Dahee woke up to her grandmother’s cooking and slowly made her way to the kitchen to eat. Her mind was still a whirlwind from the night before and she was sure she had dreamed most of it, at least until she checked all her text messages.

From Areum Love:

Babe, let me know you are ok? Please?

Da, we need to talk.

Da, I’m sorry I should have stopped Yi.

Da, please contact Bong, its important.

From Yisang:

Dahee, I am sorry. Can we please talk?

Are you with Bong?

Please answer me, I want you to work this out with me. 

From Oppa Love:

Dahee, I know you’re really confused, but we really need to talk. That kiss, I need to explain something to you.

Da, listen, I, I just want to be able to see you face to face and talk. We need to talk.

Da, I know you are asleep, but please, please don’t cut me out of your life.

Da, I swear, last text. Please meet me at the park across from Mill Bar. At 1:30. If you don’t show, then I’ll know that you are done with me.

Dahee scrolled through each message, stopping at the final one from Bong. Her heart was so confused about him, she couldn’t understand what made him kiss her last night, but she also couldn’t understand the electrifying feeling she felt kissing him, the rightness of it all. Dahee sat down across from her grandmother and slowly ate her soup and rice. Her grandmother glared at her from across the table.

“What happened last night my child?” She asked.

“Grandmother, can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“Say you kissed someone, a really good friend. And say when you did, everything went white, it was warm and it was so very right with the kiss, say it was electrifying. Say then you realize he only kissed you to make someone else jealous, what would you do?” Dahee put her spoon down and looked up at her grandmother.

“Do you love him, Dahee? That’s what you have to ask yourself. Did it all feel perfect and white and right and electrifying because you love him? Sometimes what we think may be one way is another. And all you have to do is look at your heart, and you’ll know.” Grandmother said nothing else as she cleaned her spot and left the table.

At 1pm, Dahee found a taxi and headed to meet Bong. She wasn’t sure why she was, or how it would end, but she knew she had to at the very least, hear him out. They’d been friends for so long that she owed him that and deep down, she knew that the kiss, was to protect her from Yi. The 25 minute drive seemed like an eternity as Dahee played with her phone. She read through old text messages from Bong, noticing things that she had never noticed before. Certain things that Bong would text indicated to her, just what he was feeling. She hadn’t texted anyone back, except Areum. The car pulled up to the curb and Dahee alighted, thanking the driver. Dahee tried to make herself look presentable and slowly walked towards the park. As she got closer she saw Bong sitting on a bench, leaning over, his head on his folded hands, he was deep in thought.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?” Dahee asked softly. Bong shook his head no and looked up to answer.

“Dahee, you came!” He stood up and motioned for Dahee to sit, sitting down after she did.

“You said we needed to talk, so I came.” Dahee said looking into his eyes.

“Yah. Um, about the kiss,” Bong began.

“It’s ok, I know you did it to protect me, thank you.” Dahee reached out and lightly patted his hand.

“No, I mean, yes, but no…that’s that’s not all of it.” Bong said, he then stood and began to pace.

“What is it Bong, why are you suddenly not able to talk? You and I have always spoke easy and fluently to each other, why suddenly do you go quiet and weird around me?" Dahee watched Bong's anxious pacing. 

“Because Dahee, that’s what you do to me. You make my heart skip a beat and make me forget how to speak.” Dahee stood up and stopped him from his pacing. She looked in his eyes.

“Stop. Tell me exactly what you want to tell me Bong. I am here to listen.” She held his arm lightly and he looked down at her slowly and cautiously placing a hand on her cheek.

“Before Yi interrupted do you remember me saying something to you?” Bong asked, Dahee nodded her head yes never once looking away from his eyes.

Bong took Dahee’s hands in his and took a deep breath. “I like you Dahee. I liked you from the moment I laid my eyes on you. I liked you when I had to nearly carry you out to a car the first night we met. I liked your stupid drunk self falling all over the place every time you had too much soju. I liked you when you had a fight with Jina on the dance floor and you told her to go away. I liked you every morning you’d text me to apologize for having one too many soju. I liked you when you brought Yi in the first time. I liked you last night when you were so sad and you barely smiled, I liked you when I held your hand, I liked you when we danced,  I liked you when I kissed you and I like you now. I know you have been hurt, I know you are jaded and want to have 1000 cats and be a spinster.” Dahee smiled and then giggled about to speak but Bong stopped her.

“All I am asking is, will you have the 1000 cats with me? Will you dance with me every night? Will you get so stupid drunk so that I can take you home and then make you hang over soup in the morning. I know I am just me, just oppa, but I can’t deny my feelings. I know you have been hurt and I know that you can’t imagine loving again, but will you try, with me. Let me show you that true love is still alive and well? Will you please like me too?” Bong took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Dahee didn’t say anything at first as she took in the overall adorable nature of Bong in that moment.

“Oppa. I remember the first time we met, I knew then you would be a force in my world. Something that would pull me in directions I never imagined. Bong, I thought a lot this morning about things. We have an incredibly friendship, it’s so easy and natural. Who’d want to lose that? You get me, better than even Areum and Jina sometimes. You have my back always. I am so grateful for that, but I realized something this morning Bong as I processed everything.” Bong  looked Dahee deeply in the eyes.

‘What?” He asked slightly concerned.

“I liked you that moment I walked into your bar. I liked you when you made my soju yogurt drink I like so much. I liked you when you walked me out to a car, as I cried about my shoes that I couldn’t find. I liked you when I was stupid drunk. I liked you when you responded to every stupid apology text I ever sent. I liked you even with Yi. That’s why I stopped coming, though at the time I didn’t realize that. I liked you the most last night, when you held me in the safety of your arms. I liked you when you kissed me and I felt like I was floating. I like you now, in this moment, where I am scared to death of love and excited all at the same time. Let’s have 1000 cats, make me hang over soup, dance with me every day. I like you now, in this moment where if you don’t kiss me again I may punch you.”

Dahee smiled up at Bong, who simply smiled back, taking Dahee’s face in his hands and pulling her lips towards his.

Dahee was terrified to jump with Bong, but if anyone reminded her of how love could be, it would be Bong. Love isn’t easy, love is scary, but once in a while, someone comes along and makes even the most jaded person, able to love again. Sometimes it's that friend you never expect or that stranger that became a friend. Love is scary, but most of life is, but once in a while, people come along and make loving, worth it.