i choose to love you.

“So let me get this straight,” she paused, “I’m the only female going on this camping trip.” Miyoon murmured to Hoya who was sitting next to her on the moving bus.

“Well, you are part of our team. Coach thought it would only be fair if you came along too.” He replied.

“But I’m just a medical personnel. That counts as being part of the team?” she asked. He nodded and she sighed. “Then where is Dr. Yoo?” she scanned around but he was nowhere in sight.

“He’s too busy with patients but he sends his regards and said to have fun.” Hoya informed.

“Oh,” she nodded in return. “Do you guys do team trips often?” Miyoon played with her fingers and Hoya relaxed into his seat, getting comfortable.

“Once a year before the fall season starts.” He explained. “It’s supposed to help us bond and all of that other stuff so we’d play better together as a whole.”

“That’s nice,” she complimented. “I’ve never gone camping out in the actual woods before. The only place where I slept in a tent and a sleeping-bag was in my backyard when I was younger. What are we going to do?” her eyes shimmered with genuine interest and he smiled before moving closer to her with their orbs hooked to each other.

“Everything,” he whispered breathlessly, his gaze then dropping down to her desirable lips.

Suddenly, the bus became turbulent, jolting them apart. Miyoon cleared as she adjusted herself and faced straight forward. Her heart was pounding, no mystery there as images of the events from last weekend flickered into her mind. Her nails dug into her knees as she robbed a few glances of Hoya with the use of her peripheral vision.

When she found him with his eyes closed, body at ease and a subtle smile plastered onto his godlike and well-chiseled face, she swallowed nervously. I like you. She chanted mentally. Miyoon started nibbling and on the inner-walls of her cheeks as she stole another peek.

This time she wasn’t afraid to move so that the upper-part of her body was directed at him.

Next, fell ajar, ready to confess and come clean about her emotions for him when Hoya stirred and shifted in his seat. She inhaled a deep and sharp breath through her nostrils before whipping back around, her stomach all knotted up.

This is getting ridiculous. What is wrong with me? I can insult him and call him names but a simple I like you can’t be said? Babo, babo, babo.

As she was in the midst of scolding herself, Miyoon felt something clasping onto her head and immediately reacted. When she nearly shot up out of her seat, Hoya pushed her back down. She looked at him bewildered while he motioned her to calm down.

“I want you to listen to music. The trip is long and it helps pass time.” He declared and when Miyoon reached her hands to feel whatever it was that was clinging onto her skull, it was indeed a set of headphones.

She sat still as she watched Hoya scroll through his Zune. She tried to peer over his shoulder but he turned away, hindering her view. She puffed her cheeks out and then what he said registered into her mind.

Before any music could ring through her ears, Miyoon removed the electric ears and dangled them around her neck. “If I listen to your music, what are you going to do?”

Hoya looked back at her and tilted his head to the side. “Good question. I guess I can sleep or something. It’s still pretty early.”

“Mhm, I won’t argue with you on that one.” Miyoon stifled a yawn with the back of her hand before continuing, “Why do we have to leave at 7 in the morning anyways? I almost didn’t get up today. If it weren’t for my geges fussing over what cartoon they should watch, I would be out cold right now,” she narrated as she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

“It’s so we can make it there and have time to set everything up. Maybe even squeeze in a few activities.” Hoya reasoned.

“That’s reasonable, just know though, I am not a morning person.”

“Who is?” he laughed.

Miyoon tapped her index finger against her chin. “I don’t know,” she gave up, too exhausted to think at the moment. “But you can listen to your music. I can sleep.” She assured. Next, Miyoon closed her eyes and tried to fall into slumberland but unfortunately, the guys decided to yell and shout at each other over passing around the breakfast snacks.

She groaned and the bus kept shaking unevenly, like they were driving on a road filled with pebbles. A frown planted itself on her face as her brows knitted together and creases blanketed her forehead. Hoya watched her amusedly before he shook his head and elbowed her.

“I can sleep through this ruckus and remain sane because I’m used to it. You aren’t. Trust me when I say you aren’t going to get a wink of sleep being stuck on a bus with these guys especially at an hour like this. They probably all had three cups of coffee just to make it here.”

“Three cups?” she gawked, putting up the same exact number of fingers. “Isn’t that like bad for their bodies or something?”

“Only if they make a habit of it which they don’t or else I’d have to shun them all for destroying their bodies.”

“I see, well I guess this whole thing is a pretty big deal then, huh?”

