Jiyong

“YA! YOO HANA, YOU PUNK!”

Keeping my eyes closed, I shouted into the phone as if that would make the goosebumps running up my arms and neck go away. To make things worse, she started laughing happily on the other line. This punk seriously is enjoying this.

I pulled up my blanket over my head hoping to shut out the image of the ahjussi's pale ghostly face swimming in my mind. But then, I remembered all those horror movies I watched and realized that ghosts can also hide inside the blanket and scare me to hell and back. I wrestled out of it and sat up, breathing heavily. My heart was seriously about to burst from my chest. AND HANA WAS STILL LAUGHING HER FREAKING HEAD OFF.

“YA! HANA! STOP LAUGHING!” I was pretty sure my mom would come knocking on my door soon from all the ruckus I was making.

Gathering all my courage, I forced my eyes to open and look around my empty room. It wasn't that dark with the moonlight shining in from the window. I let out a relieved breath, realizing that there was no old man sitting on my bed staring at me.

“Aw... Man...” Hana was still laughing but it had died down now. “That was perfect.”

I used to think her laughter was like hot soup meant to warm up the people around her. She would laugh so hard that tears would come out from her crescent eyes, dimples digging in so deep in her cheeks, you would think someone stabbed her face. I really loved listening to her laugh. But right now? I was cursing it to hell.

Still gritting my teeth, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves. I need revenge.

“God, I was imagining it like The Grudge...” I start. Hanna's fading chuckles abruptly stopped. I knew I had her then. “You know that kid with the white face crouching inside the blanket staring at you. Brrr...”

I bet she's imagining it now. And sure enough, there was a sudden outburst from Hana.

Oh, such sweet revenge.

“This isn't funny, Jiyong.” Hana's breathing was becoming shallow. She's scared. Ha. I did a little victory jig in my mind and laughed out loud at her backfired prank. “You ! I'm hanging up now!”

“Wait, wait!” I called out in between chuckles. “Why are you so annoyed when you're the one who started it.” The breath she let out sounded frustrated. I could just picture her closing her eyes and biting her lip. “And you had to drag that poor ahjussi into this.”

“Fine, I'm sorry.” Her voice came out forced but I can tell that she was feeling guilty. “He really did die though. Now let's stop this nonsense okay?”

“Arasso.” I pulled up my legs to my chest and hugged them, smiling. There was peace once again.

Earlier tonight when I had been so restless and frustrated over my music, I realized that I needed to do something to calm myself. I honestly didn't know why I thought of calling Hana right away. Now though, after that stupid prank, I've realized why. Talking to her always makes me feel warm and comforted, despite and because of all the bickering and insulting.

“Hana,” I whisper, feeling myself calm down from the fun, “Komawo.”

“For?”

I smiled, hearing the confusion in her voice. “Hmmm... For staying awake. For answering my call,” I said, “...for being a friend.”

“Hmm... Sure. No problem.” she mumbled, chuckling softly. “I can't go back to sleep so easily now, though. You should take responsibility.”

It was my turn to chuckle now. I laid down on the bed again, looking up at the ceiling. Then a smile crept on my lips.

“Do you want me to sing you to sleep?”

“Oh, really?” Hana scoffed. “You're a rapper composer. I know you hate singing. I might just get nightmares from hearing you sing.”

“Ya, you're ruining the moment!” I tried to act annoyed but I ended up laughing. “Besides, my vocal trainer said I've been improving lately.”

“Fine,” Hana conceded. I heard her shuffling around in bed. She's probably lying down now. “Let's hear it.”

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, then started to sing the song I learned earlier that week.

“Saying I love you,
Is not the words I want to hear from you,
It's not that I want you,
Not to say, but if you only knew,
How easy it would be to show me how you feel,
More than words is all you have to do to make it real,
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me,
'Cause I'd already know,”

As I sang, a picture of Hana lying on her bed — eyes closed, dark brown hair sprawled on her pillow, a small smile on her lips as she listened to me sing — played around in my mind. It gave me a boost of confidence.

“Then you wouldn't have to say,

That you love me,

Cause I'd already know...”

I heard soft, steady breathing on the other line and realized that Hana had already fallen asleep.

“Goodnight, Hana,” I whispered, smiling softly. I put down the phone next to my pillow and put it on speaker mode. A few seconds later, I was already drifting off with a satisfied smile on my face.