Just a Mile Away

I skipped home cheerfully, but then something popped into my mind. Throughout the day, Luhan haven't say anything to me about the maple tree at all. Did he already seen it or not? I'm so curious, so I'm going to go take a quick peek first before going home. It doesn’t take me long until I reached the maple tree. But it does take me long to gain my sense back. I can’t believe it!! No wonder he didn't say anything at all! He craved his own name right under my name! Adding to that, he also nailed his picture right below it too!

"That man!!! I let him go today because I pity him and this is what I got from him!!! Ahhargggh!!!! CURSE HIM!!!"

*Luhan's POV*

"Ah-chooo!!" I sneezed out of the blue. The nurse that was with me handed me a tissue. "Thank you." I said as I wiped my nose.

"You'll have to take care of yourself too, Mr. Luhan. Don't work too hard." She said.

"It's not that I'm working myself too hard but I just don't know why, couple of these days I've been sneezing without any reason."

"Someone must be talking about you then." She smiled.

"I guess so." I said.

She chuckled and handed be a folder with some medical information in it.

"Here's the information you've asked about." She said. I grabbed the folder. "He's been doing a lot better these days, but the only thing is that he's too stubborn. He won't eat when we gave him food and he won't exercise when we told him too. He is giving us a very hard time."

"I apologize for him too." I said. "It's all because of me that he won't listen to anyone. I'll go talk to him again."

"Don't be too hard on him though, he's doing all of this for your own good." She said while grinning.

"It'll be soon. Don't worry." I grinned back at her.

*Jiyoung's POV*

Early in the morning I came to the maple tree and waited for the thick-face Luhan to show up. I had so many things I needed to discuss with him.

I waited and waited, pacing back and forth and standing on my tippy toes to check if he'll show up or not. And I guess not.

"Hump! Didn't dare to show your face huh?! What a manly thing to do!?" I said and stomp down the hill, huffing and puffing.

*Ema Elementary School*

I waited outside of the classroom, tapping my foot impatiently.

"Good morning Miss Kang!"

I turned to my right and Chris walked up to me, follow by my prey Luhan.

"Good morning Chris. We're going to have a 'fun' day today." I smiled at him.

"Yes!" Chris jumped happily into the classroom.

Luhan smiles at me. "Good morn—oah—"

I cut him off by grabbing him by the collar and pulling him over to where the students can't see us.

"You and I need a seriously talk!" I jerked him onto the wall.

"Ouch… I know I know. I'll stay double for yesterday." He quickly responded as if that's my question for him.

"I change my mind!" I said. "You'll have to stay triple today for craving your name on my tree!"

He froze in place like he's already forgotten what he have done.

"Ah… so… craving your name and placing a picture of yourself on a tree, make it your property?"

Huk! There he go again! Asking me weird question!

"Yes it does!" I jerked his collar again, hitting his chest along with it. He made soft groaning here and there.

"Then we're even then." He said.

"What?" I asked confusedly.

"Since your name is on it and so is mine, then the maple tree is both of our property."

Now it's my turn to froze in a daze.

"Case closed." He smiled at me. "And now that we're done here, I got—" He checked his watch.
"—Two minutes and twenty-three seconds left before the start of class. But if you want to give me more penalty times, then I'm always okay with that." He raise his eyebrow at me.

I was boiling inside and was about to erupt any minute now. I let go of his collar and pointed my finger at him.

"You just wait…" I gave him a last glare and walked to the restroom.

*Luhan's POV*

After she had left to the restroom, I fix my wrinkle up collar that she was grabbing onto and walked back to the classroom. As soon as I stepped in, I could feel the strong gazed that everyone is giving me. I gave them an awkwardly smile and walked over to the desk that I usually sits.

Chris leaned over and whisper, "Where's Miss Kang?"

"She's coming." I whispered back as I seated down.

Two seconds later, we heard a screeched that echoes through the hall. Everyone begins to look around curiously.

"What was that?" A kid said.

"I think it's a crow." Another kid answered.

A few minutes after that, Jiyoung steps into the classroom.

"Hello kids." She was smiling brightly and headed for her desk. "Sorry that I'm a little late, I got to cleared something in my head. Okay, where should we starts?"

I laughed silently inside. I didn't know that I'll be that much of a misery for her.

*Jiyoung's POV*

"Did everyone gets a piece of paper?" I said as I walked back to the front of the class.

"Yes!!" They answered back.

"Okay. On that piece of white paper, I want you to draw the most important people in you life.
And write why they're important to you. Got it?"

"Yes Miss Kang!"

"After you guys are finish, just bring it over to my desk, alright?" I said.

They all understood but then Chris raised his short hand.

"Yes Chris?"

He put his hand back down. "How about you Miss Kang? Who is the most important people in your life?" He asked.

