Butterfly Wings - Sungmin X Reader (Contest Entry)

It had been many, many years. You had grown, becoming a beautiful woman in the prime of her life, working in your dream job. You had an apartment downtown, near your office, and was living comfortably. You were single, and even if you could see you close friends getting married, and had been to a wedding as a maid of honor for one of them, you didn't mind it. You did date a few times, but it hadn't been that successful.

Walking into your apartment, you smiled when you saw the few pictures hanging near the front door. One was of you and your family, another was of you with your close friends, taking at that wedding, one was of a pet you had before moving in your home. The last picture was by far your favorite. It was one of you and your childhood friend Sungmin. You hadn't seen him in years, which saddened you. He had been such a wonderful person to you. You still that crush for him, even now while looking at that old picture. It had just been too scary to confess to him before you parted away for your respective school.

He had kind of saved your life years ago. You wouldn't be who you are today if he hadn't been with you. He had done so much for you, you felt like you owe him everything. Yet, he never asked for anything.

It was when you were around twelve. You weren't that beautiful lady you became. You were that nerdy looking little girl with a metallic smile. You were called pizza face because of your pimples, and your hair was being too stubborn for you to do anything about it. You were 'ugly', and since you were feeling so low and unworthy, you were also eating your feelings. Not the brightest moment of your life, so to say. You had a few friends, if you could call them that. It was more them being your masters and telling you all the time what to do, calling you names and treating you like a piece of shit. You were staying with them because you had no one else. You'd rather live through their harsh word than being alone in a corner crying about your sad life. Your parents knew nothing about it because, in your head, you had failed them.

Your parents being healthy and at the peek of their careers, how not to feel like it.

Then Sungmin appeared in your life.

It was a typical day, you following behind your 'friends' with all their books in your arms. They had told you it would help you lose weight. You handed it back once they were sitting at their desk. They were talking and laughing together while you sat at your place, looking outside the window. A caterpillar was lazily making its way on the side of the window, outside. You were looking at it now, thinking it was kind of cute, though you wouldn't like it crawling on your skin.

-It's cute, isn't it?

You look up. It was him, Sungmin, a classmate of yours. You knew he was sitting in front of you, and you had seen him from afar a lot of times, but you never had talked to him. Neither did he before that day. You nodded.

-It is, you answered.
-No matter what happens to it, it will survive and become a beautiful butterfly, he said. I think they are wonderful.

You didn't really know what to say. It was kind of weird. He was cute, incredibly cute. He had the looks for himself, though he wasn't one of the most popular. He looked at you with that adorable smile, which made you blush a little. The teacher soon after walked in and got the attention of the class, making this gentle person turn back to the front. Once the class ended, you sighed and were ready to be boss around again, but when one of your 'friends' walked up to you to 'ask' you your notes again since she had decided she didn't need to pay attention, Sungmin grabbed your things and smiled to you.

-We have next class together, right? Do you want to go together?
-Ye...yeah...

You though for a little while that Sungmin would be like the others. That he would be nice at first, then would use you, but it never happened. He ended up being your first real friend ever since you got into this school. The more you were hanging out with him, the closer the two of you became. You ended up having a crush on him, as cliché as it sounds, but never had the nerves to tell him. You went to prom together, as friends, and since you two graduated, you never had seen each other face to face again.

Going to university, your pimple face became less and less worse until it disappeared, leaving behind some scars that were easy to hide. You had lost weight by working out with colleagues of a part-time job you got, becoming thinner, yes, but more importantly, healthy. You gained confidence by being called by your newly made friends 'great' and 'genius'. The few guys you dated were actually sweet, but it was just not working out. It seemed like all your horrible experiences almost made you an extraordinary friend, listening to them when they needed you and giving them advise when they would ask you to. Almost all your friends were consulting you to know your opinion because they valued it greatly.

It made you happy and proud.

You had kind of lost track of what your childhood friend had become, with all the good things that happened to you. You kind of regretted it too. It was only because you were hoping to see him again that you hadn't thrown away the letter sent to you for this school reunion.

You decided to wear your favorite dress and clip a butterfly brooch to your handbag for this meeting. It was given to you by your childhood friend at the prom. You kept it since, even if you didn't expect him to remember about it. You put on some makeup, made sure your hair is perfect before heading outside to wait after the taxi you had called.

Walking up to the main entrance of that hell place was both scary and incredible. Memories were coming back to you, happy things that happened when you were spending your time with Sungmin. The teachers never had been that horrible, it was really the atmosphere. It was all behind now, and by the looks you got from guys of your year, you knew they thought you were beautiful. They probably had forgotten about you, so the surprise would make you proud of how much you gained control over your life.

You had to wear a name tag on your dress, so people could know who you were. Remembering you of course included them insulting the past you. It would be a lie to say it didn't bother you. You may be more 'beautiful' now, but you were the same person still. It seemed like the you from the past couldn't be forgotten and it just made you regret going to that stupid reunion. Nobody cared about you, talking to you with such a fake interest it was insulting. You still didn't fit, even if your life turned out to be far better than most of the worst people you had met in your life. There was no satisfaction, you never thought you were better than others.

