He was smiling again today. His headphones were tucked in his ears, and I watched as his head bobbed to the music he listened to. It made me wonder what kind of music makes him happy like that. Human beings are strange creatures, aren't they?

"Does that boy interest you?" I didn't respond to the Almighty, so he continued. "You've been watching over him ever since his accident ten years ago. You wish to continue to protect him, perhaps?"

"My Lord, why do humans function so differently from us?"

"Oh? You believe they are different from yourself? I believe there are very little differences."

"Ten years ago, he lost his father. But since then, he has been rather optimistic for one who has nothing," I then turned my eyes upon Him. "That is why I wish to watch over him."

He laughed heartily, "Is that so? If you'd like, you may be his guardian, young one. Although you have served me for many years, it does not change the fact that you have not aged past twenty-two. I am sure you'll make a fine sister figure for that child."

"Please my Lord, he is nineteen. He is no longer a child."

"Oh, but you continue to observe him as though he were one." He chuckled once again and gently patted my head as though I were but a small girl. "If you wish to understand, will you allow me to connect you to him?"

"Connect? Do you mean to tie my life to his?" 

"Yes. You will understand what he feels. You will hear his mind. In return, he will do the same. You will become one, and you will live as a human does."

"As a human." I returned my attention to the clouds that displayed his image and touched the waters to ripple his appearance, "Alright. I wish to connect with this boy, but for a short while only."

The soothing piano keys of SHINee's "Kiss Kiss Kiss" flowed into my ears from the playlist on my phone. It was a lazy day at school, and like always, I was on my own. I watched as couples sat together on the ground and bookworms transfer from place to place with stacks of books for a study day. And me? I was leaning against the wall with my hands tucked into my jean pockets and looking like a loner.

Thinking about it now, I wonder what it'd be like to have someone to want to protect. The lyrics were about confession, weren't they? Looking back at the happy couples scattered on campus, I almost wished I had someone to call my own. Ha, that sounded kind of possessive, huh? Then I remembered the girl who helped me ten years ago. She saved my life, but I never saw her again afterwards. I suppose she's the reason why I took self-defense lessons.

A sudden sharp pain pierced my head like a needle. Cupping the side of my head with one hand, I winced and slid down the wall, crouching. What the hell is this? It felt like someone was reaching into my chest and clutching my heart, yanking it out of my own body. My breathing became heavy, and I had to lean against the wall for support as one of my hands slammed onto the ground in an attempt to keep myself upright.

"Jinyoung ah?" A familiar voice called for me, and a hand rested on my shoulder. The pain in my head and chest all seemed to have washed away, and I only felt slightly dizzy.

"Ah, Inah?" I stood up with her help as well as the wall's.

"Are you okay? You looked like you were gonna pass out," she asked. Concern and worry were written on her face, but so was this infatuated look.

"Y-yeah. Just a bit dizzy. It's nothing." This is Kim Inah. We met in junior high where she first fell for me. She's never directly stated it, but it's been pretty obvious to just about everyone. She's dyed her hair like a strawberry blond because there's this rumor going around saying that I like girls with different colored hair like that. Inah also has this interesting knack with medical stuff. She told me once that she's been shooting to be a doctor of some sort.

"Are you sure? I'll take you to the nurse's office," she offered, smiling this time.

I shook my head and raised my hand, "No, it's okay. I'm okay. Thanks though, Inah."

Inah smiled as though she'd won the lottery, "Yeah, you're welcome."

There was this awkward silence between us, and I knew she felt it too because she was shuffling her feet nervously and looking away from me, "Uh, well, I'm gonna go first. So, see you later."

"Yeah. See you later, Jinyoung ah."

After going our separate ways, I made my way to the rooftop. It was a nice day today, and there was a breeze. Before reaching the stairs that led to the rooftop, I saw a few students in my grade picking on a girl of a lower class and sighed to myself.

"Yah," I let my headphones hang around my neck as I approached them. "Leave the kid alone."

"Eh? What was that, Jung Jinyoung?" Meet Lee Junghwan, better known as Sandeul, the 'boss' of the bullies around here. He always seems to have something to say or some trouble to cause that's unnecessary for everyone. He's always picking a fight with me, it seems like. "Got something to say or what? Buzz off, will ya?" His lackeys abandoned the girl and joined Sandeul in ganging up on me. 

"Leave the kid alone," I repeated, nodding to the girl. She took off afterwards. "Can't get your own girl, I see."

"What was that?" Sandeul closed the distance between us. He was so close I could almost feel his breathing. "Looking for a fight?"

"Not necessarily. I'm just saying, you should learn to keep your hands to yourself."

"You should stay out of other people's businesses!" For a split-second, I saw him step back to prepare a punch. By instinct, I stepped away and avoided his attack. "Why you...!" Sandeul attempted another punch, but I moved my head and grabbed him by his arm and flipped him over my shoulder.

"Yah, that's Jinyoung?"

"He's the one who's good at fighting!"

"Really? No wonder he beat hyung so easily!"

"Aish, shut up!" Sandeul yelled at his two followers. "He just got lucky. The ground was slippery."

"Keep telling yourself that," taking my leave, I waved over my shoulder and continued my journey to the roof. It sure is easy to get sidetracked.

Upon reaching my destination, I stop to take a deep breath. The air was so fresh, and the day itself seemed to be happy. With a satisfied smile, I leaned against the railing and looked over the whole campus. Good time for music.

Placing the headphones back into my ears, my thoughts were brought back to the girl from ten years ago. I could never seem to stop thinking about her. That night, she helped me, but she left before I could say anything or even see her face. I've been wanting to see that noona again to thank her. She's probably a nice ahjumma who owns a little cafe or something by now.

Changing my focus to the sidewalk just outside the campus, I continued to dream. What if she passed by at this moment? Ha, that'd be an ironic coincidence. My luck isn't good enough to make that happen.

"I'm here."

"What?" And then it happened. There was a girl who stood at the front gates. Same silhouette, same short hair... no, that can't be her. I watched her closely as she examined the campus. It seemed like she was looking for somebody. And then her eyes met with mine, and we held the eye contact for what seemed like forever. It was almost like the other students weren't even around and it was just us.

After a while, she broke the gaze we shared and continued on her way. Snapping out of my daze, I shook my head. Did I just imagine her? Was she really there? I probably mistook her for some random stranger. There's no way she could be the same as she was from ten years ago. But then again, I didn't properly see her face. Was it her?