Heeseung pedaled his bicycle as fast as he could and overtook all the other vehicles .
He feels nervous when he receives a call from Haru asking him to meet her, what worries Heeseung more is Haru's crack voice .
"I hope she's okay "
Heeseung whispered to himself while increasing his speed .
Arriving at the place that Haru said, Heeseung threw his bicycle to the side and ran towards the convenience store as fast as he could .
As soon as he got there, he stopped and panted when he saw Haru who was enjoying her ramen with a big smile while laughing like a kid .
She swung both her legs freely in the air while blowing her still hot and smoky ramen .
Heeseung sighed and ran his fingers through his hair ,
"She looks okay .. I'm the one who's thinking something's wrong "
He jogged to Haru while wiping his sweats using his sleeves . When Haru saw Heeseung running towards her, Haru flashed a wide smile and raised her hand high to the sky .
"Heeseung, over here !"
Heeseung pulled up an empty chair next to Haru and sighed "You called me while crying . I rushed here just to see you're enjoying your ramen . My heart almost dropped, you know?"
Hari giggled and clasped her both palms , "I don't mean to worry you "
"You can choose any ramen you want, I will pay for you! ” Haru said confidently , patting Heeseung's back like a CEO trying to convince her new intern .
Heeseung nodded ,
"Sure— wait , what happened to your cheek? "
Heeseung asked in surprise when he saw her reddish left cheek . It looks like a big handprint too.
"My cheek ?"
Haru asked in confusion . She hold her cheek and shaking her head .
"It's not a big deal , I was just involved in a small fight with my dad "
"It's not a small fight if he used violence , Haru "
Heeseung said , eyeing Haru .
Haru chuckled ,
"Don't mind me, this ramen won't taste good if it's cold "
Heeseung refused to listen to Haru's words, he pulled Haru's chair closer to him as he hold Haru's chin and turn her face, giving him space to examine Haru's cheek .
He frowned when he saw there was a small wound but it looked very painful. The blood is already dry and Heeseung is sure she just got that mark .
Sighing , Heeseung slightly knocked Haru's head and gets up from his seat . He goes into the convenience store, leaving Haru alone outside.
Haru pouted and immediately reached for her ramen, the food she craved so much .
"It's not good to be mad in front of a meal, uh— it's very hot "
She pursed her lips like a duck , blowing the ramen carefully . When the ramen became cold, she shoved it inside her mouth and squealed in happiness .
She stirred her ramen and blew it again but Heeseung suddenly came and snatched the ramen cup from Haru. He put the ramen away from the girl .
"Lee Heeseung, I'm enjoying it!"
Haru said in a rhyming tone .
Heeseung shook his head and pulled his chair closer to Haru. "Na'ah, if you don't treat that , it may be infected with germs"
He put some oil ointment on the cotton buds and showed it to Haru
"Let me see your face"
Haru folded her arms and pressed her lips, sulking when Heeseung didn't give her a ramen cup back .
"Jung Haru .."
Heeseung called her again like a dad scolded his daughter but Haru did not react .
Heeseung sighed and he had no choice but to approach her. The sulking Haru closed her eyes tightly and tried to hide her hurting cheek .
Heeseung leaned closer to Haru and started applying the ointment on Haru's cheek. He softly blew the wound spot to endure the pain .
Haru opened her eyes and was surprised when she saw Heeseung's face that was too close to her, her nose almost touched Heeseung's cheek which made Haru automatically hold her breath .
Heeseung noticed her stares , he turned his face to Haru and flashed her a warm smile "Don't stare at me too long, you might fall for me"
Haru scoffed in disbelief ,
"I will never"
"Really ?"
Heeseung asked in amusement .
He intentionally leaned his face closer to Haru's as Haru flinched when their noses almost touched .
"How about now , are you still able to resist me? "
Haru gulped down her saliva nervously as she could feel Heeseung's hot breath on her face. Haru's face slowly turned red as she felt something strange in her tummy .
"Too close , keep a safe gap please, Lee" Haru stuffed a sausage into Heeseung's mouth and pushed his face away from her.
Heeseung chuckled and munched the sausage, "Do you want to go somewhere?"
"Where ?"
Haru asked with excitement .
