It’s about three hours later when Se Hun musters the courage to go up the elevator and arrive at her door. Anxiety gets the better of him again, however, as he brings the old, tattered notebook closer to his torso, fingers curling tightly around the dusty cover. Se Hun resists the urge to down the pudding his mother had made.

 

A disappointed frown makes its way to his lips. Her door is as it has always been: black and satiny in luster; the small, brass numbers of her apartment barely hang onto the wood, with nails loose enough to easily pluck out. Nothing had changed, and yet, it seemed like everything he ever knew about her, he ever felt for her had utterly transformed into something he honestly still could not completely decipher. He was just acting on instincts now, and a part of him regrets it because the anxiety is just too much.

 

He needs to down that pudding now.

 

But Se Hun resists the urge again. Instead, he thinks of how she is just behind that door, watching recordings of her favorite gag show and writing down the jokes that piqued her. She’s just behind that door, he tries to convince himself; she’s not with that Lu Han, having a swell of a time doing their research paper. She must be behind that door, because no one does his or her research paper at 5 in the morning. (Then again, no one comes to someone’s house at 5 in the morning, pudding and a childhood treasure in hand, to profess his love for that someone.)

 

At 5:10 am, Se Hun is still hesitating and is completely helpless. He does not know what to say nor what he actually wants to say. He has always been tactless; today was no different, especially since she was his best friend. It was with her that his tactlessness was at its prime for he knew she’d always accept him despite all his flaws.

 

Carefully, he opens the dusty notebook he brought. It was a last minute thing that he had remembered just as he was about to exit his house.

 

He was a bullied child; his lisp had been the subject of endless teasing by his classmates when he was young. Because of she was already in elementary school, her classes ended late, just before sunset, and she could not protect him when he needed her most. The least she could was to make him smile, even if she was not there. In that old, brown notebook was a compilation of corny jokes she had collected and written one by one in her juvenile handwriting. Se Hun remembers laughing at some of them because they really were funny; he also remembers how many were too corny to even spare a second glance at.

 

The pages are thin and musty against his skin as his fingers slide down the entire length of the paper. He can’t help but smile at her dainty handwriting—it was what one least expected from a girl like her. He skims through the notebook’s pages, remembering what it was like reading those jokes for the first time, how those jokes brought even the littlest of joys to him despite the bruises on his cheeks or the cuts on his arms.

 

Closing the dusty notebook, Se Hun finds his resolve and steps forward, taking a deep breath. He reaches his index finger out to ring the door bell. He hears the familiar chime behind her closed door, but the sound of shuffling feet does not follow. Strange, he thought, because it never takes her a minute to answer the door. A few more minutes passed, and still, she has not emerged from her small apartment to greet him. Worry soon fills Se Hun as he lunges forward to turn the door knob.

 

Locked.

 

Se Hun bites his lip, stepping back.

 

So she wasn’t there.

 

“Of course she’s with Lu Han,” he mumbles to himself.

 

Se Hun feels like crying. Se Hun feels like his heart has been ripped apart. Se Hun feels like he is a fool for ever thinking that whatever feelings he had for his best friend were real.

 

I’m being naïve, he tells himself. Maybe it’s because I just broke up.

 

Was it because he was simply yearning for someone’s love and she was the only one there?

 

His mind is filled with confusing thoughts, while his heart with aching emotions. This is worse compared to my break up. Unable to find the strength to leave, Se Hun sinks to the floor, back against her door. He digs through his knapsack for his mom’s homemade pudding. He somberly stares at it, all appetite dissipating as the realization that his best friend chose someone else hit him. He lays the pudding on the floor, untouched and unappreciated. It reminds him too much of her; she was his mother’s pudding’s number 1 fan.

 

Se Hun takes the tattered notebook, slowly swipes a finger across her dedication (To Oh Se Hun: I hope these jokes will make you smile!), and finally rests his head on its dusty surface. It smells of old musk and shattered dreams and broken hearts, and he could no longer associate it with childhood innocence and happiness.

 

Se Hun cries himself to sleep.

