The next day, they agreed to meet up after school to go somewhere.

            “Where are we going?” Seo Hyun asks Yonghwa once they meet outside their houses.

            “I’ll show you what students do after school or during weekends.”

Their first stop is an arcade center. Seo Hyun sees a lot of young people there.

            “Aren’t those game machines for boys?” she asks him.

            “Not anymore. Girls like going to places like this too. There are games that girls could enjoy, you know.” He replies.

They start playing a combat game in which Seo Hyun unfortunately chose a funny character by mistake. When she finally got a hang of it, Seo Hyun is able to play well.

            “Are you sure it’s your first time to play this?” Yonghwa says to her with an amazed expression. Seo Hyun is beating him up in the game.

After that, they played other arcade games like car-racing, basketball, and mole-hitting. Seo Hyun enjoys them a lot. Lastly, they try the stuff toy-catching machine. Seo Hyun has no luck in this so Yonghwa tries too.

            “Aisshh!How could they expect somebody to get one when the claw is this loose?!” Yonghwa voices out his frustration after failing on his third attempt.

            “Let’s go.” He says but Seo Hyun holds his arm.

            “Let’s try one last time.” She says.

Yonghwa has no choice but to try again. He concentrates well and surprisingly, he manages to get one.

            “You see that?!” he says with wide eyes. Seo Hyun has wide eyes too while covering with her hands because of surprise.

            “You did it!” she says looking at the small stuff animal in her hand.

            “High five!” Yonghwa puts up his hand on the air for a high five.

Though she’s a bit awkward, Seo Hyun did it with him.

Their second destination is a café. Yonghwa orders an iced coffee while Seo Hyun asked for a cup of oolong tea and a slice of cheesecake. After receiving their orders, the two settles on a table next to the glass wall.

            “Look around. A cafe like this is the usual hang out place for students.” Yonghwa says while Seo Hyun observes. He is right. There are lots of young people here. Some are chatting with friends over coffees while others are silently busy with their laptops.

They next headed to a karaoke bar. The light is dim so Seo Hyun makes sure to stick together with Yonghwa because she thinks that the place is a bit scary. Yonghwa shows her what students do in this place by pointing to the doors. Seo Hyun sees group of young people singing and dancing together inside the rooms.

            “Well, this is awkward….” Yonghwa utters after fifteen minutes of staying in a karaoke room with Seo Hyun. Neither one of them is talking or even trying to sing.

            “You don’t want to sing?” he asks her.

Seo Hyun immediately wags her hand.

            “No, thanks.” She answers.

Yonghwa scratches the back of his ear. Renting the room is just a waste he thought.

            “But we cannot refund the payment.” He tells her.

            “You should sing.” She replies.

            “Huh?”

            “I said, you go ahead and sing.” She says.

Yonghwa smiles awkwardly.

            “I don’t sing. I don’t even usually go to places like this.” He clarifies.

            “Then why did we go here?” Seo Hyun says.

            “It’s because this is one of the places where people hangs out.”

Seo Hyun only stares at him. Yonghwa left out a sigh and get up from his seat. He goes to the song lists stand. While browsing the song book, he looks at her.

            “Okay, I’ll sing first then you sing after.”

            “What?”

            “Just one song each and we’re out of here. Deal?”

            “A…alright..”

Yonghwa starts singing ‘Payphone’ by Maroon 5. Seo Hyun watches him without batting an eyelash.

He can sing. His voice sounds good.

            “Now I’m at a payphone…..” the song ends.

Seo Hyun claps her hands. Yonghwa feels a bit shy.

            “That’s one of my favorites lately.” He explains.

            “This is the first time I heard it but I like the lyrics. It is nice.” She says.

            “You must be good in English then.” He comments.

            “I studied English in the US for a year.” She says.

            “Ahh…” he nods carefully. “It’s your turn.”

            “Ahh…It’s my turn indeed.” Seo Hyun fakes a chuckle and hesitantly chooses a song.

She holds the microphone tightly as the music starts. She then starts singing ‘Sixteen going on seventeen’ from The Sound of Music. A few lines more and Seo Hyun starts to forget that she’s not alone in that room. She sings with emotion and dances like she’s in a stage play or something. Yonghwa’s eyes widen in surprise. He was not expecting that the shy and refusing Seo Hyun became this overly enthusiastic one.

When the music ends, Seo Hyun opens her eyes and realizes Yonghwa’s presence. She sees him looking at her with wide eyes and mouth partly open. Yonghwa looks away and clears his throat. Seo Hyun shyly finger-combs her hair.

They silently walk out of that place.

            “You must like The Sound of Music huh?” Yonghwa breaks the silence.

            “Yes. I love every song.”

            “I just wonder, what do you like doing whenever you have a free time?”

            “I like reading and listening to classical music. I have a phonograph at home. It is a gift from my father.”

            “When you are not in the house, where do you usually go?” he follows up.

            “I like going to the church….also I watch operas and musical plays.”

            “Ahh…”Yonghwa nods. This is his first time to meet such type of girl. “You must have seen The Sound of Music a lot of times…”

            “Yes, indeed! I watched both stage and movie versions a lot of times that I already stop counting!” she answers excitedly.

Seo Hyun suddenly clasps her palms together and begins to talk about the scenes she likes and other stage plays she loves. She goes on and on about them.

            “What?” she notice Yonghwa’s facial expression.

            “Finally you’re talking a lot.” He replies.

Seo Hyun stops walking so as Yonghwa.

            “Are you thinking that I’m a strange person?”

Yonghwa smiles out of amusement.

            “No. You’re acting a bit weird but I don’t think of you as a strange person. More of a…unique person.” He admits.

