JI EUN

SCHOOL IS ALMOST OVER. Another semester is nearly ending and I can’t wait for the most awaited post-semester event which is called summer vacation. Despite the scorching heat of the sun and the unending production of the sweat glands, people still love this season because this marks the end of homeworks, exams, and other things that teachers make us half- do. No more 6 am alarm clocks and 8 hours of being stuck in those four white walls. More on bed hairs, slacking off and being stuck in your sweatpants for 24 hours.

I’m definitely an avid fan of summer even though it means getting stuck with your family for a week in some place where you could have the perfect family get-together but I know that we always stay in a rest house with the smell of the salt water and the feeling of the white-brown sands underneath your feet. I just wish dad picks a house where they have more rooms since we can’t fit ourselves in one bed anymore, which is me, my dad, and my 9 year-old brother, who grew three inches last Christmas break.

The bell rings signaling our lunch break. I quickly pick my bag and shoved my things all at once, not even trying to fix the contents inside. I head outside the room and I see Baekhyun leaning casually by the doorframe with his arms folded. He teases, “What’s up, Jiji?” I roll my eyes at him, hearing his nickname for me since middle school. “Don’t call me that.” I said as I shove his shoulder as he quickly regains his balance within a second. He says, “But you like it when I call you that.” I retort, “No! I never liked it. You decided to call me Jiji because I have the same name as your cat. You said that you don’t want us to mix up.” Baekhyun and I met in middle school. Unfortunately, we were assigned to seat next to each other since we always come in late and the punishment was the clean-up duty. Since we almost spend our time being stuck with each other, we ended up being friends, and I guess now that we’re still together in high school, our relationship was promoted to being best friends. That’s when my mother called us the ‘Late Birds Duo’.  No, we’re not the type of friends who has secret feelings for each other and I see him as a brother more than a lover.  

He coos, “Okay, I did pick Jieun over you, well, that means you’re cuter than her.” When I first went over to their house, he started calling out my name, he laughed and clapped like a retarded seal as I curiously looked at him. Well, I always thought that he was weird anyway. I asked him why and he told me that I have the same name as his cat. So he always mixed us up when he calls me in his girly, cutesy voice. That’s when he decided to call me Jiji. I shake my head, “Shut up, Baek! Don’t compare me to you cat.”

“I’m not.” He teases. Suddenly, a girl walks in front of us as she gave a flirtatious smile to Baekhyun. Yup, girls do love him. “See you tonight, Baekhyun!” She winks as she flips her hair while we watch her sway her hips from side to side. “Aww, Baeky’s got a date tonight.” I say in a sing-sang voice. “Woah. I feel like the luckiest man on earth right now.” My best friend really is a ladies’ man but the downside part is he’s not good in handling them. Probably because he grew up with an all-boys family since her mother left them when he was six. That’s why he always has a hard time approaching them or gets shy whenever a girl makes contact with him. He also did the same when we first met but it slowly disappeared when we had gotten closer. I guess I should consider myself lucky since I’m the first ever girl to be with him that shows no signs of blushing or nervousness. Or he should consider himself lucky.

“No. He’s the lucky one,” I smile as Kai approached me, “Hey, beautiful,” He quickly kiss me on the lips as my smile grow wider. “Hey, Kai.”