 

~

 

The sound of an incoming message wakes Se Hun at 5:40 am. Groggily, he digs through his pockets and finds the light of his phone too blaring for someone who has just woken up. The sight of her name on his screen is like caffeine, however, instantly reviving the slumbering youth. Frantically, he unlocks his phone and presses the message icon.

 

From: Corn

What do you call streams that flow backwards?

 

Se Hun’s jaws almost drop at her text.

 

A joke. She decides to send him a joke at 5:40 am.

 

To: Corn

Are you kidding me?

 

Se Hun shakes his head and presses on the backspace. She might make a pun out of his message. He takes a slow, deep breath and organizes his thoughts.

 

To: Corn

You don’t text or talk to me for almost three weeks and when you finally do, you send me a joke? Cut the crap.

 

His fingers linger over the send button. Was he being too immature? No, he doesn’t think so. He’s too emotionally-drained—that’s what he was. He’s too emotionally-drained to give a damn about her joke. He wanted, needed answers.

 

He finally presses the send icon, and a minute later, he receives another text from her.

 

From: Corn

…Rivers! Haha, do you get it?

 

Se Hun can feel the anger swirling in his stomach, travelling upwards until his heart and mind feel hot and stuffy. His eyes, swollen from all the crying, starts to water again. How could she be so nonchalant? Did she not even think about his situation? He can’t distinguish if the heavy, burning feeling in his chest is despair from rejection or fury from her ignorance.

 

To: Corn

How can you be so heartless? I miss you. I miss talking with you.

 

Another minute passes when he receives her response.

 

From: Corn

Silly boy. If you wanted to talk, all you had to do was look up.

 

What?

 

Following her ambiguous instructions, Se Hun tears his gaze away from his phone and looks at the long corridor, searching for whatever his best friend must have meant.

 

His eyes widen when he sees a familiar figure standing at the other end of the hall, patches of turquoise and pink swaying as she waves at him. An unwelcomed guest stands beside her—the alabaster skin said it all. Se Hun feels his blood boiling.

 

Frantically, he jumps to his feet. “How long have you—“

 

She cuts him off, placing a finger on her lips to silently tell him to tone down. Se Hun covers his mouth, regains a bit of his composure, and briskly walks to meet her and her stupid research partner, dusty notebook still in hand.

 

“How long have you been here?!” he asks in a hushed frenzy once he was close enough.  

 

She gives him a cheeky grin. “Long enough. Well, okay, maybe around ten minutes. Lu Han and I just arrived from the public library. Congratulate us because we’re finally done with our paper.”

 

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

 

Before his best friend could answer, her stupid research partner chuckles. It’s as melodic as the last time he’s heard it. It’s also as annoyingly pleasant as ever. “She insisted that we don’t. You looked too peaceful to be woken up, Se Hun.” Se Hun clenches his teeth; he does not appreciate the way this man says his name as if they were close friends.

 

“Just like a cute baby,” his best friend quips. She’s not the best of help, really. Se Hun does not know how much longer his heart can take.

 

“Anyway, I better get going,” Lu Han says, “We both need to get some well-deserved rest. Good night…Or, good morning, rather!” After one final laugh and wave, Lu Han bids them farewell and turns to the stair case.

 

“Bye, Lu!” After sending her partner off, she turns to face Se Hun and gestures for them to start walking towards her door. Purple sacs weigh her tired, bloodshot eyes down, but Se Hun can see how much she’s trying to appear less of a zombie in front of him. “Lu Han’s apartment is just upstairs; really convenient when you’re research partners with him!”

 

Se Hun’s heart begins to throb again. How on earth does she find a way to bring Lu Han in the conversation? “I don’t care about him,” he mumbles, low enough for her not to hear. “Where have you been? I’ve been…I mean…Where have you been?” Like hell he’ll let her know that she’s made him into a puddle of messy and unstable emotions.

