...April 2009, spring had arrived.The sun was shining and flowers were blooming .Green spaces were bathed in delightful hues of pink cherry blossom. I was only 10 and was playing in the park with my childhood best friend Joe. Joe was the son of Seoul's richest architect. My father was a professor of literature at SEOUL'S NATIONAL UNIVERSITY. We were a happy family.My father knew Joe's father from childhood. They were childhood buddies. They studied at same school and graduated from the same college.My father had interest in literature and Joe's father had to take up the family business.He studied architecture. Our moms were best friends too....

Our fathers had liked them from long time .Their parents agreed and they got married. Now our mothers ran a nail art salon together. This way I got to know joe. Joe and I were born at the same time,same day and same year.We both enjoyed playing with my dolls.We were given nicknames by our parents,Joe was called JoJo and I was called lily (lia to lily). We were the best buddies. Everyone thought that when we will be old we would be a great match.But fate is something one doesn't know.Joe and his family moved China to expand their business.We went to say goodbye to them.Before leaving I gave joe a pendant where there was engraved Lily and Jojo and said"GOODBYE JOJO,LET'S MEET AGAIN". Jojo nodded and said 'yes,I will,I promise you.'

Years passed away, I was now 22 and still hadn't forgotten Jojo and his promise. All these years,on my birthday I always ordered two chocolate cakes, one for Jojo and one for me. My parents told me Jojo and his family are even more richer and famous now and I should forget about them.It seemed true but I felt Jojo might be busy or he might want to meet me but because of some reason he can't but it now seemed fake. We heard in the news that famous architect Kim Seok Min son Kim Joe is coming South korea next week and is getting engaged to the famous politician Boem seok daughter Ji-Ah end of this month,before they showed how Jojo looked after 12 years I ran switched off the T.V. My parents were right, he forgot me and the promise that he had given me. I tried to recover from this shock, I had to qualify the TEPS exam . I was majoring in English literature,TEPS was my goal. These years I made many friends but neither one was like Joe.

But I still had 2 best friend who knew about Jojo,Marie and Lisa. We met each other when we were in high school,Lisa is also majoring in english literature and Marie is majoring in Maths.

They helped me whenever I needed them. Once i suffered from pneumonia, was on a month's leave .Marie and Lisa came from school and taught me what they studied.This way i didn't missed any class.

.

Well, I had decided to move on now and thought that Jojo must have forgotten me since now he was richer than before and felt I don't fit in his league...

My family and friends told me that to forget Jojo I need to find someone else. I knew what they meant. They wanted me to get a boyfriend. I was so heartbroken at that time that I decided that I would get one. *I think l realise that I took this decision very fast.

I talked to Marie and Lisa about that and they told me that I had been so busy thinking about Jojo that I didn't realise that I was popular among boys in my major. Everyone including our Basket Ball team's captain was madly in love with me and wanted to go out on a date with me.

I asked them why they didn't tell me about that and they said that wasn't too obvious because every guy was flirting with me and they thought I knew it.

I also realised that I had missed many precious year's of my life and could have had fun during that time but instead all I knew was Jojo will come and I have to study to clear TEPS.

I told my besties that I want to set up a date with the basketball captain and they were ooooooooing like crazy...

They agreed and told me they will inform me after they will talk with Alec.

Shortly I got a call from Marie and she said that Alec was smiling like a fool when he knew you want to have a date with him. I chuckled and asked them when and where they had planned our date.

It turned out that Alec wanted to set up it in his way. Mary then said taunting me, "In his* ****Romantic**** *way".

I didn't realise but I turned into a tomato and was smiling like a fool.

She then continued and said today at 10 pm at the terrace of our college building...she then said he has prepared a dress for me and the dress will arrive shortly. He is such a cutie, I thought. I said that I had to leave cause I had to prepare myself for the date and ended up the call.

I rushed from my room to my parents and told them everything and they were very happy for me. They gave me their blessings and told me to go and hurry up. As I was about to go upstairs the doorbell ringed and I got a parcel. It was the dress that Alec had prepared for me and it was so beautiful. My mom said that my dad also pursued her in the same way and said Alec seemed to be a very sweet guy and she would like to meet him someday. The dress was expensive and I found a poem written on it*...

" ****I wish you'd know how close you are to my heart or how you and my thoughts never part. Or how you made me realize that love is one beautiful art. To explain this feeling, how do I even start****?"

I was feeling butterflies in my stomach and for some time I forgot about Jojo. Alec probably was the one I was looking for.

My mom noticed me smiling and said, "****Our daughter has grown up****. ****Soon she will leave us and go into someone else's care. it was a blessing for me to have such a daughter****." I told mom that I will not go anywhere and live with them. It was true they were my everything and I couldn't bear to leave them. We shared a warm hug and my mom hit me at the back and said don't make such a cutie wait go and hurry up.

I nodded and ran upstairs and after a while, I came all dressed up. I thought I will take my car and go to that place but Alec was in front of my house in his car waiting for me to come out. I went out and saw Alec wearing a black suit looking handsome yet cute. He saw me and I could see him blush. I hoped inside the car and the rest of the ride was silent but I could see him staring at me all the time. We reached the campus and the arrangements he had made were so amazing and the atmosphere was very romantic. We sat at the table and talked about our preferences. At first, it was quite awkward but soon we opened up and then the date turned out to be perfect. We decided to plan another one and he invited me to see his basketball match. I agreed and he dropped me at my house and we shared our numbers...Before leaving he asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes!

He chuckled and said goodbye and I thanked him for today.

Now I had a boyfriend I thought and went inside to find my parents sleeping peacefully. I changed my dress, removed makeup and drifted to sleep.