June 16th, 2013

Not even a week had passed since their first meeting but Kim Joonmyun knew that he was already very much attracted to Seo Joohyun. He couldn’t explain how or why it happened, but one didn’t necessarily need reasons to like her anyway. She was beautiful, inside and out, and Joonmyun was sure he had never met anyone as perfect as her.

She was lovely and kindhearted. She was the kind of girl who wouldn’t hesitate to buy drinks for homeless people she randomly met in the street, or to comfort a crying little girl who lost her parents in the crowd, or to assist an elderly crossing the street. And the most important thing was that she was always sincere, a trait which Joonmyun believed had rarely found in most people nowadays.

Not to mention her bright brain. Oh, how he loved the times he had spent with her every day in the library, talking about many things from Korean history to current social issues. She was admirably knowledgeable and able to speak foreign languages—English, Chinese, Japanese, French—fluently. She would make a brilliant diplomat or even minister without any doubt.

Yet Joonmyun knew and understood fully why she didn’t become one.

“What kind of interesting book did you find today?”

He knew that Joohyun didn’t really like it when her reading got interrupted, but he just couldn’t help it this time since her face looked brighter and more excited than usual that day.

“This?” Joohyun showed him the cover of the book while smiling widely. “I accidentally found this novel on the shelf at the end of this hall. They surely hid it well. But I’m glad I found this book, it has a very interesting storyline!”

“Tell me more about it.” His body unconsciously leaned forward due to genuine interest.

And just as usual, those beautiful round eyes were instantly brighten up at his request. “Well, there was this boy who lived in a kingdom by the sea. Since childhood, he had been having this habit of sitting on the edge of the cliff, watching the raging waves beneath his feet—” she began to tell Joonmyun the contents of the novel eagerly.

Yes, Seo Joohyun was a great storyteller. She loved reading books so much and for her, library was like a heaven. She was also an amazing writer—she knew how to pour her tremendous imagination into engaging words and she was natural at that, almost as natural as how she breathes. It didn’t take too long for Joonmyun to know that her greatest dream was not to become a diplomat or business woman or lawyer, but to be an author.

Joonmyun was grateful that although they just became friends in such a short time, Joohyun was already comfortable enough to tell him about her dreams. She especially loved fantasy stories and she once told him, with eyes sparkling brightly, that one day she would write her own storybooks that will be read by all children in Korea. She laughed shyly afterwards, saying that it was kind of childish and just probably a wishful thinking.

But of course Joonmyun didn’t think that way. It was such a shame that she still doubted her own chance of becoming a successful author in the future while a stranger like him didn’t even have doubt about that.

“How did you do that?” he asked her some time later, when she had ended her narration about the book she was currently reading.

“Do what?”

“Make the book seems more interesting than it should.”

She blushed slightly. “Yah, I didn’t do anything.”

“But seriously. You are such a great storyteller, Joohyun,” Joonmyun smiled, and so did she. “And I’m sure you are a great writer as well.”

The smile on her face faded away a moment later. “But you’re the only one who thinks so.”

“You judge yourself too low and that’s not fair, Joohyun.”

“It’s not like that,” she bit her lips. “Actually, my family isn’t exactly supportive of my dream to become a storybook writer. Sure, they know how much I love reading and writing and they don’t prevented me from doing what I love, but … I know they wish me to be something more than just an author.”

“Like what?”

“Lawyer, diplomat, and although my father never said this openly, I know he wishes me to follow in his footsteps as a businessman.”

She said that in a calm voice yet Joonmyun knew that she actually felt troubled inside. With a very careful and gentle movement, he took her hand in his. Both of them flinched slightly at the sudden touch, yet—much to Joonmyun’s relief—she didn’t pull away. In fact, Joonmyun could almost feel her fingers grasping back at his hand gently.

Her hand was smaller than his and it felt so soft. So warm. And so perfectly fit in his.

“Joohyun, listen to me.” And she did.

