"JD Sunbaenim? Annyeong haseyo."

Daeun automatically clasps her compact powder close and stuffs it into her bag due to the surprise.

"Annyeong haseyo," Daeun replies the smile as nice as she can.

"It's been so long since the last time we saw Sunbaenim. How are you?"

"I'm fine. How about you two?"

"We're fine, Sunbaenim. Thanks for asking."

They're engrossed in a short chit-chat about nothing much important ―just a formality, isn't it?― and Daeun sighs in relief when her two hoobaes finally leave. She's almost caught applying make-up in a toilet stall. She can't be that obvious. Oh, she's ruining herself already.

When Daeun was (still) in high school, she was an exemplary student. She always wore uniform and solid black sneakers neatly, had her (not dyed) hair tied tidily, and stayed bare-faced without make-up at school. It's weird when she realizes she's already free from those rules, but she must get used to it.

Make-up was her foe, but she learned that her bare face wasn't that pretty to flaunt. She's a girl, after all. She's aware that from now on, she needs to at least look good. She isn't as pretty as those girls out there, thus make-up becomes her frenemy. Bye-bye to nerdy look. Today, people should know that Jung Daeun can be pretty too.

As soon as she's done reapplying compact powder on her face, she walks out the toilet and heads straight to the city library. It feels weird walking in such hour without wearing her uniform, but she must get used to it.

 

1 unread message from 정일훈

 

I've arrived. Where you at, JD? 10:43

 

Daeun rolls her eyes when she reads the text. She arrived fifteen minutes earlier and Ilhoon was fifteen minutes late, for your information. Daeun scans for Ilhoon's face, and it doesn't take long to find him in the sea of people and books.

Daeun waves her hands, "Ilhoon-ah!"

"Ah! JD is here!" Ilhoon beams. "Where were you?"

"I bought us milk then went to the toilet," Daeun secretly hands him a carton of milk. "Sure you can study here? Come on. It's too crowded. Many students are preparing for their test."

Ilhoon looks around. Daeun's right. It's not only Jung Ilhoon who needs to study; the other students have the urge too.

"You're right. What about the school park?"

"Are you sure?"

The two Jung walk to the empty Seunghwa High School and head straight to the park. Since there's no desk but bleachers, they just settle there. Sitting on a batch and using the higher one as a table, Ilhoon keeps writing and writing and Daeun keeps eating the breads he gave her.

"I can do this... I can do this..." Ilhoon scratches the wrong formula he wrote and grabs another clean piece of paper

Autumn breeze blow fiercely piercing their skin but Ilhoon feels like there's not enough air to breathe. He's frustrated. Daeun doesn't know what's wrong with this boy in front of her, asking for her extra tutorials in a cold day like this in the open space.

"Ilhoon-ah, don't wreck your brain too much," Daeun snorts. "Here, eat this. Drink, drink."

Daeun stuffs a piece of bread ―rather forcefully― into Ilhoon's mouth and makes him choke. She ―again, forcefully― makes him drink his remaining milk but he chokes even more.

"Hwak!" Ilhoon gulps the whole piece of bread with so much effort. "JD-ya, you'll be the death of me."

"No," Daeun coolly denies. "Come on. This will be the death of you. Is this your equation?"

Daeun may not be extremely smart but she's good with numbers and anything that comes to memorizing formulas. She grabs a new piece of paper and with the help of Ilhoon's pen, she finishes the long equation within a minute as she keeps explaining the right steps, how to combine formulas, when to use which one, and the shortcuts to typical equations.

"You got it from here?"

"Hmm."

Ilhoon nods as he takes back his pen and copies Daeun's whole equation on another paper. Daeun knows well that Ilhoon has this style of copying right notes to help him memorize better because to him, only reading them is useless. That's why Ilhoon has so many papers in his bag.

Daeun and Ilhoon might not be the closest kind of friends, but Ilhoon often comes to her to ask for help or to simply talk to her when he's lonely. She knows Ilhoon hangs around her just because she appears so bubbly at times, but she never blames him. She knows many people come to her because of that reason. She should be blamed too, for revealing only her positive side to him.

Oh Lord, I can't watch him killing himself like this. Our friends are spending leisure days sleeping in home but he lacks of sleep because of this.

"Jung Ilhoon," Daeun softly calls out not to distract his focus.

Ilhoon keeps writing without turning to her, "Hmm?"

"You should pass the test, okay?"

"Of course I should," Ilhoon is still not turning to her. "Hwanho is the best university. I should get accepted."

"This favor is not for free," Daeun quickly says.

Ilhoon pauses for a second before finally facing Daeun with a questioning look.

"This is not for free. As the price, you should be accepted in Hwanho."

Ilhoon blinks twice. He was thinking that she might want him to treat her pizza for the whole month or that kind of stuff. This is surely far from his expectation, but he feels relieved. Not because he mustn't spend his money on her, but because she actually cares. She must be too fab to pour it into words.

