Candy Hearts
[Hongki {FT Island} x Ariana {OC}]

I had an addiction. I loved when Valentine’s Day was coming. Why? The boxes filled with yummy treats of course! I knew for a fact that I would be buying them for myself. There weren’t guys at my school that would buy me candy for Valentine’s Day. I was happy being single though. I had my close friends to be there for me. Though this Valentine’s Day… I had a feeling I would be spending it alone. Just think, you have a week before Valentine’s Day! Maybe you’ll find a nice guy who’ll just go out that night with you as friends for dinner!I cheered myself up over that, since I had a distinct feeling in my gut. I just seemed to know that none of my friends would be free Valentine’s Day.

I was sitting in my last class of the day, waiting for the bell to ring so that I could leave and get the weekend over with. We were doing a reading from our one book until the end of class and I was just staring at my book in boredom. Another reason that I didn’t exactly like this class was because I was seated next to one of the most popular guys in school. Now don’t get me wrong. He’s nice and all… but I didn’t like making a big scene out of every little thing, and that always seemed to happen around him.

“You haven’t turned a single page in our reading for the past ten minutes Ariana,” he whispered to me. I jumped a little and looked at him in surprise. I was curious as to why he’d been watching me. Just as I was going to open my mouth to ask him the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. He smiled at me and then stood up so that he could shove everything into his book bag quickly. He walked off when he heard some of his guy friends out in the hall and the next thing I knew, I was in the classroom by myself.

When have I ever gotten so distracted by oppa that I don’t finish getting ready to leave?I shook my head and cleared my thoughts so I could get everything and leave before my bus left without me. I stood up and put one of the straps of my backpack over my shoulder when I noticed that he had left something behind on his desk. He left behind a small box of Candy Hearts? Why would he forget something that yummy?

I looked at the box and decided to pick it up and take it with me. Why would I let something good like that go to waste? It obviously would go to waste because when the janitors would go through the rooms they would just throw it out without a second thought. I opened the small box as I left the room and put two fingers in to pull out the first heart. I always made sure to read the first one before just randomly eating the rest without reading the messages. I looked at the small hearts I grabbed curiously and my eyes widened at the message made from the multiple hearts.

‘Your lover is closer to you than you ever thought possible’

I ate them quickly and thought I felt a pair of eyes on me, watching me as I walked out of the school building. I noticed the time and realized that my bus wouldn’t be coming for me. It had come and gone already. Now I had two options… I could walk home or I could call my parents and explain to them why I would need a ride home. They’d probably make me walk home. I looked at the box of Candy Hearts that was in my hand and decided to just start walking home; it should only take an hour to get there. My school wasn’t far from my house luckily. I started the trek home and that’s when I heard a car engine start in the school parking lot. Has someone been watching me?

I get freaked out easily… get paranoid easily. I turned and saw the car drive past quickly and then turn a corner and disappear. Guess they weren’t following me… *phew*. I continued to eat the Candy Hearts as I walked home and felt the time pass slowly until I finally stopped in front of my house. I walked in, expecting the worst because of how late I was, when I realized my parents’ cars weren’t in the driveway. Not here yet? YES!!! I rushed in and went to my room so I could escape the real world and go to my kpop escape.

One week later~

I walked into the school building slowly. I didn’t want to be reminded that it was Valentine’s Day. People who knew me in school knew I didn’t partake in the festivities that the students loved doing. I would watch from the sidelines, wondering if I would ever find a guy who would make me want to do silly things like the other students did. Though I hoped that no one, no one, would find out that I had a small gift for someone. I knew that if anyone found out, I’d never be able to live it down. My friends would pick on me about it and would never let me forget it.

That’s simply because I always joked about how they acted when it came to Valentine’s Day. I walked through the crowded halls and felt a single pair of eyes follow me as I walked around. I looked over my shoulder and saw my oppa from my last period class staring right at me. He looked like he was hunting. His stare was so serious, so concentrated, that I didn’t know what to do. Our eyes connected for a second and then I saw his face contort into a look of pure happiness. A wide smile settled onto his features and I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. I turned away and walked faster towards my homeroom when I felt myself pulled back sharply. I almost fell to the ground when I felt a hand settle onto my arm and pull me up so I was on my feet. I looked up into the face of my oppa and smiled back at him when he smiled brightly at me.

“Good morning Ariana-sshi!” he looked positively glowing while smiling.Since when have I ever thought about oppa like that?!?! I shook my head and thought I saw a look of disappointment flash across his features.

“What is it that you want oppa?” I said lightly. I looked at him as he smiled yet again at me and then suddenly turned away.

