *Aish,* the person thought. *Stubborn girl.* The anonymous person sighed in disappointment. The secret messenger picked up his pencil from his paper, and tapped JaeEun's shoulder once. No reaction.

The person tapped her shoulder again, and again, and again, until JaeEun couldn't stand it anymore and whipped her head around to see the 'annoying' boy.

"Stop it, JongIn," she hissed quietly so no one could hear her. She faced forwards again and plopped her head back onto the desk. Kai smirked at her. At least he got her attention, is all he could think about now. Again, he tapped her shoulder until she whirled around in her chair to meet the tanned boy with plump, thick lips she's known all of her life. "What.do.you.want?" she whispered, emphasizing every word that came out of . Kai just chuckled softly before pointing at the note that sat on JaeEun's desk with his pencil.

JaeEun narrowed her eyes at him, like she wanted to attack him, but she reluctantly picked up the note he sent her and unfolded it. She muttered a few curses before reading it. Kai heard her and couldn't giggle at her childish ways.

It read: Dad said you have another order to do at work.

She widened her eyes at the note. She faced him again with a confused, yet shocked, face. He just closed his eyes and nodded happily. He knew how much she wanted this.

JaeEun worked at a photo shop that Kai's parents had owned. She worked as a photographer along with Kai. It was very well known throughout all Seoul, but she didn't expect to get another job since Kai and her weren't the only employees there. Other professional workers that were known world-wide also worked there. JaeEun wasn't as skilled as them, but it was her dream; her only passion. She loved taking pictures of everything, but most of all, she loved taking pictures of dark-themed scenarios. Kai was a pro at taking pictures of human figures.

JaeEun has only had 12 orders in her life, and she's been working there since the age of 14. Well, it kind of makes sense. I mean, you wouldn't  want to spend your money on a normal 14-year-old girl's pictures right? As for Kai, he's gets at least 3 orders a day non-stop. A lot of people in all Seoul loved his work.. They were amazed  when they learned he was only a 17-year-old boy that still goes to school. Kai as well started at the age of 14.

A smile crept on JaeEun's face. Today just got better for Kwon JaeEun. Kai loved that smile; the one she rarely ever shows to the world. JaeEun squirmed in her seat. Now she couldn't wait for class to end. It was already 3:56 p.m. which meant only 4 more minutes until school ends. Kai smiled at her as she focused only on the small note. *You wouldn't believe who ordered from us,* he thought.

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Kai and JaeEun caught the public bus home once school ended. They sat next to each other, like always. Other students who were from their school and on the same bus, made the bus a rowdy ride. It was the last day of school. Who could blame them? Especially since there were no teachers monitoring them. 

"So, how was your day?" Kai asked JaeEun with a friendly smile. JaeEun slowly faced him, with a frown.

"It was boring and terrible," she started. She looked at him with dead eyes. Kai's smile slowly faded away into a frown like hers. He hated it whenever JaeEun had a terrible time. She was like this all of the time; cold and silent. Kai really did care about her, like a sister however. He loved her, but with no strings attached. She too, only found Kai to be the older brother she never had. Sometimes, Kai just wished he had the power to change that frown upside-down.

"But you changed it," she smiled. Kai's eyes widened. *What is she saying?* he thought in surprise. Never in his life did he think she would ever say that. He thought she was confessing in a way, but he couldn't hide that huge grin he was displaying right now. "When you gave me the note," she explained. Kai's smile, again, turned into a frown. He actually got excited when he thought she was confessing. 

Kai straightened up, and nodded with a fake smile. He realized him, alone, could never make the Kwon JaeEun smile with pleasure. She giggled in excitement. She couldn't wait to start her job today. Not for the money, but for the thought of someone actually wanted to spend their money on her. 

"That's good," Kai sighed. JaeEun couldn't hear the sarcasm in his voice. Her focus was only on the bus ride home. Suddenly, Kai turned face forward to JaeEun. "JaeEun," he spoke softly. She turned to him as well.

"Hm?" she hummed curiously. Kai narrowed his eyes at her hand folded on her lap, trying to avoid eye contact.

"You do know where you're ordered to take pictures at, right?" Kai obviously knew that she didn't, since he didn't tell her yet. JaeEun shook her head in response. Kai sighed. "You know where Meadow Lane is, don't you?" he asked. That place was scary as hell to everyone, including Kai. That's why he didn't want to look at her because he assumed she would turn down the job once she heard the name of that place, but all she did was simply nod. Kai looked up to meet her eyes, confused with one eyebrow raised.

"What?" she asked him, unsure why he was staring at her like that. Kai readjusted himself in his seat like a little boy who was about to open a Christmas present. 

"You sure?" he asked tilting his head, still unsure if JaeEun knew what he was talking about. She nodded in annoyance again. She clearly knew where Meadow Lane was located at. "You know, that haunted place?"

"It's not haunted, JongIn," she spoke wisely. Once she realized what Kai was talking about, she felt annoyed. Everyone would always tell that 'scary' story about Meadow Lane, but she was told by her uncle to ignore it and not to believe it. Oh yes, JaeEun lives with her aunt and uncle. Her parents, well, she's never met them before. Her aunt told her that her mother and father died in a car crash while she was staying over at their house for  play-date with their next door neighbor's son, who was her age. So, till this day, she has been living her mother's sister and her husband.

"Oh my gosh, yes it is!" Kai shouted, a little too loud because some of their fellow classmates stared at him with weirded-out faces. He flailed his arms as he told her. JaeEun smacked at her neighbor's head (A/N: Yes, Kai was that little boy she was having a play-date with.)

"Be quiet!" she whispered to him loudly. Sometimes, Kai felt like JaeEun was his mother instead of his best friend. "And no, it is not," she confirmed.

"Haven't you ever heard of that guy who died there, like, freaking 30 years ago!?!" he whispered loudly with a scrunched up face in annoyance.