The first month of summer , heated winds brushed her long curly hair, the soft melody of the birds soothing chirps , let her mind wander for a while, she kept her step steady one ahead but another back, she was still hesitating about her first year in Seoul high school, her petit lips pressed in thin line whenever blended several scenes played in the back of her mind,,reminding her about those restless wretched times .

 

-" Good morning " 

 

A Cherrie bubbly voice woke her from her past reveries, fortunately it was the past nothing from those stirring annoying events belonged to the present, she is now quite popular among her friends, yes, now close to the end of the senior year, she is become more confident and comfortable around her friends, after all life wasn't that devil or mean toward her, the genuine smile and teasing giggles of her friends ,never told her otherwise.

 

-" Hi Andy , you are so early unusually " Anna wriggled her eyebrow in impish manner

 

-" hmm..well" swinging her  left leg in bashful manner, Anna knew the hidden reason already, but she loved teasing her friend.

 

-" What...there is another half hour before the first class begin " little smirk plastered on the corner of her lips " i m not seeing my others friends either..just the beagle line ,o f course, " she sighed when towering boy with puddle hair throw his big body on his friend who looked quite smaller and shorter than him " oh they are looking in our way actually " prodding her friends shoulder playfully, the alter only managed to glare at her with heated cheek and shaking hands.

 

-" We need to head to our class, or going to be scolded once again" 

 

Laughing lightly, Anna warped her hand  around her friend's arms, ushering her to to walk ahead, but she didn't stop teasing her over an over , even when their hot-cold teacher show up.

 

------*-----

 

-" Will you stop punishing my cheeks i m not your ing teddy bear? " wide d-eyed boy glared on his giant stupid friend whom kept squeezing the hell out of his tiny waist , 

 

-" " a groan was heard from behind, a boy with pointed cheeks bones and kitten like lips, sighed and kept digging in his backpack while he kept cursing under his breath

 

-" what is wrong Jongdae ?" the shaped heart like lips boy asked , after he managed to rip his idiotic friend painful hold away.

 

-" i guess i forget bringing my homework " 

 

-" you forget or you didn't do it, an now you re ____"

 

-" i forget it okay ?  " halting in the vain search in backpack, Jongade narrowed his eyes on his taller friend who only smiled creepily 

 

-" well...then you are in trouble" shrugging his shoulders, 

 

-" you are not helping at all Chanyeol" the shorter boy rolled his eyes on his friend helpless remark .

 

-"What? " obliviously as he  is,  Chanyeol kept his creepy grin but with furrowed eyebrows.

 

-" im going to head back to my lockers, maybe is there... "

 

Without even waiting for their replies, Jongdae spin around and run in wistful hope to found it there, cause he knew better than to step on their English teacher with empty hands an missing homework, that thick eyebrow-giant will never leave him at peace.  groaning inwardly , jongdae were sinking in nervous an annoyance when he didn't even look where he was looking .

 

-" Oh " apparently he bumped into someone ,and both fell on the floor because of heavy strong crush.

Massaging his temple in frustration and stings , Chen squinted his eyes to looks at the annoying culprit who only made him get late and hinder his suffocating plan before the ring of the bell ..

 

-" Oh god " soft shriek left the culprit, and it was girly whimpers, " im so sorry" 

Pulling his body up , jongdae wiped some dust on his clothes , he cursed mentally for the ironic and awful looks he looked .

 

He was close to  yell at her, even sh is girl, he didn't give , he was late and probably he will not be able to make it if he will not find that damn homework, but when his dark glare locked with her confused an bashful brown orbs, he found himself backing away and his palm tightly, he didn't know what day was it today or if he was doomed or his idiotic friend with wide beam jinxed his morning's peaceful routine.  why everything has to be so unbearably tangled front of his face today..??

 

-" I..m sorry"  Anna wasn't sure was she supposed to say, she was confused with his puzzled reaction, as if she was plague, monster or enemy, when she was only classmate, ordinary school mate, she was in pain too huffing in frustration and throbbing headache when she bumped on him vehemently, she was late to her English class and that rigid teacher can't be any helper at all.

 

-" Next time look where you move your feet" with those cold empty reply, Jongdae passed her like chilling breeze that send restless shiver down her spine, her curly strand swing at the swift rapid maneuver when his shoulder pushed her with no single word or apologized gaze.

