She stood and checked her reflection in the mirror, she combed her hair with her fingers in a hurry and went back to the window.
“Yah! I thought you were mad at me or something! Just come inside and make yourself comfortable. I’ll be down quick.” She said in a cheerful voice.
“Huh?! I thought she’s the one who’s mad at me.” he thought, scratching his head in confusion as he made his way inside and sat on the chair overlooking the garden.
“Yah! Where’s my sweet potato?” she said startling Yonghwa
“Omo.. Yah! You shouldn’t do that! You’ll give me a heart attack!” he said right hand on his chest
Joo Hyun just laughed and said “You’re too young to have a heart ailment.” She slump down beside him
Yonghwa handed her the sweet potato and they began to eat in awkward silence. Both making side glances, both wanted to start the conversation but don’t know how.
“Were you…” they surprised each other when they spoke in unison
“You can say it first” Yonghwa said
“Aniya, you say it first” Joo Hyun replied
“Ladies first”
“Since when did you consider me as a lady?! You go first.” She retorted left eyebrow slightly arched as if challenging him but he conceded
“I’m sorry about the way I acted yesterday?” he said while looking on his feet guiltily
“”It’s okay. I was actually surprised with the reaction, I….”
“Were you really that mad to the extent of skipping school to avoid me?” He cut her sentence midway
“Yah! Would you stop blabbering and let me finish?” she looked at her and continued after he nodded
“As I was saying, yesterday you walked out on me when I’m about to say this. I was JOKING!” she said emphasizing the last word “And I really was not feeling well, I had dysmenorrhea! Such a conceit thinking it’s because of him” she added her forehead creased into a frown
After he heard it, he felt like a fool “Oh, so it was a joke? I should have known.” He awkwardly laughed and his right arm made its way on Joo Hyun’s shoulder “So, you’re not in pain anymore?” he asked
“It’s better.” Joo Hyun looked at him and sighed. “In time..” she thought
“I brought my notes. You should study, you won’t like it if you’ll be left out right? I can smell high school just around the corner.” He said
“Yeah, yeah.. whatever!” she said rolling her eyes
---
Kyuhyun smirked after he saw Joo Hyun walking at the corridor, he has been waiting for her for a while now. He was grumpy the whole day yesterday ‘because she was absent. For some reason he just loved bothering her. It always made his day seeing her chubby face contort in annoyance.
“Yah! Why were you absent yesterday?” he asked as he pulled her pony tail to stop her from passing.
“Ouch! Let go!” she whined grabbed his hand that was pulling her hair and pinched it, hard, until he let go. She then ran as fast as she can away from him but not before yelling at him “What’s your problem with me?! Why are always bothering me?!”
“Because I can’t stand seeing your ugly fat face!” he yelled back at her retreating back
Hearing what he just said her running feet stopped in a halt, she turned back at him “I swear, there will come a time that you’ll regret everything!” she warned and went on her way, blinking her eyes, willing the tears not to fall.
“tsk. This ugly girl sincha.” He muttered touching his hurt arm then he smiled, that’s what he likes about her. She does not take bullsh*t, she faces him head on.
---
She has worked herself hard until graduation. She started to subtly act lady-like, she started to condition her hair, changed to a healthy diet and studied hard to Hyoyeon’s astonishment.
“Joo Hyun-ah, you’re acting really unlike you these days.” Hyoyeon said “Did anything happen?”
The nearby Kyuhyun heard them looked at Joo Hyun and nodded in agreement. He noticed that too. He inched closer to hear more of their conversation
“Hmn? Not much. Just becoming self-conscious, just like you” with that retort, Hyoyeon fell silent, nodding in understanding
“Oooh, did I mention that I became self-conscious the time when I had my first crush? So do you have one now?” she said with a teasing tone
“None! I’ll be going home. See you!” she ran off to avoid more interrogation
The pencil Kyuhyun was holding fell.
--
Graduation has ended. During their class trip to the beach that summer many of her classmates noticed something different in her
“Omo, Joo Hyun, you’ve lost some weight.” One of her classmate said
“Yeah, she shed off some of her baby fats and her skin has gotten lighter too.” Another one noticed
She just laugh it off and thank them when she saw Yonghwa staring at her. “What!” she mouthed
Yonghwa just smiled and shook his head “They’re right.” Yonghwa thought “she did lost some weight.”
“What are you looking at? You dense boy!” she thought turning her back on him and mingled with her girl friends
“Yah! Yonghwa is checking you out” Hyoyeon said tapping Joo Hyun’s shoulder to get her attention
“Nah! He’s just jealous coz I often hang out with you guys more often now.” She said and stole a quick glance on Yonghwa, she felt her heart flutter when she confirmed Hyoyeon’s statement, and decided to approach him and talk. Just as soon as her feet moved towards his direction, their class muse approached him.
She saw how he smiled widely to accommodate Shin Hye, they talked and laughed as if they’re the only ones there. Her heart sank with the sight. “She suit him better.” She thought and went to the restroom instead
When she came out, she passed by Yonghwa and Shin Hye and said HI. She went to her crowd smiling even though all she wanted to do was pack up and go home.
