The mysterious end of that season
I think, did I really love you?
Somewhere, all those times that we were together
I look back to those times, as if I could touch it, as if it was yesterday

My name is Lee Seung Gi, and this is the story of the eighteen years old me. I never thought that my life would change entirely forever. Some peolpe may look at me undifferently thinking what the hell with you!! Some are trying to figure out what could possibly have happened to change my life. Even now, forty years passed by. I still recall every little thing that occured when I was 18. People around aren't questionning anymore, they understand me, because just like them, she touched their lives and made even a slight little change to it. But me, who was more than anyone under the spell that only she can cast.

I'm fifty-eight years old now, but walking under the morning breeze bring lost memories of my eighteen back. Sometimes, I wish I could turn back time to erase every sad memory I have. But won't happy times also got deleted as well? I'm just carrying memories and live through them. Summer is coming to an end, letting in autumn with it's fresh air, and windy sky. As always, Masan is a wonderful town. Peolpe are getting back from a long morning, fishing in the sea. Farmers are taking a small rest from labouring. Slowly, time is moving back. I can see my wrinkles dissapearing, letting my skin be brighter, my feet are getting stronger, carrying me with ease toward the one place where it all started. That year is approaching me carrying my life that began and stopped, as the town changes back to the way it used to forty years ago.

It's early september when everything started, everyone was expecting chuseok excitedly, I was as usual the playfull me with my friends wandering around. When school ends, we head to the beatch. Masan is known for it's scenic beach, and since summer ends, we find it peaceful there, passing great moments with friends. Sometimes, each has a date and wants to enjoy youth, we always manage sneaking some soju bottles, we take our freedom to smoke, drink and do things we won't dare infront of elders. Cha Seung Won, our school's principal, also known as wooden and helpless ajhusshi, always keeps an eye on us on school. Â Our misery is joy for him. He is catholic, and always nags us about "god sees us, and can accept our regret as long as we stop being ignorants". When I was younger, I used to , calling him scarecrow, when he just ignored me, I threw stones on him. He hates me, just as much as I hate him. But the reason for his hate is me beeing my father's son. He never complained to my parents about my behaviour, he and my father have this long grudge they beheld before my grandfather passed away. I don't blame scarecrow, since my grandfather is the sneakiest businessman on earth, he made profit of poor farmers, making them labouring non stop promissing them a land. At first, scarecrow was one of my grandfather's close -if you can say- student. But discovering how dirty my grandfather is, he declared war against it. Even though my father isn't to be blamed for inheriting my grandfather, scarecrow thinks he could have giving those farmers their share. No one can deny the scary look scarecrow gives me each time we cross each other's path. Since I was young, me and my friends think that scarecrow doesn't undestand kids, nor teenagers, which is weird since the ajhusshi has a daughter of his own. She's our age, and many of us pitied her for having him as a father. Scarecrow has this habit of his of always putting a play for chrismas. There aren't many catholics here, but everyone enjoyed celebrating chrismas. That play is called "call of an angel", inexpectedly, it's a nice piece of art, only if he didn't played the same play each year.

Each moment, I think of you
That voice that quietly rang with a low tone
Even your resemblance to the spring sunlight
You always brightly shined on my day

Call of an angel is about a father who lost faith after his wife passed away leaving him in this world with a little daughter, looking at his daughter apologeticly for raising her alone. In chrismas evening, the daughter desires having a doll she have a picture of from a magazine. The father looking for his daughter doll, meets an angel. She takes the father to help a homeless, than visit an orphanage, and lastly, takes him near a water fountain and asks for his wish. the man asks for his wife back. The angel looks at him sadly and asks him to look through the water and tells him he'll see what he needs the most, there he sees his daughter playing and smiling. The man burst in tears as he gets what the angel wants to teach him. Quite a nice story, what makes it more emotional, is that it's taken from a true story, and everyone knew that before the first time they played it.

Go Ara, mostly known as scarcrow's daughter, doesn't carry her father's first name, and we always doubt she is his true daughter. She never forget to smile widely to anyone who cross her path and greet him politely with a 90° bow. No doubt, all the elders love her, even my parents are found of her. Ara was offered the role of the angel in the play, and no one had suspected otherwise.

