"Wah, it's been so long since you've started your work here ____. It's been-"

"-four years. It's been a while, but I'll come back to visit, don't worry," you reassure your manager.

"Are you sure you want to quit?"

"I already talked it over with my parents and I'm also starting my last year of college this year. I've got to get ready."

"Arasseo, take care then. We'll always have a spot for you here then."

"Kamsahamnida! Thank you! Annyeonghikasaeyo, I'll be leaving now," you say as you wave good-bye to your manager and fellow convenient store workers.

You push through the doors for what feels like the last time and take a step out. Your manager calls out, "And if JongDae stops by, I'll tell him of your whereabouts."

JongDae?

You hesitate in your steps. You haven't heard his name in a while. You turn back and smile back at your manager. "Arasseo. Kamsahamnida," you say as you bow.

Your manager closes the door back inwards and waves at you once more. You know where he's going next. He'll be walking towards the back to his office where he will be ordering and calculating more products and profits.

You walk out on to the sidewalk with your hands in the pockets of your red hooded windbreaker. You sweep your bangs to the side and then look at the convenience store.

It reads, "C U". You finger your smart phone in your pocket. All these years, you've never taken a photo of this place and now you're leaving. The store is near your house, but you probably wouldn't work here anymore.

You take a photo of the store and then a selca with the store in the background. Satisfied with the photos, you put the phone inside your pocket and walk down the sidewalk and head home in the night.

Your walk slows as you remember what your manager said.

Why JongDae?

A flood of memories rushes through your mind. JongDae laughing at you in the store, walking together to work from school in your uniforms, him teasing you with his orange and cherry flavored lollipops, him dropping you off at home...The list really could go on and on.

But they were all memories. The two of you had started work in 2009 when you both had been juniors in high school. You remember JongDae's mother was worried about his grades dropping if he took a job with you, but somehow, he had convinced her and you two had worked there until the early spring of 2011. To this day, you still don't know how he managed to persuade her.

JongDae had always loved music. He had been in orchestra, but he especially loved singing. You remember pretending to be embarassed when he would sing outloud while you guys walked around town, even though you liked his voice.

When his family first moved to Seoul, you had been his first friend, and he hadn't been shy to say that he liked music. You had asked for him to sing in the eighth grade to prove it and he did. You had liked music too then, and you remember giving him a few breathing pointers.

After that, the two of you had remained best friends until the spring of 2011.

That was the year when his dreams came true.

He had passed the SM Casting Audition in 2011 and on March 17th, the week before your birthday, you never saw your best friend again.

Of course there was the occasional call or text, sometimes even e-mail, but eventually, all communication just stopped. You told yourself that it was most likely because he had to get a new number and that he was busy becoming a future idol, but your life had gotten really lonely when you started college.

You have a younger sister, but it was completely different without JongDae. Even your now-best friend, EunRi couldn't replace him.

You wonder how he's doing at SM Entertainment. You know that he's in a group, but not sure of the name. You feel like an idiot. You don't even know his group's name? No wonder all contact was lost.

But deep down, you know why you hadn't bothered to check.

You had been hurt when he didn't even call you or text you. You had waited patiently, but the responses to your multiple messages were never returned. You had been upset and angered with uncertainty and doubt.

He was probably dating a future Girl's Generation SM trainee that was gorgeous but going to get plastic surgery on her eyes. She was probably prettier thn you and more talented. Which didn't bother you...Right?

You stop walking. The complex where your family lives is now in sight. You look down to check your phone. It's taken you about fifteen minutes longer than usual to get home. Another five minutes won't hurt.

You sit on a metal bench placed underneath a city-planted tree. You and JongDae had come here when you were younger. You both had had a curfew so you always sat on the bench during the day.

You had told JongDae that it was nice to have shade in the summer, but then JongDae reminded you that it meant not being able to see the stars at night.

You look up and see that he was right. There are still leaves clinging to the trees. They'll fall soon though since Autumn is coming. You wish you could tell him that.

You think of his wide grin, his large eyes, his lightly scruffed up hair. He would probably agree with you about the leaves. You and JongDae hadn't had anything romantic, right?

You almost shoot the thought out of your mind, but a memory lingers and forces you to remember a day you can't forget.

JongDae was walking you home from school, just like he did everyday, except that day was different. You were both high school juniors and it was the last day that he would do anything with you. He was leaving for SM Entertainment in the morning.

He walked you close to your apartment, but you were still a bit aways. The walk had started out as a forced conversation. Forced to stay light and cheerful, not letting it sink to reality, but then the walk had drifted to silence, which was unusual with JongDae.

You figured he wanted to remember the everyday walks and was silently remembering every detail. You did the same for a while, but then broke the silence. "What are you thinking?"

JongDae looks at you and your heart skips a beat. There is something in his eyes that you've never sen before. "You don't know? You're usually pretty good at guessing ___-ah."

You slow your walk. "I know, but...I just can't today."

JongDae jokingly pats you, "Yah, are you really my friend?"

You didn't know what was happening, but it was as if those words were the final blow to the barrier you were trying hold up all day. How could your best friend say that to you on his last day with you?

A tear slips out and JongDae's half-teasing, half-sad smile breaks into a scowl. "Mian, mian __. I shouldn't have said that."

You have stopped walking and a few more tears fall to the concrete. You couldn't see JongDae because you were turned away from him, but you felt an urge to hug him.

You pulled him into your arms and hid your face from him. You tried to control the sobs that were bubbling up within you as he immediately responded with a tight squeeze around your shoulders. After so many years, how could JongDae be leaving you?

