It is a pleasant Saturday spring afternoon and many people in the country is enjoying the day but for a certain girl who is fuming all the way to her apartment.

After parking her car, she immediately barges in the building with brisk angry steps and rides on the elevator to her floor. Some of the people in the moving box, which are also tenants in the building, get quite scared on the pissed expression she wears on her pretty face that literally screams, “Talk to me and die”. She doesn’t give any sort of acknowledgement even though she knows some of them and the tenants are surprised because the girl is usually all smiles and rainbows even towards strangers. They safely assume that something terrible must have happened for the girl to act the way she does.

Once she reaches her floor, she strides out without a word and makes a beeline for her door, shutting it with a loud thud.

“How dare he!” she huffs as she hastily removes her red coat and flings it to the couch. She paces towards her kitchen to grab herself a bottle of water and calm herself down.

Until now, Jiyoon can’t get over the fact that her own bestfriend, Jackson Wang, ditched her for another girl for no valid reason at all. Normally, she would be forgiving because she’s the kind of person who always takes things lightly. Issues like this wouldn’t usually matter for her and she wouldn’t make a big deal out of it but, but, he stood her up for three hours. Three freaking hours!

During those hours, Jiyoon tried calling him but the voice operator kept repeating the annoying phrase that says, “The person you are calling is cannot be reached or out of coverage area. Please try your call later”. But Jiyoon thought that maybe he’s just late or had an emergency or something that’s why she decided to wait for a while more until it turned into three hours. Heck, it could even be longer than that if it weren’t for the call she received from her classmate saying that she saw Jackson on their university with Sera, the girl who seemed to always treat Jiyoon as a competition or whatever. Her classmate called her right away because she knew of Jiyoon and Jackson’s plan for that Saturday afternoon and she was surprised to see the boy on the campus grounds together with another girl.

As soon as she ended the call, Jiyoon drove towards their university and found Jackson and Sera on the campus’ park. The latter was apparently tutoring the girl who kept on throwing him flirty looks and dreamy eyes.

Jiyoon felt her blood rush to her head until her ears and face are both red with anger. She didn’t know why but something about the whole situation pushed all her buttons and ticked her off in the worst way possible.

How dare he ditch her on a meet-up that he himself begged her for?

It was a miracle how she was still able to kept her cool when she approached the pair’s table. Shock was an understatement when Jackson saw Jiyoon’s blank face and hard gaze. He stared at her for a long moment like she was some kind of an apparition before he scrambled to his feet. But before he could even open his mouth to say something, Jiyoon her heels and walked out.

***

Sighing heavily, Jiyoon shakes her long jet-black hair out of the messy bun she made earlier. The dark locks is a stark contrast against her fair skin and white casual flowy dress that she decided to wear for their supposed-to-be afternoon hang-out. She drinks the remaining water out of her bottle before a series of loud bangs on her door resonates throughout her apartment.

“Jiyoon-ah! Open up, please!” Jackson calls from the other side of the door. “I’m so sorry, please, please, let me explain.”

“ off, Jackson!” she hollers hotly as she walks back into the living room. “I don’t want to see your face!”

There is silence from the other side and she assumes that he really went away. She scoffs and plops down the couch. He didn’t even bother trying to get her to forgive him.

“,” she murmurs irritably.

Suddenly, her door swings open and Jackson comes barging in her apartment after shutting the door behind him. “Let me explain, Jiyoon-ah,” he says in a pleading tone.

“What the hell?!” Jiyoon shoots up from her seat. She is sure that she locked the door. Does Jackson know how to pick-lock?

The blonde boy shows her a key which he quickly hides in his jeans pocket. “You have given me a spare just like how I give you mine, remember?”

Oh, yes, how could she forget? Now, she’s starting to regret that decision of hers.

She glares at him, her expression icy and fierce but to Jackson she looks like a cute kitten trying to look tough like a lion. Her doe-like eyes and petite frame always and always will make her look adorable in his eyes whatever her expression is.

Jackson is never scared of his bestfriend but he absolutely hates it when she’s mad at him. He hates fighting with her and avoids it at all cost but this one time, it seemed like he ed up royally because he had never seen her this mad at him.

“Look, Jiyoon-ah, I’m really sorry,” he says, his tone and face contrite as he cautiously tries to get close to her. “It just kind of slipped my mind because—,”

At the word “slipped” Jiyoon’s ears ring and her anger-meter spikes up higher. 

“It…slipped your mind?!” she spits dangerously, her voice rising at each word. Jiyoon couldn’t believe what she is hearing from Jackson. He is never irresponsible and remembers every single detail even the exact day of her next monthly period that she tends to forget (well, they’re close like that) and now he’s telling her that it slipped his mind? Sure, it had been five days since they last talked about hanging out on Saturday to unwind after the stressful exam week but it’s not a reason to forget about her, right? It’s not a damn reason to flirt with another girl instead.

