YELLOW | yj x bg

☀︎ seventeen.

—yeonjun

Everyone in our school will remember how last year in 10th grade there was this person going around stealing people's dairies from their bags. He was nicknamed 'the diary stealer.' Mostly their targets were girls because who else writes diaries and would be stupid enough to stuff it inside their bags and bring it to school?

Short answer: me.

Long answer: I just had a lot happening in my day to day life and needed somewhere to jot it down everytime I felt like my thoughts were eating me alive. That day, I'd accidentally put it in my schoolbag because it was mixed in with one of my textbooks, and didn't realize until I got to school. And what do you know, the next target was me.

It was after gym when I entered the class and noticed something inside my bag was amiss- something was missing. I rummaged through my books and realized 'Oh- is it my turn to get my diary stolen?"

To say I was merely 'panicked' would be an understatement. I was flipping out. I'd included a lot of personal details into that diary. Not just random stuff like doodles, notes for class, to-do lists, but actual deep thoughts and feelings. Like the realizations that hit you out of nowhere at 2 am and you have to write them down. Letters I wrote to people but can't send. Missing the past and my fears about the future.

What scared me was that if someone reads it- they'll find out every part of me. And it's scary having someone know every part of you- because you have nothing to hide. My biggest fear all in all was that this 'diary-stealer' would go around telling everybody my fears and dreams, to people I don't even know.

But during the last period, when everyone was getting ready to go home, the culprit directly presented himself to me. And now I knew who the 'diary-stealer' was.

Contrary to what I'd been expecting, he actually apologized. He said, "I'm sorry if I caused panic by stealing your diary. I actually wanted something different than teenage girl drama."

"And exactly what are you planning to achieve by going behind people's backs and reading their journalistic experiences?" I say sarcastically.

He sighs. "It's a long story. I'm actually really interested in human psychology, I'm planning to become a therapist in the future. So it's important for me to understand why people have the fears they do, and perhaps from what experience or belief they stem from. And no diary I've ever read has given me more insight than yours has, letting me take a deep dive into my favorite muscle: the human brain."

"You should know that reading about someone's feelings without their permission, and also for your own personal entertainment, is frowned upon."

He started to wildly shake his heads at my words. "It wasn't for entertainment, I swear! Everything you wrote was with such detail, and the letters you wrote were filled with longing, and the past you can never go back to was written with such nostalgia. It opened my eyes to the ways in which someone other than me views the world. And I'm thankful that you've given me the chance to read your personal thoughts and feelings."

I scoff. "I didn't give you a chance- you STOLE my diary from me. Anyways, you should be thankful I'm not going to tell this to anybody, but on one condition: you have GOT to stop stealing diaries. No one likes having their written work intruded upon."

He nodded his head enthusiastically, "Yes, anything for the person who opened my eyes."

—

A weeks later, hushed whispers started roaming about. Everyone was surprised that 2 weeks had passed without a mention of anyone getting their diary stolen. Maybe students had started to take necessary precautions like leaving their diary at home, or perhaps the diary-stealer himself had given up on his job.

After all, Choi Soobin has other jobs, like being my best friend, to tend to.