Study Group Was Fun!
[HIATUS] Little Colorful Butterfly
Hoya stealthily grabs the last slice of the cheese pizza and eats it before anyone could stop him.
“That’s a foul play. I thought we’ve agreed on playing rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to have the last pizza. You’re an embarrassment of our generation,” L. Joe adds with a wee bit of exaggeration.
“You’re a drama queen.” Hoya the cheesy strand around his finger. “I’ve always done this.”
“You pig,” L. Joe pouts his lips, looking at Hoya in disgust.
“Yah!” Jinyoung pats Hoya’s back slightly harder. “Just tell me, when the heck will you keep your words?”
“When I become the President of South Korea!” Hoya bursts out laughing like mad man. “Which is unlikely to happen in a million years, so you guys should understand, right?”
“You pig,” Jinyoung mumbles, clear enough for everyone to listen though.
“Okay~” Hoya then gets off the chair as he pushes the chair backward. “I need to get home. My goal is achieved. I’m full and happy. So, if you could excuse me,” Hoya stacks his note piles, the one that he writes on when they were having a discussion on pollination and just stashes them in his backpack.
“But you just got here,” L. Joe says pleadingly. “I could order some more pizza if you want to. C’mon, you can’t be sulking.” L. Joe is already pulling a Hoya’s arm.
Hoya looks at the pathetic look of L. Joe’s and lets out a heavy sigh. “Take it back.”
“Take what back?”
You called me pig. Take it back.”
“I take it back.” L. Joe pulls Hoya’s chair close to him again. He pats on the flat surface of the chair “Now sit~”
“No can do, honey.” Hoya caresses right cheek of L. Joe’s. “ It’s 5 minutes to eight and I have to get home or my mom will not lemme have dinner. And we’re having Italian tonight. I can’t possibly miss something like that.”
“But I took back calling you pig.” L. Joe feels betrayed.
“I know. And it was lovely, my dear.” Hoya pats L. Joe’s head and pushes the chair backward again. “Good day you wonderful people.”
Hoya then walks away from the study table, waving with a broad smile to L. Joe, Jinyoung and Jiyeon.
“Uh, and L. Joe, I think your dad is home.”
That is when Jiyeon and L. Joe’s eyes go wide. His dad might actually blow their cover and puts Jinyoung is an extremely confusing state. Oh God!
But before L. Joe gets to get his dad first, his dad was already talking to Hoya. Hoya then leaves the house and L. Joe sees his dad approaching their study table.
“Hello son. I didn’t know you had some sort of study group. You didn’t tell me. I could’ve brought you guys dinner or something.”
“Yeah. But it’s already wrapping up. My friends were about to leave when you got here.”
Jinyoung and Jiyeon are both standing up when L. Joe’s dad sees her.
“You must be Jinyoung,” He offers him a handshake and Jinyoung takes it gladly.
“Yes sir.”
“And you must be Jiyeon~” He sounds genuinely excited to have seen Jiyeon grows into such a beautiful lady. She would look perfect with L. Joe. That’s it! He now knows whom L. Joe should be married to. It’s Jiyeon. They have known each others since he could remember and it’s certainly not a tough idea to get along once they’re husband and wife. Ohohoho what a good day!
“I am.” Jiyeon’s thin lips curve into a forced smile. Her heart is about to burst.
“It’s been-”
“Look dad,” L. Joe interrupts as he clears his throat. “You must be tired after such a long day at the office. Why don’t you go upstairs first and take a hot shower? Then we’ll do some catching up.” L. Joe surreptitiously motions his eyes over to Jiyeon and she definitely gets the idea. She should go home as well.
“Okay.” L. Joe’s dad still couldn’t take his eyes off her. He has plans to tell his intention to Jiyeon’s parents soon enough before his condition worsens.
Once his dad mounts the stairs, Jiyeon suddenly begins to gather he books as well. “I have to get home. It’s getting late.”
“Yeah you should. It’s getting late.” L. Joe smiles awkwardly. “But you already know that.”
“Well can I at least send you home? It’s dangerous for you to walk home alone,” says Jinyoung, sounding concern.
“Yeah you do that” L. Joe says jeeringly.
Jiyeon is pleased at Jinyoung’s kind remark and she thanks him for that. As Jiyeon wears her backpack, she looks at L. Joe and she smiles at him as well.
“Goodbye,” she tells him as she walks past her.
“Goodbye.”
* * *
L. Joe lets a heavy sigh as he closes the door. He then notices his dad is coming downstairs.
"Hey, where's everybody? I was thinking to buy you guys dinner."
"They all have to get home by this time of the hour, dad."
"I see," his dad nods. "So how come only today I get to see Jiyeon. It's been awhile since I last saw her. She's grown into a fine young lady. Do you ever consider dating such a gorgeous and polite young lady like herself?"
He chuckles upon hearing his dad foolish idea. "Dad, if I were to date a girl like her, that's probably because she's the last girl standing on earth."
"Do you hate her?" His dad snaps and L. Joe turns to his dad.
"Dad, I don't hate her. She's my best friend and in my dictionary, best friend don't hook up. It's weird."
Maybe best friends don't hook up, but they get married. His dad slowly grins when he thinks about L. Joe marrying Jiyeon and that will happen alright.
* * *
Jinyoung and Jiyeon are walking together side by side to her house when Jinyoung notices her shivering from the cold night.
"Here, wear this. You should feel a lot warmer," Jinyoung says as he takes off his jacket and drapes it around her. He even rubs her arms before he pulls the jacket close to her body.
"Oh God." She feels bad. "No, don't. I'm fine, really." She takes off the jacket and gives it back to him. "You wear this. My house isn't that far."
"I insist." He drapes it around hers again.
"It's okay."
"Just wear it."
"But I'm fine." She gives it back the jacket to him. They both are looking at each other. Then they laugh.
"Will you let me be a gentleman?" He then drapes the jacket around her body for the forth time and smiles as she lets him do that. "See, how hard can it be?"
"You may catch a cold in return."
"You would catch one if I don't let you wear my jacket," he says.
She blushes as he says that. "Thanks."
"My pleasure." And they both reach at the front gate in no time.
"Do you wanna come in?" she asks as they both stop in front of the gate. Jinyoung shakes his head.
"I'll pass," he shrugs. "My mom is gonna fetch me at the end of this corner. I don't want to keep her waiting."
"Jinyoung, will you let me repay your kindness?" She uses the same tone as he did when he insisted to put the jacket on her.
"Look," Jinyoung says as he stares into her eyes deep. "I say I'll pass this chance for now. Next time you ask I won't even dare to think twice, okay?" He then pats her head like a little child. "Now get inside."
"Jinyoung, she calls for him and Jinyoung turns around.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks a lot for inviting me to the study group. It was fun."
"It's okay," he says. "We could really need a serious student. And a beautiful one that is."
She grins at the compliment. "Goodnight," she says, waving at Jinyoung.
"Goodnight."
Jiyeon gets inside and watches he leaves. Jiyeon only begins to realize that she still has his jacket on when Jinyoung is already vanishing into the dark streets. Oh man! She drags her feet inside, promises to herself that she will return the jacket first thing tomorrow. She wraps her fingers around the jacket sleeves and takes the sleeves up to her cold nose. It smells like Jinyoung and she couldn't stop herself from grinning.
Comments