School.

 

A life draining activity that most fortunate kids were supposed to attend during their childhood and teen years. 

 

It was a compulsory activity issued by the government exclaiming that everyone had to be kept in a incubated classroom on a daily basis for 5 whole days listening to the teachers lecture on about the dead people that have changed the world or how the author has interpreted the book in which it had to be analysed in a certain way. 

 

Where students are allowed to communicate with their peers and were able to interact through their similar traits they owned and similar hobbies they shared. 

They were allowed to find their own individuality over the years when they grow up, surrounded by their peers doing the exact same thing. 

 

Trying to find a spot in the world.

 

Trying to find the characteristics that makes them unique.

 

Trying to find friendships that will last a lifetime.

 

Trying to find that one true love who is destined to be for them. 

 

Trying to discover what boundaries they're allowed to pushlifetime. , the limits of their lifetime.

 

Unlike everyone, I was never like them. 

 

I was never the type to interact with anyone in the classroom let alone the whole school.

 

I had no dreams, no aspirations ... nothing.

 

I retrieved my happiness through the technological games I receive through the mail.

 

I receive comfort through the plushies I own.

 

I receive love and warmth through the help of my mother.

 

I needed nothing from school and the outside world.

 

The school ground is infested with students that has no hygienic knowledge, sprouted words of nonsense, making promises that cannot be fulfilled, creating lies - rumors which causes hatred around groups of friendships.

 

I was always the one who'll be sitting near the toilet bench, eating my chocolate spread sandwich along with chocolate milk that accompanied me every lunchtime. This routine lasted from the first day of school since I was 5 till I was about 14. 

 

There was no human interaction needed at all.

 

I needed no communication, I needed nothing from anyone. 

Nothing from the world.

 

Every single day was the same for me.

My outlook in life was a grey landscape, no colours added nor needed and I liked it that way.

 

The less drama, the less pain I would feel. 

Everything was the same every single day. 

 

I lived my life like that till my third year in middle school. 

 

It all changed on the 2nd of February. 

If I knew my life would change, I would have never attended this fateful day.

 

The school is a small neighborhood housing so the third year middle school students were grouped together with the high schoolers and that horrendous first day of school begun. 

 

A transfer student named Miyoung had just entered the school looking fabulous as ever. 

 

She confidently walked into the classroom in her sleeveless pale pink dress followed by a pair of white flats. The brown belt around her waist emphasised her small figure. She had her brown leather backpack strapped behind her which accompanied the dress she wore very well. 

 

Her long dark hazelnut colored hair was braided onto the left side of her shoulder with her front bangs sweeping neatly on her face just above her eyes. Her eyes were round and innocent and when she smiled it turned into half moons that would somehow light up the room. Her smile was big and wide showing off her straight pearl white teeth.

 

"Good morning everyone. My name is Miyoung and I'm currently 17 turning 18. This will be my last year of school so please take care of me."

 

She was the highlight news for the gossipers around the school grounds but that didn't seem to phase her as she would give a heartwarming smile to everyone when she walked through the cherry red gates each morning wearing a different coloured dress each day.

 

Rumors sprouted around this co-ed school concerning her last school year and why she hastily transferred to a small unknown school in the western neighborhood. 

 

As a junior by 3 years, I didn't bother to interact with her in anyway. Despite seeing her sit on the same bench as me eating her Korean styled lunch, I made no effort to communicate and comfort her in any way.

 

That's not who I was. Not what I see myself doing anyways. 

 

Then that one memorable day begun when she approached me and with her smooth husky voice and asked if she could sit next to me.

I just timidly gestured and with a small nod and that's how a whole new friendship started between us.

 

Every day passed and my grey landscape of life soon changed. Different colours were added the more I got to know her. 

 

I saw things I would never imagined that I would ever see. However she was the only one who made it possible.

I grew to understand that she transferred due to her parents losing both of their jobs and not being able to fund her prestigious school that she once attended. 

 

Although she had to move to a poorer suburb, she humbly replied, "I'm grateful that I still attend school and I will try my best to make my parents proud."

 

That one sentence struck me right in my heart.

 

Every day, a new page was written in the diary I kept.

Every day, I yearned to learn something new about her.

 

I yearned for her attention, her affection and soon after I yearned for her love.

 

I was that one friend she could rely on when something is bothering her.

Her old friends ignored her completely. 

 

Her parents are soon getting a divorce due to her father's new gambling addiction.

