/A Perfect Day for A Love Declaration/ One
a perfect day for a love declaration
day one ★ Where it begins (again) . . .
“I’m not that right person. I’m sorry.”
This. This is what I’ve grown accustomed to say whenever a man plucks up the courage to tell me he loved me. Sometimes I even forget the ‘I’m sorry’ part altogether because rarely ever am. They might have fallen in love with me - but I never got past the part where I thought they were interesting at best.
Love. I never felt it without any of them. Not since-
“Kimchi stew or sushi?”
I blink. Suddenly I’m aware of the man sitting across from me. He laughed as he shook his head, using his index finger to push the tip of my nose closer to my face.
“Yoong-pig, what would you like to eat?”
“Stop calling me that.”
“But you look like a pig! Oink oink,” he said playfully, ruffling my hair. I glared at him but laughed regardless, feeling no anger in his teasing. I was used to him teasing me everywhere anyway, whether it be outside on our little date nights or inside the kitchen during work.
Kim Kibum has been my best friend and work partner for years. After college we started running a catering service in the heart of Seoul and since then business has been going very well. He was somewhat of a mystery the first time I met him; his silence and serious personality gave him that feeling. If it weren’t for that day I was introduced to him, I wouldn’t have known how easygoing he was-and funny.
“Yoona. I know you’re- like - in love with me, but seriously staring at me so openly is kind of embarrassing.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Dream on, Kim. I was just thinking about how incredibly stupid you look with your … pink floral shirt on.” I pinched his cheek from across the table, making him yelp. “How many times am I going to tell you that Hawaiian shirts do not suit you! Take that off!”
“First off, I did not pick these out. I am meeting my mother later and she wanted me to wear these so she could see them. Second, I’ll have you know that real men wear pink. And lastly, I should sue you for sexual harassment; asking a guy to remove his shirt in a public place. Im Yoona, have some manners!”
“You are so-annoying.”
“Yeah, but you love me for it.” He replied, grinning and I couldn’t help but return the smile.
“I heard from Sooyoung that you broke up with boy#4. What did this one do wrong?”
I glared at him. “His name is Siwon, okay. And he didn’t do anything wrong. It was me.”
“Right, and I’m a rubber ducky.”
“That is odd to the ears, Kibum.”
“Answer the question.”
I sighed and thought about it for a moment. A friend, Sooyoung, introduced Siwon to me at a party a few months ago. He was a little older than I was, but we got along so well - a date was almost expected. Siwon was a gentleman, attentive, sweet and caring. The ideal guy to introduce to your parents-but something was missing, and I knew what it was.
“I just didn’t like him as much as he liked me.”
That was the truth.
I never felt anything for Siwon remotely close to love to consider him as something more. Sure, I was fond of him and cared about him as a friend, but other than that-I felt nothing.
“You’ve seriously got to start seeing somebody for real soon. I worry about you in that aspect.”
“Ugh, shut up will you? Not everybody can have the perfect relationship with your college sweetheart, like you and Yeonhee.”
Kibum held his hands up in surrender. “Geez, don’t be so prickly.”
“Sorry.” I replied sheepishly, calming down. He patted my arm and gave it a soft squeeze, a sign that said that it was okay.
“Oh by the way, we got another job. This one’s a coming-out party for Miss Kwon Yuri.”
I nodded. Kwon Yuri was the daughter of the founder and CEO of Kwon Enterprises, the leading company for IT in the city. Getting a call from them would mean very well for our business.
Kibum continued, “Apparently she’s just turned twenty and her parents wanted her to come out to the community as eligible for suitors.”
“Isn’t that a little old-fashioned?”
Kibum shrugged. “Yeah, but the Kwon family seems to be a pretty old-fashioned family as well, so what can we do? Anyway, I’ll be meeting her parents and the planner tomorrow to settle the menu so you just have to talk things over with Jaejoong to see if he’ll be free to do the job. They asked specifically for him to cook.”
I nodded. “Alright, I’ll talk to him after this weekend. He’s still visiting his family.” I pursed my lips, letting the cap of my ballpoint pen meet my lips lightly and glanced down at my daily planner. “What else is coming up?”
“Shim Changmin.”
The pen dropped and the oxygen seemed to leave the room. I fought hard to keep my expression in check.
“Are you okay?”
I nod. The air is really thin all of the sudden. “Yeah, what about him?”
Yes. What about the man who stole my heart, ripped it into pieces and never gave it back.
“Changmin’s back from Japan. He wants to hang out one of these days and I thought I should let you know.”
I breathe. Slowly. “That’s good.”
It comes out force and I pray that Kibum doesn’t notice. Thankfully he doesn’t.
“Really? Then I should tell him the three of us should hang out soon, yeah?”
