‘Yongguk ah~ Yongguk~” She was calling my name, the goddess who smiled at me in school today. She looked over her shoulder at me, who was running up to catch up. “Wait!” I shouted at her. Then, a loud blaring sound rang in our white world of paradise. In a blink she disappeared, just as I opened my eyes…

What. The. Hell. “Kim Himchan. You’re so dead.” I growled squinting at the bright screen of my phone with his name flashing across it. “What?” “DUDE. I KNOW YOU’RE COMPLETELY OUT OF IT BUT HOW COULD YOU FORGET YEJIN’S STAGE TONIGHT? GET YOUR OVER HERE .I’VE ALREADY TEXTED YOU THE ADDRESS.”

. “I’m coming, I’m coming. Go in first then, I’ll find you later…” He laughed like an idiot over the line, adding to my irritation. “Are you crazy? I got a backstage pass from the pretty receptionist. I’m going to go try and calm Yejin down first and come out when she’s performing. Handle yourself you bastard.” “Fine, you’re enough support for her, I’m going back to my y bed…” “Hey wait! That girl’s coming tonight!” My ears perked. “You . Don’t try to trick me into coming, Kim Him Chan!”

“I’m serious Guk! I even got her name for you! Jung Bo Ra! She’s already made friends with our Yejin awwww.” “What? Is she there yet?” “Of course not. It’s like an hour before this thing starts. She’ll be here though. You’ll be her , Yejin already told her. Good luck Gukkie~” He chuckled before hanging up.

I stared at the phone for a few seconds before throwing it on the bed and kicking the wall. “YOU BASTARD.  IF IT’S AN HOUR LATER THEN WHY DID YOU CALL ME SO EARLY? HUH? AND YOU’RE NOT EVEN GONNA BE THERE WITH ME? WHAT HAPPENED TO BROS BEFORE HOES…UHMM CHICKS? HUH? WHAT THE FUC…”

Why is he my friend at all….My phone pinged with a new message. I slide my thumb to open it. Holy…. There she was. Yejin had sent me a picture of herself and Bo Ra, her new ‘bestie’. With a wink emoticon and a ‘She’s coming soon…’ The goddess was smiling at the camera. Wow….

Okay never mind. I didn’t waste my time throwing on a black wife beater and my best pair of jeans, a jacket and a pair of Converse. I did my hair and practiced my smile in the mirror for 15 minutes. And used my mouthwash spray. All the way, my heart was probably doing back flips. I’m probably going to have cardiac arrest soon, at the rate it was hammering away in my chest.

I left a note for my brother, got on my motorbike and sped through the night.

By the time I arrived at the entrance underground club, it was teeming with masses of human bodies. How am I supposed to find her here? I closed my eyes, and opened them again, scanning the crowd for dark red, copper hair. There was green, cyan and blond hair in all types of styles….Someone tapped me on my shoulder, before a sultry voice caught me off guard.

“Are you Yongguk? I waved to you today remember? Himchan said you were supposed to be my bodyguard haha~”  

I stared in shock for a few moments at her, then coughed and came out of it.  So that’s what her voice sounded like. ‘Don’t blow this Yongguk. You’re not a lovesick fool. Be cool. Girls like cool.’

What the hell, was Himchan’s voice doing in my head? I threw her a (not nervous I hope) smile and stuck my hand out. “Yeah, I’m Yongguk. You must be Bo Ra.” I liked the way she shook my hand, it was a very collected and firm handshake. Her skin was really as smooth as I thought…

“Not one to keep the honorifics, are we?” I teased. She looked up at me with a cheeky smile. “Neither are you, Bang Yongguk. I’m not very becoming of a lady, am I?” We shared a bout of snickers. I was beginning to like her way more than I should….

I took a casual glance at her as she started walking. She was wearing a high waist leather skirt and a flaming red shirt with a crisscross design and see through tights. The shirt complimented her hair, which had its own flair accompanied by a brown leather beret. To compliment her whole amazing outfit, she had on a pair of black velvet boot heels. I found myself admiring her for the second time tonight; she really knew how to dress herself. It radiated class.

As we made our way into the club, squashing through the bunch of people, I gasped from the pressure my lungs were receiving.

I felt a smooth hand grip mine. “This way we won’t separate!” She shouted above the din the people were making. I smiled, I was more than happy to hold her hand. We finally made it to the table Yejin had reserved for us after overcoming the packed crowd. I wiped the sweat from my brow, and smiled at her. “We made it.” She was blushing. “Uh, Yongguk..” “Hmm?” She held up our still intertwined hands and it was my turn to blush. I quickly let go. “I’ll go get you a drink.”