The light crowd moved around you two, but neither you or JongDae moved. The two of you remained in each other's arms. JongDae then pulled away to look at you. He wiped your tears. "Don't cry," he said gently. You gave a sad smile back and wiped his eyes.

"Yah, take your own advice," you say wiping a tear that has fallen on his high cheekbones. You are semi-concious of how close your faces are, but then another tear falls and you look down to hide it from JongDae.

As you try to recompose yourself, you feel lips linger lightly on your forehead. Your eyes widen and a few tears fall. You turn away to your left and wipe them, disregarding the kiss. You go back to hugging JongDae and then pull away.

"It's not like it's forever, oh?" you say with a brave smile.

JongDae looks at you and then nods. You start walking to your house and pull JongDae's arm with you. The two of you had walked to your house, with you more red-eyed than him and said good-bye...

You rest your head back on the bench. Your emotions were so mixed up that day. You probably had imagined his lips on your forehead. You sigh.

Then your phone chirps in your pocket.

You check your notifications at the top.

It's a text message.

You unlock your passcode and see that it's from an unknown number. You read the text message:

********: Annyeong

You're confused. You haven't given your number out to anyone. EunRi isn't the type to give out numbers either.  Who would use banmal (Korean informality) with you? You respond:

You: Annyeonghasaeyo.

An immediate response follows.

*********: How have you been?

You: I've been alright. You?

*********: Pretty great. ^^

You: Is this EunRi?

*********: Ani.

You: Are you sure?

********: I promise you it's not EunRi. Yaksok.

You: Who are you?

You: Please tell me who you are.

********: Promise you won't freak out?

You: Yaksok. ^^

You wait for the next text, which is a slower response than the previous ones. Your phone chirps again and you read it quickly.

********: Maybe I should make you guess.

You scoff outloud. Who is this person that's joking around with you? You type back:

You: Bwoh! >.< Please just say your name.

The next message takes a few minutes, but then the phone chirps and you look at the text.

********: Kim JongDae.

You freeze with your eyes glued to the three characters on the phone.

JongDae has texted you?

You look at his number. He must've gotten a new one.

You scan through the conversation for some hint of falsehood. You then see how he said 'yaksok'. Scrolling down, you see that you had responded naturally as well. That was something the two of you had always done in the past, mostly verbally though.

Your phone chirps again, bringing you to the reality that JongDae is waiting on the other end.

JongDae: You still there?

JongDae: I promise it's me. Can I meet you tomorrow?

You: Why do you have a new number?

JongDae: SM has a contract with Samsung for all of its idols to have a product.

JongDae: But don't tell anyone. Please. About all of this.

You: Okay. Where would you like to meet tomorrow? It's Monday.

JongDae: I know. I'll meet you in front of school tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.

You: What if I'm not in town?

JongDae: AISH! Are you not in Seoul? I completely forgot to ask!

You: It's so like you though JongDae-ssi. But I'm home until Tuesday.

JongDae: Mianhe. So I'll see you tomorrow then?

You: Right in front of the school. Good night.

JongDae: Good night and sweet dreams ___.

 

You stare at the text until a drop of water suddenly splats on your phone screen. You quickly wipe it off and look up. A few more raindrops fall slowly, but you know it'll pick up soon.

You start heading home and other pedestrians go the opposite way of you. You then hear JongDae's voice. Are you going crazy? Then you see two middle school girls walking close together coming towards you. The sound is coming from there.

It looks like their watching a video. You gently pat the young girl who isn't holding the phone and ask, "Who are you watching?"

She looks at you with confused eyes and her friend pauses the video. The one who you've stopped stammers, "EXO."

"Who's singing right now?" You glance at the screen and see JongDae, but...more handsome? The other girl, holding the phone says, "That guy is my oppa. Don't even think about liking Chen of EXO. Now we have to go miss, it's going to rain harder and our moms are going to be upset with our wet clothes."

"Arasseo. Gomowoyo. Thanks," you say quickly as they run down the sidewalk past you. Your hair is starting to get really wet and you quickly pull on your hood. Why hadn't you thought of it before?

You run down to your apartment complex and fumble with your keys. You jab them in the door, turn them quickly and rush inside.

"Eomma, appa! I'm home and going to bed!"

You hear your father shout from his room, "Take a shower before you sleep!"

"Arasseo!" you say as you peel off your damp shoes.

You walk past your sister's room. She's already sleeping for school. You go to the bathroom for a warm shower and then throw some pajamas on.

Tucking yourself in, you look up EXO. Images flood your screen and you scan the words for Kim JongDae, but it's no where to be found. Then you go on YouTube. You watch the latest video of EXO on the SM channel.

You pause when you see JongDae. Your eyes weren't decieving you earlier on the girl's phone. JongDae had gotten a lot more handsome.

You scroll down to the comments. You click on the mark saying a specific time and the words "Omo! CHEN!!! <3". You see that everyone is calling JongDae 'Chen'. Isn't that a Chinese name?

You don't know. You'll have to ask him tomorrow. You put your phone on silent and then place it on your nightstand. After switching off your lamp, you stare up into darkness.

It's been three years since you've seen JongDae. Have things changed between you two? Either way, your heart feels lightened at the thought of seeing JongDae. You question the flutter and the possibility  of if you ever liking JongDae resurfaces.

Is it possible that there was a time when he liked you?

You bite your lips. You haven't acted so giddily since...Jong Dae was here. But he's come back, and for now, that's all that matters. You turn over on your side and quickly fall asleep.