Yoona was walking through the teacher's room when suddenly-

"Yoona, can you please send this to Class 3-B for me" Goo seongsaeng-nim called her from her table.

"De" she replied uneasily, her brain was already spinning, thinking of ways to carry the books without being squashed to death.

"Do you want Gi Kwang to help you?" the teacher asked gently, gesturing to a boy that was talking to another teacher but she shook her head politely.

"Aniyo, seongsaeng-nim. I can manage it".

She put in all her strength as she hugged the books to her chest and carried it up. She walked out of the teacher's room, trying to see over the humongous stack of books while also trying to not look like a major idiot. She could only see a tiny slit above the stack of books of where she was going and the rest of her vision was the ceiling. Class 3-B was a senior class which means it's located at the senior building. She needed to cross "The Sea" to go to it.

 

 

---

 

 

No, just joking. "The Sea" wasn't really literally the sea but actually just a harmless pond that separated the senior building from the junior building. The students named it that and it began the joke of the school eventually.

 

Yoona walked along the path, cowered by tall trees. It always felt safe for her whenever she walked past there. Maybe it was because she was constantly surrounded by greens or the fresh air. She inhaled the fresh air, and promised herself to return to here after she finished sending her books.

 

That was when she realised, The Seo Jong Hyun was also walking along the path. The difference was, he was walking towards her, in the opposite direction with his usual guitar slung behind his back. Her eyes widen in shock and she nearly choked in surprise. She hid her face behind the stack of books when he seemed to have noticed her.

"He's not looking, he's not looking, he's not looking" she chant softly to herself as if she was reciting a mantra.

 

He passed by her, they were so close that their shoulders almost touched each other. He had a sweet smell of shampoo that reminded her faintly of .. flowers. She tried not to concentrate on the fact that she could smell this all day and still feel mesmerized.

She was thanking god for letting him past by without making a fool of herself when suddenly the tip of his guitar hit the top of the stack of books. She was knocked over by the sudden uneven weight as the books fell all over her.

She didn't know which was more painful now, the books falling on her face or the embarrassment.

She would say the embarrassment.

 

"Omo, mianhaeyo! Gwaenchanayo?" he looked shocked, immediately kneeling down beside her.

She tried to hide her embarrassment and nod, "Ne, gwaenchanayo".

He held out his hand to help her up. She tried to not overreact as she took his hand and got up. Smoothening her skirt hastily with her hands, trying to not look awkward, she avoided his eyes.

"Mianhaeyo, I'll help you pick it up" he immediately knelt down and began collecting the books. Yoona immediately helped him and in no time, the books were neatly stacked again, half in her arms and half in his arms.

She reached forward and tried to take the remaining books from him but he flinched away.

"Class 3-B?" he lifted his eyebrow.

"Ne?" she was surprised at his question.

"That is where you are sending these books to, am I right?" he asked again.

"Ahh.. ne" she nod.

"I'll help you bring these there in apology. Let's go!" he suddenly turned cheerful and started walking.

"Ah sunbae, it's okay. I can manage" she tried to catch up with him.

"I insist" Jonghyun said. "Anyways" he added with a grin. "Class 3-B is my class".

Yoona just nod and they walked together in awkward silence. Yoona could swearing her hands were sweating from nervousness. Never in a thousand million years did she think she would be walking beside The Seo Jong Hyun.

"Thank you for helping me, Seo Jong Hyun-shii" Yoona said earnestly, clutching the now lighter stack of books to her chest.

"You're welcome, Jung Yoona-shii. Anyways, how did you know my name?" he asked curiously.

"How did you know mine then?" she asked.

They just stared at each other for three seconds before they broke off laughing.

"It's funny" Jonghyun laughed heartily. "I just know you but I feel just as comfortable as if I'm talking to my closest friend".

Yoona face immediately went red. Did The Seo Jong Hyun just say that he felt comfortable with her? Crap, she prayed hard that her face wasn't red.

"Your face is a little red.. are you having a fever?" he asked, concerned.

"Aniyo! Me too!" she started rambling. "Feel comfortable-- closest friend" if she was even feeling herself at that time, she would have facepalmed at herself.

but instead, he laughed even louder, "You're really cute, you know".

Her face turned even more red at hearing that. He was killing her with his smile. How could someone smile be so.. beautiful?

"Stay calm, Jung Yoona. Stay calm.." she muttered to herself softly, keeping her eyes on the pond and trying not to think about Jonghyun's ever so captivating smile.

