Hyunjin POV
"Mom, I'll be with Chan hyung today. I'll take Kkami with me too, so he is not going to bother you with your work."
"That's so considerate on your part, Hyunjin-ah. Thank you for taking that little...ummm...rat-"
"It's a dog, not a rat..."
"Ah yeah...that. Anyway. Be careful on your way out. Also, say 'hi' to Chan for me. Don't give his parents too much trouble, okay? Always behave."
"Yes, I know, mom. I'm going now."
Ever since I met Chan hyung, he has become like my real big brother.
We both are only children, so we understand each other very well.
When I have nothing to do, or like...umm—when sometimes I get bored in my house, I go to his place. This is more often than my mother wishes to happen.
She would like me to hang out with the sons of her wealthy friends, but I don't like them. They are quite fake.
I have friends of my age and all, but they are so immature, so I like to spend more time with Chan hyung than them or anyone else.
Chan's hyung's parents are really nice too. I like them a lot.
They both travel very often, and sometimes they take us to some of the places they go around Korea. They are like my second family, and I am like their second son.
For instance, this summer vacation, we will go to Jeju island. I'm looking forward to it because it's my first time being there.
That's why I came here. Just to annoy my friend about it.
"You came, little bro~ I thought you got scolded for not using the right spoon this time~," he teased me when I entered his house.
"Ugh! That would be the last straw. Believe me, that almost happened last week." I said while handing Kkami to him. "Don't bother me with those things this early...I'm not in the mood to talk about it..."
"Aww! You brought Kkami~," he said excitedly as soon as he saw my little dog, "come with uncle Chan-ie~,"
"Yeah, I brought him because I didn't want to leave him in the house with those two," I said while running a hand through my hair. "Kkami hates my mother like you have no idea..."
Chan sucks his teeth in annoyance. "Don't get angry, Hyunjin. What did I tell you?"
"To not bother with meaningless matters..."
"That's right. One day you will be free of her control, man. Just don't overstress. You know I will always support you in any possible way. Don't forget about it..."
"Thank you, hyung. You are really always there for me..."
"That will always be the case, little bro~ Now, let's get back to business!"
"Oh, yeah~,"
~~~
We left every unnecessary subject aside so we could have some fun on our first day of summer vacation.
We talked about our day and how our week went so far. Chan played with Kkami until the latter got tired and stopped messing around.
When we finished, we headed to his room. Even if I didn't play with Kkami, it exhausted me to see them run all over the house and backyard. So, I plopped down on the bed as if it was me, the one who deserved the rest.
After a comfortable thirty minutes of silence, I sat up in the bed and started to whine at my friend.
"Hyung~~ I need those vacations to come quickly~~ Do something~~," I said out of nowhere.
"Why are you so bored lately, huh?" Chan inquired from his desk. He has been there, finishing some work ever since we got to his room.
"College was killing me~~ my friends are so stupid. I don't even know why I hang out with them in the first place. My mother has been nagging me more often since she got that new boyfriend. I can't stand her anymore~~," I plopped down back on the bed in a dramatic way.
Kkami jumped to the bed and started to lick my left cheek, which caused me to release a small chuckle. Also to forget about the whole tantrum I let out.
Chan snorted. "I have nothing to say about your mother. Your friends, indeed, are really boring and so immature, in all honesty. But I have a doubt. What about your boyfriend? Is he boring too?"
"Huh?" I sat up once again. "Boyfriend? What boyfriend?" I inquired, dumbfounded.
The question took me aback.
"Don't tell me you broke up with the last guy too?" Chan left his laptop and turned in my direction, facing me with an eyebrow propped up.
"Pfff! What boyfriend are you talking about? It's been a while since I last had a boyfriend, hyung..." I said while taking Kkami in my embrace, playing with his tiny ears.
"Really? What about the other ones that were trying to invite you out like...ummm...no so long ago?"
"Ahhh! Now I understand who you are talking about. Those guys were just chasing me, trying to have some...fun with me," I said with an annoyed expression. Just remembering the subject disgusted me.
"And...what happened?" He asked without getting a hint of what I meant by the word 'fun.' "You don't like to have fun?"