“You have no idea. It’s been a tradition carried out by this team for decades. You’re the first non-player besides for coach who has ever been allowed to come.”

“R-really?” Miyoon stammered, shocked. “But I still don’t get it. I’m really no one important to the team. And to be quite frank, I kind of felt bad that Kyungmi couldn’t come and got scolded at.”

“Whoa,” Hoya gawked. “Are you seriously feeling bad for Kyung right now?”

Miyoon pursed her lips out and stuck her chin up, “I have feelings too. I’m not a robot. It looked like she really wanted to come and for her dad to yell at her like that in front of everyone was insensitive. Between you and me,” she leaned in closer to him. “He seemed like a bully. I’m not a fan of those.” Her nose crinkled up in disdain and Hoya quirked both brows at her.

“Neither am I but unlike you, I’m kind of glad she wasn’t able to tag along because if she did, I’d only have headaches with the two of you bickering constantly.” He snorted.

“Excuse me?” Miyoon’s face transformed into a stale expression. “I don’t bicker with her. She bickers with me. I mean did you forget how she practically attacked me the first time I met her? Does she not understand seniority and respect? I’m three, almost four, years older than her. Who does she think she was calling me a stalker and thief? Tch.” Miyoon rolled her eyes, grunted in annoyance before she slouched into her seat.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re right, she’s the instigator. But now do you feel as bad that she wasn’t able to come along?”

“I guess not. Just thinking about how unreasonable she is makes me want to punch you.” She proclaimed, scowling.

“What? Punch me?” Hoya drew away but then Miyoon’s fist collided with his upper-arm.

“You made me mad.” She grumped, justifying her actions.

He pointed at his face, “Me? What did I do?”

“You made me feel stupid for empathizing with and sympathizing for the girl who hates my guts.” The girl who always tries to take you away from me. Omona, yah, what are you thinking? He isn’t a toy nor is he yours. Miyoon started lightly thwacking the side of her head as Hoya stared at her.

“You’re not stupid. I’m just joking,” he said, grasping her hand so that she would no longer be assaulting herself. “I think it’s really sweet of you to be so concerned over someone who could care less about you. It shows how considerate you are of others.”

Miyoon shyly slipped out of his hold and lightly cleared before she spoke up again, “Of course. I’m always considerate.” She boasted, checking her nails. “That’s why I’m telling you to listen to your music. It is yours.” Then she pulled the headphones from her neck and just as she was about to place them on his ears, she froze halfway.

In her hands were a familiar set of purple Beat headphones. Miyoon blinked at it before she looked at Hoya and blinked at him. She raised it up for a closer examination, “Is this the present I got for you when we were younger?”

“What?” Hoya scoffed. “This thing?” he snatched it from her and shrugged. “I found it lying around in one of my boxes and thought I’d use it. The sound quality is bearable. I don’t know who gave it to me.”

A grin broke out on Miyoon’s face as she took the headphones back. She was searching for something and carved in tiny letters were WXZ. She had engraved it because she wanted him to remember who had given them to him and her action obviously helped her clearly identify the item and its giver. “These are the headphones I gave you!” she cheered like a child. “You kept it this whole time? And here I thought you would have burned it.”

“And why would I do that,” he snapped. “It was a present and it didn’t do anything wrong.”

“You act like it’s a pet. It can’t do anything wrong.” She chortled mockingly.

“Aish,” Hoya gritted. “Are you going to listen to the music or these guys talk about their deprived intimate lives?”

“Deprived. Intimate. Lives?” Miyoon repeated choppily, obviously not understanding what Hoya meant by that. “What does that mean?” she had this innocent look to her as she looked at him and Hoya eyed her suspiciously.

“What do you mean by that?” he retorted.

Miyoon frowned at him, “I’m asking you what does deprived intimate lives mean. What else?”

“Yah,” he his teeth. “Are you acting now? Last time you didn’t know what couples do now you don’t understand when I say something like this? I’m starting to think you’re the nun here.”

“Why don’t you explain to—” she stopped and every word clicked together in her head as she covered her ears, horrified. “Ewwwwwww,” she cried. “I don’t want to hear that stuff. I don’t want to be scarred. I can’t even hold down my breakfast when I hear about the geges talking about kissing a girl. Let alone a bus full of random guys.”

“Haha, so you’re not as clueless as you look. So why don’t you just sit back and enjoy the music before I change my mind.” He announced.

“Wait, so you don’t mind listening them talk about that stuff?” she empha