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"NO FUCKING WAY". Heeseung braked wonderingly, while I stared in shock in the direction of the entrance area, where another person was about to enter the ice surface.
"What is he doing here?". You could see panic in his eyes as well.
Immediately, a lot of visitors stopped by and started whispering. "Isn't that Park Sunghoon? The international figure skater?". A girl gossiped to her friend next to her.
It's indeed my brother. What the hell!?
I mean...was he following us? How could this even be possible?
But he wasn't alone. A little behind him, a skinny, brown haired and brown eyed girl stepped onto the ice as well. I couldn't help but stare at her. Why did they seem close? Does my brother have a girlfriend and did not tell us?
What if all of this is staged? Like a plan that Heeseung and my brother concocted together to embarrass me in public?
I quickly shook my head. "I-I don't know.". But I still stood there as if paralyzed. I was sure that it would not take another moment until he would notice me and bawl me out.
But in the next second, Hee quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me along to the entrance area. "We gonna have to leave.". He explained, obviously a little stressed. "We can't let them see us.".
Them? Was there any chance he knew that girl?
"Who is she?". I asked him while stepping off the ice, holding onto the rail as I glared back at her.
"The girl?". Heeseung asked me. "Its Yoojung. She is in some college courses with Hoon.", he explained.
I followed the boy along around the railing to a more hidden place, where we squatted down on the floor and started to take off our shoes again.
"Isn't that the girl he called a stupid bitch at Jay's birthday party?". He grinned slightly. "Well, apparently we aren't the only ones who lie.".
"We aren't lying, though.". I corrected him. "We just won't tell someone about this.".
"Come on. If your brother recognizes one of us, we're screwed.". He said, helping me stand up shortly after I tied my sneakers.
Hunched over, we walked along the rail so that we couldn't be seen from the inside. The people on the outside looked at us as if we had lost our minds, but I couldn't care less.
Only when we were out of sight did we straighten up and run back to the parking lot.
"Wow. What a fail. We weren't even here 30 minutes," Heeseung headed for his car, but my gaze drifted to the right, to the small forest where Jungwon and I used to play hide and seek when we were kids and didn't feel like Sunghoon's boring competitions.
"Why don't we go for a walk?" I suggested, which made him turn around in surprise. "There's a little forest over there and it's really beautiful. Besides, it's cooler than directly here under the sun.".
"Yeah, why not.". Heeseung agreed and turned direction together with me.
"As you already know, I love walks. It's way more casual. You don't just sit at a table and get bogged down in non-stop small talk conversations. And you're more relaxed, and can get to know each other better," I explained.
"I know what you mean.". He agreed. "I usually do it after I had a bad day, to clear my mind and listen to music.".
âWhat about your birthday on Sunday? Are you going to celebrate it?" he looked over at me curiously.
Why on earth does everyone ask me about my birthday? This year will probably be the worst of my life, even though I'm coming of age.
"Nahh, I don't have anything planned. And I don't want to do anything, either. It's just not a good time to celebrate this year. Our family is as divided as it's ever been...".
Well, my father? He is sitting somewhere with his company in New Zealand and doesn't hear from him, while my mother is working her ass off. The situation with my brother is also known.
So it just doesn't feel right to celebrate. Especially because I never did it the years before.
"The situation with your dad really sucks...", Heeseung carefully tried to relate to this topic. "If I were your mom, I'd probably finally get a divorce.".
"I hope they will one day," I bit my lip, that really came out wrong. Of course I love my father in a certain way, but it's beneath me that he doesn't even call once a year.
I sighed and wanted to change the subject as soon as possible, because these gloomy conversations about my birthday will only make me sadder. I know I will hurt many people with my decision, but it is for the best.
"Can you tell me more about the girl my brother was with?", I looked over at him curiously. "Are they dating?"
My inner self had to pull itself together not to laugh out loud. That my brother would ever seriously date a girl was about as likely as me ever marrying Hero Tiffin.
"I don't know for sure. But I know she definitely has a crush on him," he told me. "Siu told me.".
Her name triggered a memory in me. "AH SIU! Shit, mom's dress is still at her house.", I shrieked with one hand over my mouth. "But at least I get to see her again!".
"You like her, right?
I nodded quickly. "It felt like she was an older sister to me that night. Regarding...advise...you know?".
"She was the one who told me about you, as well." he revealed. "I mean, about your feelings.".
