Jo Bora, a 20-year-old girl with a height of 5’9 ft. Other women would be stares at her in jealousy over her extremely tall figure, but it was a frustrating thing for her. First, she couldn’t wear high heels. Second, she’s tired of people asking her whether she plays basketball or not. Third, it was pain in the neck for her to go shopping; the clothes were either too big or too short. Fourth, she couldn’t find men that match her height or should she say… no man likes tall girl. And the list goes on.

But that was until she met Junhoe.

Koo Junhoe lives across the street of Bora’s house. Bora first notice him about a week ago, he was scowling at his mother for asking him to buy some groceries. He eventually went out of the house after slamming the front door.

“What?!” He glared at Bora, scoffing then left her with confusion.

“What was that?” Bora asked to herself.

Koo Junhoe was tall, taller then Bora. That was what she noticed first about him. She likes tall guy, and surprisingly she likes arrogant guy. But she doesn’t like him; yet, she just found he’s interesting to watch. Then without her realizing, she found herself staring at Junhoe’s house during the rest of her week. 

“You’re starring at me quite often.” Junhoe said one day when she’s out to feed Bong, her dog.

“Excuse me?” she asked with furrowed eyebrows.

“I know I look good, but you need to control your drool.” He said.

“Excuse me?!” she repeated her question.

Junhoe rolled his eyes.

She stomped towards him, but taken aback when she realized how tall he is. That was a rare thing for her, she usually the one who’s towering over the other.

“Wow… you’re tall.” The words accidentally slipped from her lips.

Junhoe smirked, “Wow… you’re short.” He replied.

Bora’s gasped.

“I am five nine, you bastard!” she exploded.

“Well, you’re short to me.” He said before left her, entering his house.

Something felt weird inside her, something like… Happiness?

Bora burst out laughing when she saw Junhoe’s coming home with blonde hair. Why blonde? Did he want to look like an idol? Geez…

Junhoe spun around to face her, “What?” he asked with his usual scary expression.

Bora shook her head, still laughing.

Junhoe rolled his eyes while walking closer to her house.

“You’re annoying.” He said suddenly, making Bora’s laughing stop.

“Uh? I’m just laughing. You’re weird.” She shrugged.

“You’re laughing at me, aren’t you?” he pointed out.

Bora greened, nodding her head.

Junhoe scoffed, “Such an annoying short human.”

“I told you, I’m five nine!” Bora gritted teeth.

“I told you, you’re short to me.” He said.

She liked it. She likes it when people called her short. More specifically, she likes it when Junhoe called her short.

But the fun was over. It was her last week at the house before going back to the dorm. She was having a conversation with Minah on the phone when she saw Junhoe’s coming out from his house in… school uniform? WHAT?!

“Oh my Lord!” she gasped.

“What? What happen?” Minah asked on the phone.

“Oh my Lord! I feel disgusted on my self. Oh My Lord!” she said again.

“Yah, Jo Bora!” Minah shouted.

“Minah, do you remember when I told you about the guy who live across the street?” she asked her friend.

“Yup. That handsome neighbor of yours who called you short, right? What? What happen to him?” Minah asked, excitedly.

“He is a… a high school student!” Bora pretended to sob.

Bora could hear Minah's laughter.

“Oh, I shold tell Jinhwan about this.” Minah said.

“Don’t you dare! He’ll mock the crap out of me!” Bora kicked the air.

“Of course he will. You rejected him heartlessly.” Minah said.

Bora sighed, “Yah Lee Minah, he’s half of my height! I can’t accept him even if I want to.”

“And that handsome neighbor of yours is half of your age.” Minah said, laughing.

“You’re too much! I’m not that old, and he’s not that young.” Bora pouted.

“So?” Minah asked her.

“But he’s still wearing a uniform. Oh Lord… this is so wrong.” Bora sighed.

Minah laughed again, “Okay, listen to me. I’m not gonna lecture you about life, but it is not a big deal. Look at Baekhyun and Taeyeon, the girl is way older than the boy. No big deal, Bora. No big deal.”

“But they’re idols. And didn’t you read the news, they  broke up.” Bora rolled her eyes.

“Did they? Aaaww… such bum- Ne, Ommaaa~! Dude, I need to go. See you in a week. Love love.”

“Yup, bye!”

As usual, talking to Minah didn’t help anything. But at least, she’s a good listener.

Bora was doing her mother's order to buy some groceries that afternoon. Her mother sure did make the best of her before she left for semester. She sighed loudly when she saw Junhoe walking towards her.

“I didn’t see you at school today.” He said.

She confusedly stared at him.

“You don’t go to school in this neighborhood?” He asked.