Her studies were dropping and she only had me to support her physically, mentally and emotionally.

 

It was devastating to see her go through so many hardships so I took the urgency and asked her one question that would change both her and my life, "Do you want to study abroad?"

 

Although she was shocked, she remarked that studying abroad would be an honour and she had always wanted to go to America and study economics there.

 

As her only one true friend, I spent days and nights and every possible time I could retrieve to research all the American universities that were willing to accept her through their honourable scholarship due to her overachieving marks in the last few years in her old school.

 

The only wish I made in my lifetime came true when I received an exclusive email embroiling fortunate news that they were willing to accept Miyoung for 3 years in her chosen course.

 

The news went straight to her and all her worries  she once had disappeared. Happiness is the only thing that you could see from those beautiful eye smile that I missed seeing.

 

She willingly hugged me and kissed both my cheeks and continued to thank me, complimenting me how much she owes me. By this time, my milky white cheeks were blooming a vibrant red colour overcasting an unknown shyness over me.

 

She received a call a few days after and was told that she would leave right after she graduated which left me 2 months to savour the last few moments I had with her. 

 

For some reason, the very  thought of her leaving made my heart ache.

My heart seemed to tell her to stop and stay close by my side while my mind was in dilemma.

 

What unknown emotions am I sprouting?

 

I was always in dream land and in every single dream it would be me and her holding hands in a spring meadow. We would turn around when the sun was setting, the most magical moment would happen, a soft kiss on her lips.

 

Days, weeks and months passed and soon enough graduation day arrived.

 

As her only friend, I attended this celebration,  dressed in a white knee length lace dress which fit my petite body quite well. 

She was nicely dressed in her graduation gown smiling next to her mother who looked so proud of her daughter. 

I approached both of them and calmly introduced myself to her mother. A conversation sprouted and in that small time frame I was standing there, I got to know her mother very well.

 

When it was time to sit down and begin the ceremony, I was slightly shivering in my seat. 

 

This would be the last few hours I will have with her.

 

The last few hours I would be able to see her flawless face.

The ceremony was a daze to me as irrelevant students stood up and walked to the stage to accept their certificate.

When she went up to retrieve her certificate, her smile just seemed to make my heart stop and freeze, phased by the effect she had on me I goofy smiled at her and clapped loudly showing my support from afar. 

 

Everything whipped by so fast and before long, I was holding her hand for the last time. Her warm hands gripping tightly to mine, somehow reassuring me that she will be fine.

 

The taxi which was tasked to take her to the airport had just arrived and parked nearby.

 

It was time to say goodbye.

 

She hugged her mother tightly and kissed her on the cheeks and told her how much she loves her and much she would miss her. 

It was an emotional scene to see as her mother clung onto her graduation gown, tears streaming from her sorrow eyes. 

When she walked to me, she stood still and smiled at me. Reaching out, her long soft fingers my cheeks softly and seemingly, it felt like she was savoring the moment. 

 

Tears fell one by one and not long after they couldn't stop falling.

 

My heart was now pounding loudly against my chest and it some what reaching out for the person in front of me to do the same, so both hearts were able to merge together as one.

 

A rush of discomfort and depression swept over my body and I started to sob.

 

Looking at her through my hazy eyes, all I could see was her bright smile and feel her fingers wiping the fallen tears across my cheeks. 

 

It was now or never.

 

Grabbing both her hands, I held it in between mine and said the most unthinkable statement I have ever imagined I would say. 

 

"I like you."

 

She stood there frozen but soon her expression changed and she smiled widely. She grabbed both my cheeks in her hand and before long, her soft kissable lips were on top of mine.

 

The time officially stopped. 

My heart was loudly pounding against my chest due to the rush of excitement and happiness I felt for that small moment.

 

I placed my arms around her small waist and pulled her closer to me deepening the once innocent kiss. Her arms automatically wrapped around my neck and I could feel her lips nibbling on my lower lips yearning for more. 

 

The moment was pulled away when the taxi driver beeped his horn impatiently. 

 

"Wait for me Taeyeon."

 

And with that said, she released herself from me and disappeared into the night sky, into the black and yellow vehicle that would take her away from me.

 

"I'll be patient for you Hwang Miyoung." I whispered to myself.

 

With a quick wave, the taxi was gone and at that moment I felt my heart collapsed. 

 

My colored view on life rapidly changed back to its original state. The grey landscape was back and it will forever be that way until the day I see her again.

 

"How much patience will I need before you stay by my side?"

 

---------------