I lowered my head as I realized that the blood was rushing back into my cheeks. I had so suppressed our phone call from the other day again. Being reminded of it directly by Heeseung doesn't make it any less embarrassing for me.
"You don't have to be insecure about Arin.", he said, and I winced slightly as the backs of our hands brushed lightly against each other.
"I-It's just. Siu told me you have a special type with girls...".
"...But I never said you weren't that type.".
He looked over at me, but my face, now covered with a smile, was still directed at the ground. But my heart stopped beating for a second, as he softly reached for my hand and tightened the grip a little.
A million of butterflies rushed through my belly as I glanced to the side and spotted our connected hands. A wave of happy hormones flooded my body, but I had to control myself not to carry that outward.
"Because you actually are.". Heeseung slowed down his pace a bit when he noticed that I was no longer mentally receptive.
"You really mean it?", I asked in a stammering voice.
He nodded with a chuckle as he caught sight of my flushed cheeks.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...i-it just always happens when I'm kinda nervous.
"It's actually cute.". He tried to encourage me. "But you shouldn't feel uncomfortable when you're with me.".
"No! I'm not!", I quickly waved it off. "I swear".
Heeseung's sudden belly growl relieved the tense mood somewhat and made us laugh.
"I haven't really eaten anything today. Are you hungry?" he asked me.
I quickly agreed. "I'm starving. There's a little pizza house up ahead at the end of the path. We can get something there if you want?".
Suddenly, out of nowhere, he let go of my hand and ran down the path. "The last one there has to pay". He called out to me briefly before I sprinted off as well.
Thanks to my sporty genes, I actually managed to overtake the older one and arrived at the finish a few seconds before him.
"What the fuck. Why are you so fast? I was easily 3 seconds ahead."
"I don't know. Maybe you're just slow.". I laughed when I arrived breathless at the small house in the middle of the woods. Heeseung also took a second to stabilize his breathing before finally entering the store first.
"Come on. I'll pay, like agreed.".
Inside, I was surprised to be greeted by Mr. Bo. The elderly, roundish man had hardly changed and seemed to still recognize me from my countless visits.
Heeseung and I ordered our pizzas after a short small talk and left the cozy little house after a few minutes.
The old water reservoir, which used to be the main source of water for our town, fell into my direct field of vision. I had been up there more often with Jungwon when, as I said, we wanted to avoid Sunghoon's competitions. Today it was no longer used. Around it, plants were already growing up the crumbling walls, and one could hardly recognize that it had once been a building.
I pointed to the small hill upwards. "Shall we eat the pizza up there?".
He didn't seem to think twice before nodding his head in agreement. "Is that even allowed?". I led the way, Heeseung following behind with the two boxes. We struggled through the thickly overgrown forest, climbing over some fallen tree roots.
Honestly, I didn't know if it was forbidden to climb on the roof of the old house, but so far no one had caught me doing it, so it wouldn't happen this time either. Besides, who on earth would be hanging around here on an early evening?
Arrived at the top, I went purposefully to a, about 1 meter high hydrant, climbed up and grabbed with my hands on the old, rusty gutter to have a better grip. I looked down briefly to place my shoe ideally in a small niche between the stones on the wall, and pulled myself vigorously upwards.
It worked right the first time, but the last bit I scooted around like a manatee on my belly, hoisting my legs over the edge.
"That's how it works," I presented, now stooping over the edge to take the boxes out of Heeseung's hand.
"Very elegant," he jokes about my rather walrus-looking performance, and now climbs onto the hydrant in front of him.
"Do you need like...any help?", I asked him from the top, while placing the two pizzas on the ground next to me. "Nah, I don't think so.". He replied, bouncing a few time, to check the load-bearing capacity of the metal gutter before effortlessly pulling himself up.
Astonished, I took a step back to make some room for him, even though that shouldn't surprise me. After all, Heeseung is not called ace by everyone for nothing.
With the two paper boxed, I walked towards the edge of the building and sat down at the precipice, my feet dangling in the air, about 6 meters above the ground.
"That's pretty high.", objected Heeseung as he lowered himself next to me and glared down. "Are you afraid of heights?". I asked in a laugh and handed him his pizza. "I'm not. But it's dangerous, if you ask me. You said you come here often. So what happens, if you fall down and no one else is here.".
"Okay, usually I come here just to read or the watch the sunset. And I'm not sitting on the edge when I'm alone.". I clarified.
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