Chapter 4

Best-friend and Ex

The next day, same old routine: wake-up and go to school. I was riding my bicycle, feeling the fresh Spring air. It’s April and the new semester will begin. The school is just near in our house so I am not using trains in going to school. Also, riding a bicycle is so convenient. I was about to enter the College of Architecture when I spotted Sandara walking alone. You know that feeling whenever you see the person you like to tease? The happy feeling it gives. Yes, I am feeling it right now. 

I maneuvered my bicycle towards her direction and pressed the bike bell while surpassing my laughter. 

“Oh, !” She shrieked. He looked around in horror. 

“Good morning!” I shouted while laughing. 

I saw how her face reddened. She’s looking at me furiously. Oh, god! I can’t get-enough of her cute reactions. I think I will really include this to my daily routine. 

“Jiyong!” 

“What?” I asked, trying to hide the huge grin in my face. “Aren’t you going to greet me ‘Good morning, my handsome best friend’ right now?”

“Shut up!” Now, her nose were flaring. Sandara’s face is so amazing. She can make so many facial expression yet she still remained so pretty. 

“What a good weather we have.” I commented. 

“You know what, get lost.” She started walking so fast. 

I pressed the bike bell for the second time making her frantic. “What a foul attitude from you, Miss Pres.” 

“You caused this, argh!  And would you mind not following me?” 

“I am actually not following you. It just happen that the bike parking is on this way.” 

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” 

I bit my lower lip. See? This is one of the many reasons why I can’t hate her. She’s really amusing. She’s not the type of person who hides her annoyance to someone. You will know what she truly feels with the way her facial expression changes. She is frank. She is honest. I can enumerate so many good qualities of Sandara and maybe a day or two isn’t enough. And yes, there’s an exaggeration in that part. 

“Did you woke-up at the wrong side of the bed?” I inquired. “I have gummy bears here.” 

She stopped. Again, she stopped. I knew her so well, damn, it’s scary. First, if she’s grumpy early morning she might woke-up at the wrong side of the bed or she didn’t got enough sleep last night. Second, she loves gummy bears. It’s like her therapeutic food aside from Ice Cream. And the lastly, she will say is ‘I’m sorry’ for throwing tantrums at me. 

“I’m sorry.” 

See? And it’s really unfair why I can’t have the best-friend title in her life. I can even say that I knew her better than Chaerin. Yes, I am that confident. 

I wen’t down from riding the bike. Did I mentioned earlier how convenient bike is? Now, forget about it. Holding the bike on my left hand isn’t convenient at all. I walked towards her and gently tapped her head. “Did this pumpkin had a nightmare?” 

She sighed. “Family stuffs.” 

I chuckled. “I don’t know what is wrong but everything will be alright, okay?” She nodded. I gave her the pack of gummy bears to her. “Now eat this and get back to your usual self.” 

“Thanks.” She said, while pouting. Great! Now she look so damn cute I want to pinch her cheek. 

“Give me your bag.” 

“Why?” She said, while enjoying the gummy bear.

“Might be heavy.” 

“It’s fine. I’m already used to the weight of the books.” 

“Come on! Maybe that’s the reason why you are so tiny.” I joked. She used her elbows to nudge me in my stomach. Ouch! 

“Grrr. You are so good at making my mood light but you are the best in making my mood sour.” 

I laughed. “Because that’s how I am.” 

A few seconds later, she placed her bag at the top of my bag in the bike basket. See? She really can’t resist my charm. We are silently enjoying the warm silence between us: she is enjoying her gummy bear while I am enjoying the Spring air. 

“Did I ever mentioned how best you are?” 

“Nope. You’re always saying how ugly, how playboy and how much you hate me.” I said, matter in fact. Dude, you can ask anyone in our class if I am lying or not. 

She pouted but smiled. “You are the best, Jiyong.” 

I stopped. Suddenly, it felt like my heart pumped really hard that I can feel the blood flow in my veins. I looked at her in awe. She look so innocent while eating. “Do you have fever or something?” 

She chuckled. “You are crazy.” 

“Oh, god! I should have recorded it or something!” I exclaimed. “It’s rare hearing your honest opinion, dude.” 

“It’s funny how you can easily read me like a book and predict my sudden change of mood.” 

“That’s why you should consider me as a friend.” I insisted. “No, no. Scratch that. Might as well promote me as a best-friend already. I am the best!” 

She chucked and surprisingly, it sound music to my ear. Dude, what the heck was that? 

“Whatever.” 

After parking the bike, we started walking towards our classroom. I was carrying her bag, for gods sake! I think she’s carrying a whole shelve of books! 

“Did you bring all of our books?” She nodded, making shocked. “Seriously?” 

“What kind of reaction is that?” 

“Dude, we have 4 classes today. 2 Majors. 1 book is around two-thousand pages.” 

“Yes.” 

“And you are carrying it?”

“Of course.” 

“That’s the real reason why you are small! It hinders your growth.” 

“Shut up.” 

“You shouldn’t carry heavy stuffs, Sandara!” I ranted. “You can get a locker or leave the books in the Student Council Room. Damn, are your shoulders okay? How about you back?” 

She laughed and gently brush my disheveled bangs. “I am fine, geez.” 

“No, no. From now on, I will carry your bag.” 

“Hoy, that’s over-reacting.” 

“It is not!” I insisted. 

“Will you—“

“Jiyong!”  

We both stopped from arguing when we heard someone called me. I looked around and saw my ex-girlfriend Kiko Mizuhara. 

“O to the M to the G!” She shrieked while running towards me. She placed her arm on my neck for a hug. “I miss you!” 

“Hi.” I greeted her. 

Awkward. And nope, I am not referring to me and Kiko. I am referring to Sandara’s intense stare. 

“How’s life?” I asked. “It’s been what?”

“Three days.” 

“Huh?!” Sandara said while not breaking the intense stare. Her reaction is so hilarious! “Three days and you already missed this ?” she murmured, making me chuckle. She never failed to amuse me with her witty remarks. Damn! 

“Yeah, three days since we broke-up.” 

“….” Sandara commented, still innocently eating the gummy bears. 

“I can hear you Sandara.” I said. She then plastered a smile. “By the way, Sandara this is Kiko. Kiko, this is Sandara.”

“Your new girlfriend?” Kiko commented while looking at Sandara from head to foot. “Eww, when did you lower your standards, Ji? I mean, she look so… plain.”

I suddenly remember the famous anime meme that says ‘Nani?’ I can really feel that Sandara snapped because of Kiko’s words. I was about to reprimand Kiko for being so rude when Sandara plaster a fake smile.  Yes, this is the part where she will say harsh words. 

“Watch you mouth, Miss. First, I am not a plain girl. I am a unique individual. Second, why did you look at me like that? Did you know that it is rude to stare at someone you just met? And lastly, I am not his new girlfriend. And I will never be.” She then looked at me with full of disgust. 

“Hey,  don’t deserve that—“

“You will carry my bag for the whole day for ruining my mood by letting me meet someone plain.” 

She then walked away. How badass. Damn.