"Thank you, JD-ya," Ilhoon beams. "I don't know if it's not you."

Daeun laughs, "Come on. I'm helping you because we both are Jung."

Come on. Daeun's helping Ilhoon because he's a friend. She has this soft spot to everybody around to her and whatever it takes for them, she's unconditional. Ilhoon knows well. He used to take (a little) advantage of her by ordering her around during Seunghwa Spring Carnival last year. But at times like this, he realizes that a friend like her is hard to find. She's not even a special friend to him, but she's helping him through this all.

Ilhoon's smile grows even wider, "Still. Thank you."

Still, Ilhoon treats Daeun after that to show his gratitude. They don't know whether it's a lunch since it's too early or whether it's a brunch because it's too late. After that, he says he wants to find more books to study in the city library. She really wants to hold him back because he needs to recess. The -headed Jung Ilhoon says no and does what he wants, so the -headed Jung Daeun is left alone in the café and does nothing.

"JD-ya!"

It's nice that her schoolmates show up there. She really hates spending time alone. Heo Youngji the giant baby and the loud (not-literally-as-loud-as-Daeun) Kim Joomi come with smart- Shin Dongho, and the silent-mode-all-day Ji Hansol wordlessly joins them not so long after.

"You look different today, JD-ya," Joomi says out of the blue. "I think it's your eyes."

"It is," Daeun nods, not trying to hide the obvious. "I'm wearing eyeliner on my upper lids today."

"Ah... So that's why."

Daeun, somewhat, feels weird after revealing the little trivia about her look today. They ―the girls― might be grown enough to wear such make-ups but Daeun seems to be the only obvious one. Sure, the other girls are most likely wearing needed amount of compact powder and lipbalm but Daeun's sole eyeliner seems to stand out.

"Let's say, you girls are gonna wear make-up in college, right?" Dongho asks.

"No... I don't feel like it," Joomi disagrees.

"I know you, Joomi-ya. But if JD here can wear eyeliner, you'll at least make use of some lipstick, won't you?"

Daeun glares at Dongho. Why does she have to be put in the picture?

"Of course..." Joomi trails off unsurely.

"For a guy, you know too much," Youngji shakes her head.

Dongho raises his shoulders innocently and Hansol lightly chuckles, quite amused watching Dongho trying to 'flirt' with the boyish girls (Daeun and Joomi) in a very 'weird' way.

Dongho fails, Hansol shakes his head. His words will just end there.

"JD-ya," Dongho turns to Daeun. "I see these girls in Hongdae with cute eyeliners. Some with eyeliners on the lower lids, the cat-eye style, even the smoky style. They look rea~ally pretty. Won't you try―"

"Surprisingly, I know how to apply different eyeliner styles like that, Dongho-ya, but I'm not gonna wear heavy eyeliners today," Daeun shakes her head. "There's no need for it." She turns to Joomi on her left, "What about you, Joomi-ya? I can draw you pretty eyeliners there."

Joomi bolts her eyes in disagreement, "No, no, no, thanks. Don't dare to touch me with that thing."

Daeun only purses her lips shut and raises her hands in the air.

"What's this―"

Daeun quickly turns to her right and finds Youngji already digging deep into her handbag, unexpectedly discovering her secret make-up bag. Youngji is already holding Daeun's lipgloss in her left hand and Daeun's eyebrow pencil and eyeliner in her right hand. Daeun panics and snatches everything away from Youngji's hands, quickly shoving them back to her handbag.

"No, Kid, don't touch my bag," Daeun warns coldly.

"Sorry... I was just curious..." Youngji murmurs.

"Aigoo... Our JD has changed a lot," Dongho teases. "I'm glad you're finally behaving like a girl. All the make-up and stuffs... Where has boyish JD gone?"

"Shin Dongho, speak again and I'll shove my eyeliners into your mouth. This is no joke."

"Ya... I just started liking the new JD. Why is the old JD coming back?"

"Shin Dongho!"

"Dongho-ya, shut up," Hansol finally says.

이혜리 just started a conversation with Daeun A. Jung

 

Why'd Lee Hyeri chat with me me?

 

Omo JD~~! Congrats~ ^^

I'm also accepted in psychology department

so we'll see each other often >< 09:23

 

Realization finally hits Daeun's senses. She forgot that she took an early college admission ―or most likely, she succeeded forgetting it― and the result was supposed to be announced yesterday. Hyeri sent her some screencaptures of her result and Daeun's. Daeun can find her name there, in the list.

Congratulations, you're accepted in Hyunhee University.

Daeun doesn't know what to do when she reads her name on the list. She doesn't know whether she should be happy because she got accepted or whether she should be sad because that means bye-bye to her longtime USA dream.