"Are you joking, right, hyung?" I inquired in disbelief.
"Umm...no?"
I facepalmed.
"They were assholes. They only wanted me to fuck them and brag about it," I said after placing Kkami on the floor. "I am not like that. I don't like to do that, and you know it,"
"Oh, now I get it... I thought at least one of them was serious...." He said with a sad expression. "What a bunch of idiots, then."
"None of them were serious. Also, none of the ones I have dated or made my boyfriends with were serious." I lowered my head thoughtfully. "But you know what? I don't worry too much about it."
I composed myself immediately. "I know someday I will find someone special, hyung..." This time I turned my attention to him, "I can feel it here," I said while patting my chest, "my destined someone is out there waiting for me...or I am waiting for him. One way or another, our paths will cross, and I will be ready for it."
Chan chuckled. "You are so romantic, Hyunjin-ah~ You keep reading those romantic books, huh?"
"Don't come with your teases, or I will tease with that guy you met online-"
"I- umm– By the way..." Chan suddenly changed the subject. He really didn't want me to dig in the matter, so I let it slide. "...next week starts the summer vacations of my parents. Which means..."
"JEJU ISLAND!!!" I yelled excitedly, making Kkami jump on my lap to bark at me in disapproval. He really hates loud noises.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry, buddy! Don't bite me~, Yah! Yah! Yah!" It was too late. I bothered him. Now he won't let me live.
"That's right, man!" Chan ignored our little quarrel and continued talking. He is already used to it. "Mom and dad will go to the island this Sunday. You and I will go until a few days ahead. You better be on time or I'm going to leave you here-"
"Yah! Yah! Yah! Yah! Hyung! Chan hyung! CHRIS!" I glared at him, "you know very well I've been looking forward to these vacations for months now," I said, offended. "You better be joking or I will tell your dad!"
"Hahahahaha, just look at your face," he burst into laughter, "I was just joking, little brah~"
"This 'brah' didn't find it funny~~ Those are no my type of jokes~~,"
"Hahahaha, okay, okay! I'll stop."
He soon took his laptop and showed it to me, "have a look at this. Just now, I was buying the tickets. We need to be at the airport at 10:00 a.m. next Thursday,"
"At 10:00 a.m.?!! That means I need to be earlier than that in your house...?!"
"Just come the day before and stay here,"
"Well...that sounds better..."
"Yeap. Let's settle everything today, so we don't forget anything like other times..."
Chan and I kept discussing our vacations the remaining hours of the day. We left everything planned until it was very late and I had to go back to my house.
But it was worth it. We just needed to wait for the big day.
~~~
I don't know if it was because I spent the whole week sleeping, but it went by really fast. I was so nervous the whole time. However, sleeping helped with that nervousness.
Two days before the trip, I started to pack all my stuff, and once the day came, I went to Chan's house to stay there in case I couldn't arrive on time the next day.
The next morning we woke up very early.
His parents had gone to Jeju a week before to have all the accommodations for us. So it could be easy for Chan and I to arrive directly at the house they had there.
The hours came by fast, and we were already boarding the plane.
That day, the airport and the plane were packed. Summer vacations are really crazy. Everyone wants to get out of the city and get rid of the stress that jobs and school cause. Which, in my particular case, was a lot.
Even though I'm in my first year, I never thought that entering university would be this stressful.
Anyway, I don't want to complain about it since it is something that will help me in the future. Just like my mother had said.
For now, I want to enjoy every vacation that I will have and enjoy everything that life is providing me.
"Did you see my suitcase?" Chan inquired.
"I think it hasn't come out yet...but here is one of mine..."
We were already in Jeju's airport, trying to spot our luggage.
After we found it. We headed outside, straight to the parking lot where his parents were waiting for us.
The view was breathtaking. My eyes kept glue to the window. Wherever I turned, there was a wonderful sight.
The ocean, the trees, the palms. The sand and the sun...everything was in perfect harmony. It was amazing.
I opened the window and let the fresh air brush my long hair. I have always loved how the wind messes with my hair. It's so calming. Even though later on, I struggle to brush it. But those are small things that shouldn't stop anyone from enjoying nature.
