‘What? What is it?’

Your heart is pounding so fast you feel like you’ll collapse any moment. Junhong is looking at you in a questionable manner. You shouldn’t have said anything. He’s waiting for an answer but the words just don’t leave your mouth, they can’t.

‘Uh…’ You trail off, your eyes more focused on the concrete ground, rather than on your friend, who seems to be confused.

‘Can you just tell me? Is something wrong? Did I do something wrong?’

You look up, meeting his gaze. He’s always had an attractive look about him, those cute eyes, soft lips. But you know he’ll never actually see you in that manner, he just couldn’t possibly. You sense his impatience as he lets out a deep frustrated sigh. You don’t recall him ever really displaying his temper; he’s not a stressed person. Sure, he had his doubts about what the future would be like, how hard it would be to succeed, but he deals with it, like we all do.

‘Are you going to tell me what this is about? Because I don’t recall me ever doing anything wrong.’ Junhong whispers through gritted teeth, seeming a little harsh.

‘That’s the thing.’ You manage to mumble. ‘You never really do anything wrong, you’re just – you’re so great. You’re a great person. I, uh, sometimes it gets to me, the way you know me so well.’

‘And what exactly do you mean by that?’

‘I mean, why are you so great? Why are you always – always the first person I think of when I go to sleep and even when I wake? I know, I sound ridiculous, and trust me when I say this, it has taken me time to just build this courage right now to enable me to say this, Junhong.’ You pause for a breath, hoping he will say something, but he doesn’t.

‘I just,’ You continue, ‘I don’t know, Junhong. I don’t know why it is that whenever I need a lab partner, you’re there. Whenever I need a gym partner, you’re there. Like, you have male friends, but still you offer to be my partner? Why?’

‘Because,’ Junhong finally decides to put in his input, ‘Because you’re my friend. I don’t see what’s so wrong about helping you out, spending time with you.’

‘Friend.’ You mumble, eyes trailing to the ground once more. You’re glad no one’s about, since it’s past 5PM and the school grounds are more or less deserted. It’s taken you time to finally gather these thoughts and verbally vomit them out in the presence of your friend.

‘Just forget it.’ You whisper, picking your bag up from the bench you had been sitting on, until Junhong met you after football practice. You had told him you would wait for him, you always did. You spent that spare time reading your notes for the test on Monday, whilst listening to your iPod. You didn’t mind waiting, he was a good friend. But it seemed that would be all.

‘I never tell you to wait.’ Junhong says in an almost spiteful manner, pulling his hood down from his hooded top. ‘You just offer to wait. Every Friday, every single bloody Friday evening, you wait out in the cold for me. Why do you do that?’

‘Because I revise my notes?’

‘You could easily sit at home and do that.’

‘So what?’ You retort, in an equally as spiteful manner. ‘So bloody what, Junhong? Can I not wait for you, and pass time revising? Can I not watch you play? Is that it? You don’t want me to wait anymore? Do I embarrass you?’

‘Of course not.’ He hisses, grabbing your right arm. You jerk forwards, your faces just a few inches apart. ‘Look. Do what you like, ok? I never said you embarrass me, never. But I just want to know why you do it.’

‘So do I.’ You whisper, hoping he didn’t hear that.

‘Do you – Do you like me?’

You don’t want to meet his eyes because you don’t know what you will verbally vomit out if you meet his dazzling gaze. You don’t know why, but you just fall into a trance sometimes whenever he laughs and jokes with you. It hasn’t been long since you’ve felt like this, but you definitely feel there’s been a change in the atmosphere between you both. Or maybe it’s just you?

‘W- what?’ You stutter, with a false chuckle. ‘You think….’

‘You do, don’t you?’

‘Uh, as a friend?’

‘Why are you questioning yourself?’

‘Why are you questioning me?

‘Because you’re confused.’

‘.’ You wish you didn’t say that aloud, but you know you did since Junhong is now sniggering.

‘I guess…’ Junhong moves a little closer to you, towering over you. He places his hand on your left shoulder, ‘I guess I could say we’re compatible.’

‘What?’ You manage to mumble, eyes staring directly into his. His lips curve into a small smile.

‘I mean,’ Junhong pauses for a short breath, and you think he will continue but he doesn’t. In fact, he moves forwards, pulling you closer. Junhong brushes his lips upon yours, gently. He steps back a little to chuckle at your bedazzled expression before he becomes closer to you, intertwining your free hand with his as he kisses you fully this time. It’s a long, deep kiss, allowing you both to express how you feel. Junhong finally breaks away, so do you, leaving you both staring breathlessly at one another.

‘I mean,’ Junhong decides to finally finish off his sentence. ‘I mean, I like you, too.’

‘Hey, I never said it, though.’

‘You were going to, though, right?’ Junhong smirks and you nudge him playfully.

 ‘Think what you may. Fool.’

‘Hey, we haven’t passed the banmal (dropping formalities) phase in our relationship yet.’

‘Yet.’ You snigger, walking past him.

‘Hey, wait up.’ Junhong pouts, throwing his training bag over his shoulder as he chases after you. ‘You like me, right? Right? Hey….’

‘Yes. I like you, Choi Junhong.’ You call back, picking up the pace since you feel your cheeks burning  at the fact that you finally had the guts to confess.