I will never forget that day, the first day we met, when Seonhyung (she) kept hiding behind me, and finally she poked her head out and waved to me.
"I'm Kim Taehyung, I'm one year older than you, 11 years old."
"I'm 10 years old, Kim Yeoju!"
Seonhyung (she) has been my mom's best friend since high school, and they've kept close ever since. Seonhyung (she) used to live in a different area, but due to work, she happened to move to Seoul, and her house is right next to ours. This is why, ever since I was in third grade, Kim Taehyung and I have been inseparable.
"Here, eat this."
"Oh my god, why is Taehyung so polite?"
Kim Taehyung was very polite. And he was very mature for his age. At 11 years old, an age when most people only care about themselves, he always cared about me. When we ate together, he always put the meat on my rice first, and whenever we went anywhere, he always held my hand and never let go. Adults praised him every day. Of course, I liked Taehyung too. From then on, I secretly loved him. Forever and ever.
"I like Taehyung oppa."
Kim Taehyung wasn't just polite to me. Just look at the girls in our class; there are so many who like him. If he's already that popular in our group, I can't imagine how much he's liked by girls his age.
"Hey, why do you always go home with Taehyung?"
After about a year of being with Taehyung, when I was in fourth grade, many girls started to get jealous of me. Girls the same age as Taehyung, older than me, would often come to me and show their jealousy. Strangely, I didn't feel sad. It felt like I had become someone special in Taehyung's eyes.
"I heard that Harin unni confessed her feelings to Taehyung oppa, right? She's so beautiful, isn't she? Very popular."
"Yes, that's what everyone says."
"Well, what do girls like about oppa? I don't understand at all."
"Oh? Haha, Yeoju, you like me too, right?"
I didn't want Taehyung to find out about my feelings. I was afraid that if he knew, he'd think I was just like all the other girls. So I tried not to show my emotions and even overreacted.
"EH...?"
"You like me, don't you?"
Maybe I was even more foolish for not realizing it. I always giggled innocently whenever I was around him, but I hoped he wouldn't notice. The truth was, Taehyung had known all along. I was just an ordinary girl in his eyes. That fact really angered me. I truly wanted to be special in his eyes; that was my dream at the time.
"You idiot, I don't like you at all. You're always pretending to be so grown-up. You're just being fake."
After I said that, Taehyung stopped coming to my house, and I stopped going to his house too. Taehyung seemed shocked to hear me say that, but it also angered me. Did he think all girls liked him? I didn't want to be so obvious in his eyes. And we became distant from each other from then on.
"Congratulations on your graduation."
"Yes, thank you."
Time flew by, and I graduated from elementary school. When I saw Taehyung in his high school uniform at graduation, he looked so cool. I was assigned to a high school quite far away, and my family decided to move. After graduation, we had one last meal together and said goodbye. Although our houses were very close, we weren't very close, and I thought we wouldn't see each other again after I moved.
"Live well, and don't forget me."
"Yeah… you too."
"Still not calling me oppa? I haven't been called oppa since that time."
"Yeah, it sounds embarrassing."
"..."
The silence dragged on. I felt that if I didn't say anything now, I might never see him again, but I couldn't bring myself to speak.
"You really don't hate me, do you?"
As I was about to turn away, Taehyung asked this question. My heart sank. Could it be that he still held a grudge about what I had said?
I turned around and answered.
"Yes, I've never hated you."
Taehyung gave a wry smile. I still don't understand what that smile meant.
Anyway, we broke up, and after that, apart from hearing from our parents, we haven't been in contact or seen each other again.
And so five years have passed.
"Oh my God, I'm so late!"
"Then who told you to sleep so long? Hurry up and run!"
On May 15th, our homeroom teacher asked us to be there by 8 a.m. for Teacher's Day. Although I had set five alarms the night before, surprisingly, I didn't hear any of them and overslept. I only wore my gym clothes and rushed out the door.
"...??????"
I saw a male face that looked very familiar, but not exactly familiar either.
I've met him somewhere before; he seems familiar yet strange...
"Hi, Yeoju, it's been a long time."
Just as I realized it, Taehyung walked closer and smiled at me. Was that the Taehyung I knew? Had he grown so much? I turned my eyes and tried to make sure it was him, then Taehyung spoke again.
"I miss you."
After listening to the voice again, I was certain. It was Taehyung, it was definitely Taehyung.
I finally ran into my first and last love, Kim Taehyung, at my doorstep after five years, and I was truly surprised.