Rissa POV

 

I was still sitting in the student lounge two hours later. I just finished reading and annotating the 14-page-academic article for my class tomorrow.

 

I was so tired that all I think about was home and bed. I packed my stuff into my bag and also turned off my laptop. Suddenly I remembered why I was actually here: to distract myself from the feel that the time is running so slowly. I am not the type who read article at the campus or spending time in the student lounge like this, unless I had something to wait. In this case, I'm waiting Jhope to wake up.

 

Usually I went home with Lauren, at least we would leave the campus at the same time, and left to our own houses, which are at different directions. But today, after the grammar class, I could only think about my phone and my new chat friend who is at the same time, my idol. He was so friendly to me. He felt so ..... approachable. 

 

I opened my phone and text him immediately. It was not exactly two hours afer he said he would sleep, but I just couldn't wait. Besides, didn't he tell me that two hours would be the maximum duration of his sleep?

 

RI: "Hey Hobi. Are you up?"

 

No replies for about 10 minutes, and then I was not that patience anymore. I packed my laptop into my bag and left the student lounge. I slowly walked towards the exit of the lounge, straight to the exit of the building.

 

 

It was 4.30 in the afternoon and the campus was rather quiet as the 4-6 class just began 30 minutes ago. I took a seat on the bench in front of the building and started to charge my phone in the nearby power socket. I was going to go home but half of myself just wanted to be here for a moment. Maybe for another 30 minutes, because the weather was just too good to be spent at home. 

 

So there I was, sitting and reading Lauren's newest chapter on fanfiction site. 10 minutes later I finished already and began to think about Jhope again. Where is he? Is he still sleeping? I really wanted to continue our conversation, that's all. 

 

Even if it only a short text, I expect him to show up this afternoon. It's okay if he was busy, I'm not going to bother him. I just need to see what would we talk about if we have time to text again. 

 

5 more minutes. If he doesn't reply in 5 minutes, I would take my leave and go home. 

 

1 minute after deciding so, I furiously pressed 'Call' and found myself listening to the Line connecting-call-sounds. I waited for 1 minute and 42 seconds. A second later, I could hear a voice. A familiar, husky voice talking from a far away country.

 

JH: "Yeoboseyo?"

 

His voice is literally a just-wake-up voice, and he sounds y as . 

I stuttered for a while and then answered,  "Ne yeoboseyo.. "

 

JH: "Yeoboseyo? Noona? Eomma? Jiminnie?"

 

And I heard a voice slightly just beside the speaker "Hyung? Nan yeogi-seo. Igeo nuguseyo?"

(Hyung? I'm here. Who is that?)

 

I understand what they are talking about but I could hardly reply back and I was almost screaming to hear Jimin's voice. Park Jimin, right? Wooow he sounds so near! 

 

I ignored Jhope's several 'yeoboseyo' until I finally found my voice back and answered "Hi Hobi. It's me. Are you up?"

 

There were loud noises of Jimin asking in curiosity about who's on the line and also noises which make me feel like they are fighting over the phone. There was a sound of Jimin yelling and calling the other members and also the sound of heavy footsteps. The noises faded and slightly then I heard Jhope pantings towards the phone mic. 

 

"Jhope, I'm so sorry. I wake you up, didn't I? I should not have called."

 

"Emmh... Oh...... Emmmm. Hi. Annyeong! Aaaah, eoteokke barejwo? (How do I say it?) Mmmm it's okay it's okay, it's okay, Rissa. Rissa, geureujwo (right)?"

 

"Yes it's me Rissa. Sorry I wake you up. I'll go and let you...."

 

"No no no no. Emmm. Stay, okay? Geunyang,  yeong-eo motaeseo. (It's just, I can't do English)."

 

"No! You are now talking in English. Don't worry,  I can understand you."

 

"You can understand me?" He replied, with funny Korean accent which made me burst into laughters. 

 

"You can speak in Korean if you want. But I will answer in English." I finally said. 

 

He chuckled and I also laughed, and we ended it awkwardly. 

 

"So at least I woke you up on time?" I . 

 

"Oh (Yes, informally). Thank you." He replied, but then he said nothing more. 

 

"Emmmm, was it Jimin?"

 

"Igeo.... Em, yes yes Jiminnie.. Emmm... "

 

And then he started to said some long sentences in Korean, long and fast, that I couldn't understand or hear what he meant.

 

"Hobi? Don't speak too fast, I don't understand."

 

"Eeeh? Oh mianhae. Sorry sorry." He said his cute English again. 

 

"What time is it there?" I asked. 

 

"Seven o'clock." This time he used English. 

 

"I guess it's dinner time then?" I asked desperately, didn't know what to say anymore. 

 

"Ajik. (not yet)."

 

"Ah, not yet?" I tried to translate. 

 

"Ah yes, not yet dinner time." He replied, sounded more flustered than I am. Then he chuckled again. 

I didn't know why but talking to him via phone call was a lot better than texting with him like last night. He was making me nervous as hell. But now I feel much more comfortable talking to him. 

 

"Are you hiding from everyone else?"

 

"Yes, they will ask me who are you." He tried using English again. 

 

"And?" I kept asking him, and I cursed myself in my mind, why do I keep asking him things and make him anxious of his English?

 

He stuttered and replied. "Chingudeul.  (A friend)."

 

"You will say I'm a friend of yours?"

 

"Geurae.. (yeah..)" And then he said some things like cursing his self, embarrassed of being unable to talk fluently in English. He ended it with a chuckle. 

 

I felt the sweat on my palm and decided to end the conversation there. 

 

"Well, I think I'll hang up. Again, sorry to disturb your sleep." I chuckled awkwardly. 

 

"No no no it's okay Rissa. Thank you?!"

 

"Ne. Geureom, jigeumi kkeunhaseo? (Okay, then I'll hang up?"

 

"Oh. Bye" he said. 

 

"Bye!"

 

"Rissa!!!" I heard him calling me before I ended the call. 

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