Jessica’s POV – Parallel to Chapter 7 and 8

We have been waiting for Taeyeon to wake up for the past 10 minutes or so. The serene look on her face makes my heart flutter wildly. I know this is crazy, but I am going to admit that, yes I like her.

“TAEYEONNNNNNNNN!” Hyoyeon shouts when patting Taeyeon’s cheek is useless to wake her up. I am a little displeased with that as people are looking at us like as if we are weirdoes.

“Where am I?” I hear her ask but when I look down, I see Hyoyeon crouching over her petite body, not that I am very tall as well.

“You’re at the interchange dude. Get up, it isn’t nice to lie on the ground for the past 10 minutes with people staring at me like a weirdo.” Grumbles Hyoyeon as she pushes Taeyeon up

“Hyoyeon?” Taeyeon calls out. Then, Hyoyeon goes to the front to face Taeyeon and squats down just so that Taeyeon can see her.

“Now kiddy, can we go now?” asks Hyoyeon patiently. Is this how they always communicate? Does everyone treat Taeyeon like a small kid just because of her baby face and height?

“are you really okay?” I ask out of concern. She looks like she doesn’t know what’s going on around her, but she’s still cute.

“yah she’s talking to you,” Hyoyeon somehow grunts and turns Taeyeon around roughly to face me. I would appreciate it if she did it gentler

“Can you walk?” I ask again and she just stares at me with agape, her eyelids are like half-close, she is okay, right?

Before I know it, Hyoyeon gives her a hard smack on the back of the head. This isn’t helping when a fainted person just woke up! She snaps her head around and glares at Hyoyeon who is looking at her fingers nonchalantly, “what you want!” she sounds pissed off.

I think Hyoyeon is getting as impatient as me as well when Taeyeon is not responding to me. Hyoyeon sighs and smiles at me,” I am sorry Sooyeon-ssi, and this kiddy here is not at her best condition. I might have to bring her home now and thank you for staying with me for the past 10 minutes so that I don’t feel so awkward fanning a dead body.”

I take notice of Taeyeon’s reaction. She looks confused. I don’t really want to go now since she hasn’t really introduced herself to me yet. I want to converse with her properly. That’s my wish.

I watch as the two cousins whispering but Hyoyeon breaks into a fit of laughter. What did they say? It is so amusing when Hyoyeon is laughing but Taeyeon has the same confused look on her. My eyebrow arches up when it begins to get awkward because I am standing there like a fool with Hyoyeon laughing out loud. I fiddle with the papers in my hands, hoping that Taeyeon would notice how awkward I feel and rescue me.

Taeyeon nudges on Hyoyeon’s stomach to stop the crazy laughter and she throws Hyoyeon an irritable look. Can she read my mind? I was just hoping that Taeyeon would stop this and that really happened.

“Taeyeon, this is Sooyeon.” Hyoyeon finally controls her laughter and says it with her best formal tone

I smile at Taeyeon with my cheeks feeling a little hot when she grins at me. She is really charming, does she have a girlfriend? Besides that, she isn’t doing anything else. Can’t she introduce herself properly? Or is it that she isn’t interested in knowing me? But it can’t be-

“uhm… hello Sooyeon, I am T-Tae-Taeyeon.” She is actually stuttering. That further proven the point that Hyoyeon hinted me earlier on.  I don’t care when Hyoyeon walks further away, that’s good actually. I just want some time with Taeyeon so that we can get to know each other more.

I notice her hand and I take it gladly,”Nice to meet you Taeyeon-ssi.” My skin burns at the contact with her hand. It sends a tingly sensation all over my body, I don’t feel like letting go so I hold onto it a little tighter when she wanted to let go, but of course, I don’t want to look like a creep to her, so I let go as soon as that.

“Anyway, others call me Jessica. Hyoyeon-ssi is not comfortable pronouncing my English name so she calls me sooyeon.” I explain. I want her to call me by my English name, I want her to be the special one who can call it out. Not Sica or Sooyeon or whatever.

“Jay-shi-kar?” she pronounces it weirdly. I knew it. Why can’t they all pronounce it properly without any difficulty? Nonetheless, I am willing to teach her. So we spent about 2 minutes or so trying to pronounce my English name. Guess what? She did it. I knew she can do it. 

We are smiling and all together when she suddenly looks down and says,” uhm Jessica-ssi, I think… I might need to go now… it is getting quite late n-now.”

I definitely don’t want that, but what can I do? I nod even though my heart screams no. “well.. then I guess I’ve to go now…” I can totally lie. I don’t want to go.

However, my body is not obeying my brain, it is listening to the heart. I stay still even though she asked me to go home. The funny thing is, she stands there quietly too when I am not moving an inch.

“uhm Jessica-ssi?” she calls out after a moment. Does she want my number? Or she wants me to stop seeing her? I don’t know. I look at her eyes directly as I try to read her emotion.

“yes?” I am eager to know what’s she wants to ask but I am afraid it might turn out otherwise as well.

“Have you had your dinner yet? Maybe.. w-we can have dinner t-to-together if y-you don’t m-mind,” she stutters badly this time. This is cute though. She actually asks me out for a dinner. And of course, I have totally forgotten that my stomach is growling and protesting to me

“well, sure.. I guess?” I say as I try my best to hide my overwhelmed emotion.

We agreed to have our dinner at a noodles shop. I notice one thing, she likes to stare at my face when I am not looking, but when I look at her, she will turn away. I smile a little as I know exactly the reason behind it. Hyoyeon has hinted me and I have observed a little. Maybe it is true that she is interested or maybe it is just that she is curious.

