Before You Go. |Lee Know

(Four)

Another gloomy day at university.

That day wasn't going to be more gloomy until Rona passed by her ex who totally ignored her. Does he have to be that clear? He didn't even try to fake a smile. That shit never apologized or made excuses for what he had done.

Rona brushed off the thought as she reached the bus stop and sat down, waiting for the bus. Strangely, there was something missing. And that very specific something was missing for the past few days. She just guessed that the boy stopped ditching school to play around.

Although the weather was still gloomy, it wasn't raining anymore. That's why Rona decided to go for a walk after she got off the bus near her house. She enjoyed watching people. She always admired the concept of human interactions. How small acts can make someone's day. How holding hands could mean that you have someone to lean on. How small hugs could radiate warmness.

She sat on a bench in the nearby park, watching people going on with their lives, not knowing that they are surrounded by others who couldn't keep going. She smiled sarcastically at the thought.

That smile didn't last long as a figure suddenly appeared on her right. "POOOOO." The figure said.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH." Rona screamed and jumped in the air, stumbling over her undone shoelaces, and then fell to her butt.

The boy who pranked her started laughing out loud and fell to the ground too, clutching his stomach out of laughter. "Now we are even." Minho said then he stood up, still laughing but trying his best to stop. He gave her a hand which she didn't take.

"That wasn't kind of you!" She glared at him.

"You are never kind to me but you want me to be kind to you?"

"What manners did they teach you at school, kiddo?" Rona asked as she stood up on her own, rubbing her butt.

"I don't know. I can't recall the last time I went to school."

As expected!

"Why are you here again?" Rona asked, rolling her eyes.

"What? It's a public park. Why can't I be here?" He shrugged.

"Of course, you can. Enjoy the public park!" She said, waving her hand in the air as she gave him her back and started walking away.

"Where are you going?" Minho questioned as he walked beside her but backward, tucking his hands into his jeans' back pockets.

"None of your business, kiddo."

"I'm not a kid! Stop calling me 'kiddo'. I'm obviously taller than you." He whined.

"Which makes you a tall kid." She snapped. "Not so tall, though."

"Seriously, where are you going?"

"HOME!" She huffed.

"Why?"

She stopped, closed her eyes, breathed deeply then opened her eyes again. She was about to lecture the boy on how he can't invade others' privacy and that he's being creepy and all but her eyes landed on his sparkling ones and her heart went soft before she could even think. It's been a while since she was that close to someone, since she looked in someone's eyes. "What do you want, Lee Minho?" She asked softly.

"Let's hang out." The boy said passionately. "I mean, the weather is finally getting better and you are going home, missing all the fun that you could have outside."

"I don't enjoy being outside."

"That's because you go out alone. But it would be better if you have a companion. I promise, you won't regret."

"Why do you want to be my companion?"

He stepped closer to her, having a look that she couldn't read. "Cause I'm just as lonely as you are." Minho said with the most sincere voice ever. The boy had those eyes which could see through the lonely girl easily. And since she was really lonely, she couldn't say no.

***

"So, you are studying mass media?" Minho asked. Rona nodded while munching the chocolate chips that Minho bought for her to eat while he was playing around the park. It was like she was watching over her little sibling till their parents come to take them home. "Is it interesting?"

"Yes, very. What about you? What do you want to study?"

"I've always wanted to major in contemporary arts. Dancing, specifically. But I guess some dreams have to stay as dreams." Minho said as he was hanging upside down to a metal pull-up pole at the park, next to the bench where Rona was sitting. His body was swinging back and forth.

"And why is that?"

"Cause.. I'm sick. I can't dance."

"Sick?" She looked at him questioning. "You are sick?"

"Yes. I know that I look too good to be sick but yeah." He said and she rolled her eyes.

"What kind of diseases?"

"Heart disease. My heart wants to stop and it's going to stop any second soon." The boy uttered calmly. Rona tilted her head and squinted her eyes at the boy, not believing what he was saying cause she knew that his heart can't stop that simple. "What? I'm not lying!" Minho said, jumping off the pole back to his feet and quickly, lifting his shirt up, showing off his body. "See?"

"What the hell, kiddo?" Rona yelled and shoved her head to the left.

"What? I'm showing you the scars from my surgeries!" Minho said innocently. Rona moved her face slowly towards the boy again and glanced at his chest where the multiple scars were running. She kept looking for a while. In her eyes, they looked painful, very painful, but somehow familiar. Minho cleared his throat. "Umm, clear? Or you want me to take the shirt off?"

Rona blushed as she realized she was staring for too long. "Yeah, clear!" She snapped.

Minho giggled at her cute reaction. He tucked his shirt into his jeans again then moved towards the girl who was trying her best to avoid his gaze. Minho sat next to her and without any previous notice, he pinched her cheek. "Hey! What are you doing?" Rona was startled by his action and pushed his hand away.

"Pinching your cheeks." He giggled. "They are really squishy!"

"You are crossing the lines, kiddo." She warned him.

"There are no lines." He sighed, diverting his gaze to the park again. "This life has gone wild a long time ago to have any remaining lines."

"What do you know about life?" She chuckled, doubting that the little kid knew anything about life.

"I know a lot. More than what you can imagine. Don't underestimate me for being younger than you. I really know a lot. You'll be surprised."

"Like what?"

"Like for example, how different you are." He said, looking at her again, leaning in to bring his face close to hers. Rona started getting nervous. She can't be caught. Not that fast. "You are like the main character from some story. The girl with the most unique personality who has everything anyone would ever want. She is beautiful, wealthy, popular, has friends, a boyfriend who may cheat on her at the very first chapter." He was talking in the most soothing tone ever before it starts to turn mischievous and a glint of playfulness appears in his eyes. "So, she can meet the male lead who would help her to move on and they will fall in love then, boof, the storyline would change from a fairy tale to some horror story when her new boyfriend turns to be a serial killer." He chuckled.

Rona was listening to him narrating the story excitedly, he even chuckled, his voice deepened and his eyes sparkled when he came to the part of the serial killer. How could this angel turn into a devil? "And what the hell was that?" She asked as she got shocked by the ending he created.

"Sorry, but I'm not really fond of romance and stuff." He let out a short giggle and looked at her for a few seconds before he continues. "But honestly, you deserve to be the main character in a romantic story. You deserve to be happy."