You were sitting idly in your desk as you read over your test from your last class. You had missed two questions and you were reviewing them. Everything for this class was laid out on the top surface of your desk so you were prepared when the teacher did come in. You were so immersed in your test you didn’t pay any mind as the seat in front of you became occupied but when you felt eyes on you, you looked up.

Jinsik smiled at you, “Hello.”

“Hello,” your eyes went back to your test as you wondered why he was here.

“Do you have time after school today?”

That made you look back up at him. “What?” His surprise question drew out an informal response and his smile got wider. “I’m sorry, what?” you went back to using formal speech.

“I get it.” Now he was speaking informally. “I want to get to know you better, Taeri.”

You made a face at him, “Why?”

He shrugged but kept his smile, “Don’t you want to get to know me better?”

His question put you on guard. “I don’t know. Do I?”

“Well I guess the polite thing would be to say yes.” He leaned closer to you. “And I’ve noticed you are very polite,” his words and their meaning sounded so different now that he was speaking informally. But you were resolute to go back to the slight distant formal speech.

“Everyone is polite,” but you noticed your conversation had a discreet audience around you two.

“No, they’re not,” Jinsik also took notice of the listening ears. He lowered his voice, “You’re different.”

“Everyone is.”

He shook his head, “Not the same.”

“That is the definition of different.”

“Your kind of different,” he was whispering to you now.

You couldn’t fight the urge to stay away so you leaned closer to him, “That doesn’t make sense.”

“It’ll make more sense once you say yes and then I can have more time to explain it to you.”

“You’re making me want to be impolite right now.” You were frowning at him.

“So do you have time after school today?” he asked you again.

A refusal was on the tip of your tongue and you thought about the extra hour you would be having next week. A mental war started as your thoughts darted here and there, weighing the pros and cons. Finally, you spoke, “No.”

His eyes were casted down, “Alright, I just thought I would ask and—,” you held a hand out to him, cutting him off.

“Not today, but next week after school.”

You had made your decision.

When you had reunited with your two friends after lunch, you were almost bursting to share with them what happened. But that was put on the backburner when Yoora brought over a boy that could only be her new boyfriend.

He bowed to you and Hwami, “Hello, I am Park Sunghyun. Nice to meet you two.”

You both bowed back before introducing yourselves with Yoora beaming at his side. Once you were done, she spoke, “I hope you will all get along with each other.” You caught him smiling at her as he stepped closer to her.

“I think we will,” he didn’t spare either of you a look which you thought was a little rude but you brushed it off as this was the first time a friend’s boyfriend was introduced to you so you didn’t know what was acceptable or not.

After an awkward silence took over, Hwami nervously chuckled, “So how did you two meet?” She already knew the story after Yoora had dreamily relayed the events leading up to her being asked out by the boy, but the silence had been getting to you too and it needed to be filled.

“We met not too long ago,” was all he said. He put an arm around Yoora who beamed at him.

The rest of the meeting went in a similar way. You or Hwami would ask questions and he would only reply in one sentence. Before long, he asked to take Yoora but he didn’t even wait for an answer as he led her away.

“He sure is something isn’t he?” Hwami and you watched them walk off. You looked at her expression and it wasn’t a positive one.

“I guess he is,” you tentatively said.

“I’ll give them space but I won’t like it,” she crossed her arms before turning away, “Now let’s go eat. I’m starved.”

You followed her, “I’m hungry too.”

“So what were you so excited about when you came running to us?”

You couldn’t help but smile because she noticed. “I had news I wanted to share with both of you but,” you cast a look behind you, “since Yoora isn’t here, I’ll just tell you.”

“This can be our little secret. This is where Jeollado and Jejudo become independent.” She used her dialect which was something she rarely did.

You decided to do the same. But she just stared at you.

“Did you just curse at me?”

Your eyes widened, “What? No! Of course not!” you waved your hands frantically. “I was using the Jejudo dialect.”

Her eyes softened, “Oh. Sorry. So what did you say?” You both joined the lunch line.

“I just said we’ll take over all of Korea.”

She laughed at that one, “Yes we will, but we’ll start off with our school for now.” She grabbed your hand, “Tell me what made you so happy.”

“I-,” now that it came down to telling her, you weren’t sure how to say it. You were happy it was Hwami you were telling first because she was the more patient of the two, “You remember Jinsik right?”

That got her attention as her head snapped back at you. “The boy we like to tease you about?”

You nodded, “He came into my math class—,” she cut you off.

“Geez that boy is desperate. I hope you put him out of his misery and finally said yes to him,” she shook her head.

“Umm, actually I did,” you said in a rush after hesitating a second.

“About time. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

The line had dissipated so now you two were picking out your lunch. “I wasn’t sure what to do but in the end I said yes.”

“You live only once Jejudo.” She smiled brightly at you, “And like with Yoora, I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you. That means so much coming