I had the choice between art seance or History, the later is my worst enemy while the first sounds like an enjoyable life. Our school has as many girl as boys, but my art seance was filled with only girls. Only two guys were there, first me and the second, the school's nerd Kang Ji Kang, known as bigbag thanks to his overweight. I was happy for my choice "Girls, wait for me!!".
Our teacher annoced that Ara was going to play the angel, she clapped her hands alone, and it took us a moment to realise she was waiting for us to clap our hands. "Greet your classmate Ara!!" Ara stood up and bowed to us and smiled.

Even though me and Ara attended the same school since elementary, and once we shared the same desk and talked about this and that. We never were close, nor addressed each others outside.

Don't think Ara is ugly, She's far from it, But I never thought she was beautiful, She is skinny, has a long brown hair, and eyes I swear I've never seen much prettier than hers, hazzel that warmed any heart. But she was a person who cared more about the beauty of soul. From what I remember, she always had her hair tied in a bun, not even slight make-up, with her eternal cardigan and long skirt. Each year with my friends, we put a bet about her evolving even a little, to our dissapoinement, she never did.

Did I mention she has a special personnality too? She never slept over at her friends, we don't even think she has friends. Never once she was spotted on our secret parties, or group outing in beatch. I would swear she also never dated. Who would date her? If it wasn't for her look and personnality, than her father, scarecrow will scare the hell out of anyone who dares getting close to his daughter.

Not only this, she is a dutiful person who never fails offering her help to annyone, saying it's her duty. She always volunteer in charity work and in this time of the year, she's out there posing piggy banks in each store for the orphanage. She is the type who would pull out weeds from your garden without you asking, stopping the circulation and assisting kids in crossing. Besides her, everyone seemed guilthy. I can't stop feeling guilthy each time my gaze meet hers for no reason. She's not only assisting humans, she's used to carrying injured cats or dogs or any animal and take it to the veterinary, even the doctor there is used to her appearance helding a small animal pleading him to save it.

Each moment, I think of you
That voice that quietly rang with a low tone
Even your resemblance to the spring sunlight
Even the small memories are still so clear

What really annoys me about her, is her cheerfull mood. Whatever happens, and no matter how bad it is, she keeps wearing her smile. I can swear she never talked badly of anyone, even to me and my friends who never failed in making fun of her, she greets us with a smile in each encounter. Sometimes we question if she's not from another planet. No wonder all the elders are found of her.

  - She is such a nice girl! They all say.

It's a long hour of art lesson, little did I knew about it, just that it brings me to tears, don't be confused, they are tears of anoyance and boredom. I wondered why the moment my eyes met Ara's and she smiled warmly at me, my heart flattered, I immediatly shook the idea out of my head.

Moon Chae Won, my first love, also, my ex girlfriend dumped me for Song Joon ki. I acknowlege the guy is damn good looking, he has a smile that melt girls, and he's a sweet talker. The kind any girl would kill for, well a guy that knows how to enjoy life too since he's a huge playboy. Chae Won dumped me a week before chuseok. I unexpectedly found myself partnerless -if the word exists. Ahn Jae Hyun, my bestfriend since ever, also a flower boy that girls adore, tried hard finding me a date among his girlfriend Lee Ji Eun -or how she's called IU- friends. But it's already late. All the good girls were taken. I was struck by reality, since I don't have much experience with girls as I had one past relationship, and thanks to my good marks. I'm not quite popular as Jae Hyun or Joon Ki. And going to the town's fancy party alone meant the end of me, I'll just be called Jae Hyun's puppy. There is no way I'm going there alone. I asked all kind of girls, even noonas. Unfortunately, all were taken except for the one no one desired "Go Ara". Rumors in school stated that "Seung Gi and Ji Kang don't have partners .... LOOSERS". I don't think I've ever told you about Kang Ji Kang. The school number one nerd. If his appearance wasn't enough for him : fat, short, big red buttons on the face, stutter with every word, and if he only stopped there. He spits with every letter that escapes his mouth. The rumors said also Go Ara as usual had no partner. But unlike Ji Kang, they all linked it to her father, no one dared approaching his precious daughter.

I have one choice now, either accepting my defeat or inviting Go Ara. Both choices .

  - You still don't have a partner. 

Ahn Jae Hyun said with a smirk, seemingly enjoying my misery. I shot him a death glare and calmed myself trying to sound honest. 

- I'm working on it. Don't worry. 

He looked at me with an evil smile, he knows me too well.

I swear I couldn't sleep at night, I was trying to balance each option's advantages, I thought about Kang Ji Kang, he must want to escape the looser's title, and as me he could have heard that Ara is available. Trust me when I say no girl desires this guy I mean it to 99.99% the 0.01% left would be Go Ara, She's so nice that she would accept to please him, and even listen to all his membling and support his spitting. Knowing that, I couldn't drop my eyes close. It's sure, tomorrow first morning, I'm going to invite Go Ara as my partner.