We reach the noodles shop not far from my house and we managed to have some small talk during the bus ride. She’s really shy and quiet, I don’t blame her though. Maybe it is her character.

A middle-age lady walks up to her and somehow nags at her. Are they related? “I am sorry omma…”

So they’re related. The lady is Taeyeon’s mother, she is bringing me to see her mother… Wait, that doesn’t mean anything, right. I will just take things slowly. There’s something about the girl which makes me curious. She’s mysterious as she doesn’t talk much. She looks like she is dazing when she is actually thinking a lot in the inside.

I order the same as Taeyeon as I want to know what she likes the best. “ your parents own this place?” I ask casually as I look around.

I don’t really expect a long reply as the question is simple. I have tried asking her a few questions throughout the entire dinner but she will either give me short replies or a nod or shake her head. She is a hard nut to crack.

But she can be a little dense. I said that I want to come to this eatery again and she thinks that I will want to bring my friends over or let her serve me. I was trying to hint to her that she should bring me here again.

Somehow, I am really comfortable in conversing with the two cousins. Even though we don’t talk much, at least it is better than talking to those who try to go after me or those hypocrites in school. Taeyeon seems innocent and naïve, but it doesn’t mean that she is stupid. Or perhaps it is because that we are still unfamiliar to each other, that’s why she doesn’t respond much. But that totally makes me wonder if she’s really interested in me

I have been dropping hints all along but she is just as neutral as ever. We walk to the bus stop after the dinner, her mother refuses to accept any money and I feel a little guilty for that. Hyoyeon left earlier because she says that her mother asks her to go home, I hope the two of us won’t feel as awkward as before after the dinner

The night is really cold. I am wearing only a very thin shirt and I can feel my Goosebumps on my arms. I try to rub on my arms to generate some heat but it isn’t helping. The wind is really strong. How I hope I am under my blanket now, but I want to stay with Taeyeon for as long as possible too

“you need it,” I hear her say and a hoodie comes into my sight. She is really thoughtful, but is she not cold? I look at her as I can see that her lips are quivering a little, I can’t be selfish, she might need it too.

But she gives me an assuring smile along with a firm nod. I reach over for the hoodie as I look at her in the eyes. They say eyes are the window to the soul. I try to read her, but she is like a close book.

“thank you taeyeon-ssi,” I thank her with an appreciative smile and she smiles back at me. I like her dimple smile. I remember that she complimented me that I have a cute smile too when we were having dinner, I was trying my very best not to squeal in delight.

I see that bus 134 is arriving but Taeyeon isn’t moving. Maybe she is still daydreaming. I stand up, getting ready to board the bus when the bus stops in front of me. “you can’t take this bus?” I ask her when she looks at me with an unreadable look.

It frustrates me somehow when I can’t read her. I want to know her, but she just shuts me away. Is it because we are still not that familiar yet?

She shakes her head with a smile, “you can go first you know? It’s quite late now.”

No. There’s no way I will let this chance to slip away. We can know each other better when we wait for the bus, we can talk and yeah you know. I sit back down and reply,” I will wait with you.”

Times flies without me knowing. We had some small talks while waiting for the bus. Then I thought about exchanging number, just in case if we wouldn’t meet as often in the future.

“Taeyeon-ssi, can we… exchange number?” I ask

“sure.” She says coolly and takes out her phone. I hand over my phone to her as well and we key in our number into each other’s phone.

Once we are done, the bus arrives. It’s as if god wants us to keep in touch before we separate again. I believe in fate, does she?

We sit together side by side and I feel a need to talk to her. Because once we alight, we might not know when we will be meeting again unless we ask each other out, which would probably never happen since she is such a shy girl.

“how old are you Taeyeon? You mind if we drop the formality?” I ask as I look into her eyes again. She looks away immediately, I smile a little.

“I am 18 this year, and sure, how about you?” I know she is trying to sound casual. Who will talk without looking at the person she is conversing with if she isn’t nervous? She is actually younger than me. Well, age doesn’t matter right? And I hope everyone will think that gender doesn’t matter too..

“oh.. I am 19 this year. University life ,” I grumble a little. I can’t stand the life in uni because everyone is like a hypocrite. Or boys are just flirting around. I hate that.

We talk for a little more and the bus suddenly makes a sharp turn to the left, her shoulder bumps into mine. It actually hurts because my arm hit the pole on the bus as well just now. But I don’t want to make her feel guilty. She quickly checks on me and apologises even though I say that I am fine. She doesn’t believe it of course.

But she stops rubbing on my shoulder immediately when I look at her in the eyes again. How many times have I tried to look into her eyes but she will turn away? Countless times. Never mind, she is just shy.

We alight after the bus reaches the interchange. I dread this. I want to be near her for a while more. I don’t want to say goodbye to her and she seems to know it. So she just asks me to go home after I tell her to text me when she’s home. We talk as if we are closer now. I like that.

I smile at her with my cheeks flush slightly. My heart flutters wildly now when she looks at me before I go, I run my fingers through my hair to hide my nervousness. I guess she knows it. But she just smiles.

Like we have promised, she texts me. She is so sweet, maybe she can express herself better through text. I guess she didn’t pick up the hint I gave her earlier, so I tell her that I would like to go to her parents’ eatery with her again. I throw my phone on to my bed and go for a quick shower.

When I come out, I check my phone immediately. She didn’t disappoint me.

I will bring you there again, I promise. Let’s meet up soon Jessica :) I want to know you better –Taeyeon

I literally squeal and jump on my bed as I read the last sentence. My mother comes into my room and asks me to quiet down as my sister is asleep now. Am I dreaming right now? If yes, please don’t wake me up.

TBC the sweetness is coming up everyone, be prepared:)