최근 (Lately)

01

Soo Ah was lying on her tummy comfortably on her queen-sized bed, dribbling totally useless things that randomly pops into her mind in her pink notebook that she had bought just a week ago for her to use in school as she hums to the song played on her phone. Abruptly, the catchy music stopped and was replaced by her loud ring tone, signalling her that a call is in.

Soo Ah took a slight glance of her phone screen. Jinyoung. Quickly, Soo Ah sat up and leaned back against the frame of her bed, grabbing her blue dolphin plush that Jinyoung had won for her when they went out to play just weeks ago. It became her best friend at home ever since. She answered her phone and her pale white face went slightly crimson as a subtle smile formed.

Before Soo Ah could even say a simple 'hello', Jinyoung have shouted his lungs out into his phone from the other line. "Soo Ah! What the heck took you so long to answer?! I thought something happened to you! It took you three rings to pick up? What were you doing?!"

Jinyoung's heart was racing like crazy, as if it might just come out of his mouth. He needs and must tell someone about this exciting news, or else his heart might really leap out of his body.

Soo Ah giggled and hugged her plush doll tighter, trying to suppress the insanely thumps of her heartbeat just in case if Jinyoung could hear them. "Sorry, I was just sketching in my notebook. Also, I am absolutely fine and I am home. Why are you so panicked and calling at," she paused, looking at the clock hung on the wall above her door, "11PM on a Sunday night before school starts?"

Jinyoung smiled really widely that there were creases forming at the end of his eyes. "Come over to the park. I need to tell you something and I feel like my heart is going to explode if I don't. Come quick!" He shouted the last sentence before ending the phone call to prevent Soo Ah from asking him too much questions.

Soo Ah was left in the state of confusion and curious. She got up from her bed and organised the pens and books on her bed before grabbing her jacket that she hung at the back of the door and putting it on. She literally ran down the stairs to her family of 5 - including her - and went straight to the kitchen to grab two strawberry milk.

"Where are you going? It's already so late," Soo Ah's mother asked her from the living room where she was cuddled with Soo Ah's father.

"Meeting Jinyoung at the park nearby. I'll be back by 12, I promise!" She said briefly while putting on her pair of sneakers.

Is it some kind of emergency or is it some kind of news where she would go all happy that she could just cry there? What kind of possible news is waiting for her from Jinyoung?

"Please say hi to him for me! Invite him for breakfast before school tomorrow, too!" Her mother shouted right before Soo Ah shut the door behind her to make her way to see Jinyoung.

The park was close to their houses - they're neighbours ever since they were 4 when the residence opened back then and they bonded rather quickly. They did everything together, went to the same schools, went for the same classes, and now tomorrow, going for the second year of high school together.

It seemed impossible for one of them to not have a crush on the other. Soo Ah liked Jinyoung, ever since middle school. She just never made anything seemed to obvious and kept everything to her. She wouldn't want to ruin their fourteen years of friendship on her feelings.

It seems to take so long for Soo Ah just to reach the park that night, although she really did took the same amount of 3 minutes she usually would, but this time it just felt longer. It felt like something unpleasant was about to get to her.

Soo Ah finally saw Jinyoung on the swing with his back turned to her. She remembered how small this guy was back then but now his shoulders are broad and he is much taller than she is. Ever since Soo Ah was little, she had always found Jinyoung attractive. She thought then, that maybe her crush actually started since she was a little girl, maybe a lot earlier than middle school.

She knows Jinyoung better than Jinyoung knows himself - Soo Ah knows what he likes and what he doesn't, what kind of girl he would sometimes flirt with, his favourite food, his favourite author. Sometimes Jinyoung himself doesn't even realize that he'd been doing something just really frequently until Soo Ah points it out.

Soo Ah and Jinyoung, more known as the inseparable. Even now, sometimes, they nap together. Soo Ah has undeniably, counted the times she have enjoyed staring at the sleeping silhouette of Park Jinyoung - as creepy as it sounds.

Soo Ah went nearer Jinyoung, as if she was tip-toeing, Jinyoung seems to be staring into space, dazing off again like he usually does. She sat down on the swing next to him. "Hi," she softly said, smiling at him.

Jinyoung turned and looked at her before the brightest smile formed on his face. So bright, even brighter than the stars for Soo Ah. "Hey there," Jinyoung replied. "I have something to tell you," he continued.

"Is your heart still beating like crazy?" Soo Ah randomly asked, just because hers was.

Jinyoung looked down onto his chest. "Yeah. Do you want to feel it?" He asked. Without even waiting for a reply, he grabbed Soo Ah's hand and placed it on his chest just so she could feel how crazy is has been beating for the last half an hour that he thought he might die if it went on like that.

"Oh god," Soo Ah muttered, surprised at Jinyoung's blunt action and also how fast his heart was beating. Her cheeks went slightly pink but she was quick to cover it up. "So what was it that you wanted to tell me so bad?"

Jinyoung didn't let go of her hand but instead he held it. It made her heart race even more and she was so frightened, if Jinyoung could feel or somewhat.

"I need some strength so say it out so let me hold your hand, just for a second," He said. Jinyoung took a deep breath and looked at the ground. "Remember the other day when I told you I tried applying for a scholarship at this theatre school in New York?" he asked, looking straight at her.

Soo Ah nodded, "Yeah, I remember. What about it?"

She felt that her hand was slightly squeezed before Jinyoung broke the news. "I managed to get in. They saw the audition that I sent online. I'm leaving next week."

Soo Ah didn't even realize that she had pulled her hand out of Jinyoung's until he asked her if she was okay. She just nodded in response but somehow couldn't speak it out. Her hands were shaking as she pulled out one strawberry milk for Jinyoung.

"L-let's celebrate," she stuttered. She poked her straw in and sipped in slowly, holding on her tears. Her heart was throbbing in pain, and she felt like she could cry anytime soon.

"I just got the news today, earlier at 9PM actually. My parents were absolutely happy for me, so I hope you are too," Jinyoung said. "I don't want to leave you back here. Honestly, I never thought I would ever get in but,"

By this time, Soo Ah's tears were already hot on her cheeks, and her nose had turned pink. Jinyoung somehow got a little panic and stumbled a little before he sat on the ground and pulling her together. She ended up sitting on his lap, sobbing.

They went on like that until 12.30AM, Soo Ah kept on crying and Jinyoung never stops saying he's sorry.