III

Ten's POV

After I let Jiyeon down, I felt like my arms were empty. I wanted to feel her warmth again. I attached my arm to her waist and held her close to me. We walked the rest of the journey to restaurant in silence. Millions of thoughts floated across my mind. I couldn't help but smile when I thought of how adorable Jiyeon was when she got jealous because of that one photo. I didn't think she'd be jealous, but turns out, I was wrong. It made me feel kinda happy to know that I had the ability to make her jealous. Well, I mean I like her so much, so much more than just a friend and knowing that I actually mean something to her comforts me a little. It made me feel that maybe, it's not just me that's secretly in love with her. She may be feeling the same way towards me too.

But nah. I can't get my hopes too high. I don't want to ever ruin this friendship we have. I don't mind just staying as best friends if I can still spend so much time with her and make her happy. 

"We're eating here." I pointed to the western restaurant after a short five minutes walk. 

"Looks good." She flipped through the menu and remarked.

"Of course, I picked this restaurant." Every time I made remarks like that, I would earn myself the chance to hear Jiyeon chuckle or watch her roll her eyes ever so beautifully. This time, she let out a soft chuckle. It sounded like music to my ears. I may sound like a creep, but I think it's just because I love her too much that everything she does makes me fall in love with her even more than I already have. The waiter brought us to a table for two and we ordered steak and drinks.

"We're a little busy right now. So, you have to wait a little for the steak. Is that alright?" The waiter spoke in English

"Yes, that's fine." I smiled and passed him the menus. The waiter filled our cups with the wine we ordered and left.

"What did he say?" Jiyeon couldn't understand English, so here in California, I was her personal translator. 

"The food'll take time to come." I smiled and sipped on the sweet wine.

"Oh." Jiyeon picked up her cup of wine and sipped on it too. 

"Yah, let's play a game of truth or dare till the food comes." I suggested.

"Hmm let's play truth or truth, there's no dares that we can do in a restaurant." 

"Okay." I picked up a pencil that was lying on another table and spun it. It pointed directly at Jiyeon. I smirked and asked her, "I've always been curious. You've got so many boys at school that confessed to you, why do you always reject them?"

"I didn't like any of them." I held back my relieved smile as Jiyeon made a disgusted look. 

"And why don't you like them?" I was extremely curious about the kind of men she liked and disliked.

"Ask me that the next round." Jiyeon scrunched her eyebrows up cutely as she reached out to spin the pencil. I pouted when she avoided my question. The pencil stopped spinning and this time, the head of the pencil pointed at me. 

"Why did you reject all those girls who confessed to you?" Jiyeon's question caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting a question like that.

"Why'd you ask?" I let the question slip out of my mouth.

"Just answer it already." Jiyeon propped her chin up with her hand.

"There's someone I like already." I gave her a straightforward answer. I hoped she would have gotten a hint, but she seemed oblivious to everything I've done. She merely just raised her eyebrows and nodded her head. Wasn't it obvious enough that the particular person I'm referring to was her? She was the only female I ever ate a meal with alone. She was the only female who could make me laugh heartily. She was the only female I ever spent so much time with. She was the only female I ever cared so much about. She was the only female I initiated skin-ship with. She was the only female I ever wanted to hold dearly in my arms and never let go. I sighed inwardly to myself. It seemed like she would never realise my feelings for her.

I reached for the pencil and spun it. It pointed at Jiyeon. "Why did you ask me that question just now?"

"I was curious because you asked me the same question before that." I nodded as Jiyeon reached to spin the pencil again. I was hoping that maybe, it was because Jiyeon wanted to know more about who I had interest in... Had my hopes too high up once again. I held back sigh and watched as the pencil slowed to a stop in my direction.

"Then why did you ask me about why I didn't go out with those boys who asked me out?" Jiyeon took another sip of her wine.

"Because I wanted to know what you liked or disliked about a man." I would never lie to her. If she wanted to know something, I would tell her the truth. She laughed as she replied, "Too bad you didn't get an answer." 

I laughed and turned the pencil again. It pointed at Jiyeon. "I'll go straight to the point now." I looked into Jiyeon's enchanting eyes as I said that. She nodded at me just like how she always did.

"Yeah?" She took another sip of her wine.

"If there's someone you're in love with right now, tell me who he is." I didn't bother beating around the bush. This was a question I was bound to ask one day. I faintly caught sight of how Jiyeon's cheeks turned a slight faint pink and felt a stab to the heart. So... There was a man she liked. I didn't want to get my hopes up again, because I guess, in her eyes, I was just a brother to her. 

"Here's your food, please enjoy." The waiter brought the food we ordered and left with a gracious smile.

"Jiyeon, answer the question." I was dying to know the answer.

"You said we'd play till the food arrived. Since it's here already, I'm not answering." Jiyeon always had a way with getting away from things.

"Ugh." I picked up my utensils and dug into my food.

"You're such a child." Jiyeon remarked as she stuffed a piece of meat into . 

"Since you're younger than me, does that make you a baby?" I retorted. She rolled her eyes at me and chuckled at how easily I won the argume