Because He Is Her 'First Love'....

With the cycle on one hand, Ray was walking down the street.

All the things, which happened in the last several months, were revolving in his mind.

'This all mess started at April's birthday party…..'

~

The evening at April's house, on her birthday-

Ray heard So Hee and Mia's conversation in the bathroom.

'Mia….Mia….Why isn't she saying anything…..?

Does that mean….Does that mean, she is embarrassed of being with me?'

Ray gushed out from there. His head was full of thoughts.

He wasn't able to think anything else. Keeping his head down, he was standing beside the window.

One of the servants offered him some food but he denied.

He just kept staring outside, without a word.

Then, April started opening her presents.

When she said his name, he came back to his senses.

She opened the present and she loved it. She thanked Ray, but he was not in the right mind to react.

He just looked at Mia, who was smiling at him brightly, like nothing has happened.

'Does she really think of me that way?

Looking at her, smiling at me like that, I can't be sure…

As far as I know, she would never do this to me.. ' He thought and looked outside the window.

Then after that also, Mia tried to talk with him, but he just didn't know what to do, so he just kept running away from her.

He needed some time to sort out his mind.

'Whatever happened earlier can't be true…' His one part of mind thought.

'But what if it is?' The other mind thought.

'But, she was not the one who said all those things, right?'

'Yeah, but she didn't even deny them either! Maybe those were the things which were in her mind for all these days.'

'That…That can't be true. I know Mia; I know she'd never think such things about me ever.'

'Then I must talk to her. If I'll ask her about this, she'll answer right away.'

After debating with himself for some time, Ray decided to talk with her about this. And taking a paper, a pen he wrote on it.

"Come to the kitchen, right now.

There is something I need to talk with you as soon as possible.

–Ray."

Then through a servant, he sent that chit to Mia.

Waiting for Mia in the kitchen, Ray kept walking back and forth.

A bit nervous about hearing her answer, he drank a whole glass of water in one go.

' Huhhh….I must have misunderstood. She would never think about me that way …' His own thought made him a bit relieved.

Suddenly, "Umm..Ray?"

Ray quickly turned back expecting Mia before him, but it was Gyuri!

Gyuri was standing in the kitchen door with her hands folded.

"Oh! Hey Gyuri. What are you doing here?

Do you need something?" Ray asked as he thought, she came to the kitchen to get something.

"Mia sent me here."

"Mia?"

"Yeah." And she took her hand before him. He saw the chit in her hand.

"How..How do you have this?"

"Mia gave it to me…"

"Huh?...But why?...And why are you here? I called her, not you."

"Yeah. I know. But she said, she doesn't want to meet you or talk with you now."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I am just telling you, what she told me. She doesn't want to talk with you. That's it."

"But…But just now, she was trying to talk with me. And I wasn't in the mood that's why —"

"That's right! You were not in the mood.

And now, she is the one who's not!

She didn't like the way you ignored her back there. So she said, she is not in the right mind to talk with you."

Ray wasn't really expecting this.

'How could she say that? No..She wouldn't.'

Ray still didn't believe it.

"Are you telling me the truth?" Ray asked looking right into Gyuri's eyes.

"Why would I lie about such things?

I am her best friend and she tells me everything. I can do anything for her.

So, when she told me to go and give you her message, I did it.

Besides, what would I get after lying to you?" Gyuri said raising one eyebrow.

Ray looked down. 'That's also true...But...'

"And if you still don't believe me, go and talk to her.

But let me tell you one thing, she might be a sweet girl but when she's in the bad mood, no one dares to cross her path.

If you like, you can go and talk to her and humiliate yourself in front of everyone.

It's your wish."

Gyuri said as she turned back and went out.

Ray was still looking to the ground. "Is she that mad?" He murmured.

After thinking for some time, he decided,

'I am gonna talk to her no matter what.

I don't care if she says something to me in front of everyone. I just need to clear these things.'

"I'll talk to her!" Saying these words to himself, he came out from the kitchen.

Everyone was gathered together to play some games.

Ray's eyes were busy searching for Mia. But he didn't see her anywhere.

Soon he got to know, that she had already gone home.

~

Ray put his cycle on the stand and sat on a bench.

He was in a park.