“I’ll see you at last period Ariana-sshi.” He said. He smirked at me as he looked over his shoulder at me and then he disappeared into the crowd. I turned and walked quickly to my homeroom, ignoring the murmurs that followed me through the halls. I sat down and just stared ahead, willing the day to pass quickly so that I could leave the present and then get out of school.

A few hours later~

I was watching the clock yet again. I was sitting next to my oppa yet again and tried to figure out when it would be a good time to give him his present. I kept looking at the clock, willing time to move faster so that I could just get this day done and over with. I figured he already got so many gifts that he would just turn mine down. I was sort of even hoping he would just flat out refuse it. I knew he wouldn’t do that though. I decided finally that I would do what he always did with the boxes of Candy Hearts. When it would be time to leave, I would get up and ‘leave’ the box there at my desk, walking away fast enough so that he would just pick it up himself and possibly keep it.

The bell rang and I stood up sharply after the teacher dismissed us. I darted out of the room and when I was out in the middle of the hallway I realized I forgot about the box. I grabbed my backpack and kept walking when I realized the box had fallen out of my backpack. Hopefully it fell out in the classroom near oppa’s desk. I kept walking and reached the bus stop fairly quickly. Everyone was talking and exchanging gifts in the hallways, leaving outside wide open and empty. I sighed in relief when I sat down on the bench and fell into a comfortable silence by myself. Then I thought I felt a pair of eyes land on me. I have got to be crazy. No one else is out here!

“Ariana-sshi!” I looked up in shock and stood up quickly then turned to see my oppa running at me. I turned away when I felt my cheeks start burning up. What is he doing?! I tried to sit down when I felt his hands grab at my arms and pull me up to stand in front of him.

“Why did you leave so quickly?” he questioned me, panting from the running he did to catch up. “And by the way,” he said slowly, “you dropped this at your desk.” I felt him pushing the box of Candy Hearts at me and I pushed them back at him.

“Keep them oppa,” I said quietly. He looked at me in shock and then a smile slowly crept across his face. I was looking at the ground, at my feet to be exact, and didn’t see his expression. I looked up when I felt the box of Candy Hearts being pushed at me and I looked up at him quickly.

“I said you could keep it Hongki-oppa!” I snapped. He smiled wider and I looked down to see another box of Candy Hearts being pushed at me. I took them from him and realized something then. I didn’t want to exactly believe it though. Instead I worked on opening the box of Candy Hearts so I could eat a few of them. I felt Hongki-oppa watching me in delight and I was curious as to why he was watching me and not leaving to hang out with his friends.

The box kept giving me trouble and I was ready to give up when Hongki-oppa put his hands on top of mine and helped me open the box carefully. After helping me I felt my blush turn an even deeper shade of red and I shook some of the Candy Hearts out of the box and into my awaiting hand. Hongki-oppa was still in front of me, watching me silently as I poured out the Candy Hearts. That’s when I felt something land on my hand that wasn’t a Candy Heart. I looked down and dropped the box of left over Candy Hearts in surprise.

I saw a cute silver band resting in my palm surrounded by the Candy Hearts. I looked up at Hongki-oppa with a questioning look and all he did was smile and shoot me a victory sign. I saw a flash of silver and noticed he had a matching silver band on his ring finger.

“Couple rings….?” I questioned quietly. I looked at his face and saw him looking at me with a hopeful expression. “Couple rings, Hongki-oppa?” I asked again. He nodded and I watched as he went to grab the band from my hand. When he got it I watched as he grabbed one of my hands in his own.

“Ariana,” he said slowly, “will you go out with me?” I looked at him in shock. I thought he had been joking about the bands being couple rings. That’s when everything clicked. I’ve always loved Candy Hearts the most. They’re my favorite candy. He must’ve realized that after Valentine’s Day…. last year. So he waited that long to get my attention…? I looked at him and he saw the confusion in my eyes. He grabbed a Candy Heart out of my hand and held it up to my line of sight.

“These little Candy Hearts are going to help me win your heart,” he said with determination. He ate the Candy Heart and then pulled me closer to him and kissed me. My eyes opened in shock and I felt him pull me closer so that I subconsciously moaned at his action, allowing my lips to open. When that second passed, Hongki-oppa pushed the Candy Heart into my mouth and slowed the kiss, pulling away slowly until our foreheads were touching. He stared into my eyes and I stared back, suddenly realized I wanted to give this relationship a shot.

I felt him grab my hand and go to put the ring on my right ring finger but he stopped and looked at me.

“Will you be my Candy Heart, Ariana?” he asked quietly.

“Of course Hongki-oppa.” I felt him push the ring onto my finger and he pulled me in for another kiss. Then I felt another Candy Heart get pushed between my lips. No wonder Candy Hearts have always been my favorite.