13th☀

There was something about yesterday that I couldn't stop thinking about. I wasn't exactly sure what, but it was there. And from what I'm feeling, it was too big for me to miss. Yet, I still was. 

Weird, huh?

"Why do you look so happy?" asked Mijoo, who suddenly appeared right next to me as I entered the school gates. Two more days. I couldn't be any more excited. 

"I do?" I felt my cheeks, squeezing them and noticing that they were feeling really warm. "I wonder why."

"Only you can know, Sarang," Mijoo told me as she swung an arm over my neck. She was a little taller than me, so she could easily do that. "Tell me. You've had the same facial expression ever since you came back and sat with us in Love + Flour yesterday."

"I have?" I pressed my hands on both my cheeks. "What expression is that?"

"I don't know. A really happy one," she told me. Then, with a grin, she asked, "Could you possibly have fallen in love with Hansol?"

"What?" I asked back, baffled. Shaking my head, I told her, "That's crazy talk! We're just friends."

"Really assuring, that is," she said in response. "Come on, tell me. Dig deep in your heart and tell me. What do you feel when you think of him?"

Without having clue what exactly was Mijoo on about, I just did as told. As I looked into my head and thought of Hansol, I had a tingly feeling spread around my body and it caused me to smile. I had no idea why, though. 

"First sign, checked." Mijoo made it sound like she was a therapist and I was in a session, currently. "Do you think about him often?"

"Why are we doing this again?" I asked her. 

"Do not question when I'm asking a question." Mijoo pressed a finger against my lips, then slowly pulled it away. "Back to my first question: do you think about him often?"

I sighed and only went along to whatever craziness Mijoo has come up with today. I pushed the front door of the school building open and tried to think about it. "Recently... yes."

Mijoo couldn't help but let out a small squeal. "I'm ticking it as positive!"

"Ticking what as positive, exactly?" Did I miss something? An obvious clue? 

Mijoo had her jaw dropped as she continued to stare at me. "You're kidding, right? You haven't noticed? Even with all the obvious signs?"

"Noticed what?" I was as clueless as ever. I finally opened the door to our classroom, after reaching it shortly. "Is it something obvious?"

"You must be blind today," Mijoo concluded as she fixed her high ponytail again. 

I slapped her arm. "No, I am not!"

"You have a nasty habit," she noticed, rubbing her arm. 

"Sorry," I muttered, sitting down on my seat. I fixed the table, noticing it was slightly crooked and brushed my hair back. "What were you on about, though? I didn't get it."

Mijoo sighed, placing her head on her hand before she began shaking it. "Oh, Sarang. Sarang, Sarang, Sarang."

"What? What? Tell me already!" I begged, holding her by the shoulders and giving her a good shake. 

"You like him," she finally told me. 

I paused, unable to process those words. What? 

"Like who?" I asked slowly, thinking that wasn't possible. 

"Him."

"Who?"

"Hansol."

The moment I heard his name, I remembered yesterday and started smiling to myself again. Sadly, Mijoo also noticed that.

"Aha! See!" Mijoo was pointing at my smile, as if she found something really obvious. "I don't know a lot about love, but I do know that if you're in love, you tend to blush and smile a lot." 

"No..." I looked around the classroom for a moment, as if trying to find an answer before I accidentally landed my eyes on Sang Hyuk. Ugh, bad mistake. Who knows what that dude was doing with his life. Going back to the conversation, I asked, "How do you know when you like someone?"

"When you ask yourself such question," Mijoo answered. "Come on, it's obvious already. If you're still not convinced, we can check later on. At Love + Flour. Let's see how you act around him."

"This is crazy," I found myself saying. 

"Love is crazy in so many ways. Just go on SNS accounts. You can see a bunch of people posting quotes about love," Mijoo said, letting out a shrug. 

"Okay, but seriously." I shook my head. I was in love with Hansol? Okay, not exactly in love. I like Hansol? That just sounded crazy. 

"Love happens so unexpectedly..." Mijoo recited. 

When I looked over to her, I saw that she was holding her phone in her hand, reading some quotes she found on a website. "Hey, I thought you couldn't take your phone out because you were afraid a teacher might confiscate it?"

"It's, like, the second last day before school ends. I couldn't care less," she told me, all carefree. Then she continued reading those quotes on the website, "The best type of love story is when you fall in love with the least expected person at the least expected time..."

I nudged her. "Oh, my gosh. Stop."

