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The bus stop, which was always filled with students, was now empty. For an hour, he watched everyone leave the sheltered area to go home.
The students that were giggling and bickering nonstop beside him have now reached. The annoying yet one and only friend he had that was accompanying him long ago was now home too.
And yet, he was stuck here, unable to go home due to one reason.
Lee Heeseung.
That famous athlete can make one fall in love with his charms for seconds. The tall guy who can break someone’s heart in seconds. And the handsome guy that can reject someone cold-heartedly in one second.
Sunoo feels stupid. Why was he even here trying to shoot his luck? He was just a ‘nobody and invisible’ student who barely got noticed. Sunoo wasn’t even famous or well-known for Heeseung to pay attention to him.
Yet, why was he being delusional, believing that Heeseung would accept him?
“Yeah, I should just go home.” Sunoo stood up from his seat. He stepped forward until he felt his feet planted on the ground. The heavy rain from the thunder disrupted his route to go home.
“What the fuck is wrong with my luck today..” Sunoo stared in disbelief. His hands that were in his pocket clutched the fabric inside. Sunoo exhaled a shaky sigh. He felt his heart pounding like crazy. Whether or not it was between good and bad reason, he decided.
“I should just stay here longer till the rain stops.” Sunoo doesn’t have a choice either way.
Till then, once the rain stops. Sunoo will give up and go about his day to lie that he didn’t place a letter in Heeseung’s locker – asking him to meet at the bus stop.
He sat on the seat. Sunoo breathed deeply in and out as a cycle repeatedly to calm his heart which was aching intensely. Sunoo swears he is on the verge of jumping out of his seat and running towards the road, wishing he had ascended earlier.
His impulsive thoughts were killing him.
“Waited long enough?” An awaited voice from behind sent Sunoo’s heart flying out of his chest. He was startled slightly by the thunder that echoed from the sky and glanced behind.
There he is. The guy with ash gray faded into blonde recently. Sunoo blinked for a couple of seconds while squeezing his chest. He wasn’t aware of what Heeseung was wearing today. And it slapped him at how handsome one could be.
He wore thinned round rose-gold glasses, which complemented his sharp node. His untucked white uniform with the school pants too. Despite the apparent weight from the bag slung on one side of his shoulder, he carried it with ease. How could one look so effortlessly good?
Sunoo slapped out of his thoughts. Why was he admiring him when his face says it all? He breathed coldly, “How long have you been here?”
Heeseung was leaning on the bus stop’s panel while looking heavenward – like he was faking his count. His jawline was visible, underlining his apple adam perfectly. Sunoo nervously gulped as he stared.
“Probably… around the part where you cussed at your luck?” Heeseung raised one of his eyebrows.
Sunoo’s face instantly switched up. “That’s how long he had been here?” He thought. As Sunoo panted and whined, Heeseung sniggered. “Don’t worry -- it was cute.” Sunoo’s heart skipped a beat the moment he heard.
Heeseung had his hands in his pocket while taking his time to walk towards Sunoo, who was still sitting on the seat. “You got something important to say to me?” Heeseung questioned. That’s when Sunoo’s eyes slightly widened. Right, the confession he has to say.
Sunoo stood up and faced Heeseung. He was a few centimeters across from him. The bus stop’s seat is like a barrier to getting closer. Sunoo brushed his bangs back, thinking of how he should phrase his love.
His skin felt cold yet hot. The presence intensely gazed at him, making his ears flush and his insides twist uncomfortably. Sunoo’s throat tightened as he thought about the outcome. His fingertips were now cold due to the lack of blood circulation.
Just say it out, Sunoo. Sunoo forcefully closes his eyes.
“I like you,” Sunoo muttered under his breath. He inhaled a deep breath before counting the seconds Heeseung took before replying. Sunoo’s nails dug into his palms as he looked at the floor. His feets awkwardly shuffled as Sunoo touched his nape to reduce the heat.
The uncomfortable silence was killing him.
“But what if I don’t?” Heeseung frowned. A sign of lie flashed across Heeseung’s eyes, but Sunoo failed to catch it. His eyes looked down at the bench as his hands clutched his uniform even harder.
