“So, that was him, huh?” Yesung asked after he handed Ji Soo the ice cream he had promised he would give her to cheer her up. He sat down with her on the bench.

Ji Soo took it and nodded. “I didn’t expect to see him today…” she said softly, tucking her hair behind her ear as she did so.

“Must have been quite a shock for you?” Yesung joked, trying but failing to lighten her mood. “Mianhe… He looks like a pretty nice guy. Why don’t you like him?”

“I didn’t actually say I didn’t like him. He’s pretty nice but…”

“But what?”

“But…” Ji Soo hesitated then sighed. “It’s, uh, nothing, sunbae.”

Yesung chuckled. “I think he got the wrong idea about us earlier. He looked like he was close to killing me.”

Ji Soo tried her best to chuckle. “Well, it’s better if it stays that way.”

“Bwo?” Yesung asked. “You want me to get killed by him?”

Ji Soo finally laughed genuinely. “No… But it’s better if he had the wrong idea.”

“Why is that?”

“I’m not sure myself.” Ji Soo sighed. “I don’t think I want to see him soon, much less talk to him.”

“Aigoo.” Yesung let out what seemed like a frustrated sigh. “Kim Ji Soo, what’s with you? That guy likes you. And it looks to me like you like him too. Why the hell are you acting like he’s the Black Plague or something?”

Ji Soo sighed but didn’t say anything.

“Yah! Don’t even try to deny it but I can see it clearly. You like him.” Yesung declared.

“Aigoo. Is it that obvious, sunbae?” Ji Soo said, pouting at her ice cream cone.

Yesung chuckled. “To me maybe. But to him—what’s his name, again, Changmin-sshi? You’re certainly doing your best of showing him that you don’t like him.”

“Aigoo… I don’t know… I think it’s… complicated.”

“How so?” Yesung asked with an eyebrow raised.

Ji Soo heaved out a sigh. “It’s… It’s scary… It’s the first time a guy I like liked me back and… I don’t know. Is it weird if I get scared because of that silly thing? But… Aish… I don’t know. I have this silly, subconscious fear that I might get rejected or hurt or something.”

Yesung placed a hand on her shoulder. “First of all,” he said. “That’s not that silly. Second, you said you’re scared that you might get rejected. But how about Changmin-sshi? You do your best to avoid him and to not talk to him. Don’t you think that’s not the same as rejecting him? You know, you might not notice it but you’re making Changmin experience the things you’re afraid of. It’s not fair.”

Ji Soo paused. She looked ahead and bit her lip. “I-I guess you’re right, sunbae… I didn’t notice that. B-but I can’t help it. I mean, I can’t act normally. I can still hide it at first but after that night…” Ji Soo’s voice trailed off. She sighed then changed the expression on her face. “I mean, who does that? One minute you’re talking and the next thing you know he suddenly kisses you… That isn’t gentleman-like!”

“Oh-kay…” Yesung smiled sheepishly. “Mianhe… But I think I would do the same like what he did. I’d kiss a girl like that… To surprise her. I mean, girls—some girls—like surprises.”

“Okay… Surprises are good but…”

“Yah, Ji Soo-ah,” Yesung said in an amused tone. “Don’t tell me that a part of you, however little that part may be, didn’t like that. I know you somehow liked that.”

Ji Soo rolled her eyes. “Okay, maybe a little, microscopic, miniature part of me, deep, deep, deep down inside me did like that. But that’s just a little, almost invisible part so don’t get your hopes up, sunbae.”

“At least there’s a part.” Yesung pointed out.

“A LITTLE part.” Ji Soo emphasized.

Her sunbae shook his head and chuckled. “At least there’s a part. Too bad, what he did scared the crap out of you.”

Ji Soo scowled at him.

“Look, Ji Soo.” Yesung turned to her seriously. “Promise me, you won’t do that to him again.”

“What… what do you mean? D-do what?” she stammered.

“I mean, you shouldn’t be running away from him.” He said. “Try to at least be in the same room as him. Talk to him. If you don’t like being rejected, don’t try and make him feel rejected, araso?”

Ji Soo looked down at her own feet and sighed. “Sunbae, it’s… it’s not that simple. What should we talk about? Things are gonna be awkward between us. I… I… I don’t know how to act like myself when he’s around. I don’t want to make a big fool of myself in front of him.”

“You already did that by running away.” Yesung snapped. “Aigoo, Ji Soo, you can at least TRY… Just act like you always do when you’re with him. It’s better to do that than by hiding… Promise me, okay? Araso? It’s for your own good, you’ll see.”

Ji Soo sighed and smiled at him. “Aish, sunbae. You’re not gonna give up, are you?”

“Just promise me.”

“Okay.” Ji Soo said. “Fine. I promise I will TRY.”

“There you go.” Yesung smiled triumphantly.

“Aigoo, sunbae! Really!”

He chuckled. “Yah, since your oaf of a brother can’t seem to take care of you, who will?”

Ji Soo smiled at him. “Thanks, sunbae. You’re a really great friend.”

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COMMENTS ARE LOVED~!

Just a short update for now. I'll add more chaps soon! :D

Happy New Year guys! :D