Nine
Perks of being alive
Chapter Nine - Memory
"What's wrong with you today?" Minjae shot a glare at me.
I laughed nervously, "Uhh... Nothing's wrong," I lied as I combed my hair.
She didn't buy it. Of course not. "Tell me what's wrong now,"
"I told you, nothing's wrong," I insisted.
"Yeah, whatever Nara," Minjae rolled her brown eyeballs.
I sighed. I wanted to tell her but it would mean that I'm breaking my promise with Sungjong.
"I'll get back first," i said and went out if the bathroom.
I strolled to our room and it seemed empty, but I could see a fade silhouette due to the sunlight. I walked in only to find Sunggyu inside, with his earphones plugged against his ears.
I bit my lip. I don't know why but since I heard him sing, I felt that he was a different person. I shook my head. The curiosity was too much. With a timid walk, I sat beside him. He realized my presence and took out his earphones.
"Is your feet getting better?" He asked with his lips tugged upwards.
I smiled and nodded.
"That's great to know," he nodded too, "I wonder how you are able to walk with a sprained ankle like that," he chuckled.
"Come on, it wasn't that bad," I said.
We laughed and it was silence again.
"Sunggyu..." I called him, my voice trailing.
"Hm?"
"I was about to save this question for the time when I win our bet but I'm thinking of asking you now," I said concisely. My heart was beating loudly. What if he didn't want to answer me? What if this question made us awkward with each other? What if things won't be the same again, just like how I felt after Sungjong told me everything?
"Ask me," he chuckled, "why do you seem so nervous?"
I laughed awkwardly. "Sunggyu... A few nights ago, I heard you singing," I started and he looked a bit taken aback. "And I uh... also heard you..."
"Cry?"
I nodded with a sour face when sunggyu completed my sentence.
"Can I know why?" I asked quietly.
He looked at me. "Nara..."
"At the noraebang that day, you faked your voice did you Gyu?"
He avoided my gaze and opened his mouth, about to say something but nothing came out.
"I'm... Scared Nara," he finally said after a moment.
"Scared of what?"
"Scared of getting my hopes too high. Scared with the fact that my dream won't come true," he confessed softly but I had no idea what was he talking about.
"You have to tell me more Sunggyu," I said.
He looked at me and smiled bitterly while shaking his head.
"I... Can't..."
"Why? You can trust me,"
"It's not about trust,"
"Then what is it about?" I asked calmly.
"It's just..."
"Just what Gyu?"
"Actually I-"
"Omo! The both of you are still here?! Come on, we have to go now," Sungyeol jumped into the room right at the perfect time. I wonder how he was able to do that.
I grunted quietly. Sunggyu glanced and smiled nervously. "That's right! We're going to go for boat riding today right?"
Sungyeol nodded. "That's why we gotta hurry or the boat will leave us,"
Sunggyu stood up, followed by me. He leaned closer to me as we trailed behind Sungyeol. "Let's continue this later,"
I nodded.
Once we were out of the resort compound, everyone was already waiting for us. We walked down the street towards the bay with Hoya leading the way with a map. I don't trust Hoya, nor do I trust maps. But I do trust Hoya with a map. So we all trailed behind him.
"Aish! Why is it so hot?" Minjae grunted while wiping sweat from her forehead.
"We'll be there in a minute," Sungyeol said although we all knew it wasn't true.
"Hoya are you sure we should go this way?" Raina doubted as we turned to a small road.
"Yeah, the map says so," Hoya answered, still keeping his eyes on the map which was stretched between his hands.
"We should probably ask someone," Woohyun said.
"Oh come on! Don't tell me we are lost," Minjae groaned.
"No we are not lost. See the river's there," Dongwoo pointed to the blue ground a few meters before us.
"Yes! That's it!" Sungyeol beamed.
Sungjong nudged my elbow as we walked through. I looked at him. "What's wrong?" he asked. I shook my head and smiled.
"Don't think too much,"
"I'm not," I told him and he frowned, not believing me.
I kept walking forward, hanging my head low. Then we arrived at the spot, but the boat was no where to be found.
"Are we left behind?" Sunggyu tilted his head.
"I... guess so," Hoya said while peering his eyes to the river in front of us.
I peered too and I was able to spot a figure of a ship floating in the midst of the calm river.
"I'll go check on the counter there," I volunteered before walking there, limping a bit.
I knocked on the glass window and there was an old ahjussi there, reading newspaper while his old stereo kept on playing folk music on the table behind him. He raised his head up and grinned at me, showing his wrecked yellow teeth.
"Excuse me?"
He stood up and fixed his glasses. "Oh! I think a pretty lady like you would want to ask about the river cruise,"
I laughed a bit and nodded. "What time does the ship leave?"
He tugged his lips down. "I'm sorry, but it had left and since the sky is dark, I think there will only be one trip today,"
"Ahh that's such a shame," I muttered.
"You can go back here tomorrow," he smiled.
"Do you by any chance can give us a suggestion of what to do today?"
"Hmmm.. Young kids like you might want to go to Hamdeok beach!" He beamed.
"Ah! Hamdeok beach! That's right, thank you so much ahjussi! See you tomorrow!" I bowed and ran towards the group, oblivious to the stone gravels below me that I tripped and fell on my face.
I grunted. Just what wrong had I done that I kept on hurting myself?
Blood trickled down my knee as I stood up. I cringed my eyes.
"Nara!" I could hear Myungsoo's shout. That was so embarrassing.
He rushed towards me and helped me sat down above the short cement railing. The others started rushing to me too
"Wow... I think you are getting karma for teasing me too much," Sungyeol commented and I glared at him.