Sunoo’s pupils contracted. The adrenaline rush that was traveling through his body kept going. His mouth dried up, leaving him no words to say. His heart pounded even faster, though there was nothing to be excited about.
The bag he was carrying felt heavier and heavier as he stood. The rain that surrounded them wasn’t making it better as well. He attempted to endure the extra weight of embarrassment on his shoulder.
Sunoo respires heavily, consciously avoiding any possible eye contact with the man standing before him. Heeseung’s gaze continued piercing into his soul. Sunoo’s eyes softened, and his mouth gaped in disbelief.
The first time he got rejected was now. And the only option was to flee in this heavy rain.
“Ah fuck this shit.” Sunoo ran out of the bus stop into the rain. Pursing his lips while running this marathon back home, he hears a clear voice shouting his name from the bus stop. Yet, he chooses to avoid it.
On the other hand, Heeseung was looking at Sunoo bewilderedly. In an instinct, he immediately dropped his backpack onto the wet floor and dug out his jacket before dashing towards the soaked men under the rain.
“Kim Sunoo! Get back here!” Heeseung felt hesitant and cussed before pushing himself out of the sheltered area to catch for him. Heeseung ran the long and stretched pedestrian route. The rain was soaking the jacket that was covering him. And the puddles he stepped on splashed the end of his pants.
“Why is he so fast?” Sunoo glimpsed behind and continued running though he was almost out of air. He knew he should have signed up for track and field club and not the library. Sunoo’s hands swiped across his face to wipe off the droplets of rain falling.
He brushed his hand back on his hair as his bangs covered his vision. The heavy rain didn’t have a sign of stopping, and neither did Heeseung. Sunoo couldn’t see the end of the route as he desperately prayed.
Meanwhile, Heeseung’s stamina didn’t disappoint, and he didn’t take long till he was an arm close to Sunoo. Heeseung reached out for his bag strap. Till he finally got a hold of it, he pulled Sunoo towards him, causing him to shriek as he felt his balance falling apart.
The latter fell into his arms, and Heeseung took the opportunity to embrace Sunoo tightly on the chest. He doesn’t want him to run away again. Sunoo's chest heaves as he tries to catch his breath. He looked at the pathway he was supposed to continue running on.
The pouring raindrops fell on Sunoo’s face. He felt the droplets rolling off his face. Yet all his attention was on the strong arms wrapping him closely. Sunoo’s eyes landed on the jacket Heeseung was holding on tightly. He tugged onto it gently, wanting this moment to last.
The both of them panted heavily. The minute shared under the rain was comforting. The sounds of pitter-pattering surrounded them both. And no one is complaining about how drenched they are at this point.
As the two of them only heard each other’s heavy breath, Sunoo’s eyes closed. Heeseung’s arms enveloped Sunoo, and he was overpowered, leaving him trapped in his hands. Though he won’t complain, the warmth both shared gave his stomach butterflies.
But his head was filled with questions yet to be answered. Sunoo opened his eyes again as he called out for his name.
“Heeseung.”
The latter responded by releasing his hug and holding onto Sunoo’s shoulder. He spun Sunoo around, allowing them to make eye contact last.
Sunoo’s eyes blinked rapidly, maybe because of the rain. But mainly because of the tall guy that chased and ran like there was no tomorrow for him.
The guy he had long awaited for a year ran after him when he thought he had no chance. And the guy is staring into Sunoo’s hazel eyes, admiring the stars concealed beneath them.
“Why…” Sunoo’s quiet voice filled the atmosphere. His eyes fell onto Heeseung’s necklace. Sunoo’s pupils trembled and widened. He recognized that pendant. The half-heart symbol was dangling onto the silver line.
Sunoo has it.
He looked down at his left arm, and the pendant from the bracelet was the missing piece from the one Heeseung was wearing. He raised his left arm to give it a closer inspection. After all these years, he came back.
“Have you finally figured it out?” Heeseung looked down hazily as Sunoo locked eye contact once again. His fingers still not leaving his bracelet, and his eyes stung.
