Chapter 2- Handkerchief Man

Irene's POV

    'I just don't love you anymore.' Jinwoo's voice kept ringing in my head. I watched as my friends played in the water but all that kept playing inside my head was his voice. 'I just don't love you anymore.'  I grabbed a fistful of sand, wanting to throw it hard at something. I felt confused, lost and angry too. For what reason? Why did he have to break it so hard to me? Why can't he give me a valid reason? But all that was left was me, who was still so in love with him that I feel so broken right now.

    I saw Yeri run to my direction, dripping wet with seawater. "Eonnie! Come on! Let's get into the water!" She grabbed my hand and led me to the sea.

    "Irene! Come! The water's great!" Seulgi was waving her hand as they enjoyed the water. I can't help but smile. Even when my mood was a let down, they still are so patient and understanding. I dipped myself into the water together with Yeri. The girls came to me and pulled me into a circle with them. We played in the water, splashing at each other. We created some games. Joy lost in all of them and we made her sing in front of other tourists, which got her so red in embarrassment but the foreigners looked at her in amusement. Somehow it got my mind off Jinwoo which was a relief. She ran back into the water, covering her face.

    "Aigoo! That was so embarrassing! Don't make me do that again," she said, squealing. We laughed it all off.

    We decided to get out of the water to buy mango shakes. Joy and Yeri volunteered to get it for us. Seulgi suddenly got all serious when we reached the beach beds. "Irene, stop thinking about him, arasso? We know you are but you know very well this vacation is not just some summer vacation we planned, right? It is also to get you away from any memory of him."

    "He doesn't deserve your love. Period." Wendy was serious as she put on her shirt. "After two years of being together, that is what you get. You have to get him off your system, arasso?"

    I nodded but deep inside I know I can't. What they were saying was difficult for me to do. Just how can I not think about him after the two years we spent as a couple? Can somebody tell me what I should do?

JIN'S POV

    It was nighttime and the boys decided to rest for a while after dinner. I excused myself from our room to go walking by the beach because I felt so full after eating.

    "Aigoo, my stomach feels so happy!" I said, stretching out and smiling. I rubbed my tummy blissfully and started walking. I suddenly stopped after seeing a glint of platinum blond hair under the moonlight. It was her. She was seated on the white sand, hugging her knees as she busily stared and typed on her phone.

    "Jinwoo-yah, please talk to me." She was saying the words she was typing on her phone. "Do you really have to be this way?" I continued staring at her. She was indeed beautiful. Especially when the light of her phone shone on her face. I debated with myself if I should go to her or not. It seemed like she wasn't in the right mood to meet new people. With a few more argument inside my head I ended up sitting on the sand and staring at her from a distance.

    She shines in the dark, I thought. I don't really get myself, staring at her like this. I know I might look like a ert. I know I should stop. It is bad to stare but it felt like she was a magnet drawing me closer to her.

    I was suddenly taken aback when she started sobbing. I sat frozen in place. I felt myself panic. What should I do? I searched my pockets. I started looking for something I could offer to her to wipe her tears away.

    "Handkerchief. Handkerchief, or maybe a tissue will do." Yes, I have it. I took it out of my pocket and walked to her side.

    "Ah Miss." I held out my hand to her and offered her my handkerchief. She looked up and stared at the thing on my hand.

    "I don't need that. Just leave me alone," she bluntly said. She looked at me with fire in her eyes. She really meant me to leave but my legs won't move. I just stood there staring at her, my hand still outstretched, willing to give her my handkerchief.

    "But I guess you need this," I said.

    "I don't, okay? Just please. Leave. Me. Alone. Go!" She turned her back away from me. I stood still for a moment. I moved my legs but instead of turning away, I moved towards here and took her hand to give her my handkerchief. I closed it in her fingers around it before turning around to leave her alone.

IRENE'S POV

    "Go!" I said, my voice sounding shrill in irritation. I know I sound irrational and this stranger was innocently trying to help or comfort me but I badly needed to be alone now. I turned my back from him and buried my face on my arms.