Winter is about to leave and 2013 just began, but Daeun feels like nothing in her life changes. Nothing does. The snow outside her house eventually melts and disappears, but her inner self stays a frost. Frankly to say, her life is in a 'freeze mode'. Everyday is the same old day, just like broken records keep playing over. It's like she's locked up, but she's not driven insane yet.

Nothing changes, but sure there are differences. She mustn't wear uniforms anymore, she begins wearing make-up when it's necessary (thus whenever she has to step out of her house's gates), she will turn 20, and she's already enrolled in a university. Those are differences, not changes. Maybe, the significant difference is, she's enrolled in the second best public university in town. She might not be the smartest student, but sure she is a smart one. She studied in the best middle school and the best high school, but she doesn't consider being enrolled in Hyunhee as a downfall.

Then what?

Whatever. Just be thankful that you have a few days-off, Daeun Jung.

"Noona...!"

Daeun's younger brother noisily runs down the stairs. Daeun is too occupied in writing another blog post on her phone and she doesn't bother to answer him.

"Noo―" Junhong sighs when he sees his elder sister turning her back to him. "Noo~na~a~aa~!"

Euigoo.

That's supposed to be cute, but Daeun really hates it whenever Junhong unnecessarily spells the last syllable longer on purpose. That sounds super annoying to her ears, only because of his voice. Junhong does have this baby face that kill older females he sees, but his height betrays his face and his voice. With that superb height, that can make him considered as a grown-up, he shouldn't put on cute attempts. Daeun won't buy it.

"Noo~oo~naa~a~a~"

Daeun throws her phone to the table. If their mother was home and she saw that, Daeun would be dead meat right away.

"Now what?"

Junhong sports an ear-to-ear grin as he sits on the couch next to Daeun and hugs a pillow.

"Make me kimchi fried rice."

What? He's hungry, in this hour?

What Junhong wants is what Junhong gets. When it comes to his elder siblings, he doesn't need to say 'please'.

"Not saying 'please', huh?"

The two behave like siblings, but their bond is surely a love-hate one.

Daeun doesn't care whatever Junhong is doing while he's waiting for her (meal). She just cooks the kimchi fried rice and once she's done, she brings everything to the living room. They don't have any dining table but they have a spacious living room so they usually eat there on the floor. The family never ―yes, never― have meal altogether so a dining table will be just a waste of money and space in the house.

"Jun-ah! Get us some cokes!"

While Junhong is away to get them drinks, Daeun takes the remote and changes the channel.

"Ya~ Nanaa~ Why did you change the channel?"

"Just shut up. I cooked you kimchi fried rice so it's fair if I took control of the TV in return."

Junhong pouts but as soon as Daeun shoves fried rice into his mouth, he just shuts up and quietly continues eating. It's nice for Daeun since Junhong usually speaks a lot while eating, and she's too lazy to answer his random chitchats. He's too hungry to think of anything else. She realizes that she is just as hungry as well when she can't help but add another scoop of rice into her bowl.

Two hungry kittens.

The sound of TV is muffled by the two kittens' noisy slurps. Junhong is relieved that Daeun cooked a plenty of fried rice because he's still so hungry.

Beeb beep.

Junhong turns to the phone on the table. That's not his. That's Daeun.

"Dan Noona," Junhong calls, "your phone."

Daeun's phone beeps and the screen flashes an inbox notification. It's been a week since I got a text, she thinks. She quickly reaches out to it and when she reads the sender's contact, she chokes. Out of million people in the world, the most unexpected...

 

1 unread message from 오세훈

 

Daeun won't say it but reading his name boosts her mood already.

"Noonaa, who's that~?"

"Oh Sehun," she puts her phone on the floor and just stares at it like an idiot.

"That friend you used to talk about?" Junhong recalls. "Answer it," he pokes his sister with his chopsticks. "Umma's not here to scold you for texting while eating."

Daeun really is a great actress and good at keeping her heart hidden. Even Junhong doesn't know that this Sehun was once her ex-boyfriend and she still has feelings for him. Or maybe her younger brother was just plainly naive, because her elder brother eventually found out.

Daeun snorts, "She's not here to scold you for talking while eating either."

"Just reply his text~" Junhong says as he nods to Daeun's phone. "What if it's important?"

"Euigoo... Why are you pulling out so much aegyo today..." Daeun mumbles. "Okay, okay, give me a sec."

Daeun neatly puts her bowl on the floor as she swipes her screen unlocked.

 

Danni, are you busy? 16:48

 

After reading the text, she folds her knees to her chest. She types a reply with furrowed eyebrows. It's weird. Usually Daeun is the first to text Sehun when she is bored but Sehun doesn't really do the same.

 

16:49 Why are you even asking?

I'm just wondering if you're busy studying.

