Crush

"Dude you're staring at him for way too long."
I heaved a sigh before turning to the source of the voice that had disrupted my peace. Jackson had an amused smile spread across his handsome face as he took a seat across from me.
"I can't help it. He just looks so perfect." I whisper the last part hoping Jackson didn't hear me, but judging by the roll of his eyes he heard me loud and clear.
"Instead of staring at him like a creep for a whole month already, why don't you actually get up and introduce yourself?" Jackson suggested as he took the menu off the table and into his hands. Sighing as I brush off Jackson's same advice for the hundredth time I shift my gaze to look at my menu on the table.
If you haven't noticed I had developed a crush on a stranger with raven black hair and a smile that brings out his cat-like wrinkles near his eyes. The only thing I know about this male was that he comes to this particular coffee shop on campus every single Friday with his male friend (which I secretly hope is not his significant other). Jackson calls me a creep for stalking and staring at the guy I barely knew every time we were here. I don't think he ever noticed me though as he always seems to be writing in his leather back journal.
"I don't think I'll be getting anything. Since I arrived late and our next class starts rather soon." Jackson said pulling me away from my thoughts. Nodding my head to let him know that I heard him I stood up from my seat. Grabbing my backpack off the floor and swinging it over my shoulder I shoot one more glance at my crush who was smiling as he wrote in his journal once more. I smiled thinking about how adorable he was before grabbing my ice coffee, turning around Jackson and I exited the coffee shop to cross the street to head into the building where our class was held in.

Today my heart flutter like the cherry blossom petals that get picked up amongst the wind.
I saw him amongst the busy coffee shop, he was standing in line whilst looking up at the coffee shop menu board. He was absolutely gorgeous from head to toe.
When he got his drink and took a table from the other side of where I was seated, I made sure to take sneaky glances.
Oh, no...he's drifting farther away from me.
I'll probably never see him aga-
"He literally just walked across the street to the other side of the building."
Huffing out a breath that was supposed to demonstrate I was annoyed, I looked up from my journal to stare at my annoying best friend. Of course, he had a straw in between his lips. He took a sip of his drink nonchalantly while his eyes were directed to my opened and displayed journal. I was always amazed by his talent to read words upside down with such ease.
"Im Jaebum, I swear if you're going to read my journal at least keep it to yourself so I could write in peace."
I rolled my eyes and continue to scribble down what I wanted to write before closing my leather back journal and sighed. Grabbing my Americano coffee I took a sip of my drink before looking to my left to the wide and clear window to look out of.
"You're such an emotional person." I heard Jaebum mutter under his breath. I scoffed before rolling my eyes to turn to look at my best friend who was now gazing out through the window.
"Um hello? Have you forgot I'm a student majoring in literature?" I ask as Jaebum turn to gaze at me with an unamused look.
"Yeah I know and it sometimes gets a bit too much."
That earned him a smack on the head from my leather back journal.

"Jackson, there is literally no empty seats left in here. So let's just leave." I said nervously as the both of us stood in the middle of the busy coffee shop on campus. For some reason, the coffee shop was especially busy this Friday. I heard Jackson scoff as he places his arm around my shoulder and swiveling me around.
"I see two empty seats over there ." Jackson pointed towards the direction to where my crush and his male friend was sitting. He wasn't at this usual table, probably due to a great majority of the students in the shop. But he did manage to snag a table with four seats.
"No," I said firmly as Jackson sighs beside me.
"Dude those are two perfect seats right there and I'm pretty sure your crush wouldn't mind."
"Jackson I said no."
"If you're not going then I am. I'm not gonna stand around all day in this busy shop."
I watched Jackson walk up to my crush's table and saying something to him before turning around pointing at me.
'Dear god this can either go good or bad.'
As Jackson walks back to me he grabs me by my arm pulling me forward.
"Come on, Lover Boy. I saved you a seat beside your crush." Jackson said with a hint of amusement in his voice. As we got closer to the table my heart began picking up its pace. The man I've been crushing on who I thought looked handsome from afar looks drop dead gorgeous now up close.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Park Jinyoung." My crush introduces himself and gave me his most famous eye-whisker smile. "The man sitting across from me is Im Jaebum."
I turn to look at the man who was always with Jinyoung at the coffee shop. He looks up from his work and gave a smile.
"Well this is Mark Tuan and again I'm Jackson Wang. Thank you for letting us sit with you guys. We're normally here every Friday, but the place was never this busy." Jackson explains pushing me towards the empty seat beside Jinyoung. Taking a seat beside him I watched as Jackson took a seat beside Jaebum who was immersed in his homework again. Jinyoung gave a light-hearted laugh from Jackson's comment before nodding his head in agreement. A small smile made it's way to my face as Jinyoung's laughter seem to be music to my ears.