Unusualy, I end up half an hour early at school. I looked for Ara everywhere, but just faced the window looking at the school gate, waiting for her arrival. I didn't notice the teacher entering the class untill he called my name, asking me to take my seat. I glanced toward Ara's seat, it's empty. She used to miss class, but only to head to the orphanage to lecture the orphans and entertain them. The teachers granted only her the absence ability, and no it doesn't have to do with her father -who is righteous. They were sure, she's missing class for a good cause. I waited eagerly for classes to end. The minute the bell rang, I run to Go Ara's house. I took every possible short cut and arrived after fiftheen minutes. I waited few seconds to calm my breathing, and calming myself. I knocked on the door and a few minutes Ara opened the door, not aware of the surprise guest. For the first time I saw how Ara looked like in casual clothes, her hair was caught in a low ponytail, which was not an everyday's happening. And for the first time she looked like normal highschool girl. And I thought if she took care of her appearance, she would be the prettiest girl in town, I shook my head remembering what brought me here. and Ara smiled warmely to me.

  - Goodmorning Lee Seung Gi, what a pleasure to see you here.

  - Goodmorning Ara, how have you been?

  - Good thank you, and you? 

  - Good good. You went to the orphanage today?

 I tried initiating a conversation. She wasn't comfortable with the question.

  - No, I went to hospital for a check up. 

She looked down a little bit sad.

  - And are you okay?

  - Never been better. 

She gave me a weak smile, and I sensed something wasn't right.

  - I was wondering . I start talking and looked up at me. Can I talk to you for few minutes? I was embarrassed about my next move, and it was clear for her I was nervous.

  - Yes, sure. I'm sorry my father isn't home yet so I can't let you in. How about we sit on the bench. Let me bring you a lemonade. 

I had the image of my friends passing by, seeing me enjoying a conversation with Go Ara, I started regretting my doing, but hey .. let's get out of this with the least damages possible.

 - I won't take long, there's no way to disturb yourself. 

I faked my reason, and hoped she just drops the matter.

  - It's okay for me, I won't take long. 

Ara, as the kind girl she is, acted genuinely.

  - Really I'm fine. I just want ... You see I was wondering if you are willing being my partner to the town's chuseok celebration. 

My face turned red, I could feel my temperature increasing, and I was nervous, but was sure of her response.

  - I would love being your partner Lee Seung Gi.

She smiled at me.

  - But promise me one thing. 

I looked at her confused. 

  - Anything. 

I silently prayed she won't exige something too hard.

 - Promise me you won't fall in love with me! 

My jaw dropped.

I understood she was jocking, seeing her laughing, I laughed along as I gave her my word.

The mysterious end of that season
I think, did I really love you?
Somewhere, all those times that we were together
I look back to those times, as if I could touch it, as if it was yesterday

I was imagining the celebration in my head. Even thought elders and youngsters, well everyone joined, but we highschoolers organized a little party not so far from the big one. After enjoying food with elders, we head there in couples, and enjoy our youth with dancing and drinking. Since it's a traditional party, we are supposed to wear hanbok, but we, the guys, much prefered going in a tux, while girls got for themeselves dresses. I was worried about Ara's outfit. What if she shows up in a hanbok? The thought frightened me, and I was thankful those remaining four days, Jae Hyun didn't pity me. He was too buzy with his own date IU.

Finaly, the awaited day arrive. I am supposed to drove by Ara's house half an hour before. Scarecrow wants to talk to me "man to man". I really hoped the man won't talk to me about and stuff. I would rather die than listening to him lecturing me. 

I prepared myself, took a long shower, wore my new tux and drove to scarecrow's house with my mother's car. I calmed myself down than knocked on the door. I waited long enough to be more and more nervous. I heard him behind the door "coming" his voice send shivers down my body. After another minute the door opened, and I recognized the figure standing next to me. He was so close that for the first time I saw that he was quite a good looking ajhusshi. He's a bit taller than me, and I was really influenced by him. I gulped as I looked at him in the eyes.

  - Good evening director. I tried hiding my shame. I'm here to take Ara.

  - Sure, I just need to talk to you before that.

  - Yes sir, that's why I'm here earlier. 

I tried sounding serious and mature.

  - Come in. 

I followed after him.

At school,