Valentines’ Day…

“No thanks.” Amber bluntly rejected the frilly box by some boy who confessed to her.

Amber chided the love letters – scented or not – by the boys who crowded around her.

Amber threw out the men’s judo club captain who was about to fling his arms around her.

Amber didn’t care if her friends and the other girls think she’s being idiotic and war freak-ish, she doesn’t like the feeling of being in love! That’s why she’s being so boy-ish so as not to catch attention and yet it’s giving the opposite effect to both male and female.

“You just wait and see, Amber. Someday you’ll fall in love and you’ll know how it feels.” Luna said to her as she boasted about the couple’s ring her boyfriend gave her for their anniversary.

“Hmph. Even if I do like someone I wouldn’t be caught dead making a fool of myself.” She said her friends heaved a deep sigh.

*~*~*~*~*

He shouldn’t have agreed to that bet he made with Heechul. He was so confident that he would win even if Heechul would resort to cheating so losing was a major upset.

Make the Man-hater Amber fall in love with you in a month’s time.

He was losing time and he still hasn’t made any progress. “What good does it do if I make the man-hater fall in love with me?” He thought as he stared at Amber during gym class and realized he’d been found out and looked away abruptly. Suddenly he felt embarrassed and his heart thumped fast. “This is not good”, he thought.

*~*~*~*

It could just be her imagination, but she knew someone has been watching her. From the beginning of February even though Valentine’s Day was over she could feel a pair of eyes constantly fixated on her and somewhere during gym class she’d found Donghae gazing at her, so was he responsible for the other times too?

Ever since she caught him staring she can’t erase those eyes from her mind – confused, troubled, but still warm. It wasn’t similar to the others – admiring, mesmerized, irritating and sometimes creepy. She wondered if it were those pair of eyes that watched her during classes, at lunch, when she’s with her friends. She wondered if those pair of eyes saw her harshly rejecting suitors, making a stupid mistake and a mess during laboratory work and cooking, doing her best sprint during gym class. She wondered if those pair of eyes would look at her with warmth and affection just as how he looks at the others who goggle at him, would she have accepted him if he had confessed to her? Realizing what she has been thinking, she hit herself with the book in her hand. Embarrassed, she held her head covered by the book, amidst the myriad of eyes speculating at her odd behavior, his was one of them.

*~*~*~*~*

“I like you. Please go out with me.”

“Okay.”

Everyone who witnessed the scene was stunned but not as stunned as the people involved.

Donghae didn’t think it would be this easy. Amber couldn’t understand why she agreed instantly. But she couldn’t take it back, not with all those people staring at them. “Since it’s here I’ll just prove it to Luna and the others that I won’t be as mushy as they are.” She thought but when Donghae’s and her eyes met she felt nervous for some odd reason.

All the while, Amber kept her guard up. Before she couldn’t understand why the ladies would swoon and hurl themselves on Donghae when all he did was be courteous and smile at them. She thought they were just being embarrassing now she takes them back. Whenever Donghae flashes a smile at her even though it was just normal for him, Amber could feel her knees going weak.

She thought girls getting too excited about the little things their boyfriends of crushes do for them was childish but experiencing it first hand was exhausting. She had to act unaffected when her heart was about to burst out of her chest, when her lips wanted so much as to smile widely. She couldn’t even hold his hand because she was afraid that her friends were right and she was the one being childish after all.

*~*~*~*~*

“I never thought that you could do it!” Heechul exclaimed as he hung an arm around Donghae.

“You can come back anytime and you’ll be promoted too. After all, you were able to handle a very difficult case.” He added with a grin.

“But he still hasn’t completed his task yet.” Yesung reminded.

“Oh yeah, you have to break up with her don’t forget.”

“How could I forget? A broken heart is a sure proof of love.”

Donghae felt arrogant for quiet sometime, to have the amazing Heechul praise him. But as much as he wants to go back and take that position he has dreamed of he somehow felt rooted. He bit his lower lip and cursed himself – he had actually fallen in love with Amber in the process.

*~*~*~*~*

“Donghae, let’s break up.”

There was a moment of silence. Donghae stared at her intently, she thought she would drown in those almond colored orbs. “Okay, but may I ask why?”