“Because of what? Oh wait, let me rephrase that—because of who? That Sera? You’re too busy flirting with her that you made me wait for three ing hours?!” she rages, effectively stopping Jackson from reaching her. She even whips both of her slippers at him. “I even tried calling you but your darn phone is—I don’t know, did you turn it off so that I can’t contact you or she made you turn it off so that there’ll be no disturbance to your date? Huh, Jackson Wang?!” with that, she throws her phone across the room and towards him. Thankfully, Jackson has fast reflexes and he manages to catch it with his hands.

“You’re not supposed to catch it, jerk! I was aiming for you ugly face!” she shrieks at him, stomping her feet on the carpeted floor.

“Jiyoon-ah, could you calm down and listen to me?” Jackson sighs, sliding her phone into his jeans pocket for safe-keeping.

“ you, Jackson; you don’t have the right to tell me what to do!” Jiyoon snaps at him. “Why don’t you just go back to that girl and flirt all you want with her!”

“Oh my stress!” Jackson drags his hands down his face. “I’m not flirting with her and we’re not on a freaking date!” he wants to rip his hair out because of her nonsense accusations. “My battery died and I’ve been so absorbed by—,”

Jiyoon cut him off again as she manages to calm herself a bit. “You know what, save it,” she grits in a more even tone. “I don’t want to hear any of your excuses. I can’t deal with you right now because all I want to do it to kill you.” She swallows the lump forming in and she can feel warm tears pricking the back of her eyes.

Her threats are empty to Jackson but seeing her large eyes turn glassy has a huge impact on him. This is the main reason why he doesn’t want to get into a fight with her. Since their high school days, whenever they would fight, she would always end up crying and everytime, Jackson would want to strangle himself for bringing tears to her eyes. Jiyoon barely cries over something because she always tells him that it would make her look weak but no matter how much she tries to hide it, she would always cry whenever she had a fight with him. And to Jackson, seeing her in such state is harder that having a sprained ankle.

“Jiyoon-ah,” Jackson says softly and he almost gets down on his knees when he hears her sniffle. “I’m really sorry, please, hear me out,” he takes one small step towards her. “Please, don’t cry.”

“I hate you, Jackson. Go away,” she utters in a broken voice before disappearing behind her bedroom door.

“!” Jackson groans in frustration. He rakes a hand through his hair before dropping on the couch. “You screwed up big time.”

To think that she even wore a really pretty dress that she won’t normally wear; she must have looked forward to that hang-out he so ed up.

***

After lying on her bed and simply staring at the ceiling for a while, Jiyoon has finally calmed down. Honestly, she doesn’t know where her sudden fit of anger exactly came from. She doesn’t know why she is so mad at Jackson for ditching her because of some other girl. She doesn’t know why she is blowing this whole thing out of proportion. If she will think about it carefully, she’s a bit overreacting there. She didn’t even give Jackson a chance to explain properly. Sure, he ditched her but he came apologizing right? And it’s not like he did it on purpose, or did he? So, what’s exactly her problem?

Really, why is she so furious? Especially when she saw him together with Sera instead of—whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up! Is she actually…dare she say it…jealous?!

Jiyoon sits up her bed abruptly at the sudden realization. “Am I freaking jealous?!” she asks herself incredulously. She is silent for a moment before she burst out laughing like a lunatic. “No ! Why would I be jealous?!”

Well, come to think of it, all of their past fights have one common root cause: another girl. Right, ridiculous. It’s is so absurd because Jiyoon knows that she shouldn’t be jealous because she doesn’t have the right to be. She’s just a best friend and Jackson could go out with any girl at any time of the day. She’s not his girlfriend and as she let that fact sink, her heart twists painfully and her tongue suddenly tastes bitter.

Her laughing spree comes to a full stop.

“Holy mother of cheesecake,” Jiyoon groans as she falls back on the soft mattress of her bed. “I am jealous. All this time. That’s why I’m throwing a ing tantrum whenever he’s putting another girl over me. I…” she gulps the lump in . “…I love my bestfriend,” she murmurs to herself in disbelief but now that she had admitted it to herself, it feels truer than the fact that the sky is blue.

“Oh me.”

* * *

The next morning, Jiyoon wakes up with a very hungry stomach. She remembers that she skipped dinner yesterday and curses herself for being reckless. Good thing it’s a Sunday and she doesn’t have to worry being late for class just because she need to fix herself breakfast.

She comes out of her room and the mouthwatering smell of pancake, bacon and coffee slaps her in the face. She is shocked to see her bestfriend with his y messy blonde bed hair standing in front of her stove with a pan in hand. His back is on her and she leans against the kitchen door frame to appreciate his gorgeous back profile. She never notices these things about him before but she figured that it came with her realization that she is, indeed, in love with her dorky bestfriend.

