“Ajusshi, you sure you don’t want one?” she said waving a pepero stick in front of him. Frowning, he pushed her arm away and shook his head.

You wouldn’t think looking at her now that she’d been hurt and upset less than 10 minutes ago. He glanced over at her walking with a slight spring to her step and munching happily through the second box of Peperos he’d bought her. How did I end up in this situation?

He wasn’t a stranger to girls crying at him but usually when they did, it just made him mad. When she’d started crying he’d panicked, probably because from past experience with her, crying could turn into something bigger. It was a of luck that he’d said the first thing that came to mind and blurted out that he would buy her Pepero if she stopped. She took a second to come around but after that she was fine. Excitedly dragging him back into the store, filling his arms with 12 different types of the stuff.

Glancing down at her knee he saw her Finding Nemo plaster flash at him from under the hem of her dress and scoffed... his guilt had reduced him to buying baby plasters and because she said she was scared of walking to her uppity school by herself, he now had to her.

It’s broad daylight! What a kid...

At first he thought it was an act, one that most girls liked to play on guys when they wanted something but he was beginning to see that from what happened on the train until now that it was just the way she was... innocent and kiddy, in other words... clueless. Only in mind though, her face and body were definitely all woman. Nichkhun thought, looking her up and down through his side vision. 

“How old are you?” he asked before he could stop himself.

Looking over at him, she took the Pepero stick out of “17 but Ajusshi before you ask me that shouldn’t you ask for my name?”

“Huh?” he said.

Looking away thoughtfully she waved the Pepero around and spoke as if reciting a poem “Say hello first, introduce yourself second, if you're comfortable ask and answer questions”

Is she serious? Frowning with impatience “Forget I asked” he said.

As if he’d just finished telling a joke, she giggled and hit his arm playfully with the Pepero making him flinch “Ajusshi then what’s yours?” she asked.

Scowling, he swiped the crumbs off his jacket arm “Nichkhun” he muttered grumpily.

“Excuse me Ajusshi?” she asked, leaning closer to him.

Finding himself annoyed, he stopped walking, making her stop too “Nichkhun! It’s Nichkhun and why do you keep calling me Ajusshi when i'm only 18?”

Blinking up at him innocently, she bowed apologetically and then straightening back up she looked at him guiltily “Sorry but i’m not allowed to call you anything but Ajusshi” she explained cryptically.

Nichkhun frowned at her. This chick just gets stranger and stranger, he thought.

Craning her head to the side to look over his shoulder, she pointed at something behind him and smiled. His gaze following her finger, he raised his eyebrows to see they’d already arrived at the gates of Cho Won. Feeling something clamped around his torso, he quickly turned back, gobsmacked to see her arms wrapped around him hugging him, her cheek resting to his side, partly against his arm and chest.

“Thanks for walking me” she told him.

Before he could do or say anything she quickly let him go and ran toward the gates. When she got to them she turned around and smiled brightly “Oh and Nichkhun Ajusshi” she called “My name’s Sue Ji”

Cho Won Gates