 

“Weren't you listening? Public library; we—“ she lets out a long yawn which Se Hun replicates; yawns were contagious after all, “Just finished our research paper. It’s not the best, honestly, but we’re both proud of it. It actually makes sense, haha. And what about you, mister? Does Aunty know you’re here?” Suddenly, her demeanor had changed into that of a responsible adult.

 

Se Hun cringes at the tone of her voice. Even though she was his Noona, he has never felt the between them, except for moments when she actually acted like his Noona. This was one of those times—when she was being too protective, too responsible, too sensible. She could not see that he was here for her; because he missed her.

 

“Of course she does,” he lies through his teeth. For a split second, her eyes narrow at him, causing him to tense up. There was no use in lying to her; she knew him inside-out. Se Hun feels like punching himself for forgetting that simple truth. A split-second later, however, his best friend reverts to her sleepy disposition and continues walking, disregarding his lie.

 

“I’ll pretend that you were saying the truth,” she says. “You probably haven’t called her yet, have you? No, don’t answer that; I know you haven’t. I’ll call her the minute we get inside my apartment.”

 

The last few minutes to her apartment seemed like death to Se Hun. For reasons unknown, a tense, awkward silence hung in the air. No words were exchanged between them; only her occasional yawns produced what little sound there was. Since when were things so awkward, he wonders. Or maybe because she was just too sleepy? Se Hun convinces himself that it is the latter.

 

“So, umm…”

 

“Is that pudding?” she almost gasps, pointing at the transparent plastic container on the ground. Sweet, viscous syrup drips down from the dark brown top of the custard dessert. His best friend is practically drooling, her eyes mesmerized by the sight of her favorite confectionary. For a moment, Se Hun forgets all heartache and confusion, and smiles at his best friend’s unhealthy obsession for his mother’s pudding.

 

“What do you think it is?”

 

She simply replies with a triumphant grin and bends down to pick the container up. “Well then, let’s go inside and have some!” Taking her keys from her pockets, she unlocks her old, rustic door and ushers Se Hun inside.

 

~

 

Se Hun stares at the hands in front of him; his eyes are sore from all the crying he did that early morning. It’s not ramen that greets him anymore, however, but chilled pudding he ate while growing up. And unlike instant ramen which smelled of synthetic spices, the custard dessert had a sweet, subtle aroma that reminded him of home and of her. It was nothing like the foul stench of rejection that hung heavily in the air.

 

His best friend smiles sheepishly at him, taking her place beside him on her carpeted floor. 

 

Se Hun almost laughs—bitterly, too—at how this reminded him of that night five weeks ago when he had run off to her apartment after his first break-up. This time, however, there’s no break-up involved; just the pathetic breaking of his heart over an imaginary but expected rejection.

 

It hurts.

 

“Hey, why aren’t you eating?” she asks him. She’s already devoured her second helping, whereas Se Hun hasn’t even touched his first. “Sick of your mom’s pudding? Can’t say I blame you; you have been eating it for the last…um…well, forever. But still, how can you grow tired of something so darn del—“

 

“Why didn’t you reply to my texts?”

 

The question catches her off-guard. Gingerly, she sets her bowl of pudding on the coffee table. “But I did. Didn’t you find the joke funny? I know I’m really corny sometimes…okay, most of the time, but that one was really good, admit it.”

 

“You know that’s not what I meant.” Se Hun lets out a frustrated but tired sigh and adjusts his position so he could address her properly. “You don’t talk with me or even see me for two weeks, four days, four hours and twenty minutes. Suddenly, you text me with one of your puns. A pun, for god’s sake! You don’t even ask how I was doing; why I was acting like that; why I haven’t texted you for days; why I haven’t even visited you. You text me with a pun and when I ask you questions, you don’t answer them. Do you know what that makes me feel like? A fool; an idiot.”

 

She blinks at Se Hun; hearing his voice waver like that bothered her, hurt her. She knew Se Hun inside-out; she witnessed all of his highs and lows, his happiness, his sadness, his anger, his grief.  She knew him inside-out, but no matter how many times she’s seen it, she could never get used to the sight of Se Hun in pain. Se Hun’s pain was her pain, his grief was her grief. Behind his stone-cold eyes was a child all curled up and trembling. He was hurt beyond all comprehension, and she knew that she was the cause of this heartache.

