"You make me go insane, she give me so much pain...."

I jiggled my leg impatiently as I waited in line at the convenience store near my dorm. I was already inexcusably late to my class; it started at 10am, but 10.30 I’m still standing in line, buying snacks when it takes a minimum of half an hour to get there.

I prayed that my teacher wouldn’t mind. Today was English class, and as I came from the States, I was topping the whole course at my university. I could persuade her with some extra tutor hours or something to make up for my lateness. I also promised that I would call my mom this morning because I was busy last night, but I forgot too. AH! I’m so forgetful and unorganized. She would be unhappy again if I called again after my dinner, when I was free, as the time difference between New York and Seoul was too large for me to even work out in my head. Although I spoke Chinese natively, the man at the convenience store thought I was Korean and began chatting to me animatedly in a language I was here to study as part of an exchange program.

I decided to pretend I understood, and nodded and pretended to look interested at the old man who seemed to want to rant about the customer who was in line before me, holding up masses of people. I tapped my leg impatiently again as he stopped scanning my snacks and just started to raise his voice and look extremely angry. I gulped. I hope I didn’t agree or say yes to anything because of my nonchalant nodding.

This went on for at least five minutes. A man standing behind the counter, waving a bag of chips around in the air as if it was a weapon, not something he was supposed to be scanning for me. Now it was 10.40am, and I was afraid even extra tutoring hours would not cut it. I turned around and looked at the person standing behind me in line, who seemed just as half amused and half annoyed as I was. My heart jumped a little in my chest, because it was a boy around my age that was also very painfully handsome. I gave him a little smile and quickly turned around again so he couldn’t see my face turning red.

“Um, excuse me, um…” I began timidly. This man would not just shut up? If he wanted to rant, please rant to someone who was not late for class already.
“Excuse me, sir, um, I’m really late to class, could you please – “

He stopped talking abruptly and looked at me. I smiled sheepishly, hoping he got my broken Korean speaking and continue scanning my items. But he just stared at me, and then asked me a long question in Korean. I gaped at him. Um…? I was barely passing my basic Korean speaking class, and here was the old man from the convenience store, speaking like he was in some ancient drama to me.

“Sorry, um, I don’t understand,” I tried to reason to him in Korean. He looked at me fiercely. My heart thumped in my chest; hopefully I didn’t say anything offensive about his heritage or his mother.

He didn’t understand me. I tried English. “Um…sorry! I don’t understand! No speak Korean! Sorry,” I bowed, hoping he would understand. By now, half the store was glaring daggers into my back. I prayed that he would just hurry up and scan my chocolate and chips and then I could scramble to class. But he just kept speaking to me in Korean, presumably rephrasing his question in even more difficult diction I could not understand.

I looked around helplessly. The guy behind me was on his phone, and I had no choice but to ask him for help. Maybe he spoke English? Please?

“Um…excuse me,” I said timidly, tapping him on his shoulder. “Do you speak English?”

He looked up at me with deep brown eyes and my heart thumped loudly in my chest.
“English? Yes, I speak English, why?” He smiled.

I thanked the heavens. Here was a guy speaking fluent English, with possibly a Chicago accent.
“Please, can you tell him I don’t understand what he’s saying? And to hurry up, because I’m really late for class!”

The guy chuckled. “Okay.”

He stepped up and talked to man in soft Korean. The man chuckled and looked and me sheepishly before quickly scanning my items and handing me the bag. I looked at the guy thankfully before asking, in broken Korean, how much I owed him. He waved his hand at me, yelling cheerfully, “ no money! Today no good free you okay! Eat! Money no!”

My eyes bulged out of my head. I caught the eye of the guy standing behind me and I bit my lip to fight a chuckle. I quickly grabbed the bag, bowed, and left the store.

“Wait!” I heard someone cry out behind me. I looked up to see the guy behind me in the line.

He chased up to me quickly. “I know you’re in a rush…but I’m Peniel,” he said breathlessly. “Maybe I could teach you some Korean sometime? I think you need it,” he chuckled.

I narrowed my eyes playfully. “My Korean is perfectly fine!” I said teasingly.

Peniel chuckled. “Sure, sure. Listen, are you around here often? Come find me at the park across the road from the shop tomorrow at 4pm. I’ll be done training and we can learn Korean!”

“Training…?” I asked curiously.
He nodded. “I gotta go now. See you tomorrow!” He yelled, jogging off.

I chuckled to myself as I walked to the train station. I guess I would just have to have a bad record for being late, because no way was I going to offer tutition hours to my teacher. I would learn more with Peniel, anyway.

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sorry for the lack of updates! exams :(

and incase you guys didn't notice LOL im going in age order, except i haven't forgotten hyunsik! i love him so much so im scared ill ruin the oneshot if i do one with him T^T will post his later! hehe thanks for reading~