requested by anon

"Are you sure you guys aren't dating?"

You raise your eyebrow at your friend, mid-sip from Junhong's drink. "Yeah. Why?"

"No reason," she sighs, shaking her head, but you can tell that there's something more she wants to say.

You shrug, setting the drink back down and leaning on Junhong's shoulder (well, it's more like his arm since he really is way too tall for his own good). Junhong fidgets slightly, but says nothing, and you frown.

"Something wrong?" you ask, but he shakes his head.

"It's nothing," he replies, his expression hardening slightly.

"Just that the two of you look like you could be dating," your friend coughs unsubtly, and you roll your eyes.

At least once a week, someone would insinuate that you and Junhong were dating—even your own parents. Every time, you'd just brush them off—you and Junhong had been best friends since elementary school, and you could hardly remember a time where he wasn't constantly by your side.

It didn't really bother you, but lately you'd noticed that Junhong always seemed to want to say something, but always held back at the last moment.

"Well," your friend sighs, "I've actually got to meet up with my mom, she wants me to help her buy a gift for her friend's daughter or something like that. Have fun on your date!"

"It's not a date!" you shout feebly after her, but she just winks and walks off.

"Wish it was," you hear from your side, and you turn to see Junhong picking at the edge of his sweatshirt forlornly.

"Did you say something?" you ask.

"Is the idea of dating me really that repulsive to you?" Junhong asks, avoiding your question. "Every time someone says we look like we're dating, you're always so quick to tell them we're not."

"...but we're not dating," you reply, "so I don't want to give them the wrong impression."

"What if I want them to get the wrong impression?"

"Huh?"

Junhong frowns, his arms crossed. "Do I really have to spell everything out for you?"

"I really don't get what you're trying to get at here..."

"I like you, okay? And I wish you'd see that, instead of always trying to stick me in the friend zone! But it seems like you don't feel the same way."

"Junhong, I-I don't know what to say," you reply, and it's true—you'd never thought that Junhong might actually like you.

"Just... just pretend I never said anything," he mumbles. "If it's gonna make things weird between us, don't dwell on it. I'd rather us be friends that nothing."

"Junhong, I want to try it."

"You-what?"

"I want to try us dating. There's no one that knows me better that you, and I'd be lying if I said I'd never felt attracted to you. I was just surprised, that's all."

"Oh," he sighs, and his entire body relaxes as a smile spreads across his face, and he takes hold of your hand—something he's done frequently before, but means something different now. "Well, girlfriend, let's go out and do something couple-y...?"

"Like what?"

"Skateboarding?"

"You're on."

BAHAHAHA CRAP ENDINGS RETURN