For the past month, Jongdae had been following Bomi everywhere she goes – outside her house, on the way to school, on the hallways, in the canteen, in the supermarket, in the mall, in the park – which meant a total pain in the heart for Bomi. He had also become such a nuissance that people misunderstood her as a man-hater for always being rude and hot tempered when he’s around. He’s the first boy they’ve ever seen who literallly shows his affection for her. If only they knew of the two’s past, then the students would definitely understand her unimaginable hatred towards him. If they knew how much time she’d wasted for him, just to be dumped by him. She never thought of how little faith he had on their relationship. She was too consumed in love that even she, a detailed observer, underestimated the boy who chose a girl his family wanted him to marry in the future.

The only time she escapes from the disguting grins and unbearable stares he showered her almost everyday was when he walks her home yet stops 2 yards from the gate of her house. Back when they were still girlfriend and boyfriend, her home was like his second home, and her parents were like his second parents. They were legal and that close. But, eventually, all things come to an end which meant that after the breakup, he never stepped near their house again. He assumed that no parent would still like a boy for shattering their precious daughter’s heart into microscopic pieces. Of course, Bomi knows the way he thinks. She felt the force of her heart, pushing her to say, “My parents don’t hate you.” But why would she say that?

Also, there would be a time she felt a need for fresh air inside her room, and so she would venture out in the night. Jongdae wouldn’t appear then. He did not know of her little adventures below the dim sky. Glad of this assurance, one particular Saturday night, she sneaked out of the house. She carefully closed the gates to avoid clinking noises.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

A pleasant voice frightened her. She searched for the owner – still in place – only to find darkness surrounded her. She was under a light post; a spotlight just for her.

“Who’s there?”

Hiding the tremble in her was easy. A human form emerged from the shadows. He grinned from ear to ear, making him look like the chesire cat from Alice in Wonderland. Bomi would’ve been creeped out. She’s not. Jongdae mateiralized in front of her in no time. She calculated the possibility of this being a dream. Jongdae looked too real, and too close for that matter. He looked into her eyes, which resulted to her forceful push on his chest to lessen her nerves.

“Why are you here?” The sight of him near her house made her anxious.

“A source told me that you usually do this at Saturday nights.” He calmly told her.

Bomi’s jaw dropped in shock.

“You’re really pushing this stalking thing, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” he answered as if it was an ordinary thing to do. “And I won’t stop till I get what I want.”

She scoffed at his selfish remark. “Since when did you become such a douchebag, Kim Jongdae?”

“Oh, wait a minute. You already were since you left me just to get engaged with a girl your family favors more.”

Jongdae wanted to explain his actions but even he found himself unreasonable and stupid. He sighed instead.

“Go back to your fiance,” Bomi angrily says this to him. “I don’t want her to feel the same way I did because of you.”

“I don’t love her, Yoon Bomi.”

I know that, Bomi wanted to answer. Yet you still chose her, she thought.

“Bbom!”

*****

Jinyoung awoke in the middle of the night because of thirst. He went downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of water. After that, he felt the urge to pee but the only bathrooms in the house are in the master bedroom where his uncle and aunt were sleeping, and his noona’s room upstairs. He had no choice but to choose the one upstairs because he didn’t want to disturb his uncle and aunt.

He planned to sneak in her room and finish his business quietly. He twisted the doorknob carefully and opened the door to her room.

“She really doesn’t lock her door.” He whispered.

He entered inside with light steps. If she wakes up only to find him in her room, he will really get punished. Funny thing was, she wasn’t in her bed.

“Huh? Where is she?” He asked himself.

She wasn’t inside the bathroom either.

Downstairs, her coat disappeared from the rack and her favorite pair of shoes were gone. He tried calling her on the phone but there’s no answer.

“I am so dead if auntie finds out about this!”

He grabbed his coat and went outside the house. Upon hearing voices, he rushed past the gate to see where it came from. The voice’s owner may be hers. True enough, he saw her a few feet away.

He started to run to her and called after her.

“Bbom!”

Then he realized the back of a man in front of Bomi.

*****

Jinyoung’s shout surprised Bomi momentarily but she turned her head back to Jongdae who never took his eyes from her. He didn’t falter by another guy’s sudden appearance. He didn’t. Inside though, jelousness and possesiveness took over him.

Bomi was expecting him to ask who the guy was but he didn’t.

“I don’t love her. I love you, Bomi.”

She kept silent. She sighed in frustration and avoided his eyes. By then, Jinyoung stood by her side with a worried expression.

“Who is he?” Jinyoung asked her in confusion. He felt the tension between the two. From the looks of it, they’ve been in a heated situation for a while now.

She answered him vaguely, “Nobody.”

