I'm His... Makeup artist and Stylist

Chapter Sixteen

When Chan asked me what song I like, 'Don't Go' immediately popped into my mind. The lyrics just made my heart melt which reminded me of my friend when I was 6.

Flashback.

"Why are you crying?"

A handsome boy approached me at the park on a hot summer day here in the Philippines. "Someone stole my teddy bear! I want it back!" I want my teddy back!

We both looked at a group of boys on the other side of the park, happily playing with my teddy bear, as if it were theirs.

"Are you okay?" I nodded my head in response.

I thought that he would be the type of boy from the fairytales movies I've read, saving their princesses from the evil kings and queens with their super powers but unfortunately, he was too scared to get my stolen teddy bear back so he just stood in front me, patting on my back to make me feel at ease.

"Don't cry or else the monsters will creep over your bed when you sleep!" I looked at him.

"Hey! That's scary!" I hit him on his chest and I cried even harder. He looked nervous. He might have felt guilty after making me cry harder.

"Mianhe."

I looked at the boy. Confused at what he said since I didn't understand it. Is he really that young to utter somewhat kind of like an alien word?

After 10 seconds of him studying my confused face, he said

"I said sorry in Korean, just so you know." I tried to stop crying, wiping my almost dry tears to see a clearer image of him. He had white skin, big eyes, big ears, he was surely a foreigner. He continued,

"I was just joking about the monsters. You will look ugly if you cry." He smiled and so did I.

---

We then became friends. We would see each other at the park everyday and play on the slide, curl ourselves up on the monkey bar and play hide and seek. One day, an old woman approached us while playing whom I believe was his mother.

"There's my boy!" The woman said, going to our direction.

"Oh, so this is the girl you have been telling me about?" The woman smiled.

"Ne, eomma." The boy smiled and the worman turned to me and cupped my cheeks, "Hello pretty girl! He's been telling me about you. I'm so happy to meet you."

"Me too, ma'am" She gave me a wide smile.

"Do you guys want ice cream?"

"Yes!" We both screamed in unison.

"Okay, let's go!"

He grabbed my hand and we both ran as soon as we saw the ice cream store from afar. "What flavor do you guys want?"

"Mango!" We both screamed in unison, again. It was my favorite and I guess it was also his.

His mother took out his polaroid and took two continuous shots of us eating, producing two same copies; one for me, one for him. His mother then called someone on the phone. Then a few minutes after, my mother arrived. His mother and my mother were actually friends.

I saw them having a conversation but I didn't bother what they were talking since the boy and I played.

It was then time to go home. We were both facing each other, my mother at my back and his mother at his back too.

"Thank you." I said, he replied happily, "No problem!"

"We will see each other again right?" I asked with puppy eyes, hoping that he would say yes.

"Uhm..." He stuttered while looking down, "I need to go back to where I came from."

"But we will see each other again right?" I insisted while holding our polaroid picture.

"Yes, soon. Just look at the sky at night at watch the stars shine bright. I'll be watching too."

Our conversation was cut off when his mother interrupted, "Kids, it's getting darker. Let's get home okay?"

"Ne, eomma." The boy replied.

He looked at me again, "Don't forget what I told you. Crying will make you ugly. Promise?"

Crying will make you ugly.

He offered his hand. We did the famous pinky swear.

"I promise."

End of flash back.

My thoughts were cut off when Chanyeol snap his fingers in front of me.

"Are you okay?!" Chanyeol said. I realized I was still in the pizza store with him. I was resting my arms on the table to support my head looking at a certain direction.

I fixed myself and sat straight. I noticed that he already finished the remaining pizza slices.

"Y-yes. I guess I'm just so tired."

"Me too. I guess we should get going."

"Yeah right."

We were already outside the store. Chan's hands were in his pockets while both of my hands were bringing my bag. It was so cold that night. Chan insisted to give me a ride home but I told him to just go home instead because I know he was also exhausted.

I took a cab back to my apartment. During the whole ride, my mind was filled with moments from the past.

That little boy. We didn't have proper goodbyes and he still has his promise. I don't even remember his name.

I took out my wallet and reached for a picture, the old polaroid picture taken with him 17 years ago. The picture has been with me ever since it was given to me. The thing is, the other part of it has been ripped.

When I was first given a wallet, I started to bring the picture with me, still having hopes of meeting him again soon.

Just by holding the it, it brought back a lot of memories. Moments where we played until sunset, where he would help me whenever I tripped and he would blow on the wound to make me feel at ease, he was always on my side whenever some boys would try to bully me.

He was basically the brother I wished to have but unfortunately it was just temporary.

---

Tomorrow will be the last day before the ball. After Chan's commercial shoot in the morning, I will be heading to a store to pick up a dress for the ball, then back to SM for Chan's broadcast then to Mr. Seo's office to give him my resignation letter, then lastly to tell Chan about leaving here.

Well, I already have the guts to tell him.

I collapsed on to my bed the moment I arrived home. It was somehow tiring that day. I looked at the calendar, counting the days until my flight back home.

I started to think about the things happening in my life; my family who misses me back home, my hard-to-get dream job to become a doctor, my independent life here in Korea, the job I got here that I enjoyed... everything!

My throat suddenly hurt when tears stared to form on the sides of my eyes. I tried to control it, remembering what an old friend said.

You will look ugly if you cry.