JIYONG

I remembered how her lips felt so soft and tasted so sweet the first time I kissed her. But the first time was too quick that I can’t help but want to check if what I felt and tasted wasn’t just a figment of my imagination. However, the moment my lips touched hers, I know I’m going to want to kiss her again and again. I don’t ever want to stop but she looked so surprised and scared that it kind of slapped me in the face. I didn’t want to scare her, no, that’s the last thing on my mind right now.

I took a step back and chuckled at the look on her face. The sound of it seemed to have brought her back to her senses because the next thing I know, the broken parts of her skateboard came flying my way followed by her calling me names. I could tell she was holding back from saying profanities and it somehow amused me. I’m not sure if she’s aware of it but she seriously acts more like a refined and well-mannered girl when she’s angry or caught off guard.

I nursed my jaw as I watched her stomp her feet on her way to her house. I decided to still follow her until she’s inside her house regardless of the painful beating I got from her and a broken skin at my right temple due to her broken skateboard. It was bleeding but not enough to make me faint.

I stopped in my tracks a few feet away from her when I saw her stopped in front of their gate. She stood there for probably five to six minutes, doing nothing. I tilted my head to the side and wondered if she’s contemplating of throwing her skateboard again at me. I waited for a few more minutes but when she didn’t move at all, I hesitantly took a step forward but then, I heard her mother’s voice calling out for her and asking her why she wasn’t coming in.

“I’m coming in a sec,” she called back. Assured that she was already safe, I shrugged and turned around to go home. “Hey, you!”

I stopped walking and looked back, wondering what she was up to or who she was talking to but I found out she was looking at me. I pointed at myself with my finger and gave her a questioning look.

“Yes, you.”

I lifted my brows at her questioningly. She huffed in annoyance and closed the distance between us. With another big sigh, she grabbed my wrist and started pulling me with her. “Uhm, what are you doing?” I asked.

She didn’t say anything.

“Are you actually bringing me into your house?”

Still, she didn’t say anything.

“Are you actually planning to introduce me to your parents? I don’t think this would be the right time, I’m not ready yet,” I joked but still, nothing.

“What were you doing outside Dee?” her mother asked the moment we entered the house. “And what happened to your face?”

I nodded towards the girl in response. The girl dragged me to her room and pushed me to sit on her bed. I hugged myself and looked at her suspiciously. “Did you realize that you’re a girl and you found me to be a good kisser?”

“Shut up,” she gritted and threw her bag at my face before leaving the room again, shutting her door loudly in her wake.

I can hear voices outside, although faint but it sounded as if an argument was going on. “No questions please,” I heard her say loudly.

I looked around the room. Her walls were painted with baby blue. A tiny bookshelf was sitting in the corner next to a study table with a lampshade on. There were papers scattered all over the table and I scoffed upon seeing a framed photo of Suzy on the said table. I looked around more. It was a pretty simple room – one bed, one table and chair in one corner and a cabinet and she doesn’t have windows. No wonder the girl’s so pale.

I felt something vibrate beside me. With a frown, I looked down and saw the girl’s bag. It must have been her phone vibrating. I was about to shrug it off when an idea suddenly came into my head. With a chuckle, I took out her phone and to my delight, she doesn’t have any passcode activated so I simply swiped the screen and dialled my number. With a satisfied smile, I put it back in her bag.

The door opened and closed with a bang again and I noticed that she locked her door. She was frowning and as I watched her, I can’t help but smile. She looks like a lost little child when she’s frowning and it’s so cute. “What are you smirking at?” she snapped.

I nodded towards the locked door which made her roll her eyes. “That, is a girly thing to do.”

“Boys roll their eyes, too.”

I shrugged and let it go. “So, you want me locked up, huh?”

“Don’t get the wrong idea, Kwon. You might as well thank me for doing this,” she said as she placed a box beside me. I looked down at the thing and concluded it’s a first aid kit box.

She then tilted my face up and started cleaning my cut. I watched her face frown in concentration. My eyes then travelled south – to her lips. As if by instincts, I bit my lower lip down and batted my eyelashes at her which earned me a whack in the head. “Hey, you’re supposed to nurse my wound!”

“Close your eyes,” she ordered.

“I don’t want to,” I replied. “I like watching your face.”

She growled. “Your eyes creeps me out so you better close them or I’ll pour alcohol on them.”

“Aww, so mean,” I grumbled but closed my eyes anyways. She was silent as she worked on my cut while I just sat there, listening to her breathing.

“There, it’s all done!” she said, with a clap. I opened my eyes and was greeted by a smiling Sandara Park and I stared, no, I ogled. I felt my breath caught in my throat as I watched her face brighten.

“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered in awe.

Her smile disappeared but light pink tainted her cheeks. She cleared . “You can go now,” she said with a wave.

I stood up and loomed over her. She refused to look up as she just frowned at my neck. “Look at me,” I whispered, lowering my voice in purpose. Still, she didn’t move so I lifted my hand up to tilt her chin up but before I could so, she already turned around and headed towards her door. She unlocked it and opened it only to be greeted by two falling bodies to the floor.

“Seriously?” she exhaled. She then turned her eyes on me. “Leave.”

I stared at her for a moment and she stared back. She sure is one tiny ball of stubbornness and it made me chuckle. Her mother and another woman were already on their feet when I reached the door. I exchanged a look with her mother and bowed. I thanked the girl and bid my farewell to them.