And, man, she doesn’t realize until now that she’s missing out so much. Now, she can relate to the other girls in her university that fangirls over Jackson.

Seeing the clothes he wore yesterday under her pink apron with white polka dots, there’s no doubt that he stayed the night in her apartment.

“I thought I told you to go home?” she doesn’t mean it but her question came out harsh.

Jackson jumps a bit at Jiyoon’s voice and he turns to her with an apologetic smile. “Well, I can’t bear to leave you knowing that you’re still angry with me,” he says in his deep, still-husky-from-sleep voice before turning back to the pan with bacon.

A minute of silence passes before Jackson turns the stove off and transfers the bacon to a plate on the table. He removes the apron and hangs it back on the hook before turning back at her again. “Breakfast?”

Jiyoon takes a deep breath and crumbles at Jackson’s hopeful look. “I think we should talk about it,” she says, “Whatever…this issue is.”

Jackson visibly brightens at that and he says, “Wait.” She could only blink as he dashes out of the kitchen. He comes back a minute after and Jiyoon’s jaw drops when she sees him. “Okay, let’s talk.”

“Why in the world are you wearing a football helmet?” she exclaims, flustered. Technically, it’s his football helmet that he gave her when his team won the championship during their third year in high school. He said that he’s giving her that to always remind her how awesome of a captain he is.

“Better safe than sorry,” he shrugs with a cheeky grin.

Jiyoon rolls her eyes and plops down the chair. “Don’t worry; I’m not in beast mode anymore. Just explain what you need to explain.”

The blonde male pulls a chair for himself and sits across her before he starts, “First of all, we’re not on a date. Sir Kang suddenly texted me yesterday morning and asked me to tutor a student. I have no idea that it would be Sera. I wasn’t able to decline because he says that it’ll benefit my credentials and I figured that it’s good since I’m running for honor,” he looks at her earnestly and she suddenly becomes hyperaware of how good-looking Jackson really is.

“Can you remove that helmet already?” she says as she scrunches up her nose. “It’s distracting.”

Jackson obeys and she becomes even more distracted of his disheveled hair that makes him look ier.

“I swear, Jiyoon-ah, cross my heart and hope to die that I never meant to make you wait,” he continues. “I never meant to ditch you. I just got so absorbed by the topic I’m teaching her that I lost track of time. It didn’t help that my phone died.” He clasps his hands together and tucks it under his chin. “Please, believe me when I say I’m not flirting with her because never in a hundred years will I flirt with her or another girl at that.”

Jiyoon’s brow rises at his last statement, “And that is because?”

Red splotches scatters over Jackson’s cheeks and he stutters, “J-just because.”

Jiyoon eyes him for a while before sighing. “I’m sorry, too,” she apologizes. “I’m sorry for lashing out like that at you without hearing you out. It’s just that…I got carried away and I’m so pissed and—just know that I’m sorry.”

“So were good?” Jackson asks with a hopeful smile.

A cute shy smile graces Jiyoon’s lips and Jackson’s heart stutters in his chest. The longer he spends time with Jiyoon as her bestfriend, the more his feelings for her grow. At this rate, he might just blurt out his feelings out of the blue and the result could only be pretty or totally ugly. And Jackson doesn’t want to risk it.

“Fine,” she covers her smile with a pout that Jackson wants to kiss so badly. “But know that it’s my stomach talking.”

Jackson chuckles at her cuteness and before he could catch his self, he’s already leaning across the table and planting a soft kiss on her forehead. “Thanks, Jiyoon-ah.”

The girl blinks in surprise as he sits back and starts placing food on her plate. Jackson’s skinship is nothing new to her but now that she’s aware of her own romantic feelings for the boy, it has a different impact on her and her heart.

Jackson catches her adorable surprised face and smiles to himself.

His bestfriend is so ing cute.

* * *

After everything is fixed between them, Jiyoon managed to convince Jackson to go home after their breakfast. She pretended to complain that he already stinks when in fact, he still smells as good as yesterday. That’s one of the things she loves about her bestfriend, he always smells good, twenty-four seven.

It is already three in the afternoon and Jiyoon goes for her scheduled weekly grocery shopping.

As she is halfway through her list, her phone rings.

It is Jackson.

“Hey,” she greets as she pushes her shopping cart with one hand.

“Hey,” Jackson greets back, his voice sounding deeper through the phone.

“Why’d you call?” she asks as she stops on the aisle of shampoos. She spots a new brand with a packaging that piqued her interest and she contemplates if she should get it or her usual brand. “Miss me already?”

Jackson’s husky chuckle sounds through her ear, sending good shivers down her spine. “Not really.”

