chapter 2:

"널 향한 설레임을"

"My heart flutters towards you"

___

When they finally meet, it is only three days later.

Her heartbeat races as he takes a seat on the bench at the bus stop, right beside her.

The two stay in silence for a short while that seemed like a million years. Eunbi sinks in her shoulders and looks down in anxiety as she tries to breathe normally.

"So, your name is ShinB?" Eunbi is startled to hear him speaking.

Her heart skips a beat, and she nervously answers in a low tone, "Eunbi. My friends call me ShinB."

"I see," he nods his head and then stretches out a hand, "I'm Jackson. Nice to meet you," he flashes a crooked smile that captivates Eunbi anyway.

"N-Nice to meet you," Eunbi stammers in her speech, and slowly stretches her hand out as well. She tries her best to control her hand from trembling as she returns the handshake.

"Where are you going?" Jackson asks next.

"Cram school," Eunbi's reply is curt. "I'm waiting for a friend," she mumbles.

"I see," he nods his head, wondering if Eunbi would return him the question. Unfortunately, the girl is way too nervous to open .

"So, I hear you and your friends every Friday night," Jackson says in attempt to continue the conversation, as ShinB conquers the difficulty of taming her pounding heart.

"A-ah, I see," she stutters. In utter embarrassment, Eunbi feels as if she just wants to run away and hide. "Are we very noisy?" she anxiously speaks: to continue the conversation seemed like a huge feat for her.

"No it's alright," Jackson chuckles, and Eunbi swears his laughter gives her chills. Somehow, she still can't believe that she's right beside that boy she's always been looking at from her window.

"I hear names like Yuju, Sowon and... Umji?" Jackson does not stop asking. Eunbi is silently grateful, feeling as if she's on the top of the world.

"We're very close friends," Eunbi explains, "I've known Yuju unnie ever since I moved to Seoul in my first year of middle school. Her real name is Yuna. Sowon unnie is the oldest among us. Her real name is Sojung. Umji's the youngest one among us, and the last one to join us. We're in the same class, and she's the only one of my age. We even go to cram school together, so I'm waiting for her now. Unnideul let us sleep on the bed during sleepovers since we're the youngest ones."

Jackson listens attentively to Eunbi's relatively short sentences as she answers. Eunbi curls her fingers up in anxiety, and her teeth are jittering such that they deter her from speaking properly.

"Do you often sleep over at each others' houses?" Jackson continues asking. 

"Friday nights at my house as you know, because my house is the nearest to school and we get here right after school for those of us who are still schooling," as Eunbi talks she slowly starts to loosen up, "Saturday nights at Yuju unnie's house because her house is big. Her family is... Living well," Eunbi laughs for a short moment at her odd word choice. 

"I see," Jackson nods his head and looks away, feeling uneasy in the awkward situation. So that's why she's never here on Saturday nights, a thought crosses his mind. 

"There's more of you right?" the questions do not seem to stop. 

"Actually, yes. There's six of us," Eunbi pauses to recall who she had already introduced. "There's Yerin unnie who is the only one who doesn't have a nickname. There's also Eunha unnie who is of Yuju unnie's age. I've known her since we were children after joining the same dance team, and we have the same real name."

"Dance team?" Jackson curiously asks, tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah," Eunbi sheepishly answers, her lips curving into a shy smile.

"You dance too," Jackson widens his eyes as he is intrigued. But as soon as he wants to talk even more, he sees her stand up and carry her bag.

"My bus is here," she awkwardly says before walking up to the approaching bus.

"Oh. Bye!" Jackson waves his hand and gives his widest smile. She turns around and laughs, before waving in return.

Jackson feels his heart stop, not believing that she has just smiled- or even laughed right before him.

"I see you," Yewon points an interrogating index finger at Eunbi, "and a boy."

"So I board the bus and the first thing you say is this," Eunbi rolls her eyes as she takes a seat beside the shorter friend. 

"What else do you want me to say?" Yewon chuckled in her own adorable way that diffuses Eunbi's anger away, as usual. 

"Hello," a voice suddenly shocks her from behind and Eunbi almost screams.

"Yuju unnie!" Eunbi places her hand in her chest as she narrows her eyes at the elder girl. "Anyway, why are you here?" she asks, puzzled.

"Oh, it's the boy next door," Yuna grins as she is teasing Eunbi. "I'm here because our Yewon is grounded and I'm to make sure she gets to cram school and no where else," Yuna places a hand on Yewon's head and pats it lightly while she explains.

"Woah, Umji's grounded?" Eunbi is slightly taken aback, but she laughs as she finds it funny. "Seriously, what did you do?"

"I merely told my mom that I wanted to quit cram school..." Yewon's eyes trails away as she speaks of the incident in annoyance.

Eunbi stares at the smaller girl plainly, and blinks. "Seriously Umji?"

"But rather, let's talk about your boy," she turns back with interested eyes.

"I see you two are talking now," Yuna ventures into the said topic. "You were even laughing together!" she does not ignore the details, and make use of whatever she's seen to poke fun at Eunbi.

While Eunbi rolls her eyes again and sighs, irritated, Yewon asks, "Wait, how could Yuju unnie have known about him?"

"Well, that morning..." Yuna tapers off her sentences and eyes Eunbi, as if asking her for to do the explaining.

"Unnie shut up!" Eunbi rolls her eyes for the umpteenth time that bus ride.

"How secretive!" Yewon begins to make weird comments in anticipation. "ShinB-yah, we're friends you know," she gazes into Eunbi's eyes with her huge eyes that sparkle. 

"I'm your friend?" Eunbi's tone is heavily dripping with sarcasm. 

"Hey!" Yewon wrinkles her nose, offended, slapping Eunbi on her lap. Eunbi cracks into laughter at her response. "Come on, you have to tell me," she shakes Eunbi by the arm and whines. So for the rest of their journey to cram school, Yewon pesters her for the story and Eunbi has no choice but to tell.

"Sweet," Yewon is excited to know. "Are you in love?"

Eunbi uncontrollably buries her face in her palms as she is asked the same question once again.