I stopped on my steps, just probably a meter or two before I reached her. I breathed quietly so as to make my presence subtle. The view right now is something precious, I just couldn’t afford to break it.  She is holding a cone of ice cream in her right hand as she look at it as if it’s a rare gem.

I’m not exactly that of anything invisible and so I know if she is a different person, my presence must have been detected already. The corners of my lips slowly rose up as I put my head down as if I’m trying to conceal that smile. Damn, she’s so cute.

The wind blew and I saw it play with her hair, swaying some of her hair strands away from her face and some in different directions. The setting sun is definitely bidding its goodbye for today as it shone it’s last ray on her face for me to witness. I almost had a difficulty from controlling my smile on being wider as I saw her carefree grinning and dancing her head as she tasted the chocolate mint ice cream she just bought.

I lowered my head, took a deep breath and put my hands on the pocket of my skirt. ‘This is it.’ That is what I told myself. I admit it. I’m nervous. I know it’s not like an audition or something. Or it is a death and death of life kind of event… well, maybe it is, figuratively, for me. Still, I have waited for this to come for so long. Perhaps since my eyes opened and I’m greeted with a different ceiling other than the usual white ones of the hospital. It is black with some patches of yellow and I thought it’s hope. That was my room since then, a new one designed by Sojung. That’s probably the first two weeks straight that I didn’t plan to give up on life and do anything stupid. That day, I found hope… again.

I looked at her. She still hasn’t known somebody is here with her. Is that how she is so mesmerized with the food? Well, I can’t blame her. Who doesn’t like, or even love food? Furthermore, it’s an ice cream.

I tore my gaze away from her and stared at the sky. It will be a little darker soon. And I guess, I’ll see my ceiling soon in a larger view. That dark sky with the color of black, with patches of stars filled with bluish-white and yellow. Something that reminds me that there is hope. True enough, there is hope. And this lady in front of me is the very proof of that.

Did you wait long? I’m so sorry.

I took a small step towards her as I saw her hands looking for something on her pocket. I thought that is her looking for her keys. Did she get tired of waiting? Will she go now?

You must’ve waited for so long. I’m sorry. I know I might have wandered for a while. I’ve decided now, I’ll go to you. Don’t worry, I’ll never leave again.

I didn’t plan to startle her or anything but as soon as I spoke I saw her jump a little and she hastily turn her body towards me. It might have been my nervousness that tainted my voice to come out hoarsely or, let’s say a little bit with broken chords, or is it that I broke the silence in a manner to abrupt. I saw how her eyebrows knit attempting to form a single line in frustration.

Okay, that is a wrong move Yerin-ah. I scold myself as I look at her, her eyes burning with fury.

“What the hell…” I heard her mutter.

I suddenly asked myself if I should just hide my tail behind my legs and run for my life, or I should go for it and brace myself. Because heol, why did I ever come in here, with all the dramas and monologues if I would just go home empty-handed? But still, a mad Hwang Eunbi is a different issue.

I flashed her a sheepish smile before I took another step and wave my hand awkwardly. You can consider my hand shaking a little. Her glare is really just like what they describe it to be. Deadly… and Hot.

I mean, it makes you hot.

No, I mean… Hot, in the sense that you could feel -- nevermind. Nobody might agree anyway that I’m saying that in an innocent way.

I gulped. Yes, the glare is intense. My soul might have come out a little on its way to heaven. Somehow though, as I look back at her, her gaze starts to soften. It might have been my imagination or its me assuming things but I saw a ghost of a smile on her lips before it turned into a thin line while she squinted her eyes at me.

“Oh…” That’s her again. Her face now seems to be going back to the soft one, just like how I saw her with her ice cream, except that it’s redder than the latter. “It’s you.” She continued, her voice smaller, as she put the stubborn hair strand of hers that is playing with the wind at the back of her ear.

    I giggled. It’s just I can’t handle how cute can she be. It’s amazing how she changes her mood in a matter of seconds.

    I saw her knit her eyebrows again, but this time, in confusion. And so, I answered.

    “Yeah. It’s me.” The confidence that is inside me might have built up instantly just because it assumed that I, myself, made SinB’s anger melt. And with that, I suddenly had the audacity to be bold.