“Being a lawyer, diplomat, or even businesswoman is not necessarily better than being an author like you’ve been dreaming of. Please don’t ever judge yourself or your dream lowly. You are perfect and you deserve a chance to pursue your dream.”

Joohyun didn’t immediately reply but her fingers grasping his hand tighter. It took a few more moments before she chuckled and broke into a wide smile. “How did you do that?”

Hearing the familiar question, he also chuckled. “Did what?”

“Make me feel better with your words.” And before he could answer, she quickly added, “And don’t you dare saying that you didn’t do anything.”

“Yah, you can steal my words but why I can’t?” he laughed. “Well, I was just stating the truth. I’m glad if it makes you feel better.”

Smile never left their faces throughout the rest of the day. And so did the warm feeling inside their hearts.

***

June 20th, 2013

“I’m sorry I’m late!”

Joonmyun looked up to the long haired girl who had just arrived at the park bench, clutching a pile of books and looking stunning as ever even when she was just wearing a light summer dress. She sounded a little out of breath, probably for rushing her way to the park where they had promised to meet that afternoon.

“Did you just run?” Joonmyun stood up and helped her carrying her books. “You didn’t have to. It’s not like we’re having a class here and you must arrive on time.”

“But I don’t want to keep you waiting for too long,” Joohyun pouted and sat beside him. “How is your study progressing? Should we have another question and answer session? Your test is only a few days away and I really, really want you to pass.”

She meant every word she said and Joonmyun could feel his heart warmed at her sincerity.

Right after graduating from college with outstanding grades, Joonmyun registered himself to take the national test to become a teacher. He made it through the first phase easily and at the end of this week he would take the written test which surely would be more difficult than the first phase. That was why he had been studying really hard for the past months and Joohyun was aware of that.

He then handed her his textbook and playfully threw her a smug smile. “Sure, let’s have another question and answer session. I’m sure I’ll be able to answer all of your questions correctly, anyway.”

Joohyun glared at him and laughed the same time. “What’s with the sudden cockiness, Kim Joonmyun? Very well, let’s do it. But I won’t go easy on you this time, you’d better be ready.”

“As you wish, Ma’am,” Joonmyun grinned.

After having almost an hour of question and answer session—in which Joonmyun managed to answer almost all of the questions correctly—they agreed to take a break for a while. Taking a break could mean Joonmyun listening to another story or book review from Joohyun, or both of them just having random conversation about anything. But that afternoon, they were just sitting quietly side by side and enjoying the comfortable warm weather together.

Joonmyun closed his eyes in contentment when the wind suddenly blew to their direction. Choosing the park as their meeting place that day was indeed a good decision. Summer was supposed to be spent more in outdoor than indoor.

“Joonmyun?”

He didn’t immediately answer nor did he open his eyes. The sound of her sweet voice calling his name was surprisingly addicting and he wanted to hear it again.

“Joonmyun?” she tried again while gently nudging his shoulder this time.

“Yes?” he replied, still with his eyes closed.

“Why do you want to be a teacher?”

He opened his eyes and thought for a moment before answering, “Because I’m brilliant and it won’t be fair to keep my brilliance to myself. I have to share it to my future students.”

“Yah! I’m serious!” Joohyun playfully hit his arm before laughing together with him.

“Well,” Joonmyun started to speak again after their laughter died down, “I don’t really have a particular reason. I just … want to, I guess.”

“But there must be something behind it,” she urged him.

Joonmyun fell silent to think about the answer. He had wanted to become a teacher since he couldn’t remember when—most probably since he was still in elementary school. But why did he want to become a teacher? He never really thought about it.

“My parents died in a car accident when I was eight,” he slowly started. “But I never felt lonely afterwards because I was surrounded by my relatives. They were always there for me. My grandparents who raised me, my uncle and his family … I didn’t lose my childhood thanks to all of them.”

He paused and a warm, familiar hand gently touched his hand. He looked to his side and saw Joohyun staring at him softly, encouraging him to continue his story.

Smiling back at her, Joonmyun went on.