Jongdae didn’t like her answer. He didn’t like the proximity between her and his friend(?) in front of him.

“Bomi, you still love me, right?” He did not know why as he was saying that, he put on a smug expression in his face.

Bomi glared at him in response. Jinyoung only stood there – his eyebrows met and he was stopping himself from punching the guy in the face.

“You love me, Yoon Bomi.” Jongdae repeated it again in a serious tone.

“You… ing ,” she cursed him with every ounce of hatred she could muster. “Do you really think that after all this time I’d still hang on to you? You think I’d be able to forgive you? Sorry, but I’d rather die in an accident than feel that way.”

Jongdae couldn’t speak. For the first time in his life, he never thought she would really feel this much rage towards him.

“Yah, Yoon Bomi!” Jinyoung scolded her for her last statement.

Bomi felt too much pain and anger that she didn’t even hear Jinyoung.

“Don’t ever come near me again. Don’t follow me around, in school and after school. Or else, I’ll report you for invation of privacy.”

*****

For the past month, many things have happened in Jinyoung’s class. He confronted Baekhyun the same day he found him talking to Son Naeun after class. Son naeun had long gone by then so he wasn’t able to talk to the two of them. Baekhyun admitted the truth that he knew Son Naeun. He asked how, but he only gave a vague answer, “Just by coincidence. We attended the same painting seminar before.” He didn’t answer any questions after that.

Because of this, Baekhyun invited Son Naeun over lunch once after english class, and Jinyoung could not belive he didn’t even ask for his opinion. At his peripheral vision, he saw her looking at him and rejected Baekhyun’s offer right away by shaking her head.

That wasn’t all that happened.

After severel days of knowing that Baekhyun and Naeun know each other, one Saturday afternoon Baekhyun brought Son Naeun with him over to his house without Jinyoung’s knowledge. He opened the door with such a cheerful expression until he accidentally cursed when he saw Son Naeun on the doorstep. He and Baekhyun planned on studying but instead of focusing on his notes, he stole glances from Naeun who was on the other side of the table with Baekhyun.

His curiousness grew and grew and grew.

Those occasions with Son Naeun became more frequent even inside school. Students in his class ask him about her – more like she and Baekhyun – which annoyed the hell out of him because he couldn’t say anything of worth than, “I don’t really know her that well. Might as well ask Baek about it.” His classmates wouldn’t believe him when he was saying the truth.

 

And then, that happened.

Her noona, and that night. He had always admired her for her brightness and pleasant personality. It’s hard not to be fond of her.

Ever since she became a senior though, she turned dimmer and dimmer. He did not like the sight of it. Like she was slowly disappearing in the dark. He did not like the thought of it. His most important person in the world; his light, and that man. Unacceptable.

Why had life become interesting?

*****

“Baekhyun, is Jinyoung here?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll go get him. Please come in first.”

“Thank you, Baekhyun.”

Bomi sat on the couch while patiently waiting for Jinyoung. Baekhyun lived together with Jinyoung for quite a while now. They’ve become good friends. That’s why Baekhyun’s parents didn’t mind Jinyoung staying with him. Originally, Baekhyun lived with his parents. But because of work, his parents transferred to his grandfather’s house in the States.

“Damn, why do you reek of alcohol?”

Bomi heard Baekhyun’s voice upstairs. He must’ve forgotten she was there. Wait, is he talking to Jinyoung? She thought.

“UGHHHH…” Jinyoung grunted.

“You drank four bottles?” Baekhyun shouted.

“Oh my goodness,” Bomi couldn’t help but say.

Baekhyun heard her and sighed in worry for Jinyoung.

After several minutes, with the help of Baekhyun’s assistance, Jinyoung was able to arrive at the living room with no casualties. Baekhyun laid him down on the long couch and left to make some coffee for Jinyoung.

“Aigoo, Jinyoung-ah.” Bomi shook her head by the sight of wasted Jinyoung.

Jinyoung wasn’t still himself. His eyes were shut tight and he kept saying inaudible things. Bomi went over to him, sitting in an indian position. She pulled out her phone and filmed him to use the video for the future. She stifled a laugh because Jinyoung laughed and he looked like an idiot.

“Bomi noona,” he said. Before Bomi could respond, he pulled her in his arms and hugged her so tight she barely had room to breathe.

She felt uncomfortable because her face was on his chest. Good thing he was wearing something.

“Please don’t cry,” he softly whispered.

He was still unconscious then. He still had his eyes closed.

But it was as if he was comforting her. Maybe he was dreaming of me crying, she told herself.

“Don’t cry,” he repeated.

 

His words, the thought of him dreaming of her crying, made herself shed tears.