I was right.  This ‘being nice to Natalie and forcing good things about Ji Ho down ’ thing was going to kill me.

                For a week straight, I hung out with Natalie, sometimes together with my other girl friends.  Making sure I brought up Ji Ho whenever appropriate without seeming forced so that she would know just what a wonderful guy he was.  She seemed to like him, but was just slow on the being charmed part.  I didn’t know.  I didn’t care.

                One weekend, the whole group of us went out to dinner.  I wanted to vomit watching Ji Ho and Natalie together.  It wasn’t that he was ignoring me, he wasn’t at all, it was the fact that she was there.  She was on his mind.  Not that I ever was on his mind like that, but the fact that another girl was made my stomach churn.

                Thankfully, my other girl friends were there and Ji Ho’s six soccer playing friends.  I thought I did a fabulous job of hiding my true feelings, laughing and poking fun with the guys until that Monday, Kyung stopped me at my locker after school.

                Park Kyung.  A cool guy.  He’d be long and gangly if he weren’t a soccer player.  Practice made his body slender and built.  He’s no Ji Ho though, therefore, I see nothing when I look at him.  Stupid girl, I scolded myself.  He’s a really nice guy and a good friend.

                Kyung leaned against the locker next to mine and nodded at me.  Using one finger to push his black sunglasses farther up on his nose, he smirked.

                “Jordan.  You, me.  Let’s talk,” he said in monotone with his usual hint of a New Zealand accent that only seemed to come about when he spoke English. 

                Girls like accents.  I like accents!  Why couldn’t I just like him?  Or I could like, oh I don’t know, anyone else on the planet?

                I slammed my locker shut and giggled.  “Why does that sound like you’re setting me up for a hit?”

                He laughed and twitched his head a fraction to flick his bangs out of his face.

                “Come on, I’ll buy you ddeokbokki,” he offered in a sing song voice.  I clapped my hands together.  Spicy rice cakes are my favorite Korean food of all time.

                “Yes!” I cheered.  Then frowned.  “No, what’s going on?”

                He laughed again and gestured for me to walk ahead of him.  I shook my head.

                “I thought we were friends, Jo.”  He batted his eyes sadly at me.

                “Ok, ok, I’m sorry.  Please don’t do that thing with your eyes.  Let’s go.”

                We chatted about school and he bashed the opposing team of their last soccer match, the team our team beat mercilessly, but Kyung avoided what he really wanted to talk to me about until after our food arrived.

                He shoveled chewy rice cakes into his mouth until red pepper sauce dripped down his chin.  Laughing, I handed him a napkin.

                “Stuffing your face won’t last forever,” I warned him, chewing slowly.

                “Ok,” he gave in, swallowing.  “I had a speech all ready, but I guess I’ll just give it to you straight.”

                “Please do.”

                “First, I’m only telling you this because you know Ji Ho and the other guys are like my brothers.  And you, Amelia, and Beki are my best girls.”

                “Are you dying?”

                “Ha, ha, ha,” he said sarcastically.  “Very funny.”

                “Are we breaking up?”

                “You’re hilarious,” he added with a glare.

                I giggled.  “Ok, hurry up then.  Tell me.”

                He folded his hands in front of him on the table.  His face grew serious.  I took a nervous sip of water.  Looking me in the eye, he asked lightly, “How long before you tell Ji Ho how much you love him?”

                I choked on the water.  After my coughing fit, I tried to laugh mockingly.  “Where did you get such a crazy idea like that?”  His eyes narrowed in a glare.

                “Come on, Jo.  I’m more observant than most guys.  You must know that by now.”

                “Yeah, but I don’t…stop glaring at me.”

                “As soon as you come clean to me,” he retorted, glare still fixed on me.

                “I don’t have anything to come clean about!”  Glare.  “Honest!”  Glare.  “Kyung, stop glaring at me!” I whined.  He smiled.

                “I won’t tell anyone if that’s what you’re worried about…”  I stayed silent.  I suddenly wasn’t hungry anymore.  Didn’t stop me from shoving a couple of more pieces into my mouth.  “I wouldn’t even be butting in if it weren’t you two.”

                “What are you talking about?” I asked around a mouthful of food.

                “Oh, please.  You and Ji Ho are meant for each other.  He may be too blindly stupid to see it and if anyone else paid more attention, they’d see it, too.”  My eyes widened.  “Don’t worry, I don’t think anyone else in our group caught on.  No one has said anything yet anyway.  They know how close you two are.  They’re unsuspecting, I’m sure.”

                For a second, I met his eyes.  He wasn’t glaring.  He was being sincere.  I sighed.

                “I’m in love with Ji Ho,” I confessed in a hushed voice.  I felt my cheeks warm up and I looked down at my hands in my lap.  “It’s stupid because I’m no good for him.  He’s out of my league.  He’s looking for someone more like Natalie.  He needs a girlie girl.  A normal girl.  I’m not that.  I’m the best friend.  The weirdo best friend who steals his clothes and can’t control her hair half the time.”

