She Was Happy - NCT Dream's Jisung

Week 9 - Best of Friends

Though it was still winter, the beginning of March gifted us with odd weather. The mornings and nights stayed chilly and dark, but the afternoons were filled with sunny skies and humid air. I thrived in the cold weather so these bipolar temperatures made me uneasy. Happy, on the other hand, was enjoying the odd shift from winter's end to spring's beginning.

We were lounging around under the one tree on Newshore's field that hadn't completely lost its leaves during the autumn. It was lunch hour, and after Happy and I grabbed food from the cafeteria, we migrated to this area to find refuge under the cool shade.

"Don't you ever get cold?" I asked Happy. I was stretching my long legs out on the grass, while I sat back with my weight leaning on the back of my elbows. Happy was on the side, scouting the ground for flowers.

"Why do you ask?" she said, eyes still glued to the grass.

"Well I don't know. You always wear shorts and a sweater. Isn't that counterintuitive?" I remarked, scratching the sweat on my brow.

"Why would it be?" She was barely paying any attention to me. Just kept searching the ground and bending down from time to time to inspect a flower or object she'd pick up. She was so easy to watch, I never got bored of it.

"Well 'cause if it's too hot, then your upper body would be too stuffy. But if it's too cold, then your legs would be freezing."

"Right," she quickly responded. "But my legs never get cold so that cancels that out. And my arms do get cold easily, so I got used to wearing sweaters all the time."

"Hm..." I thought, feeling a chilly breeze rush over me. It felt nice and peaceful. "That's so odd."

"Jisung look!" Happy rushed over to where I was sitting and sat criss-crossed beside me. She was holding something behind her back.

"So this..." she held up a long stick in the air, "...is you."

I couldn't hold back my smile as I shook my head at the long, slim, tree branch in Happy's hand. "Jee, thanks," I laughed, taking it from her hand.

"And this flower...is me."

I cracked up at the dandelion she was holding in between her index finger and her thumb. It was yellow and stained brown and green from the dirt and grass shavings. "Aren't dandelions technically weeds?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, yes. But..." She paused and took my hand that was holding the branch with her finger and paired it next to the dandelion. "Doesn't it look bright and vibrant standing next to the stick? And doesn't the stick look less bland and more lively next to the dandelion?"

I sighed and took them both from her, staring at each of them in between my own fingers. "I guess you're right," I agreed with her, setting the objects back down on the ground. We started to laugh at how ridiculous her analogy was. But I couldn't deny that it felt somewhat true. The only thing I disagreed with was that standing next to the stick made the dandelion shine.

Happy could shine bright on her own. She was lovely and beautiful like that. But I certainly was a bland stick without her. As stupid as it sounded.

"I'm sleepy again, Jisung," she breathed, hanging her head tiredly.

"Then sleep," I told her. "I'll wake you up when it's time to go."

She nodded then slowly laid her head on my lap and closed her eyes. I rubbed my neck awkwardly, not knowing how to receive her sudden action. But she already looked so cozy and comfortable. I could only watch her quietly, observing the way her eyelashes fluttered when the breeze came by. Or the way her pink lips curled up when she was relaxed. I pushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear, letting my finger linger on her cheek longer than a second.

"Happy?"

"Yeah, Stick?"

"Why do I feel like we're gonna be friends for a while?" I whispered solemnly.

"Yeah, best friends forever," she joked, giggling at her own words.

I sighed and let her take her nap. I wished she had meant it.

The now cold air was bliss to me, chilling my skin, breathing through me with every gust of wind that flew by. Happy was fast asleep but I could feel her shivering against my thigh. As carefully as possible to not wake her up, I slowly pulled off the jacket I was wearing and draped it over Happy's arms and chest.

After a few minutes, her shivering stopped. She was telling the truth when she said her legs never got cold but her arms did. She was so odd. But I was obsessed with every off part about her.

-

"Hey. Time to go."

I shook Happy awake, but she didn't budge. She seemed to be a heavy sleeper. Every time I was in this situation, only a rude awakening would suffice.

And so I snatched my jacket off of her with one pull.

I laughed as she immediately rose up like a zombie, whining and trying to pull my jacket over her shoulders again. "Please no, Jisung," she groaned, punching me in the leg. "Give it back."

"Okay, I'll let you keep it. But we have to go, Happy."

She sighed and got up from the grass, patting dirt and green off the back of her legs. I also patted some off her back where she couldn't reach, then handed my jacket back to her. "Thanks, Stick," she said, wrapping it around her body. I nodded back and zipped it up for her.

I really cared for this girl. And it scared me once I realized it in that moment.