Many students loved it when the bell announcing the end of school rang, and you were no exception. But the reason you love the end of school isn’t only because of the fact that you get to go home; it’s also because you can’t wait to see him. It was embarrassing to admit just who you meant, however. Not even your friends knew the exact reason why you were so excited at the end of school, thinking it to be going out to the ice cream truck near the school for ice cream.

Although it wasn’t just the ice cream that got you excited to get out of school. It was the person who sold the ice cream.

You didn’t know his name but you didn’t need to; every time you and your friends visited his ice cream truck, he would smile that dimpled smile your way and make idle conversation you with while you waited for him to make the ice cream. He chatted with your friends as well so they didn’t really expect the fact that you had a crush but honestly you wouldn’t care if they found out. It was just that you didn’t want to verbally tell them you had a crush on the ice cream man — it was too awkward to admit out loud.

Then again, you weren’t the type of girl who vocalized who you had a crush on so it didn’t really bother you. Not only that but you didn’t expect anything to happen in regards to your crush; he was just a polite man is all.

Plus, why would he like a young school girl like you when there were so many older women out there his age? Maybe he already had a girlfriend or a wife. Maybe he already had kids.

He may not look all that old, not a day over twenty-six years of age, but there were men out there who had kids at that age so you wouldn’t put it against him. And not only that but he was gorgeous! What wife wouldn’t want to…make kids with him?

You were so lost in thought that you didn’t even notice your friends chatting next to you, only snapping out of it when one of them said your name sharply.

“Huh? What?” you said, dazed, making your friends giggle.

“You okay?” one of them asked, raising an amused brow. “You were really out of it just now.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yeah I’m fine. What is it?”

“Haneul and I have to stay after school for dance practice, so we won’t be walking with you, okay?”

You glanced at her in surprise before nodding your head in affirmation, all the while your heart began beating faster and faster as the seconds ticked by. So you would be walking home by yourself. That meant you’d go to the ice cream truck by yourself…and you’d talk to the gorgeous ice cream man by yourself.

The thought brought pink to your cheeks and hastily you ducked your head, hair covering the sides of your face so your friends didn’t see you blushing and poke even more fun.

“Alright then. Bye! See you at school tomorrow!” your friend said, waving you off. Your other friend did the same, beaming.

You turned after you were sure you had your blush under control, waving back. “Bye, guys!” you shouted back before turning back and continuing to walk out of the high school, a bounce in your step.

Your eyes lit up when you noticed the ice cream truck parked just a few feet away from you; you fast-walked over there and smiled up at your crush.

“Good evening!” you said cheerfully.

He smiled back, his dimple greeting you. “Good evening to you too,” he replied, sounding amused. “Why so happy?”

“You know — end of school, buying ice cream and such,” you told him airily, making sure not to say, and because I get to finally see you again. That would’ve been horribly embarrassing.

“Makes sense,” he said before asking, “So, do you want your usual?”

You nodded your head. “Yes, please!”

He laughed at your eagerness, going ahead and preparing your favourite ice cream for you. “So how is school going lately?”

“Exhausting,” you told him with a shrug of your shoulders, “but at least the end of school is approaching. It’s getting hectic with exams and all, though it’ll be worth it when summer breaks comes around…” You trailed off when you realized it.

When summer break came around, you wouldn’t be coming to school and he would no longer be coming around to school in his ice cream truck either.

Could it really be that your last meeting with your crush was coming soon?

You swallowed, shuffling awkwardly, and tried to keep your previous smile on your face. He, however, didn’t notice; he was too busy making you your ice cream.

“Well, there you go,” he said when he was finished, leaning a bit through the partition and offering you the cold, sweet treat. You made sure not to look him in the eyes as you grabbed it, mind still pondering over your newest revelation. The one you didn’t wish to come true.

You paid for the ice cream, said goodbye, and began to walk away slowly, head bowed, when you heard someone yelling your name.

Turning around, you realized that it was your crush yelling your name. How did he know your name, though? You’ve never told him your name!

“Y-Yes?” you asked, stumbling back towards the ice cream truck.

He was holding out money. “You forgot your change, silly,” he told you, grinning.

You took the money from him and pocketed it. “Uh…how did you…know my name?” you asked him, trailing off every now and then out of awkwardness.

He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, uh, your friends are always addressing you whenever you three come buy ice cream so your name just stuck in my memory.”

You pouted, realization forgotten for the time being. “That’s not fair! You know my name but I have yet to find out yours.”

He shook his head at you, grinning, and said, “Let me fix that right now. I’m Park Jungsu. You can call me Jungsu oppa — we’ve known each other long enough for that, I think.”

You beamed. “Okay, Jungsu oppa!” Afterwards, taking a deep breath, you decided to go ahead and go through with what you had been thinking of doing a few weeks back.

Before you could talk yourself out of it, you took out a small sheet of notepad paper (it was kind of difficult with one hand) from your bag, a pencil, and scribbled your number on it, Jungsu watching you curiously all the while. Folding the piece of paper, you handed it to him.

“What is this?” he asked you, unfolding the paper.

You blushed heavily. “I hope you don’t find me too forward, Jungsu oppa, but I was thinking that summer vacation was going to come along soon and I wanted to talk to you when school ends too. Since we know each other well enough, I uh…decided to give you my number. I hope that’s okay?”

“No, no! That’s more than okay! I-I want to stay in touch with you too,” he hurriedly told you, pocketing the piece of paper. “Thank you for taking the next step. I wasn’t going to since I thought it might be too forward to do such a thing. For me, not you! Since, you know, I am your elder by at least ten years…”

You shook your head. “It’s fine, Jungsu oppa. I don’t mind. You’re still handsome — er, I mean that you still look young — I mean that it doesn’t matter how old you are,” you stumbled with your words, scrunching your eyes closed in embarrassment afterwards.

A few seconds later, he said, “…your ice cream is melting.”

“What?” you asked, opening your eyes.

Once you felt something cold touch your hand, however, you snapped your head down and noticed the ice cream melting. Some of it had just fallen on your hand.

“Oh no,” you groaned, away the ice cream and unknowingly making Jungsu cough and look away.

When you glanced up, you saw Jungsu blushing while looking in the other direction but simply waved it off. “Thanks for the heads up. I’ll see you tomorrow, Jungsu oppa?”

“I’ll be right here waiting for you,” he promised, waving.

And so you left for home with an ice cream, a smile on your face, and the knowledge that you had just accomplished many things in one day: finding out the name of our crush, realizing that he had some sort of feelings akin to yours and giving him your number.

Things were looking up.

Written by: Admin M.