I giggled when I saw his grubby face. There are bruises in his arms and along his jaw but it doesn’t change the fact that he is beautiful.
His eyebrow raise, “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. You just look so cute.” I said laughing. I can't stop laughing... I am happy...
“Hrmph! I shouldn’t have save you from those bully.” He said frowning
I stop laughing and seriously looked at him who’s standing in front of me.
“Why do you save me from them?” I stood more closely in front of him
He didn’t answer, instead, he looked away at me.
I edge more closely, studying his face.
But, I wasn’t able to know. He walked away after looking at me.
I was left dumbfounded.
I didn’t know why, but…
The next morning, I watched him from afar while he sat at the rock besides the river. I like how the wind blows his black shoulder length hair. The way his eyebrow goes up and how his lips twitched to a frown. It’s soothing me.
I gasp… “Come out there.”
I was caught peeking at him.
I came out from where I am hiding.
I looked pleadingly at him, “I’m sorry.”
“What’s that?” he asked, referring to what I am hiding in my back.
“Oh! It’s a roses made out of paper.” I can feel the heat surging to my cheeks, I am blushing.
“What’s that for?” he asked frowning
Argh…he’s frowning even more.
”I-it…it’s for you!”
“For me?” he isn’t even shock. He just sat there calmly with questions in his eyes.
“Yes”
“Why?”
“Thank you” I said…just that and I left the origami lying in his lap. Not knowing if he’ll even keep it.
A year had passed.
I stood in front of him again in the river.
I am holding a small box of shoe.
“Oppa, we will leave this afternoon. I won’t be seeing you again.”
I looked up. I studied his face. Ahh…so calm.
I pout. He doesn’t even care eh.
I hand the box to him. His expression changed.
He is frowning…again!
“What is this?”
“Open it when I’m gone, oppa. Then you’ll know.”
I turn to go, but…
“Hey, little girl…” my heart is thumping, “…come back. Oppa will be waiting for you.”
Hot tears started to well down my face.
Oppa…how could you make me cry?
I walked away without looking back at him.
If I have, I would have heard… I would have seen…
That little girl was just 12 then.
Nine years had passed but I can’t keep my hand from doing roses. It became a hobby.
“We will be landing, Miyu.”
I smiled to myself.
Oppa, I came back. Have you really waited for me?
“Hey, Miyu you’re making origami again. What’s that for?”
“It’s nothing. It’s just a hobby.”
It’s not to everyone, but for me… it can be compared to love.
“Oppa!”
As I expected I found him in his usual spot beside the river. He turned his gaze at me.
Ahh… I can see his frown again.
“I can see you’re holding a box again.” He said looking away.
“Ahh this… have you opened the box from before, oppa?”
“No. I throw it after you left.”
I pout.
Oppa… How could you? You’re making me cry again…
“In any case I’ll still give this to you.” I said smiling
…but, I can’t let you see me cry. Not in front of you, oppa.
I hand the box to him, “I’ll be going then.” I turned to leave
“Hey you! Little girl, why do you come back?”
“Because little girl promised oppa to come back.” Then, I run as fast as I could.
“Miyu, why are you crying?” the nurse I’m with asked me upon arriving at the hospital.
“Oppa…oppa isn’t happy to see me.”
She sadly looked at me.
“Stop crying. That’s bad for you. Please Miyu just rest.”
But…but why the tears can’t stop falling from my eyes?
----
“Cch. That little girl is still making paper roses.”
He started counting the origami inside the box.
“3,285 roses…and the roses she had given me before, 365 a total of 3,650. Why does she keep giving me this origami?”
He frowned
“argh…and why do I keep them all?”
…tok…tok…tok…
A knock in the door startled him.
“Who are you?” he doesn’t recognize the woman standing in front of him.
“I am Miyu’s nurse.”
“Little girl’s nurse? What do you want from me?”
She peered inside the house and saw the origami lying in the bed.
“I can see you have kept Miyu’s precious roses.”
“What do you want from me?” He asked again instead.
“Have you bothered asking why Miyu keep giving you those roses?”
He didn’t answer. He is getting pissed of this lady.
“I once asked her but she said it was just a hobby. Yet, did not believe her. You know why? Because something that belongs to her is inside that origami, her heart.”
He frowned, “Cch. Really annoying. What are you?”
“See for yourself young man before Miyu leaves you for good.” Just that and dhe left.
He was left dumbfounded.
He ran to the bed and picked one of the roses.
He opened the paper...
Tears starter to run down his cheeks…
“What is this little girl? You fool.”
----
“Little girl…wake up!” his voice is trembling
I opened my eyes. He is here.
“Oppa…Oppa came for me.”
“You--- you fool, why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t want oppa to worry.”
“But why? Why didn’t you tell me what those roses are for?”
Oppa… oppa is crying.
“Will you tell me now what those roses are for? I wanted to hear it from you.”
“I---“
I sniffed.
My vision is getting blurred. I can’t see oppa.
I can’t hear my heart beating. Oppa, have you finally taken it?
…
…
…
“Miyu…Miyu…my little girl!!”
Oppa… I can still hear him. He’s calling me.
“Tell me now, Miyu.”
“O---op---oppa… Sarang----“
Beep…beep…beep…
The little girls’ hand slipped out of his grasp. In just a snapped he was hurled out of his bed…
----
Fifteen minutes had passed.
Her nurse walked to me.
“Miyu left you…for good.”
Silence.
Before leaving she gave me the roses Miyu is holding in her hand against her heart.
I opened it and read the same words written in the 3,650 roses…
“Saranghe Oppa…even if you won’t say it back to me… even if I die,
My heart only belongs to you.”
Miyu…
If you only looked back at me then… You might have seen my tears… you would have heard the words I wanted to say before you leave…
“Saranghe, my little girl.”
FIN