He must have noticed her diverted attention and asked, "Do you like the pond too, Jung Yoona-shii?".

"Ne, it's really calming and peaceful. I feel really relaxed when I am with it" she replied. "What about you, Seo Jong Hyun-shii?".

"Same here. It's better than being with those noisy kids in class anyways" Jonghyun shrugged. "Wanna hang out here after sending in the books? Junior class doesn't start until 8:45 a.m right? he suggested.

Her heart skipped a beat at his invitation but she managed to keep calm and smiled, "Sure!".

"By the way, just call me Jonghyun oppa" he smiled.

"Then call me Yoona" she said.

"Yoona".

"Jonghyun oppa".

 

They laughed and didn't even realise that they were at the door of the classroom. Yoona knocked respectfully and they entered the classroom, placing the books on the teacher's desk.

"Anyeonghasaeyo seongsaeng-nim, Goo seongsaeng-nim told me to send these books here" Yoona bowed to the teacher.

"Ne, kamsahamnida. You may go" the teacher replied.

From the corner, a few guys were whispering rather loudly.

"Isn't that Jung Yoona from 2A?".

"She's pretty".

"Wanna try and date her?".

Yoona ignored them perfectly and turned to leave. Jonghyun was about to follow her when the teacher called after him, "Seo Jong Hyun! Where do you think you're going? Class is about to begin".

He opened his mouth as if he had something to retort but kept silent and whispered to Yoona, "About the lake date, I think I'll need to postpone it. Mianhae" he winked.

"Aniyo, gwaenchanayo. Anyeonghasaeyo" she bowed to him and left the classroom.

As she closed the door behind her, something suddenly strucked her mind.

"Did he just say lake DATE?" her eyes widen. "Ah michigeta jinjia!" she shaked her head vigrously and went off.

But a smile was attached to her face without her even knowing it.

She just walked to class and got on first name basis with Seo Jong Hyun.

This has got to be one of the luckiest day of her life.

 

 

She walked back to the pond and sat down, leaning on a huge tree. Taking out her white notebook and pen, she started writing,

 

1/5/2013

Today, I got closer to Seo Jong Hyun than I ever dared to imagine. He seemed to want to be closer than normal friends with me but.. will he still be like that after knowing who I really am? I am afraid.

 

She sighed at her last sentence.

Sometimes she wished there were times when she wasn't afraid.

 

 

---

 

"Mr.Jung, you have a meeting tomorrow with Cha Inc. at 9 a.m followed by an appointment with Jun Industries at 12 o'clock in the noon. After lunch, you still have a meeting with Director Oh and you are schueduled for a dinner with Director Jing" Yonghwa's secretary, Jae Hee recited his schuedule for the next day before he went home.

 

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Another full schuedule?".

"Ne" she nod.

"Alright, you may leave" he dismissed her.

She bowed and left. He packed some documents and his laptop into his bag before leaving the office.

 

Upon reaching home, the living room was empty and Yonghwa was almost certain that Yoona was already asleep.

Glancing at his watch, it was already 11:30 pm at night. He went to his room and threw his bag on his bed.

Staring longingly at his bed and then a painful glance at the large pile of files on his table, he went to sit at his table, opening a file to read and preparing himself for a long, sleepless night.

 

 

---

 

Yoona was sitting by the lake again, it was two days after her meeting with Jong Hyun and they haven't met since. She was leaning against the same tree again. It was the most quiet part of the lake. Many prefer the other side where the fishes are but she prefered it here. She stretched out her legs and leaned her head back to the tree. Staring across the lake, she could see couples hugging, cuddling and one was.. kissing.

 

Like seriously kissing, they were making out. She looked away in embarrassment and nearly jumped a few feet off the ground.

The Seo Jong Hyun was sitting next to her leisurely as if he had always been there with his lovely hair and usual guitar. OMG.

"Jong-Jong-Jonghyun-shii! What are you doing?" she held a hand to her chest in shock.

"I think people usually start the conversation with hi" he smirked, obviously amused.

"Hi" she sounded breathless.

He chuckled and leaned back to the tree.

"Since when were you here?" she asked curiously.

"Just now" he shrugged.

"Why are you here?".

"Fulfilling my promise to you. Lake date?" he asked.

"Ah ne" she was surprised, he still remembered him.

"Wae? Are you not happy to see me? Should I go?" he raised his eyebrow.

