It was Saturday morning. The sun was shining vividly as I stepped outside. Supposed to be, today’s going to be my rest day but then I had to finish all the lessons that Jaejoong needs to cope up so here I am standing in front of his apartment’s door. I don’t even know why I agreed to that silly suggestion of Tiffany that the four of us could do the tuition together. But since, Yoochun’s going to stay by my side then I think it’s much better than Jaejoong and I alone.

Exhaling a deep sigh, I knocked on his door three times then patiently waited for someone to open it.  As it slowly opened, Tiffany beamed a sly smile at me. But her eyes seemed searching for someone else. I coughed harshly. “Ehem…Yoochun’s not with me…his mom asked him to do an errand for her…” I rolled my eyes. “But he’s going to catch up later…” I continued. “Okay…” She answered briefly. “Aren’t you going to let me in?” I asked her, pissed off. “Oh, I forgot…come in…” She opened the door wide enough. “Jaejoong~ah, Hyun-Ae‘s here!” She shouted as she shut the door behind her. “Just a minute!” He shouted back, his voice coming from upstairs.

As my eyes roamed around, I was bit surprise that his apartment was tidy, spacious enough with not too many furniture and stuffs here and there…a bachelor’s den. And it’s actually cleaner than my room. “Can I sit here?” I asked Tiffany as I pointed onto the black leather couch on the living room. “Sure…” She nodded. “Stay here and tell Jaejoong that I went to the convenience store, okay?” She uttered then rushed to the door. But before she held the knob, I called her back “Tiffany!” She turned around and gave me a `what` look. I stood up and walked closer to her. “Yoochun and I are doing this because Mrs. Lee wants us to…” She motioned me to continue. “Let’s just make things clear…Yoochun’s my boyfriend and I’m not pleased to see when you’re flirting with him…so just back off!” I stated in a not so calm but mature enough way.

She chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “Are you threatening me?” She hissed then looked away. “Are you darn scared that I can steal your boyfriend anytime I want, huh?” She’s provoking me but I chose to suppress my anger and prevent myself from hitting her face as I clenched my fist tight. “Yoochun wouldn’t fall to your traps…” I uttered confidently. “He did fell into one…remember the time you saw us kissing?” *!* I screamed loudly at the back of my head. Right then and there, I wanted to slap her face hard but I controlled myself. I let out few shallow, quick breaths then looked into her eyes again. “Why don’t you just be contented with what you have? You have Jaejoong and some other guys…just leave Yoochun and I alone!” I glared at her. “So you’re begging me now cause you’re scared…” She laughed evilly.  “Perhaps yes…cause persons like you aren’t trustworthy! And just by looking at you…it gives me an eerie feeling that something bad is going to happen soon…” A smile appeared at the corner of . “You know what’s wrong with you?” She asked me. I wanted to yell back but she finished her words before I could open my mouth and speak. “You are too CLEAN…too PERFECT and it doesn’t seem normal to me at all!” She scowled. “I know you have your own flaws too…BEWARE! Cause I’m going to watch your back!” She held the knob then went outside leaving me annoyed. I went back to the couch and rested comfortably on it.

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

Jaejoong went downstairs and saw me slouching on the couch with my palm resting on my forehead. “Ehem…” I heard someone clearing his throat which I knew for certain to whom that sound came from. I sighed deeply, lifted my eyelids, sat upright then saw Jaejoong’s figure looking down at me.

“What happened here?” He asked coolly. “I overheard you having discussions with Tiffany…where is she?” He bombarded me with questions not worth feeding.  “She went to the convenience store…she’ll be back in awhile…” Then I looked away. He nodded then shifted his eyes back at me. “Are you okay? Do you have headache?” He asked worriedly. I shook my head. “No. Get your books and let’s get started so we could finish the lessons fast…” I uttered coldly. “Be right back…” He nodded again and rushed back to his room to get his stuffs. Few minutes after, he went back with pile of books on his hands. He laid the books on the table and sat on the couch with a feet distance between us. No one dared to speak. There was an awkward silence that filled the room. But I could sense his eyes still fixed on me. I stretched my arms and breathed deeply. He broke the silence first and asked me “Where’s Yoochun?”