“Halmeoni often told me about my deceased parents. Appa was a professor while Omma used to work as school teacher. Now that you asked me and I thought about it, maybe I’ve been wanting to follow in my parents’ footsteps all this time unconsciously.”

“I see,” Joohyun smiled, squeezing his hand warmly.

Another comfortable silence. Joohyun had removed her hand from his for the sake of propriety and Joonmyun couldn’t help but feeling lost at her warm touch. Why was he feeling like this?

“Joonmyun?” The sweet voice called him again.

“Yes?”

“When will the result of the tests be announced?”

“If I pass the written test, I just need to pass the last interview to become a teacher. And that will be on July 1st, I think.”

Joohyun’s eyes met his and he could see determination in those soft brown orbs. “I will be there,” she said firmly, as if making a promise with herself instead of him.

This time, it was his turn to reach for her hand before squeezing it tightly. He had been working hard in pursuing his dream, all this time, only for himself and his family. He had never guessed before that he would have a new reason to fulfill his dream even more.

She will be there. I have to make it.

***

July 1st, 2013

Without any doubt, Kim Joonmyun passed the written test brilliantly. And today, it was already late afternoon when he stepped out from the interview room. The interview was okay and all he had to do now was waiting for the result. They said they would contact him by phone no later than tomorrow morning to inform him whether he was accepted or not.

But that was not the main reason why his face looked grim.

He had not seen Joohyun for the past week and he couldn’t contact her either. She promised him she would be there yet she didn’t show up. It was unlike her to break a promise so he started to worry. Did something happen to her?

After waiting for an hour and she still didn’t come, he walked to a nearby park with a very gloomy mood. He needed to calm his mind first before going back home to his apartment and waiting for the result of the test—

“Joonmyun!”

His footsteps immediately stopped when he heard the familiar, long-awaited feminine voice coming from behind him.

“Joonmyun, wait!”

He turned around and saw Joohyun running towards him. Her long hair fluttered behind her and she was seen hugging something close to her chest.

“How—how was the interview?” she asked breathlessly when she had reached him. “Thank goodness I made it on time, even though I should have come earlier, I’m terribly sorry.”

Meanwhile, Joonmyun was still in a state of dumbfounded and disbelief at her sudden arrival. He was already almost convinced that she would never appear, that she might have forgotten about him, and yet she was here now.

“How was the interview? It went well, I hope.”

“Huh? I—yes, I think it went quite w-well.”

Her face beamed in an instant. “Really? I knew you would do well! When are they going to announce the result?”

“M-most likely tonight or maybe tomorrow morning.”

“Great! Let’s have dinner, then! My treat! Is Japanese food okay to you? I know a very nice restaurant and it’s not far from here. We can walk there.”

“S-sure, I’m okay with Japanese food.”

“Joonmyun?”

“Y-yes?”

She giggled, looking amused. “Are you okay? You look dazed.”

I am dazed. “W-well, I’m just … surprised to see you here,” he laughed awkwardly. “I mean, you’ve been missing for the past week. I thought … you would never come today.”

The pair of round eyes immediately widened. “What? How could you think like that? I promised you that I would come, right?”

“Y-yes, of course you did! It’s just—”

“It’s okay, I understand. I was at fault for missing without telling you,” she muttered. “I was … uhm, busy preparing something for the past week and I didn’t even have time to contact you. I’m sorry.”

Joonmyun caught her uneasily shifted the thing she had been carrying to her back and he instinctively knew that that was what she was talking about.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Nothing!” she quickly answered. A little bit too quick, in fact. “Come on, let’s go to the restaurant! It’s already dark and I’m—I’m starving.” And without waiting for his answer, she immediately walked before him, still trying to hide the mysterious thing in her hand.

Chuckling amusedly, Joonmyun followed him and decided not to ask her further for the time being.

But he had just walked a few steps when suddenly his cell phone rang from his pocket. He stopped to check it and an uncomfortable chill instantly crept all over his body when he realized who was calling.

“Is it from them?” Joohyun realized his sudden change of expression and immediately approached him.

Joonmyun just gave him a curt nod before picking up the call. “Hello? Yes, good evening, I’m Kim Joonmyun.”

