Jiwoo. 

"Have you and Sooyoung kissed yet?" 

Jungeun and Jinsoul were holding hands excitedly as I was sitting beside Heejin across from them in the rice cake place. It was a warm day in April, particularly. My hoodie was donned around my waist. Heejin was on her phone, playing Candy Crush. The radio was playing old trot songs. The old ladies in the back were chattering wildly about how Ha Industries was blowing up under the supervision of the second son of Madame Ha. It felt like an ordinary day. But, this question just threw me off. I never thought about kissing Sooyoung. 

We would watch dramas together in her very grand bedroom, holding hands, but not having our bodies intertwined. Sooyoung was modest with me. She would be very reserved and not touch me at all. Her eyes would be focused on mine. Kissing to me meant holding the neck of your lover and hungrily swallowing their lips. I was very nervous. I shook my head, looking down at my food. 

"You know Sooyoung. She would have done something by now," Jinsoul said. "She's all free-minded. She liked kissing people a lot when she was hanging with the thugs." 

"Well, you know, I changed you," Jungeun said. "Sooyoung probably wants to take her time as well like you did." 

"Well," Jinsoul said, a hint of sassiness in her voice. "You wanted me as much as I wanted you so, there was a mutual lustful intent going down. Always has and always will be be one." With that, Jungeun smacked Jinsoul's shoulder before picking up a fish cake. "Sorry, damn. I was just telling the truth."

Heejin rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Have you guys heard from Hyunjin?" 

"I heard she was still in class with Teacher Park," I said. I finish my food before turning to my phone. Sooyoung had texted me three times in a row. It was a little urgency in the tone as she asked what was I doing tonight. I quickly respond that my parents wanted me home because I've been out past sundown for the past few weeks we had been dating. "Is there something wrong?" 

Heejin looked out the window, sulking a little. "Nothing, really.' 

I didn't know why Heejin was wondering about Hyunjin so much. My heart began quickening. The thought of Sooyoung holding my face between her soft palms that smelled of sweet cherry blossoms, her lips desperately claiming mine for a while. I could envision it in different angles, like the recent drama we were watching together. Sooyoung would grip my wrist and look into my eyes full of need and longing. And then she would kiss me. It seemed too perfect. I wondered if real kisses were like that. 

"Heejinie," Jinsoul says, raising up her cola. "Do you like our Hyunjinnie?" 

Heejin turned pink before retreating to her game. It was reloading as if she had exited out of it for a while. Yep. Bingo. Sign that she was checking her messages. "Wh-what are you getting at?" 

"I don't know if Hyunjin is even gay," Jungeun says, matter-of-factly. She folds her hands atop the table. "Plus, she's quite invested into her studies. What is she trying to be? A doctor, right?" 

I nodded. "Yes. Her family is forcing her to crank down on hanging out and she stays at one of those expensive studying acaemies until 10 I heard." 

Heejin bit her lip in frustration. She then turns to the game that she really wasn't playing. I noticed she still was at level 1. This game was a facade for what she was truly doing. Poor Heejin. Jinsoul pursed her lips and reached her hand out. "I'm sure if you told her, she would probably open up to you. Maybe, she likes you too." 

Jungeun tilted her head. "As Heejin's friend, we need to be more realistic. It's probably not promised." 

"You never know," Jinsoul pointed out. 

One thing about Jinsoul and Jungeun was that Jinsoul was the optimist whereas Jungeun was the realist. Jungeun, being the younger one, strives to be more assertive to Jinsoul. But, it often doesn't work because Jinsoul would tell her to look at life on the brighter side. I wondered how Sooyoung and I's dynamic works. My phone buzzes again. Sooyoung tells me to keep my window open because she wanted to see me tonight. I simply agreed. But, then back to the conversation at hand. Heejin was still abesent-mindedly playing the game. I frowned a little. "Heejin...I think you should tell her." 