Wait, you don't need to. You didn't study

when you topped the Sooneung trial -...-  16:51

Come on, Sehun .-. Can we call it quit?

I topped once but you topped thrice (w 'A')w

We won't be rivals anyway -_- You might be

studying but I'm done with my notes.

16:52 Gotta make time to burn down the books (/ o)/

Okay, that's not the point -_- Are you busy

or not? Let's hang out 16:54

I'm surprised that you asked to hang out

16:55 with me :O What are you up to?

I'm up to... you :" So, tomorrow? Perle

Bubbletea 16:58

Fine. But let's have lunch before bubbleteas.

16:59 I'm craving for burgers '-')b

Fine. Keep your wallet safe. My treat. There's

this movie I wanna watch and there's no way

I'm going alone --" 17:02

"Over here!"

Again, it's Sehun's glorious height that leads Daeun the way. Not his voice. Daeun tucks a wild strain of her hair behind her ear and dusts off her long sleeves. If it's not for Sehun, she won't abandon her baggy style and wears this girly shirt. Funny, she even painted her nails turquoise for today's so-called hangout.

As if Sehun's gonna notice. I bet he won't even notice my eyeliner.

"Annyeong, Sehun-ie," Daeun sits across Sehun and drops her sling bag on the table.

Sehun leans closer to her. "You're wearing eyeliner today?" he asks surprisingly.

Daeun bolts her eyes and tips her glasses. "Is it that evident? I'm only wearing eyeliner on my upper lids today, and I'm wearing glasses too."

"I'm not wearing my glasses today but I can see you clear."

Daeun quietly puts her glasses back on and quickly changes the topic. "Are you really gonna treat me? Lunch and movie?"

Sehun laughs until his eyes slant beneath his bangs. His newly long bangs cover his upper face and Daeun wonders if he's going to keep his hair that long. He looks really adorable with this hairstyle rather than the short haircut he had during high school. By the way, she can't believe high school finally ends.

"Isn't it a custom that when people go out eating together, the elder always pays the bills?" Sehun asks back. "We grow up with that kind of customs, Daeun-ie."

Daeun narrows her eyes to him. "If you know those customs, why don't you start calling me Noona like my dongsaeng? That's a custom too."

"Ne... You're the noona in this friendship we share," Sehun jokes. "I should've called you Danni Noona, then."

Sehun's innocent words never fail to jab Daeun's heart right there. He is totally right, she is the noona in the friendship they share. She's always the one taking care of him and looking after him. She's always the one listening to his naggings and complaining about her bad lucks to him. She's 33 days older than him, too.

So this is friendship. To him, I am a noona. Oh Lord, Daeun Jung, it's always been that clear right from the start. It's just another broken record playing over.

"Kidding, kidding," Sehun laughs even harder. "I'll really treat you," he hands her a chocolate bubbletea. "There's something for us to commemorate, you know."

Daeun clearly remembers that there is nothing special to celebrate today. It's not the birthday of any of them and nothing occurred on this date years or months earlier. Sehun tilts his head aside, smiles, and blinks cutely to her.

Daeun sips at her bubbletea. "What is it?"

Sehun tilts his head to the other side and blinks even more. He jolts his lower lip out and gives Daeun why-don't-you-get-it stare. Apparently, she's still not getting it. She only gets that Oh Sehun was born to be a cutie pie.

Okay, wrong focus.

"Oh Sehun, come on," Daeun almost nags. "Shoot the breeze."

Sehun faces Daeun with a straightened face before smiling again and bows his head to her.

"Annyeong haseyo~ Oh Sehun imnida!" Sehun beams. "Nice to meet you! We'll be classmates, again, so please look after me~"

What the hell? Is this happening? Are you trying to say that I'll be trapped in the same box with you for the next four years?

"Da-Danni-ya, why are you glaring at me with eyes open wide like that? T-that's scary..."

Daeun palms her face and shakes her head. This can't be happening. Just like Seunghwa Fall Festival 2012 case, one of the reasons why she applied to Hyunhee was to avoid him.

"You said you wanted to apply to Hwanho. Why did you change your mind?"

Sehun is obviously confused. That's not a respond he expects from Daeun. She doesn't look angry or disappointed, but she displays a weird surprised expression.

"My records aren't great this lately. That can't help me to get accepted. Like, seriously, this is Hwanho University we're talking about. Being just good isn't enough to be there, we must be at least great," Sehun explained. "I don't wanna fail my soo-shi and retry with jeong-shi. What is I fail the soo-neung? I don't wanna end up being a jaesuseng,"

Out of all people, out of all places, why do I end up in the same place with the people I try to run away from? Why are we interested in the same major? It's not that he knew I filled 'Hyunhee University' in my soo-shi right? And how could he know that I'm also accepted?

