Syae Ri sighed as she sat idly on the couch. She looked around. Ji Soo was sleeping soundly on the arm chair, her feet popped up on the sturdy coffee table. Da Hae had her eyes glued to the screen of Sae In’s laptop, immersed only on surfing the web. Sae In, who was sitting next to Syae Ri, busied herself with her phone as she hummed a tune that was playing through her ear phones.

They were at Sae In’s for movie night. All of them had arrived there nearly an hour ago, except for one. Seun Yoo still hadn’t arrived yet, like that was a surprise to them. She was always late… always. They had given up on trying to call her because she didn’t bother to pick up. The four of them just decided to wait. If she wasn’t there after an hour or so, they’ll start without her.

Syae Ri’s eyes were threatening to close. She was about to join Ji Soo in dreamland when she heard the gate outside open. Next came hurried footsteps and then the sudden sound of the door bursting open.

Seun Yoo stood at the threshold looking disheveled and haggard. She was clutching the doorknob with her left hand and was apparently making the door support some of her weight as she tried to catch her breath.

“Sorry… I’m… late…” she said in between breaths.

“Finally.” Da hae said, turning away from the laptop to look at the newly arrived Seun Yoo.

Seun Yoo nodded as she went to the couch and sat next to Syae Ri.

“What happened to you?” Syae Ri inquired.

“Yeah, what took you so long?” Sae In added as she removed the earphones from her ears.

“Aish…” Seun Yoo grunted. “My aunt came over and nagged me to hell.”

“Your aunt always does that to you.” Ji Soo suddenly said, startling the others.

“Yah, I thought you were asleep.” Syae Ri said to her, throwing a pillow at Ji Soo. She caught it gently as she yawned.

“I was.” Ji Soo said simply. “Until dongsaeng over here arrived noisily.”

She smiled at Seun Yoo. Ji Soo removed her feet from the coffee table, sat upright and started to stretch.

“So, what’s the deal with your aunt?” Sae in asked as she stood up and got the DVD out.

“She wouldn’t let me go.” Seun Yoo said miserably. “ I was forced to hear her preaching for about an hour and a half. It could’ve been longer. Thank goodness appa arrived. He let me go and I came here as fast as I could”

“Aww, poor you.” Syae Ri said as she patted her on the back, although she was chuckling as she did so. Seun Yoo just raised an eyebrow at her.

“And that’s not the most annoying part.” She continued. “She was bothering me about my love life. She was asking why I, at 18 turning 19, still hadn’t had a boyfriend yet. Then she told me stories about the ‘hundreds of guys’ asking her out when she was 17. It was horrible.”

“Eeewww…” Syae Ri commented, remembering what Seun Yoo’s aunt looked like: an overweight middle-aged lady with a snout-like nose, goofy teeth and beady eyes. “Who would ever like your aunt?”

“Hundreds?” Da Hae said, trying to comprehend if that was even possible. “How can there be hundreds when she doesn’t even have one now?”

“Hah. That old maid must’ve just had 10 and all were just cast under some voodoo magic.” Ji Soo said.

“Geez. If that was really true then we should be like goddesses right now.” Sae in chuckled as she went to the kitchen to get some popcorn.

“Obviously it was an exaggeration in epic proportion.” Seun Yoo said. “That witch is expecting me to be a like her. Aish. What’s the use of a boyfriend anyway?”

“Uhm… a great accessory?” Sae In joked as she placed the popcorn on the table. Da Hae quickly reached for it and took more than a handful of popcorn.

“Best ticket for free food.” Said Ji Soo as she got up and also took some popcorn

“Yah! Don’t eat it all.” Syae Ri yelled. She hurriedly took some into her hands, afraid that the other two might finish it all at once.

“Yah! Don’t fight. There’s still plenty more where that came from.” Sae In said in an authoritative voice.

“Okay, okay.” Ji Soo said. “We’re not fighting.”

“Anyway,” Da Hae said as she placed pieces of popcorn in . “A boyfriend is someone that you can play around with.”

“What, like a punching bag?” Syae Ri joked, citing Da Hae’s favorite hobby of beating up boys she knew.

“Exactly.” She replied in a mock serious tone.

All of them laughed.

“Syae Ri-unni.” Ji Soo said. “It’s your turn.”

“Aish. I can’t think of anything. Uh, I don’t know. A good way to waste money, I guess?”

“Hmm... that’s true.” Da Hae said and the others nodded in agreement. “You’d have to buy gifts for him every month and, not to mention, the money you spend on dates! Unless you’re thick enough to let him make all the spending then you don’t have that much of a problem.”

“Aish. Whatever.” Seun Yoo said in agitation. ”Being single is still way better any time.”

“Agreed!” Ji Soo said, raising her hand.

“You, Ji Soo?” Sae In asked. Skepticism was evident in her voice. “You’re the most boy-crazed one out of all of us!”

“Yeah, you have, like, crushes!” Syae Ri added.

“Yah!” Ji Soo said. “Seun Yoo has more than that! Besides, they’re only crushes. Being in a relationship with them… eh, that’s another story.”

“Yah!” Sae In exclaimed, something had apparently popped into her head. “I have an idea. Let’s make a vow NOT to be in a relationship until we turn 20, which is just and average of about a year for all of us.”

“Only a year?” Da Hae asked. “Fine. I’ve survived 19 years in this world without a boyfriend. One more year will just be a piece of cake!”

“So, it’s on. Do we all agree to that?” Sae In asked as she looked at the other three. “Once we promise there will be no turning back!”

“Agreed!” Seun Yoo said with a wide smile.

“Me too!”

“Count me in!”

“Okay then.”

Sae In placed her right hand in front of her. The other four stood up, went nearer to Sae In and placed their hands on top of each other.

“HWAITING!!!” They all shouted as they raised their hands in the air simultaneously, completing the vow they had made.

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