 

-------*-------------

 

-" Silence please " three loud knock were heard on the class board, a towering handsome man , looking good with glasses and stick in his hand as if  he was guiding a sheep not teaching students, his thick eyes brows knitted together, and his brown hazy orbs narrowed , looking quite intimated and scary, the class  buzzing shuttled immediately you can't hear nothing but the outside environment where only the the branch of the trees swings back a forth and the soft far chat of other students in the school yard echoing in the now silent lifeless class.

-" Well" clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses in mighty lordly way 

 

-" We are close to the end of the final semester, and with upcoming of graduation events, i  strongly think you are all going to be get ready for the graduation ceremony " soft chuckle an whispers start buzzing around the class

 

-" I didn't finish speaking " half glaring an half smiling coldly, some students stopped whatever they were doing , with status-like pose only their eyes blinks an breath was heard indicating they were still present , an not desert class or worse ghostly Reunion.

 

- Okay, im going list certain names whom will be assigneed for the preparation of the event "

 

* Oh goad " audible groan were heard behind Kyungsoo, and he knew whom does it belong to, he only managed to send rueful smile to his huffing friend.

 

-" Kim jongdae ...Kim Jongdae" when he heard his name , Jongdae only wished for the earth to swallow him and just disappears.

 

-" Present" rise his hand reluctantly , an instant he dropped his head on his desk banging it several time , ignoring the stinging pain on his forehead, he just wasn't expecting all this will happen in just mere of few days, * oh my life* .

 

Because of his' dearest'  friends, he was called after the sudden absence of their class president , and because he was the most respected an less troublesome among his crazy classmates, they choose him as vice president without his consent or any explanation...

 

-" An lastly the president of class : Park Anna " as the mention of her name, jongdae stopped banging his heads and left it heavily with red spot on his forehead ignoring the muffled laugh of chanyeol ..

 

-" What" he shout exasperatedly forgetting that he was still in the class, his classmates and his teacher looked at him bewildered , he found himself stuck in seeking for escape or logical excuse 

 

-" I kicked him under the table, he was startled im so sorry, its my fault" bowing his head with slight shy smile , kyungsoo hoped that his stupid words will silent the scary stares of his tower-like teacher and shut down his classmates  puzzled  an gaping face.

 

And it did work eventually, the teacher was not interested in punishing any one at that moment cause he was pretty hurried , he rummaged his things and remind them about their next homework , leaving the class with heavy groan, and huffing sounds .

 

--------*---------

 

Only one week passed after that infuriated encounter (unwanted) with Anna, he wasn't ready yet to face anyone who belonged to his dark long-locked past.

 

since the present time wasn't in his side nor did the past.

 

 

But here she is now, close enough to hear her boring speech an her fake comments, with him , in the same school, the same class a even worse his class president * where was i living before all that * why wasn't i able to notice her annoying existence in my life , her name, her class position an her blurry unwanted presence in my daily life..*

 

Pulling his hair out of frustration an helplessness, jongdae huffed and kept staring into nowhere not paying attention to his happy-go-lucky freak friend.

 

-" We are going to graduate, isn't that great, we are growing up dude" slapping his raged friend shoulder quite painfully, chanyeol wasn't that ruffled from the other cold intimidate stare, he turn to play with his giraffe keychain.

 

-" Hey" d.o sighed ruefully rubbing comforting circle on his spacing- friend "don't make such big deal, you are vice president, that s all, an we aren't going to do that much, i don't even know why you hate her so much " 

 

Chen didn't found his rounded-eyed friend's words helping at , he pulled himself up and start collecting his books into his backpack , ready to live the hellhole, before she come an annoy the out of him, under the pretext of " managing the upcoming crucial events" or whatever ..

 

-" Hey chen..wait up" his friends rushed after him but he was already far away from their reach.

 

-" What are we going to do with him man? " chanyeol furrowed his eyes in attempt to look quiet anxious but his beaming eyes said otherwise

 

-" Idk ..i just__" d.o words were stuck half in his throat when anna approached them, he found himself swallowing hardly , and his cheeks painted with crimson shade , chanyeol tilted his head cutely to , cause he knew his friend childhood crush , long time before.