"I know you were having the same dilemma about your grade books. We've also discussed about our same major preference," Sehun shoots. "I'm positive that we're both accepted at Hyunhee. Come on, Danni, we'll be studying in the same place again," he innocently smiles. "Now, give me five."

Sehun raises his palms in the air but Daeun doesn't accept his invitation. She has this displeased poker face on, making him feel like an idiot.

"Look! Jay-Hun is here!" a boy shouts loudly from afar.

Daeun and Sehun can't fail to notice the voice. Nah-nah. Daeun palms her face once again and massages her forehead. Here comes trouble, and his name is Ahn Daniel. Niel is Daeun's schoolmate in Seunghwa, but he happened to know Sehun because they both went to the same summer camp in Germany.

Out of all time, why does Niel have to be here now?

"Or is it Dee-Hun? Se-Dee? Se-eun? Da-hun?" Niel walks to their table. "Aigo, there are so many couple names for the two of you."

"Mwo-hae... What are you talking about?" Sehun shrugs uneasily.

"Ey..." Niel chuckles, "I'm friends with you two. I know a thing or two," he teases.

Daeun weakly smiles to Niel, but she's mentally throwing sharp ice daggers to him. Her smile says 'hi', but her eyes say 'just ing stop it and get away'.

"I'm accepted at Hyunhee too, anyway," Niel reveals. "We're all taking the same major, aren't we?"

Daeun already knows that she was competing with Niel to get accepted at that major in Hyunhee, but it turns out that she's accepted along with him. She should've seen this coming.

Me, my ex, and All-Around Gossip Boy. Taking the same major. Wow, ing great.

"That's all I'm saying. I must see my friends over there. Bye bye."

"Bye," Daeun breathes out.

Sehun and Daeun exchange blank gazes as soon as Niel leaves. This is one of Daeun's misfortunes, really.

"Ehm," Daeun awkwardly clears . "Um... So, how is Yookyung?"

Sehun snaps his head to face her with an annoyed look as his wordless protest. "Why are you asking about her?"

Daeun has no idea why and how Hong Yookyung pops into her brain either. This is totally a wrong move.

"Come on, I," Daeun massages her temple, "I'm just curious. I've never got to meet her in person."

"She's good," Sehun unenthusiastically answers, "maybe. She didn't apply any soo-si but she's still going to hagwon so I think she's taking jeong-shi to Hwanho."

"I see..." Daeun nodded.

Switching back to his bouncy self, Sehun raised his palms in the air. "You haven't given me five."

Daeun remembers that she is still displeased by the fact that she'll have to spend more years with him so she just deadpans.

"You," Daeun calls out. "Don't you wanna be straight, Sehun-ah?"

Sehun takes his hands back and clasps them. He doesn't look mad although this is a topic he doesn't like to discuss at the moment. "I wish I could. I've done anything. But according to the information I browsed on internet, homouality can't be just cured like some kind of disease."

"You should keep trying," Daeun pushes her point harder against him. "Didn't you tell me that you used to have a crush on Soojung and you once asked her out?"

Sehun pouts and plays with the bubbletea cup in his hand. He remembers that.

"That was in middle school, before I noticed my actual orientation. What I felt for Soojung might be just admiration because I saw perfection of a female in her. You know, like when you see a beautiful painting and you say you love it, as a work of art of course. That time, I was still accustomed to the norm that boys are meant to pair up with girls, so I thought admiring a beauty meant loving her."

So, Sehun's definition of a perfect girl is Jung Soojung. But even if Daeun tries to be like Soojung as similar as possible, nothing's going to change. Sehun will never look at her that way.

"The crazy thing is, you've dated three girls so far even when you're not interested in them," Daeun says, "And a boy."

Sehun cracks a smile. That does sound crazy.

"You're right," Sehun chuckles. "The first relationship I've ever had was with Kang Seulgi."

And my first was with you.

"You told me that only lasted for a week, or three days?" Daeun laughs. "That's horrible."

"She had this clingy personality," Sehun complains. "I don't like that."

Then how do you call me, for sticking around you like this, Oh Sehun?

"The second was with you. We were freshmen that time," Sehun recounts bluntly. "Silly. I forgot how we could start that relationship."

"Yeah," Daeun chuckles darkly, keeping her unaffected façade. "It wasn't real, anyway. Nothing can be remembered."

I can remember the three months I called you my boyfriend in front of my friends.

"Then Yookyung, before I got Yoongyoong."

Daeun laughs hard and claps her hands in amusement. "I bet the list will be as long as The Great Wall of China once you start college."

Sehun is a pretty boy. There are so many girls having a crush on him, and probably some boys too. Too bad he's too oblivious to people's feelings, even to somebody as close as Daeun.

