SIWON'S POV

I remember the first time I heard the news.

It seems to have been years ago, when in fact it has only been a couple of months.

Rumours were buzzing around the neighbourhood that a girl moved into this area. What was more surprising were the facts that people said that the supposed girl was actually young AND pretty. Honestly, any news in regards to someone young moving into this bore fest of an area is front page news.

You see, I’m surrounded by the older generation. The types which carry those golden wrapped caramel candies and greet you by tilting their hats. Not to get myself excited, I decided to brush off the news until I witnessed it…which didn’t take long.

A week later, while I was opening my curtains on a bright Sunday morning I saw her.

Apparently she was my new neighbour. Our houses are adjacent to each others. Basically our backyards are connected, as if by fate or something like that.

I’m not sure if I was still half asleep, but I think I fell for her instantly. The way the morning sunlight reflected off her flawless white skin, the way her movements danced along with the summer wind, the way she placed one of the red garden flowers into her hair…it was as if she walked right out of my dreams.

Like a fool struck by lightning, I just stayed there overlooking her beauty from my window until she disappeared. Without me knowing, I became somewhat obsessed with the nameless girl of my dreams.

I would spend the next few days just hoping to come across her angelic appearance once more. Gardening soon then became my hobby, just as an excuse to go out into the backyard and possibly bump into her by some sort chance. I would spend the majority of the daytime accumulated with gardening activities. The flower once placed upon her head soon became what I specialized in planting. Filled within my backyard was that same flower, which would remind me of her.

My parents kept nagging me countless times to go out with their new friends whom they made, but I kept turning them down. All my attention was focused on the nameless new female neighbour of mine.

But of course, with many countless tries, I failed. Waiting patiently for her to arise again before my eyes was how I spent the majority of my summer vacation. My friends teased me at how nerdy of a person I had became; that my fit body was such a waste. They claimed that a guy like me shouldn’t get so hooked by a single girl at such a young age. Numerous times, they tried to convince me to join in their football games before the new season in school starts, but every single time I rejected.

Often they would say that a beautiful girl had dropped by to watch, but such things never caught my attention.

A part of me understood what they meant and somewhat agreed with their ideas, but deep down inside me I just knew that there was something special about that neigbor.

Summer vacation soon ended and back to school I went. Every year I’d enter into that huge school dressed sharply in my uniform with the most discontent facial expression. Let’s face it; no one ever really enjoys going back to school. That dislike was more apparent that time since it meant fewer opportunities to see her.

I sat in my usual seat near the back window just hoping that the day would pass by with ease. That’s when she entered. She filled that boring tasteless school uniform of ours better than anyone could have ever imagined. That day, she had her hair tied up nicely into a pony-tail, but she was just how I had remembered…absolutely stunning.

She introduced herself as Choi Sooyoung.

That name then automatically engraved itself into my memories effortlessly.

It didn’t take long for us to become friends. She’s the type of girl that draws you in with that special charm of hers. Honestly, I could never explain that feeling…one would just have to meet her in order to fully understand.

The conversations we held were natural to every little bit. There was never one single moment of awkwardness between us two. Everything she did would put a smile on my face. She was someone who I guess I’ve been waiting for in this little boring town of mine.

…someone who would make me feel alive.

All these months, I never had it within me to voice out my feelings that are burning inside me. I’ve chickened out way too many times and that makes me all the more frustrated with myself. Looking back, I know that there were so many open doors filled with opportunities for me to say something to her.

That is why today, I have finally gathered enough strength a