    Instead of leaving, I felt his light steps moving towards me and I felt his warm touch grabbing my arm and placing his handkerchief on the palm of my hand. He smiled slightly and turned around to leave me. I suddenly felt ashamed of myself with the way I treated him. I stared at the handkerchief in my hand and wiped my tears away with it. I suddenly stood up and tapped away the sand from my shorts and legs. I tried searching for the man who lent me his handkerchief but he was nowhere to be seen now. My head bowed down feeling bad for him.

    "Aish, Bae Joohyun! He has nothing to do with your problem and was just being nice." I decided to walk back to the hotel, feeling really bad for the guy. I hope I can see him again so I could apologize.

    I got in our room and saw the girls being loud again. "Yah! Wendy! I said you can't do that! Yuri-eonnie said that doing that won't work." The two were arguing about the dance steps we have been working on for our performance when we get back to Korea. I plopped myself down on the sofa and sighed. Seulgi must have noticed it because she immediately moved towards me and sat down.

    "Gwaenchanayo?" she asked. I nodded.

    "Aigoo, stop the act Bae Joohyun. I know you since we were in diapers. I know that look on your face. Now, spill." She moved closer to listen to me.

    I told her about the incident from earlier and how I acted to the mysterious boy. I also showed her the handkerchief.

    "Was he handsome?" joked Seulgi. I frowned at her at making a joke when I'm seriously trying to talk. She giggled and put it aside. "Aigoo, poor guy. You shouldn't have been too harsh on him. He was just trying to be considerate." 

    "I know right? I also feel guilty with the way I acted." I blew the strand of hair that was on my face and leaned on the sofa. "What should I do, Seulgi-yah? I have his handkerchief with me. I want to return this and thank him. And also apologize to him."

    "Can you still remember his face?" Seulgi asked.

    "Nae. If I see him, I can immediately recognize him."

    "That's great then! If we are lucky, we might still find him here in Boracay." She stood up and called the attention of the other girls. She told them about what happened while I sat there listening to the younger girls squeal.

    "That look on your face, I know that!" Wendy squeaked. "He's handsome, isn't he?"

    "Stop it. All I want to do is the give him back his handkerchief. Arasso?" I said. Joy and Yeri frowned at me for being a killjoy, but the two suddenly put me in between them by hooking my arms with them.

    "Kaja! Let's go find that man while walking around and sightseeing. Let's go to D' Mall. I'm starving!" Yeri said with a big smile on her face at the thought of food. She and Joy dragged me along with them as the two ther girls follwed us from behind.

    We walked out of the hotel and strolled the night streets of Boracay. Although it was quite a long walk heading to D' Mall, but the five of us enjoyed because there were so many things to see, like singers and fire dancers performing, sand castles and the likes. We somehow forgot that we are hungry because we got busy taking pictures here and there. Somehow, it worked in making me forget about Jinwoo. We ran to the human statues and posed for a few pics and soon after, we ended up in The Hobbit House for dinner. It was a restaurant where the waiters were midgets, incorporating the concept of the Hobbits of the the Lord of the Rings,  As we sat down, waiting for dinner, I roamed my eyes around trying to see if maybe, one of the persons passing by might be the handkerchief man.

    "So, no signs of him?" asked Joy as she took a sip of her iced tea. I shook my head. The girls pointed different guys passing by.I found it funny how they pointed foreigners.

    "Girls, stop pointing out foreigners okay? He's Korean," I said.

    "Aw, you should have pointed that fact out earlier," said Yeri.

    "But the real question still is left unanswered," piped Wendy, a miscievous glint shining in her eyes. "Is he handsome?" 

    I give up. These girls have been prying on me since we were in the hotel. "Okay, okay. You win. He's, well, good-looking. Satisfied now?"

    "Oh, jinjja?" Joy was so interested  that she placed her head on her palms and shoulders on the table, full attention on me. Even the others were all ears. "Does he look like some hot actor?" 

    I was saved from all the explaining to do when the small waiters came in with our orders. Thank God. We asked to take some pictures with them and started eating. While slurping on my pasta, I took out the handkerchief. Will I see you again, handkerchief man? I thought. I hope I could see him again, so I could at least thank him for the kindness he showed.

********

Hello, here is the 2nd chapter of Summer Fever. I hope you'll like it. 

Coming up for the next chapter is Jinwoo! Watch out!

I'm so excited for the comeback of BTS. The teasers are already slaying me. Hahaha! Let's show them our love everyone! 

satisakro_chi