 

 

*Soo-shi: early decision plans for college

*Jeong-shi: regular college admissions

*Soo-neung: College Scholastic Ability Test in Korea that can only be taken once a year and requires intensive studying

*Jaesusaeng: students who perform below their expectations on the test and choose to defer college entrance for a year to try to achieve higher score on another attempt

*Hag-won: private study institutes to take extra courses outside school

―thanks to Wikipedia for the information―

---

 

"Thanks for the ride!" Daeun says.

"Yehet!" Sehun grins. "Thanks for going out with me too. It was fun."

Sehun drops Daeun at a bus-stop near her house because Daeun can't risk bringing him to her house. Did Daeun mention that she has an overprotective mother? Ah, right. Choi Sunghee doesn't even let her only daughter off above 9 pm so we all get the cue of her protective level. Daeun looks at her black G-schock watch and finds that it's quarter to nine.

Euigoo... Thank God, Umma's not home till 11.

Daeun walks a step ahead then abruptly stops.

Then why didn't I just ask him to drop me in front of my house? Euigoo.

Daeun massages her forehead before taking another step ahead. She hasn't left the bus-stop yet when her phone rings. She absentmindedly digs into her pocket and takes out her phone. She continues walking as she unlocks the screen and reads the inbox notification.

 

1 unread message from 백예린

 

"Oh, it's just Baek Yeri― YERIN-AH?!" Daeun squeals all of a sudden. "Euigoo, this kid! Where has she been?"

Daeun brightly skips on her way home and excitedly types her reply. She really misses her fangirling pal, Baek Yerin. Yerin is a student of Youngnam Middle School, where Daeun and Sehun studied, but she entered right after Daeun graduated. They met in a hagwon and since the two are TVXQ's fangirls, they became close friends despite of the 3-years .

 

Danni Unni! How you doing? 20:52

20:54 hol up wait up a sec is this baek yerin o.O

heol -,- yes unni~ 20:55

WTF YERINNAA YOU TEXT ME JUST NOW??!

JUST SAYING 'HOW YOU DOING'?!! (w 'A')w

ASDFGHJKL I FREAKING MISS YOU LIKE DAMN

20:56 YOU LITTLE BRAT WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!

I MISS YOU TOO JD UNNI ;_;

Sorry for just reaching out to you, I've been

studying A LOT like crazy T~T Of course your

schedule is free, you succeeded soo-shi ;____; 20:57

I failed my test to continue to Seunghwa, but

thank God I'm accepted at Seunghee High.

Sorry for not being a good hoobae(?) 20:58

Thank God Yerinnaaaa <3 {}

Whatever blasts you makes me happy too :"

Don't be like that Yerinna~

20:59 What do you mean, not being a good hoobae ._.

Ne ^^ At least I made it to a good school

SEUNGHWA ISN'T EVERYTHING(?) :* 21:00

Never mind, forget it~ 21:00

It is not everything indeed, Yerinna,

USA ISN'T EVERYTHING EITHER RIGHT,

21:01 I'm enrolled in Hyunhee now :*

Just get through it, who knows maybe you'll get

to continue to a greater college or you'll get an

amazing steady job in the future compared to

those kids who study in Seunghwa right? Just

because you're in Seunghee doesn't mean you

21:03 can't be A LOT better than Seunghwa kids (/ o)/

AAMEEEN ({}) 21:05

21:06 YOU'LL BE FINE KID. FIGHTING (9 'o')9

I will ^^

Aiyoo Hyunhee student~ Why don't you

treat me to celebrate it Unni? 21:07

You were gone for long, you should be the one

21:08 treating me -__- Pizza might do

 

"Euigoo... Bwahahaha..."

The conversation goes longer and longer and they begin talking random irrational stuffs. Daeun is having a stomachache due to laughing too much that she doesn't realize her mother is already standing in front of the door.

"Euigoo..." Sunghee impatiently crosses her arms before her chest. "My daughter is having so much fun, ne?"

Daeun bolts her eyes due to the surprise and looks up to see her mother's furious face. "Umma―"

"Get. in," Sunghee puts her hands on her hips. "Now, Andrea."

Daeun quietly walks into her house with Sunghee's angry stare boring to her skull.

"You told Stephen that you'd be home at 7, but what time is it now?"

Okay, Junhong's English name is Stephen, but that's not the point.

"Umma, I can explain―"

"You know I can't let you go out at night. I didn't raise you, my only daughter, to be some cheap naughty girl who loves to wander around streets in the middle of the night," Sunghee blurts out.

"Umma..."

"And I can't tolerate people who break promises," Sunghee adds.

Sunghee must've bugged Junhong to tell her where the hell Daeun went.

"I didn't promise anything," Daeun explains. "He just asked me when I'd be back so I said it'd be probably around 7."

"If you said it would be at 7, then it should be at 7, Andrea," Sunghee emphasizes. "How many times did I tell you? You still don't understand," she shakes her head. "There's no other way. You're grounded."

