A/N:

Want to hear a fluffy short story? Lol. Whether you like it or not, I’m posting it.

If you have read my blog posts about my student, then you’d know who I’m referring to. :P

So, he’s eager to learn our local dialect, which is Cebuano. One time, when a guy went to my room to give me a paper for substituting a class, he took the paper from me. He exclaimed, “Bati agi!” (Bati – ugly; agi – handwriting) He then pointed out to my writing on the board and said, “Gwapa agi!” (Gwapa – pretty/beautiful, but it’s an adjective to describe people) Then I told him, “It should be nindot, not gwapa.” I then explained to him what nindot is (pretty/beautiful; used to describe anything, everything, except for people). He suddenly pointed at me and said, “Gwapa, agi!” I told him, “I’m not a handwriting, you turkey!” (If you translate turkey [the animal one] in Tagalog/Filipino, it’s pabo. And pabo is…) He then said, “no no no. Agi in Korean means baby. You’re baby and you’re gwapa!”

 

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’m not making up stories. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ 아 ~ 그 남자 진짜 ㅋㅋ

 

 

            They say love comes and goes, like the small waves in the pool. Puppy love is like dipping your toe in the pool before diving in; first love is when you finally decided to dive in. When first love ends on the bad side, it’s like drowning in the shallow end; and that’s where either true love comes in, or being rejected. It comes in when it helps you back on to your feet – saving you from drowning completely; rejected if you refused to acknowledge it and you end up drowning in a 2-feet deep pool.

 

            I can never say that I’m successful nor a failure at this true love . At 6, I met my puppy love. His name’s Jung Taekwoon. He’s a year older than me; he’s an oppa. My oppa. His family moved into the neighbourhood and that’s how we met and eventually became best of friends.

 

           At 12, puberty hit both of us. He had it real good while me.. Meh. Don’t bother asking. At 16, his height dramatically grew, and so does my acnes.

 

FLASHBACK

            “Yah, Jaehwan!” Taekwoon called out to her. She turned and found herself face-to-face with the almost-Adonis look-a-like. He reached out his hand to pinch her cheeks but she swatted the wandering hand away. “No, oppa.”

 

            “Why? Why are you acting like this so suddenly, Hwannie? It’s not like you.”

 

            “Can’t you see these?!” She pointed at the bumps on her face. “Don’t pinch me! I don’t want these to multiply!” She exaggerated and pouted.

 

            “Why are you so stressed out? It’s just pimples, Hwannie. It won’t kill you. Besides, are you perhaps, trying to impress someone?” Taekwoon looked at her seriously with his eyebrows raised in curiosity.

 

            “Wh-what?” She stuttered; caught off-guard with his question. “N-no! I w-was just concerned with my skin! I don’t want to have acne marks!” She defended. Taekwoon snorted and fortunately, he bought her lies.

 

            Apparently, Jaehwan, though she may deny it, was definitely in love with Taekwoon. She started feeling fuzzy when he’s around when they turned 10. She waved it off, thinking that it was just a puppy love and will just fade sooner or later. But that sooner or later didn’t come; in fact, she fell for him even more. He was her first love; she never mentioned to anyone about it. In fact, she was being conscious of her appearance ever since she came in terms with it.

FLASHBACK ENDS

 

            We grew up together; I even tried so hard for a year and eventually skipped a grade to be in the same grade as he is. I got bullied for being ‘the nerd’ who skipped a grade to be with her ‘delusional heartthrob of a boyfriend’. But, I’m still thankful; despite the bullying and name-calling, oppa has been there for me.

 

            At 17 and 18, I and oppa respectively graduated from high school. Thank God my dramatic puberty period ended. My acnes went incognito and I was considered flawless on our graduation. I thought the attention people had on me would end there, but no! The attention became more and more that I had to fend myself off of stalkers and secret crushes.

 

FLASHBACK

            “Oppa.” Jaehwan called out to Taekwoon who was leisurely lying on her bed, as if he owns it. Taekwoon hummed in reply as he looked up from his phone to his distressed best friend. “I hate it.”

 

            “Hate what?”

 

            “The attention. I never liked them.”

 

            “Hmm. It’s not my fault that your puberty was really worse and people called you names. I didn’t know what you did but, do you have any ideas that you actually had a 360-degree-changed? From that nerdy Jaehwan who had acnes all over her face, to the Jaehwan who had flawless skin?”