Wonwoo had recently entered the room and as he passed by us, Mijoo suddenly recited another love quote, "It just happened so unexpectedly, you know? Love's like that. It happens when you least expect it to."

Wonwoo paused from walking to his seat, throwing a questionable look to Mijoo before he turned to me, hoping for an answer. 

I shrugged and told him, "She's crazy."

"When is she never?" Wonwoo asked.

Mijoo heard out conversation and jumped on my back, giving us a peace sign. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Wonwoo lowered his head and sighed. "She's hopeless." 

"Yup," I agreed. 

Mijoo dropped her weight on me even more. 

"Ow! Ow! I was kidding!" I quickly said. 

Mijoo stopped forcing her weight down on me and smiled. "Thank you very much. I'll go back to what I was doing now. I look at you and see the rest of my life in front of my eyes."

"That one's a little cheesy," said Wonwoo, who came back after putting his school bag on his seat. 

"I know, right?" I couldn't help but agree. 

"Wait, why are you reading all of these?" Wonwoo asked.

"Oh, nothing much..." Mijoo answered, tapping away on her phone. "...but the fact Sarang likes Hansol."

Wonwoo was surprised at the mention of that. "You do, Sarang?"

"What? No!" I defensively answered. 

"She's in that stage where she's in denial," Mijoo told Wonwoo. 

"Am not!" I said to my defense again. 

"Ah, that explains why she's so jumpy," Wonwoo pointed out. 

What? Do I not exist to the two right? Um, hello? I'm talking here! Well, was. 

"You two..." I frowned at the both of them, feeling slightly ignored. "I exist here, you know?"

"Oh, hello there, Sarang," Mijoo greeted, patting the top of my head and pulling back a recent memory from yesterday.

That made me smile widely. 

"Okay, she's smiling again," Wonwoo noted, kneeling his knees as he rested his hands on my table, looking at the both of us. "Did you think of Hansol?"

"Oh, my gosh!" I screamed—but not too loudly or our class president would scold us. "What if I do like him? Would that seem weird?"

"Not at all," answered Mijoo.

"Nope," said Wonwoo, popping the word. 

I ended up smiling at the thought of him again. Realizing what was happening, I immediately grabbed my head and silently screamed. "No, this is crazy! Why's this happening?"

"Like I said, love happens at the least expected time with the least expected person..." Mijoo recited again, reading it on her phone. 

"Right." 

☀

I was starting to wonder if all the things Mijoo were teasing me about were true. What if they were? How exactly am I supposed to act by then? I seriously wasn't sure. 

Unlike yesterday, Love + Flour had quite a few customers today. But at least the customers weren't sitting down at our usual seats, so we claimed them and sat down. 

My eyes quickly scanned the area, hoping Hansol was here but there were no signs of him yet. It was only after a few moments did I realize what exactly I had just done. Gasping quietly to myself, I slapped myself on the cheek. 

What if I do like Hansol? That sounds crazy, even to my ears. Or maybe because I was in denial and I couldn't accept the fact I liked him. Ugh, I don't even know. I shouldn't be shaken by thoughts as trivial as these. Right? Right. 

The front door opened, making me snap my head towards the door and holding my breath. Nope, it wasn't Hansol again. 

Oh, my gosh. What was I even doing? I was actually waiting for Hansol? Ack, Sarang! You're crazy!

"Umm... should I be concerned?" Mijoo's voice was heard somewhere around me. I was too busy knocking the side of my head to know where. 

"What happened, Sarang? Finally admitted that you like him but now you're in denial again?" Wonwoo teased. 

"What?" I eyed him with a raised eyebrow. "No!"

"Gotta be more believable than that, Sarang," Mijoo said, grinning. She moved even closer and asked, "Are you waiting for him?"

"I— Err..." Should I tell them? I wasn't sure myself. But they were my only close friends that I share my secrets with. "Promise me you won't tease me if I tell you."

Mijoo and Wonwoo looked at each other, their eyes talking as they did. 

After a while, Mijoo was the one who answered for the two, "Yes, we won't tease you if you tell us. So what's up, Sarang?"

I pulled the two of them closer so that no one could overhear what we were discussing. "Okay, so I think I've gone crazy."

"I think we've already established that." Mijoo nodded along. 

I slapped her shoulder. "Yah! I'm serious. I think I've gone crazy."

"Crazy in love?" Wonwoo teased, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

"Hush, Wonwoo." Mijoo squeezed his lips together. "I thought we already agreed not to tease her?"