You walked out, thinking that maybe, if you took some air, you will feel less frustrated. You sat on the stairs, sigh and wished that Sungmin would show up.

A butterfly landed beside you, it's wings flapping slowly, like if it was showing you how beautiful it had become too. You smiled. It was pretty similar to the brooch you had. You carefully placed your hand next to it, then tried to make it go on your finger. You succeeded, making you smile a bit more.

-You are quite pretty, mister Butterfly. Do you mind spending some time with me?
-I would love to.

You jumped out of surprise, turning your head towards the voice. You started to blush, and you hope it wouldn't show that much because of the faint lighting.

-How are you, asked you Sungmin. It's been so long since I last saw you!

He sat next to you, smiling widely. He hadn't changed much, only became a bit more manlier and a lot taller. You still could recognize him. He still had his cute face, his sparkling eyes and his sweet smile. He was wearing fancy clothes, showing you he had a great life. You wanted to hear him talk about what happened to him just like you wanted to tell him how grateful you were of his kindness. It didn't happen, though. You were both silent, enjoying being next to another. The butterfly was still on your finger, flapping its wings slowly.

-How things have been, you ended up asking.
-Very well! I have a great job, I live comfortable and have lots of friends. Things are going well for you too, I hope.
-Yes. Though, to be honest...I kind of missed you.

He smiled a bit more, and if it wasn't of the faint light, you probably would have said something about his blushing cheeks.

-I did too.

He looked at you quickly, up and down, then concentrated his attention on your eyes.

-You look beautiful.

You smiled, shyly. He learned toward you, his finger going next to yours, trying to get the butterfly to walk to him. It did, kind of forced to. He looked cute like this, the butterfly only a few inches from his face. He then looked at you, a sweet smile on his face, then pointed the brooch that you had almost forgotten about.

-You still have it, he said.
-Well...I like it...And you gave it to me...
-I never thought you would keep it, not that I thought you wouldn't like but...I mean...It's just...

He stopped, stammering too much. There was a short silence before you took your brooch in your hands, smiling.

-It's my favorite, actually. I took good care of it.

He smiled, crossing his arms around his knees, letting the butterfly walk on his pants. It was so adorable, seeing him looking at you with such a beautiful smile. You felt like taking a picture, but you couldn't look away. He was really something, and even if your feelings had been buried for a long time, they came back, flooding your veins and your heart, making you feel heat on your cheeks. The butterfly flew off when he suddenly moved, taking off his jacket to put it on your shoulders.

-Are you cold, he asked you softly.
-I'm...I'm fine, but thank you.

He stood up, walking around you to be in front of you. He handed you his hand.

-Mind walking a little with me?

You smiled and grabbed his hand, letting him pull you on your feet. He made you grab his arm and started to walk, slowly, guiding you around your old school. Memories were coming back to you about all the good times you had with your dear friend, and the more you two were walking, the more you were laughing and smiling. Your brooch was back on your purse. Music started to come from the school, indicating that the party had started, but neither of you wanted to go back. It was too wonderful to be sharing back those memories with the one you loved.

Because you were in love with him when you were at school, and though he had changed, he only became better, even more wonderful. He was the perfect man while you were still the shy little girl you were before inside.

After a while, Sungmin stopped, holding your hand in his, his fingers keeping you a little warmer.

-I never told you why exactly I gave you that butterfly, he said softly, blushing lightly.
-No...

You never stopped wondering the reason behind, you were, at that time, so grateful for this little gift that it easily became your favorite one.

-Well...Remember the first time we talked?
-About the caterpillar? Yes, I remember.
-I...I said they would become beautiful.
-Yes...What are you trying to say, Minnie?
-I...

He smiled, like a little kid that would give a drawing to his teacher and would wait to be told he did good. You looked at him, your heart thumping against your chest, resonating in your ears. You were curious and scared of what he would say. Thousands of scenarios went through your head, one more ridiculous and horrible than the other. The few seconds it took for him to finally talk again were the longest of your life, worse than anything that happened to you. You had learned not to care about those who were hurting you, but you would always care about him. What he thought of you was incredibly important to you, more than anything.

-The night of the prom, I gave you this because I thought you had become like a butterfly, that you had gone over your fear and became someone proud. I...I was proud...and...You were so pretty...and...I wanted you to remember me.

He hold on more tightly to your hand, taking a deep breath.

-I've never forgotten you, Sungmin. I owe you so much...
-You don't owe me a thing. If you are this confident and wonderful woman today, it's because you decided you would become like this. I...

He lowered his eyes.

-I've always loved you. Even before I even talked to you for the first time. It...It had made me sad that you were so sad...So I wanted you to be happy...

He pulled you gently toward him, you being too surprised by his confession to say anything. You both looked at each other and both said the same words at the same time. The same three little words that had lived in your heart for years.

Your lips touched his, softly.

Like butterfly wings.