 

-" Hi guys"  Anna collecteD her breath , pulled a hair strand behind her ear, trying to look quiet steady after she found the class empty in seconds

 

-" Oh hi Anna " with wavy cheerful grin , chanyeol nudged his immobile bro urging him to speak up, but only his big rounded eyes blinked repeatedly 

-" h__hi Anna "

 

-" Do you when where i can find jondae ah, he left the class unknowingly quite earlier than usual i couldn't catch him up  " smiling bashfully, d.o couldn't find any approriprate words to say 

-" He run out  , i mean i guess he left us too here"  d.o didn't know if he should thank god or slap himself mentally for his quite blunt too-honest friend

-" Do you need anything, i can tell him  if you want" he managed to not stutter or blush darkly just to save his feeble dignity 

 

-" Oh"  Anna was bit annoyed an angry that he was irresponsible an indifferent about his position but she shrugged it off, she can do that by herself it can't be that big deal anyway..she informed them about brief details about the ceremony an left in promise to see him again an scold him face to face.

 

-------*----------

 

Another week ended quiet swiftly , and the graduate date is approaching soon yet Chen wasn't that prepared or happy about all this graduating thing.

 

His friends tried as much as they could, well more like only from one side, since that giant dork wasn't more squealing and spazzing about the whole show.

 

Kyungsoo felt bad for dragging his aloof , stoic friend into such boisterously arduous stuffs, but in the same time he couldn't deny the rushing beats of his heart whenever there was chance or heard her name floating among their rare an tense conversation.

 

Jongdae didn't come to school for couple of days after the wretched announcement, an he hoped the school council or their stern teacher to forget about him and just punish him or even kick him out of the whole ceremony, an just let him in wallow in peace, forgotten alone, better than stirred ambivalently beside her.

 

" Hey stop sulking, its makes you only looks ugly" 

" yaa" 

In the school hallway , chen was in the middle of switching his books an go back home, cause he was feeling nausea and didn't like the way that rounded- eyes boys staring at him quizzically.

 

-" Why are so persistent in convincing me anyway"  the way kyungsoo eyebrow twitched in confusion , made his instinct right,

 

-" Hey, kim jongdae wait " 

 

That voice, that name and those hurry footsteps made him stuck blank at his spot, he wanted to runaway, flee and just ignore that annoying creature behind him, but he was walking ahead, simply strolling like it wasn't freaking close enough to catch him but he wasn't sure why..

 

-" yaaaa kim jongdae"  * okay that s enough fooling around"

jongdae groaned loudly his hands, in attempts to just punish that stupid face of her who kept shouting his name in every part of their school hall away       * who the hell she think herself to "yaa" at me *

 

-" Stop there" panting heavily "STOP" , Anna  was about to pull his shoulder and face her but in the same time, he spanned swiftly causing both of them to glue to each other like one gum of piece.

 

Blinking rapidly and just starring dumbfound at each other, jongdae wasn't sure what made him so ( tied)like this, he felt his heart start beating furiously and his fisted palm start sweating, he tried to avoid those big sparking chocolate orbs but he was only met with parting petit rosy lips, and this only made him gulp and swallow his dry saliva like dying fish .

 

The same was happening to Anna , the only difference was that both her hands clinched tightly on each side of her blue skirt when he his bewitching lips , she only managed to gasp inwardly and feel her stomach leap.

 

-" hmm" soft cough left his rounded- eye friend and only then he remembered that he was in the middle of the hallway , with crowded students stooping by just to witness the awkward scene,* oh god what *

 

He backed away rapidly , almost knocking his friend in return, but he flexible enough to compose his somehow confused self and look unruffled front of her , who only blinked at him innocently with bit of pink shades in her cheeks, which made him smirk lightly .

 

-" Wht do you want ?" 

-"..." still under the unexpected spell-bump that made her in looks stupefied .

-" if there is nothing to say, then why the hell did you yell my name front of all __"  he kept his poker face with glaring eyes, but inside he was only shaking from the ious incident that his mind still replaying it too over, specially when he was so damn close to hear her soft heart' beats *stupid mind *

 

" ..y__yeah sorry just you weren't available in the couple weeks ago, and we had to prepare for the..."

 

" i don't want to do it " 

" WHAT?? "  both d.o & Anna startling sync, looking at his retreated figure, yes, he left both of them without a word , 

 

- "D_dont worry, i m going talk to him , everything will be fine, i promise" d.o half looked at her and half groaned , stepping away from her, with shy smile and waving hands to make sure she received his promising help , whom was staring ( unbelievably ) with gaping mouth and disappointed look.

 

----------*-----

 

Things wasn't getting any better, even after long night less with his dump friends, who only made him feel worse , and stupid for befriending such y friends

- I m not going to be part of  such stupid party, she can do perfect without my help anyway "

 

- "No, you need to go, you re the vice president "

- I m not, its my ing class who put me such hellish position, "

- Please why are making this hard for us 

- us ? , wht us are talking about its?  me who is going to sink in hell not you "

- We will going be there with you, "

- then you go, and help her or ,whatever, i don't care , i don't want see her face for good,

an for heaven sake why should i , just let be expelled , scolded or whatever "

- If you are not going , our friendship will be over 

- Wht the ...??

