6 (Part 1)

IU

            I was at my locker figuring out what exactly I had next period – it was either dance or vocals; either way I wasn’t really sure. For the showcase dance I had managed to team myself up with Kai – he wasn’t as good of a dancer as JB but still, he would have to do.

            Apparently everyone was going to see that new Lee Byung-Hyun horror movie tonight, and they were all going as couples. There was Taecyeon and Suzy of course, Yoona and Daesung going as just friends, Nana and Junsu who were currently dating, Seung-Ri and Taeyeon (Seung-Ri’s girl for the week), and even JB and Jiyeon! If I remembered correctly they were both sworn enemies to each other; apparently not. The only people who weren’t going as far as I know were Yong-Hwa, Seohyun and myself.

            “Wassup girl?” An unfamiliar, husky voice spoke in English. It was the new guy who had recently transferred from JYP High. He leaned against the lockers and scanned me from head to toe “Dayum you so fine!”

            “Ya, don’t you know this is Korea? Why do you speak English?”

            “Chill out girl!” He continued to speak the foreign language; to be honest I was getting quite annoyed with it. Yet after emanating an angry look on my face he instantly stopped and returned to speaking his mother tongue “Calm down! There’s no need to pull those kinds of faces” He grinned charmingly.

            “So, you’re new here and already you’re hitting on someone like me?” He scoffed at my response.

            “Well yeah of course, why wouldn’t I? You’re actually kind of cute” As annoying as this guy’s attitude was, he made me blush a bit; and I could tell he had already spotted the redness in my cheeks as I covered it up “Ok listen, there’s that new Lee Byung-Hyun horror movie tonight and I want to take you out on a date!”

            “What makes you think I want to go?”

            “Well, it doesn’t have to be that horror movie. We could go watch one of those sappy romances instead, or sit through a drama in my room; either way I’ll be there for you to curl up into my arms”

            “You are … really something!” He made me speechless; I never had a guy approach me like this before.

            “What can I say? I know what I want”

            “Yeah well not tonight, I have to study”

            “Fine. We’ll just reschedule for tomorrow night then”

            “I have plans tomorrow night”

            “Ok well there’s always the next day; and the day after that, and the day of that, and the day aft-“

            “Aigoo! You’re a persistent guy aren’t you?!”

            “I’m not leaving until you say yes”

            “No!”

            “Great! I’ll swing by your dorm at 7pm!” Was this guy being for real? Did he seriously just make my decision for me? I thought to myself. Just before he left, he leaned forward towards my face within kissing distance and stayed like that for a moment “By the way I’m Park Jaebeom, but you can call Jay. You?”

            “Ji-, Ji-Eun. Lee Ji-Eun” I struggled to say my name. He smiled back then suddenly kissed my cheek just before he left. I watched him strut down the hallway and into the vocals classroom – he seemed so bothersome, but so hot.

 

…

 

Yoona

            It had been 2 weeks since Taecyeon and I broke up, and for the first few days I was a real hermit. I didn’t like feeling pathetic, nor did I like drinking coffee to rid of the bitterness in my heart (coffee was my alcohol as a matter of fact). Sure Daesung has made quite an effort cheering me up, but the pain is still there – it remains unforgettable and it hurts. No matter how much I think about it I was still in love with Taecyeon, and it kills me to know that I can’t have him.

Nevertheless tonight Daesung was taking me out to that new horror movie everyone has been talking so famously about; at this point I was desperate to do anything and everything possible to make me forget the pain he put me through.

I made my way towards Daesung’s room (which was awkwardly also Taecyeon’s room) in order to meet up with him before we left together; Taecyeon wasn’t there fortunately as he and Suzy went out on a date tonight.

As I approached the door it was left unlocked; I entered and already started calling out Daesung’s name. There seemed to be no sign of him until the bathroom door opened, emerging one , wet Daesung with a towel wrapped around his lower body. Water trickled down along his muscular figure – especially his rock-hard abs. He was so perfectly tanned, his muscles were huge, his whole body in general just attracted the little school girl inside me. It was then that I abruptly realised I had been checking him out thoroughly with curious eyes, and he was watching me check him out.

“Oh! Uh, sorry!” I apologised over and over covering my eyes “I didn’t know you were showering, I was just trying to look for you” I heard Daesung’s faint chuckle.

“It’s fine Yoona, why don’t you sit down?”

“Oh, don’t you need to get changed?”

“I’m sure I can trust you to face the other way around while I change” No. You can’t. I thought to myself. My hands fidgeted against one another as I couldn’t get over the fact Daesung was practically behind my back, literally. That image of his wet, good-looking body kept appearing in my head and it wasn’t something one could just simply get over. I was so eager to look behind me and catch one more glimpse at least, without him noticing of course. Slowly, very slowly, I turned my head around and remarked his muscular definition – he had already dressed himself with pants and at the moment was putting on his shirt. Just before putting on his cardigan I turned around and acted as though nothing even happened.

“Ok I’m dressed. You can look now” I turned to face him.

“What time is the bus arriving?”

“6.05pm? That’s in 15 minutes, so I guess we better head out now to the bus stop” I quickly stood up and headed towards the door, however as I opened it, Yong-Hwa, Seohyun, Nichkhun and IU entered the room in a quarrelling fashion.

“Please-please-please Seohyun! Yong-Hwa! I don’t want to go on this date alone! We have to double date!” IU pleaded.

“But I don’t want to double date, especially with Yong-Hwa. He’s too filthy for my standards; in fact, you’re all too filthy for my standards”

“Yeah forget it IU, I’m not double dating with this clean freak” IU sighed distressfully.

