Chapter 15

 

What was this throbbing pain at the back of his head? Jeongsu didn’t know how or when but the moment he woke up on this supposedly beautiful Monday morning, he had a headache that wouldn’t stop playing a loud drum in his head. Something wasn’t going to go well today, he could feel it at the back of his bones but what? Is he thinking too much? Is he turning into those intuitive women? Oh god, spare him. Massaging his temple while walking towards his locker, everything stood still and he felt as though everyone else were on him. Maybe he’s just paranoid? But about what exactly?

 

Jeongsu saw Jaejoong coming towards him from the opposite direction with a big grin on his face. It looks like his best buddy was in the best gear today, yet he’s not and today, was the basketball game against their opposing school. Jaejoong gave him a high five and cheerily said, “Morning.”

 

“Morning.” Jeongsu replied in a drowsy voice.

 

Jaejoong observed his friend closely and asked, “What’s with you?”

 

“Not feeling that well today for some reason.” Jeongsu replied, then paused. He looked around and back at Jaejoong who was still staring at him, “Somehow, I feel something is going to happen and I don't like this feeling. What drug did you take? Share some.” Jaejoong rolled his eyes and slapped Jeongsu on the back, “Relax man. You might have caught the flu.”

 

Jeongsu looked down at his feet and nodded. Perhaps Jaejoong was correct for once. He unlocked his locker and took out his textbooks when unexpectedly, a pink piece of paper fell out onto the ground. Jeongsu bend over to pick it up and opened the folded paper. His eyes quickly scanned it and then threw it back into the locker.

 

“What was that?” Jaejoong questioned.

 

“Some love letter from some girl.” Jeongsu said, getting some of his exercises book out from his grey tumi alpha bravo monterey sling bag and stacked it into the locker.

 

Jaejoong eyed Jeongsu and asked, “Which girl?”

 

“I don’t know. I didn’t read the name.” Jeongsu answered indifferently. He was too immune to these sort of things already and didn’t care about who it was from, he had too much of a headache.

 

Just when Jeongsu was about to shut the locker, Jaejoong quickly grabbed the paper out and flipped it open. Jaejoong started reading it and a big goofy smile appeared on his face that intrigued Jeongsu, 'What's so amusing about it?' He wondered. Hence, he asked, “What’s so funny? You have the most stupidest smile on your face right now. Wait until Yul sees this.”

 

Jaejoong burst out laughing and waved the letter in front of Jeongsu's face, “More like wait until you see this.” Jaejoong said, laughing yet didn’t allow Jeongsu to retrieve the letter that was to him, “Guess who it’s from?” Jaejoong asked, batting his long eyelashes, placing the letter underneath his chin in a feminine style. He spread the sheet wide open and situated right in front of Jeongsu and pointed at the name down at the bottom.

 

What happened next was miraculously strange. Jeongsu choked on his own saliva and rapidly grabbed the letter and started reading to himself.

 

“Dearest Jeongsu Oppa. I know this might come as a surprises, open bracket, shock horror gulp, close bracket, but there were times I wish I could call your name instead of putting up a barrier to protect myself from falling more deeply in love with you.” His face turned white and he swallowed hard.

 

“Yes, I know it might seem as though I hate your guts, open bracket, which at times I really do, close bracket, I have been harboring these feelings for you for a long time. I just figured it’s better to just bury them deep within my heart, for I don’t think you can return this unrequited love of mine. Open bracket, broken heart, close bracket. However, I have thought long and hard about confessing my wholesome love to you. I'm sorry for treating you badly, I didn’t mean to. It’s just that...I don’t know how to face you if I don’t do it that way. I’m really sorry. Please forgive me and you will forever remain special in my heart. I have always been watching you and for all of eternity will be.”

 

Jeongsu's eyes remained on the letter and he softly murmured, “Tiffany Hwang.”

 

Jaejoong, who was still in front of Jeongsu, with arms crossed, nodded “What the ?! Tiffany Hwang?!” Jeongsu yelled out loud in the hall.

 

“Quiet it down, man. You want the whole world to know?” Jaejoong said, quickly covering his mouth.

 

“No way. This is embarrassing. That foul mouth, excuses of a woman, the brat that never shuts has the hots for me?! What have the world come to? I knew it. I knew today would be a bad day. I was right. I was darn freaking hell right!”

 

Jaejoong raised an eyebrow at Jeongsu's reaction, “I feel like I’m being stalked. Look, she said ‘I have always been watching you’. Holy cow! I never knew she’s like that. Yuck! Disgustingly gruesome, completely gory and please somebody kill me right now! Oh, wait no. Kill her.”

 

Jeongsu clinged onto Jaejoong tightly and dramatically tugged onto his daring red nike golf aferburner polo shirt, “Save me, man. She’s going to.” Jeongsu said, fumbling the letter open, “For all of eternity watch me. Do you think she’s seen me ? In the toilet? I feel so violated. My innocence.”

 

Boy, oh boy. The drama. Youth sure was wonderful. Jaejoong grinned.

 

Three days has gone by and Jeongsu hasn’t run into Tiffany at all. He walked all the most risky parts of the campus to avoid bumping into Tiffany. Crawling out from underneath a bush, people stared down at him in bewildered.

 

“What have I done to deserve such ?!” Jeongsu cursed, and brushed some of the leaves off of him, “Why the hell am I hiding anyway?” He said, and stood still and started to ponder, “I can just be a man about it and casually dismiss it, right?” Jeongsu continued to talk to himself, “But this is Tiffany we are talking about. She might stalk me if I come out in the lights.” He started to walk towards the basketball court and with one long finger to his chin, he thought to himself.