- You choose, or you lose , end of the conversation"

-" .."

 

 

Starring bewildering at the back of his heartless friends dragging chanyeol with him , chen pulled his hair in frustrations and slammed the door shut after they left his house in that awful night.

 

He knew that he was being child , acting immature when he refused he is new assignment , after all , there is nothing he is going to do but be representative of his class with her, yet he couldn't stand her existence in his life, he was blindfolded when she appeared in his life, oblivious about her well- loved and respect spot in the heart of his teacher and even his classmates, but what spilled the oil on the wounds, was his friend secret crush on her. when chanyeol whispered to him apologetically before he left his house, that he should considers his withdrawal and be more observant an pity toward his friend childhood love, he only responded with dry chuckle an roll of the eyes, cause he didn't believe him, it can't be , how life  can be so devil; not only that that girl come to his school an turn it his life into hell, she also stole his friend's heart worthlessly an effortlessly .

 

The past is the past, yet he can't erase the painful memories of those decay piercing incident, even if she was stranger to him from far, he knew that her father or accurately her step father, is he is his long  abhorred an cold father, who dumped them , ditched his mother, when they were suffering from bankrupt and decided to leave them under the pretext " i hate poor people " that only when the hidden scars opened up again and his mother witnessed his nasty dark mask, that he only married her for her money an not because he loved her, just for her.

 

She can't be the one to blame for, she is just the daughter of his father's lover , nothing else, he is not even her biological father to even pretend she is only full of cruelty and Stern from inside , all fake and pretends , 

 

But whenever her face brought back into his thoughtless mind, he found himself boiling in anger and hater, to just swipe her existence away from his life an just let him live peacefully.

 

However, his entourage, his friends is part of his life, and he cant just live peacefully if he is the one behind their sadness and silent disappointment that overshadows his friend phantom , when they passed him without a word. after all they were for him when life hardships burned him alive , they were the one whom held his hand to stand up an start again , they supported, cherished and cheered for him , an now it s not the right time to let them down as repay for their benevolent understanding an genuine concerns. 

 

-" okay, i will" 

 

Chen start taking a step ahead whenever his mind scolded him for replying her calls or answering her question, he didn't find convincing reason to why he should hate her, and his heart nodded for him, more like excited acknowledgement, cause he felt like he was going to pop out from  his chest specially when she smile endearingly front of him or when she called his name softly ..* my name sound differently , since when was i called like that" 

 

Like being possessed or magical) , jongdae found himself mirroring her gently beams, her audible laughs, an her annoyed huff with plain yet lucid grin , made his friendS stare at him worriedly and weirdly .

 

- " what is happening to him ? 

-" idk dude , he looks.....looks "

-" different" both of them nodded syc , even rubbing their chin in thoughtfully manner, just trying to decode their aloof friend's new an odd behavior.

 

---------*--------

 

The D-Day 

 

Everything went smoothly, no major problems or catastrophic incidents occurred , apart from the embarrassing incident when chanyeol childishly stepped on Anna's friend dress making her almost trip and fall on her face, but thank god , his long skinny legs helped him to catch her before witnessing a horrible downfall in the middle of the dance palled . he recovered but with hint of crimson on his cheeks when she held him closer instinctively as she panicked and imagined her humiliated downfall once again.

 

D.O the poor boy , was completely flustered with endless white light flashed on his face, making his white big eyes rounded in double, punching his stupid giraffe friend for making fun of his big  owl-like eyes, since he was the photographer of the party and all the graduation things, he didn't stop taking selca of himself or by dragging the shorter brown-haired  with him, only when chen glared at him, snatching the camera away from him, ignoring all the whinnying annoying voice he made.

 

He was tired , drained from all the preparation and responsibility on his shoulders that weighed him down , and  with stupid pink tie that his two idiots picked it for him, he felt more suffocating by the girly looking. he decide to go outside, to breath fresh air and relax  a bit, an to just forget for a while everything related to the sleepless world inside ,...

 

" Let me go " 

" oh come on sweet, don't be so ... "

" I m not your ing sweet , no let me go" 

Apparently , in the darkest corner of the palled , there was a couple argues, chen shrugged it off, another stupid headache wasn't good for his impatiently mind, his left foot tapped on the outside door but retreated when familiar whimper , cried out loud, in desperate for escape .