            “Unique?” she stares at him for a moment.  “Yah! You think I won’t get what you mean just because you sway your vocabulary?!”

            “What?”

            “You’re clearly insulting me!” Seo Hyun accuses him.

            “No! Why would I insult you?”Yonghwa first thought that she might be thinking that he’s hitting on her but she’s thinking differently.

            “This kiddo! Do you think you can deceive me? I lived this long and I can say if the person is--”

            “Whoa!” Yonghwa cuts her. “I’m not insulting you, okay? I just said that you have a unique character. A character that stands out.” He clarifies.

            “And with that, you are implying….?” Seo Hyun asks with furrow eyebrows.

            “You see, people tend to avoid a person that is different. In your case, I think the girls are being held back in approaching you because of how you project yourself.”

Seo Hyun doesn’t say anything and listens.

            “You are kinda outdated, you know? You don’t know what idols and emoticons are. You don’t have a phone. While girls your age like dramas with Hallyu actors and idols, you like classic theatre operas. They like Kpop, you like orchestra music. You see the difference? Of course they would think that they could not relate to you and usually, people like to befriend people who they can relate with.” He stares at her. “One more thing….your clothing.”

            “What’s the matter with it?” Seo Hyun glances herself.

            “I must say, your clothing choice is really old fashioned.”

            “Just because I don’t wear those horrendous clothes the young girls wear nowadays and settle for comfortable clothes I become old fashion in your eyes.” She talks back.

            “I’m not saying that you have to wear provocative clothes. It’s just that you seem to have the taste of a grandma when it comes to clothes.”

She’s wearing a long-sleeved silk blouse that is buttoned up to her neck and a long floral lace skirt. She also wears a white hat over her braided hair.

            “I had been educated to dress properly. Look kiddo, this is how civilized women should dress themselves.” She says proudly.

            “There you go again with your ‘Kiddo’ expression.” Yonghwa points out. “How old do you think I am for you to call me kiddo?”

            “Eighteen and I’m way older than you that is why it is only appropriate for me to address you as kiddo.”

            “How could you be waaa….y older than me? You’re eighteen too!”

Seo Hyun blinks. Yeah…this young man thinks that she’s the same age as him.

            “You speak like an old person. Your choice of words is different from ordinary….outdated. You speak in formal way too. I understand that this might be how you were raised but you should loosen up when you are around other people.”

            “How do you expect me to do such thing?”

Yonghwa smiles.

            “Let’s start with lowering your formal speech. From now on, talk to me in informal speech since we are the same age. And also drop the ‘kiddo’ thing. I’m getting the creeps under my skin whenever you call me that.”

            “A…alright. I’ll call you--”

            “Yonghwa.”

            “Yonghwa then.”

            “Good.” Yonghwa hides the smile that crosses around his face by looking at his wristwatch.

            “We still have time. Let’s go.”

            “Huh, we still have a place to go?”

            “Hm.” He grabs her by the wrist and walk.

Yonghwa brought Seo Hyun to the department store, in ladies wear in particular.

            “What are we going to do here?” Seo Hyun says.

            “We’ll change your wardrobe.” He answers while looking at the racks.

            “But I have many clothes at home.” She reasons out.

            “But you need this type of clothes when you’re out with your gal pals.” He says while looking at a dress in his hand and putting it in front of her to see if it will look good on her.

Seo Hyun no longer disagrees after that. She just observes him browse the clothes.

Something good might come out of it if I continue to spend time with this boy—her mind says as she stares at his face.Yonghwa chose two sundresses, two blouses, a casual white tee, a hooded shirt, and two pairs of denim jeans for her. As they walk, Yonghwa takes some of the shopping bags from her.

            “I was taught to not let a girl carry everything.” He says even before she could say something.

Seo Hyun didn’t voice it out but she likes what he did. She knows that he’s a genuine gentleman because he’s also offering help to elders.

He’s a good boy.

Yonghwa enters a shop and she follows. She watches him browse the displayed cellphone models inside the glass shelves.

He talks with the sales person but Seo Hyun couldn’t understand the terminologies they’re talking about so she just stands there to wait. He turns to her showing a phone in his hand.

            “What do you think of this?”he asks.

            “Uh…..that one looks decent.” She answers randomly.

He stares at her.

            “Decent?” he repeats. Here she goes again with her unusual way of saying things.

            “Each one serves the same purpose so all of them are just the same in my eyes.” She says.

Yonghwa buys the phone and while the sales person is processing the purchase, he brings out his other phone, do something with it, and hand it over to Seo Hyun.

            “What is this?” she asks.

            “You can have it. I have a new phone now.” He replies.

            “You are giving this to me?”

            “Hm.”

She was supposed to reject it but she doesn’t want to offend him so she just accepts the phone.

            “I already deleted my contacts there and save my new number.” He says.

Seo Hyun is lying in her bed holding the cellphone. With pouting lips, she’s exploring how this gadget is functioning. Yonghwa already taught her how to send messages and make a call earlier.

            “Young people nowadays live conveniently, aren’t they?” she utters to herself.

Suddenly it vibrates surprising her for a moment.

            “Good Gracious!” she says.

Then she sees a message icon from Yonghwa so she opens it.

Are you still awake?

She types in a reply.

                        Yes, I am.

Another message comes after a bit.

Girls will eventually like you. You’ll have friends soon, trust me.

She answers again.

                        By the way, thank you for this cellphone. I appreciate your help too.

Better sleep now. We have school tomorrow.

            See you tomorrow then.

Her phone vibrates again.

Goodnight. :)

Seo Hyun’s lips curves into a smile. She doesn’t have an idea that receiving a message and talking through text message feels this good. She keeps staring at Yonghwa’s name on the phone screen until she sleeps.