Bora sighed, “Of course I don’t, I’m a 20-year-old girl. Why would I go to school?”

“WHAT?! Twenty? You’re old” he said, chuckling.

Bora slapped Junhoes arm, “I’m not old, you little bastard!”

“You are such a bummer. I told my friends about you the entire summer, they thought they’ll see you at school and they went a little excited, but- well, such a bummer.” He shrugged.

“You told your friends about me?” Bora asked.

Junhoes face suddenly turned bright red, “Um… ye yeah! I told them about… the short human who live across the street.” He stuttered.

“Short human? I can’t believe you! I told you, I am five nine!” Bora pouted.

“And I told you, you are short to me!” Junhoe said.

“I am not! I-am-not!” Bora said while jumping up and down trying to be taller than Junhoe.

Junhoe laughed, patting Bora’s head, “You are, Noona.”

Bora could feel chill down her spine, then suddenly uninvited butterflies decided to play inside her stomach. Uughh… she didn’t like the feeling.

“H-how old are you?” she asked when they arrived in front of the house.

He stopped, staring at her for a second before showing her his huge smile, “Two. Two years younger.”

“You look pretty old for your age.” She said.

“Well… I get that a lot.” He said.

Bora nodded her head. She still lost inside her own mind; feeling disgusted on her self when suddenly Junhoe patted her head again.

“Bye, Noona.” He said, spinning around to go inside his house.

Bora growled, “God… This is so wrong! Rrrghh… I don’t know what to do!” she stomped her way to her house.

“Yah Jo Bora! Are you seriously going to spend your last three days of your holiday inside the house?” her mother shouted from downstairs.

No answer.

“Jo Bora! Come help me downstairs. What the hell are you doing inside your room?” she shouted again.

No answer.

“Yah! Jo Bora!” Bora’s door suddenly flung open.

“Ommaaa~” Bora was lying upside down with her feet on her bed and her head on the floor.

Her mother shocked when she saw her daughter.

“What is this?” she looked around to find how messy the room was.

Her daughter sighed.

“Omma, what do you think about in a relationship?” she asked still on her weird position.

Her mother looked confuse, “Pull your self up first, it’s hard to talk to you in that position.” She said.

Bora sighed before pulling herself up.

“Well, sometimes age is important. But as long as the couple loves each other they’ll find a way to work it out. Do you like that Junhoe guy, don’t you?” she daughter.

Bora gasped, “How do you know?”

“You’ve been feeding Bong frequently, we all know how much you hate that dog. You suddenly love taking out the garbage. You’ve been watering the plant in the front yard, well… let’s be honest we don’t have that much of plants to be watered. You always make a reason to go outside just to look at him. Am I right?” she asked.

Bora nodded, pouting.

“So I guess, you’ve found out that he’s a high school student?” she asked again.

Bora nodded again.

“And now you’re feeling so wrong to like him?” her mother smiled.

“Oh my God, Mom! You need to get out from my brain! You’re scaring me.” She shivered.

Her mom laughed, “It is not a big deal, okay? He’s like what… one or two years younger? It’s okay.”

Bora sighed, “I don’t know, mom.”

“Come on. You need to pack.” She said, rising from her seat.

“So that is why I never saw you before.” Junhoe said to Bora.

They were sitting on crossroad in front of Bora’s house. Junhoe’s been asking about her life.

“So you only come home for summer holiday?” he asked.

She shook her head, “Not really, I actually can come home every weekend. I just don’t want to.” She answered.

“And you’re leaving tomorrow?” he asked.

Bora nodded.

“I like you.” He said suddenly.

She turned to look at him.

“I know you’re tall, taller then any women I’ve ever met. But I like teasing you about being shorter than me. And how you replied by being mad and saying how tall you are makes me like you even more. You know, other girl would just shrug it off when I told them how short they are. Well that was because they are literally short.” He let out a small laugh.

“Um… thank you?” it came out as a question.

“Ouch…” Junhoe pretended to feel hurt.

“No… no… that is not what I meant. I like you too, I do. But I’ve been thinking about the and I’ll be away for college. And I don’t know what to do with you. I don’t know if dating you will be a good idea.” She said in a light speed.

Junhoe laughed, “Who said anything about dating?”

Bora scowled, “You really are a pain in the *ss.” 

Junhoe put his arm around her shoulder, pulled her closer before giving her a peck on her cheek.

“I like being called short. No one ever called me that before.” She said, looking up at him.

“You’re a giant. Who would people call you short?” Junhoe said.

Bora slapped the back of his neck, “Yah! Koo Junhoe!”

A short story about The Sassy Junhoe

Hope  it's good enough for you to read

xoxo