 

Her fingers feel numb, and she can’t find the strength to move, as if all bodily functions had stopped. Her brain had stopped functioning, too, because no thoughts, except one, filled her head.

 

I’m sorry, Se Hun.

 

betrays her, however, as she utters a simple, “I was busy. You knew I was busy.” She wants to punch herself. Way to go, genius.

 

Se Hun clenches his fist as he restrains himself from bolting out the door. Has his best friend always been this heartless? He thought she had a soft spot for him despite his bratiness and shortcomings. Since when were things so awkward and disconnected between them? Se Hun realizes that the sudden distance he thought was just a figment of his imagination was actually, very much real.

 

“That won’t cut it. Do you think that’s enough? You were busy, so what? It doesn’t take a gazillion hours to get your phone and text me. A simple ‘Hey, how are you?’ is enough. That’s all that I needed, really. I just…” Se Hun wants to cry; in fact, he can already feel the stinging in his eyes. But he doesn’t want to show her any more of his weakness; he can’t be the weaker one any longer. Se Hun brings his knees to his chin, arms wrapping tightly around his legs.

 

Se Hun takes a deep breath for the umpteenth time that morning. “I’m a selfish person; you of all people should know that. And with my recent break-up, I needed you more than ever. I understand that you were busy, but that doesn’t explain why you practically ignored me for a good two weeks, four days, four hours and twenty-three minutes.”

 

She raises an eyebrow at him. “Well, you didn’t text me either,” she reasons. Se Hun purses his lips at her words, and then buries his face into his arms. “You’re not being fair to me,” she says. Se Hun lets out a soft whimper. Despite all that has happened, an amused smile tickles her lips as she places both hands on his ears, cupping them. Se Hun feels his ears growing hot and red as he’s made to look up at her. “But that’s okay, because I wasn’t fair to you either. Do you want to know a secret?” Fear creeps into Se Hun as he sees the twinkle in her eyes; that only meant one thing—she was about to crack one of her unnecessary jokes, the ones that were uncalled for and not quite applicable in their current situation. Se Hun doesn’t know if he should feel happy because even if it’s just a little, the sudden distance between them doesn’t seem so huge anymore. Things were becoming more familiar again.

 

“When I introduced you to Lu Han a few weeks ago, I noticed something. You were acting very un-Se Hun-like. You were awkward and distraught and I thought, maybe it had something to do with my research partner,” she lets out a nervous chuckle, “Now, don’t react too violently at what I’m about to say, but…I thought that you may have…kind of…taken quite some interest into my friend…Haha, haha…he…he…he…I’m sorry.”

 

Se Hun’s eyes grow wide at his best friend’s untimely, unexpected confession. “You what?!” he exclaims, completely forgetting whatever agony had engulfed him for the past two weeks. “You, you can’t be serious, right?” His eyes narrow. “This is another joke, isn’t it? Do you honestly think this is the best time for one of your pranks? Why do you never realize that there’s a time and place for every joke?”

 

“Hey, I’m being serious. It’s funny—okay, not really—but I am being serious. And hear me out, will you? I’m not yet done.” Se Hun frowns but decides to give her a chance. He puts his legs on the floor and Indian sits, allowing for a more comfortable position. Somehow, his best friend’s disturbing disclosure of her unpredictable thoughts put him…at ease? Despite all ridiculousness, Se Hun felt lighter, as if a heavy weight has been lifted. Was it his best friend’s natural ability to make him feel comfortable, carefree?

