2nd ∞

The night cooled down that day and it was more enjoyable now. It felt like a warm fridge. But with a perfect weather like this, people began coming. The streets that was packed with people now moved to tent bars and shopping areas to relax.

Instead of enjoying the night that was filled with flickering lights that resembled to fireflies, I headed home. I just wanted to take a cold shower and enjoy a good book before falling back asleep. 

After my cold bath, I slipped into a pair of comfortable pyjamas and flopped onto my single bed in the empty apartment. My parents went to Jeju along with my three-year-old brother. I decided not to go since I wanted to enjoy summer here. They won't be back from their summer vacation in three weeks and four days.

Time will keep on flying by, but somehow, I wasn't sure how to spend it wisely. Everything I end up doing over time, sometimes I find myself regretting it. No matter how many times humans have been told to forget their regrets because they are left to be in the past, they never listened.

So we keep on repeating to ourselves. To try to get the message through. Even with all the repeats, we get tired of hearing the same thing everyday so we end up rebelling. We're selfish humans who never listen and I feel guilty about it too.

I laid down on the comfortable pillow and lifted the book up. It was good to waste time with a good book. 

But I didn't get to enjoy my lonely night with a good book as I expected to because of Hyemi's phone call, telling me about a party she wants me to go with her.

"Oh my gosh! Yeoreum, you have to go too!" She was literally screaming on her line. I think my ear could be broken.

"I don't know, Hyemi. Parties aren't my thing..." I've always had this insecurity of going to a party with people. Even if it's a few, I didn't care because I would always want to go somewhere that didn't have that many spectators.

"Gosh, Yeoreum! We have to fix that habit of yours. It's going to be fun, I promise! Don't you believe me?" Hyemi asked me on the other line. 

"It's not that I don't believe you, Hyemi," I reasoned out, flipping to the next page of my book. "It's just that... the people. I never feel comfortable with them."

"You'll be fine as long you're with me. What do you say, Lee Yeoreum? Call?" Hyemi asked on the other line. 

I bit the lower part of my lip. I had the tendency to reluctantly agree to people even if I don't want to. I wasn't sure whether it was a good trait or something that led me to troubles. "A... arasso, Park Hyemi. I'm coming. End the call."

"Okay!" Hyemi cheered on the other line before the phone beeped, marking the end of the call.

I dragged myself out of my bed, dreading the fact that I had to go out after starting to feel comfortable. My eyelids were close to closing and if it weren't for Hyemi's call over some party I didn't feel like going to, I would be sleeping by now. Sometimes I hate myself for being such a good friend.

∞~∞~∞

"You made it!" an excited Hyemi greeted me with open arms and a tight hug. I wasn't very comfortable with the crowd of people here in the beach but everyone seemed to be having their own time and version of fun. "Look! The party is awesome! Don't you feel the rush?"

I rubbed my arm, feeling insecure again. Shaking my head, I answered, "No. I really rather be at home right now."

Hyemi nudged me and pouted. "Aww! That isn't a fun life, Yeoreum! Come on, live a little. Doesn't it seem fun here?"

"Not really," I mumbled. It was a good thing the loud music that was being played deafened my mumble so Hyemi wouldn't be able to hear what I said. 

"A boy just asked me to hang with him so go somewhere comfortable, okay? I'll be hanging with him for most of the night," said Hyemi, which made me widened my eyes and felt betrayed.

Before she'd walk away, I grabbed onto her arm and said, "Wait, you said you'd stick with me for the whole night! Don't leave me alone here, Hyemi!"

"I wished I could, but this guy's really handsome! I'd like to have his number by the end of tonight," Hyemi said, giving a subtle wink before she ran off to the farther end of the beach. 

Now I was left alone, feeling betrayed as it left a sour taste in my taste buds. Don't get me wrong, I love Hyemi so much. She's like a sister to me. But even sisters can be annoying to each other. Right now, Hyemi was doing a good job on that.

I let out a sigh. There was nothing more I could do now. So I stayed at the less crowded area of the beach and sat down, watching as other people enjoyed the party. I wasn't enjoying as much as they were, though.

"Excuse me, miss, but you're kind of sitting on my jacket."

I turned my attention to the voice and who it was coming from. My eyes widened in recognition as I recognized his face. "Wait, it's you..."

He smiled back at me. "Still not saying it's fate?"

"Nope. I still think fate's a kid's fairytale. Things like that don't happen in real life," I told him, standing on my opinion firmly. I didn't like the false hope people give themselves. Fate, destiny or whatever, it's all just something you find in novels. In your minds, mostly.

I don't want to be dressed under false hopes and lies. Because the world itself is filled of it. Time went by and the life of humans changed as well. Now people are dating as if they're just dating a phone and before you know it, you're crying over a text.

What does that have to do with my hatred for fate and destiny? It's the fact I thought I met the one. Yes, once upon a time, I believed in fate and destiny and everything magical. That wasn't all to the story. I met him online. 

He was kind, sweet, caring. But even a monster lurks in the shadows of a bright area. That was when I discovered he was more to what he says he was. He was a playboy, in other and simpler words. The day before our 100th day anniversary, I found out he was dating three other girls at the same time without any of us knowing that. I was really mad at him and dumped him. 

What made me even more mad was the fact he tried convincing me it was all a lie when I clearly saw him kissing another girl in a park one day. I slapped him in front of all those people and cursed him as much as I could. Even the girl he was kissing did the same. 

That was why I never believed in love, fate or destiny. Summer love was something I really wanted to avoid this season, every season, for the rest of my life. I went through a trauma, a pain I wished I forgot, but it seemed to keep swinging back at me. Like saying, 'We're not leaving that easily, Yeoreum.'