“He needs to go somewhere else first but he’s coming later…” I fixed my vision on the book I held in my hands. Then silence hovered the room again. It was the dull routine we have for almost an hour. Someone asked a question and the other one answered it straightforwardly. There were no follow-up queries or casual chatting. “How far is the convenience store from here?” I asked him still avoiding his eyes.

Jaejoong shrugged. “You can reach it within 10 minutes walk…” He uttered briefly. “Why did you asked?” I shook my head. “I’m just curious why Tiffany’s not yet back…it’s been an hour since she left…” I mumbled as I continuously flipped the pages of the textbook.

“Is that the real reason? Or are you just scared cause you’re inside my apartment and we’re alone?” He blurted out. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Huh? Who’s scared to whom?” I scowled as I glared at him. *What the hell is wrong with these people! First it was Tiffany and now it’s Jaejoong! Do I have that sign posted on my forehead saying…’STUPID, SELFISH, SCARED COWARD!’ Why do they always look down on me like a scared puppy?  I’m not scared to anyone! But yes I am scared on where my fate would lead me! All the foolish things I did will take its toll on me…that’s what I’m most scared of. Because I don’t know what toll will it take? Will I have to sacrifice true love so I could pay for the mistakes I’ve done?

“AISH! Jaejoong~sshi, stop wandering and focus on the lessons, okay?” I yelled at him then hit his arm with the book on my hand.

“YAH! That hurts!” He winced in pain as he massaged the spot where I hit him. “If you continue loitering...I swear you will get worse than that!” I scowled then went back to reading.

“You’re scary!” He chuckled. “I’m more scared to you than the old-maid librarian in school!” He mumbled. I shifted my narrowed eyes on him and sent him death glare. “What did you just say?” Pissed off, I lifted the book in my hand again, ready to give him another hard hit on his still aching arm. “I didn’t say anything!” He waved his hands fast and slide towards the far end of the couch to avoid me. Seeing his facial grimace made me laughed hard. I couldn’t stifle my laughter as I held my stomach while peeking at his face struck with fear. “YAH! What’s so funny, huh?” His brows furrowed at my craziness. I stopped for awhile to look at him. “Nothing…” I bit my lip hard to refrain myself from laughing again but I was defeated. I laughed ‘til I can’t breathe normally. “S-Sorry…I didn’t mean to make fun of you…” I struggled with words as I tried to breathe in oxygen. “It’s just that your face looks so funny…especially when you’re too terrified…” I continued to laugh. He sat back closer to me. “YAH! Stop laughing!” He yelled at me. “I can’t!” I wanted to halt but I couldn’t. “What do you mean by ‘you can’t’?” He asked curiously. “Once my laughter is triggered…I couldn’t stop unless…” I paused then inhaled air. “Unless what?” He questioned. “Unless you do something that’ll put me in shock…” He tapped his chin with his index. “I LIKE YOU!” He exclaimed. “What?” I stared at him in shock. My eyes went wide open. His smile got wider. “That’s a relief! See I was able to make you stop!” He chuckled. “Yeah…thanks…” I held my head down in embarrassment. “It’s just a joke, right? That was funny too…” I smiled back. His face turned serious. “What if I tell you it wasn’t?” He placed his hand on top of mine. “Jaejoong~sshi, enough of the prank…” I swatted his hand. He slouched back with his head facing the ceiling. “I do like you…ever since that night I saw you in the pub...your face never left my mind since then…” He uttered seriously.

