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He tried to remember, how long he didn’t fall in love with someone. After his first and maybe last heartbreak, he didn’t open his heart anymore. But, not until he saw the boy who became a guitarist from school band. Every year, the school always held the event for every class to perform. That day. He just realized that his heart became fluttered again just because saw him calmly strummed his guitar.
“Sunghoon!” there’s someone who called him. Of course, the one who got call knew who was it just with heard his voice. He straightly went to next to him who still focused enjoyed the band that still perform, precisely the guitarist. Feel ignored, he pinched Sunghoon’s arm and nagged him with all of words that didn’t hear by the intended. Still, he kept his eyes to the front.
Hold you tight straight through the daylight
I'm right here, when you gonna realise
That I'm your cure?
Heartbreak girl
Throughout the performance, Sunghoon ignored him and told him to go many times. The one who told to go more feel resentful and said loudly, “Oh, so this is all I got? I tried to find you and this is what I got?!”
“Jay, shut up or I will tell Jake that you like him!”
Clap rumbled. Noticed that the performance already done with the last song, Heartbreak Girl from 5SOS. Everyone thrusted each other to back to the class and Sunghoon got nudged, he just gave it up if his face would hit by the grass, after he almost hit suddenly someone grabbed his waist, “Be careful.” He stuttered and freezed with his eyes being a boba ball. The one who grabbed his waist found funny and end up with chuckled, “You alright?” Sunghoon found his self again and hurriedly established his body. He said sorry and thankyou to the boy that helped him and straightly ran to his class without knew the one who helped him pulled his mouth to make a smile, “Cute.”
The next day, after the event, the guitarist walked casually through the hall. There are many people who saw him and murmured him, used to be like that. Everyone had a crush on him. He opened his locker and kept his stuff to it. Too focused, he didn’t realize that someone behind the wall followed others to saw him.
“Hey! What are you doing here?” his one and only besfriend, Jay, approached him. He stared Sunghoon’s eyes with suspected. The one who got stared rolled his eyes, ignored him and went to the class directly. “Oh my God, Park Sunghoon!”
The class ended. Everyone tidy their stuff and out of class hurriedly. Sunghoon went to the front of his school to wait his brother for picked him up. After 30 minutes, he became restless. Because it was not usual his brother picked him late. Unfortunately, the thunder blistered. It signed the rain would come. Yeah, it rained. He tried to shade under the tree that actually couldn’t withhold the rain to not hit his body.
“Hey.”
Sunghoon stuttered, again. He couldn’t make any words and just stood up there like a fool boy. His heart pumped twice as fast out of nowhere. He tried to reply him but the only words he could say it just, “Yes.” The interlocuter chuckled and offered his hand. Sughoon freezed, didn’t know what he should do. The one who offered his hand took Sunghoon’s hand to his, “Heeseung.”
Tin.. tin..
There was bell car sound that made Sunghoon back to his body. Sunghoon released his hand, stupidly, ran to his brother car without said anything. After entered the car, he realized his stupidity. He opened the window hurriedly, “Um.. I’m Sunghoon, bye, Heeseung!” Heeseung just smiled and waved his hand.
He slammed his bedroom door and buried his face on pillow. He still figure it out, “Why am I freezed like that.” He kept repeat those words in his head until he fed up with himself. The more he thought the more regret he felt, also embarrased. He couldn’t control himself when faced with his crush. “Okay, let’s forget all of things that I did today and go to sleep, Sunghoon,” he convinced himself. After 5 minutes live in silence, literally didn’t do anything, “How stupid.”