"They say that if two people met more than twice, it would be considered as destiny," the boy with the striking smile said, taking a seat next to me. "Still not calling it destiny?"

I shook my head at him. "Nope. Try again. Maybe the next girl you'll meet, you could call her destiny."

The boy smiled once again, clearly amused with all my answers. "Shouldn't it be fitting if I introduce myself to you? We've met thrice, after all."

"Nope, I'm good," I said, turning my attention back to the crowd of dancing people. Forget about that boy, Lee Yeoreum. The boy who took crumpled up your heart like a piece of paper.

"Fine. If you won't introduce yourself, I won't either then." Seeing him mad was kind of adorable. "I'll call you Ms. Destiny, then."

"What am I supposed to call you then? Mr. Destiny?" I asked sarcastically. 

Though he didn't seem to notice my sarcasm and smiled. "Why not? It sounds cute, right? Ms. and Mr. Destiny."

I laughed soullessly. "Right, it's cute. We're not destined, Mr. Destiny or whatever you should be called. That's just silly things they make up on the internet and you know what they say. Don't believe everything you read on the internet."

He smiled again, handing me a cup of beverage he's been holding for the past five minutes now. "A drink?"

"How do I know you didn't spiked it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Always be cautious with strangers."

"We're not strangers. We practically know each other. Not that well enough to know each other's names, but well enough to give each other nicknames," he said, smiling. He should stop with that smile of his. It's too striking that it stays in my mind longer than the persisting heat. 

"No, thanks. I'm good," I replied, refusing his offer. I was never the type who'd get excited over a party and feel alive so I was fighting my eyelids that were surely but slowly closing. 

"Enjoying the party?" Mr. Destinot asked me. Yup, I'm calling him that from now on. No matter how many times he'll say it's destiny, I'll keep telling him it's not.

I shook my head.

"Me neither. Want to go some place quiet?" 

I turned my head direction back at him, raising an eyebrow. "With a stranger?"

He huffed a sigh. "We're not strangers."

"We kind of are," I argued back.

"Do you want to or not?" he asked me, trying to be patient.

I thought it over. For one, I didn't want to abandon Hyemi. Then again, she was the first one to abandon me and didn't she say she'd be spending her time with some handsome dude for the whole night? I didn't want to stay at a party I was never wanted in the first place. Smiling back at Mr. Destinot, I said, "Ice cream parlor it is."

  ∞~∞~∞  

"What ice cream flavour to you want, Ms. Destiny?" Mr. Destinot asked, examining the pints of ice creams displayed behind its freezer.

"What does it take to stop you from calling me that?" I asked, also examining the ice cream flavours. I pointed at the one I wanted—rocky road. "I want that one."

"Tell me your name and I'll stop calling you that. One rocky road and one vanilla please," Mr. Destinot ordered, taking out his money. Before he'd pay for my ice cream as well, I handed my share of money. He raised an eyebrow, wondering what I was doing.

I shrugged. "I should pay for my own ice cream."

"I should be—"

"Here are your orders," said the staff, handing our ice cream in their cups. 

I took mine from the staff and moved away from Mr. Destinot. I sat down at an empty booth and Mr. Destinot sat across me, staring at me as he ate his ice cream. 

In the end, I said, "Can you stop staring at me as you eat? It's really creepy."

"I wanted to pay for your ice cream," he said.

"Why?" This wasn't good. All these time I'm spending with Mr. Destinot isn't doing me good. It's reminding me of all the times I had with my ex. Ugh, why do I keep remembering him when I'm not supposed to? It felt like I'm rubbing salt in my own wounds.

"So I could know your name," he simply said. "Aren't you one bit curious of what my name is?"

"Nope," I answered, pushing the spoon into my mouth. The ice cream was still cold and it was slowly melting in my mouth, leaving the taste lingering around my mouth.

"Aish, Ms. Destiny. You're so stiff." Mr. Destinot stuffed his mouth with ice cream. Which resulted a regret on his case because it froze his mouth. "Argh! Cold! Cold! Cold!"

"That's what you get, Mr. Destinot." 

"You're an interesting girl, Ms. Destiny," he remarked.

"Uh huh," I said. Falling in love was as easy as 123 for most people. But have you ever wondered about the other people who aren't like that? What happens to them? How do they fall in love? It's the same. Almost.

It's not as easy as 123. It takes 123 to make things easy. What's that supposed to mean? It means there are steps to falling in love. 

Step 1: find the person who makes your heart beat like crazy

Step 2: check if he makes you think of him 24/7

Step 3: fall in love 

I wasn't very good in love but I knew there were basic. I wasn't precise on what they were, but at least there were pointers.

A sign of love was easy to know. You know when you can sense the rain before it actually comes? When you could smell it a mile away? It's the same for love. You can notice the signs one by one as they gradually sink in and you go, 'Oh! I'm in love!'

How could a girl fall in love? How could I possibly fall in love when my heart made of paper has been torn apart by one boy? It takes one act to stop someone from believing in the good things in life. 

Just like paper, I might break. Just like paper, the wind may play tricks and I might fly away. But just like paper, a name could easily be scribbled on this paper heart of mine. 

My heart made out of white paper, would you like to see it?

~Author's Notes~

Jjang! A longer chapter! But honestly, it wasn't that great compared to the first chapter. And in case you're wondering, this story is based on f(x)'s song—Paper Heart :)))

And, finally! My exams ended, I'm so happy! Now I can concentrate more on updating my stories! (as if I haven't done that in the middle of exams). Heh :)

xoxo

Byun Sang Kyung