“Didn’t you say you flew aboard to pursue your studies?” Sunoo frowned at him, voice slightly cracking. Feeling betrayed, he huffed. He felt a sense of relief and a pang of pain.
“After all these years… you-”
Like a slow-motion act, Heeseung selflessly spread open his jacket in a swift and covered Sunoo to shield the rain from falling onto him any longer. Sunoo’s eyes dilated as he stared at the protective male, wrapping him into warmth.
Heeseung placed his hands on the back of Sunoo’s head and walked closer to minus the distance between them. He then laid Sunoo’s head gently on his chest before hugging him again while resting his chin on Sunoo’s crown.
It felt like a too-good-to-be-true act.
First, he ran away in embarrassment due to the cruel rejection. Second, the male who rejected Sunoo ran after him and hugged him. Third, somehow that guy was his childhood friend? Fourth, there’s… no fourth.
Sunoo’s mind remained the same; numerous questions formed in his head, and he wanted them answered right now.
Sunoo doesn’t care if the books in his bag are soaking wet and if he gets scolded by his parents for wasting their money on these things. All he cares about is the person that’s hugging him comfortably.
“Sunoo… you don’t know how much I missed you,” Heeseung muttered. Sunoo felt Heeseung’s embrace getting even tighter. In this cold area, the only thing he is paying attention to is the warmth shared between the two of them under the nonstop heavy rain.
“Heeseung-”
“Shh… let’s stay like this for a while more.
-
“My books are soaked…” Sunoo gripped the tore piece of cover from his textbook. He crashed into Heeseung’s place and took a shower. He has the towel hung onto his neck as he squatted to look closer at the damaged goods in his bags.
“Don’t worry, I will buy new ones for you,” Heeseung reassured, resting his chin on his palms while staring at the prettiest male he had ever seen. He slowly looked down, praising how his pajamas compliment Sunoo well.
The oversized duck shirt and sweatpants hanging onto its dear life fitted the cute male in front of him.
“Done staring?” Sunoo deadpanned. Heeseung slightly jumped in surprise as he snapped out of his thoughts. He cleared his throat in an attempt to wash this awkwardness away. Sunoo approached the sofa and sat cross-legged.
He stared into blankness while slightly pouting his lips. “I think you need to do some explaining.” Sunoo huffs and looks in Heeseung’s direction. Feeling guilty, Heeseung looked at the carpet floor and brushed his feet against it.
His chest rose as he inhaled a deep breath. Heeseung let out an empty laugh before starting.
“Let me start from the top.”
-
Heeseung’s parents were born with a golden spoon. The two partners inherited the company and had Heeseung. As the years passed, they soon had to shift their company to New York in the USA.
At first, Heeseung was devastated when he slowly figured he might have to live there forever with a slim chance of returning. So, Heeseung lied to Sunoo in the past.
“Sunoo… I have to tell you something.” Heeseung fidgets with his fingers. The 12-year-old himself has to lie to his friend with no choice left. He didn’t want to break Sunoo’s heart. Especially since he is one of those special people that Heeseung’s heart cherishes the most.
“What is it?” Sunoo looked up with his doe eyes. His sharp eyes can be captivating. But, out of all, his innocent and cute eyes are the shinest. Heeseung heart ached, knowing he won’t be able to stare into Sunoo’s hazel eyes anymore.
“I… have to pursue my studies in New York.” Heeseung scratched his nails. Sunoo noticed it and placed his fingers on top of each other to intertwine their fingers together.
“Don’t worry! I will be waiting for you! Till then, promise me that you will not forget about me!” Sunoo extended his pinky, preparing for it to intertwine with another pinky.
Heeseung shakily wrapped his pinky around Sunoos. “Promise. I will never forget about you, Sunoo.” Heeseung bitterly smiled.
So when Heeseung finally had to go, he landed in New York. But till the flight and end of the journey in the country, he never stopped thinking about the smaller male who always builds sandcastles with him.
Heeseung never stops looping the memories he shared with Sunoo. He always spared a second to think back about the time. When behind each hangout, Sunoo would always plant a peck on Heeseung’s cheek to see his ears go red.
