Sunwoo is scribbling down things on his paper eagerly. The teacher is making them rehearse the multiplication tables once again, but that is too boring. Sunwoo already knows them – well, kind of, but why would he need to multiply with more than five anyways? No, he’s working on more important things. He is making a note for Yura.

It’s hard to make the question sound right. Sunwoo has already tried several different ways to say it. Will you be my girlfriend is simple and nice, but that’s what everyone else uses and he doesn’t want her to think he’s boring and unoriginal. Will you go out with me doesn’t sound right either because that’s what grown-ups do, and it’s the same with will you date me. I love you seems too serious and just I like you is too vague.

In the end he settles for I like you can I be your boyfriend. He writes YES, NO and MAYBE and draws three perfectly squared boxes next to the options. After some hesitation he adds smiley faces on the other side of the boxes; a happy one for YES, a sad for NO and an S-mouthed one for MAYBE.

MAYBE is the worst option really. Everyone knows it actually means no, but you’re still left with the hope that maybe, maybe it really means maybe this time. You still have to have it there though, because it lowers the chances of getting a NO, and no one wants a NO.

He signs his name on the bottom left corner of the paper and draws a line for Yura to sign hers on the bottom right.

Sunwoo sits next to his best friend Junghwan, and on the other side of Junghwan Yura sits. Sunwoo pokes Junghwan in the side with his pencil. He looks up and frowns, ready to slap the hand away. Quickly Sunwoo slips the note into his hand and makes the smallest of nods towards Yura. Then he immediately turns back to the teacher, too nervous to see what’ll happen. Butterflies are fluttering around in his stomach.

Yura is a maybe girl. Sunwoo isn’t sure if he’s in love with her, but she’s the kind of pretty girl all the boys send notes to, and she always ticks the MAYBE box but it always means no. He doesn’t really dare to think what she’ll answer.

Probably there’ll be a neat mark at the MAYBE, but maybe MAYBE really means maybe this time. Maybe MAYBE even means yes. Maybe she’ll even check the YES box.

But what if she answers NO, an actual no for the first time? Does that mean she hates Sunwoo, that he’s stupid and ugly and has smelly feet? The butterflies are fluttering harder, making him squirm uncomfortably in his chair.

Sunwoo forces himself to not look until Junghwan taps his shoulder and hands him the note, folded in half to hide the answer. Swallowing and trying to collect himself Sunwoo slowly unfolds the paper. His heart is beating hard and he’s feeling slightly nauseous. His stomach jolts. He reads and rereads the answer at least ten times, making sure he’s seeing it right.

YES

He lets out a long sigh of relief.  Then something catches his eye. The scrawl at the bottom right corner isn’t Yura’s neat hand. And the name that’s signed isn’t hers. With big, wobbly letters it says Lee Junghwan.

Sunwoo doesn’t know if he should cry or laugh. How can Junghwan be dumb enough to think the question was for him? He looks to his right. Junghwan meets his eyes and gives him a beaming smile, before blushing and looking down at his desk. Sunwoo rests his eyes on him for a moment, watching him bite his lip as if he’s trying to bite away his smile and fiddle with his pencil.

Maybe this isn’t so bad after all. Maybe this is even better than getting a MAYBE that actually means maybe from Yura. He smiles at the paper.

Yes, a YES is always better.