It was actually a short phone call. It only lasted no more than three minutes yet it felt so long for Joohyun who waited anxiously in front of him, trying to figure out how the result of the test was only from his facial expression. The young man in question himself remained calm and his expression was quite unreadable. He said “yes” and “I understand” several times, but that was it.

And when he finally ended the phone call, Joohyun couldn’t help herself but to grab his arms and shook it slightly. “Well?”

He looked so tense and slightly pale. Joohyun was already assuming the worst when suddenly a grin of relief started to creep on his handsome face.

“I did it,” he breathed out.

The next second, he was completely stunned as Joohyun rushed forward and gave him a very tight hug.

“I knew you would make it, Joonmyun,” she sobbed softly into his shoulder.

“Yah, why are you crying?” Joonmyun pulled away and looked at her worriedly.

The girl laughed with tears still flowing on her chubby cheeks. “I’m just … so happy for you. Oh, Joonmyun, you’re already having your first step in achieving your dream! I’m so proud of you, I really am.”

His heart pounding loudly in his chest, yet it strangely sent a tingle of soothing warmth to his whole body – an incredible sensation he had never experienced before. It took a good five seconds before he cupped her cheeks with both hands, gently wiping the tears away with his thumbs.

“Thank you,” he told her, deeply touched by her sincerity.

“And now that you have passed the test, I shall give you my present,” a shy grin appeared on her face. She plunged her hand into her bag and pulled out the thing she had been trying to hide from him. Joonmyun recognized it as a thin notebook with leather cover, neatly sealed by a pink ribbon.

“What is this?” he took a better look at the notebook. It didn’t seem like a new notebook which had just bought from a store.

She fidgeted timidly as she replied, “I was busy making this over the last week, that’s why you couldn’t reach me. Thankfully I managed to finish it on time this morning, but then I had to look for a proper ribbon to wrap it before I gave it to you, that’s why I came late. I … want to give it to you as a gift for passing your test.”

“What? Then what if it turned out that I failed the test?”

“I have complete faith in you. Like I said, I knew you would pass.”

Joonmyun was lost for words. He then carefully pulled off the ribbon that wrapped the notebook and opened the first page.

And he held his breath when he realized what the content of the notebook was.

“The Mermaid’s Tears,” Joohyun’s face flushed and she never looked this timid before. “This is actually my first story. I started writing it on junior high school but I never managed to finish it. And now that I’ve finished it, I—I want you to have it.”

And when Joonmyun still had not said anything, she laughed nervously. “Hey, it’s okay if you don’t want it, don’t give me that scary face. I just thought … well, honestly I just had the idea to continue writing the story a few days ago. You know, when you encouraged me to pursue my dream to become an author. That’s why I thought I should give it to you as a gift. It’s nothing, I know, but—”

“Nothing?” he finally spoke. “Joohyun, do you realize that you just gave me your very first storybook? This is also a big step for you in achieving your dream! Of course it is something! God, I even can’t believe that you give this … this … precious treasure to me—”

Joohyun burst into laughter. “Precious treasure? Yah, don’t exaggerate. It’s my first story, so you better not expecting something awesome or amazing.”

But Joonmyun knew how precious the thing he was holding. And to say that he was touched by the gift was understatement. He was proud, he was thankful, and he was overwhelmed that he wanted to cry.

Yet he didn’t. Instead, he pressed the notebook to his chest, close to his heart. His voice slightly choked when he said, “Thank you, Seo Joohyun. This gift really means a lot to me, you have no idea how much. I will treasure this notebook forever. Thank you.”

Staring back at him with the same emotion and sincerity, the girl smiled. “Thank you to you too, Kim Joonmyun.”

A/N: yep, it's only the first part since I decided to divide the long one-shot into 3 or maybe 4 parts. I was honestly planning to make them kissing and getting together at the end of this part but then I changed my mind, LOL. will start writing the second part this weekend. for now please enjoy this part and please share your thoughts about it in the comments field, thank you :)