“He just left?” Bom asked me when I finish telling her what happen on my meet up with Seunghyun.

“Yup” Dara confirmed bitterly, as she fiddled with a wire clothes hanger. “He acted like I had contracted some contagious disease.” She watched as Bom opened a large box of board shorts. After Seunghyun had driven off, she went straight to the Surf Shop to see Bom.

“It just doesn’t make any sense” Bom murmured as she started pulling out the merchandise. “Are you sure Dongwook didn’t know him or recognize his name?”

“He had no clue” she handed Bom the hanger and grabbed another one off a nearby rack.

“Maybe Dongwook stole his girlfriend or something?”

“It’s definitely possible” Dara mulled. Her brother’s moral compass didn’t always point due north. He had been known to sleep with girls regardless of their relationship status.

“Did you at least get your phone back?” Bom asked as she held out her hand for another hanger.

“Yup. He exchanged them right before he bolted.” Dara huffed as she remembered Seunghyun walking towards his Rover without even looking back at her. He fled the parking lot like a herd of angry dogs nipping at his heels.

Bom waved a hand right in front of Dara’s face. “Hello? Earth to Dara!!”

Dara’s eyes snapped to attention. “Sorry” she apologizes and handed her another hanger.

“So what are going to do now?” Bom questioned. She arranged the blue shorts on the hanger and hung it on empty rack.

Dara bit her lip. The more she started to think about the situation, the angrier she became. “Nothing” she stated bluntly. If Seunghyun didn’t want to talk to her anymore, then there was nothing she could do. Besides, it’s not as if were friends. They are practically strangers.

“Seriously? You seemed to really enjoy talking to him” Bom commended. “Over the past couple days, you’ve talked more about Seunghyun than anyone else. Even Woobin”

Dara’s spine stiffened. “It’s only natural that I talked about Seunghyun. He made my life hell for a whole week!”

“You know what they say about love and hate, right?” Bom casually remarked.

Dara frowned. “I don’t like him if that’s what you’re hinting at. I find him..” she paused trying to find a right word. “Intriguing. At first, I thought he was a lot like popcorn”

“Popcorn?”

“Yeah. The kind of guy that is all big talk without a whole lot of substance” Dara explained.

Bom laughed at the comparison. “And you’re telling me that Seunghyun has substance?”

“I think so. The couple of days I’ve realized there was more to him than football and his extra-large ego.” Dara thought about his willingness to teach her about surfboards and the way he ate his mother’s embarrassing lunches. She thought about his witty remarks and his confession about the problem with his father. No. there was definitely more to Seunghyun than he let on.

“So if he isn’t popcorn, what he is?”

Dara leaned against a nearby table and sighed. “I don’t know. That’s why I find him interesting. I guess I wanted the chance to figure it out.”

Bom halted, taken back by her friend’s admission. 

Dara chuckled self-consciously. “Pretty stupid huh?”

“Not stupid. Just surprising” she studied Dara’s face for a couple moments. “Maybe you should call him”

“And say what exactly? Hey Seunghyun, I was having this weird desire to classify you as a certain type of junk food. Can we talk for a while till I figure it out?”

Bom sent her an impatient look. “I was thinking more along the lines of. Hey Seunghyun, want to be friends?” she saw her stubborn expression and shrugged. “Fine! Don’t call him, but at least ask Dongwook again. It could all be some sort of misunderstanding.”

“Perhaps” Dara replied not committing to the idea. It might be better to just forget Seunghyun. Her college life is starting already tomorrow and she needed to concentrate. Plus she had her visit with Woobin to look forward to. Yes right. It was better to forget about Seunghyun and his oversized ego.

--

I got home and surprise to see someone sitting on the living room with my whole family.

“Mom?” I called her as she seems busy taking care of the new kid.

She turned her head and looked at me with a smile on her face.  “Dara come here. Greet your oppa’s new friend”

I look at my brother. “Dar’s meet Jinwoo he is new recruit to the team” I nodded my head and went immediately to them to join their conversation. I needed company anyway. I needed to forget what happen earlier.

“Are you excited for tomorrow, Jinwoo?” I asked him. He has dark hair and almost the same height as my brother but without a muscle and weight. He looked more like a runner than a football player.

He just nodded at me and seems timid. Oh I feel bad already for him. Does he know what he is in for? He was going to get murdered in the football field if he is always like that.

“Your first day of school is always scary. Our Dara is going to have her first day too tomorrow too. Don’t worry Dongwook will look after you.” My mom followed up my question, disregarding the fact that he just nodded to me.

“Mom” Dongwook said.

“What? I’m just saying. I remember your first day of freshman year. You were terrified”

“Terrified of being hazed by the varsity football players” Dara muttered under her breath.

“She’s kidding” her mother assured Jinwoo, while sending Dara a sharp look “There is no hazing right Dongwook?”

“Right” he confirmed, lying through his teeth. “And I wasn’t scared” he added with scowl.

I look at Jinwoo and mouthed. “He’s scared to death”

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