 

“Never knew she was that sort of girl. So clingy and freaky. Maybe we could work something out like never talk to each other again? No, it seems like she’s out of this world obsessed with me.”

 

The other students walked pass him and glanced at him strangely, “Why did my parents have to give birth to such a handsome boy like me? Is that a sin? It must be. If not, then why did I even attract that women? She’s no good. Loud mouth, bad temper, annoying and not attractive at all. Maybe I should take a vacation, away from all these commotion. Isn’t that what super star do?” Jeongsu asked, rubbing his chin and gazed up at the sky above when out of the blue, he felt a solid hard body bump into him. He looked down and without noticing he was doing it, he gawked. It was none other than the person he had been avoiding by running over logs, hiding underneath bushes and behind trees, Tiffany Hwang.

 

She looked up at him and started playing with her fingers nervously. Did she come here to stalked him? He’s not safe anywhere. Oh, no. Jeongsu quickly moved to the left, she moved to the left. Right, right. Left, left. Center, center. Left, left. Right, right.

 

“Erm...How are you?” Tiffany questioned softly.

 

Jeongsu looked over her head and answered, “Fine.”

 

“I’m sorry.” She mumbled, underneath her breath.

 

“You don’t have to be. It’s natural and no one could help it, right?” Jeongsu asked, trying to make this less awkward for the both of them.

 

Tiffany nodded and took a hold of his hand, “It’s going to be okay. You are strong, you can get through it." Jeongsu wasn’t sure what she was saying so he merely nodded, “I have always thought you were different but I never knew that’s the way you think.”

 

“Yeah. Everybody approach various situations differently. This is just my way of dealing with it. I hope you understand.”

 

“I totally do. Honestly, you are great. If I were you, I wouldn’t even know to how handle it.” Tiffany looked down at her black charles david apollo wedge sandal shoes and then glanced back up to him.

 

Should they be having such conversation? Jeongsu didn’t know if this was right or wrong, “You would do the same, I’m sure of it.”

 

“I’m glad you told me. Take good care of yourself okay?” Tiffany said, smiling softly.

 

Jeongsu frowned and answered, “Yes, I will.” Hence, he watched her walk away and whispered, “And thank you for loving me for so long.”

 

Tiffany stopped walking and twirled around, “What did you just say?”

 

“Yes, I will?”

 

“No, after that.” She replied.

 

“So long?” He asked, frowning.

 

“No, no. Before that. The entire sentence.”

 

“Oh, and thank you for loving me for so long?” Jeongsu repeated it, and figured she was indeed strange.

 

Tiffany snap her fingers, “That’s it. I'm sorry Jeongsu Oppa but I thought I made it clear just then. I don’t have any sort of those feelings for you.”

 

“What?”

 

“What, what?” Tiffany asked, blinking a bit, confused “By the way, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be resting?”

 

“Why should I be resting?” Jeongsu questioned.

 

“Because you are sick.” Tiffany replied, staring at him.

 

“I’m sick?”

 

“Uh huh. You said so yourself.” Tiffany said, folding her arms in front of her.

 

“What the? When did I?” Now, Jeongsu was utterly completely befuddled, “Why are you talking too casually with me? You were just stalking me.”

 

“What? Me? Stalk you? Where did you get that idea?”

 

“You said so yourself.”

 

“Maybe you are just too sick and out of your mind. Go home and rest.” Tiffany answered, frowning.

 

“I’m not sick.”

 

“Yes, you are.”

 

“No, I’m not.”

 

“You are.”

 

“Dammit woman! Listen. I. Am. Not. Sick.”

 

Tiffany pulled out a piece of paper and shoved it into Jeongsu's face, “What's this then? You said it in here." Jeongsu unfolded the piece of paper and began to read.

 

'To my one and only love,

 

Fany, the jewel of my life. Although I have always been so harsh on you but deep inside this cold exterior is a broken heart that needs to be mended. Every time you smile, your eyes brighten with the light of the morning sun. However, sadly, you never smile at me but that’s okay because I don’t deserve it. I’m a dead man. I found out I got cancer a few years back, the year where I first met eyes with you. Why did god have to fool me like this when I have found the one? I wanted to make you mine but I’m going to die later on so how can I put my precious treasure in such an agonising situation? Hence, I decided to watch you from afar and admire your glow. I’m writing this so that I wouldn’t have any regrets left in my life. Thank you Fany, for who you are and for becoming a part of my life. I love you always.

 

From yours truly,

 

Jeongsu'

 

He was totally speechless. What on earth was happening? “I didn’t write this.” He uttered out, “Are you playing on me just because I didn’t reply to your love letter?”

 

“What love letter?!” Tiffany asked, her tone of voice rising.

 

“I threw it away. You love me, right?”

 

“Ew. No.” Tiffany said, wincing at the thought of ever liking this man, “So, you thought I liked you and forgave me for having such feelings? And I thought you were ill?”

 

“So, you didn’t write that jack about harbouring your eternal love for me?”

 

“ no!” Tiffany answered, waving a hand, “Over my dead body am I ever going to have any feelings for you.” She wanted to vomit right there and then, “What other things were in that letter?”

 

“Something about you had been watching me and you can’t help but fall in love with me?” He said, trying to recall the content of that note. Tiffany wanted to drop dead right there and then, “Then who wrote the letters to us?” Jeongsu asked.

 

Both, Tiffany and Jeongsu's eyes lit up and said in union, “Yul/Jae!”