 

-" Let me go please" 

 

Chen didn't know where his  feet was dragging him, but his mind told me he was going to where he should be, an in second he found himself throwing fist into the boy cheeks, making  it bruised in the process and one another to his mouth stronger than the ious one. the other  dropped down hold his bleeding face Shockley , furiously, he was going to fight back who ever dared to ( spoil) his pretty face, but when he recognize the face front of him, he retreated back, almost wobbling , he is just junior he didn't want  to screw his future by the hand of his senior, he knew well than to play wrongly with well-respect sunbae of their school.

 

-" Are you okay ? " 

 

He wasn't sure if he asked the right question, cause palably the way her pale face where smeared with black tears, or how her puffy eyes and red nose , even it was quite cute to him, he felt quite angry and down , he bit he inside cheeks, in hopelessness, just to find the suitable words, the needs words to make her speak again .

 

" y___yes , thank,...you "  

Anna managed to utter a thankful replies, even her heart shivered terribly under his soft worried gaze, but she surmised because of wretched incident . she wasn't feeling her legs, only cold shivers and knots in her stomach where signs of her fragility an vulnerability a at hat moment in his eyes, but he was able to see through her soft gasp whenever she found herself lost in breath, her whimpers an broken silent cries, all was written in the almost audible heart beats, that felt like IT stop pounding against his fast beats.

He was burning from the inside, she was dread cold, he was sweating in the close contact she was shivering from head to toe in shock and anguish , he was in need for air to breath, and she was too, but not breath but to be able to sense the feeling of being sanely alive ...cause she felt like dying , like ending all of it.

 

" Do you need anything, im ..going bring you glass of wat___" 

-" NO...no just give me a second " 

Anna wasn't able to even lift her heavy head an look up at him, she only managed to mumble few words, in hope he listen to her an in hope her throbbing headache will lesson and the dizziness will go away.

 

Few seconds ended, but her dizziness apparently didn't cause, when she decided to stand up by herself , she only whimpered backward almost breaking her back, but he caught her swiftly bringing closer than before, he panicked and start thinking about a way or hand for help , but his generous friends are not around anyhow..

 

He groaned and pulled her hand around his neck and warping his other hands around her curvy waist and starting heading outside .

 

-" you need to rest, i m goingto  take you back home " with light nod , chen start the engine of his car, drove back to her home, ignoring the sweaty hands who slipped somehow on the driving wheel. in the corner of his eyes, she was resting her forehead with her left hand, her eyes were closed , but he knew she wasn't asleep, just trying back the endless drying tears..and pretend everything was okay , when it wasn't ..at all

 

The drive back to home , was silent, calmly silent yet everything from within was like out bursting / ragging volcano, his mind kept functioning in rapid way in thousand " what if" and " why", inner conflicts tied him down, made him hisses and hold tightly the drive wheel ..but he wished at that moments he could read her mind ....just hers...at that moment.

 

When they arrived, they were met with ghostly blackness, and restless coldness that even made him whimpers slightly from the uncomfortable quietness that surrounded the abundant an somehow luxurious house, he was about to leave but he wanted to meet her parent , just to not let them feel worried or panicked when they will see her in such gregarious stats.

 

-" i live alone " 

Her empty mumbles, made him froze , what did expect from the back, lifeless, cold house he went inside, nothing...

-"..."

-" thank you , for everything , if you want you can stay for while, and drink something"

-" ...no...im fine " he blinked and shocked his hear rapidly make his vision spin for while 

-" then....."

-" what about you, are you feeling any better now, do want anything, i can bring you something to eat or __" 

-" its okay " she smiled thankfully, for his concern, and the way he bluntly suggest a way to help her gets better

-"....if you need anything...just ..i dk " 

-" just a stay for while , if you want " sending mixed unread looks, chen couldn't digest exactly the words she uttered , he only nodded subconsciously and let her lead him to big fluffy sofa where he sat down....beside her

 

The tickling sounds, the swaying branches, the low chat coming from the tv, made the living room quite lighted an warm in cosy way.

 

the steady warm breath, the cold brushing slender fingers on his , the tickling feeling on his neck from her curly silky hair, the soft whimpers voiced out from her sleeping stats, made him smile and lean forward on the sofa ...it was late, past midnight 

 

It wasn't late...it will never be late..

Its wasn't cold...not anymore

Its wasn't empty...not anymore