Chunji

After seeing her off, I board the bus heading to Sadang-dong(사당동), Dongjak-gu(동작구). I look out the window, watching the Han River pass by. I sit on the bus for approximately 15 minutes before the bus comes to a stop. I jump off the bus and slip in my ear buds. I walk to the beat of the music, swinging my hands out as I turn the corner nearing 아름다운사랑(Beautiful Love). The name seems too cliché for an internet café/hangout. I turn off the music on my phone and call Minsoo to inform him that I’m almost there. I place my phone back inside my pocket and open the door of the café. I show the owner my membership card and make my way towards the back of the café where the rooms are. I walk to our usual room and open the door.

“Chunji, you made it!”  Minsoo gets up from the couche and embraces me. I hug him back and let go of him.

“Yeah Hyung, I finally made it!” I say, walking towards the couch.

“I bet he went stalking for that girl he met at the club last week” Ricky jokes, snickering.

“Do you guys remember that cheesy line he said?”  L. Joe asks.

“Yeah I do. ‘This song is for someone special’” Niel answers, his voice dripping with mockery. He cups his face and tilts his head to the side with a goofy grin on his face. I get up quickly and walk towards Niel. I start tickling him, trying to make him apologize.

“Take that back, Daniel” I tickle him some more, until I see tears forming in his eyes.

“Hahahahaha……..No…Never…” He gasps in between, struggling to breathe. As I’m about to continue with the silly torture, I feel two strong hands grab my elbows, forcefully pulling me back. I turn around to come face to face with Minsoo.

“Dude you need to stop before you kill the guy. He was only joking” He says, letting out a grin. I stare at him, totally in trance. His eyes are elliptical Persian slit-shaped that trap anyone who falls prey and look into them. They are exotic embers that burn into the soul.

“Yah! Quit staring at me like that” Minsoo says, shoving me lightly. I manage to break our eye contact and go back to the couch, placing myself in-between Ricky and Changjo.

“So did you go and meet her?” Ricky asks. I turn towards him, surprised that he’s speaking. In the past before I really got to know Ricky, I used to think he was mute since he rarely or never spoke a word.

“Yeah, it turns out she goes to school with BaekHo” I say, tucking my hands behind my head.

“Duh! Then how would they meet?” Niel says.

“Niel, quit being annoying. Haven't you ever heard of social media? Maybe that’s how she met BaekHo” Minsoo snaps, leaning on his knees with his arched up arms.

“No, by the looks of it I’m pretty sure that BaekHo and that girl have a long history” Changjo interjects. I cover my ears and block out the argument playing out until I hear it die down. I put my hands down and look at everyone.

“ what did you do when you met her?” Ricky asks.

“I told her that I like her and I tried to ask her out on a date but she rejected but I’ll get her to go out with me” I answer.

“Woah! You got REJECTED!!!!!” Niel hollers, emphasizing the word rejected.

“Shut up!” I spit out, getting annoyed.

“Something seems off about her, don’t you guys think so?” Ricky looks up at us, with a look of concern.

“Yeah, she seems different from most girls I’ve met” I throw my hands behind me, resting the back of my head against it.

“You guys want to know a secret?” I ask, a slight smirk appearing on my face.

“Yeah” Niel answers, leaning forward towards me.  I look at him for a second before turning my head upwards, looking up at the cream colored ceiling.

“Hey c’mon Chunji, tell us what the secret is. PLEASE CHUNJIII!!!!” Niel begs. I look back at him again before letting out a laugh. His face…. Oh my…. His pouty lips tinted with strawberry pink with eyebrows pulled together.

“What the heck are you doing with your face? You remind me of a baboon!” I let out another laugh, unable to control myself. I turn my head towards Ricky and immediately stop laughing.

His light hair hangs in his eyes, loosely framing his face. He makes no effort to move his bangs, and instead smolders at me from under them with his glinting, dark eyes. Although his expression does not change, his arrogant half-smirk and taunting look in his eyes tells you he’s serious.

“Quit joking and tell us Chunji” He says in a voice full of authority.

“Okay. Well I think she is actually a he- but I don’t know I maybe wrong on her gender identity” I say. Sometimes Ricky scares me sometimes. At times he seems like an old man trapped inside a teenager’s body when it gets down to being serious.

“What? Dude that’s sick and messed up! Ewww!!!! That’s just nasty!!!” Niel lets out a snare, ruining his perfectly sculpted face with his godlike features, full lips, and stunning, mysterious eyes.

“Shut up Niel! Does she…. Excuse me I mean does he know that you’re panual?” Byunghun questions me, sitting on the edge of the couch.

“Yeah and she seems totally fine with it”

“But it’s a GUY!!!!” Niel lets out, obviously frustrated by the sudden revelation.

“I never said she was a guy. I just said that she seems like it but I maybe wrong” I say, giving the ‘shut up’ look.

“Well whatever, I bet ‘she’ probably has a meat Popsicle in between her legs (A man’s ia) like the rest of us male population!” Niel says, making quotation marks around ‘she’.

“Dude what’s your problem? Weren’t you the one who was talking about how beautiful and goddess like she looked last week?” Min Soo asks.

“Well that was LAST week and last time I checked we’re in this week. So I can change my mind and say whatever I please” Niel defends himself, not backing down.

“Well I don’t care about what she is. I still like her” I chirp, my lips forming into a smile.

“Yeah I don’t care if hyung likes a man, a woman or a lady-boy. As long as hyung is happy, I’m happy!” Changjo chips.

“Yeah me too” Ricky says.

“Thank you, guys!”

“It’s your life, Chunji. Do whatever you want” Min Soo added.

“Thanks”