It was spring. Flowers bloom in full color, the scent fills the air. Junhoe was rushing to their house. It was typical everytime he was about to go home. Asha is always out early, and he won't catch her if he won't hurry up. He untied his shoes when suddenly, a purple flatshoe had hit his head. 

 "Ouch!" he groaned. Then a soft giggle followed. It was Asha. She has this golden brown hair soft curls, a beaded headband she always wore since he told her it's cute, and a pale skin.

"You dumb meanie! You always don't see me coming." she told him.

"Of course, I'm untying my shoes, kid. I don't have eyes behind my head." he said.

"So, how's school?"

"What more? They hate me because I'm a bully. Anyway, I don't bully them. I just look at them then they would give me their allowances." he shrugged.

It was followed by a slap in the head. "It's because you look at them MEANLY. Nobody would give you their allowance if you would look nicely to them."

"One more hit and I'll.." he was about to hit her when he stopped and pinched her nose.

Asha looked at him with wonder. "I thought you're gonna hit me?"

"How can I?" he stared at her like they were the only persons in the world.

She looked away. No, this can't be. He can't be. I can't be. Not today. Never. He deserves somebody who..can be with him forever.

 Junhoe loves everything about her. She is the only person to hit him, to tell him how mean he is, to smile at him when he's mad, and even the only person to make him smile.

 What he didn't know is that it might be the last time to look at her like that.

**

 One afternoon, as he was about to get inside their house, he saw her mom standing on the door, obviously waiting for him. She nervously looked at him.

 "What's wrong Mom? What happened?" he asked.

 "Uhm.. Asha.. she's in the hospital. She fainted a while ago, and she was real pale." his mom replied.

 He hurriedly wore his shoes again, and went to the hospital with her mom.

 They were told by Asha's parents that she had leukemia, terminal stage. She can die any minute,hour ar day. And for the first time, tears stream down his eyes. He just can't let go of Asha right now. She brightens up her day, makes him feel everything is all right. But how will it be fine if she's gone? How can he tell her his feelings?

 He wiped his tears before entering the Intensive Care Unit. He saw her there, lying down on her bed. Tired, sickly and pale. He wants to cry, but he needs to be strong for her. Instead, he smiled. At least, she's still alive, he said to himself.

 "Puffy-eyed monster," she said weakly.

 "Stop teasing, you need to rest kid." he said to her, taking hold of her hand.

 "And what if I rest forever?" 

 "Just.. stop.. saying.. those words," he was fighting back his tears.

 "I need to tell you something, before it's too late," Asha said. "I love you Junhoe. I love you very much. I don't want to have this emotion for you, but the harder I fight back, the greater it gets." tears rolled her eyes.

 He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "You don't need to, coz the meanie loves you very much. You are his princess."

 " But I'm might leave you," she said sadly.

 "Aren't you going to be strong for me?"

  "I was. Eversince I met you I was strong. I never showed how much it hurts because I don't want you to get weak with me. I love you being strong." she said, "But, I'm tired. It's like I've done everything I could. I can't. Can you let me go?"

 It made him cry more. He hugged her ever so tightly. They stayed like that for a while, when suddenly, her grip loosened. And her eyes closed. He ran outside to call for the doctor, but she was reported dead. He died in his arms. And now she's gone. Forever gone.

**

 "Since then, I continued being mean, especially to girls. They would just leave me, like what Asha did to me." he continued, kicking out the pebbles in the rooftop. He was with Darlene, and he told her about his first heartbreak.

 "Nobody left you. Asha didn't. It's just that the will of God doesn't always have this "as you wish" hashtag beside them. She had finished her business here, and God wants to release her from the pain."

 "You nerdy," he looked at her.  " Are you going to leave me like that?" then he got shy and fumbled for words. "I mean were friends.." 

 " Yeah, right." she told him. " Of course, I won't. Not unless you do something bad, I will always be your friend."

 "How about more than that?" he smiled, then ran to a corner and picked up a bouquet of flowers. She saw the familiar pink card there.

 "So you are?" she asked shockingly.

 He nodded in reply. "I hated you real bad since you transferred. Coz you are like Asha. And I hated it. So I bullied you every single day. But as time goes by, I realized it wasn't hate, it was admiration. I just fear of loving you then losing you again like her. So I decided to tell you how I feel. But then, that guy named Donghyuk was there. So I decided to keep my identity a secret. And when he kept his distance from you, I knew it was the best time to know you better. And the more I get to know you, the more I had fallen for you." he showed me his boyish grin. "I know it's untimely, but.. Do I stand a chance with you?"

 

 Her jaws dropped. The first love confession. She wanted it to be Donghyuk. She always wanted it to be him. But Junhoe, he is a bad guy with a good heart. He kept his boundaries because of his fears.  He deserves a chance.

 "If you asked me that question months ago, I would have said no. But I realized you have this great personality. So YES, you stand a chance with me." and she embraced her. Then fireworks came out of the sky.

 

 What they don't know is Donghyuk was behind them. He turned his back in defeat. No more chances for him.

 

-end-