 

“For a while, I thought it was that. But then, a realization hit me, that maybe…it probably wasn’t that. But I was still confused, see, because the other option was…well…” Her voice fades as she blinks at Se Hun and tears her gaze from him. A second later, she gets her momentum back and looks him in the eye. “My point is, I don’t contact you for three reasons: the first, as you may already know, I was busy. Please understand at least that much, but I know it’s not entirely valid. The other two…” She halts again; Se Hun starts growing more curious and impatient. His best friend always knew what to say; she was always right, never confused, never hesitant about things (especially about puns and other corny jokes). Whatever reasons those were must have been so overwhelming to have his best friend confused and speechless. “One, I thought you kind of liked Lu Han—which made things really awkward. But I know you aren’t like that, Se Hun, so the only possible reason as to why you were acting like that…had something to do with me. I’m not even going to ask you if I’m right because I know I am. And all that leads to one thing: even more awkwardness. I don’t bother contacting you because I might say something stupid about or I simply don’t know what to say to you. I noticed every look you sent Lu Han and I that day, Se Hun. I know you better than the back of my hand, Se Hun. That’s why when I realized all these things, I…I didn’t know what to do. Ever since we were little, you came to me for comfort. I have become an expert when it comes to all things Oh Se Hun, but suddenly this happens; suddenly, I’m directly involved in whatever situation you find yourself in right now, and I just don’t know what to do. I can’t even make a pun about it, do you know what that feels like? I have a pun for every occasion, for every time you visit my apartment when you’re down in the dumps. But now…How can I become a stand-up comedian if I can’t do something as simple as that?”

 

Se Hun’s eye and lips twitch. Did she just…? What the hell was that? She says that she’s confused, and yet, not even one minute after, she starts saying all this junk about making puns, and her now dubious future in stand-up comedy. “Do you have no sense of seriousness in you at all, you idiot?” Se Hun tried to sound furious, he really did, but he couldn’t hide the slight, upward curve of his lips.

 

She flashes her famous, sheepish grin. “I do. And I’m about to prove it to you, Oh Se Hun.” In a blink of an eye, her grin falters—replaced by a poker face mirroring his usual stoic expression. The resemblance to his own is uncanny, and he wonders if that is the fruit of her having been friends with him for forever. She leans in, and Se Hun doesn’t know if the heat is coming from his crimson cheeks or her proximity. Could she hear his palpitating heart? He swears that the entire world could hear it loud and clear. Her turquoise and pink hair tickles his forehead, and he realizes that these colors on her were new. She had a soft coral color the last time he saw her. And for the first time in his entire life, he takes a good, hard look at his best friend’s appearance—all the tiny details of her face, from her almond-shaped eyes to her thin chapped lips, and finally, to the curls of her fluffy hair all dried and deader than dead from all the bleaching she’s done.

 

“Do you like me?”

 

Se Hun takes in a sharp breath. It’s louder than what was needed, than what he wanted because it only shows how much the question shocked him. He didn’t expect her to pop the question, not when he had plans of confessing to her. His heart begins to beat even faster. What was he going to do, answer her? Couldn’t she have given him the privilege of confessing properly?

 

“Noona, what did the man with the broken leg say to his nurse?”

 

“…What?” she stammers, stumbling backwards.

 

“Come on, answer it!”

 

Her expression changes to that of wonder as she scrutinized him. “Did you just ask me a joke? And did you just call me Noona? You never call me Noona. And you didn’t answer my question either.”

 

“But, Nooooonnnnaaa,” he whines, grabbing her arms and shaking them. She was immune against his aegyo, but desperate times call for desperate measures. “You like jokes, don’t you? And how often do you hear a joke from me, right? You never hear a joke from me! And this one’s an original, too, so you better take this offer while it lasts!” He gives her the cheesiest smile he could muster, but it’s only to cover up the fact that he was anxious. Se Hun feels like he’s about to burst.

 

“Okay, first of all, that is not your original joke. That’s mine. Page 15 of The Corniest Jokes Ever Made, and Other Things. I wrote that for you when you were…” She stops mid-way as Se Hun holds up the said, dusty notebook. She blinks again. She didn’t know he kept it. She didn’t think he’d actually keep it. He had often told her that while the jokes made him laugh, it didn’t make the bullies go away. “You actually kept it?”