"Aniyo! I am just surprised! Don't go!" she blurted out before she could stop himself, earning a smug look from Jonghyun. Realising her mistake, she quickly turn to look at the other side, trying not to turn red again.

"So.. what were you doing just now?" he asked.

"Nothing really, just breathing in the fresh air and watching--" she managed to catch herself.

He looked at her in a funny way, "Watching?" he waited for her to finish her sentence.

"Nothing! Just breathing in the cool air! Yeah!" Yoona nod more than needed.

His eyes narrowed in suspicion. His face came closer as Yoona tried to lean away, her face turning red by the second.

"Lier".

"What? Aniyo!" she defended herself.

"You were watching those two kiss, weren't you?" he said, while pointing at the still making out couple. Gosh, didn't they have to breathe?

"A-a-a-aniyo! I was looking at the trees behind them!" she quickly said without thinking.

"Oh yeah?" he chuckled. "And where exactly are the trees?".

She looked, darn it, there was a big field behind them but no trees.

"I mean field! Yeah big field!" Yoona hastily changed, wanting nothing but to just bury her head in the ground and die in embarrassment.

"Ahrasso, you don't have to fret seriously. I was just joking" he grinned.

"You're so mean" Yoona pulled a face.

"I know right" he broke into an even bigger grin.

 

Suddenly, Yoona heard Yuri's voice calling her from behind. They turned and saw Yuri waving at them from a distance, holding hands with Minho.

"Wait a second, oppa. I'll go see what is it" she said.

Jonghyun nod and she got up and went.

 

Suddenly something caught Jonghyun's eye, a white notebook sticking out of Yoona's bag. He took it out and looked at Yoona. They seemed to be discussing something. He looked back to the book in his hand. It was nothing very special but what caught his eye was the drawing on the cover.

 

It was a drawing of a girl, she wasn't smiling. The girl in the drawing looked lonely, as though she was waiting for someone or something that never came.

And by the looks of it, it was drawn by Sharpie and probably by Yoona herself.

Part of Jonghyun was screaming, "Are you crazy?! It's her privacy!".

but another part of him ached to know more about Jung Yoona, to understand her.

but as he fought with his innerself, his hands seemed to have it's own mind and opened the book by itself. He read,

 

19/3/2011

Oppa is busy working again. Eomma called and told me they can't make it back this year for Chuseok. I am all alone again. Yuri went on a date with Minho. I wish I had someone to share my problem with now but nobody knows. Why would they?

In this dark world of mine, there's only me.

 

Jonghyun stared shock at the page. Was this what Yoona's inner thoughts really were? Full of loneliness and sadness, was this who Jung Yoona really was?

He flipped to another random page.

 

2/4/2011

If there really was a soul mate for everyone, then when do they get to meet each other?

If there really was one person that can make you feel like the happiest girl in the world, I would hold that person tight and never let go. Ever.

But there isn't.

 

He flipped to the next page and horror filled him,

 

27/8/2012

I want to die.

 

It was just four simple words yet the negativity that surrounded it was immense. This was who Jung Yoona really was?

He looked up and saw Yoona waving goodbye to Yuri as they part ways. He quickly stashed the book back into her bag and tried not to fidget too much in guilt as she sat back next to me.

"Sorry it took so long" she apologised.

This time, I stared at her smile. It was so broad, so real. How long has she been faking this smile?

"It's okay, what did you all talk about?" he kept the conversation going.

"Oh, Yuri was planning a Busan trip. She asked me if I wanted to go".

"Are you going?" he asked.

"I guess so, Yuri was begging me to".

"Have fun!" he tried to sound as enthusiactic as possible.

"Oppa, why don't you come with us?" Yoona's eyes lighten up.

"That-- It will be you and your friends. I don't want to barge in" Jonghyun shook his head.

"There will be guys too! Minho oppa, Taeyeon eonnie, Leeteuk oppa, Gain eonnie and Jo Kwon oppa will be going too! You are good friends with Jo Kwon oppa and Gain eonnie right? So come along!" she tried to persuade me.

He looked into her sparkling eyes for one second and gave up on trying to resist.

"Okay fine, but no sandcastles" he insisted.

"Ahh wae?" she whined.

"I hate them. They are weird" Jonghyun put on a disgust look.

"They are not!".

"Who builds castles on sand?".

"Kids!".

"Exactly my point!".

"What about burying people in sand?".

"If it's you then it's okay".

"Yah oppa! Cham!" she laughed loudly, her signature aligator smile appeared.

 

This time, he really hoped she really wanted to smile.