Cheesy Dork
-anonymous

I looked up from my homework to the person who’s ruining my concentration, my neighbor and best friend, Tiffany Hwang. She was repeatedly calling my name in aegyo tone whilst rolling on my bed back and forth. I knew she wouldn’t stop doing that until I gave her the reaction she wanted.

I sighed. She’s such a kid sometimes...

“Fany, if you wanted to go out so badly then why didn’t you just ask the others since you don’t want to go alone?”

“Because I wanted to go with you, silly! Besides...” she got up, leaned her body on my desk then pushed my forehead lightly, “Taetae, you need to stop being a nerd.”

I frowned. “I am not a nerd.”

“Really? Then why are you doing your homework on Sunday when non-nerdy people spend their time going out and have fun instead?”

I rolled my eyes and closed my book. There was no need for further useless argument when I knew she would win in the end. “Fine, you non-nerdy people, let’s go out.”

There goes her eye-smile.

“Yay! Let’s go!” She squealed.

How did we end up like this anyway? Wasn’t I the one who used to drag her around to play when we’re kids? So how come she’s pulling my arm impatiently now?

I let my parents knew we’re going out, not forgetting to pick up my jacket on our way to the door. Tiffany raised one of her eyebrows when I put it on outside, and I simply smiled in response. She once told me she didn’t understand my obsession with jackets; why did I always had one with me even when it’s not cold.

What she didn’t know was that there’s more to the ‘I like it’ and shrug I gave her as the answer. It’s not that I’m obsessed with it, but jackets reminded me of the time when we first met.

My hand reached out to the hood of my jacket that rest on the back of my neck where the supposed bear ears were attached and grimaced when I touched it. Umma bought this stupid looking jacket for me and thought it was cute if I wear it. She even threatened me that I couldn’t go out and play at our apartment playground if I didn’t wear it today.

‘Ugh, I’m too old to wear this kind of thing!’

I sat at one of the swings, huffed, and kicked the sand below....when I heard a sniffle. I looked around and spotted another kid on a nearby bench, sobbing.

Being a curious kid, I approached her. “Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

She shook her head and looked down to hide her tears.

I scratched my head and tried to think of something that could cheer her up. ‘Wait, I know!’

Covering my head completely with the bear jacket hood, I rummaged my pocket then crouched in front of her and stretchered out my closed hand. “If you stop crying, Tae-bear promises to give you something good!”

I guess that got her attention since she stopped and looked at me funny for a moment then nodded. She wiped the remaining of her tears away.

I twisted my clenched fist upwards and opened my palm to reveal the few candies I managed to sneak out. “Take all you want,” I urged.

She timidly reached out for one strawberry flavored candy wrapped in pink. “Thank you,” she whispered.

The first time I heard her voice, I thought the way she said her words were kind of weird.

“Kim Taeyeon, the Tae-bear.” Not moving from the crouching position, I offered my other hand for a handshake and grinned goofily.

She glanced at my face then back to my hand before taking it. “Ti-Tiffany...Hwang.”

Wow! Her eyes completely disappeared when she smiled.

Later I found out that she just moved from America and she was homesick.

And what about that bear jacket you say? It was hidden safely in my closet since it no longer could fit me (thank god!). Not that I would ever wear it again and embarrassed myself, no freaking way.

Still, I needed something to keep me from forgetting about that particular memory. To keep some part of her close to me. Thus, I began collecting jacket after jacket which ended up taking half of the space in my closet.

So yeah, that’s the story behind my so-called jacket obsession.

~~~

Fany insisted to feed me during our usual lunch at the cafeteria with the SooSun couple. I’m not complaining, but it seemed that other people were starting to.

"I don’t understand. You guys are so mushy with each other,” Sunny started.

“And funny thing is that you two aren’t even a couple like us.” Sooyoung finished, pointing her fork at Tiffany and me.

I just shrugged while Tiffany stuck her tongue out and said, “You guys are just jealous because you two are dubbed as the violent couple.”

Now that’s what I didn’t understand. How could Sunny and Sooyoung become a couple? You know, given how violent they could be with each other sometimes. But I guess that’s just how their love works.

As for Tiffany and I...well, I didn’t know why the school dubbed us as the gag-inducing ‘unofficial’ couple. Were we really that mushy?

“Taetae, here, try this.” Fany offered while holding a spoon in front of my mouth waiting for me to react. I of course complied with her demand. What? She gave me this super cute look!

Okay, so maybe we were mushy.

~~~

“Tiffany, concentrate please...”

She rested her head on the table dejectedly and pouted at me. “How can you stand this? You nerd.”

“How rude, here I am trying to teach you and yet you insult me,” I chided playfully.

She smiled and poked my cheek with the back of her mechanical pencil. “Nerd.”

“Stop calling me a nerd.” Who am I kidding? Obviously she wouldn’t.

A small smile appeared on my face. Everyone was surprised when I grew up to be a nerd. Who wouldn’t? Kim Taeyeon loved to play not study. Until I met the one and only Tiffany Hwang, that was.

She’s the reason why I developed this nerdy side of me. At first I just wanted to know her better by studying English and also to help improve her Korean. Apparently it didn’t stop there from one subject to another.

In this case, Math.

“Say Fany, if you passed midterms then I’ll agree to go watch that vampire movie you want to see.”

She sat up quickly. “You will??”

I nodded.

“Then what are you waiting for! Let’s study!” She said excitedly.

I shook my head and sighed. If only I could think of another way to coax her to study....

~~~

The SooSun couple was staring at us weirdly because Fany was hogging my arm and half-dragging me on our way to the cinema. We decided it would be more fun if they tagged along to watch the movie I promised Tiffany with. Or in my case I could use Sooyoung's support and we could cringe together.

What else could I do? Tiffany passed the midterms better than I expected, she must have been real desper