Chapter 26 - Sunflower Confession

"They look so lovely together," Choon Hee said dreamily while slowly laying her head over Dokyeom's shoulder, which he shook off.

"Jin Ae can play the guitar but she can't sing. Jeong Won looked like he was forced to sing," In Na chuckled.

"I bet he has a good voice, you know I'm a singer myself and I think his speaking voice is great," Choon Hee said.

"Yah, don't say such things in front of Chul Soo. We all know that he cherishes Jin Ae so much. It saddens him to think he's not beside her during this time," DoKyeom scolded the two.

Chul Soo kept himself busy keeping the fire aflame. He was aware of the conversation but acted like he was oblivious.

In Na just shook her head, "Chul Soo should accept that this time, it's not him who Jin Ae needs."

* * *

The girls swooned over Jeong Won's honey voice as he sang, but he only saw one girl and she was expertly playing the guitar beside him. But this stubborn girl was busy looking at her strings and somewhere ahead, avoiding his eyes. She handed the guitar to him and left him straight after the performance without batting an eye. But there's something more than meets the eye. If only he knew that her heart was frantically beating like a drum, he would not think she was being affectless. The truth was she breathed every note and savored each word that came out of his mouth.

After the romantic song that had set the atmosphere right for the next activity, all boys were seen holding a sunflower. If Jin Ae heard it correctly, they would give it to someone special. It looked like a sort of confession. Her heartbeat was faster than moments ago and her cheeks flushed red with the thought of it. Yet her mind tried to persuade her heart that it was a lame idea and shouldn't be taken seriously.

"That is so lame," she muttered. That was supposed to be a word to herself but she must have spoken her thoughts louder that Min Jung lifted an eye to her,

"Tch, you speak as if you're getting a confession every day."

"I don't even mind not getting any," Jin Ae retorted which made Min Jung scoff in disbelief.

One by one, the boys gave a little speech and handed the flowers to either their girlfriend, crushes, and to the one who got to reap the most flowers- their adviser. Jin Ae found the boys who gave their flowers to the adviser cute. Then, it was Jeong Won's turn.

It was the wind, she said to herself, that was making her shiver. She looked in his direction and.... was he looking at her too? Jin Ae buried her mouth and flushed cheeks to her jacket's collar more. Was she expecting him to give her the flower? She scolded herself. But her insides were counting. She couldn't even concentrate on what he was saying as he started to talk.

"Min Jung, do you think he'll give it to you?"

Jin Ae turned her face to where the whispers were coming from.

"What are you talking about?" Min Jung responded, but her shy smile reveals that she was indeed expecting. Some of the girls were also looking in Min Jung's direction.

"You two are close."

Oh yeah, Kim Min Jung. He must be looking at Min Jung, Jin Ae thought. Memories from their first encounter flooded her eyes: Jeong Won standing beside Min Jung in the club, Jeong Won sacrificing himself for Kim Min Jung, Jeong Won enjoying talks with Min Jung in the class, Jeong Won insisting to her that Min Jung's idea for the camp was great. Jeong Won and Min Jung, what a nice pair.

Jin Ae's face turned pale with the sudden realization. Looking discouraged, she now saw Jeong Won taking a step forward, obviously in their direction. Right then, she heard a faint sound calling her name.

"Jin Ae!"

She turned around and saw a silhouette waving, hidden on a tree. She had to squint to see clearly and immediately recognized Chul Soo. She slipped from the group and went to him when he signaled her to come.

"You guys aren't finished yet?" He asked.

"We're almost done," she answered while trying to sneak at what's happening now.

"Are you sure you'll be sleeping there? You can join In Na and Mi Do in the tent, it's big."

"I'm okay. You guys should sleep now, take a rest."

She patted him at the back and started to walk back to the camp. She was in a hurry and he could figure that out. Knowing that he hadn't left yet, she looked back at Chul Soo and said with an assuring smile, "Don't worry about me."

When she returned to the group, she could not help but notice the flower Min Jung was holding. She and her friends were giggling.

'Oh yeah, I'm right.'

She looked around and saw that the other girls were also happy with the flowers they received. She searched for Jeong Won and he was nowhere to be found.

"It's okay. I also did not receive anything," said the girl at her right. Staring at her with a big smile.

What? Was she consoling her? She glared at her as a response.

"What are you looking at?" She barked.

Then, she heard the teacher say, "Alright, that concludes the night. Go to your tents now and sleep already. We're early tomorrow for the hike. Do not goof around, okay?"

Jin Ae looked up in surprise. They're done? Does it mean she did not receive anything at all? She couldn't believe it. The boys in this section did not know how to look at a girl correctly. She stood up irritated and he bumped into Hyeon Seong on her way.

"Did you see, Jeong Won?" He asked.

"No, I did not.... and I don't care!" She snapped.

Hyeon Seong was taken aback. She was about to leave him when she thought of something. She turned to him again.

"To whom did you give your flower?"

He looked at her suspiciously which she immediately slammed by saying she was just curious.

"Actually... I wanted to give it to you...."

Her eyes brightened suddenly, and she became interested in what he's going to say next, the idea that someone thought of giving it to her made her somehow accomplished.

".... but Jeong Won said we'd better give it to the teacher."

"Jeong Won?" She snarled. That guy stole her thunder!

"But that punk did not give his to the teacher and...." he could not finish what he was going to say because Jin Ae immediately stomped away angrily.

"Why are they both leaving me alone?" He sighed.

* * *

Jin Ae turned her flashlight on and off to her face while staring at the hole above her tent, letting her see the dark sky outside.

Flash off.

"He said they should give the flower to the teacher...."

Flash on.

"But he gave his flower to Min Jung, Tch!"

Flash off.

"He sang while he kept on staring at me...."

Flash on.

"But he confessed to somebody else, Tch!"

Flash off.

"He chose to sit beside me on the bus...."

Flash on.

"But he likes someone else, Tch!"

Flash off.

"He was caring.... thoughtful.... and concerned!" Then she rose up abruptly,

Flash on.

"But it's just nothing! Tch! Kim. Tae. Pyung.... you are SO friendly, huh? Jerk!"

She pulled her hair and squealed silently. She felt so stupid.

* * *

Sitting on a log five meters away from Jin Ae's tent, Jeong Won was alarmed after hearing a noise inside Jin Ae's tent. He was actually observing and never missing a beat as lights turned on and off after 5 seconds inside her tent.

Thinking that the noise Jin Ae made was caused by mosquitos biting her, he decided to stealthily add more incense sticks near Jin Ae's tent. When he noticed that she was no longer turning her flashlight on and off, he thought that she must have fallen asleep already. Satisfied, he went back to the log and continued guarding her tent.

However, his satisfaction and his smile vanished when he remembered what happened a while ago. His eyes cast down as he slowly brought out the sunflower from his pocket. Now frayed like he was and forlorn.