"Too bad, I won't stop teasing you," I said.
Myungsoo blew my scrapped knee. At one point, I was glad I got hurt despite the pain. Sunggyu kneeled down beside him and examined my leg as well.
"Are you hurt somewhere else?" Sunggyu asked and I shook my head while I threw the dust from my clothes.
Sora gave me a band aid but Sunggyu grabbed it from my hand and shoved Myungsoo away from my knee, a bit too rough I could sense. Myungsoo glared at Sunggyu with a contorted face but the elder dismissed it.
I looked up to Sungjong, as if asking him what the hell was going on and he just raised his left eyebrows while his lips formed a smirk.
"I can do that by myself," I said
"No, I'll help you." Sunggyu snapped with a solemn face while attaching the band aid after blowing my scrapped knee.
Myungsoo scoffed and Sunggyu shot a glare at him. "Why? Problem?"
"No. Of course not," the younger replied coldly as he stood up.
I was starting to get irk with Myungsoo and Sunggyu. Like couldn't they act like how they used to? Without the cold tone and the scoffing and the glaring?
"Done," Sunggyu patted my knee and helped me stand up.
"So where are we going now?" Ailee asked.
"Um... The ahjussi there told me that we can visit Hamdeok beach," I said.
"Hamdeok beach," Dongwoo nodded. "We'll get back to take our swimsuits and we'll proceed to the beach," He beamed.
We all agreed to the plan and headed back to our villa before going to Hamdeok.
I sat on the shore under the shades. I am not really someone who's really interested with beaches and getting wet and sandy. The whole group was already splashing each other before me, except for Myungsoo who was still layering sun block on top of his beautiful abs. I couldn't help but steal small glances at his well built body.
"Are you sure you're not going to join us?" He asked after he was done.
"Eh.. No. You go and play,"
He smiled and nodded. "Okay. Just don't trip or hurt yourself again,"
I was taken aback by his sentence. Did Kim Myungsoo, the prince of the school, actually told me to be careful?
I cleared my throat and nodded. "I'll be careful,"
"Good." He looked forward, leaving me dazed by his side profile. "I'm joining the others first."
He left and I was just able to lay down and exhaled loudly while looking at his figure playing with Sungyeol. I switched my specs to my sunglass and strolled down the beach.
I bought an ice cream for all of us and went back to sit, watching the others play.
"Yah Nara! Come here!" Sungyeol shouted while beckoning.
I smiled. The water wouldn't be so bad. I took off my sunglass and changed into my swimsuit before placing the ice cream under the shelter. I timidly placed my feet into the water. Raina pulled me and I laughed, when I suddenly felt prickles on my knee.
"A... Ah.." I grunted softly.
Damn it! My scrapped skin!
Sunggyu noticed me and pulled me up the waters. He sat me down below the shelter where we had placed our clothes and stuffs.
"I'm okay Sunggyu, it's just-"
"Your bandage is open," he ignored me and started cleaning the sands on my wound instead.
I sighed.
"Sunggyu..." I called him but I got no response.
I shoved his hands from my knee gently and he looked up at me.
"Sunggyu, I'm okay," I assured him. Somehow I felt that he had been paying a lot of attention to me these past few days. Couldn't think of a good reason though.
He sighed and patted my head. He always does that and it made me feel like I was his sister. "Araso if you say so..."
I nodded too and sat up straight, looking at the others who were still in the waters.
"Too bad you fell down again," he pouted while drying up his hair with a towel.
"You don't have to accompany me here," I smiled.
"Nah... I'm already tired anyways," he sat beside me.
Then it was silence. But it was okay though. I loved the sound of the sea wind gushing through my ears.
"Sunggyu..." I addressed him. He looked at me.
"Are you going to continue our talk?" His tone was unexpectedly very calm.
I nodded.
"Nara.."
I looked up to him.
"Have you ever wonder what are you going to be after you graduate?"
"I'm not sure," I frowned.
"What is your hobby?"
"Hobby?"
Sunggyu nodded, keeping his vision forward.
"Uh... Reading... I guess? But anyway, what does my hobby has to do with your singing-" and then, right at that moment I realized it. "Oh... You like to sing," i smiled to myself. But why was he hiding it?
"I love singing but-"
"Yah! Nara! I saw you buying ice cream just now! Let'a open it," It was Dongwoo this time. He was heading towards us with the others behind him.
Sunggyu smiled bitterly towards me. "We'll continue this again okay?"
I nodded as the others joined us. We dried after melting the ice creams in our mouth. We then went for seafood lunch nearby.
"Lobster!!" Sungyeol cooed as the buttery lobster was placed in the middle of our table and we ate soundlessly.
We played our version of beach volley after that. The teams were divided according to our usual seat order. So, I was with Minjae, Sungyeol, Myungsoo, Sora and Woohyun.
I actually had an advantage of Sungyeol's giraffe leg but the other team had Hoya too. It was a nice game and Hoya's team won at the end. The sky was starting to show a bliss of orangey red, telling us it was almost sunset. We were all tired and had sat down on the sands, letting our feet being wetted by the warm sea water. We did not need to turn our heads to see who was making the repetitive camera clicks. I sighed and looked forward as the sun sank down the horizon.
"We should get a picture of all of us!" Myungsoo suggested, not lifting his head from the camera.
"Yes, at this sunset," Sora agreed and we all stood up. Myungsoo gave his camera to a passerby and we all stood in one line, our backs facing the sea.
We rested our arms on each other's shoulders and... Click!
A beautiful memory was made.
Heloo hellooo~~
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