I couldn’t respond on his confession. I wasn’t that sure if he’s serious or not. But seeing that glum in his eyes made me believe that he’s quite serious about it. “I’m sorry but…” He cut me off quickly. “I know…you have Yoochun…” He said with eyes still fixed on the ceiling. “And you love him so much…” He continued. “Yeah...” I nodded weakly. “Don’t worry…I don’t have plans of getting in the way and destroy your relationship with him…I just felt the need to tell you this, though I know what the aftermath would be…” He exhaled deeply. I stayed in silence. He jumped off the couch then forced a smile. “What do you want to eat for lunch?” He acted as if nothing happened. I lifted my eyes and looked at him in confusion. “It’s lunch time!” He twitched his brows while tapping his wrist watch with his index. “A hungry student is like a soldier who engages to battle without proper armor and enough ammunition. When we feed our minds…we have to feed our stomachs too! Let’s eat!” He motioned me to stand up. But I was unmoved on my seat still confused on his sudden switch of expressions. “Don’t worry I won’t put poison on the food!” He chuckled then leaved first towards the kitchen. “Just go to the kitchen once you feel in your heart that you can trust me…”

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

I stood at the far end of the black granite kitchen counter as I shot few glances at him. He was wearing a cute Hamtaro printed apron. I chuckled upon seeing the childish side of him. “You need help?” I asked him as I watch him prepare the ingredients. “Can you cook?” He queried. I shook my head “No…but I can wash and slice the veggies…” I uttered proudly. He chuckled. “Just sit there…be my guest…” He pointed to one of the stools on the kitchen table. I shrugged “Okay…” I sighed then hopped on the seat. “Jaejoong~sshi, can I ask you something personal?” I asked him. “Sure…Go ahead…” He uttered simply without looking back.

“Tiffany said that you are the only heir of KM Group of Companies…but…” I stammered. “But what?” He motioned me to finish my words. “But why are you staying here instead of living in your mansion? And why are you working as a part-timer in that pub?” He was silent. “Sorry…forget I asked…” Then I held myself a poke in the head.

“It’s okay…” He said. “I started to live an independent life 3 months ago…” He stated briefly. “My dad cut off all my credit cards and bank accounts when I left the mansion so I have to work to support my needs.” I nodded. “Does Tiffany know about this?” *Oh how stupid I asked! Of course she does! She’s his girlfriend!* “She doesn’t know the credit card and bank account thing…” He blurted out. “Oh I see…” Though this guy seemed cold and annoying at times, I couldn’t hate him to the extremes. Cause like me, he was also caught up in the middle of this complex situation. I couldn’t throw all the blame in him cause the major part of it happened because of me.

After 30 minutes, he laid all the food he cooked on the table. “Sorry to keep you waiting…” He handed me a plate, spoon and chopsticks. I gladly took it and start eating the bowl of kimchi rice with beef strips and shredded vegetables on top of it.  I spooned the rice and chewed on it. I stopped when I notice that he wasn’t eating his share. “Aren’t you hungry?” I asked him. “What do you think of the food I prepared?” He asked, smiling. “Oh…not bad!” I looked away. He laughed. “Is it so hard for you to praise my cooking skills?” He smirked.

“I said it wasn’t bad! But I didn’t say it was good either…” I continued to munch on the food. *This Korean dish is so tasty! I’ve never tasted anything like this before. But I should I act as if I don’t enjoy it!*

Minutes after I finished the food, I offered to wash the dishes but he refused. “Just leave it there…we still have four lessons, right?” He asked then walked back to the living room. I nodded then followed him from behind.

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

We continued with the lessons as what we’ve agreed upon. Minutes turned to hours but I still haven’t received a message from Yoochun. Worry starts to rush over me and Jaejoong seemed to notice it. Once in a while, I peeked side glances at my phone’s screen and sighed deeply. “What time is he coming?” Jaejoong asked while his head facing the book on his hand. “He hasn’t called me yet…” My voice quivers, showing despair.

Five hours passed, it was already 6pm. The night took over and the wind became colder. I started to feel so anxious but I tried not to show it in front of Jaejoong. As soon as we finished the last lesson, I stretched my arms wide and rest my back on the couch. “Good work Jaejoong~sshi!” I praised him. “You worked the hardest! Thank you for sparing me your time…” He smiled back. Suddenly my phone rang. I hastily picked it up and pinned it to my ear.

“Babe…” The voice I’ve been waiting to hear echoed from the other line.

“Oppa…Where are you? Are you okay?” I asked worriedly.

