“When is your next performance?” Your mother asked you from her seat across you. She gave you an imploring look before letting her gaze settle on the food.

“On the fifteenth of next month. We’ll be holding a small reception afterwards too.”

“Where?”

“The teacher has yet to tell us that but so far she is planning on a local theater.”

“What dances are you going to do?”

“I believe we will be doing the same performances we have done at the evaluation stage at school as well as two small group performances. Teacher told us we will be finding out who is going to be in which performance at the end of the week.”

“Any solo performances?”

You ducked your head. “None so far.”

You could feel her eyes boring into you while your father chuckled. He had been quiet up until this point and he patted his wife’s shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on her.”

Your mother gave him a look. “I just want the nothing but the best for our daughter.”

He smiled, “I never doubted that.”

A smile broke free on your mother’s face and she directed the remnants of that smile at you. “What is the theme?”

You gave a tentative smile back at her. “I believe it will be the interval between spring and summer.”

“Then we’ll have to get together a hanbok that exudes that.” You mother actually looked excited at the prospect and you could feel it rubbing off on you. You could never turn away a chance to spend time with her like that. No matter how many times you have done so, it never got old.

“And how are your regular classes?” your father asked next.

Your eyes met his probing ones. “Tomorrow I have a test for both my math and my Korean class. I enjoy my literature the most because we started reading a book I find interesting and my science classes are going just as well. I’m just going to have to do the homework after dinner.”

Your dad gave you a nod before returning to his food.

After dinner, you helped your dad clean up while your mom went to lounge in their room. When you were back in yours, you quickly went through the motions of getting your homework out and finishing up what you already hadn’t done. It was when you were in bed with the TV in your parents’ room still loud enough for you to hear when you thought over the lecture and warning your mom had given you when she picked you up at school today.

“You can start dating.”

That was the gist of it but she demanded that you tell her everything about the boy you were interested in and his parents must be on board as well.

After agreeing with all of the regulations and rules, you just sat there.

“What’s wrong?” she had asked. “You did have someone in mind when you first asked me, didn’t you?”

You could only nod while your cheeks became red.

She sighed but it sounded like a melancholy sigh. “Do you want to know my reasons for letting you date?”

You nodded again.

“My parents, your grandparents, never laid such rules for me when I was your age but I did a lot of sneaking around with a boy.” She scoffed, “I was young and I didn’t have any older sisters or close enough friends to warn me about anything about that jerk. Anyway, he had taken advantage of me and my feelings for him.” She said this so softly in her seat next to yours. “I don’t want you to ever go through something like I did so I am asking for your honesty in this.” She gave you a sidelong glance, “You never had a rebellious stage unlike your brother,” she huffed just at the memory of it. You wanted to laugh at how exasperated she sounded but you knew that any thoughts about it pained your parents for reasons they had yet to tell you. “And I sincerely hope you never do but it can still happen. I would be a bad mother if I thought otherwise.”

You wanted to reach out to her, to assure her she was a good mom to you but you couldn’t bring yourself to outright tell her such things. So you nodded, “Yes mom.”

She sighed, “So all I’m really asking for is honesty, Taeri. I’ve already discussed this with your father and he left me to tell you,” she rolled her eyes but you already knew it would end like this. Your father often left anything related to you to your mother while he was the one who actually checked up on your brother time to time. It was a system you had come to recognize.

“Okay mom,” you drew in a breath. “I need to tell you something then.” You knew this was the time to confess everything.

She pulled up to the apartment complex before turning to pat your head. “Later. I need to get back to work and just take out the meat for dinner, okay?”

With that, the conversation had ended and you had yet to tell her about Jinsik but she already said she knew he existed so that was there.

So in the morning, you dad dropped you off and you didn’t have to walk far before Jinsik turned up from beside the gate. Your father had already left but you still looked to make sure.