    “I hope it’s really just me.”  I told her as I send a wink at SinB making her roll her eyes in response.

    “So...  what are you doing?”

    SinB looked back at me. “I don’t know if it’s obvious but… I’m waiting.”

    Sassy.

“Heh?” I intently sided my head on the left, in a cute manner, just like a child silently asking for further explanation. Sometimes, you just have to put forward every cards you have for that certain goal, or rather for that certain someone.

“Are you waiting for me?” I asked once again since she doesn’t elaborate at all.

SinB answered with a scoff. “Really?” She said. “Aren’t you being too confident?”

And I grinned.

There we go. It starts now, just for the two of us - Romance.

“Well…” I started, putting my hands on my back as I took small steps towards her. But in my surprise, she suddenly spoke up in a voice I thought it’s vulnerable.

“But.. you are right. I am waiting for you.” I heard her say with her voice transparent, laced with feelings.

I looked at her, my eyes obviously surprised. I saw her turned her head at her left, as if there is suddenly something interesting on the vast space of the parking lot. I, on the other hand, cannot stop my giggle from coming out. How can this butterflies know how to tickle the insides of my stomach? How can SinB know how to make me feel all of these feelings with her little gestures? Well, does she even know she’s doing this to me? Feelings flooded my mind making me erupt into giggles but before I actually got my mouth to shut up since she is sending me a glare. I heard another line from her that made me shut up, for real.

“Y-you look beautiful.” SinB said, stuttering a little, before she looked genuinely at me, her cheeks are being too obvious as it’s painted with red.

The butterflies who seem to tickle my stomach a while ago might have found its way towards my brain, tunneling through my nerves that I can’t say anything else at this moment. It felt like if I would speak I might hit some high notes just because of these feelings.

And those eyes… Those eyes that SinB has could almost make me melt then and there. I almost asked myself if I could still stand. There is just Something in those eyes that has always kept me thinking… thinking about certain things like, just what it is like to wake up and see those eyes staring back at you filled with love every morning.

    And I swear, the moment her beautiful lips let out another sentence made me swoon so much, I forgot to even act out that ‘I’m just okay’, nothing too whipped.

“Shall we go on our date then?” She joked and damn, I could only blush and give her a gentle push. The Gods might have realized they put me in a roller coaster too much for this day that they have concluded I need this and SinB to continue.

“Are you really doing that?” I asked while laughing.

“Let’s do then. You could do me a favor and make my day. I’m sure you could to that though.” I walked closer to her while she stay still, leaning on the car.

    However, I am met with silence.

“Eyy, don’t tell me you don’t mean that?” I tried to sound playfully but I guess my eyes would be so kind to be obvious of my feelings. I saw her looked directly at me. There is a moment of silence as we stood there, a meter apart, probably gauging what the other is thinking.

“Go on a date with me, Yerin. I’m serious.”

....

...Did I hear that correctly?

“I - I mean, it’s better if I asked you for real.”

Heavens, if you could hear me by now, I hope you know how thankful I am. I have never though SinB would do this. Well, maybe I did, on my dreams, fantasy and some hopelessly romantic thoughts passing through my mind sometimes. And oh god, I can’t contain the happiness. I tried to rack my brain for words to answer that, or just how to respond in a good way that she won’t take her idea back… but it’s empty. I could imagine little Yerins in my head throwing up a party and forgetting that I still have to answer. The words I LOVE YOU HWANG EUNBI might be in capital letters hanged up on every corners of my brain as they partied.

I unknowingly giggled, unable to control the joy inside. However, that might have been a wrong move as I saw SinB more shy than she is. And not to be an idiot, which I definitely don’t want to be, I answered confidently before she take things back.

“Yeah, sure!” I swear, I tried not to be obvious of how I excited and happy I am. Believe me, but I guess it doesn’t work at all as the pitch of my voice exposed me. I just ended it then with a sheepish grin.

Oh well, Yerin is taking a leap rather than baby steps. How brave can I be?

And of course, I think I needed to ask at that time some topic away from it. She looks like she wanted to suddenly hide while she take turns on giving me a grin and biting her lips as she lowers her head.