“Be-because I’m bored.”

Donghae nodded. Amber turned her back on Donghae.

She never thought it would be that easy. She’s always listened to her classmates whining about their boyfriends and crying over their break up but with them, it ended as smoothly as it had begun. News spread fast and people had been asking how and why they broke up. They did not fight, they never had a misunderstanding, and she was just being stubborn. They were natural with each other but she also wondered why Donghae did not argue, why he looks unaffected. Then she heard that he was moving, that must be it, he was going to break up with her anyway. For some reason it made her feel sad and disappointed.

“It’s not my place to ask but…” she can’t believe she was having trouble expressing her thoughts.

“You lied when you said you were bored that’s why you broke up with me.” Donghae said casually. Looking straight at him now, she felt more uneasy than ever. His eyes were knowing and mysterious, his gaze had a sort of nostalgic feeling. “But it’s okay, because I was going to do that anyway. Well as you know I’ll be leaving soon and - ”

“Long distance relationships never work.”

“Yup, still no one will ever remember I exist anyway.”

“What the heck are you talking about? No way would people just forget you especially the girls! They’re practically crying when they heard the news, saying how much they’ll miss you and your smile, your jokes, your dance moves. That’s not a funny joke.” She’ll miss him too, she realized.

She loves him, he knew she loves him and it ached his heart knowing the truth.

“It’s not a joke. Because cupids don’t fall in love, cupids are not supposed to mingle with humans if we do; those memories will just have to be erased. And the reason I’m here is to prove to you that you too fall in love, and it’s not really idiotic and… it hurts. My job’s done.”

“And that’s why you’re leaving.” she could only think how lame a lie it was and willed herself not to cry.

Donghae nodded. He watched Amber quietly leave. It took all his strength to stop himself from running after her, to stop himself from hearing her heart breaking, and stop himself from thinking of the tears that somehow rolled down her cheeks.

*~*~*~*~*

Everyone forgot about Donghae, as he had said. Soon, Amber too forgot that he ever existed.

Another year passed, it was February again. Amber was irritated than ever before. When will people realize that she wasn’t interested in anyone?! But when she sees couple cuddling with each other, being sweet with each other she wondered why she feels empty, she never feels empty!

“I think I’ll go anti-love. Really, who needs it? Butterflies in the tummy and hearts skipping beats… that can’t be safe.” She mumbled while munching the cookies they baked in Home Economics.

“Aren’t you already anti-love?” Victoria asked.

“Oh yeah.” She said with a laugh.

“It might not be safe but that’s what makes it fun.” Said an unknown yet familiar voice. The girls squealed at the sight of the handsome new teacher. Amber rolled her eyes. They took their seats and settled down. Amber was the only one who remained standing.

“I like you. Please go out with me.” Donghae’s sudden confession sent the class on their toes. Their eyes were glued on Amber but what bothered her more was the way the new teacher was looking at her. It felt oddly familiar.

“Is this a test? Is this the ‘fun’ you say about love teacher? You’re supposed to be a role model.”

“I know it’s forbidden. A teacher-student relationship, but you’ll graduate soon.”

“And you expect everyone to keep it a secret.” Amber snorted and as if given a signal the whole class chorused a ‘yes!’ and surprisingly rooted for them. She didn’t like how smug the smile looks on Donghae’s face, but she liked how he looks at her yet she hates how it’s making her feel. She was surprised when he kissed her on the lips and even surprised at herself for not doing anything to stop him. She didn’t quite understand her feelings until the kiss, which brought back her memories with Donghae and it took a lot of effort to keep herself composed.

“I thought cupids don’t fall in love.”

“Sadly, when one deeply falls in love and could not perform his duties his wings gets revoked and disappear or become a human. I could disappear for good. My life depends on your answer, please go out with me.”

She never gets the idea of people falling in love, why do they have to be so corny and mushy, why do they have to act so childish? But despite how unsafe and unstable the feeling is, she likes the sudden adrenaline rush, she didn’t mind the butterflies fluttering in the stomach, the skipping heart beats.

“Okay.” The crowd went wild and Donghae acted fast to tone them down. It was an embarrassing, maybe unbelievable, but undoubtedly a classic love story.

-THE END-