Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Younghoon was always there, slumped against the gnarled and twisted trunk of the willow tree in the park. And I was also always there, watching him from behind another tree. Every single time, he had his headphones on and a sheet of paper on his lap. Sometimes, that piece of paper would be blank and he would tap his pencil on his chin as he bobbed his head up and down. Sometimes, it would be partially filled and he would be quickly scribbling things and shading things in. Other times, the entire page would be used up and he would be reviewing it. I could never quite get a glimpse of what it actually was for.
He had the visuals to pass off as a celebrity. At the park, many girls that spotted him would come up and pretend to be an innocent soul by asking him what he was writing. They always batted their eyelashes, twirled their hair, shifted from one foot to the other, smiled sweetly, and had a honey-like smoothness to their voice. I mentally noted to myself to never act like that in front of guys anytime I witnessed it. Whenever the girls questioned the paper, he would spout some huge vocabulary as an explanation, and then they would flash him an awkward smile that meant they didn't understand. After, they would quickly scurry off and whisper to each other in annoyance and disappointment.
At first, when girls approached him, he always got flustered and shy. His stuttering and quietness seemed to drive them off, but I personally found it adorable. I don't know what happened after that day, but he stopped tensing up and could manage to properly answer. I think he doesn't reply that way just because he doesn't want the attention. I think he's sincerely answering them with a serious statement. It's funny how he seems confused when they just run off. I never admitted it aloud to him before. I just stay in the background.
I could tell he was some kind of music geek that was only interested in music and not in love life or anything. As long as I can keep watching him from afar, I'll be satisfied. Even though I've liked him and observed for a while now, even though I've seen him cry and smile, even though he's right in front of me, I couldn't go up to him and confess and admit to everything because of my lack of courage. I always had these doubts buzzing in my head irritatingly that I could never get rid of those thoughts...
My thoughts were interrupted when I heard my name being called. My eyes enlarged and I ducked down, bunching myself up into a ball as I hid behind the wide tree. I didn't want to blow my cover. I squeezed my eyes shut and hid my identity behind my hands. Suddenly, a hand wrapped around my left wrist and removed my hand from the left side of my face. I opened my eyes in a flash out of surprise, and soon groaned in dismay upon discovering my clingy neighbor in front of me. "I never thought I'd see you!" He squealed excitedly. I yanked my hand away from his grasp and buried my face into my cupped palms. "Why are you here?!" I said.
"Why shouldn't I be here?" He asked, tilting his head to one side as he crouched down in front of me with a bright smile. "Nevermind. Just go away, Haknyeon!" I flicked my hand in dismissal. "Why should I? I wanna stay with you!" He hopped beside me and plopped down in the grass, his hand snaking around my arm. I glared at him. He was childishly plucking out flowers, casually humming. "I'm not your babysitter. Shoo! Shoo!" I hissed to him in a quieter volume after peering around the thick trunk to check on Younghoon. He was still in the same position and didn't move an inch. I let out a sigh of relief as I turned back to Haknyeon.
Right as I looked back, he stuck a handful of petite flowers behind my ear. I rolled my eyes. "Stop doing things like this," I swatted his hand away but kept the plants tucked behind my ear. I often didn't like Haknyeon chasing me around everywhere I go, but I appreciated his company. He pouted to me like a kid. "So mean~" He whined in a sing-song voice. I shoved him with my hands and pulled myself away from him. I stood up, picking out the grass bits tangled in my clothes before marching off and leaving him behind. I folded my arms over my chest as I briskly passed Younghoon, who didn't acknowledge my brief presence. I kept my head down the entire time as a small smile formed on my lips. That was the closest I've ever been to him.
Haknyeon soon caught up with me, his hand resting on my shoulder. "With your temper, it's not a surprise that no one likes you besides me," He shook his head. "I'm the only one that can put up with you." I elbowed him with a snort and picked up the pace. He laughed loudly as I walked quicker, my hands now swinging by my sides. "Y/N! I have something to say to you!" He shouted to me from behind. I huffed in defiance as I broke into a jog to escape him. I heard his footsteps getting increasingly louder and I couldn't help but smile. "What is it-" I tripped over a root that was uprooted, interrupting myself with a scream.
But a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me backwards. "Y/N, you okay?" I heard Haknyeon's words right behind me as I fell back into his chest. My eyes flicked up to meet his worried gaze, and I felt my cheeks warm up. "Yeah! I'm fine!" I said in a haste. I flipped around so that I was facing him now. I grunted as I pushed him back gently so he staggered back a few steps. "Wait!" He yelled impatiently. He extended an arm once again and yanked me forward to him. I squeaked as I bumped against his chest.
"Y/N, I still haven't told you what I wanted to say! Jeez, you're older than me, but you act so rashly," He giggled. "Says you," I mumbled with exasperation. "But what do you want to say?" I questioned, tapping my foot as I tried wriggling away. His expression turned scarily serious and my eyebrows raised at the sudden difference of mood. "Uh..." I trailed off as I stopped struggling. He lowered his head and I lurched back. "I wanted to say this for a while now. I don't know why I want to say this now... But..." He took in a deep breath. I nibbled the inside of my lip nervously, anticipating what he was going to say. In all honesty, I hoped it was just some sort of joke. I didn't like it when he was serious since he was usually so carefree.
