Renewed

The school halls had this grating echo, and you were glad to be gone soon. All your fellow students talked about for the past few months was prom this and prom that. Girls went on about the dresses they bought and the limos they rented; guys rambled about their promposals and afterparties. Right now, a group of classmates is loudly arguing about table seating. You couldn’t care less. The one girl you wanted to go with was already taken. Inevitable. Shin Yuna was the girl of every guy’s dreams, a stunning visual, a kind soul.

Inevitable too was the fact that you would fall for her, even if it didn’t start that way. You were just neighbors at first, but then you became friends like no other. Considering how much time you spent with her, that friendship could only bloom into infatuation. So as the years went by, you held in your feelings, until senior year when you grew brave enough to confess.

That was months ago. You wanted to forget about it.

“Hey, Oppa, what’s with the flower?” Yuna tilted her head and of course, she looked adorable with such a simple gesture. “Actually, before you say that, I wanted to let you know something.”

“What’s up?” you replied.

“Well, I have a boyfriend now! I want you guys to get along.”

The flower might as well have withered right then and there as your heart did. Another guy walked up next to her and held her hand.

“This is Ryan,” Yuna said, “and I hope you guys can be friends.”

Safe to say, that did not happen. As her friend first, you tried getting along with Ryan but from what you heard, he seemed like the type to just date a girl and move on quickly, so you always had your reservations.

When you take your lunch out of your bag, you notice that you still have that flower in your backpack right now. You never bothered to throw it out, even as it’s rotting inside its plastic wrap.

“Oppa!” Well, there goes the peaceful meal. Yuna runs over to you.

“Hey, Yuna, what’s up?”

She puts a piece of paper on the table; you quickly recognize it’s a ticket.

“Yuna, I already said, I don’t care for prom. I don’t want to go, and I don’t even have a date!”

“Well… I found you one! So you will be going. I need my best friend at prom with me.” Yuna looks up at you with her famous puppy dog eyes, knowing your weakness and melting your resolve.

Your initial reaction to reject her becomes a slow nod.

Yuna jumps up and down in excitement. “Okay, so your date will be at your home an hour before prom. She will be wearing red so make sure to match!”

You’re brought to silence by her hyperactive energy, so before you can open your mouth, she’s gone. Looks like you’re going to prom then.

The next week goes by quickly: you get your tux; you find a tie that matches the red your date will be wearing; you buy a corsage with a red flower.

“I swear these things are a scam. I really paid forty dollars for a flower.” The worst part is that the red flower reminds you of something—you should really throw that thing out of your bag.

You stand alone at home waiting for your date to arrive. Your parents could not be at home to watch you go off with your date as they would be going on a trip with Yuna’s parents. What a coincidence. While they’re out having fun, you have to go with some other person and watch Yuna be happy with someone else. Yet here you are, enduring it all because of her.

Knock, knock, knock.

You rush toward the door—not too fast, don’t want to get sweat on your dress shirt. Then, you open it, finding yourself face to face with the rest of your friend group: Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, and Chaeryoung. You let them in, but you can’t get the image of one person out of your mind. 

“Hey guys, what are you doing here?” you ask.

“We’ll be taking your photos here at home. Now turn around and close your eyes,” Yeji says.