Dear sunshine,

Would it be weird if I asked for permission to hold your hands? Okay, maybe it’s a little weird. Forget that I asked! Just enjoy the chocolate. Since I’ll be in class today, can I join you at lunch? Pretty please, with a cherry on top.

The girl flushes red and she feels like her ears are burning. Quickly she places the note in her bag and eats the chocolate, trying to calm herself down. She takes out her own little piece of paper, and instead of doing her work she thinks about how to respond. She tapes it onto the table as it reads:

Dear Minseok,

No, it is not weird.

But just before she leaves the class for lunch she scrunches up the note and throws it in the bin. Minseok waits for her outside, his face a little more shy than usual. So she looks straight at him when they settle down on a table with food in their hands and she speaks with all the confidence she has.

“Minseok.” She snaps him out of his daze. “Listen to my question carefully and answer me honestly.” She swallows a gulp of saliva and the sauce off her lips. She catches him staring at her face. “Do you like me?”

Minseok is stunned for a second, rubbing the back of his neck with his hands, but he regains his posture and looks at her deep in the eyes with a frisky smile. “Does me saying that I want to kiss you answer the question or do I have to say yes?”

The girl drops her chopsticks and looks at him with wide-eyes. And Minseok chuckles at her as he stands up to pick her things from the floor. He places himself on the seat next to her and grabs her waist to pull her to look at him. Her face is painted a hue of dark pink and he almost wants to slide his thumb over her cheeks. “I’m serious you know.” He says almost too softly. “I do actually like you. At first you were just interesting to me. I just wanted to take care of you, seeing how you work so hard. But you’re comfortable to be around and you make my stomach do all these little things and I always just want to hold you in my arms and feed you chocolates and kiss you unexpectedly and walk you home and I’m rambling on now… So listen sunshine, I do like you. Does that answer your question?”

She nods slowly, her eyes unsure and insecure.

“Now can I kiss you?”

The girl doesn’t have time to reply, or maybe at that time she couldn’t do anything but stay silent. But he closes the gap between them and places his lips on hers gently, afraid that he might scare her away. It was a quick kiss but he feels like butterflies had exploded in his stomach and he just wants to pull her in for another one. He smiles at her as he caresses her cheeks and she looks away shyly.

Afterschool, Minseok tenderly slides his hand into her’s, lacing them naturally together. She feels like the world has stopped moving as he squeezes them gently, and the butterflies are fluttering vigorously from inside her. Her face is warm despite the cold waft that eddies around them.

Autumn has become her favourite month. Autumn has become Minseok’s favourite also.

***

They find themselves studying together sometimes, occasionally at her house, others at his. But Minseok doesn’t really study, so he just sits there reading a book while she does her maths. He doesn’t mind though, this absence of communication, just as long as he’s beside her then nothing really matters. Winter has him pulling her closer as they sit on the trains and when he walks her home, with kisses on the forehead and sometimes on the cheeks, too brief between the long minutes.

Even though he comes to school more often and they both have exchanged numbers, Minseok still sticks notes on her desk with a little chocolate right next to it.

Dear sunshine,

I won’t be in school, but I’ll come pick you up later on. Reminder: Don’t let yourself be a part of the school’s competition and don’t study and eat at the same time. Life is not worth the trouble.

Minseok has recently gotten his driver’s license, so there are times when he takes her around in his car. It’s freezing today and the cold air nips at her uncovered hands as she strolls towards the school’s car park. Minseok is leaning against his car, with a scarf around his neck and hands in his pockets. The girl thinks that he’s the most handsome person she’s ever met, as he wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her in for a big warm hug, snuggling his face in her shoulders. He pulls back, only to lean in for a kiss, catching her by surprise as he nibbles on her bottom lip. He wants the world to know that she is his and that he is her’s.

With a smile on his face, he pecks her one last time before leading her to the car. As he drives, Minseok sings to his favourite song.

“You never really told me the name of the song you know?” She says as she stares at his fair skin.

“Oh really? I haven’t?” He smiles at her when they reach the red light. But Minseok doesn’t continue, he doesn’t tell her the title. So she just sits back and continues to listen to him sing.

He has a beautiful voice, she says to herself. “Hey Minseok,” she utters when he finishes. “Do tell me… what do you do besides going to the hill? I’m pretty sure you don’t go there all the time.”

“That’s true and you’ll be getting your answer today.”

***

They drop by at a café and Minseok takes her hand in his as they walk in. It’s busy and the place is ardent and cosy. The girl looks around as her nose is filled with the warm, toasty smell of coffee and hot chocolate, so pleasant compared to the cold winter outside.

The boy pulls out a chair for her, and she sits down, observing the surrounding and he smiles at her. “What do you think, sunshine?” Minseok asks as he places himself on the opposite seat, leaning his chin on the palm of his propped up hand.

“I like it. The atmosphere is very nice here.” She comments with a smile, and he takes her hand in his, giving it a light squeeze.

“Wait here, I’ll try to be quick.”

The girl raises her eyebrows. “Where are you going?”

Minseok turns around and winks at her. “It’s a secret.”