His question actually surprised me. I haven't prepare myself to give him an answer, for I didn't inspected that a young child like Chris would ask me anything.

Everyone's attention were on me now and I'm trying to think of something to say.

"Well…" I hesitated. "Let's just say, they're all living very well."

I laughed for them to laughed along. And they did. I was relief that they change the subject to something else and not concentrating on me anymore. Questions like that one, are the question that I hate to answer the most.

The end-of-the-day bell rung and the kids gathered their stuffs to leave. I organized the drawing that the kids had bring over to me.

"Did everyone give their drawing to me?" I asked again.

"Yes!"

"Alright. Good job everyone. I'll see you kids tomorrow." I said.

The kids says their good bye and went out one by one. I was waving at the kids as Luhan walked up to me.

"Chris's mom is here to pick him up. I'm going to walked him out then come back." He said.

I gave him a quick nod and he turned back to Chris.

"Okay Chris, let's go to your mom." He said as he held Chris's hand and they went out as well.

I flipped through the drawing until one caught my attention. On the drawing, there were a boy in his suit, holding a yellow gift box in between both his hands. And he was standing under a yellow and red leaves tree.

The drawing is very simple but why does I feel like this drawing have a lot of meaning toward it. There's also some writing at the corner of the paper. It read:

Even though time has pass, these feeling will never change.

I turned the paper around and there's some more drawing on the back of it. But now it's a girl instead. She was also standing under the same tree as the boy, but her eyes were closed and both her hands were interlocking with each other like she was making a wish. And at the corner there's also some writing. It read:

You are still a very important person to me.

I was actually touch by those writing. It's like the feeling is just right there that I could felt it deep inside of me too.

The more I stared at the drawing, the more the drawing becomes familiar. I started to get curious of who the drawing belongs to. I check the drawing thoroughly from front to back, but there's no name written anywhere on it.

"Who draw this?" My curiosity is rising more and more. I'm trying to take some guesses of who the drawing might belong to, but none of my kids appeared in my head.

Then suddenly a thought of the little boy in my childhood memories rushed through my brain.
That little boy was very precious to me even though I can't remember his face clearly.
I shut my eyes, hoping that the little boy's face will becomes clearer if I do that. Now is the time that I just wants my memories to appears right in front of me like those in movies.

"Who are you thinking deeply about?"

I opened my eyes in surprise and turned my face to look. The question came from Luhan. He was standing at the end of my desk. I was too into my thoughts that I didn't even notice him coming in.

"Sorry to interrupt your thoughts." He apologized quickly.

Maybe because he's afraid that I might be angry since he disturb my thinking.

I made a small sighed and said, "No one." I put the drawing in the back of the other drawing and place them in a folder.

"How's the drawing?" He asked.

"Not bad. I haven't look at them thoroughly yet." I lied and stood up from my seat.

And then out of the blue something struck through my head and I turned my focus back to
Luhan. He quickly notice my action and make a what-did-I-do-now expression.

I took steps toward him and suddenly grabbed his chin. He was surprised and takes couple of steps back but I followed him, still holding onto his chin.

"Hmmhh…" I study his face.

I shifted his face side to side to see every angle. And then I let go of his chin and lifted his hair bang up with my hand, so that I could see his whole face better.
After a moment of my investigation, I lower back down my hand from his hair and his bang falls back into place.

I shook my head continually. "Maybe not… not at all." I mumbled to myself, looking away from him.

"Not at all what?" He asked.

I glared back at him. "Is your life always full of question?" I was quite annoyed, for he always asked me questions that I can’t answer back.

"Of course." He said without hesitation. "Because life is a mystery. You'll never know what's going to happen next. So it's best to ask and know everything than being sorry and be regretted at the end."

I bit onto my bottom lips furiously. Because he always could answered every questions that I asked him perfectly and always end up making me looking so dumb. If I had a needle and thread right now, then I'll sew that mouth of his for good.

He glanced up at the clock. "I have been standing here for the pass 15 minutes already. Are you going to give me any penalty or not?" He said.

I leaned forward. "I am. And you'll love it! Come here." I waved my hand, telling him to follow me.
I lead him over to a cabinet at the corner of the classroom and opened it. The cabinet is full of cleaning equipments inside.

I crossed my arms, "Your penalty is to move all these desks to one side. Then you'll have to sweep, and mop, and dry this side. After that, you'll move all those desks to this side and do the same thing to that side. Very simple, eh?"

I could tell directly from his facial expression that he's in a mental breakdown mode, but he still smiled at me and gave me a nod.

"Yes… it's very simple and I love it too." He said, using sarcasm.

I grinned. "Then it's all yours." I flipped my hair at him and walked back to my desk.

Notes

Here's another update!!! Tell me how you guys think of it, okay? Thanks everyone so muchos for the comments and subcribers and the vote!! hehe!