“I’m okay…I’m sorry if I wasn’t able to call you…you done with your tuition?”  He asked.

“Yup…”

“Okay… I’ll pick you up after 30 minutes…”

“Sure….”

“I Miss You…” He uttered sweetly.

“I Miss You too…” I answered back. Then I hang up. I placed a hand over my chest then heaved a sigh.

My visions shifted to Jaejoong. He looked exhausted but was able to force a smile at me. “Is he coming?” He asked. I nodded weakly. “Yes…” He then stood up and said “Wait for me here…I’ll just go get something in my room…” I nodded again then watched him as he went upstairs. Few minutes passed, he went back with a paper bag on his hand. He sat down right next to me and handed me the paper bag. “What is this?” I asked him with unsure face. “That’s not a gift…that’s your shoes…” A smile lit up his face. “My shoes?” I slowly peeked inside then saw the red high-heels shoes that I wore that NIGHT when I went to the pub.

--------Flashback----------

It was first day of spring when I first laid my eyes on Yoochun. He was the typical handsome guy but the moment he beamed that addicting smile at me, I instantly fell in love with him. It was love at first sight and that feeling grew each day I spent with him. Our personalities clicked in a flash. The next thing I knew, we became the best of friends, seatmate and my ever-loyal and responsible project partner. When the school held an acquaintance party for all the freshmen students, I was hoping that he will ask me to be his date for that night. But he wasn’t. That’s when I started to accept that we are just friends and that it wouldn’t progress into something more intimate. We keep each other’s company and cheer each other up every time one or both of us feels sad. I went on with our friendship and kept my feelings for him inside my heart and locked it up.

Then everything changed a month before my 15^th birthday. I started to drag him everyday on the window display of a shoe shop located in the main street of Seoul. But being the understanding and patient friend that I knew, I never heard a single complaint from him. Everyday we went to the shop’s display and he never asked me why I kept on coming back. Three days left before my birthday, I hauled him again to the shop with a wide smile plastered on my face. But then it gradually disappeared when I didn’t saw the pair of shoes that I wanted to buy as a present for myself. I rushed inside the store and asked the lady at the counter if they still have the pair of shoes but she told me that it was the last stock they have and I came a bit late cause it was purchased few hours ago. I felt deeply saddened cause I wasn’t able to get I want but I tried not to show my grief in front of Yoochun.

“Oppa…Let’s go!” I stretched my lips and forced a smile. “Where?” He asked me. “I’ll treat you food…” I answered simply. He held my hand tight. “I’m okay…it was just material thing!” I stated, keeping my head hang low. “I shouldn’t grumble over petty things like that…” I enforced to convince myself but it does hurt. I saved my allowance for almost a month and visit the shop everyday but then in the end all the efforts I gave in all went down the drain. I wasn’t meant to be the owner of those pair of shoes. “Don’t worry...that shoes will find its rightful owner someday…” He uttered then messed my hair with his hand.  “As if the shoes have a mind of its own…” I chuckled. “Thanks for keeping me company, Yoochun~ah…though I know you hate shopping…” I laughed.

And then came my special day. Close friends and few classmates came over to my crib to celebrate it with me. Yoochun and Soo Young were both present. I walked around the party then stopped and chat for awhile then entertain the guests. That was my routine that night. Suddenly, I felt my legs getting cramps so I sat beside Soo Young who was sitting comfortably on the couch. “Soo Young~ah, where’s Yoochun?” I asked her with my eyes still looking for him. “He said he wants to breathe in fresh air so he went to the garden…I think you should talk to him! Seems like he has a problem…” I nodded then stood up and searched for him. As my feet trailed towards the garden, I saw Yoochun sitting on the bench with his head held up high, looking at the star-cluttered night sky above us. I sat next to him and tugged his suit.

“Hey! Aren’t you enjoying the party?” I asked him worriedly.

