The first few days after JR left, it was really hard to get used to him not being there. The first week I kept forgetting it. I found myself going to his room and then get disappointed when I remembered he wouldn’t be there. It’s weird actually. I mean I saw him at school and we didn’t go back home together, still I expected him to be there. It just shows how much I wished for it I guess. But slowly I realized that no matter how much I hoped for it, it wouldn’t happen. He was gone. I was just happy I got to see him every day at school and meet during the weekend. But eventually even that was taken away from me. Shortly after we started our senior year, JR got into a fight with someone who provoked me and he was expelled. After that I wasn’t able to see him very often, because my parents wanted me to focus on school during my last year. Even though we haven’t broken up or lost contact with each other, I feel like we’ve grown a bit apart during the last year. Something that happens naturally when you don’t see each other very often. Especially since we were used to seeing each other every day before. I also fear what’s gonna happen when we graduate. Where will he go? Will he attend college like me? If yes then which college? If no then what will he do?

All these questions and yet I can’t get myself to ask him. I guess I’m afraid of the answers. I don’t want us to go in two very different directions that will just bring us further apart. I don’t want to lose him. I want to stop time so I won’t have to face these fears, but I can’t do that. Eventually high school graduation has come upon me and I have to go to the next stage of my life. Time waits for no one. So here I stand in front of the school I’ve attended for the past three years. Beside me are Minhyun, Ren and Baekho who also graduate this year. Aron, who graduated last year, has come to congratulate us along with our parents. He’s going to America to study in a month, so he didn’t want to miss this. He stayed with my family after he graduated and has worked for the past year to “get some money of his own” as he put it. Not using all his parents’ money must mean he has grown up a bit.

JR’s graduating today too. I wonder how it went for him and what he’s doing right now. Did he just go home or is he celebrating with his family? He probably just wanted to get it over with so he could go home. He doesn’t have much relation to that school and his classmates anyway. Though I’ve heard he was popular with the girls over there as well. Not that it bothers me, because he probably treated them as rudely as he treated the girls here. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

My mom suggests that we go out and eat and she invites Minhyun + his parents and Aron along. Everyone agrees and just as we’re about to leave I hear someone calling my name. I tense up by the sound of that voice. It sounds like… but it couldn’t be. I slowly turn around and against all odds, I see JR standing a few meters away from me. Our eyes meet and I can’t believe he’s here. He starts towards me and I want to walk towards him as well, but I just can’t get my feet to move. He stops as he reaches me and we just look at each other for a few seconds. Even though I’m really happy to see him, I can’t help but wonder what he’s doing here. Yet I can’t get myself to ask, and luckily I don’t have to.

“I came to see you,” he says and he looks like he’s stating the obvious, “there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

I suddenly have a really bad feeling and my heart starts beating faster. Could it be that he came here to… break up with me? Has he had enough? Has he found someone else? Does he just not like me anymore?

I guess my fear must have shown on my face, ‘cause JR takes one of my hands.

“I’m not here to end things with you,” he reassures me and I calm down a bit, “but it might be something just as serious.”

Is he trying to toy with me? Making me scared, then calm me down just to freak me out again. Has it become a hobby of his now?

A sly smile threatens to take over his face, but he tries to keep the serious expression.

“I know that you’re going to attend a college here in Seoul and I wondered what exactly I wanted to do while we were apart. And being apart just made me realize that I can’t do that. I need to be with you. So that’s why I applied to the same college as you and I got in.”

I stare at him for a few seconds while the information sinks in. And then it finally hits me.

“We’re gonna attend the same college?” I ask and he nods, “so we’re gonna see each other every day?”

“Technically not,” he says and I look at him confused, “since we don’t have the same major and I decided to begin participating in boxing competitions, so I’ll be busy with that.”

I can’t help but feel disappointed. I’m really happy that we’re gonna attend the same college, but in the end we still won’t see much of each other.

“Which is why…” JR continues and this time he doesn’t try to hide his smile, “I want to find a small apartment and live there with you.”

My eyes widen and I look at him in disbelief. Live together?! But… can we really do that? I knew JR wanted to get his own place, but I never considered that I could live with him. The possibility never crossed my mind so his proposal takes me completely by surprise. And yet, the idea doesn’t exactly repellent me. Though I never thought about it, I know what I want. Like JR, I don’t have to think much about it, because I already know what I’ll say. So I smile at him and give his hand a gentle squeeze.

“I’ll follow you wherever you go.”