It’s surprising how many precious hours, minutes, and seconds we waste doing nothing.

I was sitting in the cafeteria, chewing carefully on my sandwich and listening in silence to the two girls who were chatting loudly with excitement about their shoes from some new collection. Bored as always during their conversations about fashion, I was pretending to care as if it was the most fascinating thing I’ve ever heard of in my life: sending a few smiles from time to time and assuring them with small nods that I was indeed still listening. It has become a habit for me to do so during their talks about the latest fashion. I've been simply wasting my precious time doing it every day, over and over again. I wasn't saying that people should always talk about meaningful or philosophical topics, but truly, how long could a conversation centered around shoes go? Were they made of diamonds?

“Jin?” Ga In’s voice caused me to switch my attention from the sandwich. She was looking at me with anticipation, waiting for an answer which I surely didn't have. Did I get too carried away with my thoughts and missed out on something from their conversation?

“Yes?” I blinked a few times, trying to play it safe. She frowned, probably realizing that I didn’t listen to her carefully. Whoops, busted. I smiled apologetically. "Did you say something?"

“I was asking if you’re busy on Saturday,” Ga In pouted in a cute way, giving me goosebumps. I liked her (I really did), but this whole acting-cute thing was getting on my nerves. I didn’t understand why girls had to act like kids from kindergarten just to capture a guy’s heart. I most definitely didn’t understand why that act made guys, who surrounded Ga In on a regular basis, get so excited. She was adorable enough without all the childish mimics. Was it really necessary to make a cute idiot out of yourself just to get a boyfriend? If yes, then it was brutally clear why I haven’t managed to get one for myself. Yet.

“Not really,” I went back to eating my sandwich. “Why?”

“Then…" a slight smirk appeared on her face, and I knew I would immediately regret asking that, “you’re going with me on a double date!”

Oh.

Oh…

That explained why she asked me if I was free on Saturday. She wasn’t usually eager to spend the day with someone other than her boyfriend, who apparently was only free on that particular day because of his job and college. Yes, Ga In was dating a college student—someone four years older than her. That. in the eyes of someone so inexperienced as me, was impressive. To be honest, I was always curious about him and it could be a great opportunity to meet him, but, well, she invited me on a double date, right? That would mean going with my boyfriend who, unfortunately, was currently far away from me. I’m pretty sure he’s wasting his time like me too, somewhere in Asia. Or maybe Europe. Or America. Well, I haven’t met him yet, so I have no freaking idea where he is now. Like my grandmother said, I had to wait patiently, and he would eventually find me one day. So I've been waiting, hoping that my future lover wasn't messing around somewhere in America, flirting with all the blond s.

“Oh, I’m sorry…" I gave a disappointed sigh. It was time to play a sad girlfriend. “My boyfriend is busy this weekend.”

“Hey! Isn’t he always busy?” Chung Ae looked at me with frustration. After a whole month of various excuses, she was beginning to grow suspicious, although I couldn't really blame her for that, could I? My handsome, smart, and polite—yet always busy—boyfriend was too perfect to be true. And he was indeed fictitious but I would prefer to keep that fact only to myself. At least for now.

Chung Ae crossed her arms (seemed like she wasn't going to give up today that easily), “Does he even love you?”

Good question. I’ll be sure to ask him that once I’ve met him.

“When did you start dating?” Ga In tilted her head with curiosity and then realization struck: it was a trap from the beginning, and I have fallen into it like a small, lost puppy. Their invitation and sudden questions were a sign of not believing me anymore. I moved uncomfortably on my chair. Was it the end of my lies? Why did I lie in the first place? Oh right, to have something in common with girls in my new class, who unfortunately only ever talked about relationships. I didn’t want to be rejected; it’s hard to spend all three years of high school dubbed with the reputation of ‘that one girl who is boring and can't even find a boyfriend.’ Childish as it was, it happened once to me and I didn’t want to repeat that history.

“About one month ago,” I said after clearing my throat. I couldn’t possibly turn back time now, and I knew that I would need to lie until the end. If I could time travel, I wouldn’t waste my days in this horrible high school, trying to convince these two girls that my imaginary boyfriend existed. I forced myself to smile brightly despite the mess and pa