“What made you think that I wasn’t enjoying it?” He smiled back. “It’s your special day…”

“Soo Young said that you seemed to have a problem…do you want to share it with me?” I patiently waited for him to speak but he just stared at me. I cupped my face and asked “Is there something wrong with my face?” He chuckled then shook his head. “You look stunning tonight…” A tint of bright red flushed across my face. Luckily, it was night time and the only source of light that we have is the full moon, so he wasn’t able to see my tomato red cheeks. “You look great too…” I complimented him.

The next few minutes we shared were full of awkwardness. No one spoke a word and the both of us were just enjoying each other’s presence. “Yoochun~ah, I’d better go first…the guests are probably waiting for me…” And then I stood up but he held my wrist and pulled me back on the bench.

“Stay…” He uttered seriously.

“What’s wrong?” I placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to comfort him. “Since the moment I arrived into your house…I was thinking of how I could I sneak you out of the party and talk to you in private…” He chuckled then rubbed his nape with his free hand.

“Huh? That was your problem? I thought it was something really serious…that’s a relief!” I sighed deeply.

“Happy Birthday!” He exclaimed then handed me a white box with a big lace red ribbon on it. “Thank you!  I thought you forgot to buy me a gift!”

“Open it…” I untied the ribbon and open the box slowly. My eyes widened in shock when I saw the pair of red high heels shoes that I wanted to have. “H-How…” I stammered. I was too stunned to finish my thoughts. He took the box then knelt in front of me. He removed my shoes then gently replaced it with the gift he brought for me. “I told you, this pair of shoes is going to find its rightful owner someday…and the shoes chose you…” He sat back beside me. “Do you like it?” He asked me. I tilted my head then faced him. “So it was you who bought the shoes?” He nodded. “I’m sorry…I didn’t intend to make you feel upset…I just want to surprise you on your birthday…” He explained with apologetic eyes. “And besides that I want to confess another one…” His voice seemed a bit shaky. “I-I Love You more than a best friend…” My eyes blinked twice. “What did you say?” He held my hand, squeezed it and stared inside my eyes. “I Love You!” I could feel my heart getting faster and faster as he mouthed each word. Tears trickled down my reddened cheeks. I slapped his arm hard enough to make him wear a painful grimace. “YAH! PARK YOOCHUN! Do you really think that because you bought me the shoes that I wanted, I will readily accept your love? So this is what I’m worth…a pair of shoes!” I scowled then looked away.

“NO! Please don’t misunderstand…” His eyes saddened. “I-I always wanted to say those three words to you but I was scared that you might reject me and that would be the end of our friendship…”

“Then why didn’t you ask me out as your date at the acquaintance party?”

“U-Uhm…Cause you were happy when the captain of the basketball team asked you to be his date…” He uttered sheepishly.

“BABO! I was waiting for you to ask me but you didn’t! And FYI, I declined his invitation so I went to the party with alone!” I hissed.

“Sorry…” He whispered softly. “AHHHHH! I hate you!” I hit his chest lightly with my arms as tears flow down. “Why did it take you so long to say it? I thought I would never hear those words from you…” His arms pulled me in his embrace. “I Love You too…” I uttered in between sobs. “You what?” He pulled away then asked with look still unsure. “I said I Love You too…” He smile got wider. His lips pressed onto mine and we shared a passionate kiss. That was the best birthday I had.

---------End of Flashback---------

I was dwelling in deep thoughts that I didn’t notice a single tear escape my eyes. “Are you okay?” asked Jaejoong. I wiped the tear and nodded. “Yeah…thanks for keeping it…Yoochun gave this to me…”

“Oh I was really surprised when I found your shoes in the motel room…”

“Jaejoong~sshi, can I ask you a favor?”

“What is it?”

“Can we just consider that NIGHT forgotten?” I inhaled deeply.  “Let’s pretend it never happened…move on and start anew with the ones we love!” I said with eyes still avoiding his gaze.

“Sure…if that’s what you want…” He uttered briefly in response.

“Thank you...” I placed my hand above his. Three knocks at the door broke our conversation. “It’s Yoochun…I’d better leave.” I stood up then went towards the door. He never spoke a word and he didn’t move to his seat. Jaejoong was just blankly staring at the ceiling as I shot one last glance at him before I shut the door closed.

*End of Chapter*