You call me Monster~

I suddenly sat up as my alarm went off and started searching for my phone. I grabbed it and swiped to the left, making the ringtone stop.

I rubbed my eyes and after doing so, I slowly opened them.

Man, when did I fall asleep? I don't even remember what time it was.

I looked to the left of me to see that Jin was gone.

I also suddenly remembered what happened last night.

My heart started to race at his words.

'I like you'

I started hitting my cheeks.

No. You were imagining it.

It was just a dream.

I suddenly heard the bathroom door open behind me and I jumped. 

"Morning," I heard Jin say.

"M-Morning," I replied, my heart racing as he spoke.

His words just kept on replaying in my head, making me even more flustered.

I then saw him go towards the wall, looking for his phone.

I quickly got up, grabbed the clothes I got for today, and hurried to the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.

Aish. I feel so awkward now. 

Should I ask him about it?

No. It would be too weird.

But I can barely stand to see him right now. 

My heart is going crazy.

I exhaled slowly.

Okay, just erase it from your mind, Hyun-Ae.

It was probably just him sleeptalking.

Maybe he meant to say mom.

I like you, Mom.

Yeah...yeah....that was it.

Still trying to shake this feeling, I changed into my clothes, wearing the shirt that we bought last night.

I also decided to tie my hair up with one of the hairbands I also got for myself as I knew that I wasn't going to take a shower today.

Looking at myself in the mirror one last time to give me some confidence, I stepped back outside to see him sitting in the same position.

My heart accelerated at the mere sight of him.

Stop it!

"Hyun-Ae," he suddenly said.

"Hmm?" I answered, trying to hide my nervousness.

"I think she is still asleep. If we want to make the food for her still, now would be a good time to start it," he said.

"O-Okay," I stuttered. "Let's make her breakfast then," I stated.

I went over to grab the items that we bought last night and I headed to the kitchen. 

I laid out what side dishes we had and left them out on the counter as I started to cook the meat.

"Jin?" I said.

"Yes?" he replied.

"Do you want to make the rice?" I asked him.

"Sure, just a second," he said. After a minute or two, I saw him run into the kitchen, almost falling over.

"Smooth," I teased.

"Shut it," he retorted, making me laugh.

"So what am I doing again?" he asked.

"Making the rice, if you could please," I said.

"Okay, rice...rice...," he started, looking for the bag of rice and after finding it, he put it in the rice cooker.

I continued to cook the meat as he set out three placings for the three of us and he started to warm up the side dishes while making sure to take care of the rice.

He also got us glasses and filled it up with water.

I was just about done cooking the meat, when he finished everything else.

"Should we go and wake her up?" He suggested.

"Yeah, I don't want her to eat cold food," I said.

"Want me to?" He asked.

"Sure, make sure to knock first though," I replied.

"Got it," he said, walking away.

After checking if the meat was done, I turned off the stove and brought it over to the table.

As I was looking at the food, I realized how hungry I was. 

My stomach growled, as if telling me that it was time to eat.

Jin suddenly walked back in with the ahjumma, and she looked pleasantly surprised.

"Oh my," she cooed. "You didn't have to do this," she said taking a seat in front of me and Jin sitting down beside me.

"It is the least we could do for you since you let us stay here at such a late notice," I said.

"Oh, you guys weren't any trouble at all. I will enjoy the food you made for me," she said.

I smiled at her.

We all started eating and talking. She would ask questions about us, where we were from and where we go to school and other things. We also found out that her name is Kim Mi Yong and that she has lived her for years after her son moved away after he married. She seemed like she would be lonely, but if she was, she definitely wasn't showing it.

We were laughing and eating when the food all suddenly disappeared.

"Ah man, we are out of food!" Jin whined.

"You could still eat more? You ate so much!" I exclaimed.

"What, I love food. Leave me alone," he said.

Mi Yong and I started laughing at him. 

Mi Yong started to rise from her seat, taking her dishes with her when I stopped her.

"I can clean the dishes," I said, taking them from her. "You just sit down and rest okay?" I told her, flashing her a huge smile.

"You guys are spoiling me!" She complained.

Jin and I laughed in response.

Jin gathered the rest of the plates and brought them over to the sink. 

I thought he was going to go back to sit with Mi Yong when he just stood beside me.

"I can clean them, you can go sit down Jin," I told him. 

"Can I help you? I feel bad," he said.

"Don't feel bad, just go sit," I said smiling at him.

"Okay," he said, giving up.

"So you two really aren't dating?" Mi Yong, suddenly questioned again, making me almost drop the plate I had in my hands.

"No, we are just friends," Jin explained to her.

"Are you sure? I may be old but I am not blind. I can see the way you two look at each other," she said.

I started to heat up at her comment. 

Aish...her and her assumptions! They are going to kill me!

"I am sure. Hyun-Ae is just shy so it might seem like that but we are just friends, honest," Jin explained again. 

"Okay, I don't believe you but if you say so," she said.

I quickly finished the dishes and put them back in their respective shelves after I dried them.

I looked down to see that the time was 10 am. 

"Jin," I said, interrupting his conversation with Mi Yong.