 

            “I just took care of myself, oppa. I’m still the nerdy Jaehwan that you knew, your best friend.”

 

            “It’s hard, you know. Trying to protect you from those.. those bastards.”

 

            “I’m sorry.”

 

            “Come here, you.” He pulled Jaehwan to lie on the bed with him. Jaehwan did and found her usual, comfortable position – head on his chest as she wraps her arm around his torso. On reflex, Taekwoon wrapped his right arm around her shoulder and his left arm automatically draped itself on her waist. Jaehwan sighed as Taekwoon played with her hair, sniffing it every now and then as he inhales the strawberry-scented hair. “No need to be sorry, Hwannie. It’s my job as your best friend to protect you.” Jaehwan smiled as she closed her eyes and went to dreamland.

 

            Every little thing that Taekwoon does makes her heart skip a beat. She wanted to keep him forever, that is, if Taekwoon’s willing. Being a hopeful girl that she is, she left a lot of men wounded just by her rejection, hoping that Taekwoon would notice that he’s the one she loves and thus, she can’t love anyone else besides him.

FLASHBACK ENDS

 

            We started our University days with hopes and dreams. We both took Business as our major, since he’s the heir to Jung Group. His mother, Mama Hakyeon had me convinced to take the same major as him.

 

            “I really want you to be his secretary when he takes over Jung Group, Hwannie. Please be with him?” I can clearly remember how adorable Mama Hakyeon was! I can’t say no to her, right? Plus, Papa Wonshik even told me that if I do well, he would even help me with my own museum for my artworks. Yes, I love to draw and paint, Taekwoon oppa even complimented me for it.

 

            Since my mom is younger than Mama Hakyeon, (and she also thinks that her plan is the best) she can’t say no to Mama Hakyeon’s proposal.

 

“Binnie, really! If she does well, Wonshik will help her find investors for her museum in the future. Besides, she’s the one I choose for my Woonie. Don’t you think they’d match very well?”

 

            “Of course, eonni! Taekwoon will be the best guy for my Hwannie! She accepts!”

 

            Yeah, my mom and oppa’s mom became best of friends, as well as our dads. Anyhoo, we had classes together and he even helps me with the projects. I thought it will be always be like that. But, no; fate has other plans for me, for him – for both of us.

 

            We were on our junior year when I decided that I just can’t hope and dream without doing anything. I decided to confess on Valentines’ Day.

 

FLASHBACK

 

            It was the eve of Valentines’ Day and Jaehwan with her Mama Hongbin, made heart-shaped chocolates. Mama Hongbin has been really supportive of her, thus extending on her plans of confessing to Taekwoon.

 

            It was Valentines and Jaehwan waited for dismissal before she does her thing. She was waiting on the car park for Taekwoon. Legs shaking, hands trembling; that’s how nervous she was.

 

            “Hwannie!” She heard him call for her. She turned around and the smile she was wearing dropped. Her eyes fell down on his hand, which was intertwined with another hand. “Meet my girl friend, Eunji. Eunji-yah, this is my best friend, Jaehwan.” The girl named Eunji smiled sweetly, too sweetly in Jaehwan’s eyes, “Nice to finally meet you! Oppa has been talking a lot about you!” She extended her hand. Jaehwan hesitantly shook her hand and faked a smile. She then hid the box of chocolates behind her.

 

            “Hwannie, let’s go? I’ll drop Eunji home then let’s go to yours. Mama Binnie sent me a message, inviting me for dinner.” Taekwoon then opened his car’s front seat and led Eunji in it. ‘That’s my seat!’ Jaehwan mentally screamed. Taekwoon then closed the door and opened the door in the backseat, “Come on, Hwannie. I’m too excited to eat Mama Binnie’s amazing food!” Instead of getting in, Jaehwan walked away from the car, leaving Taekwoon stoned at his feet.

 

            When he got a grip of himself, he turned around to follow Jaehwan, but luck wasn’t on his side – Jaehwan disappeared. He sighed and pulled his hair, frustrated. Where can she go? What did I do? Did I do something wrong? He was having a mental battle against himself – it was the first time Jaehwan walked out on him and he doesn’t feel good. He sighed and returned to his car and drove Eunji home before going to Jaehwan’s