"Ne?!" Daeun bolts her eyes. "But, Umma, tomorrow is my graduation and―"

"We'll still attend the graduation ceremony, but you can't go anywhere with your friends after. You'll be home straight with me, Andrew, and Stephen. I can't let you go out with your friends after that or else you'll be off the hook again."

What Sunghee says is solid, and what she says is her children's command. Daeun weakly nods before she walks upstairs to her room, not wanting to sleep with Junhong in the boys' two-storey bunk bed.

Great. Now Daeun's grounded because of Sehun and for God's sake, the night after graduation is her last prom as a Seunghwa High student. She just bought brand new heels with her grandmother yesterday, and they even bought a beautiful dress last summer, but she'll never get to look pretty in them. She can't even cry over it.

Forget it. I don't have a date for the prom anyway.

Daeun takes off her shirt, leaving her in a tank top, and throws herself onto the bed. She's so going to oversleep until 9 in the morning.

Beep beep.

Daeun lazily takes her phone and once she reads the notification, she literally jumps off her cozy bed.

 

Mark Tuan just started a conversation with Daeun A. Jung

 

Why Mark, out of nowhere?

 

danniii... congrats for getting accepted at

Hyunhee High. just keep your swag on, ok?

be a good kid, and good luck there :) 21:55

 

At first Daeun wonders why Mark wants to chat with her in the middle of the night, but then she remembers that Mark is no longer here and the time difference between South Korea and USA is about 13 to 16 hours. It must be early in the morning to him.

So he hops off his bed, I'm crawling to mine. Euigoo. Trying to figure out the time zone is making me crazy.

That's not the question. Question is, why and how did Mark found out?

 

so everybody already found out before I did ._.

21:56 how could you find out .-.

ehehe thx anyway >< Idk what to do but

21:57 wish me all the best ok?

I was just curious bout your soo-shi okay?

once again, congrats Danni :) 21:59

it's rarely happening, somebody being curious

about me :V aaaaand you never look like you

care bout me. you never replied my tweets -.-

sooo you're not sick or something when you

decided to text me huh? are you on your right

22:00 mind? ><

hahaha you know what, it took me quite

awhile to find your name in the ing

long list. you should be honored that I

made an effort to get that information! 22:05

and you know what, I forgot that I took

soo-shi lol. I can't believe you really went

thru the list. I mean, the list was asdfghjkl .-.

seems like you got too many time to waste.

is it because you're lonely? confirmed! after

years passed by, Mark Tuan is still single,

22:07 ladies and gentlemen~

hahaha the hell is wrong with you. ok

Danni I regret what I just did, going thru

the list and spending my time texting you

like sh..........it. real . 22:09

aww, only sensitive loners can get mad

that easily ahaha it's nice that I only said

you're lonely and single, not in your PMS

22:10 mode >O< *throw glitters to the sky*

hahaha... I'm not lonely because of being

single, I'm just too tired to mingle lol

*applause to myself* PMS stands for

Persistent, Manly yet modest Syndrome

doesn't it??? I know, Danni, I know... 22:15

wtf? I really wanna throw my 5-inch heels

to your face but hmm my heels are too

22:16 pretty hmm what do I do hmm

oh seriously, you're gonna need to travel

thousand miles just to aim your goddamn

heels right at my flawless face. hahaha

I WON!! good luck with that, gotta get back

on a date with my anatomy books 22:21

ok fine yeah go ahead and study your

off *ugh* being a medical student

ain't easy right *ugh* *gulp my heels

22:22 down my throat* I'M OUT BYE!

yeah right wait..

                   

COOOOOONGGGGRAAAATTTTTTTSSSS

DAAAAAANNNNNNNIIIIIIIII.......!!!!!!!

                   

*just in case you didn't notice it before 22:24

*brb sending a packet of TNB to Mr.

22:25 Mark Tuan's mansion*

 

Mark is no longer replying her, which means he is really getting back on a date with his anatomy books. Daeun finds herself smiling for no reason. She's soon absorbed in a melancholic thought and she recalls the moments she had with Mark when he was still around her. Mark Tuan was one of the best-est friends Daeun could ever have ―and to her, he still is. Unfortunately, Mark had to go back to the place where he was born and leave her (them all) here.

Daeun missed the days when they were little. They were so young, but they always acted like they were big enough to face the world by themselves. They always believed that although they were kids, they would always be just fine. There was nothing they couldn't do and everything would go as the way they wanted it to ―that's the daring yet innocent faith they shared. She missed the days when she shared her thoughts with him and he shared his secrets to her.

To be honest, Mark, I really miss you and your endless babblings. You're hella one talkative dude.

If only Mark is still chatting with her, Daeun will definitely type that.

