I'm Not Her

Chapter 8

Sungjae packs up his hiking gear as Sooyoung waits for him with Changsub.

"Do you want to come with us?" Sooyoung offers.

Changsub shakes his head with a smile on his face. "I can tell that wherever you're taking my baby brother, is very important to you. You kids have fun."

"Mian." Sooyoung scratches the back of her head.

"Gwaenchanha... you don't have to apologize." Changsub assures the girl. "Let me warn you though, Sungjae can be such a girl sometimes."

Sooyoung laughs. "Ara... I'll take care of your little sister, Changsub-oppa."

"What are you two laughing about?" Sungjae glares at the two. "Ready to go, Sooyoung-ah?"

Sooyoung hops next to her. "Yep... Let's go! Annyeong Changsub-oppa!"

The kids wave goodbye to the boy's big brother and begin to walk to the bus stop. For an hour, they did nothing but eat and play at the bus until they reach their destination.

"Are we here?" Sungjae asks the girl who is busy looking around the trees.

"There it is!" Sooyoung suddenly exclaims, making the boy jump. "C'mon, we're going this way."

Sungjae looked confused but follows the girl nonetheless. "I sure hope you know what you're doing."

Sooyoung leads them to the very top of the mountain. And when they reach their destination, Sungjae can't help but be in awe of the view in front of him. They sky is clear and the air is unpolluted, there are trees everywhere and everything feels exhilarating.

"I DON'T WANT TO BE CRAZY ANYMORE!!!!" Sooyoung suddenly shouts at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing through the trees. She looks at the boy next to her, looking startled. "You try it, Sungjae-ah."

Sungjae looks at her with wide eyes. "What?"

Sooyoung moves behind the boy and pushes him to the edge of the mountain. "Try shouting out your darkest emotion. No one else can hear you, except me and this view in front of you."

"Err... okay..." Sungjae takes a deep breath and with a final look at his companion, he shouts. "I MISS YOU! EVEN THOUGH YOU HURT ME! I STILL MISS YOU! I WISH THIS PAIN WOULD JUST GO!" he huffs and catches his breath.

Sooyoung walks next to him and stares at his lowered head. "Did that make feel any lighter?"

"Yeah..." Sungjae answers with a whisper and lifts his face with a lighter smile on his lips. "Thank you... Sooyoung-ah."

Sooyoung blushes, not used to the boy's sincerity. "You're welcome. Let's go rest over there."

Sungjae and Sooyoung take shade under the biggest tree and sit on its feet. The place turns quiet and filled with unspoken words by the two. And the girl's curiosity is eating her alive.

"I really am sorry for how I acted in those first few weeks." Sungjae apologizes again.

Sooyoung chuckles. "You already apologized for that already, haven't you? I remember forgiving you." She laughs again. "Look at us now."

Sungjae joins in on her laughter. "Look at us now..."

"Hey, can I ask you something?" the boy nods. "Can you tell me about her?"

"Her?"

Sooyoung nods. "The girl that you miss." She sees him freeze up. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Sungjae leans on the trunk of the tree and puts his hands under his head. "It's not that I don't want to... it's just that I can't. The pain is still fresh and I..."