I force a smile, “Sure.”
Sure.
~ ~ ~
My phone is ringing somewhere. I can hear it, because it’s so loud it woke me from my sleep. I’m too sleepy (lazy) though, to open my eyes and pick it up. I’ll let it go to voicemail, maybe.
The phone beeps and I knew the answering machine has picked it up. Smiling, I bury myself deeper into the bed sheets. Finally. Peace and quiet.
“Shim Changmin, you lazy son of a- Wake up. It’s me, Kibum. I’m calling to tell you that we should hang out sometime next week. Yoona-” My eyes are instantly open at the sound of her name “-said she’ll go as long as it doesn’t go against her schedule and next weekend is best time for all of us. Call me when you get this.”
“Yoona.” Her name sounds so bitter on my mouth. I’ve wondered how she’s been since college- how is she these days?
It’s a surprise to know she agreed to see me (of course, Kibum’ll be there too but still). During college, Kibum, Yoona and I were inseparable. In a sense. Yoona never really opened up to me the way she did to Kibum. There was that one time during the summer before graduation but-
“It’ll be worth it when you meet the right person.”
“That right person you’re talking about… that person is not here.”
I shook my head and lay back into bed. “Why am I thinking about that now?” I whisper, closing my eyes again. The bed shifts around me and an arm is laid on my chest. I open my eyes and a pretty face came into view. Suddenly, I remember where I am.
“Oppa? What are you talking about?” Kwon Yuri said, putting her chin on my chest.
Kwon Yuri. My betrothed. Fiancé. The reason why I’m forced to come back to Seoul. I feel my temper rising at the thought and so when she edged closer to me and my body, I roll my eyes at her and stood up quickly. Pulling on a shirt, I sigh when I feel her coming close.
“Yuri. I told you I don’t let anyone in my bedroom.”
She smiled sheepishly and edged closer. “I know, oppa. But I have a copy of your apartment key and your bedroom door was open so…”
“Alright. That’s enough.” I said, cutting her off. “You have to leave.”
Thankfully, she obeys and slides off the bed. I motion her to the door but she comes up close to me with a kiss. I’m annoyed.
“I said, leave.”
She laughed in response and nodded. “I’m leaving, oppa. I’ll see you soon I hope.”
“Whatever.”
She grins regardless of my tone, and gives me another kiss on my cheek.
“Oh by the way, who’s Yoona?”
I close the door without answering her question.
Tell me what you think! :)
day one ★ Where it begins (again) . . .
“I’m not that right person. I’m sorry.”
This. This is what I’ve grown accustomed to say whenever a man plucks up the courage to tell me he loved me. Sometimes I even forget the ‘I’m sorry’ part altogether because rarely ever am. They might have fallen in love with me - but I never got past the part where I thought they were interesting at best.
Love. I never felt it without any of them. Not since-
“Kimchi stew or sushi?”
I blink. Suddenly I’m aware of the man sitting across from me. He laughed as he shook his head, using his index finger to push the tip of my nose closer to my face.
“Yoong-pig, what would you like to eat?”
“Stop calling me that.”
“But you look like a pig! Oink oink,” he said playfully, ruffling my hair. I glared at him but laughed regardless, feeling no anger in his teasing. I was used to him teasing me everywhere anyway, whether it be outside on our little date nights or inside the kitchen during work.
Kim Kibum has been my best friend and work partner for years. After college we started running a catering service in the heart of Seoul and since then business has been going very well. He was somewhat of a mystery the first time I met him; his silence and serious personality gave him that feeling. If it weren’t for that day I was introduced to him, I wouldn’t have known how easygoing he was-and funny.
“Yoona. I know you’re- like - in love with me, but seriously staring at me so openly is kind of embarrassing.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Dream on, Kim. I was just thinking about how incredibly stupid you look with your … pink floral shirt on.” I pinched his cheek from across the table, making him yelp. “How many times am I going to tell you that Hawaiian shirts do not suit you! Take that off!”
“First off, I did not pick these out. I am meeting my mother later and she wanted me to wear these so she could see them. Second, I’ll have you know that real men wear pink. And lastly, I should sue you for sexual harassment; asking a guy to remove his shirt in a public place. Im Yoona, have some manners!”
“You are so-annoying.”
“Yeah, but you love me for it.” He replied, grinning and I couldn’t help but return the smile.
“I heard from Sooyoung that you broke up with boy#4. What did this one do wrong?”
I glared at him. “His name is Siwon, okay. And he didn’t do anything wrong. It was me.”
“Right, and I’m a rubber ducky.”
“That is odd to the ears, Kibum.”
“Answer the question.”
