“I refuse to call you Jisoo.”

She was fifteen and formidable, frowning at him with glossed lips and her hands on her hips.

“Why?”

He was the shy and overwhelmed new kid who had just moved to Seoul after living abroad. He was fully unprepared for the hurricane in a pleated skirt staring him down.  

“Because my name is Jisoo.”

“What are your plans for the 14th?” Jennie Kim asked through sips of beer, her long black hair gathered into a lopsided bun atop her head.

Jisoo poked at the meat on the grill, giving her best friend a quick glance. The pork belly sizzled as she overturned it with her tongs.

“I’m going to see a special showing of The Shining with Joshua.”

“Why with Hong?”

Jisoo knit her brows together in confusion as she served the cooked pork belly to the black haired girl across from her.

“What, like you wanted to go? You hate scary movies.”

Jisoo took a sip of her own beer and Jennie huffed.

“No, I mean, why are you going to the movies with Joshua Hong on White Day? You don’t think that’s weird?”

The older girl popped a piece of meat into , chewing thoughtfully. She knew where Jennie was going, but refused to indulge her.

“We’re just going to the movies. It doesn’t matter what day it is.” Jisoo frowned. “You’re the one making it weird, Jen.”

“White Day is a holiday for lovers. Why would you go out on that day if you don’t have feelings for each other?”

“Because there’s more to life than love.” Jisoo let out a sigh, rubbing her temple in frustration. She should have known better than to argue with the younger girl. Especially about things like love.

“Is it weird we’re going to the movies tomorrow?”

Two milkshakes and a large order of french fries sat on the table between them. Joshua had ordered chocolate and Jisoo ordered vanilla.

“Why would that be weird?” The boy asked, scooping up some of the shake with a fry. “We go to the movies all the time.”

Jisoo ate her own milkshake dipped fry with a frown. Joshua tried to sneak some of the vanilla ice cream but she swatted away his hand.

“Jennie said it’s weird since we’re not dating.”

“Well, we’re not dating other people.” Joshua shrugged. “Therefore, not weird.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Why, do you have someone you like?”

Jisoo absently swirled her straw in her glass.

“No, there’s no one like that.” She glanced up at the tall boy across from her. “Do you?”

He paused, looking at his reflection in his unused spoon.

“Hm… Probably not?”

Jisoo laughed.

“Yeah, you’re nice to everyone so it makes sense there’s no one in particular.” She leaned back in her seat, tucking a light brown curl behind her ear. “Lots of girls like you, though. ‘Cause you’re so nice.”

The next day they went to the movie theater as planned. Jisoo was hyper aware of the couples around them, but Joshua didn’t seem to notice.

(If he did, he hid it well.)

After each buying their own popcorn, they found their seats toward the middle of the theater.

“Not as many people are here as I thought.” Joshua whispered with a smile, eyes darting around before the lights dimmed.

Jisoo hummed in agreement, munching on handfuls of popcorn as the title sequence began to roll.  

Without noticing it, Jisoo had started to lean in closer to the boy sitting next to her as the movie went on.

“Here’s Johnny...” The two friends whispered in unison. Jisoo turned her head with a smile, leaning in closer to make a comment. At the same time, Joshua leaned down.

For a brief moment, their lips met.

Music played ominously as a woman screamed on the screen in front of them. Jisoo looked away quickly, but it was impossible to pay attention to the movie with her racing heart. She was thankful for the darkness that hid the pink tinge in her cheeks.

Jisoo refused to glance at Joshua until the ending credits.

“I’m going to the bathroom.” She excused herself, nearly hopping down the stairs to the theater lobby.

She gazed back at her reflection, reapplying where her lipstick had smudged. Her chucks were frustratingly flushed.

“Get ahold of yourself, Kim Jisoo.” She murmured to the girl in the mirror, getting a strange look from a younger girl washing her hands.

With a sigh, she walked back out. She understood that things had changed, that it would be impossible for things not to be different.

Joshua sat on a bench outside waiting for h