“Nichkhun! Can you double date with Seohyun?”

“What? No! Besides I’ve already got plans tonight”

“Whoa, what’s going on here?” Daesung queried.

“That new kid Jay Park asked IU out on a date and long-story short she doesn’t want to go alone” Seohyun explained.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because I don’t want to do it on the first night”

“IU!” Seohyun held both her shoulders “Have you seen this kid’s tattoos? He obviously looks like someone who would do it on the first night. So, if you don’t want to do it, and if you don’t like him, don’t date him!”

“But I do like him! There I said it!”

“Well what’s wrong with having on the first night with the person you like then?!” IU looked down to her shoes and pulled a seat towards her then sat down.

“It’s because … It’s because I’m …” All our eyes were focused on her, keen on what she was about to tell us “I’m a ”

“You’re a ?” I asked.

“Wait! So, you’ve never done it before?” Nichkhun questioned.

“Abstinence your whole life?! What are you a nun?” Yong-Hwa was completely thunderstruck as the rest of us.

“Yes! Yes! I’m a ! I’ve never done it before because I’ve been waiting for … for Mr Right okay?!” Seohyun and I sighed in awe then tried comforting her.

“Okay, just this once I’ll come to double date, but that’s only if Yong-Hwa agrees to come”

“Sure, I’ll double date with Seohyun just this once to protect your untouched ity”

“Thanks guys, it really means a lot”

 

…

 

Jiyeon

            It was 6.49pm and I continued to wait for JB outside the cinema in the cold; the movie was about to start in 11 minutes therefore I was beginning to grow anxious of his absence. I haven’t told any of the girls this but I think I was starting to develop mixed feelings for him. All my life I have seen him as some sort of enemy, but now there was something else about him that made me feel bizarre whenever I thought of him.

            How we became antagonists to each other’s stories wasn’t a very complicated tale. It all started during our preschool days when we both attended the same nursery; it might seem petty that our feud had started at such an early age, but what happened thereafter really affected our attitudes towards each other in the coming years.

            When I had just turned 5 years of age, my mother had reached one of the most critical and final stages of her illness. But before she left, she handed me the most beautiful gisaeng doll I had ever laid my eyes on – her eon’jeun meori hairstyle was glamorous, but her hanbok dress was the highlight of the doll. The chima skirt was a beautiful red-pinkish colour consisting of crimsons, roses and violet-reds, whereas the jeogori top was a simple white topped off with an orchid goreum.

            One day, I decided to take it to the nursery to play with, as well as flaunt it among my other friends. As beautiful as it was, the doll was also a very delicate item to handle. As I frolicked around the nursery with her, she was suddenly taken by the hands of JB.

            ‘Give it back!’ I yelled.

            ‘No!’

            ‘Give it back Jaebum!’ He shook his head. I approached him desperately and kneeled before him, bowing face down ‘Please! It was my mother’s! Please give it back!’

            ‘It’s mine now’ After denying me possession of the doll, I stood back up and we fought over it. We constantly pulled it back and forth like it was a game of tug-of-war, until eventually we both lost our grip causing the doll to fly in the air. Ultimately, it was shattered to pieces against the cement pavement. It was from the day forward I swore we would be enemies no matter what.

            “Jiyeon-ah!” Nana called from behind, accompanied by Junsu “Aren’t you going to head in?”

            “Not just yet, I want to wait for JB. He said he’ll be here soon” She smiled weakly. At that moment, Seung-Ri appeared escorted by Taeyeon.

            “Nana” He greeted her so gawkily “You’re going to watch the horror movie? With Junsu?”

            “Of course. Everyone has been talking about it so …” Omo. There is definitely something going on between these two! I thought to myself.

            “Yo wassup people!” That Jay Park kid yelled in English as he crossed the road approaching us, and following behind him was IU, Yoona, Daesung, Seohyun and Yong-Hwa “How’s it going man?!” He greeted Seung-Ri and Junsu informally.

            “Ya can this dude even speak Korean?” Seung-Ri expressed a repelled look.

            “Speak it, understand it – I know it!” Jay Park beamed. Out of everyone here he seemed to be the most vigorous and lively person within the circle.

            “If he’s going to be like this during the entire movie, I swear …” Nana was beginning to grow annoyed with his voice.

            “He won’t. I’ve got him under control” IU claimed.

            “You’re dating him?” I asked.

            “Just for tonight” She replied. Jay Park gave her a saddened look and held his hand tight to his chest.

            “‘Just for tonight’? Ouch! I’m a little insulted you think this is going to just be something quick of a one night stand” He turned back to face everybody then smiled once again “We’re going to be dating for a really long time”

            “What?!” IU exclaimed. Jay Park grabbed her hand then pulled her close, leaning forward to give her an adorable kiss on cheek. Everyone turned their heads to this sudden, but endearing new couple.

            “Well, we’ll see you guys inside then” Jay Park ran off holding IU’s hand into the cinema. Soon after, Yong-Hwa and Seohyun followed along with Yoona and Daesung.

            “Oppa,” Taeyeon pouted “I’m freezing out here”

            “Sure, let’s head in now” Seung-Ri escorted his date into the cinema followed by Nana and Junsu. If anyone had bothered to notice the looks exchanged between Seung-Ri and Nana, it was too obvious in fact to recognise they had a thing for each other; my guess was they just haven’t confessed at all.

            “Jiyeon,” I turned to notice Nana at the entrance door “are you sure you’re not coming inside? JB’s just probably late”

            “I’m fine eonni, don’t worry about me” She nodded then left.