Chapter 6: 

Slowly Seeing You

“Hey…”

“Fcking ..” I mumbled in a rush. Well, well, right in front of me is the reason why it felt like I am not in my usual self right now. 

“Did you just cuss? In front of me?” Sandara asked with her right eyebrow raised. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” I said while looking away. . “A-Anyways, what do you want?”

I saw Sandara’s eyebrows furrow and her lips pouted. 

Damn! Stop acting like a cute baby, ! ! ! “W-what’s with that facial expression?” 

“Is it just me or you’re avoiding me?” She asked, in an interrogating tone. 

“H-Huh? W-why would I av-avoid you?” Okay. Convince yourself, handsome Jiyong. “I don’t have any reason to do that!” 

“Really?” She asked and leaned forward. She’s still wearing this interrogating-look and it felt like any minute from now, she will know something. “Anyways, let’s go to the cafeteria. You’ll buy Ice Coffee.” 

“S-Sure.” I said after letting out a sigh. It’s really difficult to dealt with her when she’s being suspicious. 

She started to fix her table and put her things on her bag. I sighed, once again, and helped her. It’s not that I am rushing her. Heck, I can wait for her for hours! Even if it took her days just to finish her stuffs. 

She gave me a serious, knowing look. “I can manage.” 

“I know.” I replied. “It’s just that…tch.” 

It’s been 2 days since my friends asked me if I like Sandara and it’s been 2 days since I’ve been asking myself if I like her or not. I started to ask myself if I like her because she is Sandara (the girl that I like as a person) or if I like her more than a friend. Because, I really find it hard to believe that I like her- in a more than a friend level. I’ve been silently liking her because she’s intelligent and beautiful- inside and out. And from the very beginning, that’s just it. I’ve dated a lot of girls and I know my ideal type and it’s kinda bothering me knowing how those bastards can easily come-up with that idea. 

Dude, I don’t even know myself, how come they can! 

Last evening, I crazily googled: How can I say if I like my friend in a romantic way. Yes, I am weird and I am really taking their words seriously. 

“You are acting weird since yesterday.” She said as we started walking towards the cafeteria. 

“R-Really?”

“Are you going crazy?”

I laughed, hysterically. Maybe, I am. “Of course not.” 

“Then, why?” 

“W-What? W-why?”

“Good Lord, you must be hungry.” 

She linked her arm to mine and started to drag me. You know, she is a tiny peanut but she’s grabbing me as if I am as light as her. And for the love of Gods, I felt a small electrifying feeling that I shouldn’t feel! This…this is the very first time this happened! 

“I have 2 theories why you are acting like this. Number 1, you must be so hungry. And number 2, you didn’t have enough sleep yesterday.” 

“I am not the likes of you.” I commented, while chuckling. “It’s not really serious, Dara.” 

She gasped and stopped walking. “And you called me ‘Dara’.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “And what’s so surprising about that? Everybody calls you that.” 

“You never called me that!” She said, in hysterical. I seriously wanted to laugh but I am really doing my best to suppress it right now. She’s so hilarious! And cute. And adorable. Like a button. “Are you really alright?” 

“I am fine, okay?” I said, assuring her. And it’s not like you can help me understand these crazy thoughts. 

It felt like I am acting like a Junior High. You know, first crush and stuffs. I…don’t understand! What those bastards said really caught me off guard! I know too well that if I start to know a person and I enjoy her company, I sometimes tend to develop attraction towards her. But, this? To the Sandara Park? No, no. It’s like I am reaching for star. I am not putting her to pedestal but heck, I can’t see myself dating her. And don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I don’t like her to become my girlfriend. Even if I am just imaging it right now, it felt like I will explode from too much happiness. It’s just that… I am just enjoying our daily encounter: me teasing her and her annoyed expressions. It’s like a routine for me. 

“Okay. Did I do something wrong that made you mad or something?” 

I looked away. “Err…no, you didn’t do anything.” 

I don’t really know why but the good Lord of favours is acting his job right now. Sandara suddenly drag me to an empty room and pinned me towards the wall. I never, never, imagine this will really happen to me. I mean, this whole thing is like in romance movies. A very beautiful girl protagonist being dragged by the handsome lead guy inside an empty room. And next is, the handsome lead guy will corner the beautiful girl protagonist by slapping the wall fiercely, with one hand leaning on the wall, pressing the beautiful girl protagonist against the wall. 

And what is happening right now is the reverse version of the whole thing! Am I in a romance movie? Am I the very handsome guy protagonist of this story? 

I shook all those thoughts away and started to concentrate. I need to concentrate, yes, because Sandara is really close to me. I can smell the scent of her strawberry shampoo. I am putting up a fight against myself, not to close my eyes and inhale her scent. I don’t want to look creepy! 

“You’re acting weird.” 

I sighed and patted her head. “I am not. It’s just that…I am a bit stressed.” 

“Stressed? Why?” 

I looked away. “Uhm, final project?” 

“I know you’re doing well with those. You even let me see your outline!” 

“I’m stressed because…school festival is coming?” Okay. I think that’s quite a ‘valid’ reason. I hope she will—

“Why are you stressed with that stuff?” She asked, while laughing. “You are not part of the Student Council.” 

“Because you’ll be busy…” I murmur. 

“I am always busy, Jiyong.” She said, chuckling.

“And you won’t eat lunch with me…” Okay. Why is it that I am starting to realise that what I am saying is about to happen. 

“Of course not! I will still eat lunch with you.” She blurted. “Don’t you dare forget that you will buy me Iced Coffee every single day.”

I smiled. There are lot of good points about Sandara’s character. She’s not just the intelligent Architecture student. She’s not just the reliable Student Council President. She’s…she’s more than that. And it scares me now that I am slowly realising those things. 

“And you will go home without me…” 

She lifted her chin up and smiled. She placed both of her hands on my cheeks and gently, squeezes them. I know this is just a figure of speech but, damn it, it felt like a horse really kicked something inside of me.

“Aren’t you going to wait for me to finish my meetings?” 

This may sound so gay but it felt like the whole world slowed down. I can clearly see how her eyes twinkle or how her lips twitch while uttering those words. Everything slowed down and I can clearly see how her disheveled hair look so perfect on her or how stupid I am for smiling like crazy. 

“Ne, Sandara.” 

“Yes?” 

“What will you do if I say that I am starting to see you in a different way?” 

Damn it.