The first thing we did when we arrived at Chan's house was to unpack our belongings and go out to the first beach that was near.
Chan hyung and I were so excited about all the places we found that we got separated at a certain point.
I got distracted taking pictures of some monuments, and he got distracted seeing the stands of food that we didn't notice when we lost the other.
I kept walking, looking at my surroundings, and soon I found myself standing on a ladder with wooden steps that led to the shore.
I stayed there for a moment and closed my eyes, breathing slowly and letting my ears hear all the sounds that nature was providing. And filling my lungs with the clear air coming from the big ocean.
It was my healing moment. I could feel all my senses being activated in that place and my energies being filled once again.
When I opened my eyes, I spotted someone in the distance, near the shore.
It was a guy around my age. He was standing right in front of the ocean.
I don't know why I got curious, so I approached in his direction. It was an impulse I had. Like a magnet inside of me that activated by itself.
That guy was trying to touch the water with his right barefoot. He seemed happy. I could tell by the way he kept chuckling and whining on his own. He also looked timid.
It was a lovely view, to be honest.
His hair was long, but not as long as mine. Its color was between caramel, and its roots were black.
It really suited him.
When he turned around, that was when I stopped breathing. I suddenly forgot how to perform that basic human vital action.
Those eyes, those lips, the way his hair covered his forehead...
What is this? Am I dreaming? Did I fall without notice?
There's no words enough to describe all that beauty he holds.
God is really unfair.
Not only his looks, but the way he smiles are pretty.
Wait! He is smiling!!
I panicked when I noticed he smiled in my direction.
Is he smiling at me?! Why is he smiling at me?!
"What am I supposed to do?! Do I smile back?!"
My cheeks became red. I abruptly halt when I noticed that I never stopped walking. I was heading right in his direction, and that made me snap out of my trance.
"Come here, Hyun-ssi~~," That cute boy said while waving in my direction.
My heart stopped right there and then.
DID HE JUST SAY MY NAME?!!
I was going to give a step to the front when I heard someone yelling from behind me.
"Coming, babe~!!!"
That smile and that pet name were not for me.
Of course, it was not for me. What an idiot I am...
I turned behind me and saw a guy with palid skin and dark hair running in the direction of the cute boy.
The guy that came behind me engulfed the cute boy in a tight hug.
He showered the boy in kisses and stroked his hair, making the latter whine.
The cute boy was so busy laughing and pointing towards the ocean when his boyfriend, I assumed, felt my stare on them.
He glared at me and soon brought the cute boy to his embrace, muttering, 'fuck off!'
Tsk! What a dick!
He started to touch the cute boy inappropriately right in front of my eyes. As if saying that he was the owner of such a beauty.
I'm not gonna lie...the desire of going towards him and beat the shit of out him crossed my mind.
However, the boy with cute cheeks slapped the hands of his boyfriend and scolded him harshly. Which made me forget of any attempt.
"Yah! Stop! What did I tell you, huh?! Keep your hands off of my butt! I swear you will never learn how to behave in public!"
A smile formed on my face at that, but soon disappeared when that brat faked a pout. Because the moment the cute boy saw this, he couldn't help but kiss him.
My eyebrows furrowed at the sight. I don't know why that broke my heart. For some reason that made me want to disappear and weep. I don't know why it affected me a lot.
It affected me a the extend I couldn't move from my spot.
Fortunately, my phone vibrated, and soon I snapped out of it. It was Chan asking me where I was.
Finally, I turned around and started to walk in the direction I just came in.
But the necessity of turning my sight back to the two guys emerged.
So, before disappearing from there, I turned once again.
I saw the cute boy laughing and being loud. He was so happy running away from his boyfriend while the other was chasing him and screaming the pet name I just heard.
It was that beautiful smile and laugh that kept stuck in my heart and got stabbed in my chest. That boy with caramel hair and rounded beautiful cheeks awoke a new feeling in my heart.
A subtle smile formed on my face when I looked at him one last time.
"How lucky is that asshole..." I mumbled when I saw how his boyfriend caught him in the middle of the beach, "he has by his side the most beautiful person I have ever seen..."
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