Heeseung grinned at her ,
"Finish your ramen first, love. Then I will take you there "
Haru nodded, she immediately ate all her ramen including the soup once. Heeseung was amused to see this side of Haru, it felt very new .
If at school, Haru maintains her well-mannered and polite character but when only the two of them, Haru can be very childish and energetic . Totally different .
"I'm done !"
Haru uttered happily took her empty cup to Heeseung.
Heeseung hummed and got up from his seat, he wanted to hold Haru's hand but he stopped and looked right into her eyes "Do you mind if I hold your hands ?"
Haru blushed and shook her head .
"I mean , it's just holding hands ! I don't mind at all . Ha ha"
Heeseung couldn't hide his wide smile and immediately held Haru's hand. As their hands touched with each other, both their hearts beat simultaneously with great vigor .
He pulled Haru to his bicycle and patted the empty spot on his back .
"Get on this"
He got on his first bicycle and waited for Haru to get up. Haru was a bit hesitant "Are you sure we won't fall?"
Heeseung chuckled and shook his head as a response .
"I already fall for you harder "
"What ?"
Haru asked to make sure she didn't hear anything wrong.
Heeseung laughed nervously
"Nothing, hurry up before the place closes!"
Haru sent him a death glare before jumping on his bicycle. She fixed her position to make sure she was comfortable and safe .
Heeseung gripped the handles tightly
"You can hold me if you want"
Haru nodded , she pulled on a little of Heeseung's shirt with with her fingertips . "I'm ready !"
Heeseung burst out laughing and mimicked how Haru held his shirt with her fingertips "Do you guarantee you'll be safe if you hold me like this?"
"You look so small like a hamster "
"Said by you , hamster guy"
Haru fought back . She released Heeseung's shirt and sighed. She never rode a bicyle as her dad never allowed her even when she was little .
Heeseung chuckled , he took both of Haru's hands and wrapped it around his waist that took Haru by surprise.
Heeseung gently patted Haru's hand that were around his waist .
"Hold me tight, princess"
Haru hummed as response , as her cheeks getting hotter .
"Uh, the heat of the sun is so annoying . My cheeks are burning "
Heeseung began their journey together, he pedaled his bicycle carefully and at a smooth speed .
He also doesn't believe that Haru is willing to ride his bicycle with him and the fact that Haru is very close to him makes Heeseung fluttered .
He shook his head and tried to get rid of that nervous feeling while focusing on the road so they didn’t bump into anything .
Haru on the other hand enjoyed this ride so much , she felt very happy when the soft breeze greeted her cheeks .
She observed the flowers, the plants, the passers-by and the perfect scenery . When Haru looked up, she could see the bluish sky with fluffy clouds like cotton candy as birds flew majestically over it .
She took a deep breath and exhaled it. Her mind felt empty and free, she felt as if she was reborn .
Growing up with super strict parents didn't make her a good person , it gave her crippling anxiety . She didn’t grow up with a role model but she grew up with people she didn’t want to be when she grew up .
Toxic and strict parents are the main cause for children's anxiety , exhaustion and self hatred . They make their children feel suffocated and afraid to fail .
According to her dad , she's too young for love but she's too old for fun . She's too smart to play dumb but she's too immature for grows up conversation and sharing her opinions .
Thinking about all that made Haru's chest feel tight and limp. She tightened her hug on Heeseung's waist and rested her head on his back, watching the free -flying birds in the air as she lost in her deep thoughts.
Can one day she fly freely like those birds? she doesn't know either.
She has never gotten a comfortable embrace and made her feel like home since her mum’s departure. And being in Heeseung’s embrace, hugging him tighly makes Haru feels safe, secured, protected and loved .
It's crazy how Heeseung makes her feel comfortable and worthy even though they weren't so close before .
Heeseung on the other side started to get nervous as he could feel Haru's grip getting tighter on his waist. His eyes widened when Haru rested her head on his back.
Only god know how red Heeseung's face is now, but he likes this feeling too, the feelings when he feels something is playing inside his stomach.
"Stop beating too loud or Haru will hear it..."
He whispered under his breath while taking a deep breath .
They just keep quiet and focus on the scenery but their hearts beat to the same rhythm .
"What about these feelings? "
They both whispered to themselves in unison .