A/N: So this is a back story in Reika's POV (Well, obviously since she's the one telling it to Kyu. XD). Hope you like it. Don't hesitate to comment! And belated happy birthday to our shining jewel monkey / Donghae's wifeu, Lee Hyukjae! :3
Chapter 12
16 years ago....
A 9-year-old Reika stepped out of their family car. They finally arrived at Mokpo, Jeollanam-do, South Korea, her father’s hometown. For years, they have been constantly moving because of her family’s business. She was used to it already.
“Reika-chan,” Her mother, Angela Engelberg-Mizakuchi, called her. “Why don’t you go check out the house? We’ll just manage our things here.”
Reika nodded and entered the mansion. She thought the place was too big for the three of them – her mom, dad and her – but then they also hired maids. But then it’s still too big, especially that her parents were seldom home.
She climbed up the stairs and surveyed the view outside. She had been in Korea before for a vacation but that was in Seoul. The place they were now was a bit more province-like and quiet. She thought she would like the place.
Reika attended school the next week. She got enrolled at a public school near their village. At first, her parents were against the idea, but she insisted that she was sick of lousy private schools so she wanted a change.
She was a child prodigy. She could easily master anything even at first try and memorize everything with just one look. Because of that, she went to school at an early age and now, she’s in the 5th grade at the age of 9 (Though she didn’t really need to go to school since she already learned everything when she was 5. It was just a formality, and for her to pass the time, her parents said.) Being a prodigy lasts only when you are young, so she’ll be like normal people when she reaches her teens. Honestly, she can’t wait for that time. Her parents said she was special, but she can feel she’s just a freak, an outcast. Reika never mastered the ability of making friends because other kids would either tend to be intimidated by her, or bully her. It didn’t help that she was a quarter of every race. Her mother was half-Filipino half-British, while her father was half-Japanese half-Korean. She can’t decide if she’s Asian, European or whatever. Reika would always get teased because she has an Asian face with blue eyes. She never fits in on anything.
But when she transferred to Mokpo, things changed. All the people there were nice to her, idolized her even. She was even elected as the student council president and gained her very first bestfriend, Choi Sooyoung. Sooyoung was the vice president, two years younger than her and already on the 3rd grade. Maybe they clicked with each other because Sooyoung was also accelerated for two years though not a prodigy like her. She was a hard worker and very talented and very charming and Reika liked her very much. Her parents also decided to stay longer in Korea. Now, she would be able to keep friends. For the first time in her life, Reika felt like she belongs.
2 years later….
Reika was now in her first year of middle school. She was enrolled at a nearby public middle school. Most of the people around were familiar faces when she entered the classroom, but there was one doe-eyed boy who shamelessly stared at her.
She was already in her pre-teens and as she had read in science books before, it was her adolescent years. And from what she read in literature books, this was the age that she would feel those heart-racing emotions of strong affection and personal attachment called… love. She decided that she would find out about it.
“Sooyoung-a, have you ever been in love?” She asked Sooyoung once during a weekend. She was on the 5th grade at their previous school.
“I’m still 9, sunbae. I should be the one asking you that. So, any good-looking or hot boys in your school?” Sooyoung asked her eagerly.
“Good-looking? No one pleases my eyes. Hot? I haven’t touched all of them. Maybe if they had a fever or something.” Reika answered innocently.
Sooyoung burst out laughing. “Hahaha! Sometimes, I think being a genius could make you ridiculously funny. Why, sunbae? Are you falling in love with someone?”
“I want to. But I don’t know how. I mean, all those women in books I read just.. got the gist of it when they saw the man, right?”
“You know, love is not a lesson in school that you could learn easily, sunbae. It just happens with the right person. There a lot of guys asking you out, right? Try giving them a chance. Who knows, one of them might be the one.” Her bestfriend suggested. ”I can’t believe I’m the one advising my unnie.”
And so she went to try Sooyoung’s suggestion. And the next day, someone asked her out on a date. He was a senior and 4 years older than her. She decided to give it a try; romance books said that boys older than the girl were good.
But then, she didn’t expect him to be such a jerk.
“Quit playing hard to get, Mizakuchi.” He said to her.
“I believe that a kiss is not required on the first date. I’ve consulted some romance books before doing this.” She defended.
“You’re one irritating girl, you know?! Let’s do this by force then. I’ve had the hots for you eversince, Mizakuchi.” He smirked and grabbed her hands. He pushed her off the wall and tried to kiss her.
“Let go of me!” Getting raped wasn’t included in her plans. She didn’t learn martial arts for nothing. Reika was about to kick the jerk on his shin when someone went down from a nearby tree.
“Hey, you! Get off her!” He shouted. That guy… he’s from her class.
The jerk looked back at him. “What’s your problem, you punk?!”
“Let go of her!” The doe-eyed boy started running towards them and in just a second, punched the jerk off her.
“Fck. You’re going to pay for interfering!” And the jerk charged at her classmate.
When the doe-eyed boy punched the jerk, Reika thought he was a strong guy for having the guts. After all, the jerk was twice his size. Well, as it turns out, her “knight in shining armor” was no match for the jerk. He was getting beaten up and Reika calculated that he might die if this continues for the next 10 minutes. She sighed and walked calmly toward them.
“Yah. Stop that.” She said but they didn’t hear her. “I guess I don’t have a choice.” Reika pulled the jerk off the doe-eyed boy, punched his idiotic face and kicked him right where it hurts the most. He fell on his back, unconscious.
“A-are you alright?” Reika heard her “savior” say.
She looked coldly at him. “You got beaten up by that jerk and you’re the one asking if I’m alright? Look at yourself.” He was full of bruises, there was blood on his nose and mouth and his left eye was swollen. Reika helped him get up. “Come on. I’m partly responsible for that.”
