Mean to Me | Im Youngmin

To Me - 19 (Youngmin's Heart: Part 1)

"Where are we going this early in the morning?"

"It's a surprise!" Donghyun exclaims as he holds her by the wrist while they make their way to somewhere unknown to Ji-hye. The dawn isn't even breaking yet, and it's quiet everywhere except for the soft whistle of the cool morning breeze.

"Seriously?" She can't help but chuckle slightly at how excited the boy is.

"Just wait!"

And so she does, but she also can't help but be curious as he drags her upwards a steep slope. He lets go of her hand and she takes this chance to catch her breath as they reach the top of what seems like a hill.

"Okay, good! We came just in time!" He beams.

"In time for what?"

Instead of answering, he holds both her shoulders and makes her turn around. "Close your eyes for a while," he instructs.

"But why do I have to?" She refuses for a second.

"Just listen to me, will you..." The boy whines. "You won't regret this." He then gives her a soft smile.

With this, she does what he says. "I'll tell you when it's time to turn around, okay?" He tells her, and she just nods in response.

A few minutes has passed, and with every one, she's starting to grow impatient. Just as she's about to complain, he taps her shoulder gently.

"Ji-hye, turn around now and open your eyes!" Donghyun says, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.

Not knowing what to expect, she does as she is told.

And she swears, the moment she opens her eyes, the most beautiful sight in the world welcomes her.

The skies are a mixture of a disappearing purple, faint pink, and a mellow orange as the bright yellow sun peaks slowly. Ji-hye has never been a fan of the sunrise -- she likes to think she is more of a sunset person -- but the scene in front of her makes her feel otherwise. She feels breathless, and it is definitely the good kind. She is busy staring at the amazing scenery in front of her that she doesn't notice her companion closely admiring not the beauty of the sunrise, but her own.

"Good morning, Ji-hye," he breaks the silence. "And happy birthday."

She turns to see him grinning at her. She was about to speak but he continues.

"I'm sorry I dragged you out of bed instead of letting you sleep in today, but this is the only gift I could think of," he explains. "I researched where one can have the best view of the sunrise, and this is the closest to where we live, so I decided to bring you here. It's breath-taking, right? I'm glad I found the right place!" He says, proud of himself.

"I figured it would be best to give you something no one can ever afford," he takes her hand before pulling her to a warm embrace. "Because someone as priceless deserves nothing less than this," he whispers to her ear.

She doesn't know if it is because of his hug or his words or both that Ji-hye feels something tug at her heartstrings.

"Thank you," she stops for a while. "Thank you for this and for everything else."

And she means it. For the past month, Donghyun has never left her side, and she owes it to him that she hasn't completely fallen apart. With his presence in her life, she is reminded that home isn't a place after all; sometimes, it's just two arms holding you close.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? Or I can just leave after dropping you there?" Donghyun asks her as they walk to the bus stop.

"No, I really want to spend some time alone, you know. I'm fine by myself!" She assures him. He frowns at her.