I sighed and thought about it for a moment. A friend, Sooyoung, introduced Siwon to me at a party a few months ago. He was a little older than I was, but we got along so well - a date was almost expected. Siwon was a gentleman, attentive, sweet and caring. The ideal guy to introduce to your parents-but something was missing, and I knew what it was.
“I just didn’t like him as much as he liked me.”
That was the truth.
I never felt anything for Siwon remotely close to love to consider him as something more. Sure, I was fond of him and cared about him as a friend, but other than that-I felt nothing.
“You’ve seriously got to start seeing somebody for real soon. I worry about you in that aspect.”
“Ugh, shut up will you? Not everybody can have the perfect relationship with your college sweetheart, like you and Yeonhee.”
Kibum held his hands up in surrender. “Geez, don’t be so prickly.”
“Sorry.” I replied sheepishly, calming down. He patted my arm and gave it a soft squeeze, a sign that said that it was okay.
“Oh by the way, we got another job. This one’s a coming-out party for Miss Kwon Yuri.”
I nodded. Kwon Yuri was the daughter of the founder and CEO of Kwon Enterprises, the leading company for IT in the city. Getting a call from them would mean very well for our business.
Kibum continued, “Apparently she’s just turned twenty and her parents wanted her to come out to the community as eligible for suitors.”
“Isn’t that a little old-fashioned?”
Kibum shrugged. “Yeah, but the Kwon family seems to be a pretty old-fashioned family as well, so what can we do? Anyway, I’ll be meeting her parents and the planner tomorrow to settle the menu so you just have to talk things over with Jaejoong to see if he’ll be free to do the job. They asked specifically for him to cook.”
I nodded. “Alright, I’ll talk to him after this weekend. He’s still visiting his family.” I pursed my lips, letting the cap of my ballpoint pen meet my lips lightly and glanced down at my daily planner. “What else is coming up?”
“Shim Changmin.”
The pen dropped and the oxygen seemed to leave the room. I fought hard to keep my expression in check.
“Are you okay?”
I nod. The air is really thin all of the sudden. “Yeah, what about him?”
Yes. What about the man who stole my heart, ripped it into pieces and never gave it back.
“Changmin’s back from Japan. He wants to hang out one of these days and I thought I should let you know.”
I breathe. Slowly. “That’s good.”
It comes out force and I pray that Kibum doesn’t notice. Thankfully he doesn’t.
“Really? Then I should tell him the three of us should hang out soon, yeah?”
I force a smile, “Sure.”
Sure.
~ ~ ~
My phone is ringing somewhere. I can hear it, because it’s so loud it woke me from my sleep. I’m too sleepy (lazy) though, to open my eyes and pick it up. I’ll let it go to voicemail, maybe.
The phone beeps and I knew the answering machine has picked it up. Smiling, I bury myself deeper into the bed sheets. Finally. Peace and quiet.
“Shim Changmin, you lazy son of a- Wake up. It’s me, Kibum. I’m calling to tell you that we should hang out sometime next week. Yoona-” My eyes are instantly open at the sound of her name “-said she’ll go as long as it doesn’t go against her schedule and next weekend is best time for all of us. Call me when you get this.”
“Yoona.” Her name sounds so bitter on my mouth. I’ve wondered how she’s been since college- how is she these days?
It’s a surprise to know she agreed to see me (of course, Kibum’ll be there too but still). During college, Kibum, Yoona and I were inseparable. In a sense. Yoona never really opened up to me the way she did to Kibum. There was that one time during the summer before graduation but-
“It’ll be worth it when you meet the right person.”
“That right person you’re talking about… that person is not here.”
I shook my head and lay back into bed. “Why am I thinking about that now?” I whisper, closing my eyes again. The bed shifts around me and an arm is laid on my chest. I open my eyes and a pretty face came into view. Suddenly, I remember where I am.
“Oppa? What are you talking about?” Kwon Yuri said, putting her chin on my chest.
Kwon Yuri. My betrothed. Fiancé. The reason why I’m forced to come back to Seoul. I feel my temper rising at the thought and so when she edged closer to me and my body, I roll my eyes at her and stood up quickly. Pulling on a shirt, I sigh when I feel her coming close.
“Yuri. I told you I don’t let anyone in my bedroom.”
She smiled sheepishly and edged closer. “I know, oppa. But I have a copy of your apartment key and your bedroom door was open so…”
“Alright. That’s enough.” I said, cutting her off. “You have to leave.”
Thankfully, she obeys and slides off the bed. I motion her to the door but she comes up close to me with a kiss. I’m annoyed.
“I said, leave.”
She laughed in response and nodded. “I’m leaving, oppa. I’ll see you soon I hope.”
“Whatever.”
She grins regardless of my tone, and gives me another kiss on my cheek.
“Oh by the way, who’s Yoona?”
I close the door without answering her question.
Tell me what you think! :)