He never forgets how he would always be able to sleep comfortably – after Sunoo wished him goodnight. He always remembered the promise from the shorter male. So, Heeseung finally requested one specific thing from his parents after he finished high school.
“Let me go back to my home country. I need to fulfill a promise. I swear I won’t mess around, and I can live alone. At worst, you can hire a maid for me. Please, just let me go back to my country.” Heeseung pleaded.
His parents looked at him, their expressions softened. And their eyes glanced at each other before making their final decision.
“Fine. If you need help, contact us. We will prepare your flight tickets.”
-
“So here I am! Finally, back after insufferable years of learning basic terms to communicate in New York and back to meeting my childhood first love.” Heeseung said, looking into Sunoo’s eyes with genuine emotion.
It was shiny and glassy. Sunoo’s eyes were turning watery, and the tip of his nose was turning red. Heeseung knew the littlest things that took effect on him before being emotional and concluded.
He needs to coo Sunoo.
“Don’t cry!” Heeseung rushed over to wrap his arms around Sunoo tightly. Hugging him made it worse as Sunoo burst into tears while embracing the other who was trying to comfort him.
Sunoo’s tears rolled down his cheeks as the water from his eyes overflowed, and Sunoo wept nonstop. Heeseung answered most of his questions, but one remained unanswered.
“Why…” Sunoo hiccuped. “Why did you come back for me?” Sunoo clutched onto Heeseung’s shirt fabric even tighter. He felt a mixture of emotions. Sunoo doesn’t know why he was so special to Heeseung.
What was the reason for Heeseung to feel the urge to think about him at times when they were out of contact? Why-
“Since I ran after you, hugged you under the rain… and I never stopped thinking about you whenever. Doesn’t that answers the question?” Heeseung’s voice pierced through Sunoo’s irritating train of thought. Sunoo sniffled.
“But why did you reply with ‘What if I didn’t like you’?” Sunoo's voice cracked. His nose was stuffy, and he could hardly breathe. It can’t be Heeseung just cooing at him, so he is sugarcoating things, right?
Heeseung giggled, “It was a small prank. Till you started running under the rain away from me.” Sunoo let out a short laugh and tightened his hug. Heeseung pecked his crown, and Sunoo finally concluded.
He wasn’t the first to like him. It was Heeseung the whole time.
“I rejected multiple people – who were pursuing their love for me because I was waiting for you. I wanted you to be the first one to make your move. I wanted you to realize that your favorite person was back from abroad.”
Heeseung embraced Sunoo even tighter.
“I wanted you to know that I will always be near you to wait for your confession.”
Sunoo smiled and closed his eyes as he rested his head on Heeseung’s shoulder. Heeseung placed his hands and played with Sunoo’s hair.
Heeseung whispered dearly into Sunoo’s ears, “I will always and forever love you, my first love.”
-
Just one and a half years ago, both of them were together in the same area but further away.
Heeseung stood still by the hallway entrance with his bag hanging on one side of his shoulder. His hands were in his pocket, as he didn’t know where else to place it. He walked past the overwhelming crowd of students blocking his way due to the unreal features in his looks.
The hallway was filled with kids gossiping and murmuring among themselves as they glanced at the handsome men walking through. Words got out that a famous transferred student from New York came to join them today.
It seems like everyone has finally seen him for the first time.
Everyone’s eyes fixed on Heeseung. Yet, the gorgeous tall man wandered his eyes among the crowd. To only have his eyes on one person, who wasn’t looking back at him.
The seemed shorter male who was skimming through his locker slammed it shut. His hair swayed back from the wind caused by the swift motion. As Heeseung witnessed the shorter male struggling to carry his stack of books with a sign of suffering, he slowly felt reassured as a smile crawled up his face.
The pointy nose that Heeseung vividly remembers staring at during their younger days. The sharp eyes that he remembers saying that it resembles much like a fox. The plump lips he always remembers finding their way to his cheek to flush his ears. And the delicate features he admired on the beach while sitting with him to star gaze.
The reason he begged his parents to get back to his home country.
Kim Sunoo.
He finally found him.