Reika bought some painkillers from a nearby pharmacy and went back to the park where she let him rest.
She began cleaning up his face. “You didn’t need to help me there, you know. I’m quite good in defending myself.”
“Yeah, I know that now. But I couldn’t just let a girl in trouble.” He looked at her eyes.
“I don’t feel like it, but thank you.” She just said while treating his wounds. The guy continued to stare at her. “You know, you’ve been staring at me like that since the first day of school.”
He continued to stare at her. “I like your eyes.”
Reika felt her heart race and her cheeks getting hot. For the first time in her life, Reika felt embarrassed. “S-stop it.”
“What?”
“Looking at me like that. And saying that.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help it, Reika-chan.”
Her head snapped to look at him. “How did you know my name?”
“You’re pretty popular if you haven’t noticed. And we’re classmates.” He sighed. “I guess you don’t know that, huh?”
“I know we’re classmates and I remember your face but I didn’t bother knowing your name.” Reika said bluntly.
“That really hurts. Anyway, I’m Donghae. Lee Donghae.” He smiled at her and offered his hand.
Her heartbeat raced quickly. Reika looked away. “You already know my name, Donghae-ssi.”
“Donghae-ssi? I feel old. Call me Oppa.” He smiled more widely this time.
“Not in a million years.”
Reika didn’t know how or why but in the next days, Donghae started to be always at her side (and pester her). He was a soccer player and Reika admits that he really is good. He was a bit stupid and was slow in taking in things, but he was very nice to everyone. Donghae was actually popular with the girls, too. And he was always there for her. Being constantly together, Reika unconsciously had these disturbing feelings for him. Could it be…..? But he was her friend and she values that friendship. She felt she was special to him but what if she’s just like a sister to him?
Maybe she was starting to develop feelings of love but since she was always with Donghae, (He scares off, or more like annoy, any guy that would try to approach her.) she never got to go out with anyone else so those feelings were being directed to him.
So one day, with the help of Sooyoung, she met off with someone from another school without Donghae knowing. She needed to test out those feelings.
The guy was nice and a gentleman, but Reika didn’t feel anything. And everywhere she looked, her eyes were looking for Donghae.
She sighed. “This is no good. I must have fallen in love already.” She said to herself.
“Mizakuchi? Are you alright?” The guy she was with interrupted her thoughts. Oh, she was on a date with someone else.
“Yeah. Just thinking.”
“I thought you –“ But Reika didn’t get to hear what he has to say because someone suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her away.
“Hey, what – “She looked at the guy pulling her harshly. “Donghae? Hey, let go of me!”
But he just continued to pull her to somewhere. She decided to just let him. Donghae was pissed, that much she could tell. The reason, she didn’t know. They finally stopped at a field.
“Now, can you tell me your problem?” Reika asked him calmly.
“You.” He muttered.
“What? Me?” Reika was confused. “Why?”
Donghae faced her. “You’re a genius, right? How can you not notice?”
“Notice what?” Okay. She was lost on what he was saying.
He messed up his hair. He was getting irritated. “And I though I’m the stupid one!”
Reika frowned. “Just get to the point, Lee Donghae.”
He looked straight at her eyes. “I’m pissed. I feel so… I don’t know. Irritated? Yeah. When you were with that guy.”
“Oh. You’re jealous?”
Donghae’s cheeks went red. Was that what they called a blush? “J-jealous?! I-I-I.. No! I mean.. fine! I’m jealous! And I’m so pissed at you!”
“Why me?!” Seriously, they were going nowhere.
“Can’t you see?!!!!! Can’t you feel it?!!!! I like you! I really, really, really like you!!!! And I always feel so bad that you will never look at me the same way!!!!! Maybe, you won’t even understand because you’re younger than me and I-I-I don’t know anymore!!!! I think I love you already but it gets me so irritated because you won’t feel the same!!!!!”
“Why are you shouting?!”
“I don’t know!!!!!!! I feel like shouting! Why do you care?! You don’t even care about my feelings and you care why I’m shouting?! Reika, i—“
“Donghae, I –“
“I don’t want to hear it! Okay. Fine! Go to that guy! I don’t care anymore!”
“What are you – “
“Just leave me and forget about – “
Reika hit him in the chest. “LET ME FINISH, YOUIDIOT!” Donghae looked surprised. “You want me to go back to that guy? Fine. And I was about to say that I feel the same. Never mind.” Reika started to walk away.
“Reika! Wait!” Donghae caught up with her and grabbed her hand. “What did you say? You.. you feel the same way?”
“I don’t know what you heard.” Reika avoided his gaze.
“But you said that –“
“Fine. I feel the same way.” Reika looked straight at his eyes. “I like you, too, Donghae. No, I think I already love you.”
Donghae just stared at her for a few seconds and his face started to get beet red. All of a sudden, he turned away.
“Hey, what’s your problem?” Was he just making fun of her?
“I think my heart’s going to explode.” Donghae muttered.
That made Reika laugh. “It better not. I won’t like it if the guy I just confessed to died immediately.”
Donghae laughed, too, and faced her. “I.. just can’t believe it. I love you, Reika.” He smiled.
She felt her face blush and looked away. “Y-you don’t have to say it so bluntly.”
He chuckled. “Say it again.”
“What?”
“That you love me.” He looked at her expectantly.
“No way!”
“Come on!”
She sighed. “I love you, Lee Donghae.”
A/N: So this chapter was the longest one I’ve written so far. Haha. I’ll just leave it to that. We’ll be back to the present on the next chapter. The next part of their back story will be on the further chapters. I already miss Kyuhyun. XD
Thank you for reading! Don’t hesitate to comment!
Super Junior hwaiting! :D