 

Se Hun nods, flipping through the pages of the tattered notebook. He chuckles at how her beautiful penmanship contrasted with her ugly illustrations. “Of course I did. The jokes didn’t stop the bullying, but they never failed to remind me that you’ll never abandon me.” He looks up at her and meets her eyes. “Noona, since you wrote this book, you must know the punch line to my joke, right?”

 

She gives him a gloating smirk. “Naturally. It’s…” She blinks again, an epiphany hitting her hard. Her carefree countenance quickly falters into that of astonishment. “I have a crutch on you.”

 

Se Hun smiles, and she thinks it’s the prettiest, most precious smile he’s ever shown her. Shyly, he brings the notebook to his face, covering the delicate baby pink spreading throughout his pale cheeks. “I have a crutch on you, Noona,” he whispers behind the notebook as he makes eye contact with her. “I know it’s unexpected—heck, even I didn’t imagine this would happen, but it just did. Please don’t think that this is just puppy love, that my feelings are a by-product of my recent break-up. I like you, Noona, more than a best friend should. Meeting Lu Han, I...I just went crazy. Suddenly, there was this huge distance between us, and I was afraid that I might never reach you again. I never realized how much I’d regret it if you ever took an actual interest in dating and became someone else’s. I’m sorry for not even bothering to text you and then blaming you every time my heart did this painful squeeze. For the past two weeks, four days, four hours, and thirty-six minutes, I was just as confused as you were, Noona, and now, I…I…” Se Hun raises the notebook, completely covering his face. “Please accept my feelings.”

 

There’s silence for what seemed like forever. Se Hun slowly takes a peek at his best friend, whose blank, unreadable expression just screams absolute rejection. She blinks—once, twice. Her gaze falls to her lap; for a while, her hands are stiff, until she finds the strength to clasp them together and bring them to her lips. With his lips quivering and his heart slowly sinking into oblivion, Se Hun returns the notebook to his forehead. He could feel the hot tears now. The pungent smell of burnt wood stings his nose as the tears wet the old, sepia-colored pages. “But, of course,” he whimpers, “You’re not going to, are you, Noona? Because you’re not like that. You don’t like me like that. You won’t ever like me like that—like how I like you.” Se Hun tightens his grip on the notebook, bringing it closer to his face. With his vision blurred, he vaguely sees her pretty handwriting smear, the ink dispersing into its multi-colored components. “My heart hurts, Noona,” he mewls. He’s never cried this hard over a person before. He also never expected his best friend to be that person.

 

“Hey,” her calm voice rings. Se Hun feels her gentle hold on the notebook as she pushes it downward to reveal his tear-stricken face. Some of her hair sticks to his damp cheeks, while the rest tickles his forehead. She’s all fuzzy patches of turquoise and pink through his blurry vision. Her assuring smile is crystal clear though, and it’s all that Se Hun needs to find the spirit to wipe his tears away. Before he does so, however, she brings her thumbs to his eyes and gently swipes across his deep, purple eyebags. “Why are you crying?”

 

Se Hun sniffles, fumbling for his handkerchief in his pockets. “Because, Noona, you’re so heartless.”

 

She chuckles. “Me, heartless? I tell jokes and puns and make you smile and laugh when you’re down. I also give you instant ramyeon—for free, too. How can I be heartless?”

 

Se Hun pouts, having given up on his handkerchief. He doesn’t know whether to be hurt or not. His best friend’s carefree smiles assures him that everything will be all right, but her lack of a definite response to his feelings confuses him. He likes her warm touch on his horrid eye bags, and the way her fluffy, frizzy hair tickles his forehead; but her playful attitude and her natural ability to make things sound less serious than they really are have him on the edge. “You’re being heartless right now, Noona.”

 

She chuckles again. Her smile is cheeky, and her tone is light. “Oh? Because I say you’re the one who’s heartless, Se Hun. You tell me your deepest, sincerest feelings, but you don’t even give me a chance to reply, and you break down instead. What am I supposed to say to that, huh?”

 

“But you weren’t saying anything for…like…ever.”

 

“Well, will you let me answer your feelings now?”