                “You’re not just a weirdo,” Kyung laughed.  Then paused.  “You could be more,” he added gently.

                “I’d rather be the best friend than nothing.”

                “You could never be nothing to Ji Ho.  You mean so much to him.  You should hear the way he talks about you.  The look on his face.”

                I shook my head.  “No, I’m his best friend.”

                “I’m a guy-”

                “Thanks.  I didn’t know,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

                He rolled his eyes and chuckled.  “I’m a guy, so I know this.  Sometimes guys just need a little push in the right direction.”  He hesitated.  “Or a slap in the face.  Either way, sometimes a guy needs what’s right for him to be thrown into his face or ripped away from him in order for him to understand.”

                “Kyung, I really appreciate what a good friend you are, but none of this applies to me and Ji Ho.”

                He scoffed.  “Silly girl…”  His eyes narrowed again.  “It absolutely applies to you and Ji Ho!  In fact, you two are a perfect example of this!”  I opened my mouth to argue.  “What do you have to lose?” he interrupted.

                “Ji Ho!  I’ll lose Ji Ho if I do something insane like confess my feelings to him and he doesn’t feel the same way.  I’ll lose my best friend.  I can’t lose him.”

                “You could never lose him,” he stated.  The emotion in his voice made me want to listen to what he had to say.  “I’m telling you.  Ji Ho is the type of guy that needs what’s best for him to be ripped away in order for him to see that he’s wanted it this whole time.”

                “What are you talking about and what are you ripping away from him?”

                “I’m talking about you making him jealous.  You need to find someone to hold your attention.  If Ji Ho thinks someone is stealing you away from him, he’ll stop and think about what he wants from you.”

                I shrugged.  “I’ve dated.  He’s never said anything about it.”

                “You need to find someone to hold your attention for longer than one date,” Kyung corrected.  Ok, point taken.

                “I don’t want to date anyone else,” I muttered.

                “It doesn’t have to be for real.  Get one of the guys to go in on this plan with you.  It would only be for a little while.  Long enough for Ji Ho to come to his senses.”  He looked thoughtful for a moment.  “Ah!  Ask Tae Il.  He’ll do it.  Plus, Ji Ho is already jealous of how girls are always saying how cute Tae Il is.  If Ji Ho thinks Tae Il is sweeping you away, it’ll be just the slap in the face the boy needs to see just how he really feels about you.”

                Make Ji Ho jealous with a pretend boyfriend?  Think I’ve replaced him?  His words from that night when he thought I was sleeping came back into my head.  I shook my head.  I couldn’t do that to him.  I can’t mess with him.

                Besides, Tae Il is cute.  Pretty almost.  Even I’m jealous of his face.

                “I can’t do this.  He really likes Natalie.”  Kyung rolled his eyes.

                “Ji Ho likes girls.  He only likes Natalie because she’s hot.”

                “But he told me once that there’s something about her that-”

                “Those are his hormones talking.  I’d bet my life that he’d pick you over Natalie once he sees what his true feelings for you are.  I’m an impartial bystander, an observant one might I add,” he popped his shirt collar arrogantly.  I giggled.  “So I see it.  He loves you.”

                I kept shaking my head.  But the more I thought about it the more it kind of seemed like a good idea.  I really didn’t have anything to lose in this situation because if I do this, only two things could happen.  If Kyung is wrong and Ji Ho doesn’t care if I get a boyfriend, then I can just ‘break up’ with my pretend boyfriend.  Ji Ho is still my best buddy.  No harm, no foul.

                But if Kyung is right then I get Ji Ho.

                “Kyung, will you do this with me then?” I asked.

                His eyes bugged out.  “No, no.  I didn’t mean me.  I’m not that good of an actor.”

                I pouted.  “I thought we were friends.”

                “Oh, we are, Jo!  Please don’t look at me like that.  I just can’t fool Ji Ho.”

                “Please, Kyung!” I begged, clasping my hands together.  “This was your idea!  Besides, if it all goes to hell, I don’t want anyone else to know about my feelings for him.”

                He sighed heavily.  Then an idea came to me.

                “I’ll introduce you to Maddie…” I offered, hinting at the girl I always caught Kyung staring at in our French class.

                His cheeks flushed pink.  “…why would I care about Maddie?”  His voice cracked.

                I smirked.  “You’re not the only observant one.”

                “You know Maddie?”

               I shrugged casually.  “We’re cool.  I know you think she’s cute.  If you do this for me, after it’s all over, I’ll bring up all kinds of good points about you to her.  You’re an awesome guy.  She’ll totally go out with you if you ask when I’m done with her.”  He hummed thoughtfully for a second.  “Come on, if you help me, the least I can do is help you.”

                “Ok.  I’ll help you make Ji Ho jealous and you’ll hook me up with Maddie.”

                I clapped.  “Deal!  You’re a good friend.”

                He nodded.  “I know, but seriously, I’m only doing this because you guys are two of my best friends and I don’t like new people.  Natalie is out.  I want you and Ji Ho together.”