"Do you write a lot?" Mark asks beside me as he noticed my leather back journal. I couldn't believe just minutes earlier Mark's fate and mine had crossed paths and entwined themselves together. He was now sitting at Jaebum's and I table alongside his friend Jackson.
"Um yeah, I do. I'm majoring in literature actually." I replied looking at my journal.
"I can tell," Mark said teasingly as I look anywhere than at him as I felt myself blushing, "your journal seems to be worn and your pages seem to be reviewed multiple of times." He explains sensing that I was assuming it was because I had my journal out.
A small smile grace over my lips, it was amazing that Mark seemed to had noticed how much I like to write and review my entries I wrote in my journal. "What about you?" I ask back trying to redirect the attention on him.
"I'm majoring in performing arts."
"Like theater art?"
That earned a chuckle from him as he flashes his canine teeth at me. "No, I don't think I'm cut out for acting. I'm a performing arts student studying dance."
I was itching to write in my journal, but I didn't. Instead, I made a little note to myself to write this in my journal once I was alone.
On March 31st, a literature student fell in love with a performing art student.

May 3rd, 34 days...816 hours...48,960 minutes...2,937,600 seconds I knew I was head over heels for Park Jinyoung. Jackson would have rolled his eyes at me for being such a smitten puppy. But after that fateful Friday afternoon and getting to sit beside Jinyoung, we bonded. Bonded in ways that even Jackson and I never had. I know it's weird to say this, but he just simply gets me. Like how he knew something was bothering me when I had a fake smile plastered on my face. Or when I had thoughts running through my wild head and he would nudge me gently on the side with his shoulders offering me his ears to listen.
"How was your date?" Jackson asked me the umpteen time when I came back to our shared dorm after a study day out with Jinyoung. Jackson stated it was clearly a date one time, from all the "study date" we went on for the last one month. It wasn't like practically Jinyoung and I helping each other with homework as we both are majoring in two completely different things. We simply just sit together at the library, coffee shop, or the university field and just do our own things in silence before one of us start chatting and a conversation would blossom.
Hanging my coat on the hanger by our front door I gave a death glare at Jackson who was laying on his bed with his eyes trained on his phone.
"It's not a date Jackson." I simply stated as my best friend shift his gaze from his phone to me.
"But you want it to be right?" Sighing I plop myself face down on my bed. Burying my face onto my mattress I groaned in despair because what Jackson asked was true. I desperately want to go out on an actual date with Jinyoung, but I'm just too afraid that my feelings wouldn't be reciprocated. "Whether you'll be turned down or not just give it your best shot. You don't want to regret never getting the chance to ask." Jackson advises before turning his attention back on his cell phone.

"Back so soon?" Jaebum asks with a raise of his eyebrow, sitting on his bed with his back leaning on the wall he had his laptop propped on his lap. Plopping myself on his bed by his side I heaved out a sigh.
"Yeah," I answered, "Jaebum, am I not being obvious enough?" I ask my best friend as he continues with his work, typing away on his keyboard. A minute of clicking later he paused to look down at me.
"That you like Mark? I'm pretty sure Jackson and I clearly see the all so loving look you give Mark." He answers as I cover my face with my hands.
"We've been going on "study dates" for a month now and he still hasn't asked me out. Am I not being obvious enough or does not like me that way at all?" I ask in horror as that thought crossed my mind. A push to my head came from my left, jostling my head to the right slightly as I turn to glare at Jaebum.
Pointing a finger at me accusingly Jaebum glares back at me, "Don't you dare even think that. I'm pretty sure chestnut hair boy likes you too."
"But-"
"No buts Jinyoung, why don't you just tell him you like him?" Jaebum suggests as I sat up on his bed. Thumbs twiddling I shifted under Jaebum's gaze.
"I-I just wanted him to confess first?" I offer as an answer as Jaebum sighs closing his laptop and putting it to the side he crisscrossed his legs before turning to completely face me.
"You're an idiot just confess so you can stop writing in your journal late in the night. That damn night light you have on every time is preventing me from sleeping."

I was nervous, kicking the rocks on the gravel I waited for Jinyoung patiently. After the advice, Jackson gave me last night I couldn't help but dwell on the thought of regretting not ever asking Jinyoung out. Whether he reciprocate my feelings or not I at least wanted to try. No regrets. So I texted him to meet me under the cherry blossom tree that was near the university library. Waiting a couple of minutes more Jinyoung was walking down the path smiling at me. As the wind blew ever so gently, petals of the cherry blossoms were slowly making its way down the ground. The sight before me was breathtaking, it was like time slowed down as Jinyoung slowly made his way down the path towards me as cherry blossom petal showered down slowly around him. I could feel my heart quickening its pace as Jinyoung stood in front of me seconds later.
"Mark? What did you want to talk about?" Shifting in my spot I looked down towards my shoes before looking back up at Jinyoung's warm gaze. "Mark?" He calls out again sensing my nervousness.
"Jinyoung?"
"Yes?" I looked up to the cherry blossom tree we were standing underneath asking for it to give me strength before taking in a breath of courage. I looked back down to stare into Jinyoung's warm anticipating eyes as he waited for me to speak.
"I like you."

"I like you too Mark."
As if the cherry blossom tree wanted to congratulate us, its petals danced its way down around us.