“Oh sure, keep lying to yourself,” she teases. “But really, why’d you call? Do you need something?”

“What? Can’t I call my bestfriend just because I want to?” he says.

Her lips unconsciously form into a thinking pout as she decides between the two bottles of shampoo in her hand. “You’re crazy,” she says distractedly.

“I’ve been told,” he chuckles again. “Hey, don’t change your shampoo. I like the way it smells on your hair.”

Jiyoon’s eyes widen and she instinctively looks around her. “Where are you?”

Something soft and moist touches her cheek and she turns just in time to see Jackson pulling back with a cheeky smile.

“Hi,” he gives her a boyish grin, his phone still against his ear.

“You’re such a stalker,” she rolls her eyes at him before ending the call. She doesn’t bother asking how he found her because she knows that Jackson knows her schedule. He memorized it by heart.

“Then I’m such a hot stalker,” he wiggles his thick eyebrows playfully, “Your personal wild and y stalker. “ He snatches the bottle of her usual brand out of her hand before dumping it on the cart and pushing it forward. “So what’s next on your list?”

With a small shake of her head, she walks after him. “How long have you been following me?”

 “Since you got your second item and accidentally squeezed some toothpaste out of its tube and returned it on the rack, pretending that nothing happened,” he answers.

“Shut you trap,” she hisses at him while looking around. She playfully flicks at the brim of his black snapback that he wears backwards. “Someone might hear you.”

Jackson just laughs merrily.

* * *

Half an hour later, they were done shopping and Jackson carries her shopping bags.

“So where’s your car?” he asks as they stand in the middle of the parking lot.

“Actually, I’m hoping that you brought yours,” she says with a wide grin.

Jackson shoots her an incredulous look, “What? So if I didn’t come, you’re planning on taking the bus with all of these?” he half-raises his arms loaded with her grocery bags.

“Uhm, no,” she shakes her head and smiles sheepishly at him. “I’m actually planning on calling my wonderful bestfriend to give me a ride.”

Jackson scoffs, “From your stalker to being your driver. Wow, just, wow,” he says, feigning hurt but the glint of mischievousness is still there in his eyes. “Really, Jiyoon, what am I to you?”

“My super awesome bestfriend ever?” she says in a questioning tone.

Jackson rolls his eyes and starts walking towards his car. “Try again, Park Jiyoon.”

“Uh, my super awesome, wild and y bestfriend ever?” she says as she runs after him.

They reach his car and Jackson put the bags down to get his car keys. “Is that all am I to you? Try harder, babydoll.”

“Then how about this, my super awesome, wild and y future boyfriend?”

Jackson’s eyes widen, his hand on his jeans pocket, as he slowly turns to Jiyoon. “What? Can you say that again?”

“I know you heard it, dumb head,” Jiyoon says with a roll of her eyes but deep inside she wants to strangle herself for blurting something like that. Her heart starts picking up its pace as Jackson stares at her, dumbfounded.

Why did she have to say that? Is she crazy? Should she just play it off and say that it’s just a joke? But her confession is actually long overdue because she had been loving Jackson for quite some time now, she just not aware before.

Jiyoon her dry lips and decides that it’s now or never.

“What? You’ve got some violent reaction with the idea of being my boyfriend?” she raises an eyebrow at him and she wants to congratulate herself for being able to still act nonchalant despite her loudly drumming heart.

“From stalker, to driver, to being your boyfriend?” Jackson says in a calm voice, too calm in fact that it kind of scares Jiyoon that his next words would be of rejection. “That is some fast promotion but I like the idea of being your boyfriend.” Then an affectionate smile curves his lips as he walks towards her.

Relief washes over the girl, butterflies swarming her stomach. “Want to turn that idea into reality?” she asks softly with an endearing smile as she looks up at him through her thick eyelashes.

Jackson stops right in front of her and leans until their noses bumps into each other. He sighs quietly as he snakes his arms around her, pulling her flush to him, while her arms automatically encircle around his neck. He melts at the way her soft curves fit perfectly against his every muscle. He looks into her warm chocolate eyes, eyes that he knows so well, and he’s sure that he wants to spend his life with her.

“You have no idea how much I’ve waited for this to happen,” he says, his lips hovering on top of hers teasingly. “I’ve been loving you for a long time now.”

Jiyoon smiles a smile that rocked Jackson’s heart and says, “I really appreciate your heartfelt confession but can you shut up for now and just kiss me?”

Jackson chuckles softly against her tempting lips as he stares at her with half-lidded eyes. “I swear you’ll be the death of me.” And with that, he captures her lips in a searing kiss.

 

FIN.

---

 

Author’s Note:

Congratulations for reaching this part, dude. Thank you for taking your time reading this. ^.^