 

Reluctantly, Se Hun nods. In spite of the hurt and the anxiety, he wants to listen to what she has to say. It’s going to be the rejection he’s been expecting—that’s a certainty—but he realizes that he needs to man up and hear her out. He’ll cry for days, maybe even weeks, but what matters is that he’s able to convey to her his feelings. Maybe she’s not the girl for him, but at least he’s learned how to love sincerely and seriously. It’s going to be painful and right now, he doesn’t know how he’s going to survive and move on, but he does know that listening to her rejection is a start.

 

Se Hun shuts his eyes the moment he sees her lips moving. He’s blocked out all sounds except for her voice. It’s calm—almost cold. This is it, he tells himself, She’s going to reject me. But that’s okay. Nothing about our friendship should change just because we couldn’t get together. She’ll continue texting me corny jokes and I’ll continue to laugh at them—or frown, depending on the degree of corniness. Se Hun bites his lip. But it doesn’t change the fact that it hurts. My heart hurts. I don’t know how I’ll—

 

Suddenly, his best friend cups his cheeks and brings him closer to her—their noses touching. “I have a crutch on you, too, Se Hun,” she says, as if it were the most basic of truths.

 

All thoughts vanish from Se Hun’s mind as he stares at her, his lips agape and his eyes wide. It takes him several seconds to process her words, and her knowing smile and her sparkling eyes and—has his best friend always been this pretty? He was sure that she’s always been called the Wild One. Why was she so pretty now?

 

And did she just say that she had a crutch on him, too?

 

Se Hun heart begins to palpitate again. And oh god, he doesn’t know what to do. Was she being for real? Was this another one of her practical jokes? Because she has the worst habit of playing jokes during situations that didn’t call for them.

 

She says she accepts his feelings, but he just can’t believe it. It’s what he wants to hear, obviously, but hearing it for real felt so…surreal. Five weeks ago, he was crying to her his first break-up. Two weeks ago, she had radiated an aura that only women in love had. Her eyes had sparkled, and her smiles were brighter around that Lu Han. Two weeks ago, he had been so sure that she liked him. Four hours ago, he realized his feelings for her, and despite knowing the fact that she’d reject him, he practically flew to her apartment to confess to her. His heart ready for whatever she’d say to him, he had marched to her front door, a childhood treasure in hand. Never in a million years did he think that he would fall for his best friend. And after all that's happened, never in a million years did he think that she'd reciprocate his feelings.

 

It’s been a total of five weeks, six days, ten hours and forty-five minutes since his first break-up, since all this teenage angst started. He can't believe how nothing turned out the way he imagined, how his best friend has done the unexpected. He can’t believe how things have suddenly become so beautiful and un-disappointing.

 

And it only takes her nine words to make everything feel better.

 

“Chincha?” he exclaims.

 

She gives him a toothy grin—its brightness rivals that of Chan Yeol—and ruffles his hair. “Yes, Se Hun. Well, okay, if you want to be technical about it…” She sits upright and brings her knees to her chin. “You know I’m not interested in dating, but because it’s you, it’s fine. Your confession has really surprised me, you know. I didn’t think you’d end up liking me of all people, considering your first girlfriend was all glitz and glamour and nothing like me. But a part of me tells me that it’s how it should have been in the first place. We’re best friends, Se Hun; I can’t think of anyone else in this world who knows me better than you do. And now,” she turns to him, looking him directly in the eyes. Se Hun sees how sincere she really is, how his best friend is as nervous as he is. He’s never seen his best friend this shy before, and it has his heart doing flips and somersaults and happiness spreading inside of him. “I can’t think of anyone else in this world whom I’d like to try loving but you, Se Hun. I don’t know anything right now, but please teach me, ara—“

 

Se Hun doesn’t wait for her reply.

 

In a split second, he has his arms around her and his face buried in the crook of her neck. His tears are long gone, replaced by the pleasant, fluttery feeling in his stomach. He feels dizzy because of his abrupt movement, but he doesn’t care because his best friend just said yes to him. He takes in her subtle scent—she smells of late night gag shows and corny jokes and fun times and a bright future. “I like you so much, Noona,” he whispers. Even with her in his arms, this entire thing still felt like a dream, but it was a wonderful dream.

