Jooyoung walked to the small convenient store’s counter to pay for the ice-cream that she just picked but before she could even pull out the money from her pocket, someone settled for her payment already. “Count hers altogether,” said the unknown man as he stood in front of her, giving his back.

Jooyoung turned blank for a moment before she realised that a stranger was paying for her ice-cream. “Excuse me? Why are you paying for me?”

The man turned around and grinned foolishly as he lifted his hand, showing her the same ice-cream he purchased, “Aren’t you supposed to say ‘thank you’?”

He then walked out the store casually but Jooyoung wouldn’t let him go just like that without explaining. “Excuse me. Wait! Where are you going? I have to pay my ice-cream,” Jooyoung followed him out but he just turned around, grinning foolishly as he took a taste of his ice-cream. “It’s okay, you don’t have to pay it.”

Jooyoung wouldn’t let him go without her money, “No, you’re not going anywhere. Here, take this.”

She then forced him to take the money and he stared at the money in his hand for a moment before he averted his eyes to her face, “It isn’t supposed to be like this.”

“Um?” Jooyoung looked at him questionably. “What do you mean…?” she began to pondered for a while before something got into her mind. “Do I have to pay more? That’s how it supposed to be? I can’t believe this,” she snorted in disbelief.

This was the second guy she met in this village that managed to get on her nerve. Was it fun to pick on her? She’d bet every guys in the village knew who she was and took turn to bully her, if not, frightening her.

He waved his hand in front of her immediately, didn’t want her to get the wrong idea, “No, that’s not what I mean!”

Jooyoung shoved the ice-cream he paid to him, “Here, take this. I don’t feel to eat it anymore.” She then grabbed back the money she just handed to him and spun around; giving him her back, ready to leave. The man turned flustered all of sudden that he quickly caught with her and stopped her from leaving further.

“That’s not what I mean,” he spoke as Jooyoung crossed her arms against her torso, standing against him who now had two bars of ice-creams on his both hands. He then shyly held out her ice-cream to her, offering her ice-cream back. “You know, it’s not good if you don’t eat the food you wanted to eat…Especially when you already have it in front of you.”

Jooyoung eyed him for a moment before she took back her ice-cream. She had never seen this guy in front of her before, he had a foreigner look and if he didn’t reply her with their mother language, she almost believed that he didn’t belong from there. He had this silly and goofy smile that tends to annoy her at some point but at least, he was not that creepy as that one pale guy.

“I’m Lee Jaehwan, and I’m sorry for making you mad just now. Trust me, I didn’t do the good deed to gain profit from you, really, I will get hit by bus if I lied,” he shut his eyes as he craned his neck, facing the sky. A small smile developed on Jooyoung’s face as she ripped the ice-cream’s packet.

Jaehwan saw the wrapping packet and quickly offered to help her getting it into the dustbin. Seeing how he made an effort on being a gentleman, Jooyoung thought of knowing him better. It was already hard for her to make friend in the village since the day one she decided to stay there, she would lose the chance if she pushed Lee Jaehwan away.

“So, what was your real intention?” she asked as they made slow walk around the village. Lee Jaehwan pulled out his silly smile as he glanced at her, “I was going to ask you to pay more but you are a genius, you knew my plan. I failed.”

Jooyoung shot him a puzzled look, “What?”

“I’m just kidding,” he chuckled before he sighed out loud. “I was going to ask for you to buy me ice-cream the next time we meet again and so…” he paused as he grinned foolishly again. “So I can have a reason to talk with you at our next meeting, but you destroyed it…” a sad face followed as he pouted his lips, he looked childish.

Jooyoung let out few chuckles, amused with his personality. “So that’s it?”

His pouty look disappeared all of sudden and he glanced at her, confused. “Is there more?”

“Shin Jooyoung,” Jooyoung held her hand out, offering Jaehwan a handshake. Jaehwan’s eyes averted to her hand before he beamed as he accepted her hand, “Lee Jaehwan!”

“So I did it?” Jaehwan asked her, making her laugh louder. “You’re a funny guy,” Jooyoung began to feel comfortable around him. He was the friendliest person she ever met, she was glad, that she found him, and what made it her even grateful was that he was the one who approached her at the first place.

They passed a group of girls and they shot Jooyoung a judging and menacing look. Jooyoung avoided their eyes and looked at Jaehwan to see if he saw the looks that were given but Jaehwan appeared unaffected by the glare and the stare. She tried to shake of the feeling of continuously being watched but the feeling hadn’t leaved after she had passed the scary group of girls.

“Is there any reason… um…” she paused, to rearrange her words. Jaehwan pulled the ice-cream sticks in her hand; both of them had finished it while enjoying the stroll. Jooyoung rubbed the back of her neck as she scanned her surrounding, trying to find the source of this feeling being watched.

“What is it? Do you want more ice-cream?” Jaehwan asked, clueless.

She shook her head, “Why do you want to make friends with me? You know who am I, don’t lie. You must have heard something stupid about me.” A heavy sigh escaped after that.

His facial expression changed, “You?”

Nodding, she stared at his eyes, anticipating his next words. “I first saw you at Uncle Yoon’s house.” He then smiled, Jooyoung remembered there were lots of villagers invited that night but she didn’t see him. “I heard some stories of you from my friends but I refuse to believe everything they told me because they’re not even your friend. Do you know them?”

Jooyoung shook her head but chose to not say anything. She was unsure, if she should feel happy that finally there was someone that was different from everybody else. “So that’s why you make this move so that you can ask me if everything you heard is correct?”

He laughed, “No, don’t take it the wrong way. I sincerely want to be your friend because I can see you’re a very interesting person.”

His compliment made her smile unconsciously, “If that so, you’ll be the first friend I have in this village! Congratulation!”

“Yay!” he cheered and made a small victory dance making her laughed out loud. She clapped her hands, applauding his silly dance and they became closer from the jokes he made. He was the brightest person she ever encountered but the feeling of being watched still hadn’t left her, no matter how many times she tried to not think about it.

She turned to look at the back of her to see if anyone was watching her and Jaehwan noticed she had been acting this way a couple of times. He turned to follow her gaze but he saw nothing extra ordinary. “What is it?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she replied but her face showed otherwise. He looked back again to see if there was anything that was actually bothering her but he found nothing interesting or strange, he wanted to insist her to tell him but he didn’t want to feel uncomfortable.

“So, am I really your first friend here? Is there no other person approach you before me?” he questioned, curious.

A deep sigh escaped as she searched his eyes, “Frankly, there was someone else that was a step ahead of you but he rejected the title. So…”

“He? So there was a guy that’s faster than me? No!” he jokingly looked frustrated. “He doesn’t want to be your friend? Who is he?”

“Yeah, you can say it like that. He kept telling me that I should avoid him but he was the one who approach me at the first place. I don’t get him.”

Jaehwan laughed, “Who is he. He is sure a funny guy, he’s making me want to know him. Do you happen to know his name?”

Jooyoung nodded, “Lee Hobin? Lee Hanbin? Lee Hongbin? Something like that. Do you know him?”

His laughed ceased as his face fell, “What? Lee Hongbin…?”

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