I Really Like You, but I Can’t Love You

Why Are We Friends?

"Soo In.....Lexi.... it’s time to get up. You are burning daylight by sleeping." I opened my eyes to see brown eyes in view of mine. I close my eyes and turn away from him. "Are we going to play that game?" He said it like it was a question while he climbed onto my bed and starts tickling me.

"Stop it please! Ji Yong!" I giggled. He stops and sits on the edge of my bed, looking at me with a big smile.

"You need to get up and get dressed, while I go make breakfast or I'll go see if your mom made any, that way I don't have to cook." He said stretching.

"You do know that in two days I'm moving out. So, you won't have my mom cooking for you every day." I explained sitting up.

He got really close to my face and smiled. "I know, but it would be nice. Now get dressed so you can eat, and we can leave." With that, Ji Yong walked out of my room. I shook my head and walked over to my dresser to get dressed. I had a feeling we were going to wander around all day. So, I grabbed shorts, a gray tank, and a black hoodie. I didn't feel like wearing my contacts, so I grabbed my glasses. I walked out of my room once I was done and headed down stairs. I smiled when I entered the kitchen seeing Ji Yong learning on how to cook from my mom.

"No don't add the salt yet!" She expressed in panic pushing him away, so she could finish.

"Oh, come on mom I was just wanted to cook." He whined and then shot me a glare when I laughed at him.

"What's for breakfast mom?" I asked walking over to her.

"Egg rolls, leftover kimchi, and rice." She said and waved her hand asking us to get out. I smiled and walked out to sit in the living room.

Ji Yong followed and sat down on the couch. I sat on the floor and was on my phone. I felt him staring at me and then I felt his finger touch one of my tattoos. The one he touched was on my left shoulder. The tattoo read, Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die. Ji Yong had one just like it on his right shoulder and most of our tattoos that we have are similar, however, he has more than me.  

"You remember when we got our tattoos?" He asked randomly placing his chin on my shoulder.

"Before our second year of high school." I acknowledged all the while I was on my phone and disregarding the warm feeling of his chin on my shoulder and my heart racing.

"Yea and if I recall, you tried not to cry. You were pretty brave until you went home and then cried." I felt him smirk as he spoke. I smiled recalling that night as I cried he came over and held me. Ji Yong thought that I needed a tattoo as a distraction from what happened that day. My first boyfriend ended things with me and somehow getting a tattoo was to make feel better. In a weird way it did partially.  

"Breakfast is ready!" My mother yelled from the kitchen.

"Let's go." Ji Yong said grabbing my hand while I struggled to get up without dropping my phone. Upon entering the kitchen, my father walked in to grab his daily coffee and then walk back out to the living room to watch tv. My mom shook her head and followed behind to speak with him. When I had my food, I walked over to the table to eat. I was hungry, but not that hungry. I wasn’t the type to eat breakfast in the morning, but Ji Yong seemed to find a way to make me. Ji Yong on the other hand, who was a breakfast person, had his plate overflowing with food. I shook my head and took my spoon to eat my rice. I was slowly eating, and he was eating as in he was in a rush.

We sat in silence for a few minutes before Ji Yong got up and put his dishes in the sink. "I'll be in the living room waiting and when you're done we'll head out." He notified me as he walked out. In reply. I nodded while taking another bite of my rice. When I was done my mom was back in the kitchen cleaning up. I placed my plate in the sink. I gave her a hug before walking out and she hugged me back.

"When are you two going to get married?" She questioned making me step back to look at her.   

"Mom we are just friends." I confirmed to her once again for the thousandth time.

"Friends who do everything together by sleeping in the same bed when he is over, getting tattoos together, and I have seen the way you two look at each other from time to time." She stated brushing my hair away from my left shoulder. "Plus, you both have tattoos that are so similar and you both are inseparable. I wouldn't be surprised if he moves some of his things in your place. I just want you to be happy with someone and I want him to be that person." I gave her a smile and hugged her once again. Only if my mother knew that was what I wanted, but I wasn’t sure if that was what Ji Yong thought, let alone wanted. This was also her way of showing concern for me, since I was the youngest and my brother was rarely home, so, she couldn't nag him about getting married.

"I'll keep that in mind mom ok? I love you and I will be home late tonight." I said to her.

"Oh, don't tell me it's for that stupid underground singing thing is it?" She asked, and I nodded. She waved me off annoyed.

I smiled as I walked out seeing Ji Yong on his phone. I grabbed my stuff that was next to him and walked out. He didn't notice until I told my dad bye. Ji Yong got off the couch and followed me.

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"What should we do today?" I ask putting on my hoodie while we walked near the shops around our neighborhood.

"I don't know, but are you going to hot in that hoodie?" He asked acting concerned.

"No, I'll be fine, plus it's not going to be that hot today along with incoming rain later today." I shared with him stopping at a bookstore that I was a regular at.

"You and books. You're such a nerd." He teased me while following me into the store. The store was small, and the books were used. I walked around to see bookshelves after bookshelves full of used books. I stopped to see some books that I read before, but I never owned. I always read most of my books from the library and when I had the money I buy books and I get scolded sometimes for wasting money on books. What can I say I love reading? Looking at the bookshelf that was in front of me I found two books that I read more than any other books I have read. I smiled at the thought of completing yet another series as I walked to the register, books in hand.

"Oh, my it's always nice to see young people reading books instead of an electronic in their hand." An elderly woman, at the register, commented when I handed the books for her to mark down the prices. "You two seem to be a lovely couple. Are you two engaged?" She asked as she rung up on the total price. Ji Yong walked out to wait for me as I was paying.

"No, we are just really close friends." I told her as I paid.

"Oh, my from the looks of it you two don't look like it. You two look more of a couple." She told while handing me a bag with my books.

"That's what I hear from time to time, but we are just friends." I reassured her.

"Well that may change over time. Thank you for stopping in." She said as I bowed and thanked her. I walked out to see Ji Yong reading a book off from the stands that were outside.

"I thought you didn't like to read." I stated as I walked up to him.

"I do when you're sleeping. When you fall asleep from reading I take your book sometimes and read it." He told me and put the book back. He grabbed my bag and my arm to hook it with his. "Should we look and see what we can get for you place? Like furniture? Or we can go to my sister's shop and look around?" He suggested as we stopped at a crosswalk.

"If we go anywhere we need a car." I told him. He turned around with me in toll walking back to my house and his. I don't know what car we were going to take, but I think he was embarrassed with me saying that.

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