 

She chortles at his actions and his tamed demeanor. He was absolutely adorable and she couldn’t believe that up until a minute ago, this idiot had been crying his heart out because of her.

 

She’s never been interested in dating, but she’s always been interested in all things Oh Se Hun. She was always there when he needed a joke or two to cheer him up, when he wanted someone to share the happiness with, when he was craving for a cup or two of bubble tea or a cone of ice cream, and when he was lost trying to find himself. She’s always been his protector, his haven, and now that he’s opened the door for her, his lover.

 

She’s never been interested in dating but if it was something Oh Se Hun was interested in, then she was more than happy to jump right into the bandwagon.

 

His best friend chortles again—it’s unlike the ones he’s heard whenever she cracked a joke or two. It’s happy and beautiful and it’s because of him.

 

“But wait,” she says, her chortle coming to an abrupt halt. Se Hun wonders what’s wrong, because everything’s been so perfect until now. Suddenly, she places her hands on his shoulders and pulls away from his embrace. He’s face-to-face with her serious face again, and he can’t help but gulp at how it just screams trouble and bad news.

 

Slowly, a mischievous grin makes its way to her lips. “Speaking of teaching…You have much to learn from me when it comes to delivering jokes, my dear Se Hun. I mean…really, did you just confess to me using one of my own jokes? Minus twenty points for the lack of originality.”

 

Se Hun’s eye begins to twitch and he wants to smack himself for crying over a girl like his best friend; she knew nothing but to play jokes and to say puns that were corny and horrible. “Y-you idiot-Noona!” he exclaims, taking her old notebook and smacking her shoulders with it. “That is not funny! Do you know how long it took me to get the courage to actually go to your apartment and confess? I really thought you were going to reject me!” he cries, feeling the waterworks begin again.

 

His best friend laughs once more and wipes his tears away. “Sure, it is. I am a very funny person, you know. It’s the reason why I’m your best friend and why I’m always the first one you think of going to whenever you’re stressed over something. It’s also the reason why you love me, isn’t it? Don’t try to deny it,” she says, giving him a self-satisfied grin.

 

Se Hun bites his lips. Even though she took things rather loosely, even though she said unnecessary, not to mention corny, jokes, even though she was never serious and had colorful, fluffy hair, and even though she’d probably never run out of those horribly corny jokes, she was absolutely right. She was always right.

 

Without saying any words, Se Hun hugs her again and buries his face into the crook of her neck. “I hate you and your stupid jokes and your easy-going personality and your inability to be serious,” he mumbles, “And it’s unfair how I love you nonetheless.”

 

He feels her arms tighten around him; it’s warm and comforting. It reminds him of their childhood adventures and mishaps; it brings him back to memories of the old sycamore tree at their backyard, right where she gave him that notebook. Her arms feel like home and it’s a reminder of her promise to protect him, to be there for him.

 

“…You know, I just thought of a pun after hearing your words. But I get the feeling that now’s not the time to say it,” she snickers.

 

Se Hun huffs. “I am going to kill you.”

 

“Of course you won’t.”

 

“Yes, I will.”

 

“Would you like some instant ramyeon?”

 

“I…Yes.” 

 

It's around 6:30 in the morning, and instant ramyeon was the perfect way to end the longest five weeks, six days, ten hours and forty-three minutes of his life.

 

---

 

Author's Note: 

 

And it's done! ...Or not, haha. I'm marking this complete, but I will update with an epilogue IF I feel like writing one. Anyway, this ends Oh Se Hun's Love Story in Three Chapters! I hope you all enjoyed this ficlet. It's been fun writing it, and I know the transition from light to angst is quite bothersome, but what's a love confession without drama, right? And it went back to its initial mood, so I'm pretty content with what I've written.

 

Again, thank you for supporting this series, and giving it a chance! I hope to hear your thoughts on this ficlet! 

 

Till next time, my dear readers!