“Who was that?” I heard the other woman said from behind.

“That’s Kwon Jiyong,” the girl’s mother said. “The one I told you about.”

“Oh!”

“You talked about Kwon Jiyong?” Sandara Park asked in surprised.

“Well, he does know you’re a girl, aren’t you?”

“I’m not a girl!” she hissed.

“I meant, physically.”

I smiled to myself. Who would have thought high school could actually be this fun?

I was all smiles on my way home. I took out my phone and can’t help the wider smile that broke into my face seeing a missed call from a number. I saved her number under the name Dara. It has a nice ring to it compared to Dee – it’s more feminine.

I went to the settings on my phone and made her laugh as the message and ring tone for her number. Guess who, I texted. It took around a minute before her high-pitched laugh started blasting through the night.

She replied with a simple who?

I laughed. How can she be so casual and polite at the same time? Seriously, this girl is so amusing. Aww, how could you forget me?

Hyunnie?

My smile faltered and was replaced by a frown. Hyunnie? Who on earth is Hyunnie? I then start thinking of people she might pertain to but she didn’t really have many friends at school so my mind travelled to her skater friends. While watching her and her friends a while ago at the park, I pretty much heard them calling each other’s names. I listed the name in my head – there’s Youngjae, Junhong, Himchan, Daehyu – my thoughts stopped. Daehyun? Could it be him? I was in that thought when another message came in.

Hey, Kim Soo Hyun! Hyunnie!

My frown deepened. So it’s not that skater boy. Then who? I jumped a little when I saw my screen blink telling me a call was coming in. The girl was calling me. I answered my phone but didn’t talk. “Kim Soo Hyun?” she asked, sounding excited.

“What are you so excited about?” I asked. I could just imagine her face falling into a grimace.

“Kwon.”

I scoffed at her tone. “Wow, you – “ I started but she already ended the call. I furiously typed in a message. That was rude.

Her reply came in pretty quick. How did you get my number?

You should have had your phone set up with a passcode, I told her.

You sneaky jerk!

So, who’s Kim Soo Hyun?

I waited for her reply the whole night but it never came. I slept with me holding my phone and when I woke up, I found myself in the same position. My phone was empty. I decided to let it go. I’ll eventually find out, for sure but for now, I’m going to until she admits to being a girl at heart. I took a photo of myself puckering myself and sent it to her with the message, To brighten up your day.

I took a quick shower and when I was just about to leave for school, a message came in which made me laugh. She sent me an angry emoji. It would have been better if she sent me a photo of her angry face. I swear I’m going to make it as wallpaper on my phone. I quickly sent her a message. Oops, didn’t you know the saying - the more you hate, the more you love? I think you’re starting to fall for me.

I can’t wipe off of the smile from my face as I headed towards school. I was whistling tunelessly and grinned wider upon seeing her back at the school’s hall upon my arrival.  With careful and light steps, I ran to her and draped my arm over her shoulders. “Good morning, Dara,” I huskily whispered into her ear and sped off before she could even react or utter a word.

I was just about to turn into a corner, laughing my head off when I bumped into Suzy. I stepped back and mumbled a sorry and was just about to leave when she grabbed my wrist and frowned up at me. “What are you so happy about?” she asked.

I raised my brows at her. “You’re seriously asking me that?”

“Yeah,” she answered in a defiant tone.

“Suzy, we’re over babe so it’s really none of your ing damn business.”

Anger flashed in her eyes. She stepped forward until there’s only an inch between our faces. “I’ll make you regret for playing with me, Ji.”

“Funny how you threaten me but then uses my pet name at the end,” I scoffed. We engaged in a stare battle until my phone suddenly blasted with Dara’s laugh. She blinked at me in confusion. I took a step back from Suzy and took my phone out. The message said, don’t be rude to her!

I looked around me and found her at the end not too far away, glaring at me. With a smirk, I started heading towards her direction. I lowered my head to level it with hers. I didn’t say anything and just stared at her. After a few moments, I straightened up and sighed. “Ah, you’re really beautiful.”

She looked angry at first but then it didn’t escape my eyes how a light shade of pink tainted her cheeks and how she was looking everywhere except my face. I tilted my head to the side in amusement and was about to pinch her cute cheeks when I heard Suzy’s voice behind me. “Hi Dee.”

I watched the girl turn red and stammered in response. “H-h-hi. S-suzy.”

I kept my eyes on Dara even if I could feel Suzy’s eyes on me. I can’t help but frown as I watched the girl’s face. She looked relieved for some reason. “He’s right, you know. You’re really pretty for a guy,” Suzy said, making the other blushed even further. I don’t really know why Suzy suddenly had an interest on her. Is she actually thinking of being with Dee as a payback or a way to make me jealous?

“Uhm. . .” Dara mumbled.

“Maybe we should go out sometimes,” Suzy said making the other look up at her with wide eyes.

I tried hiding my annoyance as I know Suzy was watching me but I can’t help it. I huffed in irritation watching Sandara Park fumbled with her top. I looked down at Suzy and frowned at her. She looked amused by my reaction and I knew I was right. She was trying to get a rebound through Sandara Park.

I’m not affected if Suzy starts dating someone else but I’m annoyed at how she’s feeding Dara’s thoughts about her belief of being a boy.