Jinsik chuckled at that. “Don’t worry Taeri. I made sure your ride left before I came out.” He reached for your hand and you let him take it. From his pocket he pulled out something with his free hand, “Here you go. I thought you might want a snack for later since today is your regular classes.” It was a granola bar.

You took it with your free hand before whispering your thanks.

But before getting on the path toward the doors, he tugged you away.

“What?” you gasped as he led you around to the side of the closest building.

“Sorry, Taeri, I just,” he stopped when you both were well away from the path. “I just wanted to get away from everyone’s eyes.” He shrugged but there was a twinge in his cheeks that surprised you. “I mean, it’s just that I,” he looked down at his feet. “We haven’t spent time alone since last week and you haven’t given me your number so I can’t really contact you until school.” He was looking away from you and you quickly looked away when his eyes darted back to yours for a second. “I just want to hear from you away from all of this,” he pointed to where you had left the walkway most likely indicating the other students.

“Okay.” You murmured. You shrugged one of your bag’s straps off to get your phone. “I’ll give you my number then.”

“Really?” he asked excitedly. He pulled his phone out from his jacket. “Here, let me hold your bag.” He put his phone back in his pocket while he reached for your bag.

“No, it’s okay. My phone is just in this pocket here.” He still took your bag. When you zipped the bag closed once more, he helped you put your bag back on making you blush even more.

“Uh, let’s trade phones,” he handed you his while you gave him yours. He had already opened the keypad for you which you didn’t do. You blushed for not thinking to do the same for him.

You inputted your number and created your own contact. It was while you were typing in your name when he handed you back your phone. “I’m sorry, I’m not finished yet,” you apologized while trying to calm your heartbeat down so you would stop fumbling with your typing.

“Nah, take your time.” He was smiling so brightly. You held out his phone to him when you eventually finished and he placed his hand over yours but not taking his phone back. “So, I wanted to ask another favor.”

He wasn’t really looking at you and you could feel your entire face getting red when he had yet to remove his hand from yours. “Yes?” you breathed.

“Can we take a selca together?” he looked down at your hands and gave a squeeze. “Just for your profile picture,” he wiggled his phone. “I didn’t add anything to mine on yours so your parents won’t notice but I wanted to add a picture to your contact on my phone.”

You hadn’t even considered those precautions. You were flattered and awed at his thoughtfulness.

Before you answered, the bell went off. It startled you out of the bubble you could feel encasing you two.

“Oh no, I haven’t gone to my locker yet.”

Jinsik was still smiling, “Come on. I’ll get you there real quick.” He started to pull you further to the back of the building, puzzling you. He pulled open a door to the side of the building and tugged you inside. You followed him wide eyed. Soon enough, you were being led down the crowded hallway and your mind was still stuck outside with him even as you two were weaving in and out of the waves of students. True to his words, Jinsik dropped you off at your locker before dashing off. You wasted a second staring after him before you shook yourself from the stupor and got to work taking out your books for your first class.

It was after you had taken your Korean test when you saw Jinsik in the halls. He was laughing with some of his friends and you did get a glimpse of a girl who was also walking with them. You wanted to stop and stare but you saw the girl look right at you before you continued on to your next class. Whoever she was, she wanted to give you some kind of message. You weren’t dim enough not to understand that much.

But you had more important things to worry about like your upcoming math test after lunch. Hwami promised through a text she would go over some things with you during lunch as she was more adept at math out of the three of you. You went to your locker to get your math notes when you saw Jinsik already walking up to you after your class. You were preparing yourself to let him know you would be sitting with your friends.

“Come on, let’s eat,” he smiled at you. It didn’t look like his friends were following him today at least.

You shared his smile as you held your notebook to your chest. Like he’s taken to doing, he escorted you to the cafeteria where you saw Hwami waiting for you at the door. You waved excitedly at her.

“Did you bring your notes?” was the first thing she asked.

You nodded, “I took some more notes last night from the textbook using the short study guide the teacher handed us last week.”

“You have a test?” Jinsik asked as you three stepped in line