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First Love | 12

"I'm sorry, Kim Hwayeong"

Na Jaehwa's POV

"Let's go now?" I asked, It's getting late anyways. "aah, wait a little more, the sun is setting, it will be the best moment later, if you be patient! just wait!" she whines, never though that the smartest in class really is this whiny. "okay okay, I will wait for you. let's go at 7, okay?" 

she nodded and smiled. 

06.58 PM

"Yak Na Jaehwa! It's so pretty look!" she made me lift my chin up getting my eyes off phone, while pointing to the west. "wow" I mumbled to myself, this is the first time for me to see a sunset this close. Because-

"ouch.." I felt my skin burning I took my outer, wore it and packed my things while wait for Hwayeong. My skin, actually every vampire's skin, are actually very sensitive under the sun when it sets, but I have this genetic problem that never allows me to see the sunset closely, my skin is worse than the others.

"are you okay?" I heard the soft fragile voice asked, breaking my thoughts. She noticed me holding my arm, trying to hide the burnt skin. 

"Is sunset bad for you?" I saw nothing but worries and guilt in her eyes, she tried to let my grip off my arm, "it's okay, I'm okay" I smiled "let's take a photo together with this sunset background!" I changed the topic trying to comfort her without making her feel guilty

07.05 PM 

we were walking to Myeong-dong, she didn't say a word, it's obvious that she is feeling guilty about earlier. I put my arms around her,

"hey, no need to think about it, this will heal after 10 mins! look, it's better now"

I rolled my sleeves up to show her the burnt skin that doesn't look like it burnt after 5 mins, her eyes widened. "You got better in 5 mins... that's so cool! did you put makeup on this?" she held my arm trying to look at it closely

I smiled at her, "hey, if that happens again, don't ever feel guilty about what happens to me, okay?" 

Hwayeong's POV

"hey, if that happens again, don't ever feel guilty about what happens to me, okay?" I heard the soft voice asking me not to feel guilty about what happens to him? of course I felt so guilty, I didn't know anything.. 

I nodded my head, "I mean, I will try.." and tried to smile while looking up. 

He leant closer. His face is so close to mine, I scooted back and look away while trying not to blush, and as always, failed. 

"Is this only because he's a boy, or is this really feelings towards him" I thought.

"oh shoot I hope he didn't hear that one" and I forgot about his ability to read minds, I'm screwed.

His hands suddenly made a circle on my shoulder, to be honest, it's not comfortable to walk like this in a crowded place with so many humans in it, but he seems comfortable so I'm just gonna let this flow.

"hey, please let me know if you feel uncomfortable about something in my world, okay? I will try not to do or show that to you" He suddenly opened his mouth, I looked up and nod a bit

'look, we're here!" He points at the crowded place, Myeong-dong.  

- time skip -

"hey! look! it's Tteokbokki!" he pointed at the rice cake store and dragged me while holding his french fry hot dog, this feels like a trip with a Non-Korean who doesn't know and never tasted anything in Korea. 

I have done this before, with Yuta and Taeyeon, we went to Han River and Myeong-dong after a few weeks we met Yuta, he was as excited as Jaehwa is today, he bought everything in the city. This is the reason why Han River and Myeong-dong is an iconic and important for us

"try this! it's so good" He tried to fed me one of the rice cake he's eating, I ate and smiled, "yeah, it's good" he chuckled, "woah, why don't I knew about street foods earlier"

"tell me the places you have never been in korea" I took a bite of my hot dog, there was no answer, "there are too many, I can list the places I've ever been but not the ones I've never been" 

"I have been always in the castle, I was too scared to go outside, I was scared that I will lose control of myself and scare others, I'm scared that someone will see my mark, or my fangs and make fun of it. It was just so traumatic"

"but I'm okay now, I promised myself not to let others know or see my weak side. I can show those to you, but not others. That's why I always act tough when I'm around Yuta or Taeyeon, at school too, so that people won't know that I'm weak and easy to make fun of"

"so that people will think that I'm tough and strong, the trauma is still there, deep in the deepest place in my heart" I saw the fake smile formed in his face "but thanks to you, I was able to make it better" 

"You are not weak"

Na Jaehwa's POV

"You are not weak, Jaehwa-ya"

I looked at her. This is the first time I tell my story and all the things I felt inside my heart to other than my family and this is the first time I don't see pity, I see empathy.

"You are not weak, you are tough. You are a strong person. And for me, the actions you did for me was cool. And your story told me that not everyone's life are the same, there are the ones with no family problems but have problems outside the house, like me. But there are the ones who has no friends conflict but his/her family is screwed up."

"But there are the people like you, who is different in and outside the house, who is not comfortable at home, but also outside the house, and they are the strongest person in the world in my opinion. They are so cool. Remember that, you have me, you have Taeyeon and Yuta"

"You have us" her arms was wrapped around my waist, hugging me. 

"thank you"

I hugged her back, running my fingers through her long hair. 

|"she's my first love"

"he's my first love" |

"I'm sure. And I'm glad it's him"

"I'm sure. And I'm glad it's her"

It felt like she can hear my mind, it felt like we can read each other's mind that night.

~~~