"We did?" Wonwoo tried asking, but his lips were still sealed off by Mijoo. "I thought we were just doing a staring contest."

Mijoo removed her fingers from squeezing Wonwoo's lips together and face palmed before she shook her head. "Never mind him, Sarang. Continue."

"I think you guys might be right," I finally said after moments of hesitation. "I think I like Hansol."

Mijoo couldn't hold back her grin. "When did it started?"

"I don't know," I replied, trying to find out how it happened, "I think it started yesterday, when he patted me on the head. I didn't expect it, so it triggered something inside of me."

"Skinships are always the way to make someone fall in love," Mijoo ended up saying as she continued grinning at me. "At least, I think it is?"

"There are many ways to fall in love," I said to her. "You just have no idea how it happened when you have fallen in love."

"I can't believe it! Our Sarang has fallen in love!" Mijoo squealed, giving me a tight squeeze. "That's so cute!"

"Stop, stop," I said, lightly slapping her hands that were nearest to my reach. I couldn't help but giggle in between, though. "I... can't... breath!"

"Oh, sorry." Mijoo finally let go of me, but she was still grinning at me as her eyes traveled to the door before it traveled back to me. In a whisper, she told me in a teasing voice, "He's here."

In an instant, I felt my entire body freeze. And not only did it freeze, I felt detached with my own body. Like, it wasn't even of mine anymore. 

"Hi, Sarang," greeted Hansol, probably standing behind me. 

"Oh, hi, Hansol," I stuttered, biting my lower lip. "You're here?"

That was a stupid question. Obviously he was.

"Yup," he answered, like it was casual to ask such a stupid question. "One more day until school holidays. Guess I'll be missing you, huh?"

"Yeah..." I said, trying to steady my breath. This was weird. Not because I like him, but because we were only friends until I fell for him. 

"Enjoy your holidays, then. I'm going to get something to eat," Hansol said. Then I heard footfalls growing more distant over the seconds. 

It was then I finally realized what love was like. It wasn't like my first love—if he was even worthy enough to be called my first love. No. Love was... more precious; fragile. It painted colours in your life. Colours you didn't know could be painted. It made you smile and it made you feel giddy, like a little kid. It was nothing but a whirlwind of beautiful flower petals swaying and dancing with the wind. 

I can't believe I've missed out on such a wonderful feeling. It takes one person for you to realize what love really is, and I'm glad that it was Hansol who opened up my eyes to such beauties of the world. 

☀

Even when I got home, I was still a smiling wreck. Luckily, I was the only one at home so no one could ask why I had a silly smile on my face. I wouldn't know how I would have answered by then, if someone ever asked. 

Mom would have been happy if she found out that I was living just as I've always lived. I could imagine her proud, smiling face as she stroked my hair and told me, "Good job." I could picture it easily, and I, myself, was just as proud. 

In my room, I caught a sight of my luggage bags that were placed in front of my walk-in closet doors. I felt excitement rush through my veins even more, but something was holding me back from bursting with happiness for the trip.

What could it be? 

Seconds later, I realized that it was because I wouldn't see Hansol for two weeks because of me going on this trip. I was kind of disappointed to have to leave, and I was almost convinced that I didn't want to leave. 

Oh, well. It's just for two weeks. I think I can manage. 

I crashed on my bed after taking a warm shower and brushing up my teeth. I fixed up my pillows before I picked up my phone and stared at the messages Wonwoo and Mijoo were exchanging in Sam-deul-ie. 

I was reading—without replying—to the messages, mostly, until one message thread caught my attention. 

Mijoo: so umm...

Mijoo: guys don't kill me but...

Mijoo: myeong oppa, yejun oppa and hansol are also coming on the trip

~Author's Notes~

I made a stupid mistake. I totally didn't realize this chapter was incomplete when I started writing the next chapter XD Only seconds later did I question myself, "Wait... did I finish the last chapter?" I guess I was also really excited about their trip XD 

Updates are coming slow because I'm currently working on another work (SEVENTEEN fanfic, of course) and I'm really excited to have it completed before I publish it! It's a new concept (at least, it feels like that to me) so I hope that once it's published, you guys will read it and support it :) 

Also! I'm probably going to have an account where I post vocal covers of me. Correction: I already have an account where I can post my vocal accounts on Instagram(@4ever_shine) but the Wi-Fi's so slow I can't post the cover I already have. (Apologies in advance. First timer's works are always a mess). < if you want to find out more to why this is happening, go check out the message on my profile! :) 

That's it for now. Thank you for reading! <3