I practically ran to the bar smiling like an idiot. I didn’t ask her if she drank, how stupid, stupid. I got two vodka on-the-rocks, hoping she wouldn’t get mad at me. “How did you know?” She grabbed the glass from me and downed it in a second. I shrugged. “Lucky guess?” Inside I was impressed yet again. A girl who could hold her alcohol. Was she any less short from perfect?

She gave me a friendly punch on the arm. “Did you stalk me?” I chuckled. “No baby, I just knew you like the back of my hand.” She laughed. This was seriously the most I have EVER flirted with a girl. We spent the rest of the evening exactly like this, drinking and talking. It was liberating, like someone pulled the curtains of indifference to the world from my eyes. Somewhere along the way I lost my nervousness. Maybe it was the way she felt so easy to talk to, and kept my mind on track of our conversations.

I learned some basic things about her, how she was an aspiring writer, and did swimming in her free time, and that she was working part time in a coffeehouse (she invited me for a cuppa any day). Past the surface level, I also knew that she liked creamy peanut butter, would like to try skydiving and loves mystery thriller novels. She had an afflation for British television shows and first learned to drink at a football game in Manchester when she was 10….

Jung Bo Ra was a book I would like to explore and read ten times over until I memorized its contents. We truly hit it off. Suddenly, Himchan ran out somewhere backstage and flung himself at our table. “Shut up…It’s…starting…” He panted.

I was partly annoyed at him, again, and then distracted by Bo Ra’s soft gasp. I followed the audience’s eyes to the stage.

Yejin was particularly stunning tonight, wearing a black dress that flowed just past her knees. She seemed rather nervous though, and Him Chan noticed before us. He started clapping and cheering for her. Bo Ra looked at me and we shrugged. Joining in her ‘support’ until the music started, I kinda felt… happy for Him Chan? I mean, he’s never been like this over a girl…

She lifted the mike to her lips just as a ritzy piano solo finished. I can’t really describe what happened next. All I know is that once the magic flowed from her lips, everyone sat in stunned silence. It was beautiful. Her eyes held the soulful emotion of her powerful voice. I recognized the song, Alicia Keys ‘If I Ain’t Got You’, one of my favorites.

Soon, everyone was swaying to the slow smooth feel of the song. I was looking around, and made eye contact with Bo Ra again. My heart plummeted to the depths of my abdomen as we refuse to break contact. This time, there WAS a soundtrack.  She pulled me to the dance floor, put my hand on her tiny waist and led me across the room.

“So forward for a lady, huh?” I grinned wickedly at her. “I think you need to get to know me better, Yongguk-ie~” Yongguk-ie? I laughed, and we continued slow dancing until our ‘Ailee’ got off the stage.

“You were amazing, Yejin!!!” “Yeah girl. That voice. Damn…” I winked playfully at her. She was still quite shy, and blushed as she thanked us all profusely. “Yejin, you should have seen how everyone was looking at you!” And the Him Chan has spoken. She turned to look at him and tiptoed up…to give him a kiss on the cheek. His face turned seven shades of red, as we laughed.

We continued to share the night till the end. I got Bo Ra’s number, finally. I sent her home, because Yejin had to attend to a drunk Him Chan. I couldn’t say I didn’t warn her…

“You were amazing tonight, Yongguk. Thanks.” We were walking a few blocks in the night air to her apartment. Her parents would be there she said. It was okay. “You should be saying that to Ailee.” I joked. “Ah, always making jokes. I’m serious.” She looked at me with an expression so empathic I gulped. Glancing up at the star filled night sky, she asked me, “Aren’t they beautiful?” “Not as beautiful as you.”

…’WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT SPEAKING WITHOUT THINKING, GUK???” Get out. Himchan. Just get the hell out. She was blushing, but managed to grin. “Why thank you, handsome. I’ll see you at school then?” “Sorry, I tend to blab alot…Yeah. Bye.” I gave a half hearted wave to her and prepared to turn back, she probably thinks I’m a blabbering buffoon.

Yeah, no. Grabbing my wife beater, she turned me around and gave me a full kiss on the mouth, before waving bye and running up the landing with a large grin on her face. I touched my lips, momentarily stunned. Did Jung Bo Ra just give me a kiss?

Wow. Again. Forward indeed.