Sitting on the bench he was looking at some small kids playing.

'What I didn't do after that?

According to that conversation, I was fat; I didn't have any manners while eating.

So for that only, I went on a complete diet. I started spending my most of the time of the day on the ground. I spent my whole spring break exercising, playing football and all.

I started cycling also.

Just for her, I went to play football to the other side of the city, near the Joy Park.

Why? Because it was her neighborhood. I thought, she'd see me one day.

She'd see that I was changing. I was working hard.

And I would also get a chance to apologize to her for ignoring her at the party.

I would explain her and ask her what I needed to ask that day.

.

Now I really don't know why I did all those things.'

Ray let out a loud sigh.

Then he looked above at the sky and kept staring at the running clouds.

~

The spring break - 4 days before the new year at school was gonna start-

Ray was on the ground playing with the football, alone.

All his friends were gone. But he was still there, practicing.

It was evening time. The sun was about to set so Ray packed his things up.

'So today also, she didn't come….'

Getting his bag, he went towards his cycle.

As he was about to get on,

"Ray? Is that you?"

He looked in the direction of the sound. He saw Gyuri standing there with surprised expressions.

"Hey Gyuri…" He said with a tired voice.

"OMG! Kim Ray! It's you.

I really can't believe this. You look so skinnier than before."

"No..It's…

Actually I have a long way to go."

"Oh God! And that tan! Boy, way to go." Gyuri said with a teasing smile as she came towards him.

Ray didn't say anything.

"But what are you doing here? Do you live nearby?" Gyuri asked.

"Oh No. I…I came here to meet Mia."

"What?" Gyuri's expressions changed.

"So? Did..you meet her?"

"Oh no. No. I don't know where she lives. I just know she lives nearby.

So I haven't met her yet."

He said as his face saddened.

"Ohh…But why do you still want to meet her?

I mean, I told you that day she doesn't want to talk to you."

"Yeah. But you said she didn't want to talk with me that day.

Her mood was off 'that day'. And I don't think she'd be mad at me till today.

So…"

"But what is so important that you want to talk with her at any cost?"

"Well…Umm…" Ray hesitated to tell Gyuri.

"You can tell me. I am her best friend. So maybe I can help you with it."

Gyuri said as she looked right into Ray's eyes.

"Um…I guess, you're right."

After that, Ray told Gyuri what happened at April's party, about what he heard when he went to the bathroom. And what he thinks about it.

"…So I was expecting to meet her here and sort all things out. For that I've been coming here every day."

Gyuri started thinking for some time.

"So you are the 'jerk' she was talking about!" Gyuri said like remembering something.

"Huh? What do you mean? A jerk?"

"Yeah. That's what she told me. She said that there's a jerk which comes to the Joy Park everyday and it bothers her a lot to see -"

"Wait. Do you mean she already saw me here?"

"Yeah. I think so. She saw you here and yet she didn't come to talk with you.

Maybe she really doesn't want to talk with you anymore.

On top of that, she called you jerk!"

As Ray heard Gyuri, his face darkened.

'She doesn't want to talk with me?'

"Why? Why doesn't she want to talk with me?" He asked Gyuri as he came two steps ahead, right in front of her face.

His darkened eyes were telling that he was really upset now.

"Well, I don't know.

But…"

"But what?"

"I can talk about it with Mia, if you want."

"Really?" Ray's eyes lightened.

"Yeah. I can do that much for you. I'll talk about all this with her. I'll try to convince her for you.

And then let's see what happens. Okay?" Gyuri said trying to encourage him.

"Oh thank you so much Gyuri. Thank you so much for the help." Ray's face got a little relieved.

"Then, let's meet here tomorrow. Same time."

"Okay." Ray said smiling a bit.

"Thanks again." He said.

Giving him a smile, she turned back to go.

"Wait. Are you going home, alone?" Ray asked.

"Huh? Yeah. I mean…"

"I'll give you a ride. Come on sit." He pointed at the cycle's back seat.

"Wh..Um..No..It's okay. I'll go by myself."

"Oh No. It's getting dark. I'll give you a ride.

You are doing all this for me, I can at least do this much."

Ray kept insisting.

So at the end Gyuri agreed to it.

~