Damn, how could she be so cute?

I know her though. And I do feel her. So I tried to ask something which I also wanted to know. “Honestly, I thought you’re waiting for your friends. Where are they?”

    “Ah them? Eunha-unnie said she needs to go back to her locker. She forgot something and she told me to go home first. Though, i’m still thinking about waiting for her but it’s already minutes since she went back. Umji, on the other hand, as usual, she got kidnapped by the orchestra club. They need to practice for the big event. ” SinB shrugged, getting the keys out of the car. “They will perform too on our school’s feast.”

    One of my eyebrows rose up in question. Hm.. Why does she look so pissed off about Umji hanging out with the orchestra club? Is something wrong with the club? Still, considering the long years I’m away from her, I would have know just little things about her by now, and about her friends.

    “And may I know the reason why you are here?” SinB leaned again on the car, crossing her arms.

She might not know this but for me and I swear, she looks so goddamn hot as hell right now. And can you believe it, why does she have to tie that necktie of hers loosely? I’m mentally thanking God I still have my control or I would have proclaimed my gayness to the world, not caring about my career. And that unfortunately, isn’t good for her too.

“Hey…” I heard her tried to get my attention. I shake my head and gave out a smile.

    I hummed as a respond. My mind is definitely bothered by how she look right now.

“I just got the feeling that...” I took a step forward, closer to SinB. Much much closer to the point that I could almost hug her. Sometimes, it surprised me how I turned out with so much confidence. I smiled at her before boldly leaning in, letting my lips go dangerously close to her right ear before I intently whispered slowly.  “I should see you.”

I leaned back and watch how she reacts to it. Oh god, did I just flirt? But it’s alright, I do it anyway. It is just it feels so different with her. With SinB, I thought my heart is doing a marathon around the world and it feels so new -- I’m nervous, excited, worried and all of it jam-packed into one.

I’m the one who did that but honestly, my mind also raced to different directions including that place where the only allowed ones are mature audiences. I tried to think straight, but oh well, what’s straight?

I gently put my hands on her neck and I’m surprised that it might have affected her. I sensed her being tense, her eyes became alert and her beautiful hands seem to be frozen as it looks like it’s glued on  the car. I thought it’s just her but… when she her lips, I think I have lost it.

“Yerin, chill.” A part of my brain is saying that and yet the other part is.. Well, let’s not divulge into it. That is too early for that.

    “Wow.” I heard her breathily say.  If she just know now that I also badly wanted to express that same thing. She isn’t moving at all though. Her eyes is just fixated on me. If anyone would see us like this, they might have probably melted by how sweet or intimate this could look like… or they might be throwing up on one of the corners.

    I looked up directly at her in the eyes as I slowly brushed my hands on the loose necktie of hers before I gave her a genuine smile. I have to congratulate myself later for still having time to take all of her features in. My eyes slowly drifted from her beautiful eyes, curtained with those thick long eyelashes, to her pointed nose, and then lower… ‘til I reach those luscious lips that could made me stare at it for a long time. Somehow, I’m unable to contain myself as I leaned more closer at her.

I saw her close her eyes though and that wake me up from what I am doing. Furthermore, she suddenly flutter it open as she said something in a hurry.

“A-aren’t you sup-”

    And I giggled. She’s too cute.  

“I think I should let you know you have to..” I touched her tie. “fix your tie... properly.”

“You should know.” I leaned away from her after patting SinB’s neck tie in her uniform. “I think I don’t like the idea of girls swooning because of you, even without your knowing.” I then flashed her a grin before sending her a wink.

    “I’m done. You could go.” I said turning around, wanting to somehow hide quickly. I am so blushing madly. I never thought I could be so bold in front of her.

    I could still remember how many times I tried to relax, as I breathe in and out after taking a peek at SinB outside our room.  But upon entering the room, I quickly lost it as my heart pounded so fast. The first plan is to actually, rebel a little against the so called rules, and take some baby steps towards her, figuratively. But oh well, it turned out I became too nervous and went straight for my bag.

     I saw SinB smirked. “You’re so good on making others fall.”

    “Is that a compliment or an attack?