Second Button

 

 

It was their graduation day.  Everyone was wearing their iron to perfection uniform and toga.  Some were feeling giddy, some were in high spirits and some were emotional after all it will be the last day of their high school life.

 

Kim Myung-Soo also known as L is calmly observing the chaos that have become in the gymnasium.  Occasionally some of his classmates would ask him to take a photo with them, which he would politely decline.  He is not the social butterfly type but he is quiet popular in their campus thanks to his handsome face and being the ace player of their base ball team.  But today is extremely weird most of the girls were looking at him  and then look at his uniform like it was some kind of expensive brand which is not, it’s just his plain old school uniform.

 

“Yeollie”

 

He goodheartedly greeted his best friend Lee Sung-Yeol who is also a popular student in their campus.

 

“Oh L-ah”

 

Sung-Yeol greeted him as he made his way towards him.  He was still in his uniform but L notice something different.

 

“Why is your second button missing?”

 

“Ah this? I purposely ask my sister to remove it”

 

“You’re weird”

 

“I’m not weird haven’t you heard about the second button tale?”

 

“No”

 

“You’re really hopeless, to think that the girls in our batch already declare war just to have your second button”

 

“Okay not only its weird, its disturbing too”

 

“You wouldn’t think like that if you heard the story behind it”

 

“…”

 

“The second button from the top of a male's uniform is often given away to a female he is in love with, and is considered a way of confession. The second button is the one closest to the heart.”

 

“Ah okay is that why you remove yours?”

 

"Yes, I don’t want my fan girls to ruin my shirt besides I’m thinking on giving it to someone”

 

“I see”

 

“How about you? To whom will you give your second button?"

 

A certain girl came in his mind but before L could reply their teacher have announce that the ceremony will start.  All the students and parents took their respective seats and the principal started his opening speech.  The ceremony was going smoothly, the best students were given recognition and the valedictorian made her speech.

 

 

####

 

 

Im Yoona is the resident book worm and math whiz in the campus.  She is also their batch’s valedictorian.  She’s not the stand out popular girl so nobody really paid attention to her.  So giving this speech today in front of her classmate which may or may not even know who she is, is quite a challenge for her.

 

She took a deep breath and scans the whole gymnasium and almost forgot what she was about to say when she notice a certain boy looking at her.  But she manage to gather her thoughts and starts her speech with a bit of a shaky voice but gradually she got the confidence she needs.

 

“This isn't the time to make hard and fast decisions, its time to make mistakes. Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere chill. Fall in love - a lot. Major in philosophy 'cause there's no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind. Then change it again, because nothing is permanent.  So make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday, when they ask again what we want to be… we won't have to guess. We'll know."

 

After her speech everyone gave her a standing ovation.  She smiled and bows and the next thing she knows was the principal announcing that they are finally graduates and everyone throws their toga in the air not caring if somebody might get hurt but who cares, this is always the best part of the ceremony.

 

 

####

 

 

After the toga tossing, L finally notices that, that tradition really means so much to those who believe in it.  There were some boys who gave their second button to their girlfriend or the person they like as a sign of their devotion and love.  But that sweet and romantic environment quickly become a war zone as a flock of girls starts to go after him and Sung-Yeol, well their second button is what they were really after.  They were running for their dear life and they eventually got separated from each other.

 

L went straight to the school rooftop but before he knew it, he collided with someone.  His hand automatically covers his second button rather protectively like a natural reflex.  He can’t believe that someone was already in the rooftop waiting for him.

 

“Awww”

 

A dark brown haired girl holding a camera moans in pain.  The impact was strong enough to make her fall flat on the floor.

 

"I’m sorry are you okay?"

 

“I’m not okay”

 

The girl snapped at him as she tried to check if her camera did not suffer any damage.  And when she finally look up to him and to his surprise it was the very girl he was hoping to meet.

 

“Yoona, what are you doing here?”

 

The moment she look up to the person she snapped at, she immediately want the floor to swallow her whole from embarrassment.  But if anything good that happen in this situation is that she knows he know her name at least.

 

“I - I’m sorry, I was taking some pictures of the campus for keepsakes”

 

“I’m trying to hide here”

 

“Ah o-okay, I should get going then”

 

“It’s better if you stay for a moment there are some dangerous people running around the building and we need to clean that scratch on your elbow”

 

“Oh this, it’s fine, it’s not that painful”

 

“Yoona, it was my fault, let me at least help you with that”

 

“O-okay”

 

L came closer to her and took out his handkerchief, fold into a strip and wrap it around her elbow and tie it.  Just like what their health teacher taught them during their first aid training.

 

“Thanks”

 

They stayed like that for a few minutes until they were sure that the flocks of girls have left the building. 

 

“Myung-Soo I’m going first”

 

Yoona decided to leave first but she was shocked when L held his arm out rather unexpectedly. Does he wants me give his handkerchief back? She thought to herself, so much for his gentleman act.  She was about untie his handkerchief on her elbow when she notice a small circular object on his palm.  She stood there frozen unable to process the things he was doing to her.

 

"My arm is getting numb."

 

 L said coolly as she hesitantly takes the button on his palm.

 

"Thank you but are you sure?  Some girls would die just to have this”

 

“It will be useless if I don’t give it someone I want to confess to right?”

 

“Well, yeah wait you mean”

 

“You know for someone who is a valedictorian, you are pretty slow when it comes to these things”

 

“Kim Myung-Soo”

 

“Im Yoona, we were always in the same class for the past 3 years and you didn’t even notice me”

 

“I did notice you”

 

“So you do like me too”

 

“Hey I didn’t say that”

 

“Then you don’t like me?”

 

“NO”

 

“Then you do like me”

 

“Fine, I do like you”

 

L was smiling from ear to ear as she hold her hand and went down the building only to be welcome by some heartbroken girls and Sung-Yeol with Taeyeon.

 

 

 

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MyungYoon this is the longest one shot I have written and I was inspired by ProDai (proposal daisakusen) ep 4 of course with a happy ending.

 

The speech is not mine, it’s part of the speech of Jessica (anna kendrick) in twilight

 

I still have 4 boys in line for the one shot which were suggested by some of you.  I’m trying to update often but sometimes my mind and creativity juice is empty so bare with me.

 

Again ChangYoon stories are posted in KISSology so do check it out.

 

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