Daeun once loved Mark so much, much more than she loved herself. Every time she went to church, she'd pray that he'd always be healthy and happy. She asked God to always make Mark laugh because of her. She always wished he'd get the best scores the day before he faced his final exam. His name was always in her prayers, after she mentioned her parents and her brothers. The only one that little innocent Daeun saw in her future romance was him. Her feelings to him taught her so much, and she experienced too much. But as an unconditional kid she was, the feeling of loving someone was timidity and she was too afraid to look deeper into her heart by herself. Why? Because being loved back wasn't even a part of her plan. She was sincere, and she wanted nothing in return.

Only until a new definition of love came into her life.

But since when was the world fair?

Mark is destined to be her friend, not her lover, not even her love. Jung Daeun, Mark Tuan, Oh Sehun, Jung Soojung, Lee Taemin, and Kang Jiyoung were born to be friends. Daeun eventually fell for Mark, but her two besties happened to have a crush on the same boy. None of them could have him. Reasons began separating their ways, but Soojung ended up getting more attention from Mark since they had a bunch of things in common. Soojung's and Mark's friendship lasted longer than the ones Daeun had with Mark, Jiyoung, or even Soojung. It was Time that helped Daeun to forget her feelings to Mark, but forgetting their friendship was like erasing herself. She couldn't ― she just can't.

Soojung was always busy with her boyfriend Jongin and her bestfriend Mark, Jiyoung never said hi to her anymore because they grew with different point of views, Taemin was running to pursue his lifetime dreams, Mark was too engrossed in studying to even reply her texts, what if Sehun turned away too?

Daeun was only left with Sehun. She taught herself to fix herself by rubbing out every trace of Mark from her heart. She grew closer with Sehun as the time passed by, and she realized that he might be her second chance. Sehun was Daeun's rebound, but she bounced too deep into him. She fell into the same situation, for the second time. She couldn't love someone who was supposed to remain her friend.

What could be worse? No one returned her love, and no friend returned to her. She doesn't want to lose anymore, because she'll have none left.

Daeun... Only Sehun is left. She's still breathing him when she wants him out, although she already found their truth in a faint hope of doubt. It's the same broken record playing over, again and again.

Beep beep.

Daeun's maddening meditation ends right there.

 

Daniel Ahn invited Daeun A. Jung to join Hyunhee Univ's IR '13.

 

Euigoo...

A lot of things happened today.

 

[AN] Hi! Clou is in the house, yo~ Sorry this is unedited, I'll fix this next time

Introducing Jun-ah a.k.a Junhong, Daeun-ie's little brother~ I'll reveal the eldest of the three siblings soon... or later? ㅋㅋㅋ

Come here~ Welcome to Niel ^^ and Mark ♥ *brb throw myself to Mark*

The reason why I wrote about Daeun tutoring Ilhoon is to elaborate her unconditional character. She doesn't appear as a girl with soft personality, but sure she has soft feelings. Bear in mind, she's going to be unconditional throughout the story. She isn't a weak person, I know well that I can't write a weak character, but her being unconditional will impact a lot in this story.

Choi Sunghee is S.E.S's Bada. Aren't you guys curious about why Sunghee called her children with English names? I am~

I don't know how it works in Korea but I read once about direct admissions by Korean universities. Students can either participate either in soo-shi or jeong-shi and they'll have to take soo-neung that is held annually. Korean university admissions evaluate college scholastic ability tests, student's grade books, and university-regulated examinations. I don't know if that just works in private universities or that also happens in public universities, but let's just assume it like what I read .-. From what I read, education system in Korea isn't much different than in Indonesia.

I live in Indonesia and here, all public colleges give early admissions (but not directly, all students can participate). The students must compete against each other using their school reports, and it is a tight competition. Mostly, we compete against our own schoolmates instead of students from other schools. School reputation, individual ranking, grade books, national exam result, additional prestigious certificates, everything was seriously considered. Or, maybe it's luck. If you don't pass this stage, you must study A LOT harder for one more month and take the national entrance exam (which is held only once a year). Many bright students ―surprisingly― don't pass early admissions, but that doesn't mean you can rely on your luck when you rank really bad. I don't know whether I was just lucky or my reports + certificates were satisfying enough, because I got accepted at the best public university in town. Thank God I made it through the early admission. And I chose a real nerve-wrecking major (w 'o')w I wanted to enroll in University of Indonesia or Gadjah Mada University at first (I heard that there's an exchange program to Seoul National University there asdfghjkl bye bye SNU), but my parents were strongly against it. I don't even know why I'm explaining this lol please bear this.

Anyway, thank God I'm staying in this town -_- I have plenty tike to waste (/ o)/ I don't wanna be sent to my grandparents' homelands for God's sake how will I survive there ;A; 으이구~ *JD mode* My seniors told me that we'll be able to have leisure times during the first semester so rest assured I will finish this due to the deadline '-')9

XOX, C (/ 'o' \)