There are only fifteen days before Ye Joon Ji leaves the Philippines. Alison de Franco, Ye Joon's best friend knows they need to seize all those days left for them-- at the same time, she needs to learn how to let him go.
But then, as college is ar...
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1ST OF MAY
I REALLY hate it when someone has to leave.
What's more difficult is that I can't do anything about it.
Fifteen days.
Those are the remaining days we have before he leaves.
I just realize how much will I miss Ye Joon Ji. For almost half of my entire life, I am with him. It has all started when we were in the seventh grade. Ye Joon, his mom, and little sister moved here in Olongapo, Philippines; since his mother is originated from here.
I remember when he laughed at me after seeing me losing my balance before offering his help while teaching me how to ride a bike. He also witnessed how did I confess my feelings to the person I liked, I stuttered out of my nervousness; then he let off a sneering cackle. He was my partner who stomped my foot as we danced the Waltz for our school performance.
In short, he is my bully ever since.
He's with me every time—to mock and laugh at my face, because of my stupidity.
It's the first day of May. We have just graduated from Senior High School. For the next few months, we will be both going to attend college . . . and he's going to leave for college.
"Yah! Hate me now?" he snarls, "Great! I don't need to—"
I cover his mouth with my hand and glare at him. We have settled on the top of an adult-sized slide in our favorite playground. It's three in the afternoon, the whole empty playground is burned by the heat of the sun. Good thing, the slide where we are seated is shaded by a huge acacia tree.
The playground is pretty fair— beside it is a park surrounded by there and a fountain designed in the middle. Across is a marketplace and other establishments built in the plaza.
"Stop being noisy, Joonie!" I complain, frowning. Besides the vehicular noises of the road, his talkative mouth is all I can hear!
"Then talk!" His irises glower at me, grabbing my shoulders and shake it. "Come on, Alisonie!" His Korean accent is evident in his pronunciation.
"Shh, stop it, Ye Joon!" I wince and remove his heavy hands on my shoulders. He even pronounces my name as Ae-li-sun-ni, instead of A-li-so-nie.
He nods his head after he sees my slightly irritated face. "Why are you silent?" He has been talking nonsense since we came here. Maybe, he notices the silence I have been bearing as he keeps on blabbering his mouth.
Glancing at him, I only shrug. There's no way I will tell him that I am thinking how much I will miss him when he leaves. "I'm thinking why aren't you leaving yet."
He glares and puckers his lips. Sure, he's cute—but he looks like a duck with that pout.
I laugh, despite the rigid atmosphere. "Stop it, duckling! You're not cute." He winces, not liking the words I've said. And out of a sudden, he pushes me down the green slide!
I draw my eyes wide open as a scream voluntarily escapes my lips.
He is just laughing loudly until I reach the bottom of the slide.
"Ye Joon-ah!" I peek at him with infuriating expression. Quickly as I can, I climb back to the top of the slide, planning revenge to him.
But before I can, he's already on the bottom of the slide. His laughs are continuous while holding his tummy as if what he has done is really ludicrous.
What a forever bully!
"Ye Joon-ah!!" I call out in an enraged voice.
"You'll miss me, Alison. I swear," he shouts back, giggling.
IT'S around four o'clock in the afternoon when we decided to go home. We are now having our snacks while walking. I am eating a yellow cotton candy that he bought for me, while a lollipop is stuffed on his mouth.
The gentle rays of the sun poke the whole surrounding. The pastel pink color of the clouds is a fascinating view as we walk our way to the uphill trek. It matches his favorite pink sweater and board shorts that he's wearing. My wavy hair and his black shaggy hair flies in every direction as the wind blows and embrace my skin. The house where I live is three blocks away from them, so he always accompanies me home whenever I'm with him.
"Won't you really miss me, Alisonie?" he persists with slight dismay in his voice.
I look at him and shake my head, convinced that I won't admit that I will. "Why would I miss a bully?"
"Tss," he hisses and facepalm, "You're such a traitor. I won't invite you when I buy tickets for a KPop concert there."
I gasp in utter surprise. His words immediately ring a bell on my ear! If we are talking about KPop, then, damn my irritation at yKPop
He really knows my weakness. Goodness, I hate that I am too gullible.
He is a half-Korean and half-Filipino. In the next fifteen days, he will be going back to Seoul, South Korea to continue his studies. He told me he would give me free concert tickets of any K-Pop group once he begins making money and then we would watch the concert in Seoul together.
That is the best thing that I heard from him!
"Of course I will miss you! Who said I won't?" I giddily say, half-jumping while we walk in the uphill trek of our street. I have just swallowed all the words I've told him a couple of minutes ago.
He avoids my gaze and purses his lips. "Such a user."
"Am I?" I gulp a small amount of air, hiding the embarrassment inside. "Of course not! You misheard me, Ye Joon! I will really, really, really miss you!" I casually put a hand on his shoulder, "We're best friends, right?"
He never answers, throwing a fake tantrum on me. Few minutes after when we stop in front of our house. Lights are already lit inside the two-storey house.
He faces me with a serious look and plays the yellow cap that I painted with a sunflower. Then he smirks teasingly, "You really want to attend that concert with me for free, huh?"
I measure the friskiness of his doe-shaped face, staring back at his pitch-black small, but prominent and narrowed eyes. He's tall, probably 5'8. I'm quite ashamed to my height, because I'm only reaching his chin. He has fairer and clearer skin than mine, especially his facial skin that seems so soft.
And if I will think of it, he might be prettier than I do if he were a girl.
I nod abruptly. "Of course!" The grin on his face broadens. Then, as the jerk that he is, he lowers down his face and quickly sneaks a kiss to my right cheek, having a loud and irksome sound of 'chup'.
I am taken aback and frozen. Like . . . What the . . . What the heck does he just—!
"Eww! Ye Joon-ah!" I shrill, about to hit his head with my cap but the bully immediately run towards their house. The sound of his laugh makes me grimace!
Damn you, Ye Joon!
"Saranghaeyo!" he mockingly says and gestures his fingers to form a heart shape— those what he calls finger hearts.
I clench my jaw as I remove a slipper on my foot and directly aim for him. Yet he luckily avoids it.
He should be thankful I'm not wearing my roller-skated shoes today!
The mockery on his face gets, even more, annoying. He sticks his tongue out, walking towards the entrance of his home.