"We should probably get going. The bus is going to be here in 30 minutes," I told him.

"Okay, let's get our things," he replied, getting up from his seat.

We went and quickly gathered out items and headed out the front door.

Mi Yong followed behind us.

"Thank you for letting us stay here again," I said, handing her some money to pay for the night.

"Ani, I can't take your money," she said.

"Bu-" 

"Let's just call the food this morning as your payment okay?"

"Are you su-" Jin started.

"Yes! Now go before you guys miss your bus!" she said.

"We will come to see you again sometime, we promise!" I called out as we walked through the gate.

"I will be waiting!" she called back, giving us a smile.

Jin and I waved good-bye to her as we walked away.

"She is such a nice ahjumma," I said.

"Mhm. We should come back again sometime," he responded.

"Okay, we should bring the other guys too! They would love her!" I suggested.

"No," Jin whispered quietly.

"Why?" I asked, surprised.

"I just want it to be a place for the two of us. I don't want the other guys to know about it," he explained.

"What wh-"

"Because I don't want them to know," he said, walking ahead of me.

What is his problem?

As we reached the bus spot we waited for the bus to come.

We had stayed quiet for awhile, the silence becoming long between the two of us.

Should I say something?

"So...what did you and Mi Yong talk about as I was washing the dishes?" I asked him.

"Nothing in particular," he replied.

"Wow, you are just not going to tell me anything huh?" I said, pouting.

"Nope. I am not telling you a thing~"

"Fine! I was going to tell you something but I am not going to anymore!" I exclaimed, sticking my tongue out at him.

"Tell me what," Jin asked, suddenly curious as to what it was.

"Nope, nope, nope! You are not getting anything!" I told him. 

As if on cue, the bus came into our view.

"What is it?!" Jin said as the bus pulled up. 

We climbed onto the bus and took seats in the back.

"Is this about last night?" he asked as soon as the bus started moving.

I suddenly froze.

"W-What about last night?" I questioned.

I-Is he talking about what he said to me?

T-That he likes me?!

"The fact that you talk in your sleep," he said.

"W-What!" I exclaimed, both nervous and relieved at what he said.

"Last night in your sleep, you said some pretty strange things. Like, 'Stop it Jace! Not here!' and 'I can't marry you Jace, I like someone else!'" he said, imitating me.

I looked at him in horror.

"I-I said that?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Yep and...wait...that isn't what you were going to tell me?" He asked, surprised at my response.

"N-No! But that is so embarrassing!" I replied.

He started laughing at me.

"Dont laugh!" I said turning red. 

"Okay, so what was it? What is it that you were going to say to me?" He continued to ask. 

Should I tell him?

Maybe not all of it.

Maybe I should see what he remembers first and go from there.

"Well, did you know that you also talk in your sleep?" I asked him, trying to read his face as I told him.

"Yeah, I do that a lot actually," he explained. "The boys have caught me doing it a lot before. Usually I say some pretty weird things," he said.

"What did I say last night?" he asked.

I suddenly turned away from him, embarrassed.

"Umm...I don't want to tell you," I whispered.

"Oh come on. It couldn't have been that bad. Definitely not as embarrassing as yours," he said laughing.

"What did I say?" he asked again.

"You...uh...said," I started. "That...you..."

I said turning back to face him.

"Like me," I said very faintly.

"Wait, I said what?" He asked. "I didn't hear you."

I started to twirl my hair with my fingers to avoid making eye contact with him.

"That you like me," I whispered again. 

"Hyun-Ae, I seriously can't hear you," Jin said again. "Can you-"

"You said that you liked me!" I exclaimed, making the other people on the bus turn to face us.

I quickly apologized to them, bowing my head in embarrassment.

I turned over to see that Jin was completely red in the face and looking out the window instead of at me. 

"I mean...it isn't true is it?" I asked him.

"You were just talking in your sleep?" I continued to question, leaning towards him a bit more.

He suddenly turned towards me, looking at me in the eyes.

"And what if it is true," he replied.

"W-what?" I asked, taken aback.

"What if it is true that I like you, Hyun-Ae," he said, staring at me. 

"What are you going to do?" he continued to ask, his red face from before completely gone.

"Well- I don't-" I stuttered, embarrassed.

So he does like me?!

"I-I don't know," I whispered.

"Well, you are going to have to figure out, Hyun-Ae. Because it is true. Ever since I saw you on the first day of school in our Psychology class, I knew you were different. That day that we sat behind you, I convinced the guys to sit there so that I could sit closer to you to be near you," he explained, leaving me speechless.

"The reason why we suddenly got close to you is because I wanted to hang out with you. When I suddenly realized that the guys liked you as a person as well, I was happy. I knew then that I would be able to see you more and spend time with you. And when I realized that we would spend the night together, you do not know how happy I was that we missed getting off the bus at our stop. I know you haven't known me for that long Hyun-Ae as I have just admired you from afar, but I couldn't do it anymore. I had to get to know you."

"And after learning about what happened to you, I knew then that I wanted to protect you and always be there for you. So call me crazy. I don't care. Because...

I like you."

Time froze as I just continued to stare at him.

My heart was beating like crazy.

W-What do I say?