Heejin continues with the game. "I think I'd just be wasting my time if I did. She has a much brighter future than me, anyway." She looked very sad. I couldn't tell what exactly what was going on because Heejin had been so quiet. Eventually she finally told us what was wrong. She was dealing with a void of what to do with her life after high school. She felt like she was going nowhere with her life. Jinsoul told her that no one truly knows where they will go after they leave, but in Korea, saying that would be adding fuel to the fire. School was a competition here. And Heejin, growing up in a family of scholars, didn't know what she wanted to do. "I just feel like if I told her she would find it unnecessary." 

"You won't know unless you try," Jungeun said. "We'll give you until next year, if need be."

Heejin nodded slowly. "I'll tell her if I get ahead of her in finals."

"What a wager you have made for yourself," I say. "Aren't you like...3rd in the school?" 

"If I could get 2nd, I would feel like I could tell her without looking like a fool," Heejin said. 

We all shrug and continue with our next conversation about dramas that we were watching. 

+

It was after 8pm, when my family and I finished eating dinner. My brother locked himself in his room and my parents were still downstairs, talking. I laid in my bed, comfortably reading my text book in my pajamas. I had to pass this test in order to get in the top 20 at least. Night had just fallen into my bedroom. I my lamp and listened to Apink while tapping my pencil on the page. Pretty soon, my phone buzzed loudly, breaking my concentration. 

Sooyoung had texted me to look outside the window. I draw back the curtains to see Sooyoung in a red hoodie and holey jeans. Her hair was tied up into a  messy bun. I widened my eyes. "How did you get up here?" I hiss-whispered. I made sure my door was closed. The photo of all of my middle school friends and I hung on the nail just in the back of my door. 

Sooyoung wiggled her eyebrows and entered herself into my room. She looked around. "Wow, this is the famous Kim Jiwoo's room?" She grinned checking out my library and an open manhwa was on my desk of a couple kissing. I immediately rushed to mark my page and close it. She chuckles a little. 

"Why weren't you at school today?" I asked. 

"Dad took me out to Japan for the day," Sooyoung casually replied. She sat at my desk. "Did you miss me?" 

I nodded. She gestured me to come over and I sat on her lap. She wrapped her arms around my waist. This felt very risky. My heart pounded in my ears. This wasn't how dramas had the first kiss occur. "S-s-Sooyoung."

She smiled at me. "Yes, love?" 

"How...many people did you kiss?"

And she laughed in my face, silently. She whispered in my ear, "those kisses don't matter to the one I want to give you right now." 

I blushed instantly. I stood up, nervously. Sooyoung grinned and pulled me towards the window. She took my face into her palms and her lips were touching mine. It was a foreign feeling. It felt so sweet. Her lips tasted like tonkatsu and mint, a slightly odd combination. Maybe, she chewed gum on the way over. Her tongue was trying to get through my mouth, but I felt too scared and pulled away. "Sorry," I whispered.

"Am I your first kiss?" 

I nod silently. 

Sooyoung grinned at me warmly. "I have to teach you so much then, mi princesa." I remembered that Sooyoung told me she was learning Spanish and it sounded as if she had been speaking for a while. "You wish to learn French. Then I must teach you how to kiss them like the French." I blushed. She wrapped her arm around my waist and pulled me close. "But, I guess I can enjoy teaching you the language of romance first." She planted a kiss on my forehead. "Tardé una hora en conocerte y solo un día en enamorarme. Pero me llevará toda una vida lograr olvidarte." 

"What does that mean?" I ask, in a daze.

"It took me an hour to know you and a day to fall in love," Sooyoung says. "But it will take my life to forget you." She looks into my eyes. "Jiwoo....I really can't wait to fall in love with you."

I grinned, helplessly. "That's so sweet." 

"I really mean that." Sooyoung holds my hands. "I'm going to go now. Sweet dreams, princesa." 

"Good night," I call back. She grins. I blow a kiss to her as she walks off. 

I couldn't wait to continue to fall in love with Sooyoung either. This felt like a fairytale.