The next day, like used to be, he went to the school. The difference, he was late. Fortunately, he passed the school gate and hurriedly ran to his class. The unfortunate part, he bumped his body to the one who walked calmly. Since he didn’t have time to insert his book to the bag and decided to brought just with his hands turned out his book scattered there and there. He took his book that sprawled on the floor, there was one more hand who took his book. “I’m sorry, Sunghoon.” He familiar with that voice. That- he slowly looked up to the boy that just said sorry and hoped it was not the boy he thought about. They made eye-contact. The one who said sorry tilted his head and asked Sunghoon if he was okay or not. Sunghoon just nodded but his heart couldn’t lie and kept rumble, he just hoped that Heeseung didn’t hear that. Heeseung gave his book to his hands again, “Thank you a-and I’m really sorry I w-was late a-and yeah I’m sorry.” “It’s okay, Sunghoon. I’m okay tho and I’m the one who should ask you, are you okay? Your face red, you got fever?” Heeseung’s hands anchored on his forehead. His face became more red. He exhaled and said that he was okay then he said goodbye to Heeseung. The one who abandoned just smiled and shaked his head.
Sunghoon got embarrassed three times in a row.
Along the class, Sunghoon not focused and just daydreamed. Jay who next to him realized that there was something wrong with his bestfriend. But since the class wasn’t over, the teacher wasn’t friendly tho, he decided to let him do anything he wanted than he got nag by the teacher. “Are you okay?”
“No.”
The one who asked more got confuse. Because it wasn’t usual his bestfriend didn’t do anything weird in a day. But this day, he literally live in silence like there was only him in this world. Jay grabbed Sunghoon’s hands and pulled him forcedly to the canteen. He knew that Sunghoon didn’t eat anything since he was late. So, as a good bestfriend he took him to eat. The canteen was so crowded, there was only one table contain four chairs that empty, “What do you want to eat? I’ll order it.”
“Same as you.”
Jay just nodded and ordered. Sunghoon sat there alone with his hands sustained his head. His gaze totally blank until there was hand tapped his shoulder. “Sorry, Are you alone? Um, all of the table is full, so.” Sunghoon knew that voice, he couldn’t help just nod. Heeseung sat in Jay’s chair. The atmosphere felt so quiet, whereas the canteen is so crowded full of people. There was no initiation for both of them to broke the silence. So, Heeseung took the liberty. “Um, Sunghoon?” the one who called look up. “Are you interest to music?” That question. That question changed everything. Both of them ended talk without feeling awkward. It was just flow like a river. Until Jay came, “Oops, I think I come in wrong time. But before you continue the conversation, you should eat first,” he said with pointing to Sunghoon. Eventually, three of them sat on the same table and talked about anything that they could talk.
After that canteen incident, three of them became close. But the two of them closer. They often hang out together. Also, Heeseung often brought Sunghoon to the music room. Like today, he pulled Sunghoon’s hand to the music room. “The art festival starts in 3 days, so you should accompany me exercise.” Sunghoon smiled. Actually, he was happy if Heeseung invited him, so he could look Heeseung singing and playing guitar. Sunghoon found him so cool if he did that. “Um, Heeseung. Can I request a song?” Heeseung nodded enthusiastically, “Sure.” “Do you know Why Don’t We’s song that called 8 Letters?”
The school art festival started. Heeseung told Sunghoon to go earlier so that he could took the front line. He knew that Heeseung’s band would perform at the end, so before he took a place in the front, he bought some snacks. He enjoyed all of the performance. Here it was, Heeseung’s band. They perform 3 songs, clap rumbled. Everyone thought that it was already done. But suddenly the guitarist came to the front, “Hello everyone, it’s so nice to meet y’all. So, today, I’ll sing this song for special person.”
I’ve said those words before, but it was a lie
And you deserve to hear them a thousand times
If all it is, is 8 letters
Why is it so hard to say?
If all it is, is 8 letters why am I in my own way
Everyone shouted and clapped, included Sunghoon. The guitarist stared him in his eyes, he got off the stage. He grabbed Sunghoon’s hands,
“So, Sunghoon, do you mind if you hear those words a thousand times?